“I never said that! Madame Leticia says she senses something in me, that’s all.”
“Oh gosh, don’t be so sensitive! If I really cared I’d drop you like yesterday’s news. It’s fine - I’ll go summon ghosts with you.” Blythe shrugs.
“That’s umm, that’s interesting,” I say.
It’s not. I’ve always had an aversion to anything occult like. It just seems so dark. We had emos at our school in Cali - brooding, black clothes, pants and long sleeves even in the California heat. They all seem sad. I’m more of an ‘enjoy the sunshine on the beach’ type of person.
“It’s not how it sounds,” Fiona says, “I’m not like a weirdo, it’s just I want to try one summoning spell to see if she’s right. It’s not like I actually believe anything will happen.” She looks away from me.
So, my new friends are going to summon ghosts? After all of the little weird things I’ve seen tonight, it doesn’t seem that farfetched, I guess. This entire town is just weird.
“Really, there’s not that much to do on a Saturday night so why not?” Aaiden tells me with a fist full of more taquitos.
True. I guess if I grew up in this small town, I might look for excitement in some other realm too. Fiona keeps her gaze locked on the taquitos, not looking at me. They all seem to be waiting for me to say something more than I have.
I shrug. “So when do you wanna go?”
Fiona’s eyes light up. “Really? You will come too?”
“Sure, why not? Let’s go raise some spirits.” I just found them all again, I don’t want to lose the first friends I’ve made here just because I don’t want to play weird games with them.
“We will have to wait until tomorrow,” Blythe pipes in. “My dad texted, he’s waiting in town.”
“It’s kind of late anyways; we should all go,” Aaiden says. “Thanks for the food though.” He grabs up the rest of the taquitos, grinning me down while he does. I laugh. It feels so good to laugh.
THE NEXT EVENING, IRENE took Ezra, Dillon, and Dillon’s mom—I forget her name already—to see the estate. They left in the afternoon and had been there since. Dillon’s mom worked for the town and wanted to see the infamous Kai place; I guess my ancestors never let anyone up there. Probably why there are so many rumors surrounding it. Irene invited me, but I told her I was going to meet up with everyone after Aaiden finished his shift at the grocery store.
On our way to the cemetery, I suddenly sense...something. There’s a shiver up the back of my neck. I turn around. It’s just in time too, because bounding towards me is that same three-legged dog again. I can’t help but smile as he reaches me. I brace myself this time as he jumps up on me almost into my arms. Hopping on his solitary hind leg, he practically hugs me. I immediately hug him back without thinking as he covers me in kisses. Whoever this fella is, I love him already.
“Hey buddy!” I croon petting him and slowly moving him down to the ground trying to account for his lack of two back legs. His tail is wagging so fast his hind end is wagging with it, like a puppy that’s been left home alone all day and finally sees its owner.
“That dog really has a thing for you.” Aaiden laughs.
“Yeah, it seems so.” I lean down to pet him more; he nuzzles any part of me he can.
“Did you have an ex-boyfriend that disappeared, maybe he got turned into a dog,” Fiona offers, smiling.
I laugh, “Not that I remember.”
Blythe pets his back, but he doesn’t turn even for a moment to give her the same affection he’s giving me.
“I’m starting to wonder if my uncle owned a dog that I have forgotten,” I say more to myself than anyone else.
“He must have,” Blythe says, “cause this dog knows you.”
“Yeah...” I muse, staring into his comforting eyes. “Do I know you?” He stares back into me as if to say, “Of course you do.”
“There you are!” a voice yells from down the street.
All four of us jump as two guys run towards us, eyes locked on the dog. I blink at them. These two guys who are way too hot to be local. It must be my mind, but they seem to run in slow motion, just for my visual happiness, as they come towards us.
“Whoa,” Fiona says at the sight of them.
“Who are they?” Blythe breathes, proving my theory that no guys that gorgeous could possibly be from a tiny town in the mountains. They belong in Hollywood, on a big screen, or in my dreams because this can’t be real. I’m obviously not the only one to notice the absolutely tasty man morsels they are because all three of us girls have stopped moving.
“Holy cow, I think I’m drooling,” I say under my breath to the girls. Blythe giggles.
“Oh gross,” Aaiden scoffs.
The guys stop, still staring at the dog.
“We told you not to run off, dummy; this wasn’t the right time! Percy is livid,” the guy says to the animal as if it understands his gibberish perfectly. Then his eyes move up to me, and he smiles genuinely. I melt. He has a very unique sense of fashion, that’s for sure. His hair is a style you would only see in period type movies. Short and dark brown, gelled up in the middle in almost a faux hawk, with longer sideburns swept forward and framing his face in spikes. A look so brave no normal teen would follow it unless a musician did it first. It works on him though. He has sharp features to match his sharp hair. Slate grey eyes set deep, an elfin jaw and nose. He has a slight bone structure, but layers of muscle cover it. His arms defined enough to know he must work for them. His T-shirt is a V-neck opening up at the chest which looks completely rock hard. It wasn’t hard to imagine what abs went with that chest. Suddenly I realize his lips are moving, but I can’t hear what he was saying. Pulling myself out of my ogling, I blink staring at him with what I’m sure is a look of stupor as blood rushes to my cheeks.
“Uh... What?” My cheeks are almost as hot as him by now.
He smiles all pearly whites. “I said, hello, my name is Alex.” Alex holds out his hand for me to shake. Alex...I internally sigh.
“Oh,” I say taking his hand, “I’m sorry, I’m...um, I’m Violet.” I laugh nervously. His eyes on mine are making me forget my own name. Pull it together, Vi!
The three-legged dog jumps on me again causing me to let go of Alex’s hand to steady myself. He shoves his head in my hands as if the only thing I’m allowed to touch are his furry ears.
“Stumpy, knock it off!” Alex yells grabbing the dog trying to yard it off me. Every inch he moves him, he just scoots right back.
“It’s alright,” I reassure Alex.
“His name is Stumpy?” Fiona asks shyly. I had almost forgotten my friends altogether. Her and Blythe are both land locked, as enraptured by the guys as I am.
The other boy, grinning widely and just as stupid hot as Alex with red hair, flits his eyes from the girls to me. He answers Fiona while Alex is apparently contemplating the shade of rouge my cheeks have turned with a devilish grin only self-assured hot guys can pull off. I try very hard to concentrate on the smiley boy. “No,” he says to Fiona, “his name is Achilles; we call him Stumpy when he’s being annoying. He hates it.”