Divine Mortals

by Allison, J

  The intensity in his eyes died a little as he seemed to realize he was gawking.

  “Yeah,” he shrugged casually, “I guess we can be ogled together, you know put behind the looking glass for a few weeks.”

  “Hmmm,” I shuddered a little at the thought, I had never been the new kid at school before and I was afraid of it already.

  “If you don’t mind doing something outrageous on your first day to take some of the focus from me then perhaps I could take you out to dinner to say thanks,” he chuckled, “Although we may be coming back here, I don’t know whether there is much in the way of ‘fine dining’ to be found in Huntington.”

  Now I was completely unnerved, I didn’t know whether to laugh or be slightly embarrassed by his invitation. My cheeks burned and the silence was beginning to stretch out, I looked to Sally for saviour but she was staring with as much astonishment at Wills forward behaviour as I was.

  “I don’t think I’ll be doing anything outrageous for a while.” I muttered pathetically, pushing a cold fry across the table to avoid his gaze.

  Will didn’t seem to register my discomfort, he just chuckled again softly, his strange beautiful eyes burning into me once more.

  “Oh well,” he sighed with exaggerated disappointment “I guess I’m just going to have to share the stares and whispers with you on the first day.”

  I smiled weakly, no-one had ever been that direct with me before, even when I had lived in Chicago. I didn’t know how I was supposed to react, fortunately it didn’t appear that I had offended him so I let it drop.

  Sally, finally, came to my rescue even if it was too late, asking Will what he had been doing since he arrived, sharing with him the ‘Hot Spots’ of this small town that was now our home.

  After a little more chatter I decided to take off, Will had been watching me from behind his long lashes again, a little less obvious now, but I could still feel his eyes on me.

  “So how about it Ava,” hearing my name bought me back to reality.

  “Huh?”

  “Rafting, are you in?”

  “Oh, ah, yeah I guess, when are we going?”

  “In a couple of days, Sal will give you a call with the details.”

  “Sure okay, yeah, count me in.”

  “Great!” James beamed a smile at me.

  “Finally another girl on the raft,” Sally sighed, “the others used to come but haven’t for a few years, too afraid to break their nails these days.”

  “Not me,” I held up my hands, showing my nails, bitten to the quick, my mother had always berated me for it.

  “Great,” Sally grinned, her eyes darting between Will and I, “This is going to be awesome.”

  I excused myself a while later, Sal seemed happy to stay and chat with the guys and so I made my exit, jumping into Nans old red hatch and heading back towards River Stone.

  It was weird to realise that I missed Robert. I still had so many questions for him, I also just wanted to hang out with him, perhaps talk him into taking the afternoon off and coming to the river for a swim.

  Yes, I decided it definitely was strange that I missed him so much, I hardly knew him, was I turning into one of those psycho stalker girls?

  Pop had told me, after a little innocent probing, that he could be gone up to five days depending on how quickly they managed to move the cattle and the time seemed like an eternity. I wanted to see him again, if only to see if in fact he really was as good in real life as my memory made him out to be.

  Life on the Ranch continued to be busy for everyone else, the hay had to be cut which, I was told by Jed, meant all hands on deck.

  Pop grumbled incessantly about Roberts muster, being just one hand down was apparently creating a lot of extra work for the others. I could hear Grandpop now, preparing the bailer in the big shed, last night they had worked until near midnight.

  “Gotta do it while the weather holds love.” had been Pops answer to why they needed to work so late when making hay.

  It was all completely new to me, until yesterday I hadn’t known what a bailer was, sometimes it felt like I spoke a different language to everyone else here.

  And so I spent the afternoon helping Nan in her vege garden, not a very exciting task but I felt awful doing nothing while she was labouring with weeds and Pop was working eighteen hours days on the hay.

  I was busy pondering Wills intense eyes and very forward dinner invitation, something I had done numerous times over the past few days, when I headed inside for a drink, just in time to hear the phone ring.

  “I can’t do it!” Sally screeched in my ear as soon as I picked up.

  “What?” I sounded a little abrupt.

  “I can’t ask Robert to the Ball and not because I don’t want to, because James did and I said yes!”

  “Why?” I asked, although I couldn’t disguise the relief in my voice, I knew I had no right, but I would have been consumed with jealousy had Sally and Robert gone together.

  “I don’t know,” she groaned, “He looked so hopeful and James is really quite good looking, I just didn’t know how to say no nicely and I didn’t want to end up going to the Ranchers Ball alone and you won’t even be there with me.” she whined,

  “True.” I murmured, I was still feeling the after effects of relief wash through me, It had been obvious at lunch that James had a crush on her, I sighed with relief curling the phone cord around my finger, Robert wouldn’t be going with her.

  “You know you should sneak out.” Sally continued, deviousness flavouring her words.

  “Tell your Grandparents you’re going to bed early… I could pick you up…”

  “Sally,” I couldn’t get any more out, she just kept going,

  “I have the cutest dress, it would look good on you, I mean if you didn’t bring anything with you, I’m sure I’ll have something you could borrow.”

  “I can’t go Sally,” I finally managed as she paused to draw breath.

  “To tell the truth, I’m quite happy not going, other than you, Will and James I don’t really know anyone, I’m quite happy to stay at home, not to mention Pop would be livid if he found out I snuck out.”

  “Exactly!” Sally screeched, deciding to pick up on my first point and ignore the second.

  “This would be the perfect place for you to meet more people, get to know some others around here before school goes back, and anyway, I think Will would take you.”

  “Sorry Sal, it isn’t gonna happen, you’ll have a great time with James though.”

  “You’re impossible you know that Ava,” she sulked, although in her typical style it didn’t last longer than a few seconds,

  “I hope I do have a great time with James, but I’m still hoping Robert goes as well, maybe it’ll make him jealous.”

  “Maybe,” I echoed half-heartedly.

  “I’ve gotta go,” she interrupted quickly “Dad needs my help with something I’ll call you later okay?”

  “Sure thing.” I was glad to end the call, any more talk of the Ranchers Ball was going to cause me physical pain.

  Putting the phone down slowly I pondered the Ball, Sally was right, it would be good to meet other people our age, it might make starting school a little easier.

  Perhaps I could ask Grandpop to reconsider, but then who would I go with, like Sally there was really only one person I would want to go with and I didn’t think he would be asking any time soon, maybe it was for the best that I wasn’t going at all.

  Will popped into my head, I hoped he wouldn’t ask, but after his invitation the other day I wouldn’t put it past him.

  11.

  “Are you ready?” James grinned as we climbed into his enormous four wheel drive.

  “Hell yeah,” Sally squealed “Let’s do this.”

  Their excitement was contagious and I found myself joining in with the general hilarity as we sped down the highway much faster than James’s Dad, the good Sheriff Townsend, would have appreciated or found legal for that ma
tter.

  The day was going to be a hot one and I couldn’t wait to get out on the river.

  “Have you been rafting before?” Will asked, interrupting my thoughts as I smeared sun screen down my arms, his eyes were glowing particularly bright today.

  “No, never,” I smiled, I was in far too high spirits to feel disconcerted by his stares.

  “How about you,” I asked, turning the question around, “you much of a rafter?”

  “I’ve been once before, totally a pro now.” he spoke solemnly, flexing his arms like an athlete and winking at me in jest.

  “Ha if you say so.” I laughed, rolling my eyes.

  “How many times have you guys been rafting?” I had to yell over the music to be heard in the front seats. Sally was singing along without abandon, her voice was actually relatively good, James’s fingers tapped on the staring wheel in time. Both seemed just as happy as I was to be outside town limits and doing something interesting.

  “Huh?” James shouted back leaning forward to turn the music down.

  “I said,” I tried again, “How many times have you been rafting?”

  Sally stopped her singing and thought for a moment,

  “Hundreds.” James answered, raising his eyebrows before pulling a face at Will in the rear vision mirror, “I am a pro.”

  Will laughed, punching him playfully in the arm.

  “Whatever you say man.”

  “Yeah we’ve been a lot,” Sally interrupted the boys, “try maybe, oh, at least five times every summer for like… what?” she looked at James for confirmation, “The last five years?”

  “Something like that.” James smiled, thrilling in Sallys attention.

  “Oh great,” I threw up my hands in mock despair, “So I’m the only rafting virgin?”

  Sally laughed, and I felt Wills gaze upon me once more.

  “So it would seem,” Sally giggled, “Although it sounds like Wills not exactly a rafting whore either, a little unpractised hmmm?”

  “Well…” Will interrupted rolling his eyes at Sally before turning back to me.

  “Perhaps we could get in some practice together?” he nudged me playfully in the ribs at his double meaning; I felt my cheeks burn, much to my own shame.

  “Oh please.” Sally rolled her eyes, turning back to the front window again.

  “Dude you wish.” James laughed, his eyes flicking to us in the rear view mirror, I joined in the laughter choosing to ignore the insinuation behind the joke, after all it was only a joke, if you couldn’t laugh with friends who could you laugh with?

  I tried changing the subject again, back towards the more serious side of our planned outing.

  “So do we meet a guide at the river or……” I trailed off waiting for someone to answer.

  “Guide?” James laughed “did you not listen?” his face swung back towards me, smiling briefly before focusing again on the road ahead.

  “Not such good listeners you city girls are you.”

  I snorted, ignoring the jibe and waiting for him to continue.

  “We don’t need a guide, we’ve done this stretch of river plenty of times, it basically moves no faster than water draining out of a bath, don’t panic Miss Chicago, we won’t let you drown.”

  “You can swim… can’t you?” Wills voice was soft, catching me off guard after the loud laughing tones of the last half hour.

  “Of course, they do have pools in the city you know,” I teased, “we learn.”

  “Hey, don’t shoot me, I’m from the city too remember, just checking aye, I need to be prepared if I’m going to give you mouth to mouth.”

  “You just focus on yourself there pro,” Sally laughed, joining our conversation, “We’ll all be fine.”

  The rest of the journey passed in general chit chat and catching up on what each of us had been doing since we had last met.

  The landscape outside was stunning, all greens and blues shimmering in heat waves beneath the sun. James took a hard right onto a dirt track, fish tailing slightly as he hit the loose gravel at speed, causing a round of boyish high fives between him and Will, Sally turned to look at me, rolling her eyes.

  Within a matter of minutes we pulled into a clearing at the rivers edge and stopped.

  “Here we are.” James announced a little unnecessarily.

  I unbuckled and climbed out, thankful to have my feet on the ground again, James drove like a maniac, so fast it reminded me of Robert, the landscape had been flying past at such a speed it almost made me nauseous.

  Sally climbed out, joining me at the rivers edge.

  “It’s really beautiful here,” I commented, taking in the hanging willows and slow clear current of the river.

  “Not a patch on you two girls though aye.” James appeared behind us clapping his arms across both our shoulders and pulling us in tight for playful three way hug.

  “Ow James!” Sally spun out of his grasp but looked secretly delighted.

  “Cheesy line.” I smiled at him, peeling his other arm from my shoulder.

  “And women complain that chivalry is dead?” James shook his head, smiling as he climbed onto the side of the SUV to inspect the raft that was strapped to the roof rack.

  “If that’s what you call chivalry then I’m glad it’s dead,” I laughed, I liked James, he was so easy to get on with.

  “So let’s do it then,” Wills voice came from behind us, he was already fighting with the knots that held the Raft to the top of the big four wheel drive. I joined Sally in the back gathering the life jackets, knapsacks filled with lunch and other bits and pieces we would be loading into our boat, or should I say raft.

  “He likes you you know.” Sally whispered, low and smug, her pretty face dancing in delight.

  “Who?” I pulled back from where I was reaching to grab a water bottle, realizing I had spoken a little too loudly I dropped my voice.

  “Who?” I whispered again.

  “Who? Really are you blind – Will of course.” She smiled, giving me a nudge and a cheeky wink, “He’s not half bad to look at either.”

  I glanced over to where the guys were now carrying the raft towards the river, laughing and pushing each other off balance by shoving it hard in each direction.

  “I hadn’t really noticed.”

  “Then you’re blind and perhaps shouldn’t be allowed in a raft with such poor eye sight.” Sally giggled.

  I lied of course, I had noticed Will, you would have to blind not to, he was dark, muscular and tall, and his eyes were engaging, but he gave me a weird vibe that made me uncomfortable.

  And besides, he didn’t hold a candle to Robert.

  Get a grip you stalker, my mind growled and I grimaced at myself.

  “So what do you think?” Sally persisted, she had watched the direction of my gaze and I realized too late that I had been staring at Will.

  “About what?” I looked away quickly, trying to busy myself with one of the bags.

  “Oh god Ava, are you even in there today? I wonder if Will knows you’re so dense, maybe if he did he wouldn’t be so interested in you.”

  “Oh, ah, I don’t think so, he’s not my type.”

  “Not your type, Geez, you’re a hard one to figure out.”

  I laughed, trying to brush it off, I didn’t want Will to think of me as anything more than a friend, which was all I would ever consider him to be.

  “Well, maybe he’s not my type.” I said again, trying to sound cryptic, “maybe I’m holding out.”

  “Who the hell are you holding out for,” she muttered, grunting a little as she swung a bag onto her back, “Superman?”

  She trudged away, thankfully without looking at me or she would have seen my jaw hit the ground.

  Oh how right she was.

  The air was cooler on the water, it took away a little of the intense heat that seemed to penetrate the summer days here, keeping it cool and fresh. A slight breeze played across the surface, lifting my hair from my neck, something I w
as extremely thankful for as I leant over the side of the raft to vomit for what seemed like the thousandth time.

  I spat trying to clear my mouth of the horrible burning after taste and then rinsed it clean with some river water, my ribs were thumping from constant retching and my eyes watered. Brushing a damp hand over my forehead I pushed myself back up to face my three very amused friends, Sally was shaking her head.

  “I just can’t believe it,” she said smiling at me, I wish she didn’t look so damned cheery.

  “Well believe it.” I grumped, Will began shaking with laughter before seeing my death stare and turning away to hide his amusement.

  “It’s as still as a mill pond and you’re spewing like it’s a thirty foot swell in the middle of the Atlantic!” Sally seemed unendingly impressed at the number of times I had vomited in the last hour, keeping up a very unnecessary count, for whose benefit I was yet to see.

  It had started off well enough, the first half an hour had been great, then I had started to feel steadily more nauseas until I had been unable to hold it any longer, thus beginning my amazing regurgitation ritual over the side of the raft.

  I flopped forward, trying to go as limp as I could, and not think about the constant ebb and flow of the water beneath me. I closed my eyes hoping to dissuade any further conversations from being directed my way. The only thing that I was thankful for was the thought that perhaps this, seeing me at my worst, might make Will think twice about his feelings for me, if indeed he actually had any, maybe it was just a good imagination on Sallys part.

  “Who’s doing the north south muster this year?” James asked, his voice interrupting my thoughts, I listened in, eager to focus on anything other than my stomach.

  “What’s the North South Muster?” Will spoke up, I had to smile, at least there was one other person in this town that didn’t speak rancher.

  “It’s a big muster that happens each year. Thompsons Ranch has properties at either end of the valley, about ninety miles apart, each year they pay any of the Ranch hands that can be spared to help them muster from one property to the other, I did it last year, its great money for a weeks work.”

  “Right…” Will sounded about as interested in this as I was in learning the alphabet in Hebrew.