Oh, yeah. These visions were great.
BEEN THERE, DONE THAT
Since I’d been honest with Brooke, I had no choice but to tell Glitch the truth about my visions as well. He was surprised. And then a little hurt. Then a little angry. Then sympathetic. And about twenty seconds after all his emotions boiled and bubbled beneath his coppery surface, he settled on understanding and supportive.
“We’re staying over all weekend if we can get away with it,” he said. “But seriously, Cameron needs to go for pizza.”
Cameron scowled over his shoulder. “Okay, and while I’m gone, can you protect Lorelei from any supernatural threats that might come her way?”
“I’ll go for pizza,” he corrected. Thankfully, the Pizza Place stayed open until midnight on Friday and Saturday nights.
An hour later, we were having a slumber party complete with pepperoni pizza, orange soda, and an ’80s movie about kids in detention who become unlikely friends.
“Shouldn’t Jared be back by now?” I asked Cameron, growing more concerned by the minute.
He took another bite of pizza and shrugged. He was so helpful.
I stood and looked out the window. “My grandparents are sending me away.”
Everyone stopped what they were doing and gaped at me.
“They got in a fight with several members of the Order about it, but they’re resolute. They think it’s become too dangerous, and they’re sending me away.”
Cameron frowned as though confused, as though the mere thought was unfathomable.
“Did you remind them how insane that is?” Glitch asked.
“I didn’t talk to them about it. I overheard.”
“Then I’m going with you,” Brooke said, indignation raising her chin. “They can’t separate us. We’re practically twins.”
* * *
Glitch took the floor. Cameron took Brooke’s bed since it was closest to the window seat and he could stare out the window in his broody way and still get some rest. And Brooke had insisted. She slept with me on my bed, and while we were small, we still had to snuggle really close to get comfortable. Twin beds weren’t exactly made for two, but it was nice having her so close. About an hour after we all settled in, I still couldn’t sleep. I kept thinking about Jared. Was he still out there? Back in his apartment? Was he still on guard duty or sleeping?
Cameron gave it his all, sitting on the bed instead of lying in it, but even he had dozed off. Glitch had joined him, snoring softly into the carpet after stuffing the pillow I gave him between his legs and cradling it. He would have quite the cheek imprint come morning.
Brooke whispered softly into my ear. “What about Glitch and Cameron? Did you see what happened to them on that camping trip that spring break? Have you seen that in your visions?”
I turned to face her, our noses mere inches apart in the dark room. “No,” I whispered back, hoping not to wake Cameron, since we were talking about him and all. “I’ve tried very hard not to, in fact. It’s just— It’s such a violation.”
“But if you’re not doing it on purpose, if you’re not controlling it—”
“I used to think that too, but it’s all I can do to make it through a school day without throwing up or becoming suicidal. I just try my best to avoid visions whenever and wherever possible.”
She took my hands into hers and lifted them to her mouth. “I’m so terribly sorry, Lor. All the pushing I’ve done, all the nagging, and you were just trying to get through the day.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“I just wish I had known. I wish I had picked up on it instead of making your life worse.”
I smiled, wondering yet again what I’d done to deserve her. “You couldn’t make my life worse if I paid you to.”
The smile that widened across her face like the New Mexico sky made me rethink my last statement. She crinkled her nose. “Bet I could.”
I laughed softly. “Okay, I bet you could too.”
She sobered, bit her lip, looked at me from underneath her ridiculously thick lashes. “Lor, why didn’t you tell me?”
My lids closed with regret. “I’d planned to, but when I saw what happened to you, when I saw your past, I just didn’t know how. I felt like I was doing something wrong. Something invasive. And I just wanted it to stop.”
She nodded. “I understand. I do. But you’ll still have to pay. Dearly. You realize that, right?”
I grinned. “I suppose I do.”
“And I won’t go easy on you just because we’re besties.”
“I would never expect you to.”
“There’ll probably be pliers involved. And fire ants.”
I shuddered. At least she didn’t mention spiders.
“And spiders.”
Dang, she was brutal.
* * *
By Sunday morning, Brooke was belting out classic tunes to try to cheer me up. It was not working. Jared had never come home, and I had been reduced to a pile of nerves. No, not just a pile of nerves. A quivering pile of nerves.
Brooke leaned over to me as we sat in a padded pew, and whispered, “Want me to sing ‘Tainted Love’ again?”
I frowned. “No.”
“‘Love Is a Battlefield’?”
“Nope.”
“‘Love Shack’?”
I couldn’t help it. I cracked a smile.
“‘Love Shack’ it is.”