Once in a Full Moon (8 page)

Chapter Ten
Athletes and Apologies

W
hen I arrived in English class I spotted a shiny object lying on my desk. As I drew closer, I realized it was my cell phone.

“Someone found it!” Ivy said, discovering it, too.

Brandon wasn’t in class, but his backpack was leaning against his desk.

Just then Brandon sauntered into class. He was wearing an NHL jersey over an oatmeal-colored thermal and black fingerless gloves. I thought it was quite a cool look, but I knew the gloves were to cover up the horrible mauling he’d received a few days before. I felt such sympathy for him and the wound he’d incurred, but I also felt electrified by his presence. An immediate buzzing tingled all over my skin. Before I knew it, I was oversmiling and hypertalking to Ivy as if I were onstage performing for an audience. I didn’t even know why I was doing it, but I couldn’t help myself.

I didn’t dare make contact—eye, verbal, or any other kind. Brandon must have felt the same. In my peripheral vision, I saw him take his seat. I was dying to see if he noticed me.

Instead, I held the cell phone in my hand. I imagined where it had been. In his coat pocket? Maybe at his home by his bed. At some point, he had held it in his hand, as I was doing now.

I was such a love-struck girl and yet I couldn’t control my ridiculous feelings.

Finally, I put the phone in my back pocket.

“Not so fast,” Mrs. Clark said. It was against school rules to have a cell phone in class. And though I was a good student, Mrs. Clark wasn’t about to bend the rules for me. “I’ll return it to you after class.”

Abby whispered to Ivy. Then Ivy whispered to me. “Brandon is wearing fingerless gloves.”

“So?” I said.

“Don’t you think it’s odd?”

“No. It is cold out,” I defended.

“Maybe he got a tat,” Abby said.

“On his hand?” I asked.

“On his knuckles,” Abby corrected.

“Yes, that’s big with the juvies,” Ivy said.

“There is no evidence he’s a juvie,” I said. “You both watch too much TV.”

“He’s just not like us,” Abby said. “It’s like he doesn’t want to fit in with the rest of us—or even try to.”

“Why should he?” I asked. “It’s not like anyone is overly friendly toward him.”

“I think he’s trying to hide something,” Ivy theorized. “He doesn’t make eye contact, he sits alone, and now he’s all about coats and gloves in class.”

“Yes . . . I’m sure that’s it,” I said. “Has to be hiding something, otherwise it’s not worth discussing.”

“You are so right,” Ivy said with a smile.

“What could it be?” Abby asked.

I was the only one who knew what Brandon was hiding. And I wasn’t about to tell.

By lunchtime, Jake and Dylan were showing signs of strain, trailing Ivy and Abby and holding their girlfriends’ trays, backpacks, and purses. The students laughed as they passed by, and so did I. They were doing their best to live up to “servants for a day.”

Nash grabbed a burger from the line and passed Brandon.

“Hey, dude—what’s with the gloves?” Nash said. “We are inside, you know.”

Brandon paused. I wasn’t sure what he was going to say.
I’m hiding a wound I received while saving your girlfriend’s life? Didn’t she already tell you?

But he didn’t answer.

“Wolf got your tongue?” Nash challenged.

“Don’t be rude!” I said to Nash.

“I was just wondering, is that the new fashion in Riverside?” Nash asked.

Abby, Ivy, Dylan, and Jake remained at Nash’s side. Brandon was alone.

“You can tell me,” Nash said.

Brandon remained silent.

“Or maybe you’re trying to hide something,” Nash taunted.

I pulled Nash away.

“Sorry. He got an A in football but an F in manners,” I said to Brandon. I continued to lead Nash back to our usual table.

We sat down and Jake and Dylan began cutting my friends’ salads.

“You aren’t going to feed them, too, are you?” Nash asked.

“I hadn’t thought of that,” Abby said with a laugh.

“So what did you have Nash do as your servant?” Ivy asked.

“So far, nothing.” He grinned triumphantly. “And the day is half over.”

“Nothing?” Dylan asked, outraged.

I’d thought about it all day. What would I make Nash do? I could carry my own purse and backpack. I guess the point was to humiliate them and be able to order them around like we couldn’t normally. Nash wasn’t used to taking orders, and I wasn’t used to giving them. I was the kind that let my opponent win a board game for fear they might feel bad if they lost.

“You have to make him do something,” Jake urged.

“Yes, and it better be good,” Dylan threatened.

“Okay. Okay,” I finally said.

My friends waited for my command. Nash tensed up, sure I was going to order him to run naked through the cafeteria. I wasn’t sure, however, if he’d object to such a stunt.

“I told you I want you to have a party,” I said.

“That’s it?” Nash replied happily. “I always have parties. No big deal.”

“That’s not all,” I said. “I haven’t provided you with the guest list.”

“Oh. Is it boys only?” Jake asked. “You getting to hang out with the entire basketball team?”

“No, maybe it’s only Nash,” Dylan said.

“That’s not much of a party,” Jake said.

“Yeah?” Nash finally said.

“You’ll invite the usual crowd. Plus one special guest.”

“Who’s that?” he asked.

“You were just talking to him,” I said. “Brandon. The guy with fingerless gloves.”

“Are you kidding?” Nash asked, slapping the table.

“That’s not it,” I said. “I want you to march over there and apologize to him for your behavior. And then, invite him to your party.”

“You want me to kiss him, too?”

“Now, that’s a good idea!” Dylan said.

I was beaming. Even my best friends were thrilled.

“Wow—we had it easy,” Jake said. “You have to apologize to a Westsider in front of the whole school.”

“Apologize for what?” Nash was fuming.

“Hey, man, we lived up to our bargain,” Dylan said. “Now it’s your turn.”

“I don’t want that jerk running around my house,” Nash said. “What if he steals something?”

“What if he doesn’t?” I replied.

“You’re kidding me, right?” he said.

I shook my head. My friends grinned.

We watched as Nash rose and headed over to Brandon. As Nash got close to Brandon’s table, the other students, one by one, became aware of the unusual occurrence and watched with awe.

When Nash reached Brandon’s table, Brandon appeared skeptical.

The whole lunchroom was prepared for a fight.

“Hey, dude—” Nash began. “I’m . . . uh . . .” He cleared his throat. “About the glove comment . . .”

Brandon rose.

Nash looked back at me. I nodded.

Then he turned to Brandon. “I’m sorry.”

Brandon was as surprised as the rest of the lunchroom. The staff even breathed sighs of relief, knowing that they wouldn’t have to break up a fight.

“No problem,” Brandon finally said.

“And I’m having a party this weekend,” Nash continued painfully. “You can bring some friends.”

“Uh . . . Okay—”

Nash pulled a face as he walked over to us.

Brandon gazed at me, and I couldn’t help but smile in return.

I sat at my computer and attempted to work on my essay on folklore and distract myself from my Brandon Maddox obsession. The bite of a wolf. The full moon. A howl on a dark and dreary night. Everything wolf-related only reminded me of him more.

As if that wasn’t enough, I’d been clinging to my cell phone, the very same one he possessed. I’d never felt this guy-crazy before.

“Why don’t you put that down?” my mom said that evening at dinner. I had my fork in one hand and my phone in the other.

“I’m afraid I may lose it,” I said.

“I think you might be a little overprotective of it. I’m glad you found it, but it’s not necessary to hold it twenty-four/seven,” my mom said.

I tried my best to eat, but my stomach was in knots. Ever since we’d gone to Penny for Your Thoughts, I felt like my life was out of control. First the wolves in the snowstorm, Brandon Maddox rescuing me, his wound, and now my ridiculous obsession with him. I couldn’t help but blame Dr. Meadows and her strange fortune for getting me into this situation in the first place. What exactly had she said?
Beware of the woods . . . of the sounds of howling. There could be outsiders who will turn . . . underneath the glow of the full moon.
And then, when she’d grabbed me on the way out the door, she’d added,
Beware of a kiss under the full moon. It will change your life forever.

The snow. The woods. Howling. A full moon. Could she have really seen the strange events before they unfolded? Maybe not. It was November, so it wasn’t that unforeseen that it might snow. Legend’s Run had a wolf population, so seeing one wouldn’t be as shocking as coming upon a zebra. And the moon? It was full twelve times a year. But a kiss? Brandon Maddox was the outsider, but I could only dream of kissing him. What did that part of the prediction mean?

I imagined the party Nash was going to host. This time, since he’d lost the dare, he’d have to be as kind to his Riverside guests as he was to his own players on the field. This could be a big step for Nash, opening his home to someone outside his comfort zone. Nash usually only thought about himself. Maybe this would be an opportunity for him to expand his tightly knit social circle. An opportunity for him to grow. If Nash could get along with Brandon, maybe at last the Westside and Eastside could be Oneside.

Chapter Eleven
Dare to Party

A
few days later, the fire alarm rang during U.S. History class. I loved a good fire drill—it disrupted class for the time being, gave us a chance for some fresh air, and allowed Ivy, Abby, and me the freedom to gossip.

The only problem was when the high school performed the drills in a season with plummeting temperatures. It was always on a day when I chose not to drag my coat with me all day and kept it in my locker. The guys didn’t seem bothered by not wearing their coats, but I was freezing. Our class lined up outside where the asphalt met the grass. Nash, Dylan, and Jake used the opportunity to throw snowballs.

“Here, you’re shivering.” Brandon was holding out his coat to me.

I was taken aback at his kind gesture. Nash hadn’t even offered to stand next to me. I think I was too cold to answer.

I wanted so badly to be wrapped in Brandon’s coat, but I knew if I took it, my friends would freak out—especially Nash. But what my friends and Nash didn’t know was that I wanted to use Brandon’s coat—not because I was cold, but because it was
his
coat. It was close to his skin and cloaked him all day long. I knew it would smell good, too—like fabric softener or irresistible cologne or smoke from a fireplace. I wanted to wear it now, wear it all day, wear it forever. It would be the closest I’d be able to get to him again, since our time together in the woods when he saved my life.

Ivy shot me a dirty look. She was protective of me and must have thought Brandon was hitting on me. I could only hope.

Abby yanked my sleeve toward her and the three of us girls huddled together.

“I’ll take it,” Hayley Phillips, a skater from Riverside, said. She was wearing fingerless gloves, a knit hat, and a long-sleeved thermal henley. She put on Brandon’s coat. It swallowed her up like an oversized blanket.

I envied her. At that moment I would have given anything to have been in her skateboarding shoes.

School was closed for the next few days for the Thanksgiving holiday. Since I couldn’t see Brandon at school, I was looking forward to Nash’s party in the hope that he might show up. Nash lived in the same subdivision as Ivy and Abby. The homes were estates and had as many bathrooms as bedrooms. I spent hours trying to find the perfect outfit. I realized I was dressing up as much for a possible Brandon sighting as I was for Nash.

There was a strong chance Brandon wouldn’t show. Not only might it be that he’d gone out of town for the holiday, but if he’d remained in Legend’s Run, what did he have to gain by attending? He didn’t socialize with any of us or anyone who was coming to the party. He might have thought it was a trick or a potential hazing.

Ivy and I arrived at the party to find Abby already there with Dylan. Jake was talking to several jocks, and Nash was nowhere to be found.

When we headed into the kitchen, I found Nash by the refrigerator. Instead of greeting me with a passionate kiss—which I would have been uncomfortable with anyway—he seemed almost put off by my presence.

“You want me to pour your drinks?” He sighed. “I’m not used to being someone’s servant, you know. I thought I did my job when I apologized to that guy. Anyway, I haven’t seen him, and I’m crossing my fingers he doesn’t show.”

“Well, I think pouring me a soda would be a nice gesture,” I said, not because I wanted him to be a servant, but because it was the gentlemanly thing to do. “But I can pour my own drink,” I finally said.

“Forget it—” Nash said. “I’m not being a good host. What would you ladies like?”

I knew there was a good guy inside of Nash, but sometimes it took a lot of prodding to find him.

I hoped Brandon would arrive at any moment. There was a chance we could all get to know one another and make him feel more comfortable at our school. I knew that our being one big happy clique was near to impossible, but it was my nature to dream.

An hour passed and Brandon still hadn’t shown.

“You seem distracted,” Ivy said. “This party was your idea. You should be having the most fun.”

“I got the best part of the dare,” Nash said, chuckling. “Shame that Westsider didn’t show. I’m sure we would have been great friends.”

Nash headed for the stairs. I didn’t even follow him. Instead I sat on the couch and vacantly watched whatever was playing on the TV. The clock ticked on and Nash didn’t return. I’d finished my soda hours ago, so I decided to get a bottle of water. I was headed back to the kitchen when I spotted Brandon in the corner of the parlor.

He looked magnetic—more stunning than any other guy there. It wasn’t hard for him to look gorgeous—for Brandon it came naturally. It was clear he could have any girl at the party, if one so much as saw beyond his Westsider status. But it didn’t seem likely that any of these girls would look past their turned-up noses, and for this, I was almost grateful. He would have been fawned all over by every cheerleader and become just like any other guy on the football or basketball team, possibly just like the one who had invited me—who was supposed to be my boyfriend and wasn’t paying me any attention.

Brandon was sitting with Hayley Phillips and a few other skaters whom he must have brought with him. Hayley was talking to her friends, but Brandon wasn’t listening to their conversation. I didn’t think they were dating—I hoped they weren’t. Brandon wasn’t really talking to them but rather he appeared like he was observing the crowd, as if he was looking for someone. He didn’t notice me watching him.

“We should talk to them,” I said when Ivy reached my side.

“Why?” Ivy asked.

“Because they were invited to the party.”

“I know it’s your nature to be nice to everyone. But really, we don’t know them. They seem to be really happy hanging out together. And besides, it’s Nash’s party, not ours. He’s the one who should talk to them.”

Then it hit me—what if Brandon did mention our time in the woods? My friends would be very curious why I hadn’t mentioned that he was the one who saved me. Maybe I didn’t want my friends talking to them—I wasn’t sure they would understand why I hadn’t told them myself, and I didn’t want there to be trouble between Brandon and Nash.

On the other hand, Nash needed to welcome his new guests, just as Ivy said. I scoured the house for him. I went upstairs to find his bedroom door closed. Afraid of what—or who—I might find with him on the other side, I knocked. When no one answered, I opened it. The room was empty. I was relieved.

I finally found Nash downstairs in the media room. He was hanging out on the couch, yucking it up for some of his teammates. Heidi Rosen’s legs were draped over his lap.

Brandon wasn’t the only one Nash wasn’t paying attention to.

Nash saw me standing at the bottom of the stairs. “Hey, Celeste—” he called.

I turned around and left. When I reached the top of the stairs, I bumped into Brandon. I didn’t know what to say. I wanted to leave. My so-called boyfriend had disappointed me. I didn’t want anyone, much less Brandon, to witness it.

I just wanted to go. I found Ivy and told her what I’d seen. “The thing is, Ivy. I’m not sure that I care,” I finally admitted.

“Then you should stay,” she encouraged.

“I mean about Nash.”

Nash found me as I headed to the front door with my purse and keys in hand.

He tried to stop me.

“Celeste—” Nash said, “where are you going?”

“Out for some fresh air,” I said.

“You misinterpreted what you saw,” he said. “She was hanging on me, not the other way around.”

“Whatever. I don’t care. And besides, that’s not the issue, Nash. You missed the whole point of this party,” I said to him. “It was about our friends. It was about meeting other people. It definitely wasn’t supposed to be about Heidi Rosen.”

Fortunately the partygoers were focused on their own conversations—except for one person. Brandon was hanging by the foyer and overheard everything.

“Celeste, don’t go,” Ivy said, running up to us at the door. I pushed past Nash.

I was briskly marching to my car when I sensed someone behind me.

“I’m not staying, Nash,” I said.

It wasn’t Nash trailing me. It was Brandon.

He stood by my car, the moonlight shining on his face. He was so alluring, my heart raced and I was breathless. It was one thing to see Brandon from across the classroom or hallway, before he saved my life. But since I’d spent so many hours obsessing about him and imagining him kissing me, I was suddenly embarrassed being in his company—as if he knew the romantic thoughts I’d been thinking.

“Leaving so soon?” he asked.

“Uh . . . yes. I just . . .”

Now I felt torn. I was the one who put Nash up to inviting Brandon. Nash was ignoring him and now I was leaving.

“Funny. You were the reason I came,” he said as if the words had slipped from his lips.

I didn’t know what to say. I felt so flattered, awkward, and nervous. I knew I should say something witty back, but all my words escaped me.

I saw Nash looming by the front door.

“I better go,” I said. As I got into my car, Nash went back inside.

Brandon watched me as I put the gear into reverse.

I wasn’t sure what to do. I was pulled in two directions. I might have been leaving Nash, but I didn’t want to leave Brandon.

I turned off the ignition and got out of the car.

“Did you forget something?” Brandon asked.

“I never properly thanked you,” I said.

The moon twinkled above and the stars shined brightly. If I were the star of a Hollywood movie, I would have thrown myself into his arms and we would have shared a steamy kiss. But my life was far from a movie. I didn’t move, and neither did Brandon.

“Celeste!” Ivy called. She and Abby were running toward me.

Brandon retreated into the darkened shadows of the front yard.

“I thought you already left,” Ivy said. “I’m so glad you changed your mind.”

“I just forgot something,” I said.

“What did you forget?” Abby wondered.

“To thank someone who saved my life.”

“I’m not sure what you mean,” she said.

“That’s okay.” I sighed. “It’s hard to explain.”

“Please don’t leave,” Ivy begged. “Nash was just being foolish. He’s in there sulking. You left him in front of everyone.”

I smiled. Normally I didn’t seek revenge, but Nash deserved a time-out. He wasn’t doting like Jake and Dylan, or chivalrous like Brandon. I didn’t want to be anywhere near him and remind myself of his behavior.

“Next time I have servants for a day,” I said to Ivy, “I won’t waste it on him.”