by K. K. Allen
I forgot about the stuffed manatee tucked into the back of my jeans until I’m pressed back against the seat. A squishy lump digs into me, and I yank it out and place it on the dash.
“There you go, buddy.” I smile.
I place the key in the ignition and turn it. When the engine purrs then finally roars to life, I’m blasted by hot air. I reach over to close the dash vents in front of me as Johnny hops in the driver’s seat. He must get blasted, too, because he groans and turns his face away. Then he pounds on the dash a few times and cranks the AC level all the way to the left.
“Geez,” he mutters. “This might take a while to cool down.”
My eyes linger on him longer than they should. His eyes flit briefly toward mine, and I look away, embarrassed. By the time my head turns back toward the front windshield, I’ve already memorized him without meaning to.
He looks different today. Less… angry. For once, he’s not dressed in all black. I can’t help but wonder what a young Johnny Pierce looked like—when his young, wide-eyed innocence was still intact. All I see now is a man who has had a lot to prove over the years. His muscles swell in all the right places, probably from work just like this. His sturdy jaw reveals a strength about him that is unparalleled to all the other boys I’ve met in Apollo Beach. Johnny may be only twenty-two years old, but he is definitely a man.
My cheeks heat at my thoughts. Meanwhile, the silence between us is thick with tension.
Johnny reaches for the AC knob and bangs on it again. “Stupid van. You’d think Roy would get us a new vehicle by now.”
I say nothing. In a way I’m enjoying his discomfort, which is why I make no move to fix the temperature with my powers. Instead, I reach into a cooler filled with ice and drinks between our seats. I pull out a bottle of water and take a drink, allowing the cool contents to run down the back of my throat. It’s not until I place the water bottle in the cup holder that I see Johnny watching me, appearing to be deep in thought.
“Do you want one?” I ask. Our gazes are frozen together for a split second before he pulls away to focus on the road.
“Nah, I’ll grab one when we get there. Thanks.”
I shrug, pretending that it doesn’t bother me that he’s saying no to me when I think he really wants to say yes.
“Why did you pick that one?” he asks, gesturing to the dash in front of me.
I have to look at it to see what he’s referring to. I smile and pick up the stuffed animal, tossing it between my hands. “’Cause it’s cute.”
It would be far-fetched to call the lift of Johnny’s cheeks a smile, but his reaction is a positive one. “I can’t believe you stole from your grandmother.”
I roll my eyes even though I know he’s teasing. “They aren’t hers. But I volunteer my time. She won’t mind if one of these guys goes missing. Besides, I won him fair and square.”
Johnny’s chuckle is light, but it shocks me just the same. Turning my head, I catch the difference in him, like whatever anger he’d been carrying before is still buried deep, but something else is starting to replace it. Seeing him like this is nice. Maybe we’ll actually get through today.
He turns in to the parking lot of the community beach. Most of the party will take place under a large white, tent which has already been set up. Silver and coral decor is placed all around the space. Circular tables are scattered along the back half of the tent, their centerpieces made up of round metal plates that hold both large and miniature candles with rose petals scattered around them. The buffet tables are already arranged and decorated beautifully. Sound equipment, speakers, and a DJ booth are being set up in the corner of the tent. It looks like they’re setting up a dance floor below it too.
The entire scene is more like a wedding reception than an eighteen-year-old’s birthday party, but I understand. This isn’t just a birthday party. It’s Trisha’s Enchanting.
The dozens of hard-working event planners, decorators, and technical crew are bustling around frantically, sweat dripping down their faces. The wind doesn’t bring much relief from the heat, but there are large AC units scattered around the venue to disperse some cool air. Suddenly, I’m thankful the party is tonight, when the sun isn’t beating down on everyone.
Over the next hour, Johnny and I work quickly, setting up the chafing sets, food warmers, food tags, silverware, and dishes. When he drops an entire pile of napkins, I sweep them up from the ground. My hand accidentally brushes his, and an electrical current zaps my nerves. Johnny jumps back as if he felt it too.
“Sorry,” I mumble, embarrassed, even though I’ve done nothing wrong. “I can refold these if you want to get started on something else.” When he hesitates for a second, I laugh. “Folding napkins has become a specialty of mine. I promise, I’m up for the task.”
His jaw ticks, but I swear he’s trying to hide another smile.
“Hey, Johnny,” another voice calls out. I turn to see a young guy with red curly hair and a shirt with the event planning company’s name on it. “Mind giving us a hand with these balloons?” the guy asks. “We’re out of helium, and I saw your tank.” He gestures toward the helium tank in the back of the catering van.
“Sure, no problem. We’re pretty much done with our setup, anyway.”
Johnny disappears into the van, and I wrap the napkins. When I’m done, I approach him, where he’s still fumbling around with the balloons. Without asking if he wants or needs my help, I begin cutting strings and bunching the balloons together to keep them from tangling. “That was nice of you to offer to help.” My attempt at conversation is lame, at best, but I’m over wanting to ignore the guy.
Johnny shrugs. “We all help each other.”
Usually I wouldn’t consider Johnny helping the event guy out a big deal, but it still caught me off guard. Maybe he isn’t that bad of a guy.
As the last bunch of balloons fill every inch of space around us, I tap one into another and giggle like a little kid swimming through a ball pit. Meanwhile, Johnny has the complete opposite reaction, growling and punching them away from his face. As if feeling my stare, he looks back at me and adopts a peculiar expression. Something about it causes a glimmer of hope to spark inside of me, like maybe he realizes I’m not the troublemaker he thought I was before.
After a few silent moments and an exchange of a gaze that almost feels like a truce, we gather the balloons and deliver them to the event planner.
We’re heading back to the van to leave when something large near the shore catches my eye. It’s dark gray, and light reflects off its surface. Water rushes over it, causing me to sharpen my eyes, and I gasp when I realize what I’m seeing.
“What is that?”
He follows my stare and must see what I see, because he’s quick to act—flinging the van door closed as soon as he’s opened it. There’s a loud crack as the door slams shut, and for a second, I wonder if the force will unhinge the door. Then he’s running like he’s in the race of his life.
“What the—?” Johnny is halfway down the beach by the time I start running too. Half of me is scared to see the mammal up close, for fear that it’s dead. The other half is shocked by Johnny’s reaction.
I watch as he approaches the scene first. “What is it?”
“It’s a manatee.”
Something clutches my gut when I get a closer look of it lying there. I can’t tell what’s wrong, but the way its eyes are opening and closing tells me it’s in pain. Then I swear one of the manatee’s flippers moves at Johnny’s touch, like it’s trying to hold his hand.
Johnny kneels, alarm on his face. His hands softly brush the mammal as his voice barely reaches a whisper. “Hang in there, buddy.” Johnny reaches for his phone, dials, and lifts it to his ear. “Reg, get the boat and come to Apollo Beach. We’re south of the island. One’s been hit, and he’s in pretty bad shape. Must be a broken rib and hip—or something.”
How in the world does Johnny know what’s wrong with this manatee? How does he know an
ything about them?
“No, this one is a baby, probably around eighty pounds.”
He’s hanging up as I kneel slowly beside him with the manatee’s head by my side. I’ve never seen a real one up close before. His nose is pug-shaped with whiskers, and his eyes are small and round, just like the stuffed animal I took from the game booth.
I reach out touch his nose, but pull back quickly. “Is it okay if I touch him?”
“Yeah,” Johnny says. “You can touch him. He’d like that.”
My hand lands on his rough skin where green splotches of something grassy cover his back, and his eyes open. “What is he covered with?”
“Algae. Fish feed off of him.” Johnny leans back on his knees, shakes his head, and frowns like he’s in deep thought. “These guys are the most harmless creatures. Gentle and kind. They just glide through the water, minding their business, yet boaters act so recklessly and pay no attention to their surroundings.”
I frown, my heart aching.
“He’s in a lot of pain,” Johnny says as his eyes scan the manatee’s grayish-brown skin. “He likes your touch.”
“He does?”
“Yeah, just don’t tell anyone you touched him. You can get fined. There are laws around here to protect these guys while they’re under endangered status.”
I frown. “I would say this is an exception to the rule.”
“I would too.”
In any other circumstance, I would obsess over the fact that Johnny and I just agreed on something. “What happened to him?” I run my hands over the side of his face, wondering if his injury is something I can heal, and that’s when I see the deep, bloody gash along the manatee’s side. Bile rises to my throat, but I press it down forcefully. “You said he was hit?” I sit back on my legs, trying to mask my horror.
“By a boat.” He points to the gash. “That’s from a propeller blade. There are a lot of careless boaters out there who pay no attention to the speed zones. That’s why the coastal boating speeds are strictly enforced all year round, but you’d be surprised by the number of manatees still killed yearly. It’s in the hundreds. It’s not unusual for manatees to congregate near the energy plant during the winter months.” Johnny points to building where the smokestacks stand high above the town. “But we don’t see too many of them around here during the summer.”
When the rescue team finally arrives and maneuvers the injured mammal onto a boat’s gurney, relief floods my veins. I know he’s going to be okay, but I’m not sure Johnny feels the same. He just stands there, waiting for the men to speed off, his face filled with an odd mix of anger and concern.
My chest squeezes. “You ready to go?” I ask, hoping to break him from his spell.
His jaw ticks, he nods, then we return to the van in silence.
Back at the Island Grille break room, I clock out of my shift and turn to see Johnny removing his damp shirt. He’s like a magnet to every part of me. I can’t help but stare and study him like he’s a piece of art. Even his gnarly scars near his eye and on his hip are fascinating. They are pieces of him, pieces of his history, and I want so badly to know more.
He pulls a new shirt on quickly, breaking the spell, then looks at me. “Can you help me with one last thing?”
His question is a get-out-of-jail-free card, so I take it with a nod.
I don’t think I’m able to form a proper sentence quite yet, but my feet manage to carry me to the couch, where he’s flipping through some sheets of paper. I take a seat next to him, not at all missing the buzz that vibrates through my body at the slight touch of his arm against mine.
“Roy gave me a bunch of menu options for the food stands we’re setting up at the carnival. He said you should go over them with me. Usually Roy does it, but he’s been pretty tied up lately.”
As he examines the first one, he slides in closer to show me the lineup of food for the first booth. I’m not processing anything on the menu actually, but I do a great job of pretending to read it thoroughly. My chest pounds too loudly for me to actually think, and my entire body grows hot. It’s like I’ve been placed in the center of a dormant volcano, sweating it out while I wait for something to happen.
“Kat?” His voice is gentle.
I look at him.
His eyes question me. “Why do you clutch that necklace so much?” He reaches for it.
I release my grip and let my hand fall to my lap and freeze as he lifts the stone from my neck. No one has ever touched my emerald before, and I wonder what will happen to him.
He twists and turns it, inspecting it closely. “Is it one of those stones that emits energy?”
I’m caught off guard by his interest. I didn’t even realize I was holding my breath, but I release it slowly so as not to attract attention.
“It’s a family heirloom passed down to me. It contains energy for healing and calming—well, you know… That’s what they say.”
His eyes flicker back up to mine, and I’m lost in them. Obviously, my emerald is useless when I’m around Johnny.
“Am I making you uncomfortable?” The way he says this isn’t quite a question. His eyes are steady on mine as if challenging me.
My mouth hangs open slightly, but I don’t dare speak a word. I shake my head to appease him.
He drops my emerald, and it lands on my chest with a light thud. “You believe in that stuff?” He leans back, putting enough distance between us for me to breathe again.
I shrug. “I believe that natural elements from the earth have positive effects on us, and energy from these stones radiate those effects onto us.” I sound like Rose now. “What do you believe in?”
Johnny looks surprised. “I believe that there’s a lot more going on with you than you let on.”
“Funny,” I respond before standing. “I was just thinking the same thing about you. See you tonight.”
Without another glance, I rush out the back, release my bike from its lock, and pedal off for Summer Manor. I have a party to dress for.
It’s an extravagant beach party. No one wears glittery masks or piles feathers on their heads like they did on summer solstice, but fashion is still evident among Trisha’s friends and family—elaborate gowns, exaggerated makeup, sparkling jewels, the works. Rose, Charlotte, and I have just parked, and we’re standing on a bluff above the party, assessing the crowd.
The dress Charlotte made for me is gorgeous. The sequin-embellished cream-colored dress reaches the top of my thighs and has a deep-V cut down to my waist in the front. Charlotte pulled my hair up in a loose messy bun and applied just a touch of makeup—eye liner to dramatize my eyes, mascara to enhance my already long lashes, and blush to highlight my rounded and high-set cheekbones.
Looking around, I’m jolted back to the memory of when I arrived at Alec’s Fourth of July party. My confrontation with Ava. The things she said to me. The way she and Iris acted. Alec and I getting closer. The water balloon. The fire. Then my near drowning. It seems like such a long time ago, yet the images are as crisp as the remnants of that wild bonfire.
Charlotte’s hand lands on my shoulder, breaking me from my thoughts. I’ve come to recognize her touch—soft, gentle, and always scented with lavender and mint. It’s funny how familiar she’s become in such a short time.
Rose reaches for my hand. “I can sense your tension, dear. What is it?”
I shake my head, not wanting to discuss my flashback to that night. “It’s a lot of things, but I’m fine. I just want Trisha to have a great time.”
There’s silence as my unsaid words linger. I don’t want anything bad to happen.
Rose squeezes my hands. “Our numbers are strong today, Katrina. You need not worry. Worrying won’t help you reserve your strength if it’s needed.” She breaks free and starts forward with a shimmy of her shoulders and a gesture for us to follow. “It’s time to party.”
Charlotte and I laugh then follow. The buffet of food has already been placed in the chafing dishes, so I know Johnny i
s here somewhere. I do a quick sweep of the venue with my eyes. Most of the guests are mingling around the tables and beneath the short stage, where an acoustic rock band is performing.
My heart plummets into my toes when I spot Alec and Ava dancing together. This is the first time I’ve actually seen them both since I spotted them at the marina. I’ve heard the rumors circulating that they’re together now, and while it should bother me, I’ve got too many other things on my mind to pay much attention to it. Now that it’s staring me in the face, I’m not sure how I feel.
We reach the outskirts of the party, and I spot Johnny chatting with one of the older guests as he carries a tray of hors d’oeuvres in the palm of one hand. He’s wearing a white button-down shirt with the short sleeves rolled up over his massive biceps, a black tie, long black shorts, and tennis shoes.
“See something you like?”
I jump at Charlotte’s teasing voice then turn to her with a sheepish smile. “Definitely not. Well, maybe some of those bacon-wrapped jalapeños.”
She lights up with laughter and wraps her arm around my shoulders. “He is really handsome, isn’t he?”
I step out of her hold, take several long steps, and turn back to face her. “I plead the Fifth.” I grin. “I’m going to find Trisha.”
Charlotte cups her hands around her mouth. “Have fun.”
Trisha is surrounded by new and familiar faces when I approach her on the dance floor. Her eyes meet mine and widen then a full smile breaks out across her face. She’s more radiant than I’ve ever seen before. From her coral baby doll dress to the shiny silver adornment on the top of her head, she’s beaming a light she doesn’t yet know she carries.
“There you are!” she says, weaving through the crowd to get to me.
“Happy birthday.”
“Thank you, thank you. Did you just get here?”
“Yup.” I take a quick look around. “I thought we were right on time, but the party is already a rager it seems.”