My Night Breeze (The Breeze Series) (23 page)

“It is what it is. What about you?”

“Same. I don’t want tomorrow to come, but I’m definitely ready for the weekend. Does that make sense?”

“We could skip?”

“I can’t, but the fantasy is always there.”

“I’m thinking about skipping the dance.”

“No, don’t do that. You’ll regret the memories made for that night. You guys are still friends.”

“It’s going to be weird.”

“Then don’t let it. Just enjoy yourself. You deserve to have a good time. Don’t let anyone take that away from you.”

After an hour
of pep talk, Stephen’s mood seemed somewhat better. She wrapped up before trudging back into the even colder temperatures. Audra tugged out her phone texting a quick message.

Walking 2nite?

No, y?

I am.

Come over.

Audra chuckled as she
quickly headed in the direction of his house. The trip was longer going from Stephen’s to Mateo’s, but it was worth it in her eyes. Plus, the exercise was always good. It was like she’d become a creature of the night. She laughed at that thought. The sight of the house came into view, and she pressed the ‘Call’ feature.

“That was fast.”

“It’s cold, so I walked at a good clip.”

He chuckled
over the line. “You want to sneak up here?”

“Will you be on your best behavior?”

“Just get up here.”

She walked
up the driveway passing by the two vehicles and slipped into the backyard. Using her phone as a flashlight, she made her way over towards the tree without tripping over herself. Mateo lifted his window to make it easy for her to climb inside. She reached up towards the first branch as a sound reached her ears by the fence. Was something out here?

The last time she was in his backyard he didn’t have a pet. Could it be his father? The
idea alone practically paralyzed her. She closed her eyes, straining to hear anything else, but it was silent. Unsure of what to make of it, she attempted to reach up again for the branch when a dragging noise could be heard.

That wasn’t in her head;
it was loud and close. Audra stepped backwards slowly with one hand in front of her and one behind. She remembered the bushes surrounding the yard; it would be a good place to lay low. The darkness of the yard was a blessing; she might not be able to see, but whatever was out here with her couldn’t see either. As her hands came in contact with the bushes, she got down on her knees, tucking herself somewhat under them.

No other sounds could
be heard in the backyard, but she didn’t trust it. Her nerves were shot with worry. Where did Mateo go? Did he really expect it to take her that long to get up the tree? A sudden scuffle and huff rang out close to where the tree was. Movement from the window caught her attention; Mateo was still upstairs waiting for her. Just as suddenly, he stuck his head out looking for her.

Footsteps running at a fast pace sound
ed off towards the fence. Audra slipped out of her hiding space using her phone as a light trying to get safely across the yard towards the fence. Just as she got close, her phone rang. Anything Mateo may have said was ignored as she spoke over him.

“Get
outside right now. Someone was here in your yard.”

“What?”
he asked.

She could
hear his footsteps through the phone as he went through the house. Audra was too afraid to go outside of the fence, but lights to a car brightened and disappeared in a flash. Even in the darkness, she was almost positive she recognized the vehicle. Something about it was familiar, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. Mateo came out the back door to join her side.

“Did you see who it was?”

“No. I hid in the bushes; don’t think he saw me.”

“He? Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I think he fell…”

Audra walked
over towards the tree as Mateo followed her. The light from the open back door brightened the yard, and a metallic looking item caught her eye. She knelt down close to it before picking it up. A burst of wind knocked her down on her back.

*****

“We’re not supposed to be up here.”

“Do you always do wh
at they expect of you?” she asked.

“Obviously not since I’m here with you.”

He leaned in close, holding her tightly against his body. The indecision in his eyes was clear, but the desire was much stronger than either of them. He rubbed his cheek on top of her head causing a soft moan to pass from her lips. Her body felt electric between the tingles of excitement and nervousness of the experience.

“If we do this…there’s no going back.”

“I understand,” she responded.

He lifted
her chin as his lips descend upon hers. It felt like a thousand sparklers all lit together going off throughout her body, shining brightly and beautifully for the world to see. The moment was brief but powerful. She could already feel the changes within her…and she wanted more.

*****

Trying to catch her breath was almost impossible. Fear had gripped her tightly, but she pushed through, forcing her legs to push to the street. Stephen ran beside her, exhausted but too terrified to stop. Instead of going through the front door, they slipped into the backyard and in through the sunroom. He locked up the doors as she panted, bent over holding her knees.

“Wait…
.he’s still out there.”

“Mateo got hit pretty hard. I don’t think
—”

“Don’t you dare say
it. He will come,” she stated.

A sad expression transformed
his face, a tear sliding down his cheek. She turned away from him, unwilling to lick her wounds and give up hope. She saw the fight more clearly than she ever wanted to. Watched his body hit the concrete with such force….

*****

The searing heat surrounded her, the flames licked at the clothes upon her form like a dog lapping at a water bowl after a long walk. She was completely surrounded, unable to get away from the rising flames. Her thoughts slowed down as her head fell back with the only thing left. Her voice. She hollered out as loudly as she could as she was consumed entirely.

Her eyes fluttered open at the sound of her alarm going off. She hit the dismiss option and rolled out of bed. Her head was pounding with an unusual force causing her to go straight into the bathroom. Grabbing some over the counter medications, she used a handful of water to gulp down the pills. As she lifted her head up from the sink, something else caught her attention.

B
londe and soft orange streaks ran rampant throughout her hair. She ran her fingers through the locks, but it was no trick of the light; her hair had been highlighted. The effect wasn’t overwhelming to her natural brown locks; however, it wouldn’t be overlooked in the least. How did this happen? There wasn’t an explanation to give and no one to truly ask.

She went
back into her room collecting her clothes, showered and got ready for the awkward start of the day. The conversation with Stephen started to flood back into her memory. Should she give in to the temptation and skip? The test would still be there for her to take on Monday when she returned. She sighed aloud. She’d rather not have the test hanging over her head all weekend long.

Further memories start
ed to trickle into the front of her mind. Trying to sneak up into Mateo’s room, being surprised by a stranger, and the small metallic item. What was that? So many questions raced through her mind, and she decided there was only one thing she could do at this point in time. She tugged out her phone.

Can u pick me up?

Leaving in 10,
he texted back.

I’ll b ready.

Rushing around the room, she stuffed her needed notebooks and books into her backpack. Her appetite for breakfast was nonexistent, not that her mom would be okay with that. Audra went downstairs where clinking from the kitchen could be heard. As she walked through the doorway, a soft gasp resonated from her mom’s lips. Unsure of what to do or say, she did nothing other than grab a cup to fill with orange juice.

“Audra…did yo
u do this on your own?” Mom asked.

Without needi
ng to turn to face her, she nodded. Fingers lightly grazed her hair a few times without comment. The only way to get through this was to own it. Gentle hands turned her shoulders giving her mom the 360-degree viewing. Audra kept her eyes cast down, afraid to see her reaction, but she was surprised when she was pulled into a tight embrace.

“You look lovely.”

“Thanks. I have a science test this morning that I’m nervous about. My friend is bringing me in so I can have more study time,” she said.

“Al
l right, honey. I’ll tell Jim.”

Audra smiled
into her glass before chugging the last of it. Her mom knew how to make things easier for her without even knowing it. She placed the glass into the sink and did a quick job of washing it to be helpful. Her phone chirped in her jeans pocket, and she was almost positive that it was her ride. She waved a hand to her mom leaving the room.

“Tell Mateo I said ‘Hello
.’”

Audra froze
before looking back at her mom. She smiled widely at her reaction and raised her eyebrow. Audra nodded, speechless.

“
I’ve still got it,” Mom commented.

Not willing to wait arou
nd for anything else her mom could guess, she rushed out of the front door. Mateo was waiting patiently at the curb, and she didn’t hesitate to jump inside. She faced him, completely open and anxious, waiting for an answer of some sort. His eye registered shock; he shoved his hair back for a better two-eyed stare. Even then, he leaned in to inspect her change of appearance.

“Woke up this way…any explanations to give?”

He declined with a shake of his head unwilling to break his eye contact with her hair. She rubbed her hands up and down her face with an annoyed frustration. None of this was making any sense. She sat back in her seat as she buckled her seatbelt. Mateo drove them to school, parking in the lot.

The lot only had
a few cars parked within leaving them a great parking spot for the day. Once he put the vehicle in park, he reached out towards her, running his fingers through her hair. The touch of his hands caused her to relax without thinking. Brushing the locks away from her face, his thumbs lightly rubbed against her cheekbones before she glanced deep into his eyes.

Mateo’s eyes widened
in response. “Your eyes.”

“What
about them?”

“Look
,” he said.

She pulled
down the visor and received the second shock of the morning. Her normal, amber colored eyes had become the background while thin strips of caramel color swirled around the pupil. With closer inspection, she noticed that the swirl was actually moving like a constant whirlpool.

“
Oh, my gosh! What happened to me?”

“I don’t know exactly. I should have stopped you from touching the decoder. Didn’t even notice it until you touched it.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s a tool that ‘Elements
’ use to figure out who is what. Kind of like a lie-detector test,” he explained.

“Mateo…why did it do this to me?”

He pulled her in for a close hug, trying to soothe her. “It shouldn’t have had this reaction, but then again humans aren’t supposed to come in contact with it. I’ll find out though.”

After a few minutes, they exit
ed the vehicle, going inside to collect their belongings for the first period class. She sat down beside him in the back not wanting to be anywhere else. Afraid to come in contact with anyone else. Mateo didn’t seem to mind her sticking by his side and even leaned against her.

“I want to ask you something but…”

“But?”

“I know you’re going to refuse.”

“Ask me.”

Mateo took
a deep breath only to let out a tiny chuckle. “Tomorrow night, I’m taking you out. And I’m not changing my mind, but I would really like for us to go to the dance.”

“You’re serious?”

Mateo nodded. “I can buy our tickets at lunch today. All you have to do is get dressed up.”

“It’s going to be almost impossible to find a dress
by tomorrow evening. I—”

“I’m sure you’ll find some
thing. Please? For me?” he pushed.

The urge to keep refusing was strong
, but he had already offered to buy the tickets. Thanks to the stupid decoder, she was more like a doll than she ever imagined possible. Even though getting a dress would be difficult, it may be just the ticket to get Stephen and Chris back to a happier place. Not that their breakup was her fault, but it would be a semblance of happiness for everyone and a lasting memory for Molly.

Audra nodded
, accepting the date activity. A huge smile graced his lips in response. For the remainder of the period, she kept her head down, studying for her test with his assistance. With advice of refraining from making eye contact for too long, she agreed. The less people noticed the change the better. With Stephen’s surprised but excited response, it was clear it wouldn’t be easy.

*****

Her eyes were glossing over by the time she came across the dress rack. Mom had been really patient, knowing that dressing up wasn’t her thing, but her tolerance was getting low. This was the third store in the mall that they had checked out, and nothing seemed to be available. The dresses were either the wrong color, the wrong size or way too revealing for either of their comfort levels.

Picking up four different types of dresses in her size, r
egardless of the color, she went into the fitting room. The first fit well, but the style was very short, something that she personally didn’t like. The second dress was a color she wouldn’t consider wearing—champagne—but it was long enough to please both her and her mother. The style was kind of plain though.

The third dress was quickly dismissed as there was a rip under the armpit
, and the zipper wouldn’t go all the way up. The fourth dress was a mystery altogether. The color was an off black with only one shoulder strap that attached to the belt around the waist. The length wasn’t terribly short, but it was a snug fit. She could easily see the length rising with any amount of movement.

More stressed tha
n she believed possible, she sat down on the bench in the tiny fitting room. Just the action of siting down in the fourth dress made it ride up to her upper thigh. Why was this so impossible? She knew waiting to the last minute was stupid, but this seemed much more difficult than needed.

“Audra?”

“I need a minute,” she said.

“Try this one on, okay?”

Rolling her eyes, she slipped out of the fourth dress, replacing it on a hangar. She reached over the door tugging the fifth dress in. She stepped into it, tugging it up and zipping with a little effort. The color wasn’t something she would have normally chosen, but the style was basic with a touch of class. Also, the length just barely kissed the floor, leaving plenty of room for shoe choice.

Words escape
d her, so she opened the door allowing her mom to inspect the dress. Doing a slow spin, she could already see her mom’s head nodding approval. It was perfect.

“How did you know?”

“Mom intuition.”

“I love it.”

“All right, get changed. We have to get back.”

Audra quickly changed and brought
the dress to the register with her mom. The ride back was quiet with the sound of the radio playing softly.

“I have to tell
Dad about the dance.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’
ll take care of it,” Mom advised.

“Why is he so overprotective of me?”

“There are a lot of bad people in the world, Audra. You won’t understand until you’re a parent,” she said. “Which won’t be for a long time. Do you understand me?”

Audra chuckled
. “I haven’t even had my first kiss yet. I highly doubt you have anything to worry about.”

“Re
ally?” Mom asked with a slight scowl.

“Everyone is afraid of Jim and Tobias. I’m like a leper around the school.”

“Oh…what about Mateo?” she asked.

“We
’re friends,” Audra admitted. “Hey, Mom, how did you meet Dad?”

“We met through friends. He was a varsity basketball player at his high school. I was visiting a friend from the next town over. She took me to a game and introduced us after
ward.”

“What was he like? I can’t really
think of him my age,” Audra said.

“Honestly, he was a stick in the mud. He didn’t do anything exciting when he wasn’t playing sports. I had my doubts about dating him
, but he was a sure thing. Responsible should have been his middle name. Probably where you get it from.”

“Dad is so serious all the time. Even I know how to laugh from time to time. I feel lik
e he can’t stand me,” she admitted.

“He’s been dealing with a hectic and thankless job. He gets kind of sucked into it at times. That doesn’t mean he has any problem with you. Your father works very hard; he just has a hard time letting go once he gets home.”

Audra shrugged her shoulders in response. Maybe one day she would be able to meet the man that her mom loved so much.

*****

The entrance inside the dance wa
s from the outside doors leading from the gym to the parking lot. Mateo held the tickets to the dance in one hand while keeping his other clasped around hers. While the gesture was small, it meant a great deal to her. She hoped that deep down, he was aware of his claim upon her. No one else would have been able to get her to come to this. Not willingly anyway.

He handed
the tickets to the attendant before escorting her through the door and inside a winter wonderland. Snowflake decorations hung from the ceiling while a spinning projector flashed different colors all over the room. All the bleachers were shoved back against the wall leaving plenty of room for all the students to dance.

A DJ wa
s set up on the opposite side of the entrance where a group seemed to be trying to request music. Mateo led her over to the side of the room where the rest of their group was. Hugs and exclamations were made at the outfits of the girls before Chris had had enough.

“Let’s
get on the floor,” he encouraged.

The entire group moved
to the dance floor, trying not to be awkward. Stephen couldn’t keep his eyes from straying towards Chris. And Chris was a master on the dance floor. Nerves caused her to do more of a two-step than an actual dance. Whether it was intimidation of Chris’s skills or the awkwardness of actually dancing with Mateo around, she wasn’t sure.

Stephen reached
a hand out towards her, and she reluctantly accepted it, allowing him to dance around her playfully until another set of hands grabbed her waist. With a quick check, the bleach blond hair was a welcome sight. Chris spun her out while grabbing hold of Stephen’s, tugging him, just like one of the first times they danced together.