Shift (The Neturu Chronicles) (34 page)

               
“I am not going anywhere too fast or slow,” she replies.  “Damien actually
likes me, and I like him back.  There isn’t anything wrong with that.”

               
Jackson sighs. “I didn’t say there was.  I just want you to be careful.”

               
“I know you want to look out for me, but I’m okay.  I promise.  I
care about you and appreciate your concern, but I can handle Damien.”

               
Bringing his hand up, Jackson traces his fingers down the side of Kayla’s
face.  “I care about you too.  I just don’t want you hurt.  If
he hurts you, I’ll kill him, and then I’ll be in a lot of trouble.”

               
Kayla puts her hand on his. “That won't be necessary, but thank you.”

               
Pulling his hand away, Jackson whispers, “You’re my friend.  I care about
my friends.  We should get back.  Come on.”  He
disappears.  Kayla shakes her head and then closes her eyes.

               
The three of them eat dinner together in the kitchen.  They eat everything
that Jackson bought and Kayla covers her mouth.  “Dear Lord, please do not
let me blow up.”

               
“Your hunger will calm down once you get used to shifting,” Damien reassures
her.

               
“You guys ate just as much!”

               
Putting his finger up, Jackson replies, “We did shift more than you.”

               
“True. Well, if I
’
m
staying here, I need to go home and pack some stuff.”

               
“I’ll take you,” Damien says, standing up.  He reaches out to take their
plates when his phone rings.  He pulls it out of his pocket and answers
it. “Hello.  Hey, Pops.  What?  A videoconference now,
really?  Yeah, fine, I can do that.  All right, in fifteen
minutes.  See you then.”  Damien hangs up the phone and looks at
Jackson and Kayla.  “Can you take her?  I have a stupid meeting with
the council I have to do.  Who knows what they want now?”

               
Jackson rolls his eyes and sarcastically exhales. “I guess.”

               
Kayla turns and punches him on the shoulder.  “You can let me borrow your
car and I can go myself.”

               
“And have you shift while driving?  I don’t think so.  I like my car
too much.”

               
“Come on then, I need to change and pack a suitcase.  This is so
weird.  If you had told me the day we met that I would be moving into your
house less than a week later, I would’ve thought you were nuts.  I figured
we would have killed each other by now.”

               
Tapping his chin, Jackson says, “Killed each other or made out like crazy—those
would have been my two guesses.”

               
Damien says, “I’m glad that neither of those happened.  Try not to get
into trouble while you’re gone.”

               
“We won’t.  Come on, stud,
let’s
go party.” 
Kayla walks over to Jackson and pushes him.

               
Holding his hand to his chest, Jackson goes, “Ooh, stud, Damien, perhaps you
should be worried.”

               
“There is nothing to worry about,” Kayla retorts.  “We’re going to get
clothes.”

               
“I’ll help pick out those clothes,” Jackson whispers. “And underwear.”

               
Kayla yells, “Jackson!  Not a chance.”

               
“Maybe we should wait until after the videoconference,” Damien interjects slowly.

               
She shakes her head.  “There is nothing to worry about.  Remember,
I’ll slap him.”

               
“What if I like getting slapped?” Jackson asks.

               
“
Ew
, Jackson, you’re so weird.”

               
He pulls out his keys and swings them around his finger. “No, I’m
awesome.  Come on, let’s go.  I do have school tomorrow.”

               
“My parents have to call me in as absent for the week.  Can you grab my
homework from my teachers?”

               
“Sure thing. I’ll also shove Jude into a locker and close it.”

               
Kayla gives him a look.  “We can leave him alone now.”

               
“Fine,” Jackson groans dramatically.  “Come on, let’s go.”

               
Looking at Damien, Kayla says, “Bye.”

               
He smiles and walks over to her.  Bending down he kisses her gently on the
lips.  “See you soon.”

               
“Okay,” she bashfully whispers.

               
Jackson groans and grabs her hand, pulling her out the kitchen door.  They
put their jackets on and drive to Kayla’s.  Kayla blasts music and sings
along to it all the way there.

               
When they get into Kayla’s room, she hauls out her suitcase.  “
It’s
hot pink,” Jackson declares, looking at her luggage.

               
“It’s awesome,” Kayla says.  “Shut up.”  She throws it on her
bed.  “Let’s see, I need pajamas, clothes, and underthings.”

               
“Underthings?  I told you I would help pick those out.”

               
Glaring at him, Kayla says, “No you won’t.  You will turn around when I
pack those.”

               
“Whatever,” Jackson sarcastically groans.  “As for pajamas, I think you
should pack some nighties.”

               
“Who says I even own those?  And what would I need a nightie for anyway?”

               
He wiggles his eyebrows.  “It would make our hallway encounters much more
entertaining.”

               
“Shut up.” Kayla giggles. “Go find one of your girlfriends to play doctor
with.”

               
Jackson sits on her bed, leaning back on his hands.  “It’s not like I’ve
had sex with a ton of girls.  I’m not like Damien.”

               
Going to her closet, Kayla starts pulling out some pants.  “If I may ask,
how many girls have you slept with?”

               
“That’s a little personal.”

               
“See, that’s what I like about Damien.  He answers any question I ask
him.”

               
“Oh, I see, so that’s supposed to get me to answer that question.”

               
Kayla shakes her head.  “Nope, we’re only friends.  You don’t have to
answer any of my inquiries.”

               
Jackson sighs. “One.”

               
“What?” Kayla gasps, turning around.  “What do you mean one?”

               
“I have only been with one girl, one human girl.”

               
Stuttering, Kayla says, “But…you always made it sound like…well…one…really?”

               
He nods. “Yup, three months ago, in defiance of my parents.”

               
“Defiance, why, because you were moving here?”

               
Nodding, Jackson replies, “Yup.  I blatantly did it at home, to piss them
off.”

               
“I’m not sure what to say about that.”

               
“There’s nothing to say.  Sure, I goofed around with girls, but it never
went anywhere.  I did it to make my parents mad, plain and simple.”

               
Kayla opens her mouth and then closes it.  “Did it work?  Did you
make your point?”

               
“Like you have no idea.” Jackson laughs.  “I was in sooo much trouble.”

               
Kayla shakes her head.  “What an awful way to lose your virginity. 
Did you at least like the girl?”

               
“Sure, but she knew it didn’t mean anything.  I was leaving and she knew
it.”

               
“Jackson, that’s horrible.  I mean, at least Damien was doing it because
he’s slutty.  That just makes you jaded.”

               
Jackson exhales and says, “Yeah, I know, but I plan on the next time being
special, like, I really don’t think I’m going to be with anyone until I’m in
love.”

               
“As in, until you’re married?” Kayla asks hopefully.

               
Jackson chuckles. “Or until I’m engaged at least, because then I know it’s
going to last.  I’m not going to be one of those guys who gets engaged and
then backs down.”

               
“I wonder when I will get engaged.  I mean, I want to go to college and
everything, but part of me wants to find someone special and do it with them,”
Kayla whispers as she puts pants in her suitcase.  “Maybe that’s silly
because I’m so young.”

               
“No, I understand. It’s our age, hormones and everything.  Do you think
you could do that with Damien?”

               
Kayla’s eyes bulge.  “I don’t know.  I
’
ve only known the guy for a few days.  I kind of feel
like a kissing slut.  I go from never really kissing boys to making out
with one I just met, and then there’s you too.  I don’t know what’s wrong
with me.”

               
“There is nothing wrong with you.  I feel the pull too.  I just want
to make sure Damien doesn’t pull you in too far.”

               
“Will you make me a promise?”

               
Jackson nods. “Sure.”

               
“If you
really, truly
think I’m jumping in headfirst too fast, will you
make sure I stay grounded?”

               
A smile spreads across Jackson’s face.  “Yes, I promise to pull Damien
back by his hair.”

               
“Thank you. I don’t want to lose myself because of pheromones or whatever.”

               
He looks at her and says, “Yeah, pheromones make you do crazy things.”

               
They stay that way, staring at each other for a minute.  “Yeah,” Kayla
whispers.  “Stupid pheromones.”  She turns and goes to her
closet.  There is silence as she yanks down shirts. 

               
“I like not having to be a jerk around you,” Jackson finally says.  “I can
be the real me.  It’s nice.”

               
“I prefer the real you,” Kayla states, putting shirts in her suitcase. 
“You’re a wonderful guy.  A girl could really get to like you.  I’m
surprised you don’t have a serious girlfriend.”

               
With raised eyebrows, Jackson replies, “What’s the point?  Sure, I can
date as many human girls as I want, but it’s never going to go anywhere, and
there has only been one girl from our race whom I have even been remotely
attracted to.”  Kayla stops what she is doing and looks at him. 
Jackson returns her gaze and says, “But we know that won’t go anywhere
either.”         

               
“Can I ask you a question, even though it may make things awkward between us?”

               
“Uh-oh, go ahead.”

               
She fiddles with the shirt in her hand.  “If our parents weren’t trying to
shove us down each other’s throats, would you date me?”

               
Jackson pauses.  “Yes, I would.”

               
“I see,” Kayla whispers, putting her last shirt in the suitcase.  “Let’s
not tell Damien that.”

               
“No, I don’t think that’s a good idea.  The same question goes to
you.  Would you date me?”

               
Kayla looks down and then back up at him. “In a heartbeat.”

               
Jackson remains still as he studies her. “Well then, at least we know where we
stand.”

               
“Yeah,” Kayla breathes out.  “I’m going to get pajamas.” She walks over to
her dresser. Heavy silence settles around her as she packs the last of her
things.  Finally, Kayla says, “All right, that’s it.  I got my books,
clothes, iPod, and shoes.  I think we’re good.”

               
Standing up, Jackson zips up her suitcase.  “I’ll carry this for you.”

               
“Thanks. I can’t wait to see my parents.  This has been a little
crazy.  I mean, I’m going to thoroughly yell at them but hug them at the
same time.”

               
He lifts her suitcase.  “That’s good.  Let’s head back.  I’m
tired from shifting without meditating.”

               
“Oh, but that was so enjoyable.” Kayla sighs.  “Epic is a better
word.  I could never repay you guys.”

               
“I know how you could repay me,” Jackson retorts mischievously, wiggling his
eyebrows.

               
Kayla crosses her arms.  “What would you do if I said fine, hmm, Mr. Cocky
Pants?”

               
Jackson laughs.  “I would say okay, let’s go at it.  We’re alone in
an empty house.”

               
“You would not!” Kayla exclaims, giggling.  “You are such a liar.”

               
“I guess you’ll never know if I am or not,” Jackson murmurs as he walks past
her.

               
Rolling her eyes, Kayla groans. “Whatever, Jackson.”

               
“Oh look, a shower,” he snidely remarks as they walk past the bathroom. 
“I could get all hot and wet again but keep the towel off this time.”