Don't Wander

Busted

I awoke the next morning to the sound of my ringing cellphone. “Hello?” I yawned.

“Good morning sunshine. I’m glad to see I didn’t wake you,” Eden chirped.

“It’s only eight thirty. I like to sleep in,” I complained.

“Too bad, ‘cause I’m up bright and early just for you.”

“Huh?”

“Maybe you should splash your face with some cold water or something. Talking to you right now is like trying to talk to a deaf chipmunk.”

“Shut up, it’s your fault,” I snapped.

“That’s better. Okay, I’m sitting in a borrowed car in front of your house, so hurry up and get out here so we can have some fun.”

“You’re here already?” I bolted upright. “Are you kidding me? And does ‘borrowed’ mean stolen?”

“Of course not. I’m extremely offended that you would even insinuate such a thing. Now get yourself in this not-stolen car within five minutes, or I’ll come looking for you, and you don’t want that.”

“Fine.” I hung up and got out of bed. After quickly washing my face, brushing my hair and teeth, and getting dressed, I snuck out of the house and hopped in the black corvette parked on the curb.

“Close one. You were at four minutes and thirty-six seconds.”

I just rolled my eyes and exclaimed, “This car is really nice! Swear you didn’t steal it.”

“f**k no I didn’t,” Eden said enthusiastically.

“I didn’t mean literally swear. How did you get it then?”

“If you must know, I borrowed it from Drew. He doesn’t know you’re with me, but that’s lying, not stealing.” Eden started the car and gunned it into the street. “Oh, and please don’t whine about my driving killing us, because there’s a seatbelt you can wear in here.”

I gratefully put the seatbelt on and asked, “So where are we going?”

“Well, I dunno about you, but I’m starving. Ergo, breakfast. Since this town isn’t any bigger than my little toe, it will have to be something low key I guess.”

“I am kinda hungry. You paying?”

“No way. I’m driving us. You pay for meals.”

“Then don’t bother stopping, because I’m not that hungry and I don’t have much money anyway.” Eden pulled into a diner and gave me a pitying look.

“What kind of guy do you think I am? Yes, I’m buying. Unlike you, I have resources.” We went in and I ordered something small and inexpensive, whereas Eden ordered three meals from the menu. The waitress gave him an appreciative look and disappeared behind the counter.

“Did you see that?” I asked. Eden was busy texting and looked up curiously.

“See what?”

“The waitress so gave you an I want you look.”

“Uh huh…don’t get too carried away with the jealousy act. It’s not terribly flattering. I bet she was just happy to see that I’m a big spender, ‘cause that way she’s more likely to get a better tip.”

“That makes sense, and I’m not jealous.”

“Alrighty then. So, how do you want to spend the rest of our time together? You know, you can give me an I want you look anytime.” He waggled his eyebrows at me.

I laughed and said, “Actually, I wanted to tell you about some stuff I looked up last night.”

“I’m intrigued. Continue.” While we waited for our food, I told him what I had learned about visions like my dream, and how apparently mine wasn’t a very powerful one. When our food arrived, Eden dug in and talked between bites.

“So, you’re saying this stuff isn’t that uncommon?”

“Yeah, supposedly, everyone has some psychic ability, but usually only those who practice it are able to use their ability. Just like anything else, some people have more talent for it than others.”

“Personally, I think it’s bullshit.”

“Even after what happened with me?”

Eden chewed thoughtfully for a while before swallowing and then answering, “I’ll admit that was strange, but I don’t for a second think fortunetellers or psychics are real.”

“What do you think it was then?”

“I don’t know.” For some reason, his answer really worried me. I was hoping that I wasn’t some kind of freak, and that it was relatively normal. I figured if a werewolf didn’t buy it, then it probably wasn’t true, and that wasn’t comforting. “Let’s just forget about it,” he declared.

We spent the rest of the morning at the park, enjoying each other’s company. By early afternoon, Eden was taking me home. My mom would be waking up soon, and I didn’t want her catching me breaking the rules of my punishment.

When we stopped at my house, I said, “Thanks for picking me up. It was nice.”

“No problem. I’ll walk you stealthily to the door.” As we made our way across the front lawn, Ben pulled up in his truck.

“Oh no,” I gasped. I hurried over to the driver side of his truck and said, “What are you doing here? I thought you didn’t want to be friends anymore.”

He sneered at Eden and said, “I didn’t come here to see you, although someone else obviously has. Aren’t you grounded?” I knew I was dead if I didn’t make something up quick.

“Yeah, but we were just talking in the yard. He came over a little while ago. My mom’s asleep. Did you come here to talk to her?”

“Yes, and by the way, don’t bother making up stories. I’m not that gullible.” Ben opened his door and stepped out. Eden was still standing near the front porch of my house.

I walked past Ben and whispered to Eden, “This won’t be good. You should go.”

“No,” he said firmly.

“What? Why?” I asked frantically.

He looked at me unhappily and said, “Because I don’t want to leave and let him get you in trouble. If he wants to start something, I’m right here. He can fight me like a man, instead of going around and gossiping like a little bitch.”

“I heard that,” Ben said.

“I’d hope so, since you’re only a few feet away, and I wasn’t trying to be quiet,” Eden retorted.

“Ben, would you seriously just get over it? You can’t change my mind, and you’re causing unnecessary complications,” I pleaded.

“I’ve already tried reasoning with you. That didn’t work, so I’m going to have to do it the hard way,” Ben said coldly as he strolled past me and knocked on the front door.

I rolled my eyes and said, “You don’t have to knock, sheesh.” I unlocked it with my set of keys. “Since you’re already here, come in. I’ll go see if my mom is up yet. Eden, you can come in too if you want.”

“Don’t mind if I do,” Eden said, as he pushed roughly past Ben into my house. Ben stared daggers into Eden’s back before entering also.

I opened my mom’s door and peeked in. I saw her lying asleep in a heap of twisted sheets and blankets. I really didn’t want to wake her up, but I knew how angry she would be if she awoke and found two guys over. I went inside and shut the door behind me. Then I turned on the light and went to shake her gently.

“Mom, wake up. Ben and Eden are here,” I said.

“What?” She sat up and checked the alarm clock next to her bed.

“Eden came to visit me and Ben wants to talk to you about something,” I clarified. “I just now let them both inside and came to wake you up.”

My mom groaned and said, “Okay, let me get dressed.” I went to the living room, where Ben was glaring at Eden from across the room, while Eden pretended to be very interested in his fingernails.

“She’s getting up, and she’s not super thrilled about it,” I announced to them both. I sat down on the couch in the center of the room, and Eden came and sat next to me.

“Is that code for ‘Run while you still can?’” Eden joked. I gave him a sideways look before turning my attention to Ben.

“So, what, you’re here to have a little intervention with my mom? In case you haven’t already noticed, this is none of your business, and I don’t need your help,” I said acidly.

Ben didn’t seem fazed by my anger, and said, “Obviously you do.” Before I could start shrieking at him like a crazy person, my mom walked in and crossed her arms.

“First of all,” she said, “Rebekah is grounded, and therefore not allowed to have visitors. That means you can leave.” She looked pointedly at Eden.

“I respectfully decline your offer, Mrs. W. I prefer to be present when I know I’m the subject of a discussion.”

My mom looked totally confused and stammered, “It wasn’t an offer—and don’t call me that—I mean, Mrs. is acceptable, but—what makes you think you’re being discussed?”

Eden smiled politely and said, “Just ask Ben here.”

“What is he talking about, Ben?” My mom asked. Ben appeared to be slightly uncomfortable. He tugged at the collar of his shirt and swallowed audibly before answering.

“I’d rather not talk about it in front of—” he started.

“Tough,” Eden interjected.

“Fine,” Ben said. “Mrs. Williams—”

“Ben, you know you can call me Holly. No need to be so formal.”

Ben cleared his throat and continued, “I did indeed come to discuss your daughter’s relationship with Eden.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Suddenly I was referred to as “your daughter” and not as “Bek.” My mom just gave Ben a blank look, so he clarified, “I believe their relationship is unhealthy, and I’ve voiced my concerns to Rebekah, but she won’t listen. So, I was hoping that maybe you would see reason.”

My mom took a deep breath and said, “I appreciate your concern honey, but…this is really between Rebekah, her father, and myself. It’s a family matter. Do you understand that?”

“Of course. I feel that I can give you some insight though.”

“Alright. Say what’s on your mind, but the final decision is still up to me and Rebekah’s father.”

I was furious. I opened my mouth to argue, but Eden took my hand and squeezed it. I looked at him and he shook his head, so against my better judgment, I kept my mouth shut.

“I understand,” Ben said. “Eden is not a good guy. He’s threatened me before, and I wouldn’t put it past him to threaten her, if he hasn’t already.”

Astonished, my mom gasped, “What?”

“He’s never threatened me, Mom,” I said hurriedly.

“I did threaten to use physical force on Ben once,” Eden admitted. “I was trying to speak with R, and he wouldn’t let me, so I told him to leave, or I would make him.”

“I was only looking out for Bek, because you had your hands on her,” Ben argued. He turned to my mom and added, “Eden intimidates people. That’s how he gets his way. Also, he’s a bad influence. When I arrived here, I saw Bek in the front yard with Eden.”

“Is that true Rebekah?” My mom demanded.

“Yes,” I said sheepishly, “but we were only talking. I didn’t go anywhere and I didn’t let him inside.” I figured if I mixed a lie with some truth, it would sound more believable. “So, I don’t think I technically broke any rules.” My mom sighed and rubbed her temples. Then she shook her head and looked at me disapprovingly.

“When your father comes home, we are all going to have a major discussion about your recent behavior, young lady.” I shot Ben an angry look, and he actually seemed distressed. “Is there anything else Ben?”

The momentary upset look vanished from Ben’s face, and he said, “Yeah, there is one more thing.” He paused and glanced at Eden almost nervously. Then he continued, “I have a feeling that Eden is hiding something about himself. Possibly something about his past, I’m not sure. All I know is that he’s very secretive and not open about himself at all.”

Eden smirked and said cruelly, “Thank you so much for that, kid. Everyone beware the quiet new guy, because if he doesn’t say much, he must be evil.” Then his eyes got wide and he added, “Maybe even satanic. I’m sure the community is in your debt for revealing the terrible feeling you have about me. Bless you son, bless you.”

“That’s enough,” my mom said firmly.

“You’re right Mrs. W, I might damage the poor kid’s psyche,” Eden said. He turned to look at Ben and added ominously, “And we wouldn’t want that.”

“I mean it,” my mom warned. Then she said to Ben, “Thank you for your insight, but right now I think it would be best if you left.” Ben nodded dejectedly, and stalked out of the house. Wearily, she turned and said, “Eden, you should leave too. And please don’t come back, because Rebekah is grounded, and she’ll be lucky if I don’t extend her punishment for this.”

“Very well, Mrs. W.” Then Eden leaned over and kissed me on the cheek right there in front of her, and I was too shocked to stop him. “See you later babe.”

After he left, my mom went on the closest thing to a rampage that I’d ever seen from her. She rushed to the front door and locked it, as if Eden was a psychopath about to return with an axe or something. She rounded on me then, and yelled, “I want you to tell me right now why you insist on having a relationship with that—that—horrible, rude young man!”

Her reaction took me by surprise, so at first, I didn’t answer. When her eyes looked like they were about to pop out of her skull, I said, “He isn’t that bad. You really just need a good sense of humor while you’re around him.” That was a mistake.

My mom turned beet red and exclaimed, “Humor! Humor! He ridiculed me, with pleasure. He snuck around with you behind my back. He made fun of your good friend right in front of you! After all that, you have the nerve to tell me that I need a sense of humor? I don’t even know what to say!” She threw her hands up in exasperation, and began pacing behind the couch where I was still sitting. I shifted uncomfortably, and wracked my brain for the right thing to say. This was very unlike my mom. She rarely ever got angry, let alone fuming like she was now.

Finally, I ventured, “Listen Mom, I know Eden isn’t exactly a knight in shining armor—” at that my mom actually cackled.

I chose to ignore her, plowing ahead, “—but really a lot of this is my fault. I should know better than to let him come over when I’m grounded, and I should have asked you before I got a ride home from school with him. Plus, Ben is completely overreacting about all of this. He likes me, and he asked me out on a date a few days ago. I told him that it would be too weird, and he got upset. Now he’s taking his anger out on Eden. As a matter of fact, yesterday in Spanish class, he told me that we weren’t friends anymore.” That stopped my mom in her molten lava tracks.

“He said that?”

I crossed my arms and mumbled, “Yeah, he did.” She came and sat down next to me, and put her hand on top of mine.

“I’m sure he didn’t mean that,” she said softly. “He just needs time to adjust. Once he gets over the fact that the two of you aren’t going to be an item, he’ll be back to his normal self.”

I wasn’t so sure myself, but I said quietly, “I hope so.”

She patted my hand and said, “Alright, I’m sorry for losing my cool back there. I felt insulted and I was already not in the best of moods. I’m not going to drop this though. What do you really know about Eden? Like things about his past or his family?”

“He’s an orphan, Mom. His parents were murdered right in front of him when he was only a child. He’s been shoved from foster home to foster home, but he doesn’t feel like he belongs. He feels alone.” My mom was silent for a long time. I could tell she was mulling it all over in her mind, trying to think of something to say.

Finally, she said, “That’s terrible. I can understand how that would make someone a little rough around the edges…but still…he threatened Ben. What makes you think he isn’t capable of doing the same, or worse, to you?”

My voice became steely and I said, “Because for once in his life he does feel like he belongs, and that is with me.” I stood up, leaving my mom sitting stunned on the couch, and went as calmly as I could to my room.

Sure, Eden had never actually told me that, but I figured it must be how he felt—or at least, I hoped it was. Regardless, he had gone through something extremely traumatic as a small child, and he still became a good enough person to protect me when I was in danger. I knew he cared at least a little. He trusted me with so much, it was impossible for him not to. The problem was that I couldn’t tell anyone how he had protected me, or what he had entrusted me with. No one would ever understand. The thought saddened me, but I knew I could move past it. I had to.