I was only half-listening to Glitch and Cash’s friendly back-and-forth banter on the way to their car. Only ten minutes before I’d been wandering and alone. Just by making the decision to turn down a random street, my entire life had taken a turn, too.
Chapter Two
“Your chariot awaits, milady,” Glitch said, offering me a gentlemanly bow.
My chariot was less of a fantasy and more of a monstrosity. It was an eight-person passenger van with a lift kit and huge tires. I didn’t think you could even lift a van like that, but there it was. The roof on the back half of the thing looked like it had been sheared off. Either that, or it had rusted through and just fell off. It looked like it had once been red, but living by the salty ocean had ruined the paint, turning it to more of a burnt orange. White, triangular points were painted over the dented grill, like a snarling mouth full of fangs.
Cash pulled out a set of keys and opened the door after carefully setting his guitar in the back.
"Nice modifications, Glitch," I said, lightly touching the paint on the grill.
“This is the Beast. She’s not the prettiest girl in the world, but she’s tough. Don’t worry, Liv.”
The Beast had a Flash superhero bobble-head nodding enthusiastically on the dash, and several strands of Mardi Gras beads dripping from the rear-view mirror. I sat in the back by Cash's guitar, and did my best not to touch it. I got the feeling that thing meant the world to him.
The Beast shuddered to life and Cash backed it out of its space. The sound of the roaring engine reverberated through the parking garage as we pulled out onto the street. Glitch leaned forward and turned on the radio. Glitch sang along to the music and thumped his palms against the dash. Thankfully, Cash only bobbed his head to the beat.
The highway twisted through the trees. Instead of taking the exit that would have led us to more populated areas, Cash turned onto a bridge that took us over a creek, and then dumped us along the barren coast. The water looked pitch black, but the stars seemed to shine brighter on that moonless night.
We broke from the highway and jittered down a bumpy road that led down to the beach. Against the starry backdrop was a two-story wooden shack. Dim lights illuminated the windows like glowing eyes, and the boards on its face were peeling and warped like it was sneering in some places.
I thought we would pass by it. Instead, Cash parked in front of it.
“Welcome to the Lair,” Glitch said with a deep, wicked chuckle, pride beaming outward.
“The Lair, huh?” I took a deep breath and got out of the car, warily stepping toward the shack.
“Home, sweet home,” Cash laughed, sliding out of the driver’s seat and pulling his guitar out of the back. He began to walk down the overgrown path that led to the Lair's front door. Glitch was out of the Beast in a flash, motioning for me to follow him.
The closer we got to the Lair, the better I could see it for what it really was. A faded sign out front that had once said, The Oyster Spot was painted over with the words, The Lair in bright blue. It was an abandoned restaurant with a sprawling deck and a huge cutout in the front wall where the bar opened up to the beach. It looked like you could open or close the bar to the main restaurant by sliding a set of barn style doors. There were five stools and a string of blue lights draped over the back of the bar like a curtain. I stopped just outside, taking it all in.
“It’s not going to bite.” Cash's voice was soft, amusement sparking inside him.
I hadn’t even realized I’d been gawking. When I blushed, he chuckled and looked down at the ground. The wind whipped at his hair, pushing it across his forehead and into his eyes. “Come on, it’s a lot warmer inside, and you’ve got people to meet.”
I expected to enter something straight out of a horror movie, like dusty crates tucked into shadowed corners, spiderwebs and abandoned tables. If they actually lived there, I suspected it was on sleeping bags, huddled around a camping lamp for light and meager warmth.
I was wrong, and thankfully so.
The Lair was open and airy. You could see straight through to the back wall from the front bar and directly out to the beach from the back, if the barn doors had been open.
On the lower level, someone had taken a great amount of time and care to make it feel like a real home. Candles and lamps were set up everywhere, illuminating even the furthest corners of the restaurant.
The kitchen area, left over from its restaurant days, was stainless steel, with blue and silver glass tiles with little fish designs every few tiles. The countertops were lacquered wooden slabs. The floorboards were the same golden color as the counters, but they were weatherworn and warped in certain parts.
Rugs sectioned off different areas of what had been the dining room floor. There was a sitting area with mismatched blue and yellow couches and a couple of end tables. The entertainment area had a few beanbag chairs and a large flat screen television surrounded by cables, game consoles and controllers. A door to the right of the television looked like it led down to a cellar or a pantry of sorts.
Off the main floor, there was a set of bathrooms. The ladies room had a mermaid over the sign, and the men’s room had an octopus.
The second level was a loft that spanned halfway across the width of the building. I got the feeling that a woman lived there, and maybe a child. Feminine touches showed everywhere, whether it was the multiple vases of wildflowers set up in the kitchen and in the living room, or the colored scarves hanging over the lampshades. The industrial sized refrigerator was covered in crayon drawings and chunky magnets.
There were shelves filled with books and board games. The walls were covered in beach themed chachkies, a huge surfboard and a few framed photos hanging here and there.
Without thinking, I stepped into the living area, going up to the first framed picture I saw. A beautiful blonde girl with wide, doll eyes peered out at me. Her arms encircled a little boy who was wearing earmuffs, which was strange, since they were both in summer clothes. They flashed happy smiles up at the camera.
“Pretty cool huh?" Glitch asked, beaming with pride.
"This is a great place,” I said, walking back to them.
“Yep, that’s thanks to Bubbles. She keeps it looking nice around here.”
“Actually, it’s Charlie.” A girl’s voice, high and clear like a bell, cut in from the stairwell to the loft area. I found myself face-to-face with the blonde from the photograph. She smiled and rolled her eyes at Glitch's pet name for her.
“Glitch has a thing for nicknames," she said with a laugh.
In person, she was even more stunning. Her eyes were a piercing sky blue, framed by thick, honey-colored lashes only a few shades darker than her long, silky hair. A splash of pale freckles kissed the bridge of her nose and the rosy apples of her tanned cheeks. From the energy she exuded, I decided I liked her almost instantly. There was something untouched and pure about her; she had a kindness that went soul-deep.
“I’m Liv.” I held out my hand for her to shake, but she bypassed it completely and came in with open arms. I found myself locked in a hug.
My expression must have been funny, because Glitch started to laugh. Unsure of myself, but not wanting to offend her, I hugged her back.
“Is it just you three, here?” I sensed another mindset up in the loft. Charlie tilted her head, curious at my strange behavior.
“Oh! Dude, I almost forgot,” Glitch snapped his fingers and grabbed my hand, tugging me toward the stairs. Cash turned away and was headed for the door I’d seen in the living room, and Charlie followed us up.
The loft was separated into two different rooms by paper dividers and a long bookshelf that had dozens of model cars, action figures, Legos and various toys. In the first room, there were two twin beds, all rumpled and unmade. The only legit walls were filled up with movie posters. I carefully stepped over a pair of forgotten boxers.
Glitch saw and blushed. “My roomie is always leaving his stuff around. What a slob." He lau
ghed nervously, and kicked the undies into a corner.
“Uh-huh,” I said, teasing.
On the other side of the bookshelf was definitely Charlie’s room. The bed linens were various shades of blue and purple, and there was an overabundance of pillows in all sizes, shapes and patterns. There was a furry zebra rug on the floor, and sitting in the middle of it, was the little boy I’d seen in the picture. He was wearing headphones and was focused intently on the tablet in his hands. His little fingers maneuvered around the screen, sorting colorful fish and numbers in some sort of game.
In the photograph, he couldn’t have been older than three. Looking at him now, he was about five. His cheeks were still round, his face cherub-like.
He became aware of us and looked up with big blue eyes. He zeroed in on me with slight apprehension, shyness radiating from him. When he saw I was looking back, his gaze promptly jumped to the screen again.
“Aw, kiddo, you’ve got to be a little more social than that,” Charlie said to the boy. She went to him and tipped up his chin so that he would look at her. “Be the little gentleman I know you can be.”
The boy nodded and looked back at me.
“Come on, say hello,” Charlie urged again.
The boy walked up to me timidly. I knelt down to his level and held out my hand to him. He studied my hand a moment, and then, just like Charlie, he put his arms around my neck and hugged me. Again, I was taken aback, but I didn’t hesitate in returning the gesture.
“This is my little brother Benjamin, but everyone calls him Headset on account of these.” Charlie motioned to his headphones. “He has sensitive hearing.”
I could tell she was trying to hide something from me, from the protective aura that suddenly enveloped her emotions. There was something about Headset she didn’t want me to know.
Glitch cleared his throat.
“Uh, Bubbles, I guess I should have mentioned Liv is like us. We can be honest with her.”
Charlie blinked in surprise, and then smiled wide. Her glee flowed out of her and into me, making me feel brighter, happier.
“Oh! In that case, Headset wears these because he has super sensitive hearing. She ruffled his hair, the pale wisps standing straight up. “Problem is, he’s too young to effectively control it. Cash bought him these special headphones. They’re meant to block out sound entirely, but that makes him almost able to hear like a normal person.”
I was impressed. What was more, I felt better that I didn’t have to hide from them, either.
“He occasionally has super sight, too.” Charlie sighed. “And super smell. Who knows what else? The kid is just full of surprises.”
"Three powers?" My eyes widened. "That's crazy."
"Tell me about it. They come and go, but they've been getting stronger." She folded her arms and shook her head, looking down at her little brother.
“And Bubbles can breathe underwater,” Glitch interjected.
My eyes went straight to her throat. Charlie laughed and swept her long hair aside to expose the slender column of her neck to me. “I don’t have gills, if that’s what you’re checking for.”
I laughed. “I was.”
“That would be gross.” She shivered and laughed with me, a thread of camaraderie laced between us.
We all went back downstairs and Charlie brought out glasses of lemonade. Headset crawled onto Cash’s lap and I sat on one of the couches next to Glitch.
Just then, someone new walked through the front door of the Lair. Seeing us all gathered, he froze. His gaze immediately settled on me.
“Uh, hello,” he said warily. He raised a hand in a little half-wave.
“Hi.” I waved back.
“Dozer, this is Liv. Liv, this is Dozer.” Glitch jerked his thumb toward the newcomer. Dozer’s gaze dropped to the floor, and ran his hand through his short cropped hair as he struggled with the attention he was getting. “Where were you, my man? You missed the welcome wagon.”
“I was returning a call from the site. They extended the job.” Dozer replied distractedly as he studied me.
Something about Dozer seemed so familiar to me, but I couldn't place it, especially because he avoided eye contact.
“Why do they call you Dozer?” I asked.
Again, he shifted uncomfortably. “Uhhh…” He glanced at me, uncertain just as Charlie and Headset had been.
“It’s cool,” Cash said. He’d taken out his guitar again and was idly showing Headset the chords to a song. His fingers deftly plucked across the strings. “She’s like us.”
Dozer sighed heavily. “It’s easier if I just show you, I guess.”
He cracked his knuckles, poising his hands in the air. For a moment, everything was quiet. I waited, and yawned, feeling suddenly drained. Everyone else yawned, one after the other. Cash was the last to yawn. The sound was smooth and rich. I found myself looking at him even though I hadn’t meant to.
“If you can’t tell, he makes people sleepy,” Glitch finally said.
My eyebrows shot up.
Dozer shrugged. “Yeah, well. It is what it is.”
I nodded and took a sip of lemonade, immediately wishing I hadn’t. It was pure lemons and my mouth instantly puckered, my salivary glands going into overdrive. To be polite, I smiled and swallowed the sip down.
Charlie could see right through me, though.
“Oh damn. Not enough sugar?” She fretted, but I couldn’t exactly speak yet, so I just made a little so-so motion with my hand as I set the glass down. Everyone set their glasses down, too. She clucked her tongue and sighed. “I’m sorry, Liv."
“Liv can move things with her mind,” Glitch suddenly blurted out.
Everyone went still and silent. My cheeks were on fire as I looked down at my feet, trying desperately not to look as uncomfortable as I felt.
“Yeah, she’s pretty awesome.” Glitch grinned and nudged me, oblivious to how uncomfortable I was to have their eyes focused on me.
Cash seemed to sense my unease and gently moved Headset off his lap. He clapped his hands together sharply.
“Okay, okay, that’s enough. She’s not a sideshow, knock it off everyone.” Slowly, their eyes dropped from me, and within a few moments, the blanket of their attention slipped away, too.
Dozer ambled into the kitchen and grabbed a soda from the fridge. I noticed the same compass tattoo on his calf, peaking out from the cuff of his shorts. He came back to the living room and settled down on a green beanbag. As he cracked the can, Charlie sat down next to him in a matching teal bag. Charlie’s perky voice broke my thought process before I could ask about the matching tattoos.
“So, what brings you to the Cruz?” She asked. Before Dozer could take a sip, she snatched the soda out of his hands and took a drink. He looked defeated, but something inside him was buzzing about it. The closer Charlie sat, the more nervous he got, but when she would scoot away, I felt a slight yearning billow up inside him. Somebody definitely had a crush. And I couldn't blame him. Charlie was definitely a catch.
I thought about what to say. The whole truth didn’t seem like a great idea. Besides, I was nowhere near ready to share that with anyone yet. “I moved out here about six months ago to stay with family. That fell through.” I glanced over at Glitch. He was perplexed, but didn’t say anything. He knew I didn’t have any family.
"My step-mother, Bethany, built a new house around here. She's actually only about forty minutes north of here." I said, hoping Glitch would catch my drift.
It took him a second, but he figured it out, and his eyebrows shot up. "No shit?" He was suddenly amused and a little scared at the same time.
"Ooooh! Adult word!" Headset pointed at Glitch.
"Sorry, Charlie." Glitch recoiled and blushed. "Does your family know you're still in town?" he probed nervously.
"No, I didn't tell them anything," I said, reassuring him.
"That's good." Glitch swallowed hard.
"Good?" Charlie asked, confused. "Why would that b
e good?"
"Uh, well, her step-mother is the evil kind."
Charlie’s lips tilted down into a frown and her brow furrowed. She sympathized with me even though we’d just met.
“So where are you staying, now?” Dozer asked, picking at a stray seam in the stitching of his beanbag.
I opened my mouth to answer, but Glitch cut me off. “She’s staying with us.”
I felt the sudden shock ripple around the living room, the strongest of it coming from Cash. When I looked up at him, his face was set in stone, unreadable.
Cash looked between Glitch and me. I couldn’t make out what he was feeling. There were traces of denial as though he wanted to put his foot down and say no, but there was another part of him reaching for the idea.
“No, Glitch. I couldn’t.” I tried to plead with my eyes for him to just drop it, but the tone he’d used wasn’t a playful one, and resolve wound tight around him. He was protective of me and there was no fighting it.
“Liv, don’t worry about it,” he assured me. “You won’t escape me that easily. We have a lot of catching up to do, don’t we?”
I could tell this was a democratic household, and Glitch just made the decision without considering any of them. I was unable to keep my gaze from flickering to Cash. In the short time I’d been around them, it felt like he was the Patriarch of this little tribe. Cash smiled at me. It was tight-lipped and tense, but still kind.
“I don’t have a problem with it,” Cash agreed. “If Charlie has no objections, maybe—”
“Oh! You can totally bunk with me!” Charlie gushed. “I’ve got a pullout in my room.” She giggled, and I couldn’t help but laugh with her when I felt her excitement bubbling over.
“Thank you,” I said earnestly.
“Do you like video games?” Headset suddenly blurted out. I could tell my answer would determine how he felt about me. Lucky for me, tournaments with Jeri and the Hawthorn kids had left me pretty handy with a Wii-mote.
“You wouldn’t happen to have Mario Kart, would you?” I knew for a fact that he did, because I’d seen it tucked beneath the television stand next to their Wii.
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