Believe: The Complete Channie Series (24 page)

Josh
claimed it would help Channie make friends with the girls at school if she could intelligently debate whether Bella should be with Edward or Jacob. So they were curled up together watching “New Moon” when Elijah burst in without knocking.

Josh swore at him and said, “How many times do I have to tell you? This room is off limits when the door’s shut!”

Except...it wasn’t Elijah. It was Josh’s momma. And she was not happy.

“Joshua Vincent Abrim get upstairs right now.”

He groaned and said, “I’ll come upstairs when the movie is over.”

“You’ll come upstairs right now if you know what’s good for you.”

“Fine.” He threw the blanket off and sprang off the sofa then turned around and tried to tuck the blanket in around Channie’s body.

She squirmed away from his busy hands and said, “Mind your momma.” The back of the sofa faced the door, but it still made Channie nervous for Josh to have his hands on her when his momma was in the room.

He said, “Don’t go anywhere, I’ll be right back.”

He wasn’t.

Channie waited for fifteen minutes then decided to go look for him.

As soon as she opened the door to the soundproof room, she heard Josh and his momma arguing—about her.

“This year is crucial if you want to qualify for the London Olympics. Grands are in three weeks. You can’t afford to let that girl distract you.”

“Channie doesn’t distract me. She inspires me.”

“Did she inspire you to skip practice today?”

“My rotator cuff inspired me to skip practice today. What is your problem?”

“So why aren’t you icing your shoulder?”

“I was going to ice it after Channie left.”

“Then you better tell her to go home.”

“I’ll ice my shoulder while we watch the movie, if it’ll make you feel better.”

“I think Channie better go home anyway.

“Why?”

“So you won’t be tempted to let every little ache and pain turn into a reason to stay home and make out with your girlfriend instead of going to practice.”

Something banged the wall and echoed down the stairwell where Channie was lurking—followed by even louder swearing—then total silence.

Heat flooded Channie’s entire body—not just her cheeks—from the top of her head to the soles of her feet. Mrs. Abrim must have caught them pawing at each other. Channie wanted to crawl into a hole and die. But even more than that, she wanted to escape.

She crept back into the media room and fumbled around in the dim light looking for her backpack and shoes. Her hands shook as she tied her laces. She slung her backpack over one shoulder. It felt as if someone had replaced all her books with cement blocks.

The door squeaked when Channie cracked it open and peeked into the hall. Josh and his momma were still arguing but at least they weren’t yelling at each other anymore.

“This isn’t like you, Josh. It’s like you aren’t even the same boy anymore. You never would have punched a hole through a door before you met Channie.”

“I said I was sorry and I’ll pay for the freaking door...cheap piece of crap.”

“What if she gets pregnant?”

“Is that what this is all about?”

“Do you think I don’t know where you sneak off to every Saturday night?”

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s no secret that her parents spend every weekend in Blackhawk. What do you think they’d do if they found out their sixteen-year-old daughter was spending the night with an eighteen-year-old boy.”

“Seventeen.”

“Your birthday is next month.”

“So? We’ll still be legal and I’m not going to get her pregnant.”

“I’ve seen the way you two look at each other.”

“From what I hear, you have to do more than just look.”

“This isn’t a joke. At least tell me you’re using protection.”

“I’m not stupid. And we’re done with this conversation. Forever.”

Channie ran to the exercise room at the end of the hall and crawled out the window just as the basement door creaked open.

It
was past ten o’clock, so it was dark and cold as Channie rode home. Heavy clouds, pregnant with snow, obscured the waxing moon.

Josh caught up with Channie just before she entered the Cherry Street underpass. The tunnel stank of wet concrete, magnesium chloride, and urine, but at least the darkness would hide her tear-streaked face. She stopped and put her feet down. Freezing water sloshed over the top of her right shoe. The mag chloride kept the water from turning to ice, but it didn’t make it any warmer.

Josh’s voice sounded hollow with a slight echo inside the tunnel. “Channie?”

She wiped her nose on her sleeve and said, “Over here.”

She was glad Josh couldn’t see her face, but she wished she could see his. Negative energy pulsated all around him. He was furious—with Channie.

“Why did you run out on me?”

“I heard what your momma said. She doesn’t like me.”

“And your parents wanted to kill me, but I didn’t run away and leave you behind.”

A single sob escaped Channie’s throat. She cut the next one off with a choking gasp and said, “She thinks I’m a whore.”

Josh’s keys jingled as a tiny beam of light shot out of his hand and bounced off the oily puddle of water at his feet. He guided the light to Channie’s face and said, “Oh, baby, come here.”

Channie soaked the front of Josh’s hoodie with her tears and clung to him for several minutes. She was still crying, so her voice hitched when she asked, “Why didn’t you tell your momma that we weren’t...you know …”

“Having sex?” Josh kissed the top of her head and said, “Because she wouldn’t have believed me. She’d ground me for lying.”

“But she won’t ground you for...you know.”

“She hasn’t yet.”

When she quit sniffling, Josh let go of her and pulled his cotton gloves out of his pocket.

“Josh, don’t.”

“What? I can’t even hold your hands, now?”

“You know you’re going to want to hold more than just my hands.”

“Come on, Channie. Eric was half-way to third base before he and Kassie had been dating a week. We’ve been together for two months, and you haven’t even let me unhook your bra.”

“You talk about...that...with Eric?” She pictured the two of them comparing notes and laughing about what a prude she was.

“No! Of course not. I never talk about our relationship with anyone. Especially not Eric. But it’s no secret that he and Kassie are having sex. Hell, everyone’s having sex...except us.”

Channie stepped away from Josh and tripped over her bike.

He grabbed her arm and said, “Channie, I’m sorry. I’m just a little frustrated, that’s all.”

She jerked her arm out of his grasp and jumped on her bike. She couldn’t outrace Josh, but she’d zap him into next week if he tried to follow her.

He didn’t.

Channie
was so upset she didn’t even realize where she was until she got home. Momma and Daddy were already in bed so at least she didn’t have to endure their questioning stares. She launched herself onto her bed and dove, face first, into her pillow.

Twenty minutes later, Channie’s window opened with a screech. A blast of cold air took her breath away. Josh crossed the room and knelt on the floor beside her bed. “I’m so sorry, Channie. Please forgive me. I promise, I’ll never pressure you to do anything you don’t want to do again...please...don’t break up with me.”

Channie pressed the back of her hand against her mouth and stifled a sob. Josh climbed onto her bed and pulled her onto his lap. His whole body trembled.

She said, “I’m sorry too. I wish I weren’t such a prude. I wish I could be a better girlfriend. I wish—”

“Shush. You’re the best girlfriend in the world.”

“I wish I could kiss you.”

“That would be nice.” Josh kissed the top of her head. “But for now, I’ll settle for this.”

Channie pressed her head against Josh’s chest and let the rhythm of his heart calm her. She snaked her hand up his shoulder and behind his neck. She wished they didn’t need to wear hooded sweatshirts all the time. “Do you want me to work on your shield? Try to fix it so we can kiss?”

“I thought you needed to wait until winter solstice.”

“It would be easier then, but it’s not necessary.”

“What if it doesn’t work? I don’t want to lose what we have.”

Right now Channie was more afraid of losing Josh. How long would he be willing to court a girl he couldn’t touch, much less kiss?

“I have better control of Chastity’s magic now and Enchantment grows stronger every time I use it.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to go back to getting zapped every time I look at you.”

“If I mess up your shield, I’ll just make you a new one.”

Josh nuzzled Channie’s head with his chin. “Do you want to do it now?”

“I need to refill my heart-of-hearts first.”

“How do you do that?”

“By absorbing positive energy.” Channie blushed. “Usually from you.”

“I have positive energy?”

“And negative.”

Josh leaned to the side and twisted Channie’s shoulders around. He gazed into her eyes and said, “Explain.”

“When you feel positive emotions like compassion, joy and love—you produce positive energy. If I’m close enough, Enchantment takes it and stores it in my heart-of-hearts.”

“What if I’m angry?”

“Then you produce negative energy and that goes straight to my power-well which fuels Chastity’s curses.”

“What about sexual energy?”

Channie licked her lips and said, “Most of the time it’s negative, but sometimes— it’s positive. I don’t understand it.”

“I think I do.”

“You do?”

Josh put his hands on Channie’s hips and slid her off his lap. She sat beside him and snuggled under his lifted arm. He said, “I think it’s the difference between love and lust,” then closed his eyes. “What kind of energy am I generating now?”

“Positive. You’re feeling...happy.”

He blinked his eyes open and smiled, then closed them again. “Okay. What am I feeling now?”

A golden glow reached out from Josh’s heart to Channie’s. It was just like the magical conduit they’d shared at the award ceremony two months ago. Except this time, instead of an announcer’s voice severing their connection, it was a blast of lust.

It had only lasted for a few seconds, but the positive energy produced by their brief exchange of heart-magic was far more potent than the lust that Josh was still struggling to control. Channie crawled off the bed to make it easier for both of them.

He said, “Did you feel it? The first part, before I sort of lost it?”

“Yes. I felt it.”

“Do you know what that was?”

“It was heart-magic.”

“It was love, Channie. I love you. And I want to be with you. I admit that there’s nothing chaste about the way I want you, but it isn’t just lust. I want to be as close to you as I can possibly be. I know you don’t feel the same way. I know it’s only my shield making you want me—”