Authors: Kelly Hogan
At the end of our large feast, Dad disappears into his office and returns with a thick rectangle shaped gift, wrapped in bunny rabbit paper. I open it to reveal an amazing Graphic Design book which shocks the hell out of me as Dad's gift giving skills normally involve cash or whatever the pushy sales girl can pitch him in the teen department which is typically too small or plastered in disney idols marketed for girls about 10 years younger then me. He doesn't do well under pressure.
As we're clearing the dishes and brewing some coffees the door bell rings. Dad hightails it to the door and in walks Age with a beautiful bushel of white peonies, my favourite. He looks sheepish and uncomfortable considering my evil rantings about Age's crush on him last night, but perhaps he needed a little push. I mean it is so obvious to everyone, how could he not see it?
Thankfully she's oblivious to his awkwardness and pounces over to me, grabbing me up into a giant bear hug and launching right into our regular routine of silly hollywood headlines. She's a sucker for teen dramas and loves to watch TMZ. Today she begins a debate on who Elena should choose on The Vampire Diaries. I say Damon all the way, but she is a stickler for the good guys.
She has such a knack for relating to teenage girlie crap, you'd never know that Age was also a super smart Pre-Vet studies professor at the university with Dad. They met when Harve was a puppy and suffered from a disgusting bout of Giardia in which he had explosive diarrhea all over Dad's imported persian rug. I noticed her crushing on him immediately; becoming a little too attentive to Harve's poop habits. I've always thought she was awesome, a cool older sister, even though she is closer to Dads age. She exudes this zest for life that I could never understand. I tend to lean towards the nerdy homebody type, while she would learn mandarin and jump out of a plane for kicks. She has that healthy vibe about her too; long blond hair that's usually in a ponytail, and never wears a lot of makeup, but doesn't really need to either. She's always active and has a kickin' bod that screams surfer girl. Next to her we are about as opposite as they come, but somehow it works and she completes our bizarre trio. Sarcastic me, scholastic Dad and exuberant Age.
By the time Harve was well past his crap issues, she was an honorary member of the Grace family and has been ever since. I could always see the way she watched Dad when she thought no one was paying attention though. Her eyes told the whole truth and I could never understand why he couldn't see it. Or maybe he just didn't want to see it. He really was blind to noticing her as a beautiful woman with whom he could have a relationship with. I'm the last person to want to get involved in that mess so I left it up to them to figure it out; sometimes I think adults are dumber then kids. After awhile I think she sorta gave up on the idea but I know deep down inside she was secretly hanging on to the hope that he would eventually see her as something more. Guys are just plain dumb.
We devoured the cupcakes and lattes heaped with whipped cream chatting about school and who was cheating on who while Dad checked his iPhone and zoned out for the girlie drivel.
The evening couldn't have turned around more in my favour really. With Age here to occupy Dad, it was an easy out for me to escape upstairs faking an early bedtime; Dad would be none the wiser. I had no idea what Ash was planning but I'm pretty sure I should put on something sexier then jams with dogs on them.
Around eight, after way too many wardrobe changes, I opened my window and peered into the darkness surrounding me. I chose the window closest to a tree but it still looked miles away and I had no idea how I was going to sneak out. Dad certainly thought his landscape plans through in anticipation of a teenage daughter. It was a cool spring night but that didn't quell the nervous heat waves that began fluttering all around my body. I saw no sign of life, no sign of my escape plan, no sign of anything at all but a few stars and some far off headlights on the highway; the air was calm and utterly silent. I bumped my
head on the window pane when my phone suddenly chirped to life with a new text. Please don't tell me he bailed; what a waste of a sexy black bra.
So are you coming or what?
Could you be any more cyptic Grey? I peered out the window again, checking the landscape for life, and this time I saw it, a small flicker of a lantern in the distance. I wrote back.
What am I supposed to do, fly over to meet you? Excuse me for being the bearer of bad news, but I didn't inherit the aviation
super power
and it's not as if I can walk out the front door. Grounded remember?
He chirped back.
Look a little closer.
I stuck my head further out the window peering to the right to see a lovely ladder resting right next to me. It was hidden off to the side cloaked in darkness and perfect for me to shimmy down unnoticed. Well mostly. That little bush at the base of the ladder won't look the same again. I tripped on dismount with classic Stella 'grace'.
With my feet finally planted on the ground I brushed the stray leaves from my jeans and tall black boots. I straightened my fitted checkered shirt and looked for any tears in my cropped leather jacket. I couldn't see any damage thankfully, only to my pride.
I turned and stumbled blind into the night slowly making my way towards the little light beacon in the back lot and wondering when my super stealth traits would kick in. I'm thinking never at this rate. Trying to stay upright was a lot harder then you'd think. It's like as soon as the sun goes down, the world shifts like 'Inception' and the most familiar and manicured backyard becomes a war zone of potholes. Now I understand the fumbles and falls the chicks make in the horror movies when they are flailing through the dark and never able to stay vertical.
I glance towards the back of the house as light from the kitchen spills into the yard with a soft glow. Age and Dad are laughing and watching TV on the couch together. They look younger somehow tonight. Dad seems so happy, so easy going. Maybe he's just a crab apple around me. It's hard to imagine your parent as a teenager, feeling insecure and just having fun with no responsibilities. Man I hope Dad gets his shit together about her. They'd really be a great team.
I speed up as fast as I can safely manage to get to Ash. I feel completely giddy about tonight, which probably doesn't aid my co-ordination. Who knew sneaking out of the house would be so exhilarating? Why have I been good for so long? As I round the thicket of trees at the edge of the gorge property line I see him. A black outline against the blue black night sky. He's got the vantage point of seeing me in full with his lantern held out in front while I can only guess at his expressions from my darkened angle.
"Good call with the ladder Grey, very sneaky," I say.
"Well I do have a bit of experience sneaking beautiful girls out of their homes in the dark of night. A favourite pastime of mine."
I can't see his face yet but I can tell from here that his eyes are scanning me. It sends pulses of lighting through my whole body. My breathing becomes more uncontrolled as I walk towards him pushing the lantern down and to the side so I can finally see his face.
"So really I'm just another notch in the old Grey belt? Maybe you should leave that last part out next time you want to woo. It's kind of a mood killer."
Reaching for my hand, we continue towards the trees. "I can think of other ways to get you back in the mood. Not to worry Stella..." he trails off in a laugh. My heart starts racing like the Indy - time to change the subject.
"Sooo, where's your car parked? Where are we going?"
"You'll see." Is all he says as he pulls me into the woods, stumbling along after him. He never falters, never breaks a branch, nothing. Jerk.
We are heading along my running trail when I'm struck by the thought of how alone we are out here. I mean, assuming Dad won't check on me closely to see the piles of pillows I placed under my covers, no one knows where I am or what I'm doing, or even when I should be home. It sends a thrill through me that ignites that now familiar thrum of electricity I have running through my veins when I've stepped out of the
good girl
box that I've lived in my whole life.
We are silent on our trek but don't have far to go before we reach a cleared area surrounded by a dozen lanterns, giving the place an ethereal glow. It takes my breath away as I halt in my tracks.
"A little midnight picnic to celebrate your 'coming of age' so to speak. I know, I know, a romantic demon at heart. Sometimes I scare myself."
The setting was perfect. A big cosy red-checkered blanket surrounded by beautiful lanterns perched on giant boulders and hung in trees that seem to be expertly placed in order to achieve the right ambience. I think perhaps mother nature didn't play a role in this formation. Theres a large woven basket in one corner and big fluffy cream velvet pillows in the other three. The idea of what we might use them for makes my mouth dry up like the sahara.
"I didn't know what you'd be hungry for so I brought a little bit of everything." He leads me over to the blanket and we settle in across from one another cross legged, the candlelit glow lending a soft dancing light across our cheeks. For a demon with confidence up the wazoo, he looks around nervously which sends shivers down my spine.
"Um, I did eat a big dinner, but I could go for something to drink?" I say.
"Sure." He turns to rummage through the basket. "I've got some sodas, waters and also managed to wrangle a bottle of 'Fury', that drink we sampled at 'The Devils' Pit'. I think by now you've figured out that it isn't something that humans are privvy to?" His lips curve into a smirk.
"What exactly is in that drink anyways?"
"Oh it's harmless really; a mild infusion that's been enchanted by a simple warlock spell. You don't get a boozy buzz on it the same way regular human alcohol works. Instead it seems to enhance our powers and make us more in tune with our surroundings. Like your senses are heightened in a really wicked way. I thought it might be interesting to try again tonight knowing what you know now about who you are. You can understand why it isn't FDA approved." He chuckles as he digs deep into the basket which by the sounds of the massive clinking, he really brought a little bit of everything.
"I'm game. Maybe that's what brought forth my super strength in the bar? Maybe I'm some sort of amazing warrior chick or something?" My mouth curves up into a grin.
"Warrior chick? That's the type of power you're hoping for? Let me tell you that there are way cooler powers to wish for." He pulls out a big clear bottle full of the honey coloured liquid and pours two mugs full for us. I reach for my cup and slug back a big gulp. An incredible sensation as it pours down my throat filling my body with a warm heat.
"Well, it'd be nice to just figure it out someday. Move forward and play with it, see what I can do, you know? It's more then frustrating to find out what I am but not really what I AM. Sometimes I think that I'm going to wake up and it'll all have been a dream."
"Would that be so bad? I mean, you had a good life before I walked in and created a demon portal for you. Are you sure you're ready for this particular door to open?" He takes a sip but looks down into his cup as if it's the most fascinating cup in the history of coffee mugs.
I take another drink and think this through for a minute. I need to articulate to him how I feel without going all gushy chick on him. I set my mug aside on the boulder behind me, grab his cup and place it beside mine. Taking his hands, enjoying the tingle that's spreading through my fingers from his touch, I explain.
"I'm not sure you fully understand where I'm coming from yet Ash. I mean we've spent a lot of time together but in order to get what I feel right now you should know where I've come from. Sure I've had a good life, my Dad is great, grades
were
good, I had Gabs and led a pretty typical high school life. Except... Except it really wasn't MY life. I could never put my finger on it but I always felt like I was going through the motions and never understanding why I wasn't like everyone else. Why I went to all the same parties and had all the same friends but felt like a complete outsider. An impostor." I took a deep breath before continuing.
"When you came to school I thought I was such loser for thinking you would want anything to do with boring old me. I didn't even know the first thing about flirting with a boy because I've never felt the urge of wanting someone the way I wanted you. When I looked at you it stirred something deep inside of me that no longer felt mundane and well, human. It felt surreal and exciting and for the first time ever, I felt alive. Then you took off and I thought myself a fool for getting attached like that so quickly." I let out a breath and dropped my eyes to our hands which I disentangled to pull my knees into my chest.
"Stella, I...."
"Wait no, I'm not done yet," I say holding up my hand.
"When you came back and we went on our second date to that bar, you told me the most unreal story of who you were and then of who I actually was. It was then and only then that everything just clicked for me. Everything came into perfect clarity like all of a sudden I had 20/20 vision after being half blind my whole life. So when you say that you caused me trouble and wonder if you should have just walked away and let me figure it out, I have to tell you how grateful I am for what you did. You've given answers as to who my mother might have been and why I've been walking through life like I wasn't apart of it. I was coasting through someone else's existance, not my own. So what you've given me is actually an amazing gift that I will be forever in debt to you for."