pjdredful

[pjdredful]

The AV Club

Chapter 8

 “Get it together, losers. Move!” The all too shrill shout makes me pull an ear bud out and glance around for the source. For a second there are just too many people from the Winter Formal Committee milling around for me to get a good look and then they part before her in a hurried and nervous wave of bodies. There are bullies and bitches in every school in America. There are bullies everywhere. At work places, in grocery stores, in parking lots and at summer camps. It’s just a sad fact of human life. There are jerks everywhere you go. So I’m not surprised that there is yet another one here in my school but I cringe a little internally when I see the face attached to the voice. Oh God. Mo notices my utter lack of movement and stops fiddling with the light board to stare too.

 “Evie…is that…” I just nod once and swallow a little convulsively. Audrianna Saveedra. My worst nightmare in the flesh. It isn’t that she’s just a bully. But she’s my personal bully. Orson was always a dick but he never once came close to the horror and humiliation of Audrianna. It’s almost too much for my brain to compute, her being here of all places. Deep brown eyes scan the group assembled for a minute, as if she’s judging us all already. Her gaze passes over me and I let out a slight breath of air that I know no one can actually hear. Maybe its relief that she seems to not recognize me that makes me start to ease back against the hard metal of the folding chair. Or just sheer stupidity.

 The laser like focus redirects and swings back my way and I’m pinned by her stare. I pale just a little when her lips curl up in a very Grinch like smile before she clicks her way over and stands right in front of me. I try really hard not to flinch but it happens when the hem of her skirt brushes my knuckles gone white from gripping the box of mics and cables perched precariously on my lap. “Why Evelyn Rossi, I thought that was you. I didn’t know you went here.” Liar. I know she’s lying because her smug little pig nose crinkles just a bit in too much amusement. God. I can’t even believe I once thought she was cute.

 “Yeah. What uh. What are you doing here Audri?” It’s too casually said. Too familiar and that makes her smile even more. See I was hoping it would seem nonchalant and cool but it actually came out a little more nervous than intended. All it ended up doing was reminding her that we have a history and that I remember all of it. Mo looks back and forth between us for a minute, unsure if he should say something or not.

 “I go here now. Daddy has a new pet project going and it just makes sense for the family to be closer. Blessing is more than two hours away you know.” I know. I give her a non-committal hum and a slow nod, still watching her like she may lunge viciously at me any second. Like a snake swallowing a scared little mouse. And I’m the mouse. “You know…” She leans forward a little conspiratorially and I lean back just a hair. “If I had known you were going to be here I would have brought my camp album.” Whatever color had finally risen to my cheeks vanishes in an instant. I’m sure that album is filled with all the horrible things she did to me at camp every year. Including my spectacular and totally blindsided expulsion from the closet thanks to her.

 Mo finally clears his throat a little pointedly and she turns her dark haired head towards him with a jerk making the long perfectly styled locks fling casually over her shoulder. I wonder if she practices that. “So you’re here at this committee meeting why?”

 The predatory smile widens and I have just a fleeting second to think ‘shut up or she’ll notice you!’ in Mo’s general direction. Of course. He’s not a mind reader. And I don’t think he noticed my face before his words tumbled out. Either way, it’s too late now and we both know it from the look in her calculating eyes.

 “I remember you. You’re that Jewish boy from camp. What’s your name again? Slowmo? Momo? Homo?” My teeth grind together at the last part. Not because I think she’s calling him gay. I know exactly why she’s mentioning it. A reminder that she knows all my secrets and most of my past.

 “His name is Mo.” She gives a slow nod as if to say ‘oh yes of course, how silly of me’. Like that makes it alright or something.

 “Ah. Mo. I think it should be obvious by now don’t you? I’m here to organize this committee. Properly.” Properly. It’s those little snide comments that she says without so much as a flicker of emotion that gall me. The implication that we’re just too podunk to have a school dance and do it right. And okay yeah maybe I think it galls me a little bit more that this is the third committee meeting in a week and we still haven’t picked a theme or know what the hell we’re all doing yet. “We can’t do anything so tacky as…I don’t know…Under the Sea or….whatever the little theme was last year.” Under the Sea. Which is just dumb because it’s a winter ball. Why would Under the Sea be a good theme for that?

 Several people shift nervously and glance at each other. It’s probably pretty likely those are the ones that were pushing it the hardest. It makes me want to champion the theme just because Audrianna doesn’t think it’s good enough. “We haven’t actually picked a theme yet. So…” I trail off rather stupidly because I don’t know what possessed me to speak in the first place or what the hell to say next.

 “Hm. So I gathered. Well if you two are done playing with your….” She makes a vague gesture to the collection of sound and light equipment in boxes around us. The disdain on her face is clear as she realizes that this is all the equipment for the dance set up and it won’t be up to her standards. “We should just get started. I think a fundraiser should be the first order of business.” Audri clicks away with a twirl of her skirt and starts calling the meeting to order.

 “How exactly did she just walk in and take everything over without a fight?” I just look at Mo and shrug a shoulder. He didn’t have to deal with her much but he should remember her from a few of the camp mixers that shoved camps Little Hawk and Buffalo Trails together once a summer for a night of awkward slow dancing and sugary fruit punch. “Oh right. She’s Audrianna.” My one consoling thought is that she doesn’t have a gaggle of minions. Yet. Still our county is small and the towns in it are even smaller. Which means that Audri can have her cronies up to see her reigning the school with an iron fist at any time. I smirk but it’s not at all confident and becomes less so when Audrianna starts the group brainstorming for fundraiser ideas.

 There are a mix of them. Some stupid. Some okay. All of them met with an impenetrable cold stare letting everyone know they fail miserably. It’s almost funny and that little bit of nervous tension in my gut causes me to do something so dumb that even I want to smack myself in the back of the head. I laugh. All eyes drift toward me and I immediately stop laughing. My toe taps the floor experimentally and Mo elbows me with a whisper. “Stop looking for a Hellmouth to fall into.” He’s right. There’s never a Hellmouth when I need one and really what would I do if one actually opened at my feet?

 “Is there something amusing Evelyn? Are your fellow students’ suggestions just not good enough for you?” Oh you bitch nugget. Until I laughed she was thinking that exact thing. It was written all over her face and we all could see it. But it’s just like her to turn it around on me. There is no better way to gain support than by making someone else the bad guy. I clear my throat and roll a shoulder in a shrug before sitting up a little straighter. I have to fix this. Somehow.

 “No. Not at all.” It’s a little too quickly said and a few snorts and irritated looks are thrown my way. Mo starts to sit up himself like he wants to say something but I just clear my throat and sink a little lower in my seat. Eyes start drifting back to Audrianna, already looking to her for guidance. Gross.

 “Well then any suggestions? Since you seem to think no one else here has a better idea.” I never said that! Of course if I sputter and try to deny it she’ll only wave it off. The damage is done and I can see it in the accusatory looks directed at me.

 I’m not really so great under pressure so I fidget a little more and squeak out breathlessly. “Car bake thing?” Car. Bake. Thing. My face burns at the condescending laughter she sets off in the group. It’s not that I don’t know what they are. Car wash and bake sale. They are the staple of every high school booster club or fundraising experience. But put on the spot like that, the way she’s making me look like I’m the snob…I just couldn’t make the words come out right.

 Audri stops laughing after a minute and purses her lips as if having to explain something to someone as dumb as I am was distasteful to her. “I think you mean car wash and bake sale.” I resist the urge to mock her tone and roll my eyes. Whatever. Thankfully she takes her focus from me and sighs to the group dramatically. “I was told the school doesn’t even have enough in the budget to hire a DJ for the entire dance. We’re going to have to get creative people. Think big. Think grand.”

 The alarm goes off on my phone and I silence it quickly. I slide the box of cables over into Mo’s lap and grab my messenger bag from the floor. Mo looks at me with a slight frown. He knows I’m going to meet up with Lirae to talk to her guy or whatever about following Tony around but I think he’s kind of annoyed at having to be stuck with Audrianna for the rest of the meeting. I give him an apologetic look mouthing sorry before trying to sneak out the door. I can just barely make out the sound of laughter as the door closes behind me, no doubt sparked by some mean spirited comment. And I’m pretty sure I know exactly who made it. I shake it off and jog the rest of the way from the tech room to the field. It’s not that far really and there isn’t any need to run but I need to get rid of some of this anxiety churning my stomach.

 I can see Lirae perched on some bleachers at the very top, her silver aviator’s flashing in the sun when she turns her head. The wind lifts a curl, pulling it out of the loose pony tail and dragging it across her face. Lirae’s head twists toward the wind and the lock blows back away from her. It was effortless and simple and somehow a thousand times hotter than Audrianna’s perfectly timed hair swish. I take the steps up carefully and drop myself on to the bench next to her. “Hey.”

 Lirae looks up, leaning back on the rail behind her and smiles. “Hey yourself. How was the meeting?” I don’t want to talk about it so I just wave vaguely and make some unintelligible mutterings. “Oh yeah that’s totally how those things go.” She laughs in amusement and leans in to nudge me playfully with her forehead. “You ready to go?” I like that she just accepts my non answer with a quiet joke. She doesn’t push me. It’s kind of part of why I like her so much. Everyone always wants me to just talk about things and stuff. Like all of the time. Not Lirae. She gets me and just lets me be me and it’s nice. Comforting.

 “Yeah. Mo says the boys will meet us after at the clubhouse. Orson is still pissed the door won’t stay up and wants another crack at it.” I could tell him why it won’t. My dad is a contractor after all and I’m totally a daddy’s girl when it comes to hanging out in the garage. But it’s more fun to watch him struggle to be a manly man. Lirae chuckles and I lean into her side a little more. We’re not exactly cuddling but we’re sitting pretty close and having a lot of little casual touches. Not unusual for us but it seems a little more charged these past few days what with the kissing and all.

 “Are you going to let him keep trying to get it right or just butch up and fix it for him?” It’s my turn to laugh now and I shrug.

 “I dunno. I kinda like watching him get it mad at the door like it’s defective.” It’s not like the door is fancy or anything. It was just a standard door we managed to pilfer from one of my dad’s renovation work sites. It would have gone in the trash anyway but only because it was old and kind of ugly. But that is perfect for the shack. At least it matches the structure. We make our way down the steps carefully, reaching the bottom at the same time. Lirae tugs me around by the arm when I start to head to the gate instead of the parking lot in the opposite direction. The momentum of it spins me around too fast and I put my hands up to keep us from crashing together. We do anyway and my reflexive jump back causes me to misstep. Lirae’s arm comes out like a whip, snagging around my waist to keep me from falling. And that only serves to make us over balance and topple back against a very hard concrete trash can. It hits my hip painfully but at least it saves us from falling completely to the ground.

 Although we’re now kind of awkwardly leaning against the trash bin without moving and in my case barely breathing. So close. Soooo close. “This is totally your fault.” I open my mouth to argue that and snort.

 “How?!”

 “You bumped into me!”

 “Because you grabbed me!” I laugh even though this is awkward and my hip hurts like a son of a biscuit. Her laugh echoes mine and her brow comes up before she pointedly looks down between us.

 “Oh yeah? Well it looks like you’re the one grabbing me now.” I blink once in confusion and let my eyes drift down between our chests. And that’s when I realize I’ve had my hands on her boobs this entire time. How does this keep happening?? I pull my hands back quickly and clear my throat. Boobs. Nope. Don’t think about it. Boobs. Damnit! My face is burning and I know by the tone of her laughter that I’m beet red.

 “Well that wouldn’t keep happening if you weren’t so…breasty.” I don’t…that’s not even a word. I just shake it off as she laughs and pulls back enough to let me wiggle away.

 “Oh so it’s my boobs’ fault you keep touching them. Classy, blame the victims.”

 “They keep touching me!” My defensive tone makes her laugh even harder and I duck my head to try and hide my own smile. Fine I give up. I throw my hands up in defeat and Lirae takes one with a little squeeze. “Okay. Are we going now or are you going to continue to assault me with your bosoms?”

 “Dude…you just said bosoms.” She laughs again tugging me toward the lot. I let her lead the way when I realize we’re headed to Orson’s truck. Well. More like his grandmother’s truck. It’s an old Ford Bronco II that has seen better days. It belonged to Orson’s granddad and she never had the heart to sell it so it was her daily driver. I hop in to the passenger seat and buckle my belt. It is hot as hell and I crank the window down as Lirae gets the truck started. “So what do you think?”

 Of? I look around and frown. “What do I think about what?” Are we still talking about her boobs? Because those are good.

 “My new ride.” Who’s new ride? Hers? Which? This car? I open my mouth but close it with a click before starting again.

 “Grandma sold the truck to you??” She nods full of pride as she pets the steering wheel. It’s seen better days yeah but it’s a pretty solid ride. The idle is smooth and strong and not at all like Mo’s Taurus. I run a hand over the burgundy dash board and smile. “It’s great Lirae. This is so cool. But like how did you pay for it?”

 She shrugs and I can see the slightly embarrassed but clearly pleased expression in her eyes when she turns away to put the truck in gear. “My um foster mom bought it for me. I got a 4.0 and I’m gonna get to graduate this year with everyone." It's huge for her. HUGE.

 She’s never stayed anywhere long enough be able to show any kind of accomplishment or get any kind of validation or reward for doing anything. Things changed for her when she was placed with her current foster mom, Janine. It wasn’t like things changed overnight or anything but slowly Janine has managed to convince Lirae that she wasn’t about to get rid of her any time soon and that she did have a safe place she could call home. I lunge as far as the belt will let me and wrap Lirae in a tight hug. “That’s awesome! Why didn’t you tell me you got a 4.0! I need to start cheating off you in World Civ by the way. We should celebrate!” My tone changes going from excited to playful as I bob my head a little “I know what’chu want girl.” Yup she knows what’s up.

 It’s kind of really adorable that she blushes at whatever I just said. “If you say ice crea…” my tone doesn’t change even a little.

 “Ice cream cake, y’all!” Lirae covers her face with her hands for a second then shakes her head with a laugh. Who doesn’t love ice cream cake? The devil, that’s who. “Yeah girl. You know you want it.”

 “You’re a dork.” That is one hundred percent true and I give her my best cheesy grin as she starts to pull out of the lot.

 “Whatever. You love it.” She doesn’t say anything to that but she doesn’t have to. It takes me a second to realize that Orson is probably going to be annoyed that he didn’t get the truck for himself. “Does Orson know?” She flicks her eyes at me then away going a little quieter as we drive. It makes me start to wonder why she’s acting like talking about him is awkward. We talk about him all the time. Or we used to anyway.

 “Yeah. He’s cool.” She’s a little shifty about that but I let it go because I’m not sure I really want to delve into that whole thing right now.  Lirae changes the subject on me as she lowers the radio. I look back from the window at her and raise a brow. “So listen. When we get there. Do not, Evie, DO NOT freak out.”

 I blink once at that. “What? Psh. No. I’m not gonna freak out, why would I freak out?” I’m totally going to freak out. And probably only because she told me not to. I think she knows it too because she rolls her eyes and takes a left on to the main drag before speaking again.

 “Because that’s what you do. Freak out.” I don’t say anything for a minute, just deciding if it’s actually worth it or not. I shrug like it’s nothing, making a dismissive wave with a hand because it’s no big deal. “Evie, I love you but you still look at me like you’re gonna freak out.” Well. She has a point but it’s probably not for the reason she thinks. And I’m going to totally ignore the fact that she said she loves me because if I don’t I’ll fixate on it for the rest of my life. So moving on.

 “Okay first of all it is not at all my fault you were a juvenile delinquent in your former life. And not to put too fine a point on it you did totally shake me down for my pocket change the first day we met. Furthermore, I only look at you like that because I’m usually trying not to get caught staring.” At her chest.

 Lirae reaches out and smacks me playfully as she drives. I can’t help but notice that she’s laughing and it makes her face look totally different. I like it. “Okay if you bring up that lunch money thing up one more time…”

 “You’ll what?” I’m honestly curious. “Ditch me for the star football player?” We just keep tap dancing around the whole weird love triangle thing. God, I can’t believe I actually used the phrase love triangle in reference to myself. It feels like so much bad romance novel even I want to throw up a little.

 “Shut up.” I snicker at her response but let it go as I watch the town slide past us. Truthfully it’s not really that funny because she and Orson are pretty tight and like I said before, they’re more on again than off again. It’s a worrisome situation for me. I don’t even know where I fit in. I mean I know we have on occasion recently made out but I have no idea what this is beyond that. “I’m serious about not freaking out though. If you look too nervous he’s going to think something is wrong.”

 I frown slightly. “What exactly am I going to be freaking out about?” She goes silent. I frown deeper. She doesn’t say anything at all she pulls into a parking lot of a rundown strip mall. It’s not the best part of downtown but it’s still light out and there doesn’t seem to be many people even around. We park and Lirae pauses after opening the truck door sighing as if she thinks it’s better to just get it over with now. That does not at all make me feel better.

 “I don’t know. I guess nothing.” It’s too casual and that makes the hairs on my neck stand on end a little. I get out of the truck, making sure to slam the door a few more times when it keeps popping open again. It finally catches with a click and I spin on a heel nearly plowing into Lirae. “Okay he might maybe kinda hit on me.”

 Oh. Well. I clear my throat and give a slow nod. “Oh.” I’m not really sure what to say to that. “Why would I freak out about that?” She gives me a look, her lips going tight before she rolls her eyes at me and starts walking.

 “Just come on already.” I have to jog a second to catch up to her. We’re almost at the door to the beauty supply and nail shop before I realize it’s our goal.

 “Uh…are we in the right place?”

 Lirae smirks as she pulls the door open and saunters in like she’s been there before many times. I follow along behind her trying not to look like I obviously don’t belong. I’m halfway sure I’m pulling it off when Lirae stops in the middle of an aisle and puts a hand on my chest to keep me from continuing on. “What is wrong with you?”

 “What?”

 “Why are you walking like that?” Like how? I blink at Lirae and clear my throat.

 “I don’t know what you mean. I’m just being cool. Like. Chill. Lo-pro.” Lirae gives me a very slow blink and turns away. I am apparently NOT pulling off any of that. This is probably what she meant about freaking out. Note to self, pimp-limp does not equal cool. I have to jog again to catch her before she waves at one of the nail ladies and ducks behind a beaded curtain leading to a hall. We pass an open doorway to what looks like a storeroom before stopping at a closed door. Lirae knocks a complicated staccato before opening the door and waltzing in like she owns the place.

 “Hey Chuckles.” The guy she’s talking to looks over his shoulder from his game of dominos and grins widely. He has spinners on his gold teeth. I didn’t even know that was a thing. For a second I’m mesmerized by them wondering the how and why of it all.

 “Hey Rae Rae!” He’s easily six and a half feet when he stands and pulls Lirae into a bear hug that lifts her feet from the ground. I can feel my lips pulling down in a frown and I have to force myself not to have resting bitch face. “Damn girl I thought you forgot how to get here. Where you been at?”

 “Nah just been busy doing that whole school thing. This is my girl Evie. Evie, this is Chuckie. We go way back.” I know that she didn’t mean it like I’m her girlfriend. It was probably totally just a ‘this is my friend who is a girl’. And really it shouldn’t make me all flustered and bubbly inside but it kind of does. I just wave at Chuckie when he gives me a nod still trying to decide why I’m there at all. “How’s business been?”

 He narrows his eyes at Lirae and then at me again before he shrugs and settles on to a futon couch against the wall. “It’s alright. You lookin’ for work again?” The way he says it is just a little predatory and it makes me wonder when she worked for him before and what she did. Lirae gives him a shrug and settles on an overturned bucket leaving me to stand awkwardly a little behind and to the side of her.

 “I’m good on that but I could use some help with something. It’s personal.” She doesn’t have to look at the other guys still sitting at the small folding table. They all lay down their tiles and get up without complaint. Lirae must know them from before as well because they wink or reach out to nudge her playfully as they leave the office, closing the door behind them with a solid click. Chuckie’s attention goes directly to Lirae as soon as we’re all alone again.

 “What’cha need?” His tone is oddly quiet and professional and that just weirds me out because he looks anything but professional. It’s probably the tattoos he has on his face instead of eyebrows that’s throwing me off.

 Hazel eyes drift to me and I give her a nod. Lirae reaches into her back pocket and takes out a business card. It’s Tony’s. “We kinda need this guy followed. Nothing big. Just see where he goes, what he does, who he talks to. No contact.” Chuckie takes the card and reads it then leans back in his seat.

 “What’s the dude look like?” This time she slips her phone out from where she stuck it in her bra and flips to a picture of Tony. How did she even get that? I frown slightly and raise a brow that she just smiles and shrugs off. I may never find out how she managed that. “I know this building. I got Marcus running this block. Lots of customers in those corporate plaza offices.” I don’t know why his statement makes this all suddenly more real but it does. We’re really doing this. This isn’t just investigating the paranormal. Now we’re investigating people. Lying bastard Tony people, but a real person none the less.

 “You’re not going to ask why?” I wasn’t planning on speaking at all but the question just came blurting right out of me. He gives me a look as he hands Lirae back her phone, his fingers lingering a little too long for my comfort.

 “Don’t need to. If Rae Rae is asking it’s for a good reason.” Okay. Well. That answers that. He definitely isn’t going on my Christmas list any time soon but at least he’s not into asking too many questions.

 Lirae smiles at him and punches him in the shoulder. “So what’s it gonna cost me?” Chuckie looks her up and down like he’s wondering how far he can push her with me sitting right here.

 “We can call it square if you go out with me again.” Oh. OOH. Oh shit. They were a thing. THIS is why she didn’t want me to freak out. My eyes cut to Lirae but she’s looking directly at him giving him a look I can’t quite see from my spot.

 “You know that’s not happening. How much?” Well at least I know he’s not really competition. I hope. It’s hard to compete with someone who’s a foot taller than you and wears your body weight in gold on his teeth. Chuckie waves at her like it’s her loss for not choosing the date. Though date may be putting it politely.

 “We’re cool, Rae Rae. I got this.” So that’s not so bad. We don’t have to pay him any money but I get the feeling that he’ll be asking her out again. His calculating dark eyes flick over to me then back to Lirae. He’s probably wondering if I’m here to keep him from asking again. I’m not so sure he’d be wrong if he thought that. “So what is it? Mr. Football? ‘Cause you know I don’t care about your little boyfriend. I know you ain’t in love with him.” Wow he’s still going for it. I thought he would at least wait until next time to bring it up.

 Lirae stands and tucks her hands into her back pockets and she starts for the door. She pauses to look over at him with a lazy smirk on her face. It’s…kinda of super hot. “That’s exactly why he’s not my boyfriend anymore.”

 “So then?”

 Her smirk gets wider and she shrugs as she swings the door open. I think Lirae is enjoying this as much for his reactions as mine. “Said he wasn’t my boyfriend, didn’t say I wasn’t taken.” She clucks her tongue at him and winks as she pulls me along behind her. I have just enough time to give a half wave and a squeaked out ‘thank you!’ before we’re too far down the hall for it to matter. Okay then. So she’s taken. I let that tumble along in my brain, my feet moving on autopilot through the shop. It isn’t a big place but all the shelves are stacked high with all kinds of cosmetic chemicals. The smells give me an instant headache and I groan.

 My hand goes to my messenger bag instinctively reaching for the bottle of Advil tucked in a pocket. I’m relieved when we exit the shop but my headache only intensifies as dusk deepens around us. I thought it was the smell of the place but even outside my head throbs evilly. This is not the kind of headache Advil can fix but I pop two in my mouth and dry swallow them quickly.

 “Hey… you okay?” I give her a nod and blink a few times to clear my focus. It’s still too bright out for the street lamps to go on despite the growing shadows as the sun sinks on the horizon. Unease settles in my stomach and I glance around at the dilapidated shops in the strip mall. A thrift store, a tattoo parlor that could give me hepatitis just from looking at it, and a pawn shop. Everything else looks empty and abandoned. This isn’t the greatest place for us to be right now. In the back of my mind I realize it must be my beacon radar going off.

 “We need to go. Like now.” Lirae glances around quickly but doesn’t see anything out there that would make me react like this. It doesn’t stop her from taking my hand and starting toward the truck a little faster though. The wind kicks up and drags a plastic bag across the pavement in front of us. It rises off the ground in an updraft and floats a few inches into a narrow walkway between two buildings directly in front of the truck. My feet stop suddenly and Lirae gets jerked back a little by it. “Wait.”

 There wasn’t movement exactly. I can’t really be sure what made me stop. I just know that there is something there. A few more tense breaths pass before the sun finally dips low enough for the lights to click on. A hum of electricity starts but the bulbs only flicker for a second before going dark again. Lirae looks up at them but I haven’t peeled my eyes from the darkness of the walkway. I need light.

 The second I think it the lamp splashes light into the walkway. That’s weird. The source seems to be lower than normal. I glance up but the street lamps aren’t lit. Then it dawns on me. It’s me. I’m the light. Oh crap. “Oh shit, Evie. Your eyes.”

 “I know.” And so does whatever is watching and waiting.

 “What is it?”

 “I don’t know but we need to get out of here before more come.” My free hand comes up and wraps tightly around my sigil trying to ground myself before I go full on spotlight again. We start forward together toward the truck and whatever is in that alley. It’s almost a relief when we get into the car unmolested and slap the locks down on the doors but that feeling vanishes when the wind slams into the truck with a hard gust. Lirae and I scream a little in surprise. Okay. I scream a little in surprise. Lirae just jumps and gives me a ‘don’t do that!’ look. “Just go!”

 She doesn’t argue, she just puts the car in reverse and backs out faster than she normally would. Something dark flashes in front of the headlights but it was too fast to make out. Lirae mutters a curse and peels out of the lot. I start feeling better the further we get from the strip mall. Gradually my light dims and my headache eases. I still haven’t stopped clutching my sigil but I don’t think I can let go even if I wanted to now. My hand has cramped around it from gripping so tightly. “I thought that thing was supposed to keep this from happening.”

 She looking at me from the corner of her eye as she drives and I sigh. “It’s a little touch and go sometimes.” She snorts at that and without looking at me, reaches over and squeezes my hand. That reminds me.

 “So you’re taken?” This is so not the time for this. I know it and she knows it. But here it is because I need to be distracted from what almost just happened. I need a distraction from the heavy weight that comes with the knowledge that my time of safety is running out quickly and I need answers now.

 “Maybe.” I raise my brows at that but she laces our fingers together in my lap. Okay. Maybe I don’t need to hear it again. We drive in silence for about 45 seconds more before I realize that yeah I kinda do need to hear it again.

 “So like…”

 “Oh my God! Yes Evie. I’m taken.” She didn’t say by me but I decide not to push it because her side eyed glare at me says I might not like her next response. I grin happily at her, content with just holding her hand as we ride.

 “Kay.” My easy surrender earns me a suspicious look but then she smiles a little nervously at me. Like this is new for her too. I guess maybe it is. We’ve never talked about it but I’ve never seen her with a girlfriend before. Well I’m pretty sure my brain is going to overheat now from obsessing over every single word between us today. I may think of nothing else ever again.

[pjdredful]

The AV Club

Chapter 7

 "So what are you going to do about that Tony guy?" I have no idea. I don't like the idea of taking him up on his offer to help me. It will be hard to trust him when he's been lying his pants off since day one. I shrug and rest my head against the warm glass of the window. I can tell that Mo is trying to keep my mind off the fact that we're almost to my house so I give the thought my full attention.

 "He says he can help me but how do I know he's not just trying to use me. Or that he even knows what he's talking about?" I shake my head more firmly. No. I don't want his help at all. "I think we should stick with what we know and my mom's journal. We're got a few years of research and the internet what more do we really need?"

 The underworld can't be that big and bad can it? I mean we can hold our own when we need to and maybe I'll learn how to control my…ability or whatever by myself. My gaze shifts to Lirae in the seat next to me who looks thoughtful before nodding. "Well I don't think we should trust the guy. What do we really know about him? Is he even a therapist for real or is that just a cover to get close to you?"  

Huh. Well now I feel really weirded out. It never even crossed my mind that he wasn't a real therapist. Not that I had plans to continue being his patient now and I never really told him anything in the first place but I still feel all kinds of violated. "I don't know. If he's not, he's really working the long game pretty hard. He's not the only therapist in the office and he sees other people."

 Mo pipes up from the driver's seat as we roll to a stop at a light a few blocks from my street. "Well if he's the real deal he'll have a digital footprint somewhere. I can spend some time digging around tonight." I nod my agreement at that. It's a good idea. Even if I never speak to him again it's good to know who's out there that knows about me and this stuff. "Not much else we can do other than follow him around for a few days but that'd be a little hard considering he knows what you look like and we all have school."

 The car lurches forward as the light turns green and I frown. Man. I was totally thinking about Nancy Drew'ing it and following him around. "I might actually have that covered." I give Lirae a raised brow and she shrugs lightly. "What? I know a guy who could do it for cheap." I roll my eyes and snort because Lirae always knows a person who can do something shady. Wait. That includes me too. Hm. Well that will teach me to throw stones from my crystal manse.  My stomach sinks a little when I see my dad's truck in the driveway. Mo parks at the curb, his engine idling roughly and loudly.

 "Dude you gotta get that shit fixed its embarrassing." Mo just flips Lirae off as she slides out of the car after me. The car could be held together with duct tape and prayers and only roll downhill but Mo would still love it. It's not actually that far off from my description and I make a mental note to ask Jo-lynn for the name of our mechanic. Just in case Mo needs it. I take the steps up to the porch heavily and sigh. I warm hand slips in to mine and I stop at the doormat. "Hey, it's gonna be okay Evie. You know that right?"

 I turn my back on the house, preferring not to look at it for the moment. Lirae tugs my hand lightly and moves to stand in front of me. Well. This is a much better view anyway. "Yeah I know. I'm still kind of butthurt but you're right, they love me." I tug Lirae closer and touch my forehead to hers. "Thanks for walking me to the door but you know nothing would have happened to me from the car to here, right?" Lirae gives me a slightly guilty look when I call her out on it. I've let it go for the past few days but ever since my beacon status became active and especially after that thing with the weird fox guy this morning I haven't been alone except to pee. And even then one of the boys or Lirae was standing just outside the door waiting for me. That could get old fast.

 Lirae leans in and kisses me, trapping my lip between her teeth playfully for a second. "Maybe I just wanted to scandalize your dad a little bit." Oh. Well. If that's the case then probably it's not so bad then. I chuckle and cup her face for another kiss. I'm thoroughly enjoying the softness of her full lips and the scent of her shampoo as her soft long curls blow around us in the wind. I'm enjoying it a little too much for Mo's liking because he honks the horn impatiently. Oops. Kinda forgot he was her ride home.

 We both turn to give him irritated looks but I take a step back with a sigh. "Guess we'll have to talk about that some more later."

 "We are definitely talking about that later. So tomorrow I'm gonna go see my guy about Tony. You should come with me." Probably I'd go anywhere she asked me to but I just nod and steal one last kiss. Lirae pulls away gives my hand one last squeeze before lightly bouncing down the stairs and jogging to the car. I watch them pull away before turning back to the house. I might as well get it over with. A few steps in the door I can hear hushed voices go silent and my step mom pokes her head out of the kitchen.

 "I thought I heard the door." She makes her way out of the kitchen toward me. Jo-lynn stops just short of hugging me and arranges a lock of my hair awkwardly as if it's the only gesture she thinks will be safe. "I'm glad you're back, are you hungry? I wasn't sure if you'd be back tonight but I made pesto tortellini and chicken…just in case." That's my favorite dish and she made it special for me. I feel like an utter pill for not realizing, or not wanting to realize how much she really cares about me before. I don't know I'm hugging her until Jo-lynn gives a surprised but pleased exclamation. "Oh, honey, if I had known you liked it that much I would have made it for you special before."

 The joke doesn't keep her from hugging me back, or stop her from sniffling just a little but it does make me clear my throat and step back a little. "I'm starving." My stomach gives a loud growl as proof and she chuckles, poking my belly with a finger.

 "You could use with some feeding. You're gone two days and you look like a stick. Come sit down and eat, your dad hasn't had dinner yet either." She leads me in to the kitchen where my dad is sitting at the table looking tired and busted as he's reaching over for the garlic bread. "Frank! You can't wait five minutes? Evie, honey go wash your hands. Honestly Frank I can't leave you alone for a second."

 My dad's shoulders sink and he leans back in his chair with a grunt. "I was just making sure it was warm." That is the worst excuse ever. I chuckle as I drop my bag on the floor and wash my hands in the kitchen sink. At least he doesn't sound angry, just playfully annoyed. "You don't hurry kiddo I'm eating your serving too." Well. I can't let that happen. It's pesto tortellini.

 "Dunno if you're fast enough old man." I steal his fork right out of his hand as I sit down at the table across from my stepmom at my dad's right side. He half chuckles at that and takes his fork back with a jerk. It’s familiar. Safe. And I am so freaking relieved about it. I really didn’t want to get into any deep discussions and I for sure don’t want to fight with them. Either of them. Maybe taking the weekend to stay at the clubhouse was the best thing I could have done. For all of us.

 "You hear the mouth on this kid?" Jo-lynn doesn't even bother to hide her happy grin as she watches us playing at the table.

 "Hm. You'd think she was a Rossi or something." We both give her identical mock offended stares before dissolving in to laughter. Jo-lynn piles a shallow pasta bowl high and my stomach growls again. Oh God. It smells so good. My dad holds out his hand expectantly when she's done placing a side of bread artfully on the plate but she passes it across to me. "What? You could use with skipping a meal everyone once in a while, if Evie doesn't eat, her stomach will keep us up all night."

 "Hey!" There's another round of chuckles but we settle down and dig in. I take a slow bite, savoring it before I just suck it all in to my face like a Hoover vacuum. Oh. God. It's so good. My eyes cross and I hum in appreciation the same time my dad does. Probably Jo-lynn could die of happiness right now the way she's looking at us. I'll say this for Jo, she is an amazing cook, and not so bad of a mom either.

 About halfway through my ENORMUS plate of tortellini my dad clears his throat and starts shifting in his seat. Uh oh. I knew it couldn't be so easy as joking fun times like we'd all just forget about the argument. I take a deep breath and lean back in my seat a little. Maybe if I keep chewing I won't have to do any talking. I think he might be just as uncomfortable as I am because my dad makes a frustrated grunting sound and scratches at his jaw. Jo-lynn watches him subtly for a second before smiling a bit at me.

 "Evie, your dad wants to tell you something. Go on Frank." The last is a little more direct and I stop my chewing and look at my dad. He looks like he wants to be anywhere but here right now. I know the feeling.

 "It's just that um, I'm glad you're back kid. House wasn't the same without you."

 I put my fork down slowly and straighten my back. "You mean because you didn't get woken up by my nightmares or the police?" I don't say it with an attitude because I know that my life and my particular circumstances are no peach to deal with. It might hurt to hear him say it but I can't blame him for feeling that way. Even I feel that way about myself sometimes. My dad rests his forearms on the table and looks at me fully for the first time in I don't know how long.

 "I'm sorry I said those things, Peanut. I was just really mad because…well because I'm scared that I will lose you like I lost your mom." He hasn't called me Peanut since he put mom away. I look at my silverware, playing with my setting as I nod once.

 "That's a valid fear I guess." I hate to admit it but I could end up like my mom. It's kind of terrifying to think about so I try not to dwell on it but it keeps popping up in the back of my mind. If I had a Guardian it would be okay but the only one available is Tony and well. That's just not an option right now.

 "No damn it, no it is not. You're not your mom, Evie. You might look like her and you might have her great big heart but you've got my stubborn streak. You're stronger than she was, and you're stronger than I am now. We can do this, we can get you all the help you want and need. It doesn't…" He trails off and I look up at him struggling to articulate something difficult. "I don't have to make the same mistakes I did with your mother."

 I think my heart breaks a little hearing him admit that. Jo-lynn rests a hand on his arm reassuringly, letting him know she's here for him. Just like she always has been. Like she's always been here for both of us. "I think that you did the best you could then, Dad. And I think you're doing a pretty dang good job with what ya got going on right now. But..." He quirks his mouth in to a half grin and nods his head.

 "But probably I could still try harder." I nod at that accepting his implied apology and acknowledging that he could be more present in my life. I know he loves me, and I've never doubted that but he drifted after mom. I missed him and he's been here the entire time.  The sound of Jo-lynn blowing her nose and sniffling through tears makes us both shift uncomfortably. Look. We're a passionate people but we're not big on deep expressions of love here. “It’s not that I didn’t want you to have your mom’s stuff Evie. I just…I wasn’t ready for you to have it.”

 I lower my head a little and shrug at that. I want to be angry. I want to be really angry. I just don’t have it in me right now. “That doesn’t make it okay for me, Dad. There are things I need to know. That I haven’t been able to understand and no one can explain it to me better than mom could. Keeping things a secret from me isn’t helping me. Or any of us.” I know I have to get back to reading her journal. Especially since I pitched a fit about it and all. It’s just that maybe like my dad, I’m just not ready to read it yet. “Maybe probably I could have tried not to throw a tantrum about it though.” He gives me a slow grin that I return knowing that while we’re not one hundred percent okay right this second, we’re gonna be.

 "You two. Peas in a pod. Eat your dinner it's getting cold." She blows her nose again and I stab a tortellini ruthlessly and shove it in my mouth. Alright. That wasn't so bad. A little heartbreaking but not terrible. And my dad called me Peanut and wants to be there for me. There's just one problem. I'm eventually going to have to get around to telling him and Jo-lynn what's really happening. I chew meditatively for a few minutes before Jo-lynn composes herself enough to derail my thought train entirely. "Honey now that you've you know, come out, there are going to have to be some new rules about girls staying over."

 The tortellini gets stuck in my throat when I suck in a surprised breath and I have to cough a few times to clear it. Uh. Why are we talking about this? What's happening right now? I look at my dad in a panic as he continues to shovel food in to his mouth as if Jo-lynn didn't just refer to the idea of me getting down with a girl during a sleepover. He stops to slap a big beefy hand on my back a few times to unstick the tortellini in my throat then goes back to eating. I continue to stare at him until he looks at me.

 "Well don't look at me. You're never coming home knocked up, that's good enough for me."

 "Frank!" Oh God. Oh. My. God. I can’t handle this. Where is that earth rending portal to another universe when you need it? I tap the ground tentatively hopeful at my feet with the toe of my shoe. Nope. Still solid. Damn I'm stuck here. "This is serious, don't you care about your daughter's dating habits?" Oh well. I don't date so that's not really an issue is it? Although now maybe that will be changing since I have this unnamed…thing…with Lirae.

 My dad sighs and grunts before turning to look at me, fork in one hand, beer in the other. "Look kid, my advice to you is pretty much the same. No means no, and if someone doesn't like it ya kick 'em right in the crotchular area. Or you know maybe…" He makes a vague boob gesture then frowns as the idea fully hits him. "You know maybe we just don't do the whole dating thing at all until you're 35."

 My stepmom sighs and swats at his shoulder with the back of her hand. "Tsk. Frank. She's doesn't have to be a spinster because she's gay."

 "OKAY!" I clear my throat and push my plate away a little trying to interrupt the flow of this particular conversation. "How about we just say I don't do anything that you wouldn't allow me to do with a boy and leave it at that? Please?" Thank God none of my friends are here to see this. Orson would find my discomfort entirely too entertaining. My dad just shrugs, I think he's just relieved he's not likely to be a grandfather any time soon. Jo-lynn considers then gives me a slight nod.

 "You know you can talk to us about anything. Your father and I are not like our parents were. We're a little more hip with the times. You can tell us about girls…"

 "No! No, thank you. Um. That's great and I'm glad but I'm good. We don't need to do that. Like. Ever. Please." Please God let's not do that. My dad reaches over and pats Jo-lynn's arm lightly as if to say there there, we've done enough needling for one night.

 "Pass the bread please." And just like that we move on to something much more important. Food. Guess I didn't need that inter-dimensional rift to hell after all.

[pjdredful]

The AV Club

Chapter 6

"Hi there Evie, I didn't know you had a morning appoint today." I smile briefly at Sandra the receptionist as I sign in to the log book.

 "I don't I was just hoping I could talk to Tony for a second. I guess I should have called. He might have a client or something." Sandra turns and pulls up the daily schedule for all the therapists that have an office on this floor. She makes a tutting sound as she scrolls through the list of names.

 "He usually takes his first about an hour after he arrives. Tony likes to take his time to get settled in the morning." There's another soft tut tut sound and then she turns back to me with a wider smile. "He's clear for another half hour. Do you want take a seat and I'll let him know you're here?"

 I nod at that and offer her a smile of thanks before picking my favorite spot under the fake ficus in the corner. I'm sitting here chewing on my fingernail not really focusing on anything yet hyper aware of the rectangular outline of my mom's journal in the front zip pouch of my messenger bag. Hyper aware of every tick and click of the too cold air conditioner. Hyper aware of the not so covert glances from another patient waiting to be seen. I look away from my dead stare at the wall to the guy in the corner. He looks away quickly and in that second I could swear I see a hint of shadow around him. I blink but the light changes as someone walks in the door from outside. The brightness blinds me for a second and when my vision clears there's no longer a shadow. I look away with a slightly confused, frown and pick up my phone just to give myself something to do while I wait for Tony.

 I don't have long to wait because the inner door to the hall opens and Tony pokes his head out. "Evie…I'm surprised. Your appointment isn't until this afternoon." It was a gamble coming here before school but I've been stewing all weekend with the knowledge that Tony may have known my mom. I stop chewing my nail and untuck my leg from under me. "Everything okay?" Is it? I'm not entirely sure how to answer that so I shrug.

 "Sorry I just dropped by, I didn't know if you had a client or something…"

 "I always have time for you." He says it so pleasantly as if I didn't throw a tantrum and storm off the last time I was here. I take the time to tuck my phone away in to my messenger bag before standing and walking through the door to his office. I can feel eyes on me and I can see that guy watching me as the closes between us. Weirdo. "Can I get you something? Water or tea?" I cut him an annoyed look and move to stand in the middle of the office debating how I want to approach things.

 "Some answers would be nice."

 Tony's amicable smile fades a little at that. He closes the door and strides a few steps in, standing in front of me with his hands behind his back. "Alright, I can see you want to get right to things. What do you want to know."

 "Did you treat my mother?" I have to know the answer to this because everything hinges on what he says to me right now. I can tell that he doesn't quite want to answer but he straightens his back with a deep breath. I don't know why I've never noticed how tall he is before. I guess I never noticed much of anything about him but I take it all in while I wait. He's got wiry strength to him that I can see despite the blazer and chinos. Hm. Interesting.

 "Yes and no." I stop trying to guess his age based on deep crow's feet at the corner of his eyes and look directly at him. I am not in the mood for games right now and the answer he just gave me is a hair to close to playing. "That is to say I didn't work for Knollwood but I did spend some time working with her at the facility."

 This brings up so many more questions and I don't know which one to ask first and which to let go of for another time. Luckily it's not like Warrow, I don't have a question limit. I could spend the whole session questioning him and probably he'd answer me. As long as I don't find out something that will make me storm off before I get the answers I really want. Which could be a problem. Mom always did say I had my father's short temper.  "If you didn't work for Knollwood how did you even know who my mom was?"

 "The truth is I knew your mom from a long time back." Oh I want to punch him. Right in the junk. I can feel my face going red but this time it's not from embarrassment it's from anger. "Look, Evie, maybe we should sit down, we have so much to talk about."

 I'm still debating physical violence but I turn on my heel and flop angrily on to the couch. Tony watches me warily as I cross my arms over my chest and glare. He takes his time sitting down, giving himself a few minutes to sort his words. "You knew her. You knew who she was, you had her things, and you didn't tell me. You acted like…she was just a distant relative, not a real figure in my life." I haven't started to raise my voice. Yet. But the strain of keeping it in shows in the way I have to clear my throat. "Why?"

 He leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. Tony looks at his interlocked fingers and swallows thickly. "I didn't tell you because I knew you would think it was unethical if you didn't trust me first." Well pretty much I'm going to think it's unethical anyway but it's interesting that he was intentionally trying to garner my trust. As if that would somehow make it all better. Why does every one think that lying to me is the best way to get me to trust them?? "Evie you have to understand, I never meant to upset you but, given your mom's situation I thought it best to find a place in your life before speaking with you about my involvement with her."

 "Given her situation?" I uncross my arms and lean forward myself. "And which situation would that be?" The one where she was chosen to see the things that move in this world beneath the surface of humanity? Or the one where her own husband kept her from her daughter because she couldn't control the power swirling inside of her? And what does that even mean? Find a place in my life?

 Tony leans back almost as if he doesn't like being in striking range. "Her Beacon situation."

 This time I leap to my feet and move in close, towering over his seated form in all my five foot glory. "You did not just say that to me." I want to…I want to…I don't know what I want to do! Punching and slapping him about the head and face doesn't seem like a rational action choice even if it would feel really good. I'm shaking as I lean forward a little more, intent on getting right in his face but my mother's rune medallion slips out of my shirt and hangs between us. "You bast…" For a second I think it's just the way I'm standing but it's swinging wildly back and forth around my neck as if it's trying to reach out to Tony and it startles me enough into trailing off my rant.

 "Kenaz…" What? I look sharply from the necklace to Tony. He takes a deep breath and opens the top two buttons of his shirt.  A silver chain spills out, and a small nearly identical medallion to my mom's hangs in the air straining toward mine. I reach out and catch mine in my hand, jerking back a few steps. Tony's medallion drops limply to his chest and with a sickening realization I understand Warrow's cryptic remark.

 "Oh…my…God. You're the Guardian…you were her Guardian!" I point at him but that doesn't seem like enough of a punctuation to my epiphany. "You're the reason my mom lost her mind!" Tony stands and takes a few steps away, rubbing his chin as he paces a bit. It's very different from the ever patient therapist that's been waiting months for me to talk to him. God it all makes so much sense now.

 "Yes. Yes Evie I was her…Guardian. I'm sorry I didn't tell you but I had to know if you understood, I wasn't sure if you knew what you were, what you're capable of."

 "Are you KIDDING ME?!" This time I lose control of my voice, the last part coming out a little more squeaky than forceful. "You sat here and waited for me to tell you all my secrets so you could what? Decide to stop lying to me? What kind of jacked up sense does that make?"

 "Apparently no kind of good sense at all. Look Evie, I am so very sorry it happened this way…" No. I'm not hearing this.

 "No you don't get to just say sorry like it's going to be okay!" I turn my back on him wondering what the hell just happened. I've never seen anything metal move like that unless magnets were involved. I look at the rune still trapped in my hand, tracing it's lines with my thumb. "You broke your bond to my mom, and I don't exactly know what it means but I know whatever you did broke her. And she went crazy because of you. You, Tony."

 "I know. It's…really complicated Evie. There are just so many things…" He sounds tired and I turn back towards him, watching warily. I obviously can't trust anything that comes out of his mouth.

 "Uncomplicate it." He gives me a resigned nod and moves to lean against the edge of his desk. Tony loosely crosses his arms over his chest, almost mimicking my posture.

 "I first met your mom when my family moved in across the street from hers. I was just a boy. Ten years old I think. I thought Julia was the prettiest girl in the whole world." He smiles at the memory and I frown even deeper. "We got along like gangbusters but then we were supposed to." Something in his posture changes letting me know that he's unhappy with the memory of that knowledge. "We were friends almost instantly, going to school together and all. I always liked your mom, Evie. She was nice, really nice not fake nice, and her smile could light up a room." Literally even, apparently.

 I remember her smile too though. When mom smiled, everyone smiled with her even if they didn't intend to. She had a way of disarming even the angriest of people with that smile. I shift uncomfortably from foot to foot wishing I wasn't too stubborn to go sit back down. "When did she…" Light up? No I don't want to say that out loud. That would sound weird and too close of an admission of it happening to me.

 "Become a Beacon?" I nod and he huffs a little in thought. "Not until she was about sixteen. Boy did it ever scare her at first. It scared us both." So he was there. He was with my mom when she became a Beacon. "I imagine it must have been scary for you too." I stiffen at that but nod once in affirmation.

 "How'd you know?"

 He points to my mom's necklace. "I wear the mate to that necklace. This…is Algiz. It means protector. They wouldn't have reacted like that if you were normal." Oh thank you. Very very much. I roll my eyes at him.

 "Fantastic. Even my therapist thinks I'm abnormal. Go on." I gesture impatiently for him to continue because I really don't want him to get distracted from telling me what I've needed to know for so long. And really, what can he say? I didn't mean it like that? Yeah he totally did. Because the truth is, I AM abnormal.

 "I was born to protect her but even if I hadn't been I would have vowed to do it anyway. That's how much I cared about your mom." I start to ask why he left but he forestalls me with a raised hand. "It's best if I just tell you what I know now, while you're willing to listen. There are things I have to say that may…" Tony struggles for a word and finally settles with a tip of his head. "upset you."

 Alright I'm willing to hold my questions until the end. If I manage not to storm out before then. Reluctantly I slump back against a wall in a more comfortable position. Sitting just seems too vulnerable and I really don't want to be in the place of a patient right now. "Fine, I'm listening."

 He nods and taps his thumbs idly on the edge of the desk he's propped on. "When man first rose to being, this world was inhabited by creatures of darkness and shadow both seen and unseen. Demons, malevolent spirits, perverse creatures and abominations so beset man that the heavens were filled with the pleas and prayers of desperate humans. The god of vision and light was so plagued by the desperation of man that he descended to this earth to see for himself what was happening. The human race it seems was on the verge of extinction."

 Well that's an uncomfortable thought. I guess now that he's explaining I can see why he wanted me to wait before asking questions. "And yet we survived. Like cockroaches."

 He gives me a short chuckle and nods a bit. "I guess we have." This doesn't mean everything is cool. It just means I'm choosing to put my anger away for the moment so I can hear him out. I think he understands that because he doesn't linger on the topic but continues on. "Though perhaps we survived because of divine intervention. Although he couldn't stay in this realm without risking becoming mortal himself the god of light wanted to leave humanity a secret weapon. A way to fight back against the multitudes of otherworldly beings. His children grew to be Beacons, to see with a god's divinity into the dark."

 Wait. Hold up. "So…this light god decided to just run around knocking girls up?" Tony makes a gesture I can't interpret and shrugs.

 "Well I'm sure he'd consider it blessing them but basically, yes."

 Only a man would consider that "blessing" a woman. I give him a mild look and shake my head.  "Does this horny light god have a name?"

 Tony scoffs softly and shakes his head. "Some have called him Zeus, others Magec, Huitzilopochtli, Ra or Yaweh but really those are only but some of his names. He is far older than that, and much more eternal than any myth. As evidenced by the fact that in the here and now a Beacon still shines before us."

 Right. So basically he's been a god in every pantheon. Fantastic. "And the Guardians? How do you play in to that?" He shrugs a bit at that and moves to stand away from the desk.

 "When man realized what gift had been left them a fellowship was formed to protect the Beacons. Generation after generation each Beacon found themselves partnered to a Guardian. The magic of such a strong partnership eventually creates a bond. It links the Guardian to the Beacon's power. Our bond allowed me to do amazing things for your mom. I could find her anywhere even if she didn't know where she was, and I always knew when she was in trouble. As a bonded pair her power flowed through me like it was a part of me."

 I don't like the look on his face. It's a mix of shame and longing and it makes me feel a little weird. "What do you mean her power flowed through you?"

 "I mean that her power made me faster, stronger, and better than any human has a right to be. And it was intoxicating. Addicting even." I narrow my eyes but he doesn't look away this time. "Power like that can change a person, and it did. I changed and not for the better. I was young and stupid and I let the power ride me too often, even when I didn't need to."

 "I don't suppose there was magic rehab you could have gone to, was there?"

 He shakes his head no at that. "No. Eventually my addiction got so bad that I started doing things…wrong things. Just to feel normal again. And…because I could." I'm not entirely sure I want to know what those wrong things are. Especially if they involved my mother. "The only way to save myself was to get as far away as I could from the source of my addiction."

 My mom. "She couldn't handle it without you." He nods slowly at that and lowers his head.

 "We didn't know that Evie. Your mom wanted to protect me as much as I wanted to protect her. She asked me to go. Begged actually." I can see from the haunted look in his eyes that he regrets ever being in a place where that choice had to be made. I can see it in the slow, shallow breaths he's concentrating on so hard to maintain. It reminds me of the saying that still waters run deep for some reason.

 "Why didn't you just come back when you were better?"

 Tony idly scratches the spot just behind his ear looking both shifty and embarrassed at the same time. "I did but…well a lot of years had passed. We hadn't spoken in almost a decade and when I came back things were different. She was happy. I couldn't risk messing that up for her so I left again."  

I blink at that trying to process it. "Wait, you mean you came back and she wasn't in Knollwood yet? And you…you didn't try to help her?"

 "I loved her Evie. With everything I was. I couldn't see her with…your dad." I push off the wall and get closer to him again. Tony slides his hands in to his pockets and I'm fighting back the urge to cry. "I didn't know what would happen if I stayed away. I didn't know she'd…"

 "You selfish son of a bitch." He pretty much ruined her life, and mine, and my father's. I can't imagine that my dad would let him anywhere near me if he had known who Tony was. I'm not entirely sure I want him anywhere near me either at the moment.  At least he isn't trying to argue it. "So what? You thought you could come back and make up for everything by stalking me?"

 Tony looks up at me quickly but I'm already shaking my head and heading for the door. I still have a million and three questions but right now I can't think of any that matter much. "Evie please, wait…let me help you. There are things you still don't know. I can help you control your power."

 I stop at the door and turn to glance at him over my shoulder. "I can't right now."  The knob twists in my hand and I open the door, stopping as I step through to stare at him. "You could have saved her. But you only saved yourself." I shut the door behind me with a quiet click. I know there is no way I can ever trust him. First because it was way too easy to lie to me and secondly because he thought about himself before my mom. I get that he had to go away because he was abusing the power. I understand that and I don't fault it. But. He could have been there for my mom when he was better and he chose not to.

 My feet lead me past the reception desk. I wave and try for a slight smile for Sandra but shadow catches the corner of my eye and I glance quickly at her face. For a second I could have sworn I saw a shadowy shape superimposed over hers but it must have been my mind playing tricks on me. She gives me a rather stiff smile and watches me walk out of the office. That was just plain weird. It's not the first time it's happened since I lit up like a Christmas tree and I've been able to dismiss it as an optical illusion or trick of the light but I can't help but think about what I saw when I looked at Warrow.

 A trickle of anxiety runs through me and I glance back at the frosted glass door in time to see a plump shadow move behind it. Okay. Not cool. I don't really want to turn my back to the office door now so I lean against the light post and dig my phone out of my bag. I can just hear the bus pulling up to the stop and know I'll never make it in time. Without really looking away from the door I dial Mo and wait for him to pick up.

 "Hey Evie. What's up?"

 "Hey can you pick me up from Tony's?"

 "Sure, we're just leaving the house now. Everything okay?"

 Most definitely not. I start walking away from the front of the offices, toward the busy intersection because I'd rather be around people right now. "Kinda sorta. I missed the bus and…" I trail off again when I notice the guy from the waiting room watching me from the shade of the building. My head gives a nasty throb as I turn away from him and whisper in to the phone urgently. "I think I have a bogey on my tail, Goose."

 It's our code for I think I'm in trouble. Of course now that I think about it, it does seem a little transparent. I blame Nat and his Top Gun obsession.

 "Holy shit…hey, Nat…c'mon we gotta go. Hold on Evie, we'll be right there." Good. Because I'm pretty sure that guy is still staring at the back of my head. I hang up but keep the phone in my hand shifting my position so that I can keep a subtle eye on him even as he's scoping me out. I can't see his eyes behind the sunglasses he's wearing but he doesn't look that much older than me. It's hard to tell because of the scruffy beard but he can't be more than five years my senior. He has a rangy build and what features I can see look vaguely familiar but I know I've never seen him before today. I wonder what he wants. And just as I think it, he steps forward in to the sunlight, still a good thirty feet from me.

 I glance up quickly at the movement but he looks totally unconcerned. As if he were standing there for some other reason besides following me around. Just to be safe I move a few steps away and push the crosswalk button. I give it another impatient jab with my thumb when the guy moves another few feet closer making my stomach churn. If he gets any closer the sick feeling in my gut might make me puke and I'd be helpless. The upside to that is that no one I know, demon, human or otherwise wants to be puked on. So that might buy me some time.  He wavers where he is, his head going down a little as he watches me over the rims of his sunglasses. It's more than a little creepy and predatory and something about the movement makes me really look at him.

 A second ticks by and I feel the wind pick up around me as my focus becomes sharper and narrow taking in only the guy's figure. Shadow rolls around him even as he stands in the full light of the sun but I don't blink and I don't turn away this time. I stand and watch it spread from his chest, enveloping his head in the shape of a dog. No. Something smaller. More like a fox than a dog. The fact that I can see him must show on my face because he takes a wary step back. I follow his movement, never taking my eyes off him, my hands balling in to fists. I start to take a step forward but a car pulls to a stop behind me, brakes grinding loudly enough to break my concentration. In that second he's gone, running along the side of the building and down an alley way before I can chase him.

 Although I don't even know why I would run TOWARD certain danger. I'm usually running away from it. I watch the space he filled for a second before climbing in to the back of the car. "Hey Evie, you okay? Who was that guy? Holy…it's happening again…"

 I look up at the alarm in Nat's voice, catching my reflection in the rearview mirror. Oh crap. I thought wearing this necklace was supposed to stop that from happening, clearly I was wrong. "Just go, I want to get out of here."

 Mo doesn't argue he just pulls away from the curb, glancing back at me now and again as he drives. I slink down in the seat and close my eyes, trying to breathe normally.

 "Should we go to the clubhouse?" I shake my head no, eyes still closed. I would love to ditch but I know that I shouldn't. My dad would kill me if he found out I was ditching. It'd be one more thing in the ever growing list of things that make Evie a problem child.

 "Can't, I have a biology test today. Besides if I ditch with you guys my dad is going to think we're banging." Dead silence. I crack an eye open in time to see Mo nearly run off the road from the silent shaking fit of laughter. Nat just blinks wide blue eyes at me.

 "Pardon?" I snicker a little and shrug at him as if it’s not really as funny as it is.

 "It was in his ‘Evie Bad’ rant. He thinks I'm out doing ‘God knows what’ with you guys." I make sure that I use my air quotes to show just how dumb I think the whole thing is. And really. I have to wonder about the girls my dad knew in high school if he thinks that I’m just sleeping around with a gaggle of boys. Nat sputters, making Mo laugh harder.

 "But…I don't think I'm exactly your type." I know right? Somehow his indignation helps settle me, making me feel better. I chuckle and shake my head. The light in the car fades by degrees becoming just an everyday sunlit morning and I sigh in relief knowing instinctively that my eyes are no longer glowing. "So, you good now?"

 I don't really know. Still, I nod and reach out a hand to pat his shoulder. "That little tidbit seems not to have occurred to him. Anyway thanks for charging to the rescue guys. Seems like you're always having to do that."

 They share a look between them as Mo parks under a tree in the farthest corner of the lot. I raise a brow and they both turn in their seats to peer at me intently. They aren't twins and they don't look exactly alike but somehow the dual stare down is oddly twin like. Mo's soft voice is serious and deep as he watches my face.

 "You're our friend Evie. Besides coming to your rescue is gonna look great on Naftali's college applications. Who doesn't love a hero?" Nat nods but punches his brother in the shoulder for using his Hebrew name. It makes me smile a little, happy that we're in it together.

 "What Shlomo here is trying to say is that, we're your friends, and we're always gonna be your friends. We're always gonna come running when you call. Just like you did when it was us in need of some saving." I feel something hot prickles behind my eyelids and I'm having a hard time looking at the both of them so I look at my hands in my lap. I clear my throat and try for a smirk even though emotion is trying to overwhelm me.

 "Even if I'm a dirty gay shiksa?" It surprises a laugh out of Mo as he gets out of the car. I climb out after Nat and he drops a heavy arm around my shoulders.

 "Of course. You're our dirty gay shiksa." I chuckle and lean in to him, arm wrapped loosely around his waist as we walk toward the scatter of buildings that hold the classrooms. I guess I can see why my dad maybe got a little confused about my relationship with Nat and the boys. We're awfully touchy feely with each other. I walk with the boys through the gates and in to the courtyard, my stomach dropping as I realize that I'll have the whole day of classes ahead of me. Oh yay. I should have ditched. There is just so much to go over in my head and I don't even know where to start.

 "Listen guys, we need to talk, can we make time later today?" It's not like we don't each have a ton of things to do but after they just told me they'll always be there I think it's only fair that I tell them what I know. "I kinda sorta found the Guardian." Nat stops in his tracks making me trip just a little. I catch myself and glance at him in alarm.

 "You're just telling us this NOW?!" I glance around quickly to make sure no one is looking. Which they aren't. Mo crowds in close and I shrug.

 "Sorry, it's been a busy morning what with the confrontations and the stalking and the rescuing and all." Nat gives me an exasperated sigh but nods.

 "Can't leave you alone for five minutes. I swear." He pulls me into a closer hug as we all chuckle at that. "It's sprint day, team should be done by five if you wanna hang out and wait for us." It's his way of making sure that I stay out of trouble until I can tell them everything. Since I don't really feel like going to see Tony for our usual appointment I just nod.

 "Yeah Evie, don't forget that today is the Winter Formal committee meeting. At least one of the AV Club members should be there so we can work out the sound and lighting. If we're not they'll make the theme "Under the Sea" again." We all groan at that. I'm so tired of that theme and I haven't even gone to one of the stupid dances. I mean. I've gone to set up and clean up but I've never actually been to the dances. I look down at my faded vans trying to picture heels. Yeah. No. That way leads to disaster.

 "Fine fine, I'll do it. No promises on changing the theme though." Mo gives me a quick wink as the bell rings. "School hard, boys." I wave them off as I head for the building that houses the science classes. I wonder if Lirae will sit through the committee meeting with me. If I'm lucky it won't last long and then she and I can hang out together. Maybe probably even make out. Hm. Suddenly my day is looking up.

[pjdredful]

The AV Club

Chapter 5

"Hey…you were supposed to wake me when you got up…" I flip the page in my mother's journal and glance over my shoulder at Lirae's sleepy face poking out of a pile of blankets on my bed. It's freaking adorable. For a second I forget that I'm supposed to be answering and just grin at her. "Hello? Earth to dork…" She waves her hand and I chuckle.

 "Sorry, I couldn't sleep, after you crashed I stayed up reading." I hold the journal up so she can see and she nods as if she expected that. Lirae crawls to the end of the bed and peers over my shoulder at the book. "Your foster mom called early this morning. I think she was checking to see if you actually stayed the night here." Jo-lynn wouldn't hear of sending Lirae home after we'd gotten back so late. I don't know if she sensed my unwillingness to be completely alone or if she wanted a buffer between us now that I know about mom.

 Lirae rolls her eyes and snorts pulling her head back. "She's been doing that a lot lately. Night before last I told her I was going to bed early and an hour later she busted in the room and scared the shit out of me. We both screamed and then Timothy screamed and then the dog barked and the twins woke up which woke up Anita. It was a mess." I bite back the giggle because I can totally see the whole thing in my head. Lirae's foster family is kind of a circus. "Anything interesting in there?"

 I give her a slow nod. "Some of it is hard to understand though. Like it doesn't quite make sense. I can't tell if it's secretly coded message ramble or…" Crazy ramble. I get out of my chair, dropping the journal on the bed as I head toward the fancy basket of rolled towels. My stepmother saw Martha Stewart do it and now every room has at least one basket filled with something that is both useful and prettily displayed. Maybe we should spruce up the clubhouse like this. I pull out a towel and hand it to Lirae. Yep this is me avoiding anything at all that might give the indication that I too will go insane. "You wanna shower?" Her eyes narrow slightly and one brow comes up in a perfect arch.

 "Took me three and a half months to get you to kiss me and only three and a half minutes for you to want to get me in your shower?" I know there were reasons for my mom's condition, I understand that now, but it still hurts to know she wasn't all..what? I…what? I blink at her in embarrassed horror, my face going a deep red. "Oh my God…Evie breathe, I was kidding." It takes me a few seconds to process past the sound of blood rushing in my ears. For a second I struggle with the handle of the door my mouth opening and closing before wrenching it open. My instincts say flee for your life! but my common sense is telling me that I need to play it cool.

 "Hey. I'm not that kind of girl. You have to buy me dinner first." See? I play along and roll with the punches. But I think Lirae is taking my joke as a personal challenge. She smirks at me with supreme self-confidence and I KNOW I'm in trouble when she opens her mouth to speak.

 "EVELYN…ARE YOU UP?" Whatever she was about to say is cut off by my stepmom yelling up the stairs. I breathe a sigh of relief and shut the door on Lirae before she can say anything. It's not that I'm not interested in the flirting and teasing, or the more than flirting and teasing, it's just that I'm awkward and lame. I'm especially lame when it comes to Lirae. And not in the least bit good at flirting and teasing back. So I panic. I panic and I run downstairs as fast as my jackrabitty little legs can carry me. "EVELY…oh!"

 Jo-lynn jumps back a step not having expected me to just pop out into the hall. "Sorry, yes, we're up. Lirae is gonna take a shower." The scent of bacon and waffles tickles my nostrils and I take a deep breath. My mouth starts watering immediately and I peek in to the kitchen. "Are you making breakfast?" She smiles a little and nods, I think she's warily feeling her way through a potentially explosive incident with a sometimes moody stepdaughter. "Need any help?" It's my olive branch, because I don't really want to fight with Jo-lynn. We get along okay for the most part but my…Beaconness doesn't make it easy for family life. At least now I know what's happening to me. Now I have some answers.

 "No, you go ahead and sit Evie. Your dad is getting ready to head to work." On a Saturday? He's a contractor so Saturday work isn't really unusual but he isn't working on any projects that I know of right now. That's…odd. I climb on to the counter stool and prop my chin on my hands. "Tony called…he wanted to know if you were going to make your appointment on Monday." It's tentative and I watch her take the waffles carefully out of the griddle. Her hands are steady and slow as if she's working very hard and focusing only on the task at hand.

 "What did you tell him?" It comes out a little more sharply than I intended and I clear my throat to break the tension between us.

 "I told him it was up to you to decide." Jo-lynn puts her spatula down and calmly composes herself before she turns to me. "You don't have to go back if you don't want to Evie. I thought it would help, and he seemed to understand that you're a very special girl with very special circumstances. But if you don't like him I won't force you to go back. We can find someone else to fulfill the rest of your requirement." She sounds so sincere that I feel like a dick for being angry at first. I look down at the counter and trace a vein of gray in the deep blue marble.

 "Did you read it?" I'm not entirely sure that Jo-lynn understands everything in that book, I'm not even sure what it would mean if she did. She shakes her head slightly and closes the distance between us, keeping just to her side of the counter.

 "No. I wouldn't do that to you Evelyn." She rests her perfectly manicured hand on the countertop, halfway between us and I stare at it. She’s trying to reach out to me like always and I’m stuck just staring at her from across a chasm so deep I’m not even sure it can be bridged. “That was a private message to you from your mom. I would never…I wouldn’t ever try to impose on that.” And she means it. I know she does. I never really made it easy exactly for her but Jo-lynn never tried to be my mom. Or make me be her daughter. She’s never really pushed to make a relationship between us or tried make my mom seem anything less than what she was. My mom. It makes me realize what a fucking turd I’ve been at times and I regret that. So much right now.

 "Why didn't you tell me about her stuff?" Jo-lynn's hand starts to slide away but I rest one of my hands on top of it and give it a reassuring squeeze. I'm not mad I just need to know. "Why did you give it to Tony of all people?" Her bright eyes blink at my hand on hers and she clears her throat at the unexpected connection.

 She starts to answer but my dad's voice booms from the hall just behind me and I whirl in my seat. "Because I told her not to! You should have gotten rid of that damned book when I told you to Jo. Now look what's happened." He storms past me into the kitchen and slams around getting a mug and filling it with coffee. Jo-lynn's shoulders slump and I know now that her wariness earlier wasn't just because of me. They've probably been arguing over this since yesterday.

 "Um hello? Sitting right here. That book was for me! It's mine! You should have given it to me when mom passed awa…"

 "IT'S GARBAGE! Your mother was sick, Evie. Sick! Nothing in that book will do a damn thing but prove how disturbed she really was." I'm so shocked that I don't have an immediate response. My dad isn't always the nicest but he doesn't usually cut to the quick like that. He wasn't always difficult but ever since he put my mom in Knollwood he became a changed man. He became harder inside, less amused, quicker to irritate, more distant. "And I'll tell you another thing you're not going back to that damned psycho either. I'm not paying good money for him to make you a worse problem than you already are. Not again."

 Ouch. "So now I'm a problem? What do you mean again? When have I…" No. Not me. My mom. It makes me wonder now. Tony acted as though he didn't know anything about my mom but is that really true? Was he a part of the staff that cared for my mom? And why would he make her worse? I start to ask but Jo-lynn rushes forward to reassure me that I'm not a problem.

 "Honey no, your dad just means to say…" Jo-lynn starts to explain for him but he waves her off, slamming his mug down on the counter.

 "Damnit Jo, don't speak for me. I know what I said and I know what I mean to say." Okay now I'm not only hurt but I'm mad. Mad for my mom, mad for myself and I'm mad for Jo-lynn. I turn my body so that I'm fully facing him now. "You think it's easy for us? You being out all hours with boys doing God knows what, getting arrested with that…that…hooligan gutter rat…and when you do stay home in bed at a decent hour you have those godawful screaming fits! It's not normal!"

 "First of all I'm not doing ANYTHING with those boys they just happen to be my best friends. Not that I would anyways because I'm GAY!" It's not like I was hiding it or anything and I can tell from the utterly calm look on Jo-lynn's face that she at least expected it if didn't outright know it. But I guess my dad never even considered it and his mouth drops open as he goggles at me. "Secondly, you might not approve of my friends but they've always been there for me. Which is more than I can say for you. So…what're you gonna do dad, huh? Shove me in Knollwood and forget about me too?"

 It was mean of me. A low blow and I know it. His face contorts in anger, going if possible, redder and blotchier. His arm raises and I swear he looks like he's going to slap me but I purposely make a point of turning my back on him as I face Jo-lynn giving her my full and direct attention. "Oh Evie…Francis Anthony Rossi you put that hand down right! Now!" Well I guess she told him. The only person to ever call my dad Francis is Nona Rossi. I know my stepmom was doing what she honestly thought was right for me. Probably it wasn't exactly the best way to go about it but she meant well and eventually my mother's things found their way to me. It’s not at all over my head that she kept them safe for me when my own dad told her to throw them away. I can't so easily forgive my dad though. He lied to me and fully intended to continue lying. Not only that but it's pretty clear to me that he'd rather not deal with me at all. I don't know that any explanation will be enough to fix this either.

 "Thanks for breakfast, I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to eat it." I give her a brief but heartfelt hug feeling her surprised intake of breath before I let go and brush past my dad. Lirae is sitting at the top of the stairs waiting for me. My face burns knowing that she heard the whole thing but I just keep going, right past her and into my room. Right now I have to be anywhere but here. I grab the large duffle from my closet and start stuffing jeans and hoodies in to it. A girl can never have too many hoodies after all. Lirae comes in quietly and shuts the door behind her, leaning back against it and watching me.

 "You planning on bailing?" I barely give her a look as I dump socks and underwear in to my bag. I give the contents a firm nod and zip the bag quickly. I think I have everything I'll need. I scoop up the journal not wanting to put it down or in my bag. I just need to hold it right now I guess.

 "Well I'm not staying here." She looks at the bag then me. One arm comes up to hold the other in an insecure pose I've never seen her in before. "You heard what happened didn't you?

 Lirae nods and sits at the edge of my bed. "Yeah and I totally get why you're pissed. I would be too. I kinda am because I think I'm the "gutter rat" he thinks you shouldn't be hanging out with but…" Here it comes. I eye her warily and as she shrugs trying to figure out how to say what's on her mind. "Look I've run away so many times that I always have a go bag stashed somewhere. Always. So I get wanting to run, hell I can't even really blame you but Evie, dude, you got it good here."

 "I'm sorry he said that, he's an ass…turd" Damnit. Why can't I ever come up with a good curse word when I really need it? And damn her for reminding me of my good fortune. I know I have it good here but it doesn't stop me from feeling betrayed and desperate. It doesn't stop the ache in my chest from knowing that my own dad thinks I'm something broken and mentally off. Or that he kept parts of my mom from me. Even if he thinks it's just crazy ranting it's not for him to decide if I should read it or not. "How can I stay here knowing how he feels about me? Knowing that I'm just some crazy problem he has to deal with like my mom was?"  

 I cross my arms over my chest more for comfort than defiance, hugging the journal to me. Right now I could do with being hugged back but this will just have to do. "He's just being a jerk because he's mad right now. People, well sometimes people just say shitty things even to the ones they love and believe me Evie, they love you. A lot."

 Frustration rises in me like hot lava and I ball up my fists trying to swallow it all down but I'm drowning in it. "I just can't be here right now." I look to her pleadingly, begging her to understand but I know she does.

 She nods at me and drags the bag closer to her, opening it and pulling things out. "Okay but I can't let you walk out packed like this. My seven year old foster brother packs better than this."

 "Your seven year old brother also wants to be RuPaul when he grows up." She chuckles at that and starts folding some of the items I dumped in it, exchanging others for things in my drawers. I notice she's only packing enough for two days but I don’t argue it. All I care about is the right now of it all and right now I can't be here.

 "Yeah because he's awesome." Agreed. The kid walks better in heels than I do. Lirae zips my bag and slings it over her shoulder. "Okay we'll grab your bathroom stuff on the way out."

 I feel this thing in my chest. Gratitude with a mix of affection and intense relief that someone knows what to do because right now I'm halfway to fetal position. I rock back on my heels a bit then cling to Lirae in a desperate hug getting a surprised grunt from her. It lasts for all of six seconds before I pull away and brush the hair out of my face. "Sorry, I'm okay, we're good. I'm ready to bounce. Ready to roll. Marching on."

 She gives me a look that I can translate as clearly disbelieving that I'm okay. "Ya sure? 'Cause you're still in your jammies." Oh. I look down and curse lightly to myself. Somehow her laugh is soothing and her tan arms come around me in a hug. I am ridiculously pathetic. "Okay okay…there there." I rest my head on Lirae's collarbone and just breathe a few minutes. It helps that she's wearing a tanktop because it gives me something to focus on. Two somethings. Hm. "Staring at my rack making you feel better?"

 "Little bit yeah." Well if I'm already busted I might as well just own it. I'll say this for her, Lirae sure does know how to distract me from darker and deeper thoughts. She nudges me away with a snort and shoves the duffel in my arms. I can hear the front door slam making me jump a little. Lirae pats me on the shoulder lightly.

 "You get dressed and I'll wait for you downstairs with the breakfast." By the time I get dressed and downstairs it will all be gone. Lirae has a hollow leg. I'm just about to say so when she balls the front of my sleep shirt in her fist and drags me close for a quick kiss. "Don't worry, you can get some. If you hurry."

 I squeak a little unsure of myself. "Breakfast?" She lets go quickly with a smirk as if that should be enough of an answer for me and I stare at her wide eyed as she sways right out of my room. I'm so glad I'm not a boy, it'd be impossible to hide my boner. I take a second for some happy visuals then shake myself into action. "Right. Okay then. Dressing now."

[pjdredful]

The AV Club

Chapter 4

I know something isn't quite right the second we pull in to the oil stained lot. It's quieter than usual, like ghost town quiet. Even the neon open light seems dimmer. And just as I think it the letters give a few weak flickers and go out. Well that's not ominous or anything. Mo parks the car at the end of the row under the only working light. It too flickers and goes out. "Alright that shit is getting creepy." We all nod our agreement with Orson and sigh collectively. "What if he's not here?"

 "He's here." This is probably the only bar in town that will let him in the door. The roaring of a motorcycle breaks our tension filled silence and I watch as one of the regular patrons pulls in to the lot, parks and heads for the interior. With a start I realize I can see everything about him perfectly fine despite the dark lenses of the sunglasses. Hm. Bonus. "Well at least we know it's open. Let's go." No one moves and I glance around. "What?"

 "You won't get past the door, Evie." It's not the eyes. Well not entirely the eyes. I do have a wee bit of a history with police here. I slump back into the seat with a sigh. "Orson and Mo can go in. I'll go around back and make sure he doesn't try to weasel out. Something tells me he's not going to be too cooperative." Nat is right. Warrow won't help for nothing and even then it's not exactly willingly. "Which begs the question, what do we do once we're face to face with him?"

 Well we can't talk to him here that's for sure. "I'd like to keep this a little more private than an open parking lot. Maybe we should take him to the clubhouse." I hate the idea of taking him there. It's our place and there's no telling what his sticky fingers will relieve of us. It's not like he doesn't know the value of some of our gear. He's sold us a good portion of it. Nat rubs his chin with his shoulder and sighs.

 "I don't like it but I don't see anywhere better. We all good with that?" We don't exactly have committee votes but everyone has a say when it comes to the clubhouse. We're all equally invested in the stuff we've got there. Something that makes me wish we had better security. Perhaps like locking doors. Or you know. Glass in the windows. "Okay then, you and Lirae sit tight." The doors slam shut around us as the boys get out. It rocks the car a little and I'm suddenly aware that we're alone in the dark. Again.

 "So what'd your mom's journal say?" Well that's not any less awkward but it certainly breaks the quiet between us. I raise a shoulder in a shrug and sigh softly.

 "I didn't get a chance to read much. It's a little heartbreaking." She reaches out and squeezes my hand and I give her a half smile of thanks. "Honestly I just want to hide in my closet and read it cover to cover but I don't think we've got enough time for that right now." The pressure in my head gives a nasty throb reminding me that it's still there making me miserable. "You know that feeling I get when something is out there?" She nods slowly. "It's like I can feel everything out there now. Not just flashes, but this overwhelming weight of darkness. And I'm scared."

 Lirae scoots closer and reaches up to turn my face to hers. Her fingers graze lightly over my jaw and I meet her eyes through the lenses of the sunglasses. "Hey, you're not alone. We got your back. Even Orson." She smirks at that and I roll my eyes. But it does make me smile a little and I nod feeling slightly better. Sitting hand in hand doesn't hurt my mood either. She flirts with me a lot. She always has and I've never taken it seriously because Lirae flirts with EVERYONE. It's just how she is and why I never really take her playful seatbelt groping with more than a grain of salt. But right now, and just before I became a giant metaphysical flashlight, I feel like there's something deeper between us than the teasing gestures everyone else sees.

 "You know its dangerous being my friend, right?" It hasn't all been a bucket of cuddly laughs. There have been extremely weird happenings in our town. Ghosts, poltergeists, golems, possessions, imps, oh and even a demon goat. I blame Orson for that one. Needless to say it's at the very least scary being around me and getting caught up in what's attracted to me but my friends are here and none of them seem to mind. Weirdos.

 "Can't speak for anyone else but it's never boring being around you." That goes without saying. She shrugs a bit leaving it at that for a second. "Do you remember when we first met?"

 I've known Nat and Mo most of my life. I've even known Orson since the sixth grade. He was just as much of an obnoxious butthead then as he is now. But I only met Lirae at the start of freshman year. I give her a mild look. "Before or after you stole my lunch money?"

 "You're never going to let that go are you?" Well. No. She stole my lunch money. "Fine I will buy you lunch, will that make up for it?"

 "It's been like four years, you don't think there's interest on that?" She throws up her free hand in exasperation and groans.

 "Fine! I'll throw in dessert but that's my final offer." I'm good with that. I give her a wide grin and relax deeper into my seat. I'm only vaguely aware of other cars finally trickling in to the lot around us. "My whole point was that when we first met I thought you were such a hot mess."

 "Thanks. Very much. Nice to know." She chuckles and reaches out to playfully tug one of my braided pigtails. It’s her thing. Some people hug, some people playfully punch, some people cuddle. Lirae likes playing with my pigtails. It’s probably why I wear them so often.

 "I had every intention of bullying you every day for the rest of high school, or as long as I managed to stay before getting expelled, because you were such an easy target." Oh. Really? Even better. I'm liking this conversation less and less.

 "So what changed your mind?" Because after that first lunch incident she never hassled me. Not even a little. And then one day she became one of my biggest defenders. No reason given just one day she was my friend and that was that.

 "You did. You weren't like anyone else at that school. It's like you didn't care what anyone said about you or your mom. And like all of the gay bullying crap. You didn't care about how anyone treated you, you just…kept being Evie. I know some of the things people said hurt. I probably would have punched a lot of guys in the junk for some of the things they've said but it doesn't seem to faze you. And it doesn't stop you from helping those same jackasses even if they don't deserve it, even if they hurt you. I love that about you."

 She's talking about Orson. He was one of my worst tormentors. His favorite prank was to steal one tire off my bike so that walking it home was impossible. Yeah. He's THAT guy. Sophomore year he thought it would be brilliant to get drunk with the football team and summon a demon. I'm not entirely sure how Mr. Kicks, the school mascot, was involved but he became the newly conjured demon's host. Hence. Demon goat. "Being an idiotic jerk shouldn't be a death sentence." Not that I didn't think about letting that goat give Orson a good poking with his horns but I just shrug it off with a light smile. "People are dicks, Lirae. You know that. Getting hurt is just part of life, it sucks super hard sometimes, but you just have to keep going."

 "I don't want to hurt you, Evie." Somehow I feel like we're talking about something different, deeper now. "You're the only person I trust to get my back. I don't want to lose that or you." It occurs to me even as I close the distance between us that the guys could be back any second.

 "Kinda right here." Just in case she needed the reminder. I don’t know what’s happening. I really don’t. One minute we’re sitting next to each other the next I’m practically in her lap. Our lips touch and I realize I really don't care if they do come back. There's a breathless second where Lirae is still and I think maybe I misread things. Then she sighs almost happily and deepens the kiss.  The uncertainty vanishes and we melt into each other, as if this weren't the most inopportune time to decide to make out. I nibble her lower lip a little, making Lirae's breath catch. It makes me feel just a little smug. And grateful for all those summers I had to be the boy when my bunkmates wanted to play Date Night at Camp Little Hawk.

 Of course that smug gratefulness evaporates the second something heavy crashes in to the side of the car, causing both of us to scream and jerk apart. Something dark and lumpy shaped scrambles over the hood of the car and we scream again when another heavy weight bounces us a second time in pursuit of the lumpy thing. "Hey!! Watch the hood." It's Mo and that's when I realize the lumpy thing was Warrow, and the yellow streak chasing him must be Orson in his favorite hooded sweatshirt. There's the sound of bodies hitting the hard ground and grunts of pain and cursing. I practically crawl over Lirae's lap to spill out the door of the car.

 I'm not entirely sure which limbs belong to Warrow and which belong to the boys because they're in a tangled heap, rolling around on the ground all punching and kicking each other. After a few yelps and grunts Nat and Orson manage to wrangle Warrow to his feet. Mo limps towards us with a mutter and a bloody lip. "Found him."

 "Le' go of me ye brats." Warrow struggles against Orson and Nat but they hold him firmly between them. He looks up then from the struggling and notices me standing there. "YOU! Are ye crazy?! I cannae be seen with ye. Ye'll be me death!" I frown slightly at that but there isn't time to question it now. We're starting to make an awful lot of noise. "The sigil! Put it on fer the love of Mary!" The sigil? Oh! I almost smack my head at my own stupidity. The rune. If it started the light it might be the thing that stops it. "Quickly now!" His panic sparks a deep unease in my guts. For a second I don't know where it is but my mother's journal is thrust in to my hands and I open the book, letting the necklace fall from its pages in to my hand. I haven't so much as looked at it since this all began. I guess I'm a little afraid of what might happen. Quickly I yank the chain over my head and settle the medallion against my skin. The pain in the back of my head starts to dissipate almost immediately and I groan in relief, slumping against the side of the car.

 It's suddenly too dark and I pull the sunglasses off my face. Warrow's heavy brow scrunches down even further and for a second I can see a shadow shape around his head and the hint of nervously beating shadow wings. They're gone when I blink so I almost dismiss it at an overstimulated imagination. Almost. "We had better get out of here. Get him in the car."

 "I'm not going anywhere with you. This is kidnapping ye know. They arrest people fer that…" It's an empty threat and we all know it. I snort at that and shake my head.

 "Oh please like you'd willingly speak to the police about anything." I have him there and he knows it too. We manage to smoosh in to the car, our smelly friend wedged between Orson and I. Lirae wedges herself between the me and the car, our thighs pressed tightly against each other reminding me that just a few seconds ago we totally made out. Warrow glares from his spot beside me and grunts. I feel like he can read my thoughts and I shove them to the furthest corner of my mind for now. "How did you know this would work?" I hold the rune up a little and he goes a little green. We all slam back in the seats as Mo burns rubber peeling out of the lot just as customers start wandering out to see what all the commotion is about.

 "Ye're the damned Beacon. Always knew ye'd find out bu' never thought ye'd be so damned stupid 'bout it." Hey, I kind of resent that and it makes me want to be a little mean. "They'll kill me just fer talking to ye. Ye've signed me death warrant, ye have."

 "I guess we better not let them see you then. Pull over Mo." Mo gives me a questioning look but finds a dark and quiet stretch of road to pull over on. "Put him in the trunk."

 "Hell yeah. This asshole messed up my jacket! You know how mad my grandmama is gonna be? Get up fool!" Orson opens the door and drags Warrow out by the scruff of his jacket. I can hear Nat and Orson struggling with Warrow as they shove him in the back. The trunk slams and faint banging can be heard even over the sounds of the boys getting back in the car. "I dunno what got in to you, Bacon, but I kind of like it." I glance at Lirae out of the corner of my eye but say nothing.

 "We can't just leave him there forever." Mo pulls back out on to the road but flashes me a look in the rearview mirror. I don't plan to leave him there forever I just didn't feel like sitting next to him anymore. He smells.

 "Just until we get to the clubhouse. He obviously knows something I don't." I'm pretty sure the glow is gone from my eyes now judging by the utterly average night vision I now have. The closer we get to the clubhouse the less sure I am about things. I mean. I feel better, my head isn't killing me but, I still feel unsettled and I'm not entirely sure I want the answers to all my questions. What if I find out something horrible? Like I'm not human or something. The car bounces along the gravel track but for the sounds of thumping and cursing from the trunk it's silent.

 At least we know he hasn't escaped yet. It's not long before we're rolling to a stop in front of the shack. It's only now that I realize how tired I really am. Probably I could sleep for a few weeks straight. I scramble out of the car after Lirae and watch as the boys prepare to open the trunk. It's gotten too quiet and Orson thumps the trunk door. "Listen up, we're gonna open this trunk but if you give us shit I will slam the door right back down. You hearing me?"

 There's no sound from the trunk and we all share a worried look. What if something happened to him back there? I saw Jawbreaker, it could happen! Mo slips the key in the lock and twists, the trunk door pops open with a slow creak, raising slowly. With a tense jerk, Orson yanks the lid up but Warrow is faster than we anticipated. And he found the broken golf club Mo keeps for 'emergencies' in the trunk. Orson doubles over as the wind is knocked out of him from a hard jab of the 9 iron to his gut. Warrow kicks out with a stubby leg catching Nat in the chest and sending him back against his brother.

 He's almost free of the trunk when I do the only thing I know how. I swing my leg up between both of his and kick him soundly in his junk. Warrow's face goes purple and he drops to his knees in the dirt, wheezing. "Sorry!" Kind of. Orson raises a hand and for a minute I blink at it stupidly before realizing he’s waiting for a high five from someone. Oh! It’s me. I almost cautiously bring a hand up and slap it quickly against his as if waiting for him to pull it away on me. He doesn’t. Orson just chuckles a little and grabs Warrow less than kindly to haul him to his feet.

 "Nice." I turn my head at the chuckle beside me and smile at Lirae. "You're all kinds of surprising tonight Evie. Like I said. Never boring." The five of us manage to drag Warrow in to the clubhouse without further incident. He glares at us but is resolutely quiet. Even when dumped unceremoniously in the farting beanbag chair. We all find places to sit before I start off.

 "I'm sorry about this Warrow but I didn't think you'd be particularly willing to help." He says nothing but his glare, if possible, gets darker. "You obviously know a lot more than I do right now and the truth is I really need your help. Please."

 I can see the struggle in his beady little eyes. He's torn between staying quiet out of spite and getting something out of the deal. I raise a brow and lean forward a little to let him know I'm very serious. I'm only a little bothered that he leans back away from me. "And what are ye offering me? Hm? Anything of worth?"

 We have some money but not what he'd ask, and we don't really have much else. Except one thing. "Well we could let you go when we're done talking. Then you'd be free to slink away into whatever dank hidey hole you have. You might even manage to avoid whatever is out there hunting me." I pretend to think on it for a second. "Or we can just parade around town with you, make it real obvious how close of friends we are. Take in a movie, or have a coffee…" I'm betting he doesn't want the latter.  He made it very clear the further he is from me the happier he is. "I might could even hold your hand a little." I try really hard not to let it show how much the idea of doing just that bothers me. I can’t even look at my friends because I know I’ll see the same stink faced look I want to make reflected on each of theirs. Just to make a point I start reaching my hand out to Warrow’s and he pulls it back very quickly.

 Warrow gives a horrified look and hisses out a breath. I lean back a little, readjusting my weight on the arm of the loveseat. "A bargain aye? Ask me questions three, on oath of blood against falsehood, three truths to set me free." That sounds…way more serious than ‘I'll take your word for it’. It sounds like a magic binding. What the actual hell? I don’t repeat the words just in case, I only nod my agreement.

 "What are you?" Damnit! I didn't mean to ask that! Warrow smiles at me knowingly and shrugs lightly.

 "Three truths promised, m'dear. I am a gargoyle. My kind has watched over the affairs of men and demons alike. No secrets can be kept from us for we are the very darkness that covers all things."

 "Shut the front door." That is nothing like the cartoon. Both disappointing and super cool at the same time. Well that's what I get for using Disney cartoons as a point of reference for real life. Orson gives a disappointed grunt and I bite back the chuckle knowing he’s thinking the same thing I am. Focus Evie, Focus!

 "Ye don't have much of one do ye?" Lirae shoots her leg out, kicking him on the sole of his boot in retaliation. Warrow raises his hands in a placating gesture and looks around with sharp little eyes. "Not much in the way of security here at all. Weren't for the consecrated ground, ye'd be sunk for sure." Consecrated ground? We didn't actually know that but I'm going to pretend like we did. "Course it won't keep shifters out. They're a bit of the gray area y'see."

 "Or gargoyles apparently." It's not a question exactly and he gives me a nod of acceptance of that but says nothing more. "So you know all kinds of secret things and you aren't bound by consecrated ground. Good to know. Now. What am I? I mean I know I'm a Beacon but what is that exactly?"

 He gives me a disgusted tsking sound and grunts. "A Beacon? More like The Beacon. Ye're the literal light in the dark. Haven't ye always known ye were different? Dark things and the like, drawn to ye with no reason? I know ye've had the nightmares too. How's the sleep stone workin' fer ye by the way?" I haven't thought about it much with all that's been going on but the magic monkey turd must be working because I can't recall any disturbing dreams. I'm not quite ready to admit that because I have a nauseating feeling that he's waiting to collect on his payment for it. I give him a dismissive wave and glance to my friends, silently asking what they think.

 My eyes land on Nat first, his eager face letting me know he wants to know more. I expect that from him, he's the jump in to the fray guy. Mo looks more wary but he gives a short nod of support to me and I smile. I turn to eye the two other occupants of the loveseat. Lirae bumps my hip with her shoulder and Orson jerks his head in a nod. Okay then. I'm careful how I word things so that I get the right answers. "This has to do with my mom, her journal, her sigil."

 "There a question in there lass?" No. I know this has to do with her and most of the answers I'm looking for are probably in her journal. I just have to buck up and read it. So I guess what I really need to know is how safe I am.

 "If I can see them, they can see me. How much danger am I in now that I'm…this?"

 I don't think he was expecting that question and he cocks his head to one side thinking. "The sigil shields yer light. Safe enough until ye learn to control the curse. If ye can. Yer mam never managed, weren't her fault though. Her Guardian failed her, broke their bond and left her defenseless. The power you carry now, was too much for her then to contain. Made her crazy ye see. If ye don't bond with a Guardian ye'll go the same way as her. That's dangerous enough don't ye think?"

 I swallow thickly barely registering the warm hand giving a reassuring squeeze to my leg. "What Guardian?" He stands with a cocky smirk and waggles a grimy finger at me.

 "Tsk tsk. Three truths given. We're done here I think." Nat stands immediately, ready to fight if necessary but I hold out a hand and shake my head. A deal is a deal. Warrow rubs his stubbled chin, giving me a deeply considering glance. "I'll give ye this fer free since we're such good friends. But after this we've no more business between us save the debt ye owe and best remember, I always collect." I give a slight nod at that and he settles his trench coat better on his shoulders. "Ye already know where to find her Guardian. He's been holding all yer secrets all along."

 In a burst of shadow and a grainy mist, Warrow spins, his shape twisting and roiling like an inky black sand storm. Wings and a body the size of a small pony fill the room and we all hit the deck with confused shouts. Black sulphurous grit swirls around us in the wake of Warrow's downdraft. For a second I'm confused by the softness of the ground until I realize that I'm on top of Lirae. And there are boobs in my hands.

 "Well well…what's going on over here…as you were ladies." I let go like I've been burned and attempt roll off of her without being obvious. My body topples awkwardly to the ground with a thump and we both groan and glance over at Orson in mild irritation. I get up carefully and hold a hand out for Lirae. She doesn't let it go once we're both standing so I just go with it. "Alright then. Maybe next time." Keep on dreaming dude, it's never happening for you. "So what's the plan?"

 "Right now? I just want to go home and sleep. I know I can find answers in mom's journal. Maybe even something to clue me in on this Guardian person." I know Warrow said I already knew the Guardian but that could be anyone I've ever met. It's too vague of a clue and I'm just too tired to try and puzzle it out. "Tomorrow is Saturday so I'll probably be here all day. I'm not really in the mood to be at home too much right now. What about you guys?"

 "I've got an early shift at work but I can be here in the afternoon. I'll bring a couple of pies from Delpino's." Delpino's pizza pies. My mouth is watering already and Mo smiles at me. "Knew that'd cheer you up."

 "Me and Nat have the team breakfast for the booster club. Grandmama is out in La Luz with Petey for the Trinity County Science Finals." Trinity County is where we live, specifically in Temple City. La Luz and Blessing Township are the only other towns around. Three small towns in one small county. "I'll have the truck all day. I think we should pick up a few things to make this place a little more secure now that Warrow's been here."

 He's not wrong. Nat nods his agreement with Orson at that. "Yeah I've got some supplies in the garage we can use. We'll swing by after the breakfast. What about you Lirae?"

 "I'm free, I'll meet Evie at home and we can walk here together." Hm. I'm suddenly aware of the fact that everyone is making an effort to be where I am. As if I shouldn't be alone. I eye them questioningly but no one offers any answers. This is one of those times when they've silently agreed on something I was not privy too. I'm too tired to care so I let it go. We can talk about it in the morning.

[pjdredful]

The AV Club

Chapter 3

I'm in a foggy haze and sounds that I vaguely recognize as worried hushed voices hum in the background. I don't stir or open my eyes hoping that I can just stay asleep a little while longer but the the hum starts to turn into a buzz I just can't ignore. I'm about to open my eyes when something said catches my attention out of the droning. "I don't KNOW what the hell happened. One second we were fine, sitting on the sofa checking the journal out. The next…"

 "The next second you're sending up spotlight messages to aliens." That has to be Orson because he sounds irritated that I'm apparently causing a fuss.

 "You guys didn't see it. By the time you got here it was over and she was out cold but her face…" Silence for a beat and I can tell they're all looking at me. Probably in fear. "It was everywhere. The light just came out of her, her eyes, skin, everywhere. And she wouldn't let go of the stupid fucking thing. I had to wrestle it out of her grip."

 A calmer and softer voice that I recognize as Mo's murmurs a question I can't quite make out. There's a bit of silence before Nat's deep voice breaks the tableau. "No. That's not right. That book is Evie's, we shouldn't read it before she does. Still we should know what we're dealing with. Start with the necklace."

 I groan and raise a hand to my forehead, still not opening my eyes. I'm afraid if I do I'll light up the clubhouse again. I can feel Nat's warm reassuring weight behind me as he helps me sit up. I open my eyes but probably I shouldn't have. The room spins and for a second I think I might hork. I swallow thickly a few times and clear my throat. "Evie? Are you okay?" Mo's worried tone makes me give him a wry smile and I shake my head. I’m so not anywhere near the level of okay.

 "I'll be okay, just a little…why are you guys staring at me?" I hadn't noticed right away but now that my stomach isn't attempting a jailbreak from my body I realize that all four of them are staring at me with deep frowns. "What?" Nothing. Oh shit. I jump up from the couch, startling them all in to taking a step back. Now I'm really worried. The panic must show on my face because Lirae takes a step forward.

 "Dude, your eyes." What about my eyes? "They're glowing." Glowing? Wait. My eyes…are glowing? What!? I need to see this. My bag. Where is my bag? Anxiety like I have never felt before hits me making my dully aching head throb harder as I start buzzing around the main room looking for my bag. I find it half shoved under the loveseat and paw around in it like a deranged squirrel. I stop when a small bright square of mirror is held in my line of sight and slump back in to the loveseat. I raise a shaking hand to take the mirror from Lirae and blink at myself. My eyes are usually a pale gray but they've never looked like this. Something flashes like blue lightening in their depths and I take a closer look, the mirror practically touching my nose.

 "Holy crud buckets." There's a shifting of feet and an almost nervous twittering. I look up at everyone surprised to see smiles and faintly amused head shakes.

 "That's our Evil Evie alright." I blink over at Orson with a questioning look and he shrugs. "If you were possessed you would have come up with better curse words." Oh. But the fact that he looks relieved makes me feel less annoyed that they actually thought I might be possessed. But to be fair I did apparently turn into the human spotlight. Hm. Maybe I shouldn't be so quick with the human part. As far as I know, glowing isn't a thing the normal average Joe can do. The silence deepens again and I feel like I should look at the mirror so that I don't have to deal with the awkward silence. "So tell me again why you guys were cuddling."

 Why isn't there ever a hole in the ground to swallow you up when you need one? I blush but Lirae waves him off with an irritated gesture. "I said sitting, if there was cuddling it's none of your business." Wait. What's happening now? My head swivels a little too fast giving a wicked throb and I wince. Ow. "Can we all just get back to what the hell happened to Evie?"  

"The Beacon was lit." My voice is a little shaky but Orson snorts at that but all eyes turn to me immediately.

 "The bacon was lit? That sounds stupid." Nat smacks him in the chest with a heavy backhand and he rubs it with a wince. "What?"

 "Not bacon, Beacon." Dummy. I sigh and shake my head. "I don't know what that means. Probably my mom wrote something about it, we didn't get a chance to read any of the journal before…." Before I turned in to a column of pure light. I give an involuntary groan and rub my temple. The headache is getting worse. "Anyone have an aspirin? Or sledgehammer to knock me out with?" It suddenly occurs to me why my head is hurting and I look at my friends with a sigh. My weird extra sense is in overdrive, feeling so many different things at once that I can't process much past the pounding in my ears. All I know for certain is that now they'll be coming for me. I don't know how I know it, I just do. "Whatever just happened to me turned my receiver up to eleven, there's stuff out there and it'll be looking for me."

 Nat wraps his bear like arms around me letting me bury my face in his chest. There isn't anything romantic between us because what with the gay and all but Nat is the best hugger, ever. I feel safe here and comforted despite the fact that I'm going through some serious eye glowing changes right now. He murmurs softly against the top of my head, letting me just be. "How much time do we have?"

 Honestly I'm not sure. Something's wrong with my tingly little senses. Or right with them. I can't tell just yet. "Not too close. It's like it's everywhere at once or too many at once for me to figure out." We don't really have the time for me to lose my shit so I take a deep breath and extricate myself from his embrace. I give Nat a grateful smile and look around for my mom's journal. It's laying on the floor next to the necklace. Very carefully avoiding the chain and pendant I pick up the journal and flip through the first few pages. "We need to know what the rune means, maybe there are some clues in there as to what's happening to me and how I can turn it off."

 There's silence around me and I know no one wants to say it but we're all thinking it. If my mom knew a way to turn it off she probably wouldn't have gone crazy. A pale hand takes the chain from the floor and I only half watch is as I try to make out some of the small cramped script. My beloved daughter. I swallow seeing the first words on the first page. It feels like someone just kicked me in the gut. She wrote this for me, not herself. I touch the words tenderly, the sound of the now running generator and the click clack of computer keys fading around me.

 My beloved daughter, first let me say this. I love you. I loved you from the moment I found out I was pregnant with you and I will love you long past the death of this mortal body. I only wish that I had more time to tell you all that you will need to know. For that, I am so very sorry. I shut the book, breathing hard, trying to not cry. The couch dips as someone's weight settles next to me and I'm surprised that it's Orson and not oh I don’t know. Anyone else. He's not looking at me which is fine because I don't much feel like being stared at right now.

 "Whatever you find in there, I still got your back, Bacon. I just wanted you to know." I'm so surprised I don't even protest the new nickname. I guess it's better than Evil Evie. I don't know what to say that doesn't sound like the stupidest thing ever so I nudge him playfully with my elbow and smile a little less warily at him. Orson smirks at me and gazes at me from the corner of his eye. "So about that cuddling…"

 "So not giving you fodder for your spank bank." He makes a mock irritated hum but for the first time since we've known each other, I actually feel like he might be a friend. Sort of?

 "Please, like I need your tired old lesbian fantasy. Ladies love the ole Chocolate Thunder." And he's back to being Orson. I give him a look that clearly says I disbelieve anyone has EVER called him Chocolate Thunder but don't say it out loud. Boys are fragile things after all.

 "Okay then, thanks for uh. All that." I clear my throat awkwardly because now that we don't have anything else to say to each other it's just weird. Mo's voice cuts through our moment and we look up at him both relieved and slightly disturbed by the burgeoning comradery between us. We’re usually spending far too much time pretending we’re not competing for Lirae’s attention.

 "Found something." He spins in the chair, turning away from the bank of screens we've set up at the work station. It's an odd assortment of pilfered old monitors we've scrounged from our garages and various yard sales. It might not be the top of the line but our set up is pretty badass. "So this rune your mom had, it's called Kenaz. It literally means, beacon. All these sites basically say the same thing, it stands for vision, energy, and the harnessed power of light." Click. Another little piece of the puzzle falls in to place. I stroke the cover of the journal idly, my mind deep in thought. "You find anything in your journal?"

 Yes, but nothing that I want to share with so many people around. "Kinda but it's hard to read. I think we should talk to someone who might have some ready answers." When no one says anything I figure I should point out the obvious reasons for talking to someone about mystical things. "I mean I can't very well go about life with glowing eyes and the occasional tendency to literally have light shine out of my ass."

 It breaks whatever tension was still lingering between my friends. "Couldn't have said it better myself." I give Orson an amused look. "I must be rubbing off on you." He just might be. My smile fades a little as I look them all over and I feel the burning desire to do something I don't really want to do. I take a breath and open my mouth but before I manage to utter a sound Lirae cuts me off.

 "Don't even think about it. We're here, we're a family, and maybe I never had a real one before you guys for comparison, but I'm sticking it out because I'm pretty sure that's what families do."  There are nods all around so I nod too. "Besides, you guys keep me out of juvie."

 It’s a relief because I didn’t want to do all this alone. Keeping Lirae out of cuffs is just a bonus I guess. I put the journal in my bag and sling it over my shoulder but Mo stands and takes it back out. I want to protest but I trust him so I stay quiet as he opens the book and places the chain carefully between the pages. None of us are commenting on the fact that I’m refusing to touch it. Mo replaces the book in my bag again and offers me an encouraging smile "So…where are we headed?" I glance at Nat as I stand, the pulsing pain in my head increasing for a second.

 "The Harbor." Warrow isn't my favorite person in the world but he knows more about this world than anyone else we've encountered. He might be a slimy little weasel but…I kind of need him. Gross. I can only imagine how happy he's going to be about that. A warm hand on my elbow steadies me and I realize I had my eyes closed for a second. Hazel eyes fill my vision and I'm suddenly reminded of our near miss kiss in the shed. "Don't look. It's weird." I glance down and away because I don't want Lirae to see my eyes. I'm a freak now. I mean. I always knew I was a freak but now it's confirmed. She cups my face and gives me a warm look. Why are her hands always so warm?

 "Still adorkable." Orson mimics her comment snidely but she ignores him to slip dark sunglasses on my face. "Can't have people staring at you." Oh. Good idea.

 "Thanks." We break apart a little reluctantly and head for the car. The truth is now is a totally inappropriate time to have fluttery feelings in my belly. I don't even know what's going on with her and ole Chocolate Thunder here. Their breakups never last that long and I don't want to be in the middle of that mess. And somehow I'm stuck. Literally in the middle Lirae and Orson in the backseat of the car. Great. Just. Great.

 Mo looks in the rearview mirror at me and offers me a sympathetic grin. "Everyone belted in?" I feel a hand under my rump and I squeak, startled at being groped. "Sorry, you're sitting on the seatbelt." Oddly, she doesn't look the least bit sorry at all.

[pjdredful]

The AV Club

Chapter 2

"Evie?" I look up from my phone and pull an earbud out of my ear. Tony looks surprised to see me here. "You're fifteen minutes early. That's a first." I look at my watch then frown. I hadn't realized. That's…weird. I usually dread coming here. But today isn’t just every day. Today is, well not special exactly. Saying it’s special seems like it’s a good special but it isn’t. It’s just not a typical day. "C'mon in, let me make some tea. Would you like some?"

 I shake my head and settle into the low comfortable couch. Tony watches me fidget out of the corner of his eye as he makes his tea. When he finally settles in, he offers me a polite smile and reaches for his notepad. I take a deep breath and jump in feet first. "You know what makes a person not wanna talk? The listener, writing notes about everything they say." He stops and glances at me then settles back again with a short nod. I have to give him credit here. He's not acting as surprised as I expected he would.

 "I can understand that. How about we make a deal, if you feel uncomfortable with anything I say or do, you let me know and we can discuss something else. All you have to do is talk to me." I give another more resigned sigh but nod my agreement. Reluctantly I unball my fists and force my arms from across my chest. "So what's on your mind this morning?"

 "Do you know what today is?" He gives me a politely interested look as he sips his tea. It must be hot because he pauses to blow on it a few times. "It's the anniversary of my mom's…well, passing." I never talk about it but she's always on my mind. I think about her every day and wonder if I'm going to turn out just like her. Jo-lynn probably thinks I'm halfway there. Thankfully there were no nightmares last night but I don't know if that had more to do with being super drunk or my petrified poop rock.

 "I see. I'm sorry about your mom, Evie." I nod and give him a few more points for not automatically asking me how this makes me feel. Ugh. The worst therapists were always the ones that asked that question after every statement I made. 'Well Evie, you saw the end of the world, how does that make you feel?' Or my personal favorite 'Oh your mother's dead, how does that make you feel?' The answer is like shit. It makes me feel like shit. But Tony doesn't say a word, he just sits there letting the silence between us get heavy until I feel compelled to speak just to break the moment.

 "She was a good mom, you know. Before." Before she went crazy and had to be institutionalized I mean. My fists clench and I force myself not to cross my arms over my chest. It's been a few years now but I still miss her like it only happened a few months ago. Which I suppose is better than feeling like it happened yesterday. "Like, made cakes for my birthday and took me on day trips to the aquarium and museums and stuff."

 "That sounds like a lot of fun. It seems like your mom loved you very much." She did. I know she did.  I smile a little sadly remembering the last birthday I spent with her. She hadn't made the cake, it was store bought and dad had gotten special permission for us to visit with her. Even though the cake was dry with over sweet hard frosting and not anything like mom's cake, I was still the happiest eleven year old in the world. It was great, right up until she tried to gouge out the eyes of a fellow patient with her spork. My dad never let me celebrate my birthday with her again.

 "She was a really awesome mom when I was little. I always felt really safe with her." I think about it and shrug again. Not that it mattered how safe I felt with her, no one else was safe from her. That's not to say she was running around town beating up anyone that crossed her path. It's just that if she didn't like the way a person looked at her, or me, she might take to scratching their eyes out.

 "Before she went to the hospital?" Hospital. I snort at that and shake my head. Knollwood Secure Facility for Rehabilitative Treatment is not a hospital. God, even the name sounds…wrong.  

"She wasn't at a hospital. Hospital is a nice sanitary word for the place she was in. I mean…it wasn't horrible in the way that she was uncared for but, they lock the doors at night. Bars on the windows. It's like prison. There were permanent restraints on the beds and…" I trail off with a head shake because I knew she had to be there, she knew she had to be there. And yet that doesn't make her being there any easier to swallow. "And I never felt unsafe with her. She was my mom."

 "Did you get to visit her often?" My arms finally cross my chest and I clench my jaw. I don't like where this is going. I don't want to talk about those visits. I don't want to remember the times she was led away screaming for me to hide. Begging me run away, leave forever. They say she was a paranoid schizophrenic with violent impulses but she never once hurt me. Orderlies, nurses, the occasional wandering passerby, sure, but never me.

 "I don't…I don't want to talk about going to that place. Probably I'll see it soon enough anyway." My joke falls flat and Tony shifts uncomfortably in his seat.

 "Do you really believe that?" No. Yes. Wait. No. Final answer. No. I shake my head firmly. No, I know that the things I sense are real, I have proof. The Club has spent a year and a half recording and analyzing all manner of data from my encounters. No. I know it's all real. I'm not crazy. But sometimes I wonder. What if what happened to me happened to my mom first? What if this drove her insane and will eventually drive me crazy too. Tony watches me carefully for a long minute before he stands and walks to his desk. "When your step-mom contacted me about setting up appointments for you she sort of filled me in on some details about your history."

 Great. He probably knows the weight and shape of my appendix by now. I frown slightly but stop when he pulls a worn leather bound book out of his desk drawer. It's a journal of some kind and it has all of my focus as he walks back toward his seat. "What's that?" It's flat and wary because I'm not sure I want to know even as I can't help myself from asking.

 "When your mother passed, all her belongings were given to her family. Your step-mother thought that maybe when you were ready, old enough, they should be given to you. I think she would have wanted to do this herself but I thought it would be better received on neutral territory."

 I narrow my eyes and glare. "That's my mom's?" It's been years. I could have had this journal so long ago! I'm slow to stand but only because I'm just barely managing to keep my anger from boiling over. "Give it to me."

 Tony looks troubled but hands it over. I snatch it out of his hand and clutch the journal to my chest. "Evie there's a reason she didn't give it to you sooner, it's really important you under…"

 "Don't care, I'm out." I grab my messenger bag and storm out of his office, leaving him to scramble after me calling my name. Unbelievable. Unfreakingbelieavble. I don't know what's in it, it could be crayon doodles for all I care. All that matters is that it was my mom's and now it's mine and I should have always had it. I'm so angry I don't realize that my feet are taking me right past my bus stop, or that I'm running. I don't realize it until I have to stop and bend at the waist to catch my breath. Tears start to blur my vision but I blink them away and look around, finally taking stock of where I am. I'm four city blocks from Tony's office, on the wrong side of town.

 I wish I had something to kick. Or punch. Something that I could just scream at and hurt until I stop feeling everything I'm feeling right now. A low catcalling whistle sounds out as I pass a small group of guys not that much older than me. I ignore it and keep walking down the street. Eventually this street will split in a fork, if I keep going on the left hand fork it will at some point end at the clubhouse. The only thing I really know right now is that going home is out of the question. It's still early enough that Orson and Nat should be at practice. Mo usually waits for his brother in the computer lab and Lirae…. I sigh a bit, my fingers stroking the worn spine of the journal as I walk. Lirae is probably sitting in the bleachers watching the boys practice. Waiting for Orson to get done so they can have a few minutes alone before we all meet up. I push the disappointment at that out of my mind and focus on getting to a place I can call refuge for a little while.

 The sun is falling behind the tree line ahead of me as I walk along, the glare causing me to stare down at my feet. One foot in front of the other until the sidewalk ends and I'm treading on cracked and neglected asphalt. I don't raise my head even when the sun sinks a little further and the bright glare isn't an issue. The breeze kicks up a little but I barely notice it at all. The dusk suddenly swells around me and I have to look up to see where I'm going. Dirt and gravel crunches under my Vans and I know I've finally gotten to the dirt track and fully left civilization behind.

 Without the shelter of buildings and the contrivances of civilization to break it, the wind pushes against me stronger and colder. I'm just pulling my hood up when I notice the soft candle light glow from inside the clubhouse. I stop and stare at the shack, irritation warring with a burning desire to connect with my mom again. Stay outside and read by the light of my phone in the dark woods, or go inside and pretend like nothing's wrong and wait until I'm alone. A scurrying rustle from the tall grass nearby makes up my mind for me. "Nope." I pick up the pace and trot the rest of the way there, pushing the door open a little hurriedly as I call out. "Hello?"

 "Christ, Evie!" I jump at Lirae's surprised yelp and look around. What the hell?! She puts down the spiked baseball bat we keep around for scary situations and rests her hand on her chest. My eyes immediately follow it but I flick my gaze back up to her face quickly at her irritated exclamation. "What the hell dude?! I thought you were some deranged hook-handed murderer."

 "Hook han…" I just close my mouth with a little click, my earlier anger momentarily evaporated as I puzzle that one out. "What are you doing here?" And then a sudden thought strikes me and I glance around quickly, searching the shadowy hall for the presence of another person. It’s lit by our stash of various candles not the generator and it seems a little too cozy for just one person. "Are you here alone? And why would a murderer call out hello?"

 "Duh to disarm you with politeness." What? I don't even know how to respond to that. She looks around with a smirk clearly punking my suspicious peeking around. "Why? Who do you think is here with me?" I stop looking furtively around the corners and blink at her before moving further into the main room. The floor creaks ominously and I have to remember to watch where I step. I've had a foot go through the floor planks before. I make my way to the loveseat and flop in to it with a shrug.

 "No one, I just didn't think you'd be here. Alone or whatever." Without Orson. I don't say it but she knows what I mean because she settles in next to me and turns so that she's facing me. It's uncomfortable being stared at so I glance at her through the corner of my eye. "What?"

 "I was waiting for you." Oh. It surprises me enough that I turn to look at her. "I thought that maybe you'd want company today. 'Cause, well you know, your mom and all." Every soul burning hateful thought I've had in the last half hour vanishes and I give her a tired grin. Okay so maybe it’s not the greatest day of the year for me but the fact that Lirae waited here for me, to like, support me or whatever. That’s making it not the worst day of the year either.

 "Thanks. That means a lot Lirae." The warm spot in my chest grows a little when she reaches out to squeeze my hand. Our fingers tangle and she rests her head on my shoulder. For one shining second life is okay. I mean. Despite all the shitty things going on, this one moment is alright by me. "I'm really glad you're here." Even if moments before I was wishing I was alone.

 "You know I always got your back, Evie. I don't say that for a lot of people because they're basically shit, so you better appreciate it." I chuckle at the teasing tone, relaxing a little more. "So what's that?" She hasn't let go of my hand yet just jutting her chin at the journal resting on my lap. I take a deep breath and free my hand from hers a little reluctantly.

 "It was my mom's." Silence enfolds us as we both sit here staring at the journal.

 "For real? You want me to leave?" No. I definitely don't. Not now. I shake my head quickly and flip the cover open slowly, reverently. My hand itches to go back to hers but I force myself to focus on the book instead. I don’t know what I’ll find in here and that worries me.

 "Could just be scribbles, or crazy nonsense. I mean. Those last few years she was so scared and confused…I just don't know what I'll find." Lirae's warm body scoots closer to mine, comforting me without saying a single thing. My fingertips tingle with anticipation as I stare at the cream colored front page of the journal. The center of it is stamped with THIS BOOK BELONGS TO. I trace the swooping letters, feeling the indentation from her pressing hard with the pen. J. E. Rossi. "That's my mom's name."

 This was really her book. She really held it, wrote in it. It was a part of her that I didn't get to know before. Hand shaking I turn the page and let out a surprised huff. Every single inch is filled with small neat print. Nothing like the flowery written name, this looks like it was written with furious and intense focus. "Wow…look, it's all like that." Lirae flips the pages to show me each one filled with tiny ant like letters from edge to edge. A flash of silver sparkles from between the pages and I quickly flip back a few pages. "What is that?"

 A chain with a small quarter sized medallion on it. I stare at it without touching it, afraid to even breathe. Since I'm clearly not going to examine it, Lirae reaches out and holds it up. The soft candle light isn't quite bright enough to see it well so I dig around for my phone. "What's that design on it?"

 "I can't tell, it looks like the letter C or something." C? That's weird, that's not her initials. Or mine. And definitely not my dad's. I wonder what it stands for. Finally I manage to tug my phone from the pocket of my gray Buffy the Vampire Slayer hoodie and shine it at Lirae's hand. "Wait, Evie, I think this is a rune. Look it's not a C."

 She's right it's not the letter C at all. Which makes me feel both glad and confused. "Why would my mom have a rune necklace?" The journal slides off my lap and on to Lirae's as I reach out for the necklace. My fingers brush over hers a half second before they touch the chain. And that's when my world explodes in a pale blue light so bright it feels like it's burning me from the inside out. I open my mouth to scream but the light bursts out instead of my voice. Oh God. I can faintly hear Lirae screaming my name, begging me to let go of the chain over the roaring sound of thunderclaps. And then the light takes everything away until I don't know where I am or who I am. I only know one thing.

 The Beacon is lit.

[pjdredful]

The AV Club

Chapter 1

 "You know Evie, you've been coming to me for three months now. In that three months you've only spoken once. Just once to ask for water." Tony leans back in his comfy chair and taps his notebook with the end of his pen. I shrug lightly at it and continue playing with the frayed patch at the knee of my jeans. He gives a soft sigh and nods mostly to himself, I think, rather than to me. "I know you resent these meetings but the fastest way to get them over with is to actually participate." I give him a blank look and roll my eyes.  Tony is my therapist, or he would be if I actually spoke to him but I don't because I don't need a therapist. I'm not crazy. I let him sit in silence a little longer before I check my watch. We still have fifteen minutes but sometimes when I look bored he lets me go early. I think he's almost going to let me go when he switches it up on me. "Your mother said you're having nightmares again."

 "Step-mother." His brow goes up slightly but he only nods in acknowledgement or acceptance or whatever.

 "She says they're coming almost every night now. That must be frustrating for you." For a second I consider making a smart remark but my mother, my real one, always said if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. Which is why I'm quiet about 85 percent of the time. It's not like anyone would believe anything I said anyway so I usually just skip over communicating entirely. "When I was about your age I had some pretty weird dreams too. I'd wake up in a cold sweat, confused, scared, and angry all rolled into one. The worst part was, I didn't think anyone would understand because I wasn't entirely sure I understood."

 Ten minutes to go. I flick my eyes toward him and try to keep from looking as bored as I feel. So what if he had nightmares? I'm pretty sure they weren't scenes of the end of the world and everyone he ever loved dying in a violently bloody demon apocalypse. The truth is when I say it like that I can't really blame Jo-lynn for thinking I'm a whack job and forcing me to complete my legally mandated therapy sessions. You wake the house screaming about the end of the world enough times it's bound to make even the most rational of people look like a maniac. Tony gives it a beat and looks at the clock over my shoulder before giving a resigned nod. "Okay well its a few minutes early but I can see you're still not ready to talk." He closes his blank notebook and rests it on the edge of the coffee table very deliberately. He's not the first therapist I've been dragged to over the years, and even though I don't talk to him, he's actually kind of the best. The most patient for sure but even patient people have limits. He offers me a slightly tired smile and clasps his hands between his knees lightly. "I get that you don't want to talk to me because I'm the person your step-mom picked. I get that you think this is all a bullshit waste of time and I'm an idiot, and I might be. But I'm here if you do want to talk about what's on your mind."

 A bullshit waste of time. I couldn't have said it better myself and I can't help but chuckle a little. He smiles back at me probably thinking we've made some progress here. Maybe we have. I've smiled even less than I've spoken. "You're not an idiot." He gives me a slight nod and I continue. "But this is totally a bullshit waste of time. I'd say sorry about it but you still get paid, talking or not, right?"

 He leans back in his chair again and rests his chin on his fist. "Well we're talking now, so I guess I'm earning my pay."

 Hm. He has a point. I roll my eyes at him but I'm not really bothered. "Time's up, Doc. Good talk though."

 Tony stands and opens the door to the hallway out of his office. "You know I'm not a doctor right?"

 I'm almost all the way through the door when I snort. "You know I'm not a psycho right?"

 "Evie…." I wave it off because psycho is one of those no no words now. "Now wait." He puts a hand out, not really touching me but letting me know he wants me to listen. "No one thinks you're a psycho. No one thinks you're crazy or out of control or anything like that.” God. His face is so earnest.

 I give him a look and wait a beat. “Well I dunno the judge at my hearing seemed to think I’m very out of control.” That was all just a misunderstanding. Honestly. I’m not on drugs! Okay. Well. At the very least I wasn’t on drugs when I got arrested.

 Tony just grins at me and nods his head a little as if accepting that yes obviously someone thought I was nuts. His quiet chuckle fades and he shrugs a tweed covered shoulder. “Your mom just thinks you need someone to talk to about the things you feel."

 He almost freaking had me. Almost. "Step-mom." It's too late to fix and he knows it so I wink and slip my earbuds in as I stroll down the hall out to the waiting room. Sandra the receptionist waves to me as I slide out the patient exit door and head for the bus stop. I skip through my mp3 player until I reach my favorite song by The Decemberists. Los Angeles I'm Yours plays just loudly enough to drown out the sounds of most traffic as I sit at the bus stop waiting for the number 18. I'm not thrilled about having to see Tony twice a week but the truth is today is the closest I've come to wanting to talk about it. The nightmares, the demons, the monsters, the devil, and my AP biology midterm. All of the horrible things that keep me up at night. I'm so deep in thought that for a second I don't realize that a shit brown 1988 Ford Taurus is idling roughly at the curb where the bus stops.

 My bestfriend Nat pokes his head out of the passenger window and whistles to get my attention. "Yo…crazy face! Get in!" I shake my head with a laugh and run to the car, hurrying to beat the bus just pulling in with a nasty honk at Nat and his brother. I fling myself in to the back seat, squishing into a warm, soft body with a slight blush.

 "Hey Lirae." She gives me a smirking smile because it's pretty much the only kind she knows how to give. I pull my seatbelt around and fumble for a second looking for the part to click into before I realize that Lirae is sitting on it. And still watching me with that serene calm that lets me know that she's purposely sitting on the seatbelt thing.

 "Problem?" I fidget a little before letting go of the seatbelt altogether. Forget it. I'd rather be flung to my death through the windshield. I can feel my face burning as she chuckles and bumps my shoulder with hers. Lirae’s usually on but currently off again boy toy makes an annoyed tsking sound and a really nasty beer burp. She turns her head to give him a disgusted look. "Gross Orson. You kiss your mother with that mouth?"

 "No. I kiss yours." She elbows him in the gut hard enough to make him choke out a breath before she reaches across my body to pull my seatbelt back over. I go still as a frightened mouse and try not to think about how close we all are in this tiny rusting deathtrap and how warm Lirae's hands are at my hip as she buckles me in.

 "Can't have our girl getting hurt can we?" Uhhh. My brain has momentarily stopped functioning at the softly whispered comment. Orson is watching her very closely and I know that he's going to make my life miserable. He's the one friend of my super small circle that isn't really a friend. More like a tolerable associate. I wouldn't talk to him at all if it weren't for Lirae bringing him to the AV Club. Once he was in he kind of just took root. Like a really annoying weed.

 "So what's the diagnosis? Is Evil Evie still cray cray?" There it is. I roll my eyes and don't even bother to hide the smile when Lirae elbows him again. "What? The kid is a train wreck, we all know that already."

 Nat turns around in his seat as much as he can and nods at me. "Don't listen to dickwad there. He's just in a bad mood because Coach chewed him a new asshole at practice." I'm not that girl you know? The cheerleading, team sport loving, school spirit having All American Girl. That's just not me. For one thing I'm not even sure how football works. And for another I'd much rather date the prom queen than the prom king. Plus there's that whole thing where the weird paranormal shit that only happens in movies and TV seems to always happen to me. I don't mean to imply that I'm a cosmic joke and a walking magnet for the weird and terrifying. I mean to outright state fact. I am a living, breathing, magic and mayhem magnet. All that scary hoodoo crap you think can't be real? It is.

 So no. I'm not the girl that hangs with the pep squad or the popular kids. Orson however, well. He's the top jock and he acts like it too. I smile at Nat and shrug. "Like water off a duck's back." Nat chucks me under the chin playfully and turns back in his seat as we cruise along toward the clubhouse. See? Tony shouldn't feel bad, I don't talk even to my friends. "What are you guys doing here anyway? I thought we were meeting at the clubhouse at seven." It's not quite six yet but any change of plan that keeps me off the public busses is okay by me.

 Mo looks at me through the rearview mirror and shrugs. "We were at The Harbor." My brows come up a little at that. The Harbor isn't a place for boats and beaches in our town. The Harbor is a very seedy bar where you can acquire just about anything if you have the money and don't sweat the small details. Like, where said purchased thing came from, or even knowing the name of the person you bought it from. Needless to say The Harbor is the last place a bunch of teenagers should be. And yet…we know it well. At least I know it well. Well enough to get arrested for being underage in a bar I had no business being in. My punishment? Mandatory rehabilitative counseling. I wasn't there to drink but when I told the undercover officer that detained me that I was there to see a man about a stone he just assumed I actually said I was there to see a man about getting stoned. Like I said. Misunderstanding.

 "Any news?" I try hard to keep the hopeful note out of my voice. Everyone in this car knows my deal. Average dorky high school student by day, metaphysical super magnet by night. Well. That part is really a 24 hour deal but since most of the paranormal crap is powered by moonlight I get a reprieve. Just in time for those oh so thrilling biology classes. This weird dark attraction has been my curse since my eleventh birthday and there hasn't been a damn thing I can do about it. In short I'm just like Mo and Nat, Orson and Lirae. Well. Possibly not exactly like Lirae. I'm not sure there's anyone quite like her. But what I mean is that I'm just as normal as the next geek. I can't see or hear anything different than any other human, all I can do is 'sense' the darkness. It's more of a gut instinct which is so much more difficult to explain to a rational human being. Hey a demon thing is in town. Oh how do I know? Because I can feel it. What does it look like? Well I'm not sure really since I only ever see things like that in my horrible puke inducing nightmares. Yeah. This is my life.

 I watch Mo's lips curl in a slight smile even though he doesn't say anything. I'm hoping that means good news for me and bad news for my nightmares. He pulls off the main road taking a little used dirt switchback track. Orson, Lirae and I bounce around in the back like sacks of laundry, grabbing on to any surface that will keep us stationary as the car rolls over the rutted and uneven path.  Mo banks a curve that throws Lirae's body in to mine hard enough to make my head smack the window. I'd grumble but I'm too terrified to move because I'm pretty sure there is a boob on my arm. Lirae rights herself by pushing off my knee with a grunt and I breathe. I can feel the heat of her hand still on my knee right through my jeans. Probably it’s the closest I’ll get to being groped by another human being again in my life. I make sure to avert my gaze toward the window to hide the creeping red flush up my face. Maybe if I don’t move, she won’t either. As the car skids to a stop in front of the dilapidated shack we call a clubhouse I curse my ineptitude in all things romantic.

 "Hey Mo, grab the equipment while me and Orson get the cooler out of the trunk." I look up at Nat's tall, broad shouldered back as I extricate myself from the backseat of the car. He turns his curly blonde head to catch me giving him the curious side eye and smiles innocently. Well if I wasn't suspicious of him needing 'help' with the cooler before, that too casual innocent look certainly seals the deal now. I open my mouth to ask why he needs help but Nat cuts me off "Hey you and Lirae kick on the generator. I think there's still a full gas can in the shed." Okay he's being weird. I stand there a little confused when Lirae rests an elbow on my shoulder to watch the boys wrestle the extra-large camp cooler out of the trunk of the car.

 "He's being weird, right?" My thoughts exactly. I glance at her with a grin and shake my head.

 "When isn't he? C'mon it's getting dark already." I really don't like being outside of the clubhouse when it's dark out. Not because of monsters and ghosts but because there be wildlife in them there hills. What? Raccoons are terrifying! Lirae follows me but not before reaching out quick little hands to tickle my ribs.

 "Watch out! The raccoons will get you." Asshole. I slap at her hands and squirm away with a little squeak of protest. I'm a little more glad for the dimness of dusk than I was a few minutes ago because at least it hides my blush as she laughs at my responses.

 "Laugh all you want but probably you're the one they'll eat first when the Critterpocalypse comes." I pull out my phone to use as a flashlight when I duck under the low door frame of the shed. It used to be a child's playhouse sitting a few feet away from the main shack so it's a little cramped with the generator and two people. As usual if it could happen, it does, and always to me. I make a small disgusted sound and try to wipe the cobwebs from the side of my face. Fantastic. "Ugh. Gross. Here, hold this will ya?"

 Lirae takes the phone from my hand and directs it at the generator for me. I take a tick to check the fuel gauge just to make sure before I yank the ripcord a few times to turn the motor on. It sputters to life with a roar and the sound of music floats back to us on the warm breeze. I can just see Lirae's full lipped mouth curve into a smile in the dim light from my phone. "You're a mess."

 I stand still as she steps in closer to pick the thick gauzy web out of my hair. "Thanks." I clear my throat, suddenly a little unsure and super uncomfortable. Maybe it's the gas fumes. They're making me feel all fuzzy headed and belly floppy like I just got off a rollercoaster. Or maybe it's just being this close to Lirae, alone, in the dark. She pulls the last web away and we're just standing face to face. Her hazel eyes look black in the shadow and suddenly much closer than they were a second ago. So close I can see her heavy lashes fall closed as we lean in closer for a kiss. The second, the absolute second, I close my eyes finally deciding to do something, anything, Orson's voice breaks the silence and causes me to jerk back.

 "Hey fucker, answer the phone. Hey fucker, answer the phone. Hey fucker, answer th…" I glare at my phone in indignation. That little shit changed my ringtone for his number!  Lirae sighs and tips her head back with an unhappy laugh and answers it. I'm too embarrassed to realize at first that she hadn't moved an inch at the sound of his voice.

 "What?" It's clipped and to my ears a little frustrated but that could be hopeful thinking on my part.

 "Hurry your sweet ass up the beer is getting warm." The beer is in no way getting warm. It’s just that Orson is a dick.

 Lirae ends the call and hands me back my phone with a slightly annoyed look. "Hm. Saved by the bell." I want to comment but I don't have anything really to say. Other than sorry. Which judging by the look on her face is not the appropriate response. When I can't come up with anything helpful she lets out another sigh and leaves me standing in the dark of the shed. All by my lonesome. Great.    

By the time I make my way in to the clubhouse everyone is settled on the mismatched furniture we've managed to squirrel away here. I take a beer and my usual seat in the bright yellow bean bag chair that Orson's little brother meant to throw out.  There's a rip in the seam at the back. Not enough to spew little balls of polystyrene filler but enough to make it sound rude every time I sit in it. Everyone snickers a little and I roll my eyes. "So. What happened at The Harbor?"

 I glance at each of them but they all turn their attention to Mo. Despite being brothers Nat and Mo don't really look alike. Aside from the curly hair they're as different as two people could be. Mo is built more like a swimmer, sinewy and thin, his shoulders slump a little from years spent in front of a computer screen. Heavy lidded dark eyes spark with anticipation and I'm immediately caught in the expectancy of the moment. "I got a call from Manny while you were at your appointment. Warrow is back."

 Warrow. Oh man I hate that smelly guy. He has a bad habit of trying to grab my ass every time I have to talk to him. "Where was he this time?"

 Not that it matters much. Like I said. Don't sweat the details and everything is okie dokie. "Nepal. And he brought you this." Mo holds up a blackened stone with what looks like patches of rust colored mud caked to it. "He said and I quote 'To chase 'way night horrors so that me sweet lassie c'n dream of my…"

 "Okay gross I don't even need to hear the rest." I reach out a hand and take the stone. It's warm in my hand and a little heavier than I thought it would be. It smells like dust and something earthier that I can't identify. Up close it looks like a turd but if it's a magic turd I guess that's okay.

 "So what do you think? Is it the real deal?" It's hard to say so I shrug at Nat, still eying my magic turd rock.

 "I dunno but we'll see what happens tonight." I tuck it away in my pocket before finally cracking open my beer to sip at it. I'm not a big drinker but I need something to do right now to keep my focus from drifting back to what almost happened in the shed. "How much did he ask for it? Was it a lot?"

 Everyone goes quiet except Orson. He chuckles and stretches his muscular dark skinned arms over his head. "He didn't want money." I look at Nat and Mo who are suddenly and very determinedly looking everywhere but me. That only leaves one person who will tell me what's going on. I look at Lirae and even she looks a little uncomfortable as she plays with her own fingers. Why do I feel like I’m going to hate whatever is going to come out of her mouth?

 "You owe him a future favor of his choosing." Yup. I hate it. Oh God. Knowing Warrow this future favor may involve nudity, lewd and illegal acts, drugs and or alcohol and dark magics. Not necessarily in that order or combination. My horrified expression makes Orson's chuckle turn in to a barely choked back guffaw. "Don't freak! We totally specified nothing sexual or illegal. Promise."

 I must still look a little freaked out because she moves off the floral patterned loveseat she was sharing with Orson to sit on the floor next to my chair. Somehow this makes it all mostly better. "Well, I guess if this works it will be worth it. I don't know how much more Jo-lynn can stand." Lirae reaches up to tug one of my braided pigtails playfully and I guess that means she's done being irritated with me.

 "So what's the plan Evil Evie? We looking for boogiemen tonight or what?" More like or what. While terrifying and more than a little gross and overly graphic, my nightmares haven't been anything really solid. Just images of what could happen. I haven't been getting the 'feeling' that something wicked has wandered in to our town. Or if it has it's doing an amazing job of hiding itself. I shrug a little and shake my head.

 "I don't know. Aside from the dreams it's been pretty quiet. After the poltergeist last month it's like everything has just…gone away." Normal people would look upon this with relief and possibly hope for a better tomorrow. I look at the silence with dread bordering on hysterical anxiety. Evil for lack of a better term, doesn't die, doesn't get tired, and most certainly doesn't forget. The last six years have proved that time and time again to me. Everyone looks disappointed but no one seems to share my apprehension.

 "More time to drink!" Orson high fives Nat as they simultaneously chug their beers. My night has definitely taken a down turn.