Thursday, August 12, 2010

The 1st Three Chapters of ‘Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow’ YA Novel by Amber Day

1

Oregon Late Fall 1868

Grams is ill… mother's gone… father is away at market… I have to go…

I glanced out at the last remnants of the flaming sunset. Why did I wait so long! I should have left hours ago and not procrastinated. Yes Bracken-berry Wood is a dangerous place for a lone girl in the day lit hours, but it is deadly when the sun goes down.

"Chastity, you have to go," I told myself and glanced at the basket of herbs setting beside the door. Herbs Grams desperately needs, herbs that could save her life before the fever took her away as it did mother last winter. Herbs that like so much else worked like magic in my hands.

I glanced again with trepidation out at the ending day, the darkening wood… "But what if he's out there?" I swallowed and scolded myself, "Chase you aren't a child anymore, there's nothing in those woods." But I knew I was lying to myself, just like the rest of them.

Bracken-berry was cursed. The Raven's Claw Wiccan had cursed these lands when the good village folk ran them out, when the good folk needed them gone so they could harvest their trees. When they began cutting down the forest and renamed this village 'Baker City', that's when the awful things started to happen... The witches had cursed us I had no doubt.

Didn't the lack of song birds in summer prove that? Didn't the lack of any ordinary wildlife in the woodland prove it?

I shuddered thinking of what did live in the wood… and the other unnatural beasts that visited the forest in the dead of night, orgs. At least the villagers admitted the existence of those awful beasts, if not the strange, too large to be a real wolf, wolf. I'd seen him on more than one occasion, but no one wanted to believe me.

He was the real reason I feared those woods.

The longer I stalled the darker it got. With as much courage as I could muster, I threw on my red hooded cape, snatched up my basket and dagger, dashing from the house… in my haste I forgot the one thing that would likely save my life, wolf's bane.

I raced into the thick, impossibly dark overgrowth, my scent unmasked…


Baker City Oregon

October 16 Present Day

~Chase~

"Chase you're gonna be late for your first day," mom shouted up the stairs, "You don't have time for breakfast."

I slammed the ancient journal closed, and tossed it in the drawer of my nightstand, before mom decided to come up and get me. The old yellowed book was one of the two things I'd rescued from the musty, cluttered, suffocating attic of my new home on one of my explore/hide from my 'rents sessions. I didn't want mom to find the book, which was my only useful form of distraction, creepy though it was, since (A.) The fiddled I'd kyped from the attic along with the book didn't have any strings (B.) I didn't know how to play a fiddle and (C.) Playing my guitar (which I was well versed in) reminded me too much of my old life and how much I missed it.

Hmmm… the attic, it was so odd how I'd felt pulled up there yesterday drawn to both of those cobweb covered items… Yesterday when the sun had been out and I'd been comfortable in my old shorts and T-shirt…

The sheets rumpled under me as I slid off my bed and trudged to the window to get today's forecast, it was sunless and dreary. The gray clouds hanging low over the creepy forest that made an impenetrable black wall of twisted timber at the back of our property. I focused on the clouds. As if it would make any difference I glowered out the window and stuck my tongue out at the cool morning. No surprise, I wasn't scary enough, nothing changed. With a resigned sigh I pushed myself off the window sill. Time to face the music… "Don't wait for me mom. I'm driving myself," I hollered down the stairs with as much enthusiasm as a prisoner on her way to the chair.

"Chase, the shop is only two blocks from the high school, we should carpool," she called back trying her best to make my first day my worst day. What was with this sudden desire to be an involved mom anyway?

I pulled on my jacket and grabbed my overloaded book bag, full of things that should've already been stowed in my locker. They had been stowed in my other locker, along with my lesson books, fav photos, and assorted teen survival essentials. I leaned my forehead on the smooth, cold, old wood of my bedroom doorframe wishing I was back where I belonged and tried to make her understand, "It's bad enough I'm starting in the middle of fall semester, do you really insist on farther thwarting any chance I might be accepted-"

"Chastity Grace Van-Helm," mom chided and I pictured her at the bottom of the outdated staircase with her hands on her hips. I mouthed along with her rolling my eyes as my skin made a warm spot on the wood, "Don't be such a diva!" That was her new favorite phrase. Guess she was trying to be a 'hipster' involved mom.

"Prue, my cherished love," dad chimed in his more muffled voice confirming he was in his study, "stop torturing the fruit of my loins and let her drive herself. Baker isn't big enough for her to get lost in."

"Thanks dad," I sighed to myself and pushed off the door to the head of the stairs. I grinned slyly and took the stairs two at a time, bunny hopping my way down, just to panic mom. It worked.

"Chastity! Don't do that, you'll break your neck on those tiny steps!"

I wish, I glared at her, as the old wood creaked and popped under my feet, telling her telekinetically how very unhappy I was to be in this Podunk nowhere town. My feet landed with a hollow thud, safely on the floor in front of her. I crossed my ankles and curtsied dramatically, grinning at her, "Look mom no broken bones."

She sighed exasperated, as always, and flipped my hair, "Why did you dye it jet black? Is it because it's nearly Halloween? …I really hope you didn't use my good towels."

Mom and her 'good towels', I imagine the world would fall into complete anarchy should anything ever happen to those towels… "No mom I don't do Halloween, that's for kids, and I used the rags. You're the one that said I could dye it."

"I thought you'd maybe highlight your blonde with some nice light auburn tones… and what is with the funeral clothes?" She pinched my black lacey over-blouse and let go right away, as if the fabric might be laced with some deadly toxin that'd kill her with prolonged exposure. Unfortunately when I'd gotten this blouse they didn't have the toxic one in my size…

I looked at her waiting for her to look in my face, my eyes, she didn't… Jeez mom, I'm in mourning over my lost social life, missing friends, the super job I had to quit to come out to the middle of Nowhere's Ville…

"I think the kids call it 'Goth' dearest," dad observed from the doorway, customary coffee mug in hand, and I gave up trying to send mom thought-mail, "Supposed to be hip. Well ladies you are both about to be very, very late and I've got an e-conference to get to." Dad kissed my forehead and then mom all mushy giving me the chance to zip outta the house to the relative safety of my old VW bug. I slammed the door shut and breathed in the lingering scent of my real life that clung to the vinyl interior, salt, sun, sunscreen, Topher's fast food, board wax…

I shot the spire capped, two story, Victorian house, another scathing glare and started the engine before mom could emerge. She and I could argue later after she got home from the antique shop, home to the antique house, in this antique town… Guess it all went well with my antique name. That knowledge didn't help my mood, I floored it leaving a little rubber in the driveway so she'd have something worthwhile to yell at me about.

The town was already in front of me, a short drive from my 'country villa', and I wondered how antique my quaint little high school would be... I'd bet the teacher's were all barely this side of 'museum mummy'. I followed dad's directions, having no trouble finding clearly marked streets and basically zero traffic. The square brick building labeled 'Baker High' was easy to find and disturbingly tiny compared to my real school.

"Gosh I miss L.A.," I grumbled pulling into the school's virtually nonexistent parking lot. Not many cars in the lot, another reminder I wasn't in California anymore. "Oh I bet it's sunny there right now," I glowered for the second time at the slate gray sky, "desert my foot." The first few days here had been promising, hot, cloudless, the sky bluer than back home but not today… It felt like dooms day for Chastity Van-Helm in a very 'Twilight Zone' way.

To add to my lovely morning and certainty that this was the beginning of the end, the clouds opened up at that very moment dumping bucket loads of fat cold rain drops. "Crap and I didn't bring a hat!!!"

I grabbed my bag and sprinted for the door just in time to hear the last bell ring over the roar of the rain. Hooray, the drown rat look on top of not being able to simply sneak into class. I yanked the door open and froze in the doorway the heavy old institution door swinging back closed and bumping me in the butt, pushing me forward, Dead girl walking. A warm gush of old outdated school building filled my nostrils, as my eyes swept over the juvenile Halloween decorations plastered to the walls and windows. A huge sign hung on one wall promising a Halloween night full of 'safe fun for all' in the school gym. Students who came in costume got a bonus goodie bag.

I started to wonder if I hadn't mistakenly gone to the middle school.

The school secretary saw me in the doorway, dripping puddles as I gawked at my surroundings. My eyes searched the hall one last time for any indication I was at the high school and met her pretty twenty or thirty-ish face, she smiled. Looks like I'm expected…

"Oh you must be Chastity Van-Helm?" she queried while I puzzled over how many new students she saw on a daily basis.

"Umm, it's Chase actually… unless I'm in trouble," humor, did they have any here?

She chuckled lightly, good at least one person did… "No dear you aren't in trouble. Would you like a towel for the hair, looks like you got the worst of the storm-"

"But I'm late," I said surprised I wasn't getting a tardy and a lecture.

"Your first day? I think you're entitled to some slack," she opened the little half door beside the counter, "Come on back here and I'll go over your class schedule with you while you dry off."

Wow, I am really liking this lady, I thought as my wet shoes squeaked annoyingly loud on the old linoleum. It was a little surprising no one peaked out a classroom door to see what kind of animal was being tortured to death in the hallway.

I smiled at her the way I hadn't smiled at anyone since mom and dad announced we were moving into my late great aunt's house and taking over her eclectic antique shop… all because my 'rents freaked out about a school shooting that happened at a high school my school wasn't associated with in any way, shape, or form. Originally when mom found out she'd inherited this stuff we were gonna sell it all, put the money into my 'college' fund or take a family vacation. But then psycho boy got all upset and shot up his science classroom… No one got hurt! No one was in the room at the time!

Doesn't change the fact that you're stuck here now…

"So what do I call you," I asked nice secretary lady as she handed me a towel and pointed to a folding chair for me.

"Emma Edwards, but most of the students call me E."

E I liked it, "Thanks for the towel E…" I flopped into the chair shrugging my bag off my shoulder and twisting the towel in my hair, "does it rain like this a lot?"

"I'm afraid so this time of year, and then the snow comes until spring."

"Snow?!" I gaped at her in disbelief. When mom and dad said we were moving, no one mentioned snow! "But I thought this was the desert!"

She laughed, "The high desert is different than say the Kalahari."

Snow no not snow!!!! Could things get any worse!!! If my bug couldn't handle it I would be forced to carpool with mom…. Five minutes or more with mom every morning telling me I should, 'be more involved with after school activities,' or, 'take music lessons and expand my creative side.' I was going to die!

E grabbed a sheet of paper off her desk, the crinkling sound bringing me back to the here and now, and handed it to me. It was my class schedule. We went over it along with a simple little map of the uncomplicated layout of the school she drew on the back. E assured when the bell rang for the end of first period, beginning of second, she'd tell my first period teacher she took extra time getting me settled and dry.

I left her office happy, on some strange level, to know I'd made my first 'buddy' even if she was of the adult set. Could prove super helpful if I were ever running late again.

As I walked to my second period class, following E's instructions, I got tons of double takes, one of the unfortunate side effects that goes along with being the new kid… Of course it didn't help that I was the only 'Goth' girl in school but I didn't give a flying hoot what the other kids thought of me. Let 'em look. Heck let 'em think I was a nut for the upcoming 'holiday'. If I explained to them the real reason they might or might not get why I was rebelling against my parents like this. I knew my silent protest was bugging mom, but dad was rarely ever riled. 'S' kay mom was who I most wanted to get to. She'd been the one to make the final decision on our move.

I took a seat in the back of English class and hoped I wouldn't be singled out by my teacher for a class introduction. It never happened in high school back in Cali, but kidsy Halloween cut outs also wouldn't be tacked to the bulletin board and today wasn't my day.

"Everyone we have a new student with us today, Ms. Van-Helm would you please stand?"

As if this were the beginning of some horror flick, everyone turned, on cue, towards me. My palms started to sweat. I looked at the puddle, not 'sea', there weren't that many students in this class, of faces looking back at me… Curious half blank nerdy stares from some, a smirky 'she's kinda hot' smile from a couple of jocks, pouty 'pretty but not as pretty as me' looks from a few pre-Madonnas, and a hopeful look from a girl in a cheerleading uniform that made me nervous.

CRAP!
To stand or not to stand that is the question… I stood.

"Ms. Van-Helm-"

"Chase," I lightly corrected the last thing I wanted was my school-mates calling me 'Ms. Van-Helm'… I'd have to dye my hair gray, get an old lady dress from mom's shop, don some horn rim specs…

"Yes of course, Chase," he smiled nicely at me and I noted teacher man wasn't as old as I thought he'd be, "comes to us from California…" blah, blah, blah, synopsis of new girl's life, class thoroughly bored.

I glanced around at my school-mates feeling uncomfortable and wishing teacher man, I glance at the board and saw his name, Mr. Thorn, would finish up so I could sit. My school-mates didn't look as bored as I'd hoped; they looked fascinated, especially at the mention of where my fam and I were cohabitating. It was making me fidgety. I tucked my hands in my pockets and tried not to make eye contact.

"Okay Ms. Van-Helm please take your seat," I gladly did releasing a little breath discreetly through my lips as he called the class's attention up front, "and class take out your Salem Witch Trial transcripts. Ms. Van-Helm you can share with Ms. Bloomingdale until I get you a copy."

'Ms. Bloomingdale' scooted her desk over to mine, making a God awful screech that made me jump. If she noticed she didn't say so, she smiled at me, super friendly, "Hi, I'm Seph, don't worry most people are pretty sane around here, Mr. Thorn is fresh outta college so he's like super 'protocol'."

She talked like a normal person…

"So you're studying the witch trials," I said conversationally as my fellow class-mates opened their books. How appropriate for the upcoming freak fest…

"Yeah it's really dry, can't believe people actually used to talk like this, 'Mayhap the Goodie wife', snore!"

I smiled I liked the red headed Ms. Bloomingdale, "We studied this one last year and I agree, at least Shakespeare and Austen are romantic. You're not reading it 'cause it has 'witches' in it and it's almost Halloween are you?"

She shrugged.

"Someone should've suggested Poe," I said thoughtfully, "He's creepy but in an honest way."

"Totally," she snickered and whispered, "So what's 'Chase' short for?"

I made a face, "Chastity. Another ugly family tradition. What's 'Seph' short for?"

"I feel your pain, Persephone… after my great, great, great-"

"Ms. Bloomingdale, will you please take the part of…"

"Great, grandmother," she finished in a hushed whisper and smiled at the teacher, "Not a problem Mr. Thorn."

Nothing like making friends with someone else named after a long dead relative. Several in my case.

I found out by the end of second period, my new gal friend and I had almost every class together, the only exception being first period. We spent third period PE talking as much as we could. The more I talked to Seph the more I liked her, which was shocking 'cause she'd never been out of Baker and had no real big city savoir-faire.

We walked to lunch together and I commented on the decorations that continued to trip me out. She laughed and let me know it was the adult set that thought we needed them and the big annual 'Halloween dance'. That was a little comforting.

While we stood in the chow line I was introduced to her 'crew' Daemon, Halmoni, and Moon. Halmoni's mom and dad owned the only deli in town that didn't double as a gas station and Daemon's dad was involved with the town's government, but was out with some sorta illness. I didn't ask for the expanded version and he didn't give it to me. I got the feeling it wasn't something he liked to talk about.

Moon's parents were the most interesting, being all about living green and saving the planet, modern day hippies. Moon informed me her mom owned the herbalist/holistic shop downtown and if I ever got the sniffles she was the one to see. It was wild to think they had those types of people out here in Podunk.

We picked a round table just big enough for our group and they filled me in on the places to hang out around here. That was the shortest convo I'd ever had. I was asked the standard questions about my old life in L.A., which lasted a lot longer than the first topic, and Seph commented on how she was no longer the only one in school to have a 'dead relative' name. So the convo flowed to explaining my least favorite inherited family trait. They were fascinated that I had shared the same name as my late aunt and that our name had been passed down through the generations. I was more fascinated with their fascination.

Moon watched me with extra interest and made me a little nervous until she reach out and twirled a strand of my long hair around her finger reminding me I'd dyed it. "Love the locks," she smiled appreciatively, "bet your parental units are up in arms over it." Moon seemed like she might have a rebellious side. Didn't think hippy kids came with those…

"Mostly mom," I admitted with a smirk, "but that was kinda the point. Trying to prove to her that I am in mourning. Not that I think my 'rents will actually take me back home."

"Over your dead namesake?" Daemon asked confused, "I didn't think you'd met your late aunt."

"No," l laughed, "my lost life… no offense but Baker sucks." All three concurred. And laughed when I asked how much fun the organized Halloween event was… yep figured it was lame…

Halmoni piped up totally off subject and probably only trying to make my life here more interesting, "You should come to work at mom's deli with the rest of us! It's not much just a few hours during the week, but we'd all have spending money and we could hang after school!"

I sighed, it was a gallant effort, "I wish… nope if I mention a job to mom she'll put me to work at the junk shop. Probably unpaid slave labor… Dad would back her up on that one."

Seph was about to say something but Daemon interrupted shifting the conversation in a whole different direction. "So… what's it like living in the 'cursed mansion' so close to those freaky woods? See anything weird in the tree-line yet?" he leaned forward full of interest, drawing me out of my silent rant over the unfairness of putting up with parents that didn't get me.

"Huh?" I gaped at him. Clearly he'd been dying to ask that question.

"Daemon, shut it!" Seph growled and tossed a fry at him. Clearly she'd told him not too.

"What's he talking about?" I looked at her, curiosity peaked.

"It's just a stupid kid's story. Supposedly some witches put a curse on all the woodland and the places closest to it. Some people claim they've seen freaky critters in the trees or that it's haunted… Guess that's why the Hawks won't log it. But I think it's just a lot of hooey."

"So spill," I prompted turning my leftover fries, catsup, pickles, and lettuce into a face. If Topher were here he'd complain I was wasting perfectly good fries… I needed a distraction even if it was just some stupid 'kid's story', "I could use some good 'hooey'."

"Well…" she hesitated and I gave her my best, 'give me break' eye roll, "Okay, okay… it starts out with the cabin that used to be where your house sits today. It was, like, one of the first homesteads in town and one of the first places that decided the 'witches' that lived in the woods were bad news. The farmer that lived there, Faolan O' Sullivan organized the 'angry mob' that chased the sisters out of their homes… It was totally bogus, like 'The Salem Witch Trials'."

She glanced at me hesitant and I smirked tossing a fry at her, "Well so, go on, don't need the suspense."

Seph took a breath and I leveled another fry ready for launch. She got my message and got going again, "Afterward his wife got really sick and died, and other weird things started to happen… Something destroyed most of his crops, ate some cattle, and all the wild game pulled a vanishing act. That was nothing compared to what finally pushed him over the deep end… One night the girl that lived there, his teen daughter, disappeared or something and her dad went totally nut-bunnies, killed some wood cutter accusing him of being a literal monster. The cabin burned down with crazy dad in it and missing girl turned up later but she was weirded out… your house was put up in its place and sometimes bad things happen there" she glanced at me and I'd gone white, "But there's nothing to back it up!"

I couldn't stop thinking of the fact that our property had always been in my family, or that my 'rents, mom being the last heir, decided at the last minute not to let the property go, or of the journal I'd found on a rafter in the attic. When I'd gone up there, I'd felt pulled into the sun warmed room that smelled of aged cedar and dust. Up there for a while I had felt almost like I was actually home… That'd been weird cause I wasn't into turn of the century Victorian junk, or dust, or cobwebs. I'd sat on an old wooden chest and let the sun streaming through the window slowly cook me, about to close my eyes when the neck of the fiddle had caught my eye…

"Chase you okay?" Seph touched my arm and the cafeteria came rushing back.

My throat felt dry, "W… what was the girl's name?"

"Chastity," she said ominous and other two girls gasped. Daemon had the look of someone who'd already known the answer.

"I think I've got her journal," I confessed in a very small voice. That got a reaction out of him.

"Dang! I've got goose bumps," Daemon shivered, "too freaky!"

"Speaking of freaky, look who's back," Halmoni and Moon glanced across the room and I followed their covert gazes, expecting to see something completely different than what my eyes fell on. I thought for a minute I was looking at the wrong thing and glanced back at my friends. Nope they are definitely looking at that table.

Two oddly handsome boys were taking their seats at a small table in the corner. They were tall, one with very dark hair, the other light blonde, identically colored strange green eyes, too emerald green to be their real color, watched the lunch room like uneasy wild animals… they had to wear contacts, but why did they look so wary? Both were well built under their designer clothes and their faces were too 'magazine model' good looking, completely out of place for this town.

I stared unable to take my eyes off them and the dark haired boy looked up at me, his features twisting in much the same kind of surprise I wore when our eyes met. His friend said something and punched him in the arm when he didn't answer drawing his attention back to him. Dark haired boy looked annoyed.

I blinked, spell broken, and looked at my small group of new comrades. They stared at me as if I'd just sprouted rabbit ears. "What?"

"Whoa," Moon breathed, "Jude never gives anyone a second glance."

"Jude?"

Seph enlightened me, "Jude and Oren Hawk. Their adoptive uncle owns Bracken-berry lumber. They're like the wealthiest family in town-"

"Your aunt was the biggest protester against everything the Hawk's touched," Daemon, whom I was quickly learning was town historian, informed me.

I glanced up and caught both boys looking at me, Jude with interest or maybe just curiosity, Oren with disgust.

Odd… To my knowledge I'd never disgusted anyone before…


2

The next morning I was unnerved to find that I shared first period with Jude Hawk. The guy was super cute but a little on the weird side and he kept watching me like I was supposed to do something interesting. His silent observation had started the day before when he'd watched me during forth period, that had made both Seph and I uncomfortable. I was starting to sympathize with the wild critters on National Geographic, only I couldn't block out my observer as well as they could.

I sat in the back, hoping not to draw too much attention to myself and a little worried that this new teacher would want to introduce me to the class, though technically yesterday was my first day. Jude took the desk in the far corner, his eyes on me... I started to fidget, biting my nails and nervously bouncing my foot, wishing I could be as cool as the cheetah I'd seen on one episode that had, nonchalantly, perched on top of the camera crew's outback mobile and then peed through the moon-roof on them.

To my relief, Mr. Jackson didn't introduce me to the class, but I felt Jude watching me throughout the entire first hour. It was making me uncomfortable and I was wishing that I hadn't died my hair, if that was what had him staring. That had to be the reason right? I was the new girl and I was the only one that looked like Dracula's bride.

He did much the same during lunch and again in fourth period…

For two days straight I was 'ogled' by this strange but really hot guy without so much as a 'hi new girl, what's your name?'. Was it really just because of my wild 'not like the other girls' look or did he like how much I fidgeted when he stared?

Whatever his reasons by the end of the school day I had to get my mind on something other than my hot stalker before I started tripping over myself too.

I hadn't yet been to the local library which was strange for me 'cause I'm a total bookaholic and the library is free, so after school I hopped in my bug and drove downtown in search of the old building. I started laughing when I got downtown and realized all the buildings were old! Luckily, it didn't take me too long to find it 'cause it was clearly label with a big 'Public Library' sign. It actually took me longer to find a parking spot.

Whoever the cars belonged to obviously hadn't come downtown for the book selection, the library was practically empty, but it smelled divine! I stood in the middle of the open lobby and closed my eyes breathing in the unique scent of old much loved books, fresh new hard-covers, and the citrus bite of freshly polished wood. Being in this building, a place with wormholes to other universes and pathways to all the knowledge of the world, made me feel as if with every breath I learned something new. It was perfection and so much quieter than the library back home. The only sound the faint brush of pages being turned, a pause… a nearly silent thump seemed to echo in the vast room when the reader of the book closed it. I could feel eyes on me but I didn't care, I was in heaven! Why couldn't mom have inherited something like this?!

A soft male chuckle, the sigh of the wooden counter top as he put weight on it, brought me back from my reverie. "And what can I do for you today lovely young lady?"

I blushed a little embarrassed the observer was a guy but didn't open my eyes, "Nothing yet, just familiarizing myself with my only place for local escape."

"Aw and you can tell more about a place with your eyes closed?" he asked amused and I started to wonder what the librarian looked like. He didn't sound very old…

"Sometimes, it's nice to get to know a place by smell first," I slowly opened my eyes and glanced at him… Definitely younger than I would have figured, probably a recent grad of my new high school. He was trim, well dressed, burgundy sweater over a white dress shirt probably had on slacks but I couldn't tell with counter between us. He wore round wire rimmed specs, which glinted in the florescent light when his lips pulled up into a smile, his eyes were a pale blue behind the glasses despite his dark chestnut brown hair…. of course he would be a total babe!

He stood, casually watching me, his arms folded on the polished counter top, and I watched him, fighting my natural fidgeting tendencies… He finally chuckled again and held out a hand to me, "I'm being rude. Hi, my name's Jareth Brindle, your guide to all the gateways of other worlds this building has to offer."

I smiled, trying not to blush as I stepped forward and took his offered hand, "Hi I'm Chase Van-Helm, in desperate need of the fore mentioned escape."

Jareth's hand was warm and firm on mine, "Pleased to meet you Chase. Anywhere in particular you'd like to go?"

I thought about the creepy journal and the history lesson I'd gotten my first day and made a face, "Anywhere that isn't like this town."

He smiled and came around the counter, offering me his hand, as if he thought I could get lost in this box shaped building, "I know just where to take you." I was blushing again but I took his hand.

"You don't seem like the librarian type," I observed letting him tug me along.

"Oh don't I? Why because I'm not a wrinkly old lady?"

I giggled, "Sorry for the stereotype… But you look like you should be in college or something."

"I was in college, but my dad got sick, so I'm back taking care of him… though technically I am still in college, I'm taking online courses right now." He led me up a little flight of stairs to the young adult fiction, "And here we are, take your time Ms. Chase and I'll set you up with a library card as soon as you've made your selections… that 'old lady' enough for you? Or should I hunch over and try again?"

I laughed feeling flattered that an older guy was flirting with me, "That was pretty good Mr. Brindle, maybe if I weren't looking right at you, you could fool me."

"Call me Jareth please, my dad's Mr. Brindle not me," he headed toward the stairs, "I'll be at my desk if you need any more help and don't be afraid to ask."

I spent the better part of the afternoon up there going over books but not settling on any. Jareth set me up with a library card anyway and told me to come and visit him again soon, that he'd see if he could find anything that might really grab my interest in the meantime. He also said to stop in anytime and use the library as a study hall. I decided I'd have to talk to Seph about this guy first thing, find out if he was flirty with all the girls…

Day four, Thursday, Seph and I walked to fourth period, talking about the hot librarian and how cool it was that he was flirting with me and whether or not it was 'flirting' or him just being nice. Seph assured me it was definitely flirting and that, no he wasn't like that with her the few times she'd been there. I figured it was that whole 'new blood' in the same ol' same ol' town that had him interested, though I was a kid and he wasn't.

I was vaguely aware we were being followed as we talked. "He still back there?" Seph asked off topic and I looked at her surprised.

"You noticed?"

"Yep," she glanced sideways not quite turning her head, "never thought Jude would turn into a stalker." She gave me a wary smile, "He and Oren usually travel together and they never walk to class with the rest of us. Been a weird week."

Seph and I walked into science class together making our way down the rows of desks. I sat with my new gal pal at the back of the class and Jude took a seat to my right, one desk over, closer than the day before. His eyes were on me as per usual.

I swallowed and tried to hide behind my hair and talk with Seph, but we were both distracted by our voyeur. Why was he staring at me like that?

"Jude, stop gawking!" another voice growled low and I risked a quick glance. It was Oren his brother, he'd taken a desk between Jude and I, he didn't look happy. "She's none of our concern and Kellen told us they were coming."

It was the first time either boy had spoken and I had a feeling he'd wanted me to hear the subtle warning in his voice. I fought back a shudder and glanced at Seph, she didn't seem to have heard Oren, she was trying to finish her homework before Mrs. House came in. Seph was bad about actually doing her homework at home… Maybe I could get her to go to the library with me and we could study together? I thought of Jareth and blushed knowing neither of us could study with him in the room…

"Keep out of it! You aren't my keeper," Jude shot back at his brother, pulling me out of thoughts of an older guy. His voice staggered me! There was something almost familiar about the timbre even in a harsh angry hush. I had to fight the urge to turn and look at him, my thoughts of a certain chestnut haired keeper of the printed word evaporating.

"Class open your books to page 47…" Mrs. House began writing the lesson on the board, distracting me somewhat from Jude's glances and Oren's glares.

Seph picked up on the glares and I got the feeling that she couldn't figure out what had him steaming either. Was it because according to Daemon, great aunt Chastity made trouble for his family? If that was the case why didn't Jude shoot me daggers too?

~Jude~

"This is getting really old Jude. Why the hell do you keep staring at her?" Oren barked as we stood by my Range Rover at the end of the school day. "She's just a girl! Another human girl!"

"You wouldn't understand," I grumbled, "let it drop Oren." He wouldn't understand it was before his time, back when it was only Kellen and I. Back when my strange life made a tiny bit of sense… Back when I had something to live for.

I'd known when the old lady had died, Chastity but not my Chastity, her beneficiaries would come to town. Kellen had warned that something had happened to encourage them to live in the old place. That hadn't come as any surprise, the house and land always passed down to the next in the O' Sullivan bloodline, whether they wanted it to or not.

No, what I didn't expect was her, not after over a hundred years of waiting, hoping, praying... I didn't expect this Chastity to look as she did… the hair was wrong, but the shapely body as I remember under her far too dark clothing, her voice just as musical, despite the unhappiness I caught in her tone, and her eyes… yes they were her eyes…

I heard her voice, recognized her soft sneakered footfalls, as she walked out with the other girls, "I'm over here." I looked up thinking perhaps she was speaking to me only to remember she couldn't know I could hear her all the way over here. She was pointing to where she'd parked her car.

"It's so cool! Wish I had my own wheels," the witch's daughter, Moon, commented. I snarled, low, quiet, not liking how close she was to Chastity. Far, far too close, the bitter smell of magic hanging on her...

"Knock it off," Oren hissed and I glared at him, a real warning menacing glare. He got the hint and got in the passenger side, leaving me to my silent observation. Like the other days, I wouldn't go until she drove away, until she was away from the other girl. Moon probably didn't realize what her mother was, but I couldn't be sure and it made me bristle. Especially when I could smell the protection charm that clung to her, confirming that her mother was indeed practicing.

Moon stepped back with the girl named Seph as Chastity started her car, the unmistakable sound of the healthy Volkswagen engine cutting off their conversation. The transmission clanked softly into reverse and she pulled away, pausing to give the other girls a wave. I heard another soft clank of changing gears and she started forward. The more distance between she and the witch's child, the more relaxed I got.

I watched her go, pulling out of the lot, and she looked at me, held my gaze for a split second before turning away, shy, blushing lightly… It made my breath catch, my heart stutter-

The automatic driver's side window of my Rover rolled down, and I immediately regretted leaving my keys in the ignition. "Get in, I want to talk to Kellen," Oren growled from his seat.

I got in but not because he said to, Oren had no control in our little pack. Low man on the totem and a mistake if you asked me. Kellen brought him in because he was orphaned, a changeling without a clue and it had become my responsibility to make him 'fit in'. I hated it, but I guess Kellen felt I needed something to occupy my time.

"I don't like the way you keep watching her," he grumbled, glowering out the window, as I started my Rover, "it isn't normal." I said nothing there was nothing more to say. I knew Kellen would tell him to butt out again, but I knew he'd warn me to keep away from the girl… I didn't think I could. Not after spending the better part of a week watching and confirming what I'd known the first day, with one look.

I thought of those shy eyes on me, the little roses that colored her cheeks when she saw I was watching her… No there was no chance I could. I considered simply dropping off my brother and going to her house. Not sure I could go to the door, knock, and talk to her. I didn't have a good enough excuse to go to her door… but if she were outside… I glanced at the sky, the clouds were piling up darkly, it was only a matter of time before they burst. No she won't be outside.

I turned the Rover onto the gravel road that led to the mill. Oren was right, we needed to talk to Kellen. I couldn't simply watch Chastity any longer.

Kellen must have sensed it, my continued change from mundane boredom to curious interest. He waited for us outside the office, knowing I'd come to him rather than go to the house. He and I were always very in tune. I pulled the Rover into my reserved space and cut the engine. Kellen pushed off the railing he'd been leaning against as Oren and I got out.

"Boys, how was school?" he asked looking mostly at me, knowingly.

"Kellen, we need to talk," Oren glared at me as he greeted our Alpha and I shrugged leaning back against my car, hands in pockets. Let Oren have his rant then Kellen and I could talk.

"Not until you calm down Oren," Kellen warned, "whatever happened today I have faith in Jude."

"You haven't seen the way he-"

Kellen raised a brow his smile fading, stopping Oren short. "Has Jude ever so much as lifted a figure against a human?"

Not since she freed me, I thought not about to share my complete history with my 'brother'.

"No… but he could still expose us," Oren sounded and looked like a pouting child. "I don't want to spend the next thirty plus years locked up in the house or hiding the wood-"

"Enough Oren," Kellen said softly his voice full of command, "your older brother knows what he's doing, he's in control. He'll not put any of us in danger. Now go to the office so we can talk."

Oren marched off using very insulting, degrading, terms about females under his breath to describe my Chastity. My head snapped up, I pushed off the car, a snarl in my throat, my hackles rising, body trembling, ready to change and rush him, fight him, tear into him, shut him up!

"You are in control aren't you Jude?"

My anger vanished as quickly as it had come on and I looked at the concerned face of the man that I thought of as a father. A man who had done far more for me than my own, I sighed and leaned back against the Rover, "Yes… but his attitude continues to wear on me. When will he learn we aren't here for ourselves?"

Kellen closed his eyes slowly nodding as he hooked his thumbs in his pockets, "I am sorry for Oren, Jude, but he's one of us." He looked at me, "The girl… can you be sure it's her?"

"I saw it in her eyes Kellen. She kept her promise… There can be no mistake-"

"But so much time has passed… and her powers weren't that developed-"

I slowly shook my head, "I would know my wife anywhere Kellen."

"The blood fever?"

It had set in stronger this year as Hollow's Eve neared, but the savage beast within me would never rule again. I knew Kellen felt the same tug… "It's there but only just," I admitted, "Chastity made certain back then that it would never control me again… I know it's her Kellen. Don't tell me you can't sense it."

He half smiled, "I do… I'm sorry Jude but I was hoping this day wouldn't come."

I knew his reasons why, it meant everything was beginning again… but didn't we already know that? Didn't the appearance of the sister of the Raven's Claw Wiccan prove it? Didn't the stronger pull toward our bloodthirsty animal side say as much?

"I can't agree with you… you know what she means to me."

He clapped me on the shoulder, "Yes son I do. And for you I am glad she could keep her promise."

"I'm going home. I think it's best I eat and spend the rest of the evening in my room undisturbed. It'd be wrong to go to her right now and I sorely want to. Four days of quiet observation…" I shook my head a little frustrated, "I'm sure I'd say the wrong thing."

Kellen laughed, "Yeah I bet you would! Go home Jude and relax for the rest of the night. I'll keep Oren busy and I'll check the woods before I come home."

We parted ways and I drove home, in the pounding rain alone, leaving my music off so I could enjoy the roar of the torrent outside. I managed to get into the house staying marginally dry and locked myself away in my room, dining and deciding how I would create a meeting between Chase and myself. Everything in my room reminded me of her, of us, I couldn't wait any longer, but I couldn't go to her tonight... I needed a goodnight's sleep so I raided the medicine cabinet downing a little extra of the awful tasting Nyquil to be sure I'd sleep. I was going to talk to her tomorrow I needed my wits about me. The cough medicine worked quickly and soon I was out, reliving a life from long ago.

~Chase~

An empty house greeted me again, and I made myself some Mac-n-cheese before reading mom's note. The note promised they'd be gone until late and I sighed wishing I actually had homework and debating going to the library again, but I didn't want Jareth to think I had a thing for him. Besides it was pouring outside, again, the rain sheeting so hard I couldn't even see the back porch anymore!

"Guess I'll go and see what Midge sent," I clomped up the stairs to my room and fired-up the laptop. Midge's sixth sense was working over time. She'd taken her camera to school and got tons of goofy picks with she, Jamie, and our boys. Cole had taken one of my old photo's to the local Ginko's and had it blown up to almost life size, turning me into a cardboard cutout. Midge said she'd gotten 'me' lunch, but Topher ate it…

The pictures and her captions had me laughing until my sides hurt. Gosh I missed those carnies!

I relayed to her more about the mysterious Jude and the hot librarian that was too old for me. I told her again that I missed her. I promised I'd send her pictures of my new home and people soon too.

It was going on seven, the rain was starting to let up, and I debated driving into town, but figured most the stores I'd be interested in visiting would be closed and I knew the library was… So I settled on checking out my hidden treasure. With mom and dad gone I could spend more time checking it out without being worried about someone barging in and catching me with it. The fiddle was exactly where I'd left it tucked away in the corner of my closet under my old beach towel.

"Come to me my pretty," I cackled just to be weird and feel normal as I uncovered the instrument. I sat in the middle of my floor cross-legged admiring the feminine curves of the fiddle that made me believe if musical instrument had a sex this would be a girl. Her skin was a beautiful reddish brown wood despite needing a good cleaning, and I started slowly turning her over looking for cracks, checking that the neck wasn't separating… That's when I found the carefully carved inscription, J. H. + C. S. Forever.

The lettering had been artfully scripted with the hot blade of a knife, blackening the wood and making them that much more beautiful. Whoever had done it had taken a great deal of time with every tiny letter. I had a feeling this had been given to someone by someone that loved them very much.

Very carefully I laid her on my bed, grabbed my camera, and snapped several pics, quickly e-mailing them to Midge, telling her I was considering hunting through more of the junk upstairs. Mom wouldn't have liked me doing that 'cause she thought all that stuff was hers by default and the 'valuables' were for her to make a buck on. It would've made it that much more cool to have Midge here with me to hunt, I knew she'd love that.

I shut down the computer and went back to my bed picking up the fiddle, wondering what kind of romantic story it hid. I sighed running my finger over every letter, "There is no way mom's getting this!"

~Jude~

I woke the next morning refreshed despite the dreams. Dreams blissfully painful only because they were memories of the best months of my life and waking to the reality that I had lost my wife, even over a hundred years later, was torture. Only this morning there were no tears, no quaking as I fought the urge to take my lycanthrope form permanently to escape the worst of the pain and flee to the woodland.

In the past the only thing that kept me holding to the last vestiges of my humanity were her final words to me as her life oozed out of her from the ugly gash I was powerless to do anything about. Her death taking her away to where I could never follow, 'Don't you dare let go Jude. Kellen needs you and I swear I will return to you. Take my body to the fox groves, to the Daoine Sidhe, and wait for me,' she'd pressed the scrap of velum in my hand her fingers cold as ice, her eyes on my tear streaked face, and she'd whispered, 'I love you Jude…. Wait for me…'

…No this morning I woke with a smile and pulled myself out of bed, stretching until my joints popped. "Old man," I laughed at myself, practically giddy with anticipation.

I went to my dresser opening the little cedar box that contained the most torturous mementos of my never ending existence. It wasn't something I did often, but this morning they had called to me. When I lifted the lid, the two braided gold bands winked up at me, seeming to glow, to reflect my joy. I lifted them palming our wedding bands, aching to slide her tiny band back onto her finger, to lay my claim on her before any of the other 'boys' in school could. Other boys that I knew watched her, fantasized about kissing her, touching her in ways only I'd known. My blood began to boil at the idea of my countless possible rivals. If she wore my ring…

I laughed at my unreasoning jealously and impatience, "That wouldn't be the best way to introduce yourself, Jude. 'Hello my name is Jude Hawk and you and I were married a hundred odd years ago. I thought perhaps you'd want to wear your ring my dearest.'" The image of the shock I was sure would crease her features had me laughing harder. Carefully I laid them back in the box my eyes falling on the tiny silver reliquary nestled there on its matching chain. My grin broadened, the tarnish was gone farther proof, as if I needed more, she was here.

I reached for what lay beneath these objects and lifted out her simple oval portrait, her hair ribbon still wrapped around it, covering most of her picture. The portrait had always been one of the most difficult things to look at. I unwound the ribbon lifting it to my nose and breathing in her very faint scent, remembering every detail of her. The way her eyes creased when she laughed, the musical lilting of that laugh… The feel of her silver blonde hair beneath my fingers and how silken it was against my lips, the way her body fit so neatly in my arms... The taste of her lips, honey and citrus… I laid the ribbon back in the box over the blood stained scrap of velum and gazed at her portrait focusing on her eyes.

It didn't matter that the old photo was sepia. I could easily remember every detail of her azure eyes and in the photo I could see the shadow of her spirit, the same spirit I had glimpsed in my new school-mate. I smiled as I hadn't in years, caressing her picture, "You kept your promise my dearest love and I shall keep mine."

There was no time to waste, no reason to continue to gaze at the memory when the real girl would be at school. I dressed in a rush, dragging a brush through my hair, before grabbing my keys, with any luck I would meet her before class, actually speak to her...

Kellen met me at the end of the hall, instantly reminding me that I wouldn't be alone at school, "Jude?"

Oren, the one thing that could ruin my day, "Kellen do you think you could find a reason for Oren to stay-"

"I was already planning on it," he glanced warily toward the kitchen and I knew my brother was already chowing down. "I'm taking him scouting… There can be no doubt now that Chastity is back with us."

My smile vanished, as I recognized the faint odor on his jacket, "They're back."

"Yes, I think you'd best keep a close watch on her son… Unless history repeat itself in the most ugly way."

I jetted back to my room and removed the reliquary, stuffing it in my pocket. I knew I couldn't give it to her yet, a stranger giving a girl an elaborately detailed antique piece of jewelry would be three degrees above the weirdness scale… Not quite as bad as the wedding band, but still not a good way to make a first impression.
I would give her the reliquary soon, she needed it.

~Chase~

I got to school way early only because I was up before the sun. My night was plagued with the worst kind of dreams and I was glad I hadn't picked up the journal again since Monday morning. Last thing I needed was more fuel for last night's slumber show. In my crazy dream I'd been chased through an overgrown forest by freaky snorting, squealing, shadow creatures first. Then I'd come face to face with strange boys with green eyes that shined like an animal's when the headlights of a passing car caught them. No surprise a handsome pen wheedling librarian had rescued me in the end… it was all like a very twisted comic book.

Needless to say I was in no shape to fight with mom this morning and the fact that I hadn't cleaned up my meager dinner mess before I went to bed guaranteed she'd have a few choice words for me.

When I got to school, the lack of cars confirming I was one of the first here, I swung by the office and dropped off a plate of homemade chocolate chip cookies for E as a thank you for my first day. She chuckled and lightly chided me for ruining her diet as she munched on one, before handing me one of those pocket sized emergency ponchos to keep in my Bug. E was definitely a friend.

It was kinda nice being here so early only a few other students were beginning to filter in and it was quiet. I stood in front of my locker working the combo and being very happy when the lock popped on the first try, nothing worse than forgetting your combo, something I often had nightmares about. A quick glance at my watch assured me I had plenty of time to make my locker a little retreat to my old life and I pulled the packet of freshly printed pics out of my bag.

I started hanging my friends in my locker, reliving in small ways, the trip I'd taken with my best girls two summers ago. Midge, Jamie, and I eating ice cream by the Santa Monica Pier, the three of us chilling on the beach, trying on hats in a tourist trap shop… It'd been a great time. Next were some photos I'd snapped of us at school only a few weeks ago, another of us with our guy friends, Topher, Benedict, and Cole at homecoming last year. I added some of the wacky ones Midge sent me last night and laughed again at the captions.

With much care I hung my precious memories in my locker with smiley face and flower magnets, a corny farewell gift from Topher. They matched the huge funky vinyl stickers he'd given me for my bug 'to freak out the locals in Farmer Ville'.

"The black hair looks awful on you," a deep honey voice insulted me from behind.

I knew without looking who it was but what the heck kind of greeting was that? Almost a week of stalking me and he says something uber rude right off!? He sounded like my mom…

I turned ready to shoot back some kinda rude sarcastic remark to counter his but he was too close to me and way too hot for me to form any coherent thoughts… hotter than Jareth. Up close, his back against the lockers beside me, hands in his pockets as he casually stood there, textbook at his feet, he looked older than a junior and way more like a Calvin Kline model. A model posing as a high school kid, hawking some pheromone inspired fragrance to us drooling teens.

"And the black clothes... Such dark colors should be used in moderation against your fair complexion," he observed casually, but looked at his feet and added, "It makes you look like a corpse." I noted the way his voice tightened on the word 'corpse'. Weird…

What was with this guy? Was this some kinda public service announcement against teen suicide? Did I look suicidal?

"Isn't it more customary for a guy to introduce himself, before he starts telling a girl she looks like crap?"

He grinned and laughed lightly, his gaze meeting my attempt to be menacing glare. He made me forget how to breathe. "Sorry that was rude," he pulled his hand out of his pocket and offered it to me, "Hi, I'm Jude Hawk."

He had the most beautiful smile… I shook his hand and the minute my hand touched his I saw a flash, a picture of him dressed up in really old fashioned clothes, the colors all sepia. It was like one of the 'old west' photos you could have taken at the state fair, the kind where you got to dress in 'period correct' costumes.

I blinked and it was gone. "Umm… I'm Chastity Van-Helm, but people I like, call me Chase."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Chase," he continued to smile, "Or shall I assume you don't like me and call you Chastity?"

I laughed a little nervous sound but managed, "No if you called me Chastity all the time then I wouldn't like you. I'd feel like I was always in trouble, either that or like a really old lady… 'Chastity' is an old family tradition and not one I signed up for."

Why was I telling him all this? It wasn't like he'd asked… He probably thought I was total noodle head. Way to make an impression Chase…

Jude nodded, killer smile in place as if I wasn't rattling on like an idiot, "I can understand why you'd want the nickname… 'Jude' isn't exactly a popular name these days either, but there really isn't much I can do to shorten it. I'm afraid I'm not cool enough to simply go by 'J'."

Him not cool enough for something? Yeah right…

"I like your name. It's different in a good way. Hey it's even in a Beatles song! Chastity is just another word for abstinence… No one wrote a hit song about that."

He laughed loudly, "Yes I suppose that's one way to look at it… May I walk you to class?"

The five minute warning bell rang and I realized the hall was a frenzy of activity and squeaking shoe rubber, as our fellow class-mates rushed around to get to class on time. A few glanced at us as if we were a couple of side show freaks and I remembered what Seph had said about the Hawk's, they didn't converse with their peers… That's when I saw she, Halmoni, and Moon, gaping at me, their arms loaded with lesson books. I gave them a little wave and got nervous smiles back before they hurried to their classes.

I wondered if I wasn't officially listed as the queen of freakdom….

"Well, may I?" Jude prodded his eyes on me.

"Umm sure I guess… I've got Trig first period."

Duh! He's seen you there dork!

Jude chuckled, "What a coincidence so do I," he picked up his book and offered to take mine but I insisted on carrying it. I needed something to do with my hands, he was making me all fidgety and pulling at my shirt, biting my nails, or tugging my hair wouldn't be sexy.

"Why didn't I see you in Trig Monday morning?"

"I got soaked on the way in from my car and E took pity on me."

"Yes, Mrs. Edwards is a rare soul." He smiled at me stopping my heart again, "I'm glad you've made a friend in her." He opened the door for me, a gust of air blowing his scent to me, making me melt. He didn't smell like a high school boy, all exotic spice, leather, and cedar… The final bell rang bringing me back to here and now. My teacher was glaring at me.

Great here comes my first tardy.

"Sorry Mr. Jackson, I'm afraid it's my fault Chase is late this morning," Jude apologized softly behind me and Mr. Jackson's glare disappeared. "I've never been to California and I side-lined her with questions."

"Don't let it happen again Mr. Hawk… please both of you, take a seat."

Wow, chivalry… I hardly knew the boy but I was seriously starting to crush on him. I let myself take another whiff of 'Ode de Jude' as he walked in front of me into the classroom.

I tried not to pay attention to the looks we got as we made our way to the back of the class. This time Jude took the desk beside mine, and I had to doodle on my notes just so I wouldn't do something dumb like stare at him the whole time or start sniffing the air between us less discreetly. First period wasn't easy to get through, partly because I sucked at math in all its forms, but mostly because every time I looked up Jude was watching me, with a smile.

When the bell rang for second period, he stood up when I did, "May I walk you to your next class?"

"But you don't have English next period."

"No I have science next hour, but I have time to walk you. I left my textbook in class yesterday so there's no need for me to go to my locker."

I'd never had a boy offer to walk me to a class let alone one he didn't go to with me, "Uh, okay…" not sure I could say no to him.

He fell into step with me walking very close beside me, both unnerving and exhilarating me. I wanted him to be right next to me, to maybe be crushing on me a little… but I also wanted him to step back a bit so I'd be able to seem cool and composed. It was like he was perfectly comfortable being so close to me, like it was second nature to him… but totally weird cause we didn't really know each other… weirder still was how bad I wanted to touch him.

"You have beautiful eyes," he observed softly as we walked, "all the black really distracts from them."

"It's temporary," I said quickly strangely wishing the dye would hurry and wash out, "I only did it to get at my mom."

"I can't imagine it's easy leaving everything you love behind," his eyes shifted to mine again, "It must've been very difficult to say goodbye to your boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?"

"The boy you were with in your pictures."

Oh yeah he probably watched me hang my pictures.

"Topher isn't my 'boyfriend' in that since. He's just a boy that's a friend, but it wasn't easy leaving any of my peeps behind," I explained. "Oh and my job. I would've been manager at the hat shop this summer. This is me," I said stopping by the door to English class, "Umm, thanks for… escorting me."

"A pleasure," he chuckled softly and blew me away, "Would you have lunch with me today, Chase?"

"Why?" I asked stupidly instead of saying yes like I wanted to.

"I really haven't ever been to California and I find you… intriguing."

Well he was interested on some level…

"Sure, lunch would be great," I smiled.

"I'd better go before I make you tardy," he turned and strode back down the hall for science class.

"Weird," I breathed and went into my class.

Seph's eyes were bigger than saucers when I sat beside her, "Jude Hawk walked you to class?"

"Umm, yeah," I tried to look all casual about it while she gaped at me.

"Oh My Gosh! What did he just come up and ask you if he could?"

"No we talked a little," I opened my note book, writing my name and today's date at the top. "He ambushed me while I was hanging pics in my locker… he hates my black hair."

"H-o-l-y cow, you had a real conversation with him? What's he like? You know he's never talked to anyone else before? Was his brother there too? What'd you talk about?"

The barrage of questions was coming so quickly I didn't know what to answer first so chose the last one, "Names, mostly. We talked about names and he insulted my hair and clothes… but I guess he made up for it with the name talk."

"He doesn't like your 'Goth' look? He really said that?"

"Yeah, I guess he saw how I used to look in my pics, back when I was happy in Cali." I remembered his strange expression when he'd said I looked like a corpse, "it really bothers him… how dead I look in black."

"W-O-W, I can't believe he said that!"

"Yeah I know… he asked me to have lunch with him… I said I would, maybe I shouldn't have after the way he dissed my look."

I thought her eyes would pop out of her head, "Jude Hawk asked you to eat with him? I totally would've said yes too… God he's a total babe!"

I grinned, guess I wasn't a freak just the envy of a few girls.

Mr. Thorn walked to my desk ending our conversation and giving me my copy of the Salem Witch Trials. This was one book I really wasn't looking forward to reading again.

Third period P.E. was volley ball, so we didn't really get to talk much until we hit the locker room. Well it was mostly Seph doing the talking and she sounded a bit like a broken record. Every other statement was about how she was trying to wrap her head around the 'date' I was about to go on.

She watched me lace up my vampy boots with great interest, "Man I wish I'd have known all it'd take to get noticed by him was going Goth… I would've done it freshman year when they moved here."

"Where'd they move from?" I asked, curious to know what she knew about my lunch date.

"Somewhere in Idaho. Guess Jude and Oren's parents got killed in some kinda plane crash or something, so they came here to live with their uncle. Kellen Hawk adopted them like right away, close family… Was Oren there when Jude asked you to lunch?"

I put one booted leg on the floor and braced my other on the bench, zigzagging the laces all the way up my calf nice and tight, "No I haven't seen him all morning," she gave me an odd look that made my skin crawl.

"Oren and Jude have never missed a day, separately, you sure you didn't see him?"

"No I really didn't." I put that foot on the floor and bent my knees, ankles, focusing more on the fit and feel of my lacing job than I needed to.

"So the one day his brother isn't around Jude talks to a girl? Weird family…." She smiled at me, "I want details later! Have fun at lunch."

"Yeah sure," I said shouldering my bag as she left me, catching up with one of the other girls on the way out the door.

I was one of the last out and wasn't surprised when I found Jude waiting for me outside the gym. I felt him before I saw him… Maybe I was hyper aware of him 'cause all the stalking. "Hi," I didn't make direct eye contact 'cause I was feeling a bit shy.

"Hello," he smiled ducking his head to meet my eyes, "Did you want to dine in or shall we go out for lunch?"

"Out for lunch?" I queried.

"One of the benefits to attending a tiny school in a tinier town, open campus. I'll buy since I'm offering."

I'd never gone to a restaurant in the middle of a school day the idea was intriguing, "Cool! Where are you taking me?"

"The Whistle Stop Café," he pulled out his keys and we headed to the doors out into the moist parking lot, "it isn't far from here so we'll be back in class before the final bell rings."

I followed him to the nicest car in the lot, the big white Range Rover I'd seen him standing by the day before, and he unlocked the passenger door holding it open for me. He didn't run around to the driver's side like I figured he would and I climbed in completely aware of him at my back, all nervous and wondering if he was checking out my butt… My foot slipped on the running board. I let out a very unsexy startled squeak. Jude caught my arm, "Careful, I'm afraid the rain's slicked everything."

I swallowed as I got in and hid my embarrassment under humor, one of my extra special talents, "Sorry not used to anything taller than a '69 VW Bug."

He laughed and got in the driver's seat, "I saw you drive away in that the other day… I like the little yellow car, glad you didn't have it painted black." He winked at me and my heart fluttered, my knees were so rubbery I was glad I was firmly seated and belted in place.

"Yeah, I think I'm giving up on the funeral bit," I sighed so my voice wasn't so shaky. "Dad has mom convinced it's no big deal," I added more in my own regular old convo voice, "and I guess Baker isn't horrible, only boring… good place for the retired crowd. Hey maybe I should dye my hair gray and go all old lady. I'd like to see dad explain that as 'trendy'."

He laughed lightly as he pulled out of the parking lot then glanced at me, "I'd like to see you as the girl in your pictures."

I am sooo going to the salon after school to see what they can do about my hair. I'd used the cheap stuff so it was washing out, but I wanted my old color back right now! Another little glance from him had me wondering if he couldn't read minds…

"So where's your bother?" I asked, picking at nonexistent lent on my shirt, trying to get a conversation going, and not to think how much I liked it when he looked at me.

"Hunting with Kellen," Jude smiled as he focused on the road, but it didn't match his other smiles, kinda like a shadow of the others. "It's the one thing Baker City has to offer this time of year, plentiful game." He pulled into the parking lot of the café.

I felt like there was something about 'hunting' he wasn't telling me, his voice had too much of a sarcastic edge to it. I watched him more carefully, "Why didn't you go?"

"Oren and I needed a break from each other and hunting doesn't hold my interest the way it does Oren's," he said slipping out of his seat, convo on hunting finished. I shrugged and opened my door. He hurried to my side, I thought maybe he figured I'd slip again, it wasn't like my wild vampire or 'hooker' (as mom would call them) boots had much traction.

He pulled the door open the rest of the way and held a hand up to me, which I took. "You should've let me get the door," he admonished as I stepped onto the damp concrete, "it's what a gentleman does."

Why is it the wealthy super good looking guys always have an old fashioned way of looking at the world? Last year when Topher and I went to the homecoming dance together he hadn't opened a single door for me. Heck I was lucky none got closed on me!

"Sorry, not used to 'gentlemen' just buddies," I admitted.

"A pretty girl like you? That simply isn't right," his smile was gonna make me faint if he kept it up! I let him open the door to the restaurant for me to make up for the other door.

There wasn't much of a lunch crowd in the café, a few couples, travelers on their way through to more exciting destinations, some high school students, but not much. We were quickly seated and I began analyzing the menu, so I could gather my wits.

"Order whatever you like Chase, as I said, I'll pay for our lunch."

I would've protested but I wanted money for the salon later. "What's good here? I mean what would you order?"

"The prime rib… but they don't serve it until after four, so I think I'll settle for the bacon burger."

Typical guy total carnivore… that's okay I was always more of a meat eater too… "Sounds great, why don't we make it a deuce, extra bacon?"

He laughed a real twinkle in his eyes, "You mean you won't simply settle for a salad?"

I made a face, "Heck no! Why have rabbit food when a guy is offering to fill my tank? If they were serving it, I'd have the prime rib," I glanced at the menu, "and the lobster."

"Don't your parents feed you?" he chuckled, seeming again to be so much older than a junior. Even the way he talked was different…

"Yeah the 'rents do feed me, but I don't get nearly enough red meat or expensive seafood," I smiled back at him, loving the way he lit up when he laughed.

He leaned toward me, across the table, "Then perhaps I'll have to take you out for a real meal, dinner?"

I nodded unable to speak, my brain slowing processing what he just said… I think he just asked me out on a real date!

"Hmm perhaps next weekend?" he prodded.

Oh my gosh, he is asking me out! "S… sure… I don't think we have any plans-"

"Hi kids what can I get you for lunch?" our waitress pleasantly interrupted.

"Two bacon cheese burgers, extra bacon, with fries and two strawberry iced teas," Jude said without asking what I wanted with my burger. Amazingly he asked for exactly what I would've wanted… most guys would've gone for the coke.

She scribbled everything thing on her note pad, gave us a grandmotherly smile as she collected the menus, and left us taking the only thing I'd had to hide behind with her. I started drumming my fingers on the table, trying not to fidget too much, and glanced up at my date. He gave me another smile to die for. Oh man! I am totally crushing on this guy!

He kept smiling at me, his smile got a little bigger, and I realized I was staring. I turned my eyes to the napkin, taking my time unfolding it as I tried to think of something, anything, intelligent to say. It took a while to get the brain to function again… "So what did you want to know about Cali?" he'd said earlier that he'd never been. That was safe convo material right?

I felt his eyes leave me and glanced up, watching covertly under my lashes as he unfolded his napkin. "Oh I don't know… is it really as crowded as we small town people believe?"

"Yeah in the city, but there's a lot of farm land out there and some quiet little towns too," most people didn't picture that stuff in California, but Jude didn't look as surprised as other kids.

"Hmm, what do you miss the most?" he folded his hands together and looked at me with warm interest. It made me smile.

"The sun, the ocean, my friends, the hustle and bustle… Baker is so quiet it makes me nervous. Especially when aunt Chastity's house gets creaky, but that's how old houses are right?"

"Creaky how?" he looked a little unsettled, which made me uneasy.

"Floor boards settling in the middle of the night and sometimes the stairs pop and creak for no good reason… Almost like someone's on them…"

Jude's eyes narrowed, "Chase are you alone when this happens?"

I thought about the other day when mom and dad had been at the shop, inventorying and nodded, "But a cold front had just come through, with lightning and thunder and so much hail it looked like snow… isn't that the way it's supposed to work?"

He seemed to relax a little, which was good for my nerves too. "Yes," he said slowly a little knowing look in his eyes that raised more questions in my head, but then he grinned and I forgot what I'd been thinking. "I sometimes forget that your family's house is the oldest in town… Speaking of which didn't your mom take over the antique shop?"

"Yeah, she and dad are trying to get it in order," I sighed knowing I'd be alone at home again tonight.

He laughed lightly, "I suppose it was in quite disarray after your aunt passed."

That reminded me of what Daemon had said about the Hawks and crazy aunt Chastity and Oren's obvious dislike for me. "Why didn't your uncle like aunt Chastity?"

He blink astounded, "Who told you that?"

"Daemon said she protested everything you guys did," maybe Daemon had been misinformed, I should have known better than to listen to rumors.

"It's true we didn't often see eye to eye with her on… some things. But at the end of her days I don't think she was-" He eyed me apologetically.

"Yeah we know she was nut-bunnies," I smiled at him and he laughed at ease again.


3

First thing I did after school that day was go to the salon. They were able to get rid of most of the cheapo black dye I'd used and with a little light blonde dye, get my hair back to almost normal. I'd simply have to wait for the colored hair to grown out to really look like old me. I went home with half the money I'd had in my wallet but feeling like a million!

The next thing I did when I got home to my empty house, was unpack my colored clothing, going through it and carefully selecting next Monday's clothes.

I imagined what Jude would think of the little green plaid wool skirt and cream colored angora sweater I'd grabbed, that had me really grinning. So I spent an hour in front of my mirror playing with different hair styles, trying to pick one that said, 'sexy and sophisticated, but not easy'. Jude was the first boy I'd ever wanted to impress.

So help me Baker wasn't looking that bad anymore and I was dangerously close to actually thanking mom and dad for dragging me out here. I packed my digital camera in my book bag hoping I might convince him to let me take a pic of him, so I could e-mail some 'eye candy' to my girls in L.A. Let 'em see that all was not lost in the stix.

~Jude~

I walked into the house feeling alive, gleeful, as I hadn't since the night that Chase had freed Kellen and I. Ironically that same night I had nearly killed her, but then I wasn't exactly me and everything in my cursed body had been bent on destroying any and all creatures that stumbled into our woods. That had been the reason the Raven's Claw sisters, empowered by the darkest of fey creatures, put the curse on first my father and then his brother, Kellen. Their goal, to keep all out of the forest they had been driven from and away from the secret they guarded. I'd merely been collateral damage, bitten by my father the second night he'd changed… in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Flickering, slowly coming into clearer focus, the old memory of being freed came back to me and I welcomed it. In the silence of my deserted home I wanted to remember. I sat at the long dining table, resting my arms on the cool, smooth, darkly stained top, and closed my eyes letting it all wash over me, stepping into the past without fear of the pain of loss that normally accompanied it. The coolness of the table seeped into me, drawing me back into a cooling autumn forest, night creeping in adding to the darkness. I could feel of constantly damp soil beneath my paws, smell the stench of unhealthy flora, the stink of hell bond beasts mingling with it making my skin tremble, my muscles quake with the need to kill! But then something cut through all that, stronger, sweet, alluring. Chastity's scent hung thick in the air and I heard the sound of her rushing feet as she ran through the darkening wood. Instantly I was torn between pursuing her or tearing into the hoard of orgs that rummaged in the underbrush. Kellen was already circling making ready to attack the orgs from the opposite side, but her scent and her racing heart were like a magnet, a force not to be denied. She was so close and I could smell her blood, my mouth salivated with it!

I turned from the intended target and ghosted swiftly through the underbrush easily overtaking the girl, pinning her to the ground dangerously close to the orgs. Normally the beasts would avoid a lycanthrope at all costs but a girl's scream would be too tempting, we were lucky my attack didn't make her scream…

I'd planned on sinking my razor sharp fangs in her throat before she could get one out, bringing her to the ground so hard the breath would be knocked out of her as I choked the life from her. When I sprang on her, she'd jerked to the left away from me, I didn't hit where I'd hoped, biting into a shoulder instead and letting go so my nose didn't hit the hard dirt. She went down surprised, shoulder bleeding, but didn't scream, even with my teeth savagely bared and my ears flat against my skull she didn't make a sound.

That's when I met her gaze and we both froze. I saw myself reflected in her eyes, frightening, darker than the night, green eyes burning with blood lust, muzzle stained with her blood… and then I saw the other me, my humanity, the simple life I'd known before this nightmare I'd become. I saw the feature I'd planned, the feature I'd spent my entire life building up to, and how I was about to destroy that chance forever.

The rage, the unbearable fever, was immediately quelled by her eyes and her scent as it wrapped around me willing me to spare her life, to not let the curse control me and make me do what I loathed. My silent snarl died, my ears lifting, as I held her in place frightened, suddenly, for her. She was in danger from the other things in this forest, my father, wherever he was hunting tonight, Kellen completely under the curse's control, and worse the orgs. I'd seen what those demons did to the lone human females they caught; death never came fast enough for those poor souls.

Recognition had spread on her features as she'd looked in my eyes and she'd gasped, quickly covering her mouth when we both heard the snorting, snuffling of the approaching scout. I knew he smelled her blood and I hated that I'd bitten her, cursed her to my life… or so I'd thought at the time…

I entreated her with my eyes, begged her to be still, silent. I couldn't take on all the hoard and protect her from Kellen… things would only become more dire when my father was drawn in by the ruckus and I knew he would be. My father, once a respected lumber merchant like my uncle, like myself, had the blood fever worse than us and he lived for the kill. Even during the fleeting day lit hours, when we was human, he wasn't right and when night fell the only thing that kept him from slaughtering the village was the restriction that we had to keep to the woods.

One wolf against two much larger wolves, plus the hoard, I wouldn't have stood a chance! She'd seemed to understand that I wasn't going to hurt her, despite already suffering one bite from me, and wordlessly mouthed 'okay', clamping her hand over her wound, stanching the ebbing flow. I was very lucky I'd missed her major arteries and not bitten as deep as I could have. My fangs could've cleaved her flesh, muscle, and bone as if it were no more substantial than freshly churned butter.

I'd shifted my body off of her, using myself as a shield between she and the snuffling monstrosity in the brush a few yards away. My scent would mask hers some, but her spilled blood would work against that heartily. I growled low defensive, a hungry animal ready to defend his kill. Let the creature believe the girl at my back was dead and that he'd be next if he interfered.

It'd worked, he'd squealed and retreated, his frightened cries echoing in his comrades as they fled, crashing through the forest. In their absence, Kellen ghosted out of the underbrush savage, angry, the kill stolen from him, and turned his teeth on me.

'No stop!' she'd screamed, springing to her feet, and it was all I could do to keep him from tearing into her. I'd scrambled, caught a hind leg in my jaws, yanked him back and lunged to get between he and Chase. Kellen had turned back on me burying his teeth in my flank, I'd fought back a howl. If my father came on the scene she'd be dead.

'I said stop it!' she'd reached for Kellen's massive rough and when her hands made contact, he'd fallen over stunned, motionless, eyes staring in fright as her magic worked on him, awaking his humanity...

Kellen had thought she was a witch, but she was something far more powerful than that, the magic born in her blood and bone came from Tir na Nog. If she hadn't been fooled by the witch child all those years ago, she'd have realized her full power. Chastity would've broken the curse, freed Kellen and I completely, sealed up the unnatural evil that trickled into the human world. Chastity would have healed the land forever.

Kellen and I had retained just enough of her magic to save Oren from the darkest part of the curse and restored his humanity. Neither of us knew who'd bitten him or how he'd come to be in Bracken-berry wood, it'd happened years after Chase's loss during the quiet time…

"Jude?" Kellen's voice pulled me from my private thoughts and I looked up at him.

"Any luck?" I asked and Oren appeared in the doorway behind him, glaring at me.

"We caught the trail but it leads deeper into the wood and I'd feel more comfortable tracking as a pack of three." Kellen looked at me weary, "It's a large band Jude, large like back in the beginning."

My body tensed with anxiety, Why so many so soon?

Kellen asked softly, "Did you give her the reliquary?"

I knew what he was saying but even with the reliquary, there were things that could hurt her, "No. It isn't as if I could simply hand it to her and tell her it was paramount to her safety that she wear it… Kellen even with it in her possession I can't leave her. She doesn't have a clue as to her powers or how to use them. Chase needs me, now more than ever!"

"If those things make a raid on the town, Jude, it's over for us," Oren snapped, "Think about that for a minute, think about the stupid military getting involved, or the Wiccan coming back full force. We've gotta track 'em. I say screw the girl, what's one life in exchange for all of-"

How dare he!

I was on my feet snarling, the chair I'd been in clattering loudly to the tile floor, but Kellen got between us pushing a hand against my chest, before I could take Oren. "Oren I explained things to you in full. That girl is key to ending this and her life is linked to Jude's. I don't want to hear another negative word from your lips about Chastity Van-Helm."

Oren backed down with a barely audible, "Sorry".

Kellen nodded curtly and looked at me, expectant. I straightened folding my arms over my chest. I continued to glare at Oren. "Jude, I think she'll be safe. As long as she hasn't begun to use her magic, they can't scent her out. She'll smell like any other humans in town-"

"But the witch's daughter-"

"Doesn't know her mother is a witch and even if she does, doesn't know what Chase is."

You can't be any more certain of that than me, I thought but sighed knowing in my heart that for the time being she was safe. She'd only be watched right now, watched while they hoped that she was the real thing. There was no excuse not to go with Kellen and Oren but when would I see her again?

~Chase~

The weekend dragged, while I waited for Monday. I went to the junk shop with mom and dad, hoping maybe he'd miss me and pop by. It wasn't my best idea ever and I didn't know why I thought he might it wasn't like we were dating!

Being trapped in a stale smelling old building, surrounded by stuff people from another life had left behind, with my perpetually distracted parents wasn't helping me move my weekend along. I wound up playing in the hats, snapping silly pics of myself with my phone's camera and texting them to Midge. When she didn't answer I felt lower, knowing she was out with the old gang having a blast, probably catching some waves if she wasn't answering her phone.

Seph was my only visitor and she saved me from myself before I started playing in the old lady clothes. She dragged me down the block to meet up with Halmoni and Daemon for lunch at The New Deli, deli Halmoni's parents owned. Moon had been railroaded into spending the day, hunting for wild mushrooms with her mom. When it started sprinkling, we all felt bad for her.

"So you went out for lunch with Jude," Seph grinned at me as I took another bite of sandwich changing the subject from Moon's unfortunate afternoon to my impromptu lunch date.

I wasn't really that surprised I knew Seph and Halmoni were chomping at the bit for details. Still I took my time answering, thoroughly chewing my bite and swallowing, "Yeah… he was really cool." I tried to look like it wasn't any big deal.

She rolled her eyes, "No kidding he's cool. What did you talk about?"

"Cali," I took a drink.

"California, that's all you talked about," she looked disappointed but brighten a sly grin on her face. "So why did you lose the 'Goth' look?"

"The dye was washing out and mom wouldn't pay for more," I brushed the crumbs from my sandwich into a neat pile, "I didn't want 'skunk' hair and I'm saving my dwindling funds for art stuff. Mom wasn't affected by the look anymore so I gave up. I'll find some other way to get her goat."

"You sure what Jude said didn't have anything to do with it?" Halmoni shared a look with Seph.

"Yep," I lied and glanced at poor Daemon reading his comic book, ignoring us girls if we going to talk about boys. I felt bad for him being the only guy in our group, at least my crew in Cali had more testosterone to go around. Maybe if Jude and I got real serious it'd be a good thing for Daemon too… I glanced at my little group of friends and had trouble picturing Jude sitting at the table we occupied. It was getting hard not to laugh!

"Hey I really ought to get back, guys," I fished out my portion of the food bill and laid it on the table as I got up. "Thanks for keeping me company and Halmoni, tell your dad he's wiz at sandwich building." I made my escape the mental picture of Jude, in all his hot awesomeness, talking with Daemon about comics, had me laughing all the way back!

I was still snickering a bit when I walked in the shop, until my eyes caught the guy browsing in the alcove near the front door, I paused to quietly observe. Jareth was too engrossed in his search to notice me checking him out. Heck might as well nothing better to see in here…"Hi lord of the books," I smiled at him as he looked up from the trunk he'd been poking around in, sliding his glasses back into place. "Don't think you'll find any stray books in there."

He grinned at me. Yeah he's cute but Jude's cuter…. "Well hello there Ms. Chase, I was disappointed you haven't been back to visit my hovel. I've set aside some books for you." He closed the distance between us and nonchalantly flipped my hair, "Wow this is a change."

"Actually the other was the change," I blushed, not nearly as bold with him so close, and picked up a glass bird pretending it held great interest for me, "blonde is my real color."

"Oh, well, it's really pretty… nicer than the other…"

"Uh thanks," I blushed a little darker and looked at the empty spot my bird had been in.

"So were you going to visit me again soon? I'd hate to think I let you have a library card for nothing," he teased and made me more comfortable again, "precious fossil fuels were expounded in the creation of that card."

"Maybe I was just there but left 'cause it was closed for lunch?" I teased back, sitting my bird down and stepping aside.

"Well I have to get brain food too you know," he chuckled, "I am trying to learn from my computer generated professor."

"Wow you're in the wrong place to get food… think you might have fried your brain," I snickered and he laughed.

"Okay so I side tracked. I was curious about this 'under new ownership' shop, the previous owner was nuttier than a filbert orchard."

"Yeah I know… she was my aunt," I sighed.

"Oh! Sorry… I didn't realize," his brows pulled together, "So this is your parent's shop?"

"Yep," I pointed to the old top hat he was holding, "I'd offer you a discount except that I don't even get one."

He glanced at his top hat just now seeming to remember he was holding it and chuckled, "Dang! And I was hoping to get this for Halloween." He put it on his head, "Well what do ya think?"

I laughed, "I think you're a little old for 'trick-or-treat'."

"Not too old to dress-up and give out candy," he chided with a grin. "Thought I'd tone it down this year, old Freddy Cougar didn't go over too well with the kiddies the year before last and I think all the leftover candy contributed to dad's poor health."

He walked with me to the counter, no longer checking out the shop I noticed… "You dressed up like Freddy Cougar to give candy to tots? That is twisted dude."

"Hey I was an immature high school senior," he sat the hat on the counter and mom beat me to the till. No clue where she suddenly materialized from. Maybe she'd been hanging from the rafters waiting for the next unlucky soul to drop on and suck their wallet dry.

"Hi there," she grinned at him showing her teeth. Yep mom had to be part vamp… "Was this everything for you? I have some waist coats-"

"Nope this is all I can afford," he pulled out his old worn leather wallet. It was super thin, starved for cash, mom wasn't going to get much of meal out of him. "I'll have to use my prom tux for the rest, 'fraid I'm only a poor librarian."

Mom toned down the hungry smile, "Oh you're Scott's son aren't you?"

"Yes I am," he said handing her a twenty, "dad said he conned you into buying some of his junk."

Mom laughed, "One man's trash is another woman's treasure. Chase, why don't you go with this nice young guy and get acquainted with the local library?"

Mom wanted me outta her hair again, big surprise… I frowned despite myself.

"I'd gladly see if I can find something to charm a smile out of your daughter," he said charming my mom, "think maybe I can get a little discount on the hat?"

"I think I can afford that," mom gave him a ten back instead of a five, "maybe you could take her to lunch?"

"Mom I just ate," I grumped a little surprised at her lack of worry over how much older this 'nice guy' might be than me. She had to know he didn't go to my school.

"How about an ice-cream?" he offered smiling at me in a way I would've really liked had I not been miffed at mom.

"Prue, I'll need your help if you want to make it to our dinner reservations," dad called and made my mood worse. They were going to dinner without me… again. No wonder they had me take my own car.

I snatched Jareth's free hand marching to the door without a backward glance, "Sure a date with a boy would be great." I said it loud enough for them to hear and all I got was a 'have fun'. They didn't care that the guy wasn't in school with me, that he was an 'adult' and I was just seventeen!

"Hey whoa girly," Jareth pulled me to halt and I realized I'd been towing him behind me for half a block, "there's no need to rush. I get an hour for lunch and it's only been fifteen since I hung my out to lunch sign."

"Sorry," I crossed my arms over my chest, pouting… but I wasn't mad at him was I? No. I sighed unfolding myself and looked at him.

He tilted his head, pursing his lips, getting I wasn't happy, "What's wrong Chase?"

Wow someone really honestly wanted to know, who wasn't named Midge…

"It's just sometimes… ugh! I don't get it!" I tossed my hands in the air frustrated, "I mean you're older right?"

"Yeah… twenty-one, but what's that got to-"

"So they tell me to go hang out with a guy that's four years older than me, legal enough to provide me booze, but some kid has a freak out in a school that I don't go to and it's, 'Chase we're moving to a town that'll be safer for you to grow up in'." I was embarrassingly close to tears, I was so frustrated, "I mean are they going to parent me or not? Shouldn't they be saying, 'that guy's too old for you'?"

"Sorry," he said with a little smile, "it's my fault they didn't tell you to keep away from me… my good-boy rep. preceded me. Your mom's already talked with my dad, probably heard all about my big plans to be a kindergarten teacher, and how I started the summer reading program back up for the kids, and how I left school to come back to take care of him…. I'm sorry honest."

And just like that my aggravation drained and I felt stupid for unloading on him, "Sorry… I just miss my friends." It was lame to say but I didn't have anything else to say.

He put a hand on my shoulder and we started walking again, side by side this time. "Hey it's okay, I get it… and it sounds like you're on your own for dinner too. The library doesn't close till six on Saturday's, but maybe you'd like to have some low sodium, super soup with my dad and I tonight?"

I thought of Jude the boy I really wanted to go out on a date with and turned him down, "Thanks but not tonight… I will take you up on the junk food fix though."

Jareth smiled, "Okay sounds better than super soup… you gonna at least hop by the library and check out a book or two?"

"Yeah, wouldn't want my card to go to waste," I laughed a little.

He guided me into a tiny ice-cream parlor I never would've noticed before and let me order whatever I wanted. He got the same thing and grabbed our bowels insisting I pick the table, there weren't many to choose from, but I snagged the one by the window. He sat across from me, "You've got good taste Chase," he lifted his ice-cream laden spoon, "here's to junk food."

I snickered, "Not really the best thing for lunch. You're more likely to get brain-freeze than brain fed."

"You're eating it too."

"I already had my lunch," I took a big bite, savoring the rich chocolate, smooth whipped topping, and sprinkles.

"Okay so I'll make up for it with my super soup dinner tonight," he chuckled and we enjoyed our ice-cream, the sun making a few appearances through the clouds.

Jareth finished first and took his hat out of the sack and I snatched it off the table putting it on me a little crooked, "I almost got this for myself but it's too big and I dropped the Goth look anyway. Would've been cool decked out with red and black feathers and roses, totally Burlesque."

"Looks sexy on you just as it is," he remarked tapping it with a finger to get a little more angle on it. "I've seen those little 'Burlesque' hats you're talking about and the rest of the outfit that typically goes with them," he looked me over, "not sure a girl your age should dress up like that." The way he looked at me made me blush and I played in my ice cream with my spoon so I wouldn't have to look at him. The guy was so totally flirting with me.

He cleared his throat, "Well I've got to get back to the library… you gonna come with me or should I take my hat back and go?"

"Yeah," I smiled at him putting the hat on him and tossing my leftover ice cream, "I already said I would."

I walked close beside him back to the library and we talked about the difference between 'tubers' and 'roots' and why five year olds made more sense than thirty-five year olds. He made me laugh a lot which was a great change. I liked Jareth okay, he was easy to talk to and didn't hold my insane rant about my 'rents against me.

He talked me into barrowing a couple of books whose main characters were a bunch of feral cats, explaining sometimes life was easier when you looked at it through another species eyes. It kinda made sense in weird way. Then he let me snap some photo's of the library and him 'hard at work' to send to Midge, making me promise I'd come back to visit him again soon.

I spent Sunday in my favorite room, the solarium, warmed by the autumn sun, dust motes danced in the amber light and tickled my nose a little but I didn't go back to my room. I was caught between the pages of the first novel he'd given me. I was a feral feline finding her place in 'the clan', but that was better than being some girl chased by nightmares… I hoped I wouldn't dream of fleas…

Monday, school dawned with disappointment, Jude wasn't there after all my careful prep to look 'sexy and sophisticated'. The other boys in school seemed to like my hair piled on my head accentuating the slender curve of my neck in the clingy V-necked cashmere sweater and of course the short skirt. Not nearly as short as the cheer squads uniforms, but my long legs made it seem that way. I pouted and ignored their continued glances. There was only one guy I wanted to ogle me.

Seph, moon, and I went to the library after school to study about witches in mythology and compare them to The Salem Witch Trial witches for English class. Moon mostly just tagged along 'cause she was bored and avoiding her home life as much as possible. Something about an upcoming hippy 'coming of age' party she didn't want to have and was sick of studying for.

"I've got till January so big deal if a take a day off right?" she asked from the backseat of my bug still sounding anxious that she was giving her mom the slip.

"Totally fine," I assured 'cause it was my turn. Seph and I had been going back and forth since leaving the school.

"And I can help you find books at the library," she said for about the third time, "you know herbalists are really into old 'witch craft' type books."

"Sure, sure," Seph said as I parked the bug and we shared a look when Moon looked around before getting out. You'd think she'd just robbed a bank and was hiding from the cops.

Jareth was delighted to have company… Well mostly to see me. "Wow, you look… real nice Chase," he commented his eyes glued to my legs. "I didn't think you wore anything but… jeans."

Seph jabbed me in the side with an elbow and snickered, "Looks like the librarian's got a thing for a certain girl I know… we can use that to our advantage, maybe we won't have to do so much research."

"Shut up," I whispered at her and Jareth raised a curious brow, no doubt wondering what we were whispering about. I gave him a little smile, "I'm a California girl remember? I've got more skirts and shorts than jeans… you think you could help us find stuff for our paper?"

He came around the counter all eager, "Sure it's great to have three customers for a change. What are we looking for girls?"

"A date," Seph whispered with a giggle I ignored.

"Stuff on witches," I sighed and brandished my copy of the witch trials, "fact or fiction."

"Aw, dry reading," he laughed, "and other things I don't miss about high school."

He was extra helpful, which was great cause guilt got the best of Moon and she finally walked to her mom's shop. Seph encouraged me to don another skirt tomorrow so we'd have more college boy help. I told her to stop pimping me out like my other best girl would. She told me it was my fault for having such nice legs. So totally what Midgey would have said.

Tuesday followed the same pattern. Wednesday the only thing that changed was the weather, it rained hard, drenching everything, Seph and Moon couldn't join me at the library. I used my poncho for the first time and Jareth laughed at me when I walked in.

"Who gave you the greenhouse costume? You do know that Halloween isn't until tomorrow," he teased.

"Hey don't diss the threads," I warned and flicked some water at him as I took off my poncho, "kept me nice and dry."

"Yep it did," he took off his glasses to wipe the water I'd splashed at him off. "Where's your girlfriends?"

"Moon had something to go to with her mom and Seph had to work so sorry you're stuck amusing yourself with only one immature teen."

He came out from his counter and joined me at the table with his laptop as I set up my study area, "I like it better with just one of you around," he glanced up at me, "you in particular. You tend to giggle less than the other two."

"If you're gonna teach kindergartener's you're gonna have to get used to the giggling," I warned as I opened my note book.

He chuckled and looked at me over his glasses, "You've got a point…. So who's this Jude fellow you're supposed to be going on a date with?"

I blushed, "You were eaves dropping?"

"Hey it's not my fault voices carry in here," he said. "So who is he?"

"A boy from school," I said matter-of-fact not nuts about his tone.

"It's Jude Hawk isn't it?" He looked at his screen a little crestfallen, "I can see why you'd prefer dinner with him, he's got cash to take you out… but what if he stands you up?"

"W… what is that supposed to mean?"

"I mean I should've offered you more than soup," he confessed without looking away from his computer screen, the words he wasn't reading reflected on his glasses backwards so I couldn't read his eyes or his lesson.

"No I mean you think he'll stand me up?"

Jareth shrugged, "I don't know the Hawks that well… but if he hasn't been in school all week what are the chances he'll be back for the weekend?"

I pouted and mumbled, "Thanks a lot book boy."


Thursday Halloween, still no Jude, I was hating Baker afresh. Had he decided to go hunting with his brother and uncle? Would he remember our date Saturday or stand me up like Jareth had suggested?

Seph and the gang assured me he probably just went with his uncle for a couple of days. They said it was normal for the Hawks to pull a disappearing act like that sometimes. If they weren't hunting, Seph had said, chances were they were checking the next site for their axe men. Kellen wanted his boys to take over the business one day so sometimes he'd pull them outta school for the little 'field trips'.

Mom was making the most of dad's time before he had to jet back to San Francisco for the big regional meeting. They were getting the shop organized so my house remained deserted on a nightly basis and tonight was no exception. I had no desire to visit Jareth after yesterday's comment. Maybe Seph was right and Jareth liked me, that he was just jealous I had a date, either way I didn't want to see him right now.

Mom and dad left a note encouraging me to go to the school's Halloween function. Guess some lady from the school asked if they could put up a poster about it in her shop, the 'dance' wasn't just for the high school kids it was for all grade levels. Lame multiplied.

Ever helpful, mom had grabbed an old Victorian era dress from the shop, complete with boots and hat, suggesting I wear that as a costume. Free advertising of the wonderful selection she had to offer no doubt. She hinted at asking Jareth to go with me, he was older but everybody in town knew him and the school wouldn't turn him away. She reminded me that he'd bought a top hat at her shop and he'd said he had a tux. Man she was working hard at being match maker!

I rolled my eyes and tossed the note in the trash, taking my new 'outfit' upstairs. I was tired of being alone and I was bored but there was no way I was going to a nerd party, and no way I was going to ask Jareth to do anything with me. So I was left waiting again. Every night I waited in this house, waited for the guy I liked to call, or my best friend to send me e-mail, or my mom and dad to come home. I waited for someone to put me in motion, for the hours to pass, for something, anything to happen!

When had I become the marionette and who was pulling the strings? Frustration boiled over as I realized how out of control of everything I was. I stormed to my window and slammed my hands palms flat on the sill, "When I was in Cali I was the mistress of my destiny…" Every day of my life back there I had made things happen, everything always worked out, but ever since coming here it was as if something else was in control, leading me down a path I didn't understand.

I glowered at my hands fisting them wanting to be old, sure, me again. Something flashed, metallic out of the corner of my eye, drawing my eyes up and out the window. Nothing more than the old pie tin my late aunt had tacked to the former clothes line pole, what for I hadn't the foggiest. Mom and dad assumed she'd been using it as a scarecrow. But what birds were there to scare off and what garden was there to protect?

"Maybe being locked up alone, waiting for something to happen was what made her snap." I was feeling close to it.

A light breeze scuttled the fall leaves over the cut grass of our extra large backyard, lifting the fiery colors of autumn, tumbling them lazily towards the dreary forest where the wind stopped dead. It was like something had sucked it all up, breathed it all in, stealing all its momentum. My eyes were glued to trees, feeling uneasy, like someone, another person making my decisions for me, was telling me not to go out there. I thought of my other long dead relative, the first Chastity in America, and her journal. Something I had been too chicken to pick up and read after the nightmares… Was I going to sit here and wait for the puppet master to pull my strings or was I going to take charge?

"I'm in charge!" I growled and pushed off the window. I wasn't a pansy. We owned most of that land and by golly I was going to show it I wasn't afraid! No one, especially someone that'd died a long time ago and was probably as crazy as the most recently deceased Chastity was going to tell me what do! There weren't any monsters in there despite what my ancestor had written in that journal.

I marched down the stairs, to the hall closet and pulled out the huge old flashlight that could double as a weapon in a pinch. I pulled on my dad's heavier jacket and my muck boots and headed out the back door, tromping loudly over the wooden deck, my footfalls amplified by the planks echoing off the trees. There was an odd energy in the air, kinda like the static feeling just before a thunder storm, that nearly made me turn back, but I was on a mission! I was in charge again!

"I'm not a scardy cat!" I growled as I pushed forward feet noisily crunching the fallen maple leaves. With all the big grumpy creature sounds I was making if there were any animals hiding in the trees they should've turned tail and run.

When I reached the back of the neatly mown, leaf strewn, lawn I suddenly wasn't so sure I could explore the 'mystical' woods. It wasn't from lack of determination, the brambles that grew wild and untamed created a nearly impenetrable wall around the base of the trees, reaching much higher up the trunks than I was tall. I turned on the flash light and searched the thorny gloom for a hole, determined that I wouldn't so easily be dissuaded... I had to prove to myself that it was just a bunch of trees! That there was nothing to my dreams, werewolves didn't exist, the brown man wasn't real…

"Ah ha!" I exclaimed in a whisper and pushed through the nearly hidden game trail, the thorns only snagging at my clothes and hair a bit… At least I thought it was a game trail. I stood in complete silence in a forest where everything seemed to be a different shade of black. I couldn't tell if it was just a trick of the shadows that made the tree trunks that should be brown, charcoal, and the pine needles that should be green, onyx, but it was unnerving. There was something very wrong here… I listened intently but couldn't hear a single twittering bird or chattering chipmunk. And the air… it wasn't fresh and earthy the way a forest is supposed to smell. No it reminded me of stagnant pond water.

I shivered feeling chilled to the depth of my being, it was far more than physical cold… something snapped a twig to my left. Slowly I turned. I thought I caught a glimpse of a large darkly furred body, a hint of some pleasant warm scent, but I couldn't be sure and I sure as heck wasn't going to stick around to find out what was out here with me if anything. In a split second I forgot everything I'd read on the internet about wild animal encounters and I bolted for the house, not turning once to see if I were being pursued.

If I turn my head it'll get me! My inner child assured. My lungs screamed, my feet pounding the ground, loose boots threatening to leave my feet, my leg muscles burning, but adrenaline and the certainty I was about to get eaten kept me charging for safety. Maybe if I did lose a boot whatever was back there would be content to chew on that.

I didn't stop until I was in, slamming the French doors so hard the panes shook in their casings. My heart raced, my breath coming in gasping draws, as I hazarded a long look out at the edge of the forest shining the more powerful spotlight we kept by the back doors out at the tree-line. The light shook in my trembling hand as I swept the beam over the gray green of the brambles… and there! For a fleeting moment, the light caught a pair of greenish eyes reflecting it back, I say greenish only because with animal eye-shine the color is obscured, and then it was gone.

"What in the…"

My cell rang and I grabbed it without looking at the number. Heck even it were a solicitor hearing a human voice was what I needed. "Hello?" I croaked and swallowed trying to bring some moisture back into my arid throat.

"Happy 'Old Hollow's Eve' gremlin girl!" Midge's voice greeted me and I felt loads better, like someone had given me a rope back into reality.

"Midge Pidge! Wow, how are you and who told you I needed someone sane to talk to right now?"

"Sane? Sorry should I have Jamie girl give you a call?"

We both laughed.

"So how are things in hillbilly hell? I got the pics of the library and cute library guy but that's it. I've been waiting for pics of that guy you told me about…" I heard the click of laptop keys, "nope nothin' new in my e-mail. Sure you didn't just dream him up? Sure you shouldn't just sink your claws into the librarian… you did notice he's a cutie didn't you?"

Right now I wasn't sure of anything, other than the fact that my new friends had seen Jude too so he couldn't be imaginary. "Jude's real Midge, but he hasn't been in school since last Friday and it's been a complete snore fest… I've already studied just about everything we're doing right now-"

"That'd be cool! You can simply recycle last year's essays, no thinking required. Nothing like living green."

"Yeah," I laughed, "if the classes were big enough for me to get away with sleeping through them." Talking about simple, everyday school was fast slowing my pulse and bringing me back to normal, not so easily spooked, Chase.

Midge chuckled, "So tell me about all the freaky people out there, anybody relatable, other than the man not in residence right now or the book boy? Or shall I send out a petition to have you deported back to your native country of L.A. California?"

"Nah, I did find a few people that are friendable," I admitted.

"So… tell me about Jareth… you did notice how good looking he is didn't you?" she asked again sounding genuinely concerned.

I laughed, "Yeah he is good looking and he's really nice, and he's older… but…"

"But?" she prompted.

"I don't know," I sighed feeling suddenly drained as the adrenaline and the jitters ebbed, "I get that he likes me a lot, but there's something about Jude… it's hard to explain-"

"No it's not," she brightened with audible relief, "you're just way more attracted to Jude than to the other guy. And that's cool. I was a little worried you hadn't seen how hot he was… Okay… so tell me about the other friendable peeps."

I described to her Seph, Moon, Halmoni, Daemon, and E. Midge was glad I found someone else that'd been branded with an old lady name, but of course was most fascinated by Moon's parents. I'd described them as Seph had, not having actually met them yet, "That is wild! I never would've thought crazy environmentalist would live out in the boonies, they tend to breed solely in the cities and never really see the 'Wild America' they're trying to save."

Wild America, it made me think of my close encounter of the huge carnivore kind.

"I was out in the woods just now and I think I almost got myself eaten, I'm still shook up over it," I admitted needing to tell someone that would really care and not simply lecture me.

"Wow… what would've been the eater?"

"I didn't get a really good look at it-"

At that moment a chorus of howls began, two very far off, the third giving me goose bumps on my goose bumps and lightly vibrating a loose pane, came from the tree-line at the back of the house. My knees went weak but I managed two steps back away from the glass.

"Are those wolves?" she sounded as weirded out as I felt.

"I think one almost ate me," I swallowed dryly, so much for feeling calm. "I saw a huge black furred thing out there and then when I got back inside I used the spotlight to see if I could find it… I saw eyes Midge, big green eyes and they were up high. Way too high."

"Whoa! Too Stephen King," she was clearly unnerved, "I've got freaky bad chills Chase, don't you dare go back in those woods without a gun and I think you'd better load it with silver bullets."

I was in agreement, not sure I'd ever set foot in the backyard either…. Wonder if that's what aunt Chastity was trying to ward off with the pie tin? I almost laughed at the absurdity!

The chorus picked up again and this time the third voice was much farther away, "It's leaving the back forty but I'm going upstairs anyway… Gosh I wish you were here I've got a serious case of the creeps."

"I think you're entitled… Hey listen there was an actual reason for my call. My 'rents wanna have a romantic Christmas holiday this year, sans me. They said I could take an extra week off school if I wanted to visit you… Of course I could spend it with Jamie, but I thought you'd be in much more dire need of my awe inspiring presence. We could treasure hunt in the attic… I'm totally jealous with your find by the way, that fiddle is fully awesome! You think your 'rents would agree to board me for the holidays?"

Mine wouldn't care and we both knew it…

The thought of having three weeks with my best girl in the middle of what promised to be a very cold white winter, helped erase the 'creeps' from my skin, "You'd come even if I were being stalked by werewolves?"

She laughed, "Totally, there's treasure hunting involved. I'll bring mom's best silver so we can make mega wolf bullets. My 'rents will even make it easy on yours and book a small charter flight to the nearest airfield so you won't have to drive to Portland… Will there really be snow?"

Midge was awesome squared and she had me smiling all former qualms about not being in control of my life forgotten. "Yeah I have been told there will be tons of white stuff. I think I should warn you I have it on good authority that weird happens around my place a lot."

"Hmm you have been outta Cali too long. Baby I live in the land of weird on a daily basis!"

"Yeah but your 'weird' is explainable," I shared with her my freaky journal I'd found in the attic and she assured me she that wild horses couldn't keep her away if the reading material was that good. I also admitted to being too chicken to read what happened next. The recent happenings out back didn't make me any braver.

"Hey if there are monster wolves circling your abode I don't blame you… You can save the reading for when I visit, we can be spooked together. We'll get hyped up on black tea and chocolate so we can really appreciate the jumpiness. Oh, hey, almost forgot the other reason for calling, tell me about this upcoming date. Where's Mr. 'Kline' taking you?"

I laughed, to hide my uncertainty. Jareth's words seemed to mock me, "I don't know if we're still going out, I haven't heard from him and I don't have a number to reach him at."

"Oh baby girl, he is so going to take you out. You're a total babe and the new blood in town."

I flopped on the bed on my stomach, propping myself on my elbows, the way I would've were she right here in the room with me. "Seph did say that I was the only person he'd ever actually talked too… and then he took me to lunch."

"See he's into you… you still sporting the 'Goth girl in mourning' look?"

"Nope, it wasn't shocking enough for mom anymore so I gave up." Not to mention the boy in question didn't like it.

"Oh, I almost forgot, Topher wanted to know if you put his stickers on your buggy."

"Is he there with you?" If he was I was gonna ask to talk with my old best surfing pal. Something about the idea of hearing his voice made me feel more grounded…

"No, but me and the peeps are meeting in an hour to watch a gore fest. It's a total B-movie marathon tonight!"

He wasn't there yet and they were about to commence with the old Halloween tradition… I wanted to cry. Buck up Chase!

"Thought about it but I think mom would have a bigger hissy if I put them on my 'antique' dresser," I grinned imagining the chewing I'd get from her and the, 'let the girl show off her creative side,' I'd get from dad. Topher would have approved.

"The way she is about old stuff, doing that might be more dangerous than going on a wolf hunt with a BB gun, a butter knife, and T-bone around your neck," she had us both laughing and I heard my parents downstairs.

"I gotta go sounds like my 'rents are finally here, I promise I won't do anything to risk your chances of visiting for the holidays," I was feeling better about everything like always after talking to her. "Say high to the gang for me will you?"

"Alright, I'll let you go. Tell me how everything goes on your wild date. Love ya chica!"

"Love ya too loca," I hung up and the wolfy chorus, minus one voice, sounded a final time very far off. I shivered wondering where the third could be now and had the very vivid mental picture of it frothing and growling out on the back porch, looking hungrily at the dinner offering of 'people under glass'… Knock it off!

"Are those wolves," mom's muffled question to my dad carried up to me.

"Probably just coyotes, sweet pea, but even if they are wolves they're way off and they don't like people."

Yeah tell that to the one that was stalking me. I thought at the clueless couple downstairs.

"Chase, my angel toes," dad called, "we're home and we've brought tacos. Glad I grabbed an extra, thought you might stay home tonight."

Hooray, no mac-n-cheese leftovers for me tonight, "Coming dad!" I bounded down the stairs and heard mom's heavy sigh at my continued lack of concern over neck breakage on our stairs. "Hey how's things and stuff at the shop," I asked taking a seat, actually glad they were home after the freaky encounter and all the wolfy serenades. Felt good to be around people…

Dad handed me a burrito and a cup of iced lemon aid, "I think mom will be able to move around without getting lost, but I have asked her to wear a GPS locator in case she does need rescue while I'm gone. I'll show you how it works after we eat."

"Ha,ha, Will," mom actually smiled, "the shop is nice and organized for the first time in years. You should swing by, Chase and see for yourself." She eyed me a little disappointed, "Why didn't you go to the school's holiday party?"

"None of my friends were going so I opted to stay home."

"Well you can keep the dress I brought down from the attic for you," she said unwrapping her customary taco salad, "I heard they have several different historical functions in town so now you'll have something to wear to them."

"Thanks," I tried not to mumble wondering when mom would catch a clue I wasn't into that stuff.

The phone rang and dad went to get it. While I tried to ignore mom saying how I should've gone tonight even if my friends weren't. I'd known this was coming and tuned it as best as I could.

"Chase, sweet child o' mine, phone for you," dad called and I sprung up, trying to figure out who would call me on the land line. Seph and the gang had my cell…

Dad covered the receiver and whispered, "It's a boy."

A boy!

Dad chuckled as I tried to hide my shock, and handed me the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi Chase. I hope I'm not calling too late?" Jude's honeyed voice sent my heart racing.

"Nuh uh… What's up?"

"I've come home early from a hunting trip with Kellen and Oren and I'd really like to get out. I was wondering if you'd go to the school's function with me tonight? I know it's already began and I haven't been around all week, but I thought perhaps you'd like to join me?"

Holy crow! "Sure… are we um dressing up?"

There was a smile in his voice, "If we can match… What did you have in mind?"

"Mom found me an old Victorian dress and stuff… but I'd be fine in jeans," I didn't picture Jude as the type to do the historical society stuff, but I didn't think he'd go to a hokey school party either.

"That'd be perfect, I have appropriate gentlemen's attire. I'll pick you up soon Chase." He hung up and I stared at my reflection in the night darkened window pane, my stomach too tied up to eat.

You need to get ready he's coming to get you!!!

I thawed and hung up the receiver flying up the stairs, "I changed my mind I'm going to the Halloween dance party thingy!"

"What about your food?" mom called up after me.

"Just put it in the fridge for me please! I'll eat it later," I called back as I simultaneously stripped and grabbed my dress out of the closet. I was dressing in a frenzy when mom knocked on the door.

"Need help?" she let herself in obviously pleased I was going, probably thought she'd somehow had something to do with it.

"Nope I got it. He'll be here in a minute," I traded my socks for knee highs and slipped on the boots fussing over the half dozen little buttons.

Mom sighed, "Let me Chase, you're being too rough. These are real antiques."

Dad knocked on the doorframe just being polite. Mom had left the door open and he could see I was decent, "So who's this boy that suddenly has you racing around getting dolled up?"

"Jude Hawk," I shivered with excitement and mom laughed. "He lives with his uncle Kellen-"

"Doesn't Kellen Hawk own Bracken-berry lumber," dad interrupted.

"Yeah… I guess he's at home alone, and he wants to get out for a while."

"It's a school night so I want you home by nine," mom said pulling my hair back in a ribbon when I turned down the hat.

"Not a problem."

Dad smiled at me, "I'm sure you'll have fun angel toes."