4 Waxing & Waning

by Amanda M. Lee

  The light arced out, hitting the two vampires in the chest. The force was enough to cast me back, tossing me to the ground. My mind was swimming, but the one thing I grasped was that the light wasn’t dissipating – and the vampires were disintegrating in front of me.

  Holy crap!

  Twenty-One

  The police arrived quickly, the neighbors calling 911 when Danielle wouldn’t stop screeching. I tried to shut her up, but she screamed like I was stabbing her to death every time I took a step in her direction. Right now she was standing on the front porch flapping her arms like she was trying to fly as a police detective tried to question her.

  The detective’s partner was standing in front of me with a notebook – and a frown. “Do you want to tell me what happened here?”

  I shrugged. “She was at our house,” I said, committing to the lie as I told it. “She was in the bathroom freaking out and doing yoga. She thinks she’s a dolphin, which was my first clue she was doing more than yoga in the bathroom. She said she dropped acid, by the way, so you might want to get that checked out.

  “I decided to walk her home because I was worried she would get lost as she was swimming away,” I said. “She seemed fine. She said this was her house. I was walking away when she absolutely started freaking out.”

  “Define freaking out,” the cop said.

  “I don’t know, she was jerking around like she was being electrocuted or something,” I said. “She was acting like someone was attacking her, and then she was pointing at me like I was a killer. I have no idea what she’s talking about.”

  Danielle’s acid problem was definitely going to work in my favor here. I was sitting on the bottom step of the porch, trying to pretend I was bored instead of internally panicking, and hoping against hope the cops didn’t decide to investigate this further. The only thing I had going for me was that Danielle – who still currently thought she was a dolphin – was the only witness.

  “And she seemed fine before then?”

  I raised an eyebrow. “She thinks she’s a dolphin.”

  “I understand that.”

  “So, I can’t really say she seemed fine before that,” I said.

  The cop nodded, rubbing the back of his neck thoughtfully. “And you didn’t see anything like she described?”

  I plastered an annoyed expression on my face. “Did I see people try to bite her and then light come out of my hands to stop them? Um, no.” Part of me felt bad for lying. The other part of me was just grateful Danielle was such an unreliable witness.

  The cop nodded. “Okay. Just sit tight for a second. I should be able to cut you loose in a few minutes. We’re probably going to have to take the dolphin in for observation.”

  “I think that would be best,” I agreed.

  The arrival of the cops had drawn a crowd. Most of the people loitering around watching seemed to think Danielle’s freakout was funny. Since I was trying really hard not to have a freakout of my own, their intense stares and giggles – even from across the street – were starting to grate.

  Then a familiar face joined the interested onlookers and I wanted to crawl into a hole and hide. Aric paused on the sidewalk, glancing up and down the street worriedly as he focused his attention on me. He wasn’t alone. Caitlyn was a few steps behind him. I was just relieved they weren’t holding hands or anything. I probably would have lost my collective sanity if they were touching each other.

  Aric stepped up to one of the police officers standing at the edge of the lawn. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but whatever the officer said to Aric – he didn’t like it. He left Caitlyn on the sidewalk – not even bothering to look back – and strode over to me.

  “Are you all right?”

  “I’m great,” I said with faux brightness. “I’ve never been better.”

  “She’s a witch!” Danielle was still hysterical on the front porch. Both of the detectives were trying to calm her down.

  “Why does she think you’re a witch?” Aric asked, keeping his voice low.

  “It must be my personality,” I replied, my tone dry.

  Aric opened his mouth to say something, but another outburst from Danielle cut him off.

  “I am not making it up,” she said. “Two monsters attacked me. They had these huge, horrible teeth,” Danielle said, crunching her fingers up and gesturing wildly for emphasis. “That girl yelled at them to stop, and then huge bolts of light jumped out of her hands and then the monsters just … they just turned into big piles of ash. Like poof.”

  I furrowed my brow, turning my head so I couldn’t meet Aric’s probing gaze. He wasn’t going to be deterred. He knelt down in front of me, capturing both of my hands between his and pressing them together. “Was it vampires?” Aric’s voice was so low only I could hear him.

  I nodded mutely.

  Aric rubbed his thumbs over the back of my hands, the touch of his skin against mine making me feel weak and light-headed. “Do the police believe her?”

  “She’s on acid,” I replied. “She thinks she’s a dolphin.”

  “Well, at least that’s something,” he said. “What did you tell them?”

  “What do you think I told them?” Sarcasm was dripping from my tongue. “I told them that I walked her home and she freaked out.”

  Aric rolled his eyes. “I’m trying to help you here. Why are you mad at me?”

  “Why don’t you ask your girlfriend,” I shot back, hating myself for how petty I sounded.

  Aric sighed. “She is not my girlfriend.”

  “Whatever.”

  “She’s not … just, don’t think about that right now, Zoe,” Aric said. “We need to get you out of this.”

  “I can get myself out of this.”

  Aric ignored me. “Where is Rafael?”

  “How should I know?” I countered. “It’s not my day to watch him.”

  “He’s supposed to be watching you,” Aric said. “He promised he would.”

  I stilled. “What?”

  “Huh?” Aric looked like he wished he could travel back in time and say something else.

  I narrowed my eyes. “Are you two in contact with each other?”

  Aric shook his head, glancing over his shoulder and frowning when he saw Caitlyn standing on the corner watching us. Her hands were on her hips, and her face was filled with rage. “We can’t talk about this now.”

  “Because your girlfriend wouldn’t like it?”

  “Because we can’t,” Aric said. “I’m not trying to be difficult.”

  “You’re always trying to be difficult,” I said. “It’s what you do.”

  “Look who’s talking,” he said, smiling slightly. “Your picture should be under the word difficult on Wikipedia.”

  I rolled my eyes and tried to pull my hands from Aric’s, but he was too strong. He didn’t let them go. “You’re sure you’re all right?”

  I lowered my eyes wearily. “I shredded two vampires in seconds with green light,” I whispered. “I have no idea how I did it – or how I stopped it. Of course I’m not all right.”

  Aric sighed, leaning forward so he could rest his forehead against mine for a second. “It’s going to be okay.”

  “It doesn’t feel like it’s going to be okay,” I argued. “It feels like it’s going to get worse and worse until one day I’m just going to get in over my head and burn myself up.”

  “That’s not going to happen,” Aric growled. “Just … listen to me for a second. I know you like to be all cool and in control, but I need you to let Rafael help you.”

  “Since when?”

  “Since … now.”

  “You know he’s been helping me by kissing me, right?” I have no idea why I said it. I just wanted to see his reaction.

  The muscle in Aric’s jaw tightened. “I figured.”

  “You still want him to help me?”

  “No,” Aric said. “I need him to help you.”

  “I don’t understand you,” I complain
ed. “You’re just one big conundrum.”

  “Nice word,” Aric said, smiling. “I’m doing the best I can right now. I need you to … do the same.”

  “Whatever.”

  “Don’t whatever me, Zoe,” Aric said. “Things are starting to happen on this campus.”

  “You sound like Blake.”

  Aric arched an eyebrow. “What did Blake say?”

  “Just that big things were going to happen,” I said. “He won’t tell me what, though. He doesn’t trust me – and that was before I wiped snot on his shirt. Twice.”

  Aric pressed his lips together. “I really want to know what that means,” he said. “I don’t think here is the place to talk about it.”

  I glanced over his shoulder. “Especially with your model waiting over there,” I said. “She looks pissed.”

  “She always looks that way,” Aric said.

  “She must be good in bed,” I said. “Because her personality has all of the appeal of road kill.”

  Aric shook his head, his eyes somber. “I wouldn’t know how she is in bed.”

  “Oh, don’t try and play me.”

  “I’m not,” Aric said. “I can’t explain this to you – and I know you don’t trust me – but things are going to work out. I have faith.”

  “Aric,” Caitlyn said, tapping her foot on the sidewalk irritably. “Are you done checking up on your ex-girlfriend?” She stressed the word “ex,” just so everyone watching the scene wouldn’t be confused about who was on top in this scenario.

  Aric shook his head, not bothering to make eye contact with her. “No. Why don’t you head home? I’ll call you tomorrow or something.”

  “Excuse me?”

  Aric’s temper was short. “Did I stutter?”

  “No, but … .”

  “But nothing,” Aric said. “I’m busy. Go home. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  I watched the interaction curiously. Something was off there. Caitlyn was clearly trying to let the world think she was with Aric – but he seemed ambivalent to all of her wants and needs. Of course, I could also be imagining it because it’s what I wanted to believe.

  “And what are you going to do?” Caitlyn asked, her voice shrill.

  “I’m going to make sure Zoe gets home,” Aric said. “Then I’m going to go home.”

  “Why don’t I wait for you?”

  “Because I don’t want you to,” Aric announced, making sure his voice carried. “I have other things I need to do, and you’re not really a priority for me right now.” I realized he was purposely trying to embarrass her. That was interesting.

  “I’m not a priority for you right now?”

  “Nope.”

  “But she is?”

  “Yup.”

  “I … this is just disrespectful,” Caitlyn said. “I can’t believe you’re treating me this way.”

  “Well, believe it,” Aric said.

  “I don’t have a ride home,” Caitlyn tried again. “My car is at the Alpha Chi house.”

  Aric shrugged. “That’s only two blocks in that direction,” he said.

  “You want me to walk alone?”

  “I don’t care who you walk with,” he said.

  “But you’re worried about her walking home alone?” Caitlyn was incensed.

  “I’m not having this argument with you,” Aric said. “I’m busy. You can either walk to your car or stand there looking like an idiot. I don’t really care which.” Aric straightened and glanced up at the police officers on the porch. They were still trying to calm Danielle down. “Can I walk Ms. Lake back to her home?”

  One of the detectives glanced down at him. “Yeah. There’s obviously nothing to the story. This one is going to have to be locked up and detoxed for a couple of days.”

  Aric nodded, shifting his gaze down to me. “Let’s go.”

  “You’re really walking me home?”

  “I’m really walking you home.”

  “You don’t think that’s a bad idea?”

  “I think it’s a terrible idea,” Aric said. “I’m still doing it.”

  I climbed to my feet, stilling when I got closer to him. “Why?”

  Aric’s eyes were soft as he regarded me. “Because I can’t not do it.”

  He really was a conundrum.

  Twenty-Two

  Christmas break couldn’t have come soon enough. The minute I left Covenant College in my rearview mirror, it was like the big, pink elephant sitting on my chest over the past four months just disappeared. I could breathe again.

  Kind of.

  “I don’t understand why you think this sounds like fun?” Rafael was in my living room sitting on the couch. My parents had decided to go to the Upper Peninsula for three days to visit with friends – leaving me with the house to myself. It made it easier – and more comfortable – to let Rafael in the house. Even though his attitude bothered me.

  “It’s skiing,” I replied. “It is fun.”

  “I don’t understand the appeal of strapping two sticks to your feet and sliding down a hill,” he said.

  “That’s because all you want to do is sit in here and watch television,” I said, gesturing to the remote control in his hand.

  “Television is a fascinating invention,” Rafael replied. “I think you take it for granted because you grew up with it.”

  I blew out a frustrated sigh. “It’s Friday night.”

  “So?”

  “So, I want to go out.”

  “Why?” Rafael asked. “It’s winter. It’s cold. Why would you purposely want to go outside?”

  “Because I want to do something other than sitting here watching you watch television,” I said. “I’m away from school. I’d like to enjoy it.”

  Rafael ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t like skiing.”

  “I didn’t say you have to go,” I said. “I’m meeting some friends from high school. It will probably be easier if I don’t have to explain you to them.”

  “Why do you say that?” Rafael asked.

  “Because they all met Aric last Christmas,” I said. “I don’t feel like getting into a big discussion about my feelings.”

  “And what are your feelings?”

  I froze. “What?”

  “You brought up your feelings,” Rafael said. “I’m just curious what they are.”

  Yeah, there was no way I was getting into that discussion right now. “I feel like I want to go skiing.”

  Rafael leaned back on the couch, waiting.

  I met his gaze without hesitation.

  Rafael crossed his arms over his chest, causing me to do the same.

  He narrowed his eyes, and I mimicked the expression.

  He frowned, so I scowled.

  Finally, it was a smile that graced his handsome face. “You really are a pain in the ass.”

  “I’m a pain in the ass who is going skiing,” I said.

  “Fine. I think I should go with you, though.”

  “You can’t ski,” I pointed out.

  “I’ll just hang around the resort,” he said. “No one will see me.”

  “Do you think that’s really necessary?” I asked.

  “I would rather be safe than sorry,” Rafael said. “Things might have been different if I had helped you walk the dolphin home.”

  Suspicion niggled in the back of my brain. “Are you working with Aric?”

  Rafael shifted on the couch. “Why do you ask that?”

  That was a deflection, not an answer. “Because he said you promised to watch out for me.”

  “I think he misspoke,” Rafael said. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  Yeah, that was an outright lie. I had no idea how I knew – but I knew. I wasn’t going to get into an argument about it, not when I could breathe easily again. When we returned to school in a week, it would be a different story.

  “I’m going to go and get ready.”

  Rafael nodded. “I shall watch television while I wait.�
��

  I smirked. “You do that.”

  “IT’S SO good to see you,” Cathy gushed, giving me a hug.

  A group of us were congregating in the front lobby of the resort to wait out the few stragglers who hadn’t arrived yet. The plan to go skiing had been launched online – and I wasn’t sure who had ultimately agreed to meet up.

  “You, too,” I said, giving her a brief squeeze. “How is school?”

  “It’s good,” Cathy said. “It’s better now that I don’t have to take so many electives.”

  “I hear that,” I said, laughing. “I like my writing classes. I had an oceanography class that was so boring I thought I might fall asleep every time I had class.”

  Cathy clucked sympathetically. “Did that fill a science requirement for you?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Did you take it because you thought it was going to be easy?”

  I nodded sheepishly. “Yeah.”

  “Those are the classes that always turn into the biggest pains,” she said. “I wish we didn’t have to take science classes at all.”

  “I hate science and math,” I said. “I’m fine with everything else.”

  “I’m pretty much the same way,” Cathy said. She glanced around curiously. “What happened to your boyfriend?”

  I frowned. “What boyfriend?”

  “The hot one who was up here with you last winter,” she said. “You two didn’t break up, did you?”

  “We did,” I said, avoiding her soft gaze.

  “I’m so sorry,” Cathy said. “You guys seemed really into each other. I feel horrible.”

  “It’s fine,” I said. “It’s not a big deal. It just didn’t work out.”

  Cathy didn’t look convinced.

  “Let’s ski!”

  “LET’S hit the moguls.”

  We’d been up and down the slopes on multiple runs and, even though it was cold, our activity level was keeping us warm.

  I sent a thumbs-up to one of the boys and followed him as he cut to the right so we could track the moguls in quick succession. I let Cathy cut in front of me, timing it so I was just a few seconds behind her. I was so fixated on hitting the right path down the small bumps that I didn’t initially register the movement from the corner of my eye.