* * *
I was agitated. I couldn’t stop fiddling with my hair. I brushed it three times unsure if I should put it in a hair tie or not. No. I’m best to leave it down around my face like always. I didn’t want to change too much. Besides, I can see Ethan perfectly through my curtain of curls. I touched my shirt, ripping it off and pulling on another. It was loose fitting, slipping across my shoulder to the point I had to pull it to the other; I wasn’t sure if I should wear this. It was wrong too. Slipping on another shirt, one Melody would have loved. It was loose, but not too loose that it slipped from my shoulder. It will have to do. I forced myself to leave the shirt decision for another day. My agitations got the better of me as I sat in the kitchen bar, glancing to the clock; second by second. Eating my breakfast as slow as I could, since it was at least fifteen minutes before Ethan arrived. I couldn’t shake the idea he’d show up early or not show at all. Would he deny what he said yesterday? Would he pretend he couldn’t hear me? He couldn’t make sense of my thoughts; that my thoughts were too much and he didn’t want anything to do with me.
“You’re awfully perky,” said Elizabeth, entering into the kitchen. “What are you up to today?”
You’re telling me you forgot. I wanted to say and it annoyed me she couldn’t read my mind, but that was also a good thing. I scribbled the note down stating Ethan was soon to arrive.
“Right. Library session. That’s nice.” An odd look showed in her eyes, the kind that suggested she wasn’t keen on the idea that he; a boy, was hanging around me. “Er … as long as you get some fresh air.”
I rolled my eyes at her tone; she tilted her head towards me with a raised brow.
“We’ll have to talk later about this.”
I don’t even know what this is. I bit my lip, unsure if it was a something—an anything. No. That wasn’t it. I decided to ask how she knew of Ethan to start with.
“Well, his father and mother come to the bakery every day for lunch. Such nice people, and their other children; I met them this week. Did you meet them yet?”
I settled for a nod. Meeting Marcus and Erika wasn’t part of my plan; Erika talked to me … before the A-Team got their claws into her. I’d seen them sparingly with Ethan. As I mulled over the confrontation yesterday I swallowed hard. The pole. Me doing that. How? Ethan had saved me from harming those boys further even if they were nothing but monsters. He’d punched Brant, and then Marcus showed up. I didn’t want to think about anything to do with them, but Ethan. I couldn’t stop thinking about him. I finished off my breakfast and headed to my room, to change my top. I ruffled my reddish brown hair in the mirror, and pulled the curls from my face; trying to work out if it did look better. No. Its fine the way I normally wear it. I wasn’t sure if Ethan was feeling what I was. He said that his family don’t get involved with humans. That had me pause. Why wouldn’t he consider himself a human? Just because he reads minds, doesn’t mean he isn’t.
As I pondered that, a nagging thought lingered on the edges of my mind. It was a puzzle, most of the pieces were stuck in the air; held by an invisible string, and if I tug the string, it’d all fall into place. I couldn’t tug on it. I wasn’t even sure what the puzzle was going to make. A mess? An answer I wasn’t ready for. It didn’t change anything. Ethan Coffer came into my life two weeks ago and since that day, my fog was less—possibly non-existent. I slumped to my bed trying to think of something useful to talk to Ethan about. Sure, he can read my mind and I craved the idea of talking to someone, Ethan, was good. I liked him a lot. Almost too much. Was that a bad thing? I couldn’t decide. If Melody was here, she’d of chosen my outfit the night before with fits of laughter and a list of what not to do.
“You can’t make the first move Kerr, that’s not how nice girls work. Look at Amanda. She always makes the first move. It freaks the guy out. And Ethan may be strong when it comes to standing up to Brant, but with you, he’d be weak at the knees.”
I doubted that part of her words and rolled my eyes, thinking it would be better if she was here. She’d know what I should do. Should I meet him at the door? Or should I visit Spirit in the woods? That way I could ask for his advice. Though, understanding him was another idea and possible something I shouldn’t be distracting myself with. In the end, I was left staring at my desk of books. My brow creased remembering on Tuesday evening I had walked in the storm, ruining his book; he didn’t even show anger towards it. Nor did he stop talking to me because of it. But he did, since Wednesday when he first answered my thoughts and touched me. He’d stopped talking to me. Why? That was something I could ask him. As I puzzled that thought, the knock had me bolt to my feet. Unsure if I should go there an answer it, or wait. My heart was pounding; my palms were sweaty.
“You want me to get that?” asked Elizabeth.
I couldn’t yell out ‘yes’ or even ‘no’ to her.
“I’ll get it then.” She decided after another knock sounded. “Hello Ethan, nice to see you.”
“And you Ms. Watson.”
“Oh, please call me Ell, I’m no Ms. Makes me sound haggard and old.”
I breathed steady and glanced to my body. Least I had clothes on. I counted to ten and stepped from my room, heading along the hall to take in the door at the bottom of the staircase. Ethan stood just on the inside of the doorway; wearing faded jeans, a dark grey shirt with a stained stencil imprint. I took in his face and my heart fluttered. His velvet black hair teased his neckline, falling across his brow, shadowing his face. He looked relaxed as he smiled, breathlessly.
“Were you driving to the library?” Elizabeth glanced outside; I puzzled what she was looking at. Driving? Car? Had to be.
“Only if Kera wishes to,” said Ethan, taking in my form as I descended the staircase.
I was nervous and wasn’t sure what to say. ‘Hi’ came to mind, but that was lame. Maybe ‘hello.’ I’d never had to say that before either. Maybe I should stand and nod. Like all the other times. I pressed my fingers to my palms, unsure how to answer anything that they asked. I side glanced the note pad and debated writing something down.
“Well, make up your mind. You want to be inside or outside.” Elizabeth wasn’t helping.
“Perhaps we can walk to the library.” Ethan suggested.
“Well, don’t be there all day. I tell Kera all the time not to go into those woods.”
It’s fine. I rolled my eyes.
Ethan’s lips widen as relief entered into his eyes.
“You two have fun.” Elizabeth waved us off.
I cringed away from the word fun and shuffled my curls around my face. Heading out of my house I spotted the Mercedes parked in the drive.
Er … do you have a license?
“Yes,” he answered. “But I wished not to make too much of a statement at the school.” Ethan kept pace with me.
Er … sorry about before … inside. My mum. Awkward, right.
“It’s expected,” he said smoothly.
Was he implying something? I glanced through my veil of hair. He wasn’t showing any signs of nerves. He looked well rested, maybe even pleased with himself.
“I won’t know what you want till you ask me,” he said with a side glance as we came to the fallen fence.
Okay. Why did you stop talking to me?
“I didn’t want to, but you insisted I did.”
That’s because you wouldn’t answer me when I asked you if you could read my mind. I tried to get you to answer me. I kept asking you all the time, but you refused to answer me and then you started sitting with your brother and sister which made it—
Ethan reached to my hand, his breath heaved as mine did a double intake.
“Easy Kera. I’m not able to keep up when you’re focusing on a lot of things.” His voice was soft. “Relax,” he said with a smile. He reached to my face, pushing the strands behind my ear. “You have a beautiful face. Why do you hide?”
Um. I don’t know. I was taken back by his words, and now I was slow to th
ink of anything. Why do you avoid my questions?
He chuckled. “I’m not sure how to answer them.” He gazed to the woods, as I gained control on my breathing, deep breaths in and out. I didn’t want to release his hand, or stand here all day either.
Well, if it helps, I won’t tell anyone your secrets.
His smile widened. “That’s a possibility. In truth, it’s not that easy either.”
Okay. So. Why did you stop talking to me yesterday and where did you go on Thursday?
“Marcus and Caleb, mostly.”
Your brother and father. What do they have to do with this?
“Like I said yesterday. It’s not a done thing for us. My family aren’t normal.”
You’re not human. I stated it, not questioned it. I wasn’t frightened by the idea either.
He didn’t answer; a distant look was in his unblinking eyes. The silver was lighter as to the green.
Why do you have silver green eyes? I’ve never seen anyone with eyes like that. I walked along my path and turned down into my clearing.
“My eyes …” he mused. “You want to talk about my eyes.”
Oh. Er. Maybe the weather then.
“You are strange.”
Um. In a good way or a bad way.
“Good.” He nodded as I seated on the soft grass. “I just don’t want to frighten you.”
Why would you. I’m talking to someone who can read my mind and you’re worried I’d get frightened. Think we crossed that bridge a long time ago.
“That’s true.” Ethan sat in front of me. “So. What did you want to talk about?”
I dropped my gaze, unsure where to start. In the past three months, I’d had little to talk about, little to ask. Now, I was curious. My mind tumbled from one thought to another. The attack yesterday, the pole and how it moved without anyone touching it. Was it my doing? Does that make me … not human also? Did he feel the same way I did?
“Yes.” His straight answer caught me off guard.
Huh. Was it that question he answered? But why. Why would he feel anything for me?
“You’re different. You have strength within you. Most people are afraid of us; usually they’ll pick up on something and steer clear. But you don’t. You seem drawn to us, me.”
So. That’s all this is then?