The Tower

Four: Rowyn

Four: RowynRose was either oblivious to Jared's discomfort at being contained in such a small space with Reed and me, or she simply chose not to acknowledge it. My edge might have been a little sharper than normal in knowing that this guy was included in Bobby Stecker's inner circle. I was a firm believer that a person was who they associated with, and no one who associated with Bobby could possibly be that great.

“So Jared, how's, um, soccer?” I asked, grasping at straws.

“Football? It's good.”

“What's good about it?” It was possible I genuinely wanted to know. It was also possible that I just wanted to point out his lack of response.

“Huh?”

“Rowyn,” Rose admonished. Reed just smiled at the ceiling as I drove us up to the gate of the drive-in.

“I'm just curious! Geez. You want me to read your cards about the season? I could give you a heads-up on your most difficult-”

“That'll be sixteen dollars,” the ticket guy interrupted. Everyone handed me crumpled bills until it was apparent that I had enough. I dumped them into the guy's outstretched hands with a grin. Directing the car towards the correct screen, I re-focused my attention on Todd. Jared.

“So anyway, I'm happy to do a reading for you if you-”

“Oh, no thanks, I'm good.”

“Okay, then. Just trying to-”

“Candy!” Reed yelled.

“What is wrong with you?” I asked, shooting him a concerned look.

“I just want candy. Come with me.” He was already halfway out of the car. It was a bit early in the night for a lecture, but I didn't have much choice unless I wanted to make a scene in front of our guest.

“You can save your speech,” I muttered after I slammed the car door a little harder than necessary. I liked making him cringe.

“No speech, Row, just getting outta the car.”

“Bull.”

“Whatever. Just ground yourself, all right? You're getting all worked up over nothing. You realize in two weeks she'll let this guy go in her token he's just not the one pattern, and he won't even know it happened- he'll just be thanking her for the muffins.” I had to smile at that. I always accused Rose of lacing her muffins with one of the spells she was so adept at writing, but she vehemently denied it. She was just really good at breaking bad news, and really good at baking muffins. I let out a breath I'd been holding in and counted. Five things I could see, four things I could hear, three things I could touch, two I could smell, and one I could taste. I hated it when Reed was right. Being as sensitive to energy as I was, well, it had drawbacks in addition to benefits. Going out around a lot of people was difficult, and it was possible I had gotten a little lax about shielding myself from others, having only been with my friends all summer.

“Feel better?”

“Nope.”

“You're a terrible liar. Let's buy some candy and get this movie over with.” His thumbs found their way to the base of my neck and pressed. Regardless of my words, I carried the bitterness of Rose's date choice there, and Reed knew it.

“Just, after everything we've been through to get people off of our backs all these years… why is she okay dating someone who has no idea what our lives are, what we-”

“Row, I know. But she's just Rosalyn. She gives everyone a chance, or thirty chances. I kind of like that about her, really. I think she gets as much of a kick out of shocking you and Hunter as anything else,” he admitted, moving forward in the line. “You know you love messing with people's heads too, Miss 'Oh, Jared, would you like me to read your cards?' Honestly. He'll probably tell his mother you offered, and she'll douse him in holy water before grabbing her pitchfork to pay you a visit.” My brows furrowed at this.

“Why only pitchforks for me?”

“I'm dashingly handsome, and Rose is about as intimidating as a water lily. You're definitely at the top of the pitchfork list.”

I almost snorted at that. “She may not look intimidating, but she's more powerful than both of us. Don't deny it.” Watching Rosie write a spell was magic in and of itself. It was artistry.

“Yeah, yeah. Eat your Sour Patch Kids.” I didn't think I even liked Sour Patch Kids. It was one of those leftover habits from childhood- I just bought them because I remembered eating them as a kid and being happy. I was beginning to think that my earlier happiness had nothing to do with Sour Patch Kids, and everything to do with being unaware of the idiocy in the world around me. Stupid false hope in the form of chewy little children. My tongue was already raw after eating twelve of the little bastards.

Reed wrapped his long arm around my neck and pulled me in awkwardly on our way back to the car. “Personal space.”

“Is for people who are not you and me,” he finished, dropping a kiss on my head. As suspected, Rose and Jared were caught in the act… of holding hands. It might have even been considered canoodling. Upon closer inspection, it was clear that she had talked the guy into allowing her to draw on him. It was a thing. She liked to tattoo people. And paper, t-shirts, whatever. Henna-esque, but less brown. It might have been the only thing she and Hunter had in common, though he preferred the more permanent type of ink.

“Here, Tod…Jared, I'm going to share my Sour Patch Kids with you. Consider yourself accepted.”

“Thanks? I think.” He eyed the candy somewhat suspiciously after I threw it at him. To him. The movie had already begun, but did anyone really care what happened before Baby got put in the corner? It was unlikely.

“I forbid any of you to eat that garbage when I have cookies and cinnamon bread.” Rose tossed my pretend peace offering aside. Rude. She took care in passing out treats to everyone, and I caught a whiff of her hair when she leaned forward. Vanilla and honey. I wasn't some weird hair-sniffer or anything, it was just that Rosalyn had shampoo model hair. Blond and waist long without even a hint of frizz or split ends. Again, I suspected her particular brand of witchcraft, but I'd used her shampoo while at many sleepovers, and I still have a black cloud of sadness atop my head. It sincerely baffled me that my hair always smelled like hair, and hers smelled like a cupcake baked by an angel.

We all ate in contented silence for a while, and I assumed everyone else was as mesmerized by Patrick Swayze's wiggling hips as me. How did he even get moves like that? “Would you learn how to dance like that for me?” I asked Reed, unable to allow the happy quiet to continue.

“Absolutely,” he responded without missing a beat.

“Are you guys, like… together?” Jared asked from the back seat, clearly making an effort to be involved or something.

“No,” I responded clearly.

“It's complicated,” Reed answered instead.

“No, it's not complicated at all. There is no togetherness.”

“Don't mind them, they're just avoiding the inevitable,” Rosalyn assured her date, who was looking like he wished he'd kept his mouth shut. I glared at her assumption.

“Are you guys? Like, a thing?” I asked vindictively, earning me a disappointed head tilt from Rose, letting me know I'd violated girl code. Jared cleared his throat and excused himself to the restroom.

“You are a mean girl, Rowyn Black,” she said once he was gone. Her tone was light enough that I knew I wasn't in too much trouble.

“Takes one to know one,” I replied, sticking out my tongue in a very mature manner. “So what's the deal? Quell our curiosity so I don't say anything else to piss you off.”

“He's nice.”

“Ohhhh, is this a guessing game? Like, you say something vague and meaningless, and we have to take turns figuring out what you really think? I'll go first. He's… boring.”

“Slow,” Reed chimed in.

“A terrible kisser.”

“A little too metro?”

“A secret cross-dresser.”

“The two of you are truly terrible human beings.” Regardless of her words, I saw her covering her mouth to hide a smile. “And he's not into women's clothing that I'm aware of. I kind of like him. He's not boring when you two aren't here. You tend to take over the energy of the space.”

My face scrunched up into what I'm certain was not a nice expression. “I don't buy it. At least we'll all get leftover breakup muffins,” I offered, earning me a Sour Patch Kids' box thrown at my head.

“Be nice. He's a good guy.”

“Fine, fine,” I agreed, somewhat more relaxed with the hope that this forced foursome would not be a recurring adventure.

* * *

The air was cool and heavy by the time Swayze completed his last hip gyration on screen, and I was walking the fine line between falling asleep and getting a second wind.

“I want pajamas or a thirty-two ounce Coke,” I declared upon the end credits rolling.

“Would you settle for a sweatshirt and some beers?” Reed asked mischievously. Though to be fair, he sort of always looked mischievous- it was the dark eyes paired with the smile that bordered on sarcastic at all times. I only shot him a look that said whatcha thinkin'? “Let's go to the circle. We can sing drunken campfire songs.” I knew he was joking- that would be akin to breaking into church and getting drunk. Rose, though, ever our chaperone, did not think it funny.

“Reed, we're not going to the circle to get drunk,” she said simply. “And don't encourage him,” she directed at me.

“What's the circle?” Jared asked in a half-interested tone.

“It's a space for ceremonies and holidays,” Rose answered concisely.

“Where we all get naked and dance under the moonlight to become one with nature. And then we drink the blood of mere mortals until the sun comes up and we begin to sparkle. Obviously, sparkling is really dangerous.” Okay, so, it was clear I had left the realm of humor and entered the territory of this is why people don't like us. Or just me. The faces staring back at me were mostly annoyed, though Jared's was more intrigued than I assumed it'd be.

“Rowyn, honestly,” Rose continued, flipping her loosely braided hair at me before turning towards Jared to assess the damage to her date. “It's just a clearing in the woods that is nice for gatherings and celebrations. But it is not for getting drunk on cheap beer.”

“What if it's expensive beer?”

“Shut up.” Rosie's aura was tinged with just a hint of red, and I knew we needed to back off.

“Whatever, we can go and chill on my deck if you want, not at the sacred circle. We'll just stop by 7-11 and get some big cups.” No one argued, so it appeared we were drinking at my house with our new friend Todd. There was a worry in the back of my mind that I would slip and actually call him Todd as soon as I got a buzz. “I'm going to let you drive now. I'm sleepy.”

“Wow, thanks for allowing me to have my own vehicle.” Reed's tone was a bit sharper than normal, and I felt a slow sinking feeling in my stomach, wondering how deep Jared's question about us had run.

“You're welcome,” I deadpanned, attempting to keep things light as he walked around the side of the car. I simply jumped over the center console.

“Reed can drop us back at my house if you need to get home,” Rose explained to Jared. Her apologetic tone sort of annoyed me. Drinking free beer with us was not a punishment. We were awesome, buzzed or not, and he should have felt quite fortunate to have even been invited.

“Nah, I'm down.” The thought crossed my mind that he was hoping for more than muffins from Rosie if she got a bit tipsy. Perv. Joke's on him. Rose didn't drink. Like, she really didn't drink. Only water, or water infused with whatever herbal medley she dreamed up. Sometimes tea. That was the end of the list. I thought about letting him know, but really, it was always more fun to see people's reactions when they were surprised. We secured our 32-ounce containers, and, with the stealth of ninjas on the gravel driveway in front of my house, filled them with whatever beer Reed's brother had given him.

“Is it normal for you to keep a cooler of alcohol in your trunk?” Jared asked, apparently comfortable enough to start asking questions.

“I don't know if normal is the word I would use, but it's not abnormal.” Rose rolled her eyes and sipped her bottle of water, silently leading the way around the back of the house.

“Whoa, this is your back yard?” Jared asked.

“That it is, T- totally my backyard.” Nice save, I thought to myself. My house very nearly kissed the first trees of the woods that lay behind it. My mom had taken years to hang solar powered glass orbs or twinkle lights or lanterns in as many branches as she could, meaning anyone who sat on our open back deck felt surrounded by light. This was my favorite place. The wood on the deck was worn and splintered, the patio furniture faded from the sun, but it didn't matter once anyone's eyes fell on the view.

“Now we have him in our lair,” I whispered to Reed, adding on a well-rehearsed evil laugh to the end of it. I watched his shoulders shake with silent laughter as he sipped his drink.

“It's so weird that people in this town don't accept you with open arms,” he deadpanned back quietly.

“I know. Some things just can't be explained.” I grinned again, feeling like it might be a very good night after all, in one way or another.