Shadow's Dangers (5 page)

“Don’t feel guilty. You’re not. Travis likes to spice up any situation that lacks action. I’m forced to recognize that he’s also good at it,” she sighed dejectedly.

I didn’t reply and, instead, I watched the two brothers talking outside. Contrary to the tension I thought I saw from Garreth, they didn’t come to blows. They talked quietly. In the end, they were perhaps more conventional than I thought.

“Feeling better?”

I looked away to give my full attention to Leighton. “Uh... yes.”

I didn’t see at all what she meant. Did I seem about to lose it at any time? I didn’t act normally from the moment I met them, okay, but I wasn’t that bad, was I?

“You seem lost,” she remarked. “I was talking about yesterday. You know, when you got out of the class after our arrival. Hayden told me that you weren’t doing very well lately because of your grandmother.”

I was surprised when I heard that Hayden told them about my situation. They would have learned sooner or later anyway, so there was no reason to blame Hayden. If she only knew that my hasty departure yesterday had nothing to do with my deceased grandmother. It was due to the brother in charge, although I didn’t know why. Better shut it, though. She was his sister after all and I didn’t want to seem crazy.

“I sympathize. We also lost members of our family.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered in understanding.

“You don’t have to be sorry. Eventually... we get used to it. And you’ll get used to it too, even if it seems impossible for you now. You will find people who will replace the missing ones, or at least that will heal the wounds of your heart and soothe the pain of your soul.”

She said it with such conviction that I was tempted to believe it. Then I came to a harsh reality. Suffering will never go away.

“Ah! Garreth returns.”

I glanced outside and noticed with astonishment that Travis had vanished. Garreth took his place behind the wheel and drove off without saying anything. The engine roared to life under the hood.

“Where is Travis?” I whispered, confused.

“Don’t worry about him,” said Garreth, his voice making me shiver slightly. “He will do very well to arrive on time. I even bet he will be there before us.”

I looked at his sparkling green eyes reflecting in the mirror. His emerald eyes, almost transparent like the other members of his family, were making my stomach writhe in fear. A second before he made me shudder and the next second, he scared me. Even though he had done nothing to do so. I didn’t understand my reaction, but one thing was certain: there was a problem and I didn’t know how to solve it. My mind was telling me I was imagining things and he wasn’t dangerous, but my instinct kept yelling at me to run away from him...

The fifteen minute drive was silent and contrary to what Garreth said, Travis was not there when we got to the school parking lot. When I pointed out his absence and that maybe someone should get him so he didn’t get lost or arrive late, Garreth and Leighton said nothing.

I left the car without another word and the other two did the same. I was not surprised to see prying eyes land on us. The car, which clashed in the parking lot should have been the main reason, even though me having arrived with the newcomers must also have caused a reaction.

“Hello everyone!” Hayden exclaimed as I walked towards her, Leighton and Garreth after me.

My best friend came and hugged me. Nothing unusual in that. However, what struck me as less than normal was that she took Leighton in her arms, too. I stared at them, stunned. They only knew each other for a day, and had probably spoken for only a few minutes, but they acted as if they had been friends forever. There was no mistaking that I liked Leighton a lot. She looked like a nice girl, if a little eccentric, and I thought I could count her among my friends soon, a true and sincere friend like Hayden. However, I was a bit jealous because Hayden was behaving with her just as she did with me. Except with me, it took her months rather than a single day to create the  camaraderie. At the same time, I had to admit that Leighton seemed much more open and pleasant than I had ever been or ever would be.

“Deliah!”

Inwardly praying that this wasn't who I thought it was, I reluctantly turned and saw what I didn't want to see: Spencer. I barely held a grimace. Spencer West was a Junior who I agreed to help in history. He was friendly, helpful, pretty funny and quite cute with his blond hair and blue eyes; however, I didn't think of him other than a good friend. He apparently, had not yet understood that, even after I refused countless invitations to movies, restaurants, the State Fair and so on.

“Hi! How are you?” he asked enthusiastically.

I was grateful that I didn’t have to launch into the conversation about Tess that inevitably ended with condolences. It would spare some tears, even if he was already standing too closely to me, with his hand on my arm. I had never been a touchy-feely kind of person, and even less so with the male gender.

“I’m okay,” I replied, unwilling to engage in a long conversation with him.

“And I’m fine. Especially since I saw you,” he told me, dropping his voice when he saw that all the others were listening to our exchange.

I bit my lip and he probably thought it was because I was flattered and embarrassed at the same time. It was just the opposite. I was conscious of sending mixed signals to the poor boy, but I couldn’t help myself. Compliments had always had this effect on me.

“You know, we should...”

Oh no. Don’t. Please, just don’t...
Too bad he couldn’t hear my reaction, it definitely would end his desire to go out with me. I admitted it was bad on my part, but I didn’t want to go out with him. Or anyone else.

“...with me?”

Now, this was problematic. I had absolutely not listened to a thing he’d told me. In disarray, even more I chewed my lip, while leaving a strand of hair behind my ear. My actions made him smile.
Urgh...
Once again, he probably thought that I acted shy because I was pleased that he liked me so much. Admittedly, I was embarrassed. But it was not for the reasons he thought.

“She can’t go with you to the movies, this weekend,” said someone for me.

Sarcastic and rude voice, although the tone was beautiful at its base, I knew who it was.
As if it wasn’t enough to deal with Spencer.
Apparently, Travis had arrived at school. Spencer stopped touching me. Travis took the opportunity to put an arm around my frail shoulders. Frankly disturbed by the contact, I tried to get rid of his arm, but he reacted immediately, squeezing me even more, thus preventing me from moving. Spencer followed his gesture, barely containing the fury that animated him. The only thing I knew about this circus was that being near Grumpy highly displeased me.

“Oh...and who is going to occupy her whole weekend?”

I was still present but apparently nobody cared. Spencer’s voice contained hints of frustration and barely concealed rage. If the situation hadn’t been so ridiculously uncomfortable for me and if I hadn’t been one of the protagonists, I would have laughed.

“My brother, Garreth. She gives him tutoring. He’s a calamity in physics,” he added with a highly mocking pout. “Believe me, our beautiful Deliah is going to need the whole weekend to take care of him properly.”

Oh God, it all sounds terribly...sexual,
I thought, mortified. And obviously, I wasn’t the only one that thought so. Spencer was as angry as ever, Hayden was speechless, Leighton looked surprised and a little amused, while Garreth sported an openly annoyed air that made me shudder. He was obviously trying to maintain a straight face in light of the absurdities of his brother. I never felt so awkward.

Determined to put an end to this, I escaped Travis’s embrace and walked to Spencer. I had nothing planned for the weekend, contrary to what Travis had just said, and an evening with Spencer wouldn’t kill me after all. I could just put the record straight from the beginning and everything would be fine.

“Look, Spencer, what he said was...”

“The strict truth,” Leighton immediately interrupted me and I almost gaped in amazement at her speech. “My brother does really need help in history and science,” she clarified emphatically while glaring at Travis. “And the sooner the better if he wants to succeed his year. It would be really... nice of you to help us by freeing Deliah of any obligation this weekend.”

I didn’t like lies but in the end, this one wasn’t so bad and Leighton had corrected everything about Garreth and me. Her intonations were so coaxing it didn’t even surprise me when Spencer stammered, charmed:

“I..well...no problem.”

My would-be suitor stared at Leighton as if she were a divine apparition before dazedly walking away with a vague wave of his hand. He had just been sent to a totally different planet! I looked away, torn between feelings of intense relief and just a hint of jealousy toward Leighton, the helpful girl who got me out of my embarrassing distress. Honestly, what was my problem? She had only helped me! After all, it was not her fault if she was nicer, prettier and more talented than me with men.

Garreth’s voice cut my procrastination short.

“When you've finished making me look like the biggest of imbeciles, you can call me. And you, Travis, you'll get what's coming to you,” he warned, his voice so full of threats that the incident in the car suddenly seemed like nothing.

I tried to say something...anything, but it was a wasted effort. Garreth was already walking away.

***

At lunch, when Hayden and I arrived at the canteen, I noticed with amazement that our table was already occupied. I blinked several times, sure it was a hallucination. It wasn't. They were indeed, in our usual spot in the cafeteria. If it had been only Leighton, I would have gladly accepted her presence. But her brothers were with her, and Travis gave me desires of murder just by thinking his name, while Garreth put me ill-at-ease in so many ways. Not to mention the incident this morning, which I was indirectly responsible for and the cause to get under his nerves, although now he seemed rather calm.

“You told them where we eat?” Hayden murmured.

Resigned, I walked towards them, with my friend who seemed equally disturbed as me to see them sitting at our table.

“That is exactly the question I wanted to ask you.”

Without realizing it and most importantly, without having had time to shut my big mouth, I told her my opinion.

“Maybe you told...” But I did not finish my sentence because it was enough for her to grasp what I wanted to say.

She glared at me with her big, brown eyes. She was upset.

“I know what I said and I never told them about it,” she exclaimed, annoyed by my innuendo. Hayden could have her head in the clouds and sometimes blurt out things she would have done better to keep quiet, but if she assured me that she hadn’t said anything, I trusted her.

I took a look at the Wates and caught them staring at us.
So much for discretion.
We crossed the last few feet separating us from the table and sat down in the remaining two chairs in front of them. I had the vague impression that they were trying to get closer while still putting up walls. I had to reason with myself because, undoubtedly, I was probably inventing this fantastic scenario.

“How was your morning?” Leighton questioned us before biting into a fry.

“Good.” Hayden and I said at the same time.

I was surprised to see her still as happy as ever. Wasn’t she angry or upset from time to time? To my knowledge, no one in high school could stay happy all day without once emitting negative waves. Unless something was wrong with her mind. It seemed plausible, considering they’d come to live here when nobody ever moved to this region, except those whose family had previously resided here. People tended to flee the town, like I hoped to do one day, rather than coming to live here. Besides they stayed with us, which was strange itself. Not because Hayden’s company was unpleasant but mine, on the other hand, was another story entirely. But I was probably imagining things. Leighton liked Hayden, maybe me in a pinch and her brothers followed her, that was all.

“Fortunately, you told us where your table was,” Leighton said to Hayden, looking grateful. “Thanks to you, we didn’t need to wait for you after class to know where we were going to settle down. Anyway, how was your French lesson?”

I didn’t answer, I was too busy staring at my best friend with big eyes. I pulled myself together and looked away. She hadn’t done it on purpose, but it hurt me anyway. We hardly knew these people and yet, they were upsetting the established order of our lives. There was nothing normal about my life, currently, so I had hoped that at least during school, with her, things would remain as they had been. Apparently not. Even my routine here would be turned upside down.

“You’re awfully brave for taking that course. Personally, I...”

I couldn’t listen anymore. These debates, so normal for teenagers of our age, seemed insignificant to me at the moment. As if all that was my life before became the life of another. I had the feeling of being someone else. And then, seeing this new family at our side, the impression was further enhanced. I’d had enough change. I just wanted a break and something stable, familiar, reassuring. Was it really too much to ask?

“You know, even if it’s difficult, it is...” Hayden said when I paid attention again, but I quickly dropped it.

Despite my effort, the memory of Tess came back stronger than ever. She was who inspired me to take the courses in French, because she’d spoken the language and said it was one of the most beautiful in the world. She told me that it would be useful to me when we went to Canada. To Quebec, more precisely, where they speak English and French. Tess had saved throughout my childhood and adolescence so that we could go there after my degree. But with Tess gone, that was over. No more dreams, no more future, no more family.

Feeling the pain wake up again, I tried to chase it out of my mind and turned my eyes to the two protagonists of the conversation. My attention finally wandered over to Garreth. Obviously, he had been staring at me for a long time. At first I thought he wanted me to apologize for the incident from the morning, which I wasn’t going to do because I hadn’t asked Travis or Leighton to interfere in my conversation with Spencer. I realized very quickly that there was no reproach, no animosity in his eyes. It was the opposite; he looked puzzled. His attitude was frankly disturbing, the boy blowing hot and cold, but this time, that wasn’t what bothered me. No, it was this particular look, I was sure I had already seen it, a long time ago. I searched my memory, trying to find where the feeling had come from.