MoonNight (4 page)

That shut Tarun up real quick.
  It didn’t stop that glare on her face though.

“Later woods,” she sneered.

“Stop guys,” Carson said breaking the silence. “So Leslie
,
how about that beach party?”

“Under one condition,” I said.
 
“You explain your strange behavior.
 
The tattoos on your neck, why you only eat your meet,” I gestured to
their
empty buns.
 
“Why no one sits by you and why the heck you call me human as if
you’re
not.
 
And I’m not saying I don’t think you’re not human but-“

“Explanation promised.
 
Tonight at eight meet down at the parking lot.”
 
Carson beamed.

 
 
 
I sat on my bed desperately attempting to get any last minute homework done before I got dressed for this awful party.
 
But on the bright side that was the first party I had ever
been asked to unless you count my own childhood birthday parties.
 
Which in my book it didn’t.

 
 
 
My alarm clock read 7:54.
 
Shoot.
 
I scrambled off the bunk and looked through the drawers to find some clothes.
 
At least I had some privacy.
 
Emi was a pretty easy roommate to live with considering the fact that she was only in here for yoga practices and microwave popcorn.
 
I shimmied in to a top and stuck some shorts on.
 
Now all I needed were my keys and cell.

 
 
 
I yanked the door open to see Carson Lund standing in the doorway.
 
No matter how many times I looked at him I could never get over his enticing presence.
 
Now there was a friendly connection between us.
 
Plus I needed that explanation.
 

 
 
 
“Hi,” he said.
 
 
 
“Thought we were going to meet in the parking lot?” I gave a little smile.

 
 
 
“Yeah well the rest already left so I said I would drive you there.”

 
 
 
“But I didn’t sign the papers at the car rental for a second driver though.”

 
 
 
He raised his
eyebrows, “So
?”
This guy didn’t follow the rules.

 
 
 
“Never
mind let’s go,” I said.

 
 
 
He placed his fingertips on my back and led me to my blue
Volkswagen
rental.

 
 
 
“How did you know?” I asked.

 
 
 
“I watched you get out of it last week on the first day.” Carson shrugged.
 

 
 
 
“You just get stranger and stranger.” I said.

 
 
 
“You have no idea.
 
Keys please?”

 
 
 
“Oh yeah here.” I handed the keys to him.
 
“Drive safe.”

 
 
 
We drove past the
Starbucks
, gas station, few hamburger stops, all the way in to town to get on to the
freeway
entrance. I was sweating now.
 
Being alone in the car with Carson was kind of scaring me.
 
 
 
I pressed my
forehead against
the cool glass watching trees, cars, and the occasional jogger fly by.
 
After about five minutes I looked over at Carson.
 
He was staring right at me.
 

 
 
 
“Oh my gosh!
 
Pay attention to the road!” he was going
seventy
miles an hour on a narrow one lane freeway where animals could be crossing at any time.
 

 
 
 
“I assure you I can see perfectly fine.”

     “I don’t believe it.”
 
 
 

   “I
t’s just my
peripheral
.”

 
 
 
“Yeah your supernatural
peripheral
!” I snapped back.
 
“Sorry.” I guess I wasn’t just apologizing for this but Carson had actually been fairly good in the past and I never returned it.

 
 
 
“No it’s okay.” His brilliant green eyes let me know that he meant what he said.
 
His eyes still not on the road.
 
But that was for later.
 
He reached out a hand and stroked my cheek.
 
I placed my hand over his strong masculine one.
 
We just sat there smiling at
each other
before Carson burst out laughing.

 
 
 
“What?” I said my smile dropping.

 
 
 
“Nothing you just amaze me.”

 
 
 
“So where exactly are we going?” I asked.

 
 
 
“Yakutat, another twenty minutes from here.
 
We’ll arrive
about eight
thirty and stay there ‘til about eleven.
 
By the way you’ll meet my parents and the rest of the clan.”
 
 
 

“Clan?” I asked.
 
“Like
Indian
reservation?”

 
 
 
“Well no we live in kind of a community together because we’re… different.
 
And that’s kind of why the rest didn’t want you to come so don’t take it personally.”

 
 
 
Carson looked up a little flashing his tattoo.
 
Circular with a claw.

 
 
 
“But I thought we were going down to the beach not your community thing.” I said.

 
 
 
“Yeah the community is about a mile away from the beach.
 
We still own that piece of property though.”
 
A
fter that we were silent for the
remainder of the drive.

 
 
 
I had been
too
caught up in Carson and our conversation I was surprised to feel the sudden jolt of the car stopping, parking right next to a red corvette.
 
The
exact
one from school with the sticker of a guy holding up the west coast sign.
 
I took a look around me from the window.
 
We were at a sudden stop in the road, before us was a thick
tree line
.
 
To the sides were small houses.
 
Well-manicured
but still
small
.
 
All of them were
rusty
brown, holding
wind chimes
to
dream catchers
.
 
Hanging everywhere.
 
I’m guessing this was
Carson’s
community.

 
 
 
“Where’s the
beach?
” I asked turning towards the
driv
e
r’s
seat finding it empty.

 
 
 
“Through these trees just a
mile
walk.” He held the passenger door open, hand outstretched.
 
“C’mon.” he said.
 
 
 
I grasped his hand and stepped out to the chilly night air.
 
Shoot
.
 
I forgot a jacket.
 
We stepped in to the thick
tree line
.
 
I felt as If I was going to get hypothermia.
 
My whole body shuddered.

 
 
 
“What’s a matter?” Carson asked.

 
 
 
“No
thing, just cold.
” I replied.

 
 
 
“Here,” he peeled off his dark jacket holding it up so I could get my arms in.

 
 
 
“Thanks, but aren’t you going to get cold?” I asked looking at his usual black tee.

 
 
 
“Nope I don’t get cold.” He took back my hand in his.

 
 
 
“Carson?”

 
 
 
“What.”

 
 
 
“You know that’s just another explanation.”

     
Chapter 3

We walked a little further hand in hand.
 
For me it was a little awkward but he looked so calm and of course the usual beautiful that I didn’t say anything.
 
I was regretting I had never had a relationship before.
 
Experience was needed.
 
My mom had always pressured me to socialize.
 
What would she think of Rosa, Loren, Tarun, Jeremy,
Dimitri, and Regan?  I knew Carson was acting towards me as he does to every girl.  Kind, gentlemen like and holding hands was just part of his nature.

 
 
 
As soon as the beach was in view I could see a huge bonfire and people dancing around it in a very crazy manner.
 
Smell of natural smoke and salty beach air. 
Some people were playing drums and a couple of other unrecognizable instruments.
 
There were close to a hundred people give or take a few.
 
All different age ranges.
 
They all wore different close but still all was dark.
 
Plaid button down shirts, black jeans, hideous fedoras, anything.
 
 
 
Carson tugged me forward a little.
 
Finally we stopped closer
to;
thank heavens, the warmth of the fire.
 
Next to a group of people who were taking down whisky like madmen.