Enlightened A Light Tamer Novel (The Light Tamer) (18 page)

“Smile bitches!” Rob yells out and snaps a picture with his phone.

We posed, we laughed, and we lost the tension that filled the room earlier.

Has anyone told you how hot you are when you dance?

No, but I’ve never danced in front of anyone, with the exception of my mom. 
I think back to Caleb. 
Where were you?  I haven’t seen you get your dance on.

I’m saving it all up for the dance, I can’t afford to have anyone steal my moves.

Riiiiight
.

You doubt me?
  You’ll have to beat the girls off me…

I already do!

Come on, let’s close up shop.  I need time alone with my hot tamale dancer.

You did not just call me a hot tamale.  You’re a dork.

Caleb walks over and turns off the music.  “Hey everyone, we’ve got everything under control.  Go
have
some fun before your curfew.  I want to spend some time with my
girlfriend…alone
.”

Grandma clears her throat.

“Alone as in sitting two feet apart and keeping our hands and lips to ourselves.  Right Miss Gayle?”  Caleb says innocently.

“Exactly right, except you should sit six feet apart,” she teases.  Everyone laughs and the sounds of car keys jingle throughout the room.

“Hey, do you and Caleb want to meet us at the bonfire?  Rob and I are going.  The kids from the area high schools will be there too.”  Amber whispers in my ear, “He has cherry vodka and said it’s
really
good
in 7-Up.”

I pull away from her to search her face.  “Amber, you’re kidding
right
?  You need to be careful.  Don’t set your drink down or let anyone else pour it and give it to you.  I don’t want you to be
roofied
.  Stop looking at me like that, I’m serious.  Is Rob drinking?  Don’t get in the car with someone that’s been drinking.  If you want, Caleb and I can come get you.  Text me and let me know, I promise we’ll get you.”

“Oh. My. God.  Suffer from paranoia much?  I’m not going to be
roofied
mom.
You’re such a downer. 
Rob said he doesn’t drink and drive, so stop worrying.”
  She digs frantically in her purse and pulls out her lip gloss.  “Stop looking at me like that.  I’ll be fine.”

“Okay, you’ll be
fine
.  I just worry about you.  Promise
you
’ll text.” 
What happened to Miss Antisocial?  She’s becoming quite the social butterfly.

She smacks her lips together to spread around her lip gloss.  “I promise.  Go make out with Caleb or something.  You’re so the worry wart. Bye.”  She leans in and fake kisses over my shoulder.

“Bye bitches.  Oh girl your lips are fierce,” Rob says and holds his arm out for Amber.  She loops hers through his and heads to the front door.

“Don’t forget!” I yell out to her. 
She’s going to forget.

“Bye Jessie.”

Caleb pulls me into a hug.  “Don’t worry, she may be
fierce,
but
she’s smart.  She knows what happened to her brother,
and
she won’t follow in his footsteps.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“Eh, hem, I don’t mean to interrupt, but someone’s BMW is blocking my car,” Thorne says.

Caleb shoots him the evil eye and says he’ll go move it and walks away.

“You did a terrific job tonight.  You’re doing the right thing by embracing your gift and sharing your knowledge. They’ll never be as strong as you, although a few of them are powerful.  The more will give you a run for your money.  I’m going to the beach and make sure things don’t get out of hand.  I don’t have a radar for Amber like I do for you.”

“Awe, you like her.” 

He grinned and pulled his key from his front pocket.  “Maybe, maybe not.  Go straight home.  I’ll pick you up at three tomorrow afternoon.  Wear long pants and a tight fitting shirt with tennis shoes.  You might want to bring another set of clothes too.”

“Tight fitting shirt?  Really?”  I say disgusted. 

“It’s a lot easier to spar in fitted clothing.
  I’m not a barbarian.  There’s a box in your mother’s closet, you’ll know it when you see it, bring it.  Gotta go, see you tomorrow.”

“Ah, what? 
Box what box?
 
Ohhhhh…how
did you - never mind, I know.” 

I step out on the porch and wait for Caleb to finish moving the car.  I’d swear I heard Thorne say
something under his breath.
Caleb bounces up onto the steps and pulls me in tight, proclaiming we’re finally
alone…minus
one dad and one grandma. 

Do you mind if we forego the ice-cream and watch a movie instead?
I place my hands behind his neck and pull him in for a kiss.

Sounds
good
to me.

Two hours later

AMB, CALEB IS TAKING ME HOME, DO YOU NEED A RIDE?

No reply.

5:56 a.m.

Ugh, why do I wake up before the alarm goes off? 
How I ended up with a morning person for a boyfriend,
is beyond me.  My weekends pre-Caleb were filled with blissful sleep.  My father was either sleeping one off or painting in the studio (the third bedroom in our rental row house), and mom studied day and night.  Since we’re a bound couple, our need to be with one another every waking moment is hard for my mom to understand.  Soon, I’m going to tell her what we are, she deserves the truth that her daughter is a freak of nature.  I don’t get how so many of us live in a house with
mere humans
, and no one figures it out.  I never caught my dad being a Dark One and mom never realized I
chazzle
. 
I burst out laughing at the thought of her seeing me moving stuff around with my mind.
  -

I reach over to grab my phone, no texts or missed calls.

CALL ME WHEN U GET UP!  SLACKER <3

So far I’m running on time.  I literally woke up, showered, stood in front of the mirror for two hundred and fifty two minutes (which translates to too long), changed
work-out
clothes five times and pulled my braid so tight I’ll be mistaken for a tall Asian girl.  Not
that
there’s anything wrong with being Asian, but I’m pretty sure I’ll have a headache by noon if I keep my hair taut.

A tapping on the door and mom peeked in, “I didn’t realize you’re already awake, did you have fun last night?”

“I had fun. 
Mr
Gabe was
awesome
letting us have a back to school
shindig
at his house.  There were more kids than expected.”

She smiles at me and pulls the belt on her silk robe tighter.  “Would you like to go have breakfast before I head out to the hospital?”

My heart stops for a minute as guilt runs through me.  Life has been complicated over this past year.  Mom finished her master’s in nursing and thought she’d be able to get an administrative position at the hospital.  So many other nurses were vying for the same job, she couldn’t find one with a salary to stay afloat.  We were living off of my dad’s art sales…until he moved to Greece.  In New York, every other person was some type of artist, painter, musician or actor.  The market was over saturated,
and
it was impossible to count on a steady income.  Mom worked part time for a local clinic, but we needed health insurance and they didn’t offer any coverage.  When dad left at the beginning of summer, her heart unmistakably broke.  I’ve been so wrapped up in my own issues; I haven’t considered what pain she must be in right now.

“I’m sorry; Caleb and I are going to a
workout
boot-camp at the park.  Why don’t we have a girls day tomorrow? 
You…me…plus some chocolate
and retail therapy.  Sound good?” 
For a brief second,
I see the look of disappointment on her face.

She plasters on a smile and pretends she isn’t bothered.  “Tomorrow sounds
good
.  We’ll go to Greenville and hit the mall.  We’ll get you shoes for the dance next month.  I’m happy you’ve made friends so fast…I just wish you and Caleb would take it a little slower.  I’ll schedule you an appointment…”
She better not say birth control.
“We’ll figure out what type of birth control is best for you.”

She said it…why does she put me through a B.C. talk at six in the morning!
“Mom, stop.  I don’t need birth control.  We’re NOT having sex.  Oh Mylanta!”

“Don’t Mylanta me.  Jessica, I know you’ve promised you’re going to wait, and I pray you
do…BUT
,
and
there is always
a
but…
things
can get out of control quickly.  I know, I’ve been there.”

I put my hand on her shoulder to give her assurance that I’m telling her the truth.  “AHHHHH! LA! LA! LA! Don’t talk to me about your sex life, I don’t want to know.”  I shake my head back and forth, trying to clear out her
‘been
there, done that’ talk.  “If and
when
we decide to go to the next level, you’ll be the first to know.  I promise you.  Now, if you don’t mind, I need to get my stuff together to leave.  Caleb will be here at seven, and he’s never late.”  I take her shoulders and turn her around and pretend to push her to the door.  “I love you, and don’t forget tomorrow is mother/daughter day.”

2:57 p.m.  The same day.

AMBER
,
ARE YOU SO HUNGOVER YOU CAN’T REPLY!

I call my cell from the house phone to make sure the
ringer
is on.  “Grandma, I’m not sure if my phone is working.  Will you send me a text?”

YOU’RE A STRANGE KID 

THANKS, I GET IT FROM MY GRANDMA!

I creep down the hall trying to sneak up on her.
  She’s always deep in thought when she bakes.  The sound of her electric mixer covers the noise I’m trying hard to avoid.  Her back is to me as she is pouring an egg mixture into the bowl.  After what feels like forever, I put my hands on her waist and yell, “RAAAA” in her ear.

Honestly, I almost crapped myself when she screamed. 
I’ve never seen her jump so high, or scream so loud.
  Fortunately she was finished mixing up the treat.  Unfortunately for me, she had a giant wooden spoon in her hand.  She turned around, before she registers it’s me, she whacks me with the unsuspected weapon.  Somehow she has grabbed my arm and is pulling it up behind my back.

“GRANDMA!  You’re killing me, let me go!”  I half yell and half laugh.

“What’s so funny?
 
You think you can just sneak up on someone my age?
  I’m fragile,” she says and lets go.

The doorbell chimes, I look at the clock…3:15.

“I’ll get it.”

“Are you expecting company?”  She tosses the spoon into the sink and grabs another one out of the rooster utensil holder.

“Yeah, that guy Thorne.  He’s training me on self-defense.  I have to protect myself  from you’re your beatings with wood spoons,” I say trying to keep a straight face.

She wipes her hands on a dishtowel and pulls her apron over her head.  “Does Caleb know about your private lesson?”

“Weeeeeell, not exactly.  Please, please, please don’t tell
Mr
Gabe.  I promise, nothing is going on with us.  I can’t tell you, but you have to trust me.”  The doorbell rings again.

“
Hmmmm
.”

He’s coughing as I open the door.  Removing his hand from in front of his mouth and absently wipes it on his pants. 
He would be able to pass for a younger version of Ian Somerhalder.  His eyes always look as if he’s piercing a hole into your soul.  His hair is longer than Caleb’s short preppy
hair…not
long enough to put it up in a ponytail.  Simply dressed in a fitted black t-shirt and running pants, he looks like a model.
“Sorry, I had something caught in my throat.  Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah, let me get my bag.”  Before leaving with Caleb this morning, I grabbed the box out my mom’s room. I hope I’ll find some answers hidden inside. It’s too
b
ulky to carry in my backpack, so I throw it in my old tennis bag.  “Bye grandma,” I yell as I run out the door.

“Did you steal this car, or did it come with your imaginary house?”
  I buckle my seatbelt and pull the strap trying to keep it from making my boobs look strange.  “You don’t really live in
the house
do you?”