Chapter Thirteen
Ronnie’s mom ordered a large pizza with everything on it that arrived half an hour later. Her dad was home by then and joined them at the table, seeming pleasantly surprised to see Shawn also at the table. He was also very interested when Ronnie’s mom told him about their date Friday night and asked the same questions her mom had: where were they going, who would be there, what were they doing, when would she be home? Ronnie tolerated the third degree because she knew to argue meant the date wouldn’t happen. Shawn handled it better than she did, easily answering the questions and smiling the entire time.
After dinner, Ronnie brushed her teeth and walked out the door with Shawn. He held her hand and tugged on it when she started for her car. She stopped and turned towards him, her brows raised with curiosity, her keys in her hand.
“Let’s walk instead,” he suggested. She looked at her car and back at him. She was so used to driving almost everywhere that she couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t want to.
“Why?”
He pulled on her hand to draw her closer as he took a step towards her. Ronnie’s heart picked up speed as her eyes met his. “Because I want to spend more time with you and a two-minute car ride won’t give me that time,” he admitted quietly. Ronnie grinned and dropped her keys back into her purse. Walking had never sounded so good.
“Okay,” she agreed. Shawn smiled as they started down the sidewalk away from her house. Ronnie bit her bottom lip to keep from giggling, feeling like she floated on clouds the entire time. If just walking to The Reading Corner was this great, she couldn’t wait for Friday night.
“Guess this is my stop,” Shawn said when they stopped outside the book store. Ronnie still had fifteen minutes before the meeting started. She turned towards him and he took both of her hands in his.
“Yeah, I guess so,” she agreed.
“Do you want me to come back and walk you home?”
She smiled as she shook her head. “No, I’ll be fine. Most of the girls in the club don’t live far from me so I can walk with one of them most of the way.”
“Are you sure?”
His concern warmed her heart even though she thought it was unnecessary. Last night’s freak out was purely coincidental because of the book she read. Sometimes her imagination was just too strong. She shook her head again.
“No, I can walk home,” she insisted with a smile. His face fell. She wondered if he wanted to walk her home because he wanted to spend time alone with her. The thought spread warm tingles throughout her body. She bit her bottom lip while debating whether to say anything about it. She definitely wanted more time with him.
“You know what; if I think I need an escort home, I’ll call you,” she offered. His eyes lit up as he smiled.
“Okay, cool. I’ll be at home so it shouldn’t take too long to get here if you need me.”
She smiled at him as Melissa Doolittle, a senior at Wind Lake High School who hosted the meetings every two weeks, walked past them and greeted Ronnie.
“Guess that’s my cue to go in,” Ronnie told Shawn.
“Okay, I’ll see you later then.”
“Bye, Shawn.”
She turned and started towards the door only to be stopped when he wouldn’t let her hand go. She giggled as she turned back to him but the sound died in her throat when her eyes met his and she saw the intensity there. She shivered with anticipation and took a step towards him only to be stopped by the arrival of another member of the club, her friend, Amy Hartman.
“You coming in?” Amy asked, oblivious to what she was interrupting. Ronnie blinked and felt her cheeks grow warm as she looked away from Shawn.
“Yeah,” she replied, her voice a little breathless, and took her hand from Shawn’s. “Bye, Shawn,” she repeated and followed Amy inside.
“Boyfriend?” Amy asked. Ronnie grinned.
“I hope so; we have our first date Friday night,” she replied excitedly. “I’m going to get a coffee before the meeting starts.”
“Okay, but hurry up. You only have a couple minutes.”
Ronnie hurried over to the café and was glad to see it wasn’t really busy. She recognized a couple others from the club also getting drinks and said hello. After another minute, she stepped up to the counter and ordered a venti mocha latte. She was waiting for her drink when she felt a presence at her right shoulder.
“Did I hear you say you have a date this weekend?” Rick spoke up. Ronnie jumped. He was not who she had been expecting. Her cheeks burned as she looked up at him and smiled. She immediately noticed that his button down shirt matched the color of his eyes and was impressed by how much more attractive he looked.
“Yes, I do; with Shawn,” she replied as her drink was set in front of her. She picked it up and turned away from the counter.
“Is he the boy you told me about yesterday?”
She shook her head. “No.” Though that boy was the one she expected when Rick found her. Ronnie sighed, wondering why she expected Gavin when he was probably still hanging out with Andi.
“Good,” Rick said. She smiled. “So what brings you here tonight?”
She held up her copy of Prom and Prejudice. “Teen book club,” she told him as she started away from the café. The club was usually held near one of the fireplaces surrounded by all the comfy chairs, though some people still ended up sitting on the floor.
“Did you actually read that?” he asked eyeing the book in her hand. She nodded.
“Yeah, it’s a pretty good book; though not as good as yours.”
He smiled. “I appreciate you saying that. Do you think your club would mind another body tonight?”
Her eyes widened. “You want to come to the meeting with me?”
“If it’s okay, yes. Otherwise, I can wait until it’s done to spend time with you.”
Her head spun as they crossed to where the meeting was being held this week. There were usually twelve or thirteen people total and already more than half were sitting in a loose circle waiting to start. Everyone looked up when Ronnie and Rick approached and more than half the girls eyed Rick approvingly. Ronnie didn’t know what to do.
“Hi, I’m Melissa; I run this club. Is there something I can help you with?” Melissa asked Rick from her place by the fire.
“I’m a friend of Ronnie’s and I just asked her if I could sit in on tonight’s meeting,” Rick explained.
Melissa wrinkled her nose. “Aren’t you a little old? This club is for teens.”
His cheeks flushed adorably. “I’m 21,” he admitted. “A little old, I know, but I have my own book published and I just wanted to get a feel for what teens are reading these days, kind of like research for my next novel.”
Ronnie studied Rick as Melissa said it was more than okay for him to join their meeting. She would’ve put him at closer to 25, a little older than Billy. She never would’ve guessed he was only 21. Rick saw her studying him and grinned, making Ronnie blush again. Ronnie sat in the last available chair, curling her feet underneath her and setting her drink on a nearby table. Rick surprised her by sitting at her feet, setting his messenger bag, which Ronnie hadn’t noticed a moment ago, next to her chair. Once everyone was settled, Melissa began the meeting.
The meeting lasted about an hour and included a lively debate about the original Jane Austen novel versus the one they just read. Half the people liked the spin Elizabeth Eulberg put on the classic text and the other half said it was blasphemous. Ronnie personally liked seeing the classic novel set in high school; she related to the characters better and enjoyed that it was about more than just finding a boyfriend.
“Okay, so who has a suggestion for our next book?” Melissa asked once the discussion died down. “Did anybody pick up Scourge and Protector yet?”
“That series is getting kind of lame,” Amy spoke up. A few people nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, who cares about Alan becoming a vampire; we all knew it was going to happen from the moment he found ou
t Angeline was one,” another member, Beth Christianson, agreed. Ronnie nodded and Melissa sighed.
“Okay, scratch that. So what else do you guys have to suggest? If you don’t like what I have to offer, you guys have to pick something,” Melissa reminded them and everyone looked at each other. Ronnie didn’t know what to suggest either; she had been so busy with real life lately that she hadn’t had much time to think about reading.
“If I may, I have a suggestion,” Rick spoke up and everyone looked at him. Ronnie watched as he opened his bag, revealing multiple copies of Into the Stars. He took one out and passed it around for the others to read the back. “This is my book,” he admitted. “Ronnie already read it and said she liked it. I was wondering if the rest of you would do me the honor as well.”
The book he passed around made it back to him after about five minutes and everyone agreed it sounded good. Rick passed out the remaining copies in his bag and the meeting was adjourned. He stood up with Ronnie and slung his now empty bag over his shoulder.
“That was fun,” he said as they walked towards the door. Ronnie nodded.
“And you got eleven more people to read your book,” she added.
“Very true, though yours is the only opinion I was really worried about.”
Ronnie blushed as they headed out the door. She couldn’t believe how many guys were flirting with her. She wondered if getting the tattoo really changed things for her. Last year, she had been a wallflower, even at the dance Shawn had taken her to. This year, guys really seemed to notice her and the only difference was the electrocution and her new tattoo – not that anybody really talked about either. Well, her tattoo got more notice because it was visible; signs from the electrocution hadn’t shown themselves yet.
“What are you thinking about?” Rick asked interrupting her thoughts. “I’ve never seen such a pretty thing think so hard.”
Ronnie shook her head as she looked up at Rick, amazed again by his height. She had gotten used to Gavin, who was closer to her height; Rick towered over her. “I was just thinking how much my life has changed in the four days since my birthday,” she admitted quietly, glancing away. She wasn’t sure she wanted to talk about this with Rick; it was usually something she reserved for Andi.
“Anything you want to talk about?” he offered as he held the door open for her to walk through. Ronnie thought about it and found that she did want to talk about it. Andi was probably still hanging out with Gavin and wouldn’t want to be bothered again. Ronnie knew she needed to talk about it if she was going to make sense of everything swirling around in her mind. She nodded as they started down the street away from the building.
“Maybe it would be a good idea,” she agreed. Rick nodded, his gaze interested as he waited for her to continue. Ronnie took a deep breath and began. “Well, I got this tattoo on my birthday. I wanted to get it because I’m tired of being known as my brother’s little sister and I just wanted to do something that would make me stand apart.”
“A tattoo certainly does that,” Rick agreed. “May I see it?”
She hesitated only a moment before she stopped walking, lifted her hair off her neck and turned her back to him so he could see it. Her stomach clenched nervously while she waited for his reaction.
“What made you decide on the Triskell?” he asked. She let her hair down as she turned towards him.
“My mind, my body, my life,” she declared without hesitation. “That’s what I told the guy when he asked if I really wanted the tattoo and it’s kind of my motto now.” She shrugged self consciously. “I just want to be my own person, get noticed as myself instead of just my brother’s sister. Even my parents compare me to Brian every chance they get. I’m surprised they didn’t have anything to say about my first date this weekend.”
“And do you think getting the tattoo has helped you become your own person?”
Ronnie considered this a moment before nodding. “Everything’s kind of changed since I got it. That’s what I was thinking about; how last year I was kind of this shy wallflower and this year, I’ve got guys all around me. I got my first kiss, I have my first date this weekend; it’s really flattering.”
“You have older guys flattered by your womanly charms,” Rick added with a twinkle in his eyes. Ronnie giggled.
“Yeah, I guess there is that, too,” she teased. He laughed. Ronnie realized they had walked two blocks towards her house while talking and grinned up at him. “I guess this means you’re walking me home tonight,” she told him and wound her arm around his, laying her hand on top of his forearm. He grinned down at her as he covered her hand with his and a thrill shot through her.
“I’m glad you’re allowing me the honor,” he stated. She giggled again.
They walked in silence for another block, quietly enjoying each other’s company. Ronnie found that the dark didn’t really scare her tonight—until she took notice of it. All of a sudden, the night seemed darker, as though clouds covered the stars. She looked up at the sky and was surprised by all the bright lights twinkling down at her. Then what was the problem? She fought not to tremble as she realized the darkness was closing in on her. Shadows everywhere seemed to swarm towards them. She glanced up at Rick but he seemed oblivious. She jumped as something cool slid down the back of her neck and raised a hand to swat it away only to find there was nothing there. Her tattoo prickled and she wondered what was going on.
“Are you all right?” Rick asked. Ronnie tried to look reassuring.
“Y – Yeah, I’m fine,” she stuttered. “Just a little freaked out by the dark.”
“Why? A girl like you shouldn’t be afraid of anything.”
Ronnie weakly laughed. “Yeah, well, your book really threw me for a loop. I had a hard time getting home last night after I read it.”
She glanced up at him again and noticed shadows swirling around his body. She shuddered. How could he not feel their coolness? Rick, taking her shudder for being cold, disengaged his arm from hers and wrapped it around her shoulders. His shirt felt cool against her heated skin. Shadows slithered over his shoulders and she looked away, her mind spinning helplessly. Why was this happening? And why didn’t Rick realize what was going on? Even if his novel had only been a fictional story, he should be able to feel the shadows all around him.
“Oh, my dear child, there’s no reason to be frightened,” he whispered. Ronnie trembled as she looked up at him. Her eyes widened at what she saw. His face looked ghastly, pale and sunken with his cheekbones protruding under taut skin and his chin more pointed. Razor sharp teeth filled his mouth when he grinned down at her. Pointed ears adorned the sides of his head. She gasped, unable to scream as she tried to scramble out of his embrace.
“Let go of me,” Ronnie shrieked as she finally got out of Rick’s arms. Adrenaline flowed through her as she ran down the street, only looking back once to see him standing where she left him, watching her go. She ran the rest of the way to her house, unable to stop in case Rick decided to come after her. What was he? She slowed down as her house came into view, relief washing over her. She was almost safe. She reached the front door and screamed when strong arms embraced her. She struggled to get free, thinking Rick somehow beat her home.
“Ronnie, calm down,” Shawn said. “What happened?”
“Shawn, it was horrible,” she gasped and clung to him as she burst into tears. She couldn’t get the image of Rick’s distorted face out of her mind. She didn’t know how she was going to sleep tonight after seeing something so horrific. And she didn’t even know how to explain away what she saw; there was no explanation. She trembled and gripped Shawn’s shirt like a lifeline as her tears slowly subsided to sniffles. Thankfully, neither of her parents came to the door to see what was going on and that’s when Ronnie realized her house was dark. Only the porch light was on to greet her coming home.
“Let’s go inside,” Shawn suggested. Ronnie shook her head. She didn’t want to deal with it if her parents found her home alone with a boy.
“No, you can’t come in,” she told him. He stared at her, his expression incredulous.
“You run home completely freaked out and you’re worried about what your parents will say? Ronnie, I want to stay and help you.”
She sniffled and shook her head, wiping her eyes with the backs of her hands. “No, Shawn, I’m sorry but you can’t. You have to go before they get home.”
“Ronnie, I’m not leaving you like this,” he argued. Ronnie shook her head again. She fumbled in her purse for her house key and pushed past him to unlock and open the door. Once the door was open, she turned back to him.
“Please, Shawn, just go. I’ll be fine. I can’t even explain to you what happened right now. I just need to be alone so I can sort it out. I’ll talk to you in the morning,” she promised and turned to walk inside. Shawn reached out and grabbed her arm, stopping her from shutting the door in his face. She turned back to him.
“Call me tonight if you need anything. Promise me, Ronnie. I’m really worried about you.”
She nodded and whispered, “I promise.”
He sighed and grimaced, his face full of worry. Ronnie didn’t blame him; if she was in his shoes, she would be worried, too. He let go of her arm. She said good night and walked inside, locking the door behind her. Then she leaned against the door and burst into tears. What happened tonight?