Shift (The Neturu Chronicles) (27 page)

               
“Jackson, don’t do this, don’t lie,” Kayla retorts.

               
“I’m not lying, but if Damien wants to watch out for you tonight, then so be
it.”  Jackson escapes from the room before Kayla can question him any
more.

               
Kayla quickly turns to Damien.  “Hold on a second.”

               
“Ookaay,” Damien draws out in hesitation.

               
“I promise I’ll be back in a minute,” Kayla states.  Damien nods but is
noticeably displeased.  “I promise, right back.”  She darts out of
the room in time to see Jackson go down the steps.  “Jackson, wait!” 
Jackson pauses, but doesn’t turn around.  “Hey, look at me.”

               
“What do you want?” Jackson asks quietly.

               
She stops on the step below him.  “Swear to me that it didn’t really
happen.”

               
He stares at her and then looks away.  “Kayla—”

               
“So it really did happen.  Why lie about it?”

               
“Because I shouldn’t have done it.  It was twenty shades of wrong.”

               
They pause and look at each other.  “I don’t understand what was so wrong
about it.  Why does everything between us have to be wrong?”

               
Jackson sighs. “It’s not wrong in how you’re thinking.  It’s wrong because
you were sleeping.”

               
“Did I shift?”

               
“No, just wandering.  I'm sorry.  I shouldn’t have kissed you, but I
couldn’t help myself.  I never should have done it.  It was wrong.”

               
Kayla studies him.  “Why do you push me away so much?”

               
“I don’t mean to push you away.  I just…it doesn’t matter.  You
should get back to Damien and your date.”

               
Kayla frowns at his response. “Yeah, how stupid of me.  Why do I even
bother having these conversations with you?  Have a good night!”  She
walks past him, going back up the steps. 

               
He reaches out and grabs her, turning toward him.  “Listen, it’s not that
I don’t want to kiss you, I do, but you and I will never be more than
friends.  Ever.”

               
“Thanks for setting the record straight,” Kayla states.  She pulls away
from him and returns to Damien’s room.  When Kayla gets to his door, she
turns and looks down the steps.  Jackson is still there, staring at
her.  She shakes her head and walks into Damien’s room.  Kayla finds
him pulling on a pair of pants.  “Geez, Damien!” she yells, covering her
eyes.  “Shut your door next time!”

               
“I’m not shy like you. Anyways, I figured you’d be arguing with Jackson for a
while.”  He pauses. “You have me worried, though.”

               
Kayla sits on his bed.  “What do you mean?”

               
“You and Jackson seem to clash a lot, and I wonder if there’s a deeper reason
behind it.”

               
She shakes her head and mumbles, “Trust me; you have nothing to worry about.”

               
“Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not trying to be possessive.  If you wanted
Jackson, whatever, more power to you.  I'll just do my best to get your
mind off of him.”

               
A smile spreads across Kayla’s face.  “I like the sound of that.”

               
Damien pulls on a shirt and grins.  “Well then, we can start now. 
What do you want to do?”

               
“I have no idea.”

               
“I know,” Damien says.  He walks over to his TV and turns it on. 
“Close your eyes.”

               
Laughing, Kayla asks, “Why?”

               
“Just do it,
”
Damien
instructs with excitement.
“
I
have to hook something up.” Kayla shuts her eyes and waits.  A few minutes
go by and when she is about to say something, Damien says, “All right, you can
open your eyes.”

               
When Kayla does, she sees the opening credits of
The Lion King
playing
on the TV.  She squeals and claps her hands.  “Do you own this?”

               
“Nope, it’s one of those membership movie sites.”  He walks over and hops
onto his bed, patting the pillow next to him. “Come here.”

               
Kayla giggles.  She crawls across the bed to where he is sitting. 
She leans against the headboard next to him, listening to the opening music of
The
Lion King
.  “This may sound hokey, but I love this song.”

               
“Didn’t we both confess knowledge of the entire
Grease
soundtrack? 
I think
The Lion King
is all right too.”

               
Kayla looks up at him.  “I think I like you.”

               
“I think I like you too,” Damien whispers.

               
Leaning over, Kayla kisses him.  Damien returns the affection, but then
pushes her away.  “Not while we’re in bed, okay?  I don’t want anyone
to get the wrong impression.”

               
“Okay,” Kayla murmurs.  She smiles and then lies down, putting her head on
his lap.  She hears him chuckle.  Damien pulls her hair back and
tucks it behind her ear while they watch the movie.

               
A little while later she hears, “Kayla, hon, wake up.”

               
She opens her eyes and yawns before bolting upright.    “Oh
my gosh
!  How long have I been asleep?”

               
“Awhile,” Damien replies.  “I officially can’t feel my legs, and it takes
us a lot longer for our legs to go to sleep than the typical human.”

               
“I’m so sorry.  You should’ve woken me up.”

               
Damien smiles. “Don’t be silly.  You had a crazy day.  I’m surprised
you made it halfway through the movie.”

               
“Slightly embarrassing.”

               
“Oh come on, your snoring was cute,” Damien teases.

               
“
What?
” Kayla yells.

               
Damien laughs. “I was only kidding.”

               
“Oh, thank God.  I should get home.” Kayla sighs.

               
“Why don’t you stay here?”

               
Raising her eyebrows, Kayla retorts, “In your room?”

               
“No, Jackson would hang me.  There’s a guest room with an alarm on the
door and window.”

               
“What?  Why?” Kayla spits out, confused.

               
Slightly grimacing, Damien replies, “Jackson's parents prepared a room in case
you were brought here.”

               
“Why!  Did you hear something about my parents?”

               
With a gentle look Damien replies, “Not yet, but they wanted to be prepared if
it happened.”

               
“So I really may have to live with you?” Kayla whispers.  “What about my
stuff?  What about my family?”

               
“I’ve been communicating with the council, but I only have so much influence,”
Damien sighs.  “I haven’t heard anything today.”

               
A tear rolls down Kayla’s face.  “I haven’t heard from my parents in
forever.  What if something’s wrong?”

               
“Hold on,” Damien says, reaching for his cell phone.  He dials a number
and waits.  Kayla looks at him, not even trying to hide her worry. 
Finally, he says, “Hey, Dad, I need to ask you something.”  He pauses.
“Yes, it’s regarding Kayla.  What’s going on with her parents?  They
haven’t contacted her yet.”  With a surprised look, Damien returns,
“Oh…well that’s new.  Can I call over there?”  He looks at Kayla and
smiles.  “All right, because she’s upset and I’d like to fix that. 
Yes, Dad, I really mean it.”  Damien rubs his forehead.  “Father,
really, I have more respect for her than that.  I promise to be a
gentleman.”  Kayla starts to giggle and quickly covers her mouth with her
hand.  Damien rolls his eyes.  “I’m going now.  She’s sitting
right next to me.  Yes, Father, she is.  Okay, bye.”  He hangs
up the phone and sighs.  “My reputation precedes me worse than I thought.”

               
“If you weren’t such a playboy, you wouldn’t have that problem.” Kayla
snickers.

               
Damien shakes his head.  “Your parents are at the guarded housing. 
They aren’t allowed cell phones or calls.  It’s highly secured and
guarded,
but
the prince is at your disposal, and I'll use whatever
influence I have.”

               
“Please call them,” Kayla pleads.  “I want to talk to my mom and dad.”

               
He nods.  “Just realize that you won’t be able to ask them anything about
what’s going on.”

               
“Why?” Kayla cries.  “I’m worried.”

               
“Rules are rules; the council hasn’t made a decision yet.  Let me call the
safe house.”  He dials a number and waits. “Hello, who am I speaking to?
This is Damien Blakely.  Yes, this is really Damien.  Sni le fotames
al shi te int cospa.”

               
With a bewildered look, Kayla says, “Wwwhhhhaaat?”

               
“Enc shi fosmal entuletic.” Damien sighs into the phone.  “Just put one of
the Hendrickson’s on the phone, or so help me, I
will
call my
father.”  He smiles. “Hold on.  They’re getting your parents.” 
A few minutes go by and then Damien says, “Mrs. Hendrickson, yes, I have Kayla,
hold on.” 

               
Damien hands her the phone. “Mom,” Kayla practically yells.

               
“Hi, honey.  I’m sorry we couldn’t call, and don’t ask anything, because
we won’t be able to answer any questions.  Are you all right?”

               
“Yeah, I want you home.”

               
Her mom releases a heavy sigh. “Hopefully they will make a decision tomorrow,
and then we’ll be home.  Are you sure you're all right?  No
accidental shifting?”

               
“No, only purposeful shifting, and the boys taught me how to meditate and go to
wherever it is that we go to restore our energy.”

               
“Shima,” her mom replies.  “We call it Shima. What are you doing right
now?”

               
“Trying to stay awake.  I fell asleep watching
The Lion King
with
Damien.”

               
There is an awkward silence and then her mom articulates, “He’s at the house?”

               
“No, we’re at Jackson’s.”

               
“Oh good,” her mom sighs.  “Is Jackson there with you?”

               
Snorting, Kayla replies, “He’s off sulking somewhere.”

               
“Actually,” Damien interjects, “he’s out with Tracy.  He came in here
while you were sleeping.  He looked really pissed off when he saw you
draped across my lap and snapped that he was going out with her.  He’s so
testy sometimes.”

               
“Oh,” Kayla says to Damien before replying to her mom.  “I guess he’s with
Tracy.”

               
“Ummm, I hope he's not on a date.”

               
Kayla laughs.  “I doubt it.  Even if he was, it doesn’t matter.
 Jackson is free to date other people.  I’m sure Tracy will flirt her
pretty little head off.”

               
“Yes, she does like to do that,” her mom sighs with a laugh.  “All right,
please tell me you’re going home tonight.”

               
“Well, actually, Damien says they set up a bedroom with an alarm.  I
should probably stay here.”

               
Her mother clears her throat. “Damien is going to sleep in his room, right?”

               
“I sure hope so,” Kayla exclaims.  “If he goes into anyone’s bed, it sure
as hell better be Jackson’s.”  Damien gives her a disgusted look and gags. 
Kayla smiles back at him. 

               
“All right, honey, just be careful, okay?  I don’t want you to get in over
your head.”

               
Kayla rolls her eyes.  “That seems like the general consensus.”

               
“We just worry.”

               
“Whatever, Mom, don’t worry, I’m a good girl, still planning to save myself for
marriage.”  Damien snaps his fingers in mock disappointment, and Kayla
punches him on the shoulder.

               
Her mom pauses. “We never had that conversation, but that’s good to hear.” 
Kayla hears another voice on the other end of the phone and then her mom says,
“Okay, honey, I have to go.  We love you and will call you as soon as we
can.”

               
“I love you too,” Kayla exclaims.  “Tell Dad that.”

               
“I will, honey.  I need to hang up.  Be safe.”

               
“I will.”

               
Her mom says, “Night baby,” and then hangs up.

               
Setting the phone down, Kayla starts to cry. “Hey,” Damien says, scooting over
to her.  “It’ll be all right.”  He wraps his arms around her and
Kayla leans against him.