The Stern and Wild Ones (The Seeker Series)

by Reece Evhans

  I slumped against Jack, briefly losing consciousness. I woke to him shaking me.

  "Come on, sweetheart. Wake up. Shit! Ally? Are you ok? Should I call...I don't know, 911 or your mom?"

  "No, I'm fine. Well, sort of anyway." I wiped my hand shakily over my face.

  "What did you see? Was it bad?"

  "Oh, my God, Jack. Yes, it was bad...it was really bad! It was in the future, I'm sure of it."

  "What did you see? Tell me," he insisted.

  "No! I don't want to tell you. You'll freak out. I'm freaking out! I'm scared Jack. I don't want to be able to see stuff like that. Nobody should be able to see that kind of thing." I just sat there shaking. Why, how did I have a vision of Veronica when I was nowhere near her? That had never happened before.

  "Ally, calm down. Hey, it's all right. I'm here. I'm right here." He just held me close, stroking my back.

  "I don't know what to do," I cried.

  "Hey, shh. It's ok. You don't know what these future visions really are, do you? Maybe they're just a possibility of the future or something. You've only had one other, right?"

  I nodded. "But that one came true." Megan had lost her front tooth the week before, exactly as I had foreseen.

  He pulled me onto his lap and smoothed my hair back, our earlier passion forgotten. "Tell me, please."

  So, reluctantly, I told him what I had seen. I told him about the blood and the pain and how I couldn't decipher whether it was me or Veronica that was hurt. His face looked like it was set in stone, the muscles in his jaw pulsing.

  "Ok, this needs to stop. I told you this was getting dangerous. I don't want anything to happen to you. I want you to keep blocking these damn visions and just forget about all this psychic crap."

  "I didn't even have the chance to block this one; it just happened so fast. Jack, I don't think I can block everything out, no matter how dangerous. I'm scared, Jack."

  "Yeah. I know. Me, too. I love you, and I don’t want to lose you." I stilled in his arms. "Is that ok?" he asked, looking concerned.

  I looked him straight in the eye. "You're not just saying that because of the vision? I don't want you to feel like you have to say it."

  "I'm not just saying it, Ally. I know it's soon, but I've got to listen to what my heart is saying. I am in love with you."

  I just about melted into a complete puddle right there on his lap. "I love you, too, Jack." And we were kissing again.

  "Ally," he pulled back from me. "Can you talk to Cassie about this vision? I feel so helpless, like there's nothing I can do to help you. I don't like that feeling."

  I thought back to the last time Cassie and I had spoken, when she had told me about our trip to Ireland. I had felt like she was holding something back. I started to tell Jack, but one look at his face, still so grim and worried, and I decided to keep it to myself for now. "Yeah. I'll talk to her. It'll be ok, Jack. Like you said, we don't know what these future visions are."

  But I didn't tell anyone about the vision, not Tara, or Grams, or even Cassie. I just needed some time to figure things out for myself. Probably not the best decision I have ever made.

  ****

  Friday's game was between Sandia and Albuquerque High. The Matadors vs. the Bulldogs. We had learned a new routine to Girl on Fire by Alicia Keys. Cheesy, I know, but Jack was right; I did love flying through the air.

  When I wasn't cheering, I watched the boys playing, keeping my eyes on ****22, Nick Grayson. He looked pretty big and did have muscular arms and a fairly tan complexion. Hmm. Maybe. I hadn’t seen any interaction between he and Veronica, but he did have the basic look of the guy in my visions. I guess I couldn’t count him out, yet.

  We lost again, but that didn't dampen the spirits of the group that went out for pizza afterward. We were all in high spirits, just three couples having a great time. Well, scratch that. Two couples having a great time and two people sitting in stony silence. Obviously Tara and Mat had not hit it off.

  "What happened?" I whispered to Jack under the guise of reaching for the Parmesan.

  "Mat finally found a girl who doesn't think his every word is hilarious. I'm actually enjoying this."

  "She just can't handle what a chingón I am." Mat had apparently heard us.

  "Oh, I don't think you're a badass. I really think you're more of a mamon." Tara had paid attention in Spanish, too, calling Mat a braggart. "Please pass the Parmesan, Ally."

  "Come on, Tara," Mat wheedled. "Give me another chance. Go out with me. It'll be fun."

  "No. Absolutely not."

  "I see I'll just have to wear you down. I can be very persuasive. And patient."

  "Well, that's good. You're going to have a very long wait. Like a lifetime."

  Tara didn't warm up throughout the rest of the evening. She has never been fond of loud, overly charming guys. She is a total brain and tends to like equally brainy guys. A guy like Mat, who dropped out of high school and was studying to be a paramedic at CNM, was not her kind of guy. I kind of felt sorry for him. I had gotten to know him over the last few weeks and had realized that under all his overdone charm, he was really sweet. I wished Tara would give him a chance. She always dates what she supposes are her kind of guy, but it never works out. She picks guys so similar to herself that they both get bored soon and move on. I thought someone like Mat would actually be good for her. When I tried to mention this to her later, she just gave me a cold look and told me to leave it alone. Jeez. Sensitive much?

  Right before he left me at my front door, Jack pulled me close, saying, "I want to celebrate your birthday this Saturday night, ok? Save the night for me?"

  "Jack, my birthday's not until Christmas."

  "I know, but you won't be here. And next weekend you're leaving. I know your mom and Grams will want some time with you. I just want one evening to myself and I'll take it early if I have to."

  "You can have me whenever you want," I said, completely aware of my double entendre.

  He smiled and shook his head, kissing me quickly and sending me inside.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  "The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off."

  -Gloria Steinem

  I tried several times over the next week to talk with Veronica, but each time she found somewhere else to be, some other direction to turn when she saw me coming. I also hadn't been able to talk with Cassie much because she was so busy preparing for the trip, and I was still undecided as to whether or not I would tell her about my latest vision. She had completely freaked out over my first vision of the future and I really didn't relish the thought of another scene. I had plenty of those without adding any extras, thanks. I would be leaving at the end of next week for two full weeks in Ireland. Jack's equanimity about the trip had helped me to come to terms with the idea. I still didn't relish the idea of being away from my family over Christmas, but I was trying to understand the importance of learning more about my powers. This is how I felt in my more mature moments. But in my less mature, I'm-only-16-moments, it still really sucked.

  When Jack picked me up from cheer practice on Thursday, I noticed his grim mood as soon as I got in the car. His kiss was...I don't know...tighter than usual. "Hey, what's wrong?" I asked, looking at his face with concern.

  "I need to talk to you, Ally. Do you have time? Can we go somewhere?" He sounded worried.

  "Of course. Whatever you need, Jack." Now I was worried.

  He drove to a McDonald's and got us each a cup of coffee. He then pulled into a parking spot in the very back of the lot.

  "Oh, boy. It must be pretty bad if you don't even want to go inside. Let me guess: you don't want another drama scene featuring me storming out?"

  He chuckled slightly, taking my hand that wasn't holding the coffee. He brought it to his mouth and kissed it. "Yeah, something like that. I'm pretty sure you're not going to be huge fan of what I have to say, Ally."

  "Hey, whatever it is, we can figure it out. Unless you're breaking up with me," I
joked. "Oh, God, you're not breaking up with me are you?" I looked at him, panic in my eyes.

  He leaned forward and kissed me. It started out as a soft, quick kiss, but ended up pretty deep and intense when I didn't let him go. "No, I am absolutely not breaking up with you," he said hoarsely. He sat back, took a sip of coffee and cleared his throat.

  "Ok, Jack. You're killing me. Tell me already."

  "Well, I went to see my guidance counselor after school today. I wanted to check on my credits."

  "And?" He sure knew how to drag out a story.

  He took a deep breath. "Ok. I'm just going to say it all and then let you react however you want. I found out that I only need 2 more credits after this year to graduate: English 12 and a half credit each of economics and government. I can take them through online eCademy this next semester and graduate this spring. Wait," he put his finger on my lips as I was about to interrupt. "I also got some information about Army ROTC at UNM. I'm really interested in applying."

  "What is that? ROTC? Don't we have that at school?"

  "We have junior ROTC at school. It stands for Reserve Officer Training Corps." At my continued confused look, he sighed and continued. "Basically, it means I would join the army, they would pay for my education, give me some training, and then I would owe them a few years of active duty after college."

  I just sat there, on my side of the car, staring at him. I wasn't really staring at him, however; I was just trying to process the giant bomb he had just dropped. The minutes ticked by.

  "Ally? Sweetheart? Can you please say something?" Jack whispered a bit desperately.

  It was my turn to put my finger against his lips. "Shh, Jack. I'm trying to process and not just react. Give me a minute, ok?" He obediently sat back and gave me time. I sensed that this was an important moment for our relationship and I didn't want to screw it up. This was not the time for a big scene. "Ok, Jack. I have a couple of questions. First, though," and I leaned over to kiss him. "Thank you for telling me."

  He pulled me back for another, better kiss. "Always. This is the messy part of a relationship. The part where we talk and hash stuff out."

  I sank back into his kiss for a few more incredible moments. Ok, back to business. "All right. Let's get back to those questions." I sat back, separating myself from him so that I could concentrate. I tended to lose the ability for rational thought when his lips were near mine. "First, you just found out that you could graduate early, right?"

  "Well, technically, it's a year late for me. I'll still be 19 when I graduate. But that's better than 20. Makes me a little bit less of a loser." He looked so vulnerable in that moment. I decided right then and there that I would be ok with this, no matter how much it hurt, no matter how hard it was for me.

  "You are definitely not a loser, Jack. Ok," I said gently. "Tell me more about this ROTC thing."

  "Well, if I get accepted, they pay either my tuition or my room and board. With the lottery scholarship, I could probably manage to live in the dorms or get an apartment. They also provide a monthly stipend. I would really like to not have to rely on Manny and Trina while I'm in college. They've done enough for me. I would take some ROTC-type classes along with my regular classes and I would have one weekend a month of training. I have to find out if my past criminal record will keep me out if it, though. I hope I can get a waiver."

  "That doesn't sound so bad. I think I could deal with that. I thought your juvenile record was sealed."

  He took my hands between his again. "That doesn't matter to the federal government. I would also have to go for basic training this summer. It's eight weeks."

  "Ok, I'm not loving that part, to be totally honest," I said.

  "Yeah, and I will owe them a few years of active duty after college."

  "That's a long way off, Jack. Let's just worry about the immediate future for now. Why do you want to do this? What is it about this ROTC thing that attracts you?" I was trying so hard to be understanding and not just freak out.

  "Ally, you are really being just, so...I don't know...great about this." He leaned over and kissed me again. "Thank you. I really, really love you." He kissed me yet again. I will never, ever get tired of that. "I guess I want to do it because, I don't know...it just seems like the right thing for me. It will help out with my college expenses, so I don't have to take out a bunch of student loans or take any money from Manny and Trina."

  My heart melted a little more. "Jack, are you doing this just because of the money? I don't think that's a good enough reason."

  "No," he interrupted me. "It's not just that. It's part of it, sure. An important part, but it's also about the experience. I...I think I'd be good at it, you know? And I would have a guaranteed job right out of college. That's not a reality these days. A lot of people graduate college and then can't find a job. It's about some security in my life, I guess. I just need to know if it's something you could deal with."

  I was floored. What was he implying? "Jack, it's your future. I don't really have a say in it."

  He took my face in his callused, work-roughened hands. "Ally, cards on the table, ok? You are my future. I know it's crazy; we've only been together for, like a month, but you are it for me. This is real, and I want you to be a part of my decisions about my future because I want you to be in my future. When I get assigned to somewhere for active duty, I want you to go with me, if possible. Or if it's somewhere like Afghanistan or Iraq, I want you to be the one at home waiting for me. And I know we are way too young to be having this conversation, I mean, Jesus, you're only 16...I don't know what I'm saying. I'm sorry. You don't need to hear all this. I'll just..." He let go of my face and sat back in his seat, rubbing his hands over his face, shaking his head.

  I bit my bottom lip and looked into his handsome, worried face. He had apparently just lost his nerve. Admittedly, he was throwing some pretty heavy stuff at me and people would say we were crazy, that we were too young, but that didn't bother me. The truth is, we just weren't your typical teenagers with raging hormones. He had been through so much in his life already and was working a man's job, making a man's decisions. And I was dealing with some pretty freaky supernatural stuff of my own and doing a fairly decent job of it. And I felt the exact same way he did. It was time to take action because I knew he was dying a slow death in his seat. I climbed over the center console and straddled his lap. It was a tight fit, but I'm small and when he moved his seat back all the way, we made it work. We needed to be face to face with nothing between us for the next part of this conversation.

  "I'll be 17 in just a couple of weeks. I'm not that young." I took his mouth with my lips, savoring the way he tasted of coffee and his own special essence.

  He pulled back slightly. "And I'll be 19 just a couple weeks after that. Two years is a lot right now. It wouldn't be so bad if I were like 28 and you were 26. I don't know why your mom and grandma don't want to kill me."

  "Ok, old man. Calm down. They love you. Let's get back to the important stuff. You were saying some really good things a few minutes ago. Like the part where you said I was your future." I leaned in for another deep kiss. "Let's just focus on that. Because I happen to completely agree with you. I am really going to miss you at school next year, and those eight weeks this summer are going to be the longest of my life, but I want you to do this. I want you to graduate early and get into this ROTC program. And I will help you in any way I can. Now just kiss me for God's sake."

  "God, Ally. I don't deserve you," he said against my lips before he invaded my mouth with his tongue, stealing any further thought from me. I ran my hands through his black curls and he smoothed his hands over my back, daring to run them under my shirt. When he pulled away long minutes later, we were both panting. I rested my forehead against his and smiled at him. He reached up to rub his thumb along my cheek. "You are so beautiful, inside and out. I am such a lucky guy. I have had a thing for you since the first day you walked into our physics class, did you know that?"

  I la
ughed a little. "What? You never even talked to me! I thought you were completely uninterested in me."

  "No way. And when you decided to sit right in front of me in English, I though I'd died and gone to heaven. But it was also hell, baby."

  "Why? Was I that scary?"

  "That's not it. You were just so beautiful and sweet. I wasn't going to ruin that. I felt like I was just trouble when I got here. I was just planning to keep to myself and get through the rest of high school with as little interaction as possible. If you hadn't had that vision that day, I probably never would have talked to you."

  "Well, thank goodness for that vision. Just think what we would have missed out on." I moved back to his lips, and then moved on to kiss his jaw, feeling his rough, late afternoon whiskers against my lips. I kissed my way to his ear and took his earlobe between my teeth, biting gently, and then soothing it with my tongue. His hands continued caressing along my back, but then found their way to my bottom. I kissed my way back to his mouth and he gripped me tightly, pulling me against him.

  "It's time to stop, sweetheart." He was breathless against my lips.

  "I know." I reluctantly moved back to my seat. "Probably past time, but I couldn't help myself. You're just so damn sexy, Jack."

  He laughed, as I had intended him to, lightening the heavy mood of our previous conversation. He took my hand and kissed the backs of my fingers. "Let's get you home."

  ****

  Saturday came and I waited impatiently for Jack to pick me up for my birthday celebration. He had refused to tell me where we were going or what we were doing. When I asked him what I should wear, he just looked at me blankly and said that I always looked good. Yikes. When pressed further, he relented enough to say "wear something warm.' I chose a sweater tunic and tights combo that I felt could go in several different directions. Tara had taken the opportunity recently to help me update my wardrobe even more, sensing my vulnerability and openness to better dressing and Grams' recent loose interpretation of the purpose for my emergency credit card.