Ahead a cliff face started to separate the forest from the water. The further she walked, the higher she moved above the lake. She could feel her calf muscles straining somewhat as she moved uphill. To her left the drop had to be nearly twenty feet now.
She climbed another ten feet or so before the land leveled out. Cautiously she moved to the edge of the cliff and looked down to the lake below. What an incredible view. The thought of watching the sun set from this point enchanted her. The thought of watching a romantic sunset here with Sal made her giddy.
A few feet to her left someone had placed boulders and cement blocks along the cliff edge. A large dusty patch where tires had worn away the grass seemed to be some kind of parking lot. There were no buildings to be seen, only a dirt path constituting a road leading to the weathered area. Tamyra felt fairly certain the ‘road’ would lead to the cemetery or maybe around the back of it.
Like an anvil falling on her head, she realized she stood at a sneaky hangout spot, maybe THE make-out spot for Shiver Cove.
It made sense that with it still being light out that no one would be around. However, evidence of nighttime visitors littered the ground. An empty pack of cigarettes, a couple brown shards of glass from a broken beer bottle and bottle caps scattered about. The beauty of the spot had barely been marred by the bits of trash strewn around.
Tamyra stepped over to the first boundary boulder and sat down. She presumed herself alone, until she spotted the baseball cap. Someone sat on the ground between the giant rocks, about a car length from her. Not wanting to intrude, as quietly as she could, she got up to leave.
Her foot slid on some gravel and she teetered trying to catch her balance. She didn’t fall, but the other person heard the shifting stone and looked up at her. To Tamyra’s relief, the face of Sandi Anderson appeared.
Sandi had a funny look on her face. Kind of like a kid who just got caught with scissors in one hand and their sister’s ponytail in the other. She recovered fast with a smile, but Tamyra had seen the initial look. Sandi had been doing something she didn’t want Tamyra to know about.
For a minute the girls stared at each other with big dumb smiles on their faces, neither quite sure what to say. Sandi broke the silence with a “Hey.”
“Hi. How are you?”
“Good. I um… well… no one ever comes here during the day.”
“Oh well that’s cool, I was just leaving.”
“No, Tamyra. Sorry. I wasn’t meaning for you to leave. I uh… oh… Sal’s gonna kill me.”
“Not if I go right now. Big deal, we bumped into each other.”
“No, the bumping into each other isn’t why he’s going to kill me. It’s the part where I ask you to stay and tell you what I’m doing out here.”
“You don’t have to. I don’t mind leaving.”
“Please stay. If we’re going to be friends, you may as well get to know me and all my freaky habits.”
“You’re not doing drugs are you?”
With that the tension broke, and Sandi burst out laughing. Although not sure why, Tamyra found herself giggling as well.
“No. No drugs. I’m into something a little heavier than that.”
“Huh?”
“Well not heavier. I guess it depends who you’re talking to.”
“What are we talking about? No, wait, you probably shouldn’t answer that.”
“What do you think about the supernatural?”
“What like ghosts?”
“Well yeah, that’s part of it. Also vampires, werewolves, paranormal stuff, psychic powers.”
“I think I have to go.”
Tamyra felt a huge knot in the back of her throat. Could Sandi know she was a werewolf?
“Oh, no. Please don’t go. See what I mean? Sal’s gonna kill me. That came out all wrong.”
Sal’s gonna kill her? Tamyra wondered if it meant he liked her. Sandi couldn’t know her secret. Tamyra decided to hear her out. At worst, she could deny it. Tamyra looked at Sandi and waited to hear what she had to say.
“You seem like you have an open mind and I’m hoping you won’t run screaming away. My hobby, well if you can call it that… is um… well… I’ve been trying to become a medium.”
“What?”
“You know, talk to dead people, ghosts. I want to be able to communicate with those who have passed on.”
This stumped Tamyra. She had no idea how to react to the bizarre revelation, so relieved the conversation had turned away from werewolves. The strange tidbit didn’t register.
“Please say something Tamyra.”
“Oh, uh, sure I know what a medium is.”
“Most people do. You OK? I know this is a big weird thing and you were probably hoping for normal friends with normal pastimes.”
Tamyra took a moment to reach for the right words. It didn’t matter to her that Sandi wanted to talk to spirits, and Tamyra wanted her new friend to know she was cool with it.
“I’ve never been one for normal anyhow. If it’s something you’re into, then why don’t you tell me more about your… how’d you put it? Your freaky habit?”
She could see Sandi relax as the girl proceeded to tell her that her grandmother was a powerful medium and how it always fascinated her. So far she had no luck contacting anyone. Even after three years of trying, she had no intentions of giving up. As Sandi explained excitedly, Tamyra sat mesmerized at Sandi’s extended trust. She felt humbled by Sandi entrusting her with such a huge secret. At some point Tamyra felt her guard lowering and knew if she ever told anyone about her being a werewolf, it would be Sandi.
Chapter 12
The weekend passed in a blur. Most of Saturday Tamyra spent with Sandi learning everything about mediums. A little strange at first, but Tamyra kept an open mind and tried not to shut Sandi out. She didn’t mind her new friend dabbling in the paranormal, but Sandi’s choice to confide in Tamyra was a big deal.
Sunday had been an almost perfect day. Sal showed up and they picnicked on the beach. She worried about how she would tell Sal she stumbled onto Sandi’s secret, but he already knew and it gave them a lot to talk about. Apparently he didn’t know what to think, but didn’t seem bothered as long as Tamyra could handle it.
At the end of the day he walked her across the lawn to her house and hugged her. For a brief moment, she thought he might kiss her. He didn’t, but she felt a floating sensation nonetheless.
*-*-*
Monday morning dragged. Tamyra moved like a zombie through her gym class. Yvonne tried a couple of times to involve her in a volleyball game, but she opted to take it easy and fake her way through a yoga class instead.
The teacher, Ms. Kern, was a young twenty-something and very fit. Ms. Kern, whom Tamyra suspected to be a Miss, got right into her yoga routine. She closed her eyes as she went through the movements, which made it easy to put very little effort into feigning interest.
Tamyra zoned out and thought about the coming nights. Even if she didn’t change tonight, she wouldn’t be so lucky not to change tomorrow night. She looked forward to not waking up in one of her neighbor’s backyards. Aunt Kiki’s expansive property would give her ample opportunity to explore in her wolfen form privately.
She wondered when she would be able to take control of the changes and start to remember her animal adventure nights. Her mother said her aunt took a couple of years to master the other form. She hoped she would be a quicker study.
Lost in her thoughts, she barely noticed the bell ring. Other girls made a dash for the change-room, so Tamyra picked up the mat she used and dumped it on the pile. She headed for the change-room in no hurry, walking with her head down.
As she opened the door, she heard the hiss of running water. Tamyra never showered at school. She found it hard changing in a room full of other girls. She always felt their eyes, checking her out. Not in a sexual way, but she knew her body had developed more than many other girls and their envy made her squirm.
She made he
r way to the bench where she left her clothes and sat down next to her stuff. She dug around in her gym bag until she found her spray deodorant and popped the lid off inside the bag. She jerked her gym top off and shot cool bursts into each armpit. She capped the deodorant and stashed it back in her bag within seconds. Her regular shirt went on just as fast.
Tamyra kicked off her sneakers and tucked them into the bag. Standing up with her back to the wall, she whipped off her shorts and snapped her jeans on. She tried not to look around at all while she dressed. Once again clothed, she balanced on one foot at a time to peel her gym socks off. With her regular socks back on, she reached under the bench for her shoes.
Her shoes weren’t where she left them. She crouched down and peered under the bench. Tamyra couldn’t see her shoes anywhere. Certain she tucked her shoes under the bench earlier, she double checked with a fumble around inside her gym bag. The only shoes inside were her athletic shoes.
Only four other girls still remained in the change-room, each trying to preen herself back to her version of presentable. None of the girls seemed to have picked up her shoes by accident. None of them paid her any attention at all.
She didn’t adore the idea of prancing around in clean socks, but she needed to check the change-room to see where her shoes had been moved to. She didn’t think anyone would steal them. Plain black flats, nothing special. Tamyra moved about and searched the room.
Two of her classmates finished up and headed for the door. She wanted to stop them and ask if they saw her shoes, but she couldn’t remember their names and contemplating talking to them caused her to flush.
She continued her search alone. Nearly back to where she started and neither of her shoes had turned up. Just great. Someone stole my shoes! Tamyra didn’t remember sitting down, but she found herself seated back on the bench next to her gym bag. She glanced around the room and searched in vain for her missing shoes. She couldn’t believe someone had taken them.
Annoyed, she brushed the bottom of her socks with the palm of her hand and put her sneakers back on. When she went to school in Toronto there had been lockers in the girl’s change-room. Here in Shiver Cove they had little coat hooks above benches because they figured no one ever stole anything. She felt suddenly very glad her paranoid self had demanded she leave her valuables in her locker.
Yvonne stepped out of the shower-room in a big green towel. Right away she turned to Tamyra. Tamyra had noticed sometimes it almost seemed Yvonne read her thoughts as the blonde asked; “What’s wrong?”
“Someone took my shoes.”
“What? Are you sure?”
“I checked the whole room. I left them under the bench and now, well, now they’re gone.”
“What designer are they?”
“They’re not. Just some little flats mom picked up for me.”
Bianca interrupted; “Your mother still does your shopping? Now that’s funny!”
She hadn’t heard Bianca come in to the change-room and her appearance gave Tamyra a bit of a startle.
“Beat it creep. You aren’t even in this class!”
Tamyra wished she could be as brave as Yvonne. The funny thing though, she knew it came naturally and Yvonne wouldn’t consider her act as brave.
“I can go where I want.”
“And what? What you want is to watch us changing? Is that it? Are girls your thing now?”
“Whatever Yvonne. I’m not bugging no one. Sides, me and Tammy got business.”
“Like hell you do. Tamyra doesn’t hang out with losers like you.”
“Fine I’ll just be going. Going with my new shoes.”
“Bianca if you took her shoes give ‘em back now!”
“Or what? There’s nothing you’re gonna do. Anyway, I meant my new shoes, the ones I’m wearing. See ya around Tammy.”
With that Bianca walked back out the door. Tamyra barely had a chance to see if Bianca wore her shoes. From where she sat, she thought the color looked wrong.
“They weren’t mine.”
“Yeah, but I bet that loser had something to do with it. Why else would she come in here and start talking about shoes?”
What Yvonne said made sense, but she couldn’t think of what to do about it.
“Talk to Ms. Kern. That’s what we’re going to do about it. Hang on, I’ll get dressed quick.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll go talk to her myself.”
*-*-*
Telling Ms. Kern didn’t do anything. The teacher had been nice and helped the girls search the change-room again, but the search yielded nothing. Tamyra found herself hoping when they dumped the garbage can her shoes would turn up, but no such luck.
Ms. Kern thought Bianca’s behavior came across as suspicious, yet she wasn’t going to put her professional neck on the line and accuse a student of stealing. Tamyra hated when appearances meant more to adults than doing the right thing. Politics were only another means of avoidance.
She would have to wear her runners for the rest of the day and then explain to her mom what had happened to her other shoes.
Chapter 13
Sal stood, waiting at the bottom of the stairs for Tamyra, just like he said he would. Once he laid eyes on her his face transformed with happiness. She found herself mirroring his expression. After the day she had, it felt good to find Sal waiting to walk home with her.
Her shoes never turned up. All day she kept thinking someone would turn them into Ms. Kern and then they would be returned. Even at the end of the day she still hoped someone had given them to the teacher and she’s forgotten to call.
It surprised her Ms. Kern not only didn’t have them, but also felt it necessary to lecture Tamyra about accusing Bianca. At some point Ms. Kern tracked Bianca down and of course she denied everything, including being in the change-room at all.
“What’cha think’n about?” Sal asked as she cleared the steps.
“It’s dumb.”
“Looks serious.”
“Rough day for the new kid.”
“What happened?” He asked with concern.
Her stomach rolled. She didn’t want to tell him about Bianca and her crush. She knew the story wouldn’t make much sense if she didn’t. She tried to dance around it, practicing what to say in her head. She also wondered if she could tell him the story without letting her own feelings out. Sal didn’t push her. He simply started walking homeward. She fell in beside him as she sorted through her thoughts.
“Someone stole my shoes while I was in gym.”
“Huh? Really? The little black ones you had on this morning?”
His observation of her morning footwear shocked her. He was full of neat little surprises that made her like him more.
“Yeah.”
“Did you tell Yvonne? I bet she went nuts!”
“She was pretty mad.”
“She’s protective of her friends.”
“I barely know her and she helped me look. She also told Bianca off for me.”
The sentence hung over her head. It had just slipped out.
“Bianca? What’d I miss here?”
“I think she took ‘em.”
“OK… what else?”
Tamyra’s insides quaked with nervousness. She could feel her hands sweating so she tucked them into her pockets.
“Bianca hates me because you and I are friends.”
“I don’t get it.”
Tamyra stopped walking. Sal stopped a foot ahead and turned to face her. She decided the best way would be like ripping a band-aid off. Quicker would be less painful.
“She likes you and hates me ‘cause she thinks there’s something between us.”
“I see.”
“So since that night last week, when we were all out for pizza, she’s been telling me to stay away from you and it’s getting worse.”
“What do you mean?”
“She waited at my locker and screamed at me to stay away from you. Her friends keep hanging around acting like they’re
talking about me. There were a couple nasty calls to my house last week-end and then today with my shoes.”
“I’m still wrapping my brain around the part where she likes me.”
The statement brought on immediate nausea. Maybe he could like Bianca back. She could almost feel blood surge to her heart as it picked up its pace. She took one of her hands out of her pocket to fiddle with her necklace.
“She wanted me to hook her up with you.”
Tamyra dropped her head and stared at the ground. His laughter made her jump.
“That’s too funny. Asking my… well asking you to hook her up.”
My? What didn’t he say? My what? His laugh made her feel better, only now she couldn’t help wonder what he hadn’t said.
“Real funny. Now she’s threatening me and taking my things.”
“Sorry I didn’t mean it that way. It’s just ironic she picked you of all people to use to get to me. She’s getting to me now, but not in a good way. She’s always been somewhat of a bully and picking on you, well now she has my attention, I just don’t think she’ll want it this way. I’ll take care of this.”
“It’s OK. I’ll work it out.”
“I feel like this is my fault. Let me help you.” As he said it he reached out and took her hand in his.
He gently tugged her along toward their homes. They walked in silence for a bit. She didn’t want to say anything that might make him take his hand away. She worried her palm sweated, although she had no intention of pulling away from him.
All too soon they arrived at his building. He lingered a moment still holding her hand and then gave her a quick hug before he dashed off home. She stood on the walkway and watched him until he disappeared inside. Her heart fluttered. With a small sigh, she started back on her way.
She got the feeling someone watched her. She turned her head towards the street as an old black mustang pulled alongside the curb next to her. The driver leaned on the horn. Tamyra couldn’t make out anyone inside the car due to dark tinted windows.
She figured the driver must be waiting for someone in Sal’s building, so she kept on going. The driver inched the car up a few feet and then kept on at a slow crawl to match pace with her. Tamyra didn’t know what to think and fright bloomed within her. She debated running to Sal’s building but then she’d have to pass the car. Instead, she pushed on at a quicker pace.