Chosen by night, p.4
Chosen By Night, page 4
She burst into laughter. “No, I’m thinking about making him jealous. From the look Jeremy was giving you—”
“Don’t involve Jeremy,” I said. “He’s had a bad week and I don’t want to hurt him.”
“There’s something between you two, I know it. You and Hugh can search for the secrets of the town curse.”
“You don’t plan to help?”
“Hugh is as open as the books he reads, but I love a good mystery. My plan is to figure out your secrets.”
Her threat should have scared me, but I smiled instead.
Let Lorraine try to figure me out.
Chapter Four
After my last class, I dropped a quarter in the payphone by the office and called Mom to let her know I was going to Hugh’s. She didn’t mind; in fact, she and Dad were coming over later. Mom had slow cooked a pot roast and planned a welcome dinner for Lorraine and her dad.
Which left only a couple of hours to research this curse. Hopefully, Hugh would take care of most of the research since he could easily open a book and flip to the page with answers. I’d never seen him study for a test and sometimes envied his guaranteed good grades. I was lucky to get a C in some classes, and that was after Mom helped me study.
I thought about how Lorraine skipped a grade. She must be a genius if Hugh looked as impressed as he did at lunch.
Lorraine was quiet on the way to Hugh’s house, giving only short ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers when he asked about her first day.
“Is our school better than your last one?” I asked.
She shrugged. “There are popular people, mean people, and those who don’t fit in like us. Same as back home.”
“Thanks for that,” Hugh said.
I laughed. “Do you think you’ll like Cherrytown?”
“No one here knows anything about me. As long as it stays that way, I’ll be fine.”
“What did you do in Alabama?” I turned around when she didn’t answer. “Were you some kind of ax-murderer?”
Lorraine stared at the landscape, rolling hills against a mountain with farmhouses few and far between. Wooden fences stretched between pastures and along the side of the road. “I’ve never touched an ax.”
“Of course, Lorraine hasn’t murdered anyone.” Hugh looked at me. “Let’s talk about the curse. Or maybe the fact you’ve been acting strange today.”
Well, I’d seen a guy from school as a wolf and a vision where most of my first class transformed into animals. Why would I be acting strange? “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”
His eyebrows shot up in a challenge, but he said nothing. I took a cue from Lorraine and stared at the trees and green hills as Hugh made the last few turns to his house.
She knew nothing about our home here, about picking fresh blackberries or helping to can my mom’s award-winning jam. The smell of the sunny-yellow flowers that grew in no other part of the county. Sounds of insects and animals in perfect harmony. Long walks in the woods when the last light of day glowed against the mountain and lightning bugs made it look as if stars were falling.
We’d rounded the mountain and reached the valley with flatter land including Hugh’s property. I’d passed this mountain enough over the years, I hardly thought of how overwhelming it must look to an outsider. Trees covered the mountain, and a few dirt roads weaved up the side. It was smaller than the one Jeremy called home, but probably still an awe-inspiring view for Lorraine.
Jeremy. I needed to find a way to talk to him. The grief he felt as a wolf haunted me in a way no other animal had. If only I could tell Hugh what happened. Maybe he could add shapeshifting to his list of research for this curse.
Or could Jeremy’s shifting be connected?
I’ve been this way for as long as I can remember. When I get angry or sad…
He’d become a wolf before the moon disappeared, but Jeremy said he’d been this way pretty much forever. I’d never heard of the moon disappearing until talk of the curse today.
When we reached Hugh’s house, Lorraine studied the grand foyer as we followed Hugh down a hall and to the library. Her eyes were wide as she bent her neck back to see the sunlight at the center of a ceiling three times higher than my trailer. Shelves of books circled around us, repeating as the shelves rose all the way to the ceiling. Some books were high enough a ladder had been built on a track to slide along the walls and make a circle so that every book was accessible.
Outside of the circle of books, the room opened to a grand space with polished dark hardwood floors. Parts of the walls not covered with books had pink and green flowered wallpaper. Every door handle and piece of hardware throughout the room shined like gold.
Lorraine stared at the stained glass along the farthest wall, massive windows with yellow, blue, and green that formed a picture of mountains. “I can’t get over this house. Your grandma must have been super rich.”
“She was,” Hugh said. “My grandma owned the museum. When she died, the artifacts were put in storage. My dad has no interest in taking over her hobby.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “He calls a museum a hobby?”
Hugh nodded. “You know my father would rather design the structure of a museum than run one.”
I turned to Lorraine. “Hugh’s dad’s company built the new courthouse downtown. He builds all kinds of stuff.”
“I know,” she said quietly. “He built our house in Alabama years ago.”
“Before you moved here?” I asked Hugh.
“It was the last project dad worked on before grandma died,” he said.
So, this was their connection. I dredged my mind as I tried to remember any mention of Lorraine or her parents over the years. Hugh never talked about anything that happened before he came to Virginia. Jealousy hit me, but it stopped cold as Lorraine said, “My mother loved that house.”
“Why did you move?” As soon as the words were out, guilt hit. “I mean, why leave Alabama?” That didn’t sound any better.
She smiled. “I’m supposed to be learning your secrets, not you learning mine.”
“Lorraine,” Huge said with alarm.
“It’s a fair question. We left because my dad wanted us to start somewhere new and put the past behind us.”
“Your mother’s death?” I asked.
She nodded. “That’s part of it. We needed a change and Hugh’s dad offered for us to stay here.”
“The house is big enough,” Hugh added. “I’m sure Grandma wouldn’t have minded.”
“How long have you known they were coming?” I asked.
“Since last night,” Hugh said. “It was last minute…” He glanced at her.
Again, the implication of a shared secret made my stomach churn. Hugh never kept anything from me, but I’d kept a secret from him. My ability to sense the feelings of animals was something I felt strange telling anyone. Guilt mixed with the uneasy feeling in my stomach. He was my best friend, and I’d never trusted him with my deepest secret.
Maybe I wasn’t such a good friend.
“Let’s find a safer subject.” Lorraine ran her hand along a row of books on a shelf level with her head, as if she might choose one. “Hugh, you’ve never told me about your mom.”
“That’s a boring story,” he said. “She left after I was born. Moved to California. Dad said no way was he moving out there, and she couldn’t raise a kid alone, so she left us both.”
She paused. “That’s sad. Do you think she’ll ever come back?”
“I’ve talked to her on the phone a few times,” Hugh said in a raw voice. “She’s happy and so are we.”
“This house belonged to her mother?” When he nodded, she asked, “Do you think your grandma left it to you out of guilt?”
The sadness in Hugh’s voice disappeared with his smile. “Nah. My mom wanted nothing to do with this house. Grandma knew I was like her and I’d take care of everything.”
With his smile, I had to agree with Lorraine’s assessment from lunch. Hugh was the best-looking guy at school. From his face to the nice, almost formal clothes he always wore, Hugh attracted attention anywhere he went without realizing, even while walking down the hall at school. His skin held a warm, year-round tan. I’d never seen a picture of his mom—all I knew about her was she worked as an actress in L.A.—and I sometimes wondered if he inherited her looks. Was she in any of the movies we’d watched together? The only time I’d ever asked her name, Hugh’s voice became thick as he insisted I ‘drop it.’
“This house is famous around here,” I said. “Senators have visited and two presidents. At least that’s the rumor.”
Hugh laughed. “Grandma had a lot of friends.”
“How do you know all of this?” Lorraine asked. “I didn’t know you talked to her much growing up.”
“I didn’t. She left a… diary.”
“Diary?” I asked. “You’ve never mentioned a diary.”
“Well, it’s not a single book. She wrote dozens of journals and kept scrapbooks with pictures and news articles about the town. Grandma wasn’t just curator of the museum. She married into money and that gave her plenty of time to keep up the history of Cherrytown.” He lifted four books he’d chosen from the shelves, seemingly at random. I knew from experience Hugh never did anything random.
“Let’s take these books to my room,” Hugh said. “We can listen to some music while we search.”
“Music is a good idea,” Lorraine said. “This house is far too quiet for me.”
I laughed. “Glad I’m not the only one.”
In Hugh’s room upstairs, he turned on the CD player he’d gotten on his last birthday. The clear sounds of instrumental music filled the room.
Lorraine made a face at me. “Is this what he listens to?”
“The Star Wars movies are his favorite. He listens to the soundtrack all the time.”
Hugh huffed as he closed the door. “It helps me think. No big deal.”
“Hugh is obsessed with Star Wars,” I said. “If he ever has kids, I swear they’ll be named Han or Leia.”
He shook his head. “That’s going a little far. Next you’ll tell her I believe in aliens.”
“I’m sure he does.” I waved to Lorraine as I took a seat on the edge of Hugh’s bed. His grandmother had sewn the patchwork quilt of blue and white squares. “Do you believe in aliens?”
Lorraine sat next to me as she studied the shelves of books above an antique desk. A model airplane hung from the ceiling and smaller models sat on a shelf by the bed. The floor was polished hardwood, like the rest of the house. A rug with a picture of the Millennium Falcon lay next to the bed.
Like every room in this house, Hugh’s bedroom was on a large scale with high ceilings. There were four windows with a view of what they called a garden. They never grew vegetables, but Hugh’s dad kept the many rose bushes trimmed and the other flowers free from weeds. He might not care about the museum’s artifacts, but he did keep the grounds neat and inviting. Not that he ever invited anyone to this property other than my family and a few local friends.
A black cat jumped into my lap and curled up as she waited for me to scratch her ears. When I touched her head, she instantly started purring. Lorraine reached down and lifted a smaller white cat with splotches of black. He began to purr, and the contentment of both animals made my heart swell with happiness.
Finally, Lorraine answered. “It seems silly to think we’re alone in the universe.”
If I’d learned anything in my sixteen years, it was that human nature meant believing in what we could see. I knew a little bit about believing in what I couldn’t see. My father was a preacher, after all.
Lorraine’s voice sounded sad as she put the cat on the floor and stood. “I’ll be right back.”
As soon as she was gone, Hugh closed the book and sat next to me. “Lorraine’s had it tough. People in that town were mean and I don’t want you pushing her. When she wants to open up, she will.”
The black cat jumped out of my lap. “You seem to know all about her.”
“We played together as kids,” Hugh said. “I think of her as a sister.” He leaned in. “Marilyn Keller, if I didn’t know better, I’d swear you were jealous.”
“What if I am?” The smell of him felt familiar, but with an edge that made my heart beat faster. Maybe it was a lingering hint of the shaving cream he used. Hugh never went a day without keeping his face clean.
His eyes widened, and he moved his face closer until our lips almost touched. “If I’d known you’d take it this way, I would have invited her sooner.”
Shock filled me at his admission.
A door slammed down the hall and Hugh pulled away as if the spell had broken. He stood and went to the desk, thumbing through the book as he walked.
Lorraine returned and took the seat next to me. “Sorry about that.” Hugh didn’t bother to look up. “My mother loved the Star Wars movies.”
“Are you okay?” I asked, while hoping she wouldn’t cry. The waver in her voice reminded me of Jeremy’s grief from last night. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“It’s not you. My dad and I left Alabama because…” She swallowed. “It all kind of hit me—coming here, seeing Hugh and his dad again after all these years, losing my mom. I was sad.”
The air was too thick. “I bet she wasn’t obsessed with the movies like Hugh is. Ask him how many times he’s watched those movies.”
“Which one?” she asked.
“Any of them.”
Lorraine grinned as she looked at Hugh. “Well?”
He glanced up from the book. “At least a dozen.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “I bet you’ve watched those movies a dozen times this month.”
He shook his head. “I’m not that bad.”
“Hugh was supposed to take me to a dance in the spring. He fell asleep while watching episode two and missed the dance.”
“It’s actually episode five,” he said. “The first three haven’t been made yet, but I keep hoping.”
Lorraine laughed so hard she almost fell off the bed. “You are that bad, Hugh.”
The fact I had Lorraine laughing made me smile. I turned to Hugh. “Tell me you’ve found some answers in your book.”
“Why don’t you two get a snack or something? I’ll spend some time alone with the books and when you get back, I should have answers.”
Hugh wanted me to spend time with Lorraine, that much was clear. I was willing to bet he already knew the answer. “Come on,” I told Lorraine. “Hugh needs his quiet time.”
* * * * *
Lorraine and I walked outside and toured the garden, even poked our heads into the woods behind the house. She admired the wooden gazebo in the shape of an octagon. We talked about the latest movie she’d watched in a theater, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and how her favorite band was Aerosmith. We steered far away from serious conversations.
“Are there any dangerous animals in the woods?” she asked.
I thought of the wolf. “I’ve seen bears and mountain lions. There are poisonous snakes, so having a pair of thick boots is a must.”
“We have snakes in Alabama. Our house is near a lake and sometimes they slither into our yard. Never know what might come out of that lake.”
“Do you fish?” I asked. “There’s a creek at the edge of Hugh’s property.”
“Sounds fun.” She slapped a mosquito on her neck. “Maybe when summer is over.”
After an hour, we went back to the house and found my parents in the formal kitchen. The aroma of Mom’s pot roast hit me before their voices.
Mom smiled at Lorraine. “Nice to finally meet you. Wynn has always spoken highly of your family.”
She leaned against the long granite bar. On the other side of the room sat a wooden table with claw feet. “Hugh said they don’t eat in here.”
“We will today,” Mom said. “The other table isn’t big enough for all of us.”
Hugh’s father arrived, along with Lorraine’s, and he surveyed the roast with potatoes and spinach souffle Mom made. “After we eat, we can sit in the gazebo and watch the sunset.”
Hugh entered the kitchen as we made plates, and everyone took a seat at the formal table. Dad waved a hand and the room went silent as he said a blessing for the food. When he finished, everyone around the table reached for their forks and dug into their food.
“Any luck on the curse?” I asked Hugh.
With a piece of roast halfway to his mouth, Dad stopped and looked at me. “Did I hear you correctly? You’re to have nothing to do with town gossip.”
Hugh Senior cleared his throat. “I’m sure the kids are just having fun. You remember how it was when we had to find something to amuse ourselves.”
“I never took part in the devil’s work.” Dad ate his bite of roast and swallowed as he watched me. “Stay out of this, Marilyn.”
I held up my hands. “I’m not in anything. We’ve heard the rumors. Hugh was checking the history books to find out why the moon disappeared.”
“Your father wants to keep you safe,” Mom said. “It’s what every father at this table wants. I’m sure the moon situation will work itself out.”
“W…work itself out?” I stuttered. “That doesn’t sound scientific at all.”
“We’re not talking science,” Dad said. “Though I’m sure the scientists are trying to find out why we can’t see the moon in Cherrytown when others outside of here can. The news is speculating enough for us all. No more talk about curses.” He glared at Hugh. “That goes for you too.”
“Yes, sir,” Hugh said.
Across the table, Lorraine’s father shook his head. “I told you. If trouble can be found—”
“This has nothing to do with you,” Dad said. “In a few days things will be back to normal.”
The sound of his voice wasn’t convincing. Dad’s dedication to religion had always defined his existence more than any person or thing, including his family. A curse went against those beliefs.
So did my ability to sense the cat who lay near my feet. I couldn’t see black fur beneath the table, but I knew she was there.
