“I’ll get you guys drinks,” Kannon offered quickly. “Requests?”
“Vodka and tonic,” Devon replied, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. “I’ll be watching you, so don’t put anything in it.”
Kannon winced but otherwise brushed off her comment. “Endora?” he asked.
“Something strong,” I said through clenched teeth. For the first time in my life, I longed to get drunk. I wanted to forget all the strange things that had happened to me since my eighteenth birthday. Most of all, I wanted to drown my feelings for this boy who had me cycling through a range of emotions I’d never before experienced in such rapid succession.
“Coming right up.” His entire face lit up when he grinned at me.
Once he was gone, Devon pried my fingers from her own, rubbing the purple appendages to restore circulation. I’d been so preoccupied with Kannon that I’d failed to notice how tightly I was gripping her hand.
“He is so hot,” Elizabeth declared, still oblivious to my mounting discomfort. “You saw him first, Eel, so tell me now if you want dibs; otherwise, I’m calling it,” she added, ogling Kannon’s backside from across the deck.
“I don’t trust him,” Devon said before I could answer. “Seriously, what was he doing at the lake all by himself?”
“I doubt he was there alone,” I said. “And why the change of heart? You were all interested in him last weekend.”
“Last weekend he was a good Samaritan who happened to be in the right place at the right time,” Devon replied, not bothering to keep her voice down. Knowing Devon, she probably wanted him to hear her. “Now he is starting to enter stalker territory. How did he get your cell phone number anyway? Why was he at our game? And why is here?”
“He goes to St. Paul’s,” Elizabeth rolled her eyes, “that’s why he’s here. Besides, isn’t the whole thing so romantic? Fate intervenes to bring them together. He spends every waking moment thinking about her. And at night he dreams about her.”
While Elizabeth sounded like a drunken voiceover for a bad movie trailer, her words made my heart skip a beat.
“Did he say that?” I blurted before I could stop myself. “Did he say he’d dreamt about me?”
Both of my friends stared at me wide-eyed. Devon’s gaze was suspicious. Elizabeth’s was amused.
Kannon appeared at my side, saving me the humiliation of receiving an answer to my question. He handed Devon a red plastic cup. “Vodka and tonic.” Then he held the other drink out to me, careful not to let our fingers touch.
“Thanks,” I mumbled.
“Can I talk to you for a minute, alone?” Kannon asked me without preamble.
Devon stepped between us, using her body like a physical shield. “First tell us why you were at Caswell Lake.”
My face was suddenly on fire. Devon was loyal and protective to a fault, but I didn’t need her fighting my battles for me. I wasn’t weak. I could take care of myself. Besides, I wanted to talk to Kannon. And since we were both here, it was as good a time as any.
I gently pushed her aside. “It’s fine, Dev. Yes, we can talk,” I told Kannon.
Devon tried to protest, but Elizabeth intervened. “I think she’s calling dibs,” Elizabeth drunkenly giggled as she led Devon away.
I covered the awkward silence their departure left by sipping my drink. The liquor burned as though I’d taken a swallow from the tiki torch instead of my cup.
“Oh, that’s gross,” I choked and spit the concoction back into the Solo cup. Instantly every inch of my skin scorched, embarrassed by my crude gesture. I raised you better than that, Mom’s voice chastised me in my head.
Kannon just laughed.
“You said you wanted something strong,” he pointed out, taking the cup from my hand and placing it on the bar behind him.
“Strong, not lethal,” I replied, wiping the lingering drops of alcohol from my lips with the back of my hand.
“Don’t drink much, huh?”
“No, I drink. I mean I’m not like a drunk or anything, but I usually drink at these parties - you know, let loose, have fun.” Smooth, Endora.
Kannon studied the lifelines on his palm, engrossed by whatever story they told. I peered around the deck at the other partygoers, and thought about clicking my heels and chanting, “There is no place like home. There is no place like home.”
“You were awesome today,” he said, abruptly looking up from his hand and changing the subject to cover the awkward moment.
“Thanks. It felt good to beat them,” I said hesitantly. “Elizabeth said you go to St. Paul’s?” Making small talk was safe. It allowed me time to scrounge up the courage to ask him the questions that truly mattered: Did you see a creature in the lake? Do you have dreams that come true?
Would I really feel validated if he told me that he’d dreamed about our meeting before it had happened? Or that he too saw a mermaid flipping her tail in Caswell Lake?
“Yeah. I’m a senior. Transferred there at the start of the year. I hear you used to go to St. Mary’s.”
“You seem to know a lot about me,” I said evenly.
Kannon shrugged sheepishly. “Yours is the first life I’ve saved. I was curious about you.”
“Even before then,” I said. “You called me by my name when you pulled me from the water.”
Kannon ran one hand through his hair, his eyes darting nervously around the partygoers surrounding us. “That is sort of what I wanted to talk to you about.”
I sucked in a breath. My concept of reality hinged on whatever he said next. I was sickened by the part of me that actually hoped he was a stalker so I wouldn’t have to face the alternative.
“Last Friday wasn’t the first time we’ve met. Well, at least it isn’t the first time I’ve met you.”
I started to back away slowly. Kannon reached for my hand; his fingers brushed mine, and a small jolt of electricity passed between us. He pulled his hand back.
“Hear me out, Endora,” he said in a deep, low voice.
I didn’t respond, but I didn’t pull away either. I wanted to hear what he had to say. I needed to hear what he had to say.
Kannon stepped closer. “How old are you?” he asked.
His question caught me by surprise. I’d expected him to say something about us meeting in his dreams, literally. Asking my age was as random as him asking for the time.
“Eighteen,” I muttered. “My birthday was last Friday.”
Kannon exhaled deeply and nodded his head like he’d just figured out the last clue in the New York Times Sunday crossword. Well, that made one of us.
“Have the dreams started?” he asked, pitching his voice so no one close by would hear.
Equal parts of relief and panic coursed through me. He knew. He understood what I was experiencing. For some reason that knowledge didn’t make me as comfortable as I’d anticipated it would. I didn’t feel validated.
“That’s how you knew my name, isn’t it? The dreams. You dreamed about me jumping off the cliff, right? Is that why you were out at the lake? Did you go there just to…save me?” I felt stupid saying the words out loud.
“We met in one of my dreams,” he said carefully. “But I was at the lake by chance.”
Chance? Caswell Lake was a good forty-minute drive from St. Paul’s. And since he went to St. Paul’s, he probably lived by St. Paul’s. No way had he been taking a leisurely Friday night drive and ended up in Westwood. Let alone at the lake.
I blinked up at him, not sure what to say. Wasn’t it every girl’s fantasy to have a gorgeous boy tell her she played a starring role in his dreams? Then why did it feel so creepy?
“When did you recognize me?” I asked.
“Not until I pulled you from the water,” he admitted. The tone of his voice gave me pause. I thought I sensed regret. Did he regret saving my life?
“Stevens!” a male voiced boomed behind me. “We’re heading over to a party in Lincoln. You coming?”
“Two minutes,” Kannon called back, his eyes
never leaving my face. “What are you doing tomorrow?” he asked me in a tone so low I had to strain to hear the words.
“Homework,” I replied automatically.
“Can I see you?”
“Sure,” I answered without hesitation. This conversation was far from over, yet I still wasn’t sure I wanted to be there for the conclusion.
“Stevens, ride’s leaving,” the same voice bellowed.
“You have my phone number, right? Call me if something comes up. Otherwise, let’s meet in the parking lot closest to the stadium at your school. Four o’clock.”
The stadium parking lot? Really? Odd choice. “Okay, sure,” I said.
“Tomorrow,” Kannon confirmed, sounding relieved that I’d agreed.
He reached the back of his index finger toward my cheek. A current of electricity trickled between us. It was weak, but still made my skin tingle. Part of me registered the possibility that his finger would burn my face again, but my hormones didn’t care. He let his hand fall at the last second, and instead of my cheek, his fingertips skimmed the material holding my dress securely around my neck. Even though his flesh never made contact with mine, I could feel the heat through the thin fabric when he lifted the gold chain of my necklace and said, “Interesting.”
It took me a full minute to regain control of my breathing after being so close to Kannon. When I did, I whirled around to catch one last glimpse of him. I was immediately sorry about the decision. Kannon was now standing next to the sliding glass doors that led to the back of Elizabeth’s house ― and he wasn’t alone.
Kannon stood face-to-face with Jamieson Wentworth, his hands raised, palms towards her in the universal gesture for “calm down.” Her arms were crossed defensively under her chest, pushing her cleavage up so high that it nearly knocked her chin with each huffy breath she exhaled.
I couldn’t hear the words he murmured, but whatever he was saying was doing little to placate her. Jamieson jerked her head full of glossy black waves in my direction. Then she turned, piercing me with cold eyes. An all-too-familiar sensation of dread that had nothing to do with Kannon filled my stomach. I knew that look well. It was the same one she’d shot me when we were ten and I’d been made captain of our travel lacrosse team. The same one she’d shot me when we were twelve and I’d been selected for the international youth field hockey team and she had not. And the same one she’d shot me when we were thirteen and I told her my mother and I were moving to Westwood. The last time was the one she’d never forgiven me for.
The half-digested shrimp fried rice threatened to reappear. Normally I’d let Jamieson’s jealousy roll right off of me. If the tables were turned, I’d have felt the same way. Even as friends, we’d been rivals. Only, I wasn’t used to losing to Jamieson. Not when it really counted anyway. But seeing her with Kannon felt like payback for every battle I’d won in our lifelong war. Uncomfortably, I realized that Jamieson wasn’t the only sore loser in the equation.
Earlier, when Elizabeth called dibs on Kannon, I had been annoyed. Now seeing him with Jamieson and knowing they were friends, I was downright envious, even though in a game of kiss-or-kill I might have elected to push Kannon off the cliff. The jury was still out.
One moment, I thought him the embodiment of my nightmares, and the next ― my living dreams. I hadn’t been so confused about something since chemistry in the ninth grade. The only thing I was positive about: I hated seeing Kannon with her.
After a long, withering glare, Jamieson raised one delicate hand and waved me over. I debated not going, but we both knew I’d seen her. And if I didn’t go, I would have only made the situation more awkward than it already was. The fifteen yards that separated us might as well have been a football field for the amount of time it took me to close the distance.
“Hey, Eel,” she said, using the nickname reserved only for my closest friends.
Jamieson uncrossed her arms and slipped one possessively around Kannon’s waist. I cringed at the familiarity between them. Kannon let his hands drop to hang at his sides as he turned to face me. He inched away from Jamieson but didn’t break contact entirely.
“Hey, Jamie,” I replied, emphasizing her own nickname, which I knew she hated. Her eyes frosted over, turning such a pale blue that it was hard to tell where the iris ended.
“I see you have met Kannon.” Her smile was all sugar, a sharp contrast to the sourness in her glare.
“Um, yeah….kinda,” I said, looking at Kannon instead of Jamieson.
“Kannon’s going to be my prom date, and probably my king too,” Jamieson trilled, scooting closer as he tried to wiggle away.
“Great,” I said flatly, careful not to let Jamieson see how much that prospect bothered me. I wouldn’t give her that kind of satisfaction.
“Jesus, Stevens, we need to go!” the deep male voice from earlier cut into our conversation.
Finally tearing my eyes from Kannon’s, I caught my first glimpse of the owner. A tall, broad-shouldered boy, who could have passed for twenty-one just as easily as seventeen, moved through the crowd to join us. Terrence Wilky.
“Hey, Endora,” he said when he noticed me, his frustration lessening slightly. “If I’d realized that you were the reason Kannon was reluctant to leave, I would’ve come to say hi.” Terrence bent down and kissed me softly on the cheek, giving my back a friendly pat in the process.
Kannon’s eyes blazed and he stepped further from Jamieson.
“Hi, Terrence.” I smiled up at him, relieved by his interruption. “How have you been?”
“Good.” He nodded, grinning stupidly as he tried not to look down my dress. “No need to ask how you are; you look great.”
“Thanks, Terrence. Well, I don’t want to keep you guys from your party…,” I let my comment trail off and turned to make my escape.
“Hey, why don’t you come?” Terrence asked, putting a hand on my bare shoulder to stop my departure. “You’ll know everyone there.”
“Oh, wow…um thanks, but…well, this is kinda my party, so I should really stay.” I shrugged apologetically.
Confusion shone in his dark eyes. “I thought this was that girl Ellen’s house?”
“Elizabeth,” I corrected. “And yes, it is. But I’m the team captain and all, so it would look bad if I left.”
I felt as if I were bragging with the whole captain comment. Maybe I was. Jamieson wasn’t her team’s captain, and judging by her recent Facebook statuses, she was more than a little bitter about it.
“Just as well - there’s no room in the car,” Jamieson declared, drawing the focus of the conversation back to her.
“I drive an Escalade.” Terrence rolled his eyes.
“Really, I’m just going to stay here.” I glanced at Kannon, who hadn’t spoken since we were alone. His eyes were glazed over, pupils fully dilated. He didn’t appear to be hearing what we were saying anymore.
“Glad that’s settled. Let’s go.” Jamieson reached for Kannon’s hand. When her fingers brushed the back of his hand, he blinked rapidly. Then he smoothly stepped away from her at the last moment, hooking his thumbs in his front pockets. Jamieson spun on one spiked heel and stormed into the house. Terrence waved goodbye to me and shot Kannon a sympathetic smile before trailing after her.
“Bye, Endora. Dream well,” Kannon said softly. Then he followed his friends through the sliding doors.
Chapter Eight
I searched the deck for Devon and Elizabeth. Instead of them, I found Mandy. She stood on the outskirts of a circle of people that included Kevin. The entire group was attempting to exclude her from their conversation. Kevin edged closer to a perky blonde sophomore on his right so that Mandy couldn’t stand too close. I swore under my breath. He was such an ass. With my own unease temporarily forgotten in light of Mandy’s ostracization, I marched straight for the circle.
“Hey, Mandy!” I exclaimed loudly as I approached. I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her with me as I used my hip to drive a wedge bet
ween Kevin and the sophomore.
“Where ya been all night, Eel?” Kevin slurred, reaching over Mandy as if she were invisible to run one beefy finger across my shoulder.
I pointedly glanced between Kevin and his offensive finger, not bothering to conceal my contempt. “Mingling.” I beamed at the group. “Have you seen Devon?”
A tiny brunette who I thought might be on the soccer team rolled her heavily lidded eyes. “Actually, we were just talking about Dev and Rick. They’re totally screaming at each other in the front yard…Again,” she added for emphasis.
“Not tonight,” I moaned.
“She caught him with his hand in some cheerleader’s cookie jar,” Kevin said, giggling like a little girl.
“It’s not funny.” I shot him a death glare. There was something seriously wrong with Rick and his friends that they found promiscuity hilarious.
The group grew quiet. The brunette nudged the boy standing next to her, and the two discreetly turned and made a hasty exit from the circle.
“Come on, Eel. Devon brings it on herself. Rick knows all he has to do is buy her something nice and she will forgive him. Maybe if she grew a backbone and stood up for herself, Rick wouldn’t keep cheating,” Kevin said, tracing the rim of his Solo cup with his forefinger.
Maybe it was the fact that since my eighteenth birthday I’d been living in the Twilight Zone. Maybe I needed an outlet for the lingering frustration over encountering Jamieson and Kannon together. Or maybe I’d finally had enough of Rick Hanes treating my best friend like a doormat. On top of it all, Kevin’s comments were just the icing on the crappiest birthday cake ever. But whatever the reason, I snapped.
“Don’t you dare blame Devon for Rick’s inability to keep it in his pants,” I hissed at Kevin. The venom lacing my words surprised me, but I didn’t back down.
The few remaining people within earshot started backing away. Kevin raised his hands in the universal sign for “calm down.” Since I wasn’t confrontational by nature, my next move surprised me further. I swatted the underside of Kevin’s cup, sending the contents right into his shocked face. Without waiting for his reaction, I pushed past him and stormed towards the house.