2 Deja Blue Read online

  “Aren’t those all going to wrinkle if you just stuff them in there like that?” Anya scrunched up her nose and eyed my bag with uncertainty.

  “Eh,” I shrugged my shoulders. “It’s mostly denim cutoffs and cotton tank tops. I don’t care about my swimsuits. They don’t wrinkle, do they? Besides, I’ll make sure I put this sundress on top, folded nicely, so it doesn’t wrinkle.” Anya insisted that I take at least one sundress and a pair of nice flip flops in case we went somewhere fancy for dinner or something. I’m not really a dress-wearing kind of girl, but I gave in to her request since Nick’s parents would be with us, and I wanted to make a good impression. I glanced at my hands…I’d have to make sure to polish up my finger nails right before we left too. I love nail polish. I have just about every shade that exists…between the polish, my Converse and my ice cream addiction, I found lots of things to spend my hard-earned money on.

  “Well, I’m sure Brennan and I will run into you up there,” Anya winked. “We’ll be checking out the festival too, you know!” I smiled. Anya and Brennan always went to the Cherry Festival. She was excited because this year I would be there too, and she was going to get to spy on me and my new boyfriend. She loved having a front-row seat to the “dreamy-googly-eye-fest,” as she liked to tease.

  And now, here I was, sitting next to him in the backseat of his parents’ car, holding hands with Mr. Hotness himself. I glanced over at his golden face, and he caught my eye. He smiled and squeezed my hand. At least my fingernails looked cool, sporting Purple Passion nail color, and I returned his smile and sighed as I sunk back into the seat. I longed to lean against his shoulder, but with his parents in the front seat, holding hands was about all I could manage in the way of PDA.

  We pulled into the classy beachfront resort, and I climbed out of the car, stretching my arms and legs while I twisted around at my waist, taking in the sights around me. I had been to Traverse City plenty of times before but I had never stayed at this resort. Talk about swanky. The resort featured several three-story pale-yellow buildings with slate-grey rooftops lining the long white sugar-sand beach of East Grand Traverse Bay.

  We walked into our suite, and I looked around the soothing environment. There was a private balcony featuring a panoramic view of the water that seemed to stretch on forever. The small hillside at the back of the resort led past the outdoor pool, down to the Adirondack chair-lined beach. It was like a freakin’ postcard! Our room itself was just as gorgeous as the scenic outdoor view. It featured pale yellows, crisp whites, hardwood floors, plush carpets, bright watercolor-painted beach scenes hanging on the walls, and that vacation-y feeling of airiness, especially with our balcony overlooking the bay. There were two bedrooms, a small kitchenette, a living room with a huge flat-screen T.V. and double bathrooms. Nick’s parents took one of the bedrooms and Nick offered me the other one. He was going to sleep on the pull-out couch in the living room. I absolutely refused. I was their guest after all! I felt weird enough crashing their little family tradition, so I insisted on sleeping on the pull-out couch. His parents of course demanded separate sleeping quarters for us, and after all, they were our chaperones. (Plus, no respectable girl would shack up with her boyfriend on a family vacation when his parents are sharing the same hotel room! Eeesh!)

  I really didn’t mind sleeping on the pull-out. It’s not like I was going to want to get frisky with Nick while his parents were in the next room. And besides, we hadn’t got that close yet. We were still in the heavy making-out phase of our relationship. To be honest, I hadn’t slept with any guy yet. I’ve done other things, but, you know…I guess I’m holding out for the one. I know it’s probably very old-fashioned of me, but I wanted to be in love with the person when I finally decided to have sex. I knew I really liked Nick. A lot. And I was definitely in lust with him. But we’ve only been dating for about a month…so I still have a little time to figure some stuff out.

  After we got settled, Nick’s parents agreed to let us explore the town for a bit on our own, and they would meet up with us for a late dinner in a few hours. I didn’t normally eat my dinner at 9:30 at night, but being in the restaurant business, I guess they were used to eating at weird times. Nick and I decided we’d just stroll around and see some local sites and shops while we unwound from the drive. Tomorrow with his parents, we were planning to spend the morning at the beach, have lunch downtown, and then go cherry picking, walk through the carnival midway, and finish it off with the concert in the park and fireworks over the bay. It was going to be a pretty packed day (mostly with his parents) so we figured we’d take advantage of this alone-time. Thankfully, Nick’s parents did not treat us like we were six years old and agreed to our need for independence…at least for a few hours anyway.

  As we headed out onto the main street of town, I told Nick, “Maybe we’ll run into Anya and Brennan tonight!” Nick smiled. “Yeah, Brennan’s cool. Anya too. Although, I prefer blondes,” he winked at me. “You said they were staying at the Tamarack Lodge, right?” I nodded while my insides did somersaults at his affectionate wink and declaration of his preference for blondes. Just about every boy I knew who met Anya went gaga over her (not that she noticed), so it was exciting that she didn’t seem to have that effect on Nick. “I’m sure we can meet up with them while we’re here,” he said as he grabbed my hand and led me through the crowded sidewalk.

  It was early in the evening, approaching dusk, but since it was July, the sun wouldn’t set for some time. We comfortably strolled along the sidewalks and chatted about the various shops and displays along the way. We stopped in a fudge shop on the corner to try some samples and watch them make the sugary-chocolate confection. We’ve both seen it at least a hundred times before, but I still loved watching the bakers make the famously-known treat the way it’s been made for over a hundred years. Mackinac Island fudge is legendary, but any tourist town up north will feature a fudge shop selling the age-old treat. I watched as two apron-clad college-aged guys, carefully tipped the big copper cauldron to pour the molten dark chocolate liquid onto the huge six-foot long marble table to cool. On another marble-slabbed table, where the chocolate was already set, I watched as one of the guys scooped and turned and flipped the now-thickening fudgie-batter with a paddle and slowly formed it into a long log. It was mesmerizing watching the paddle moving fluidly back and forth, flipping the chocolate over and over, hearing the scraping sound of the wide metal-edged spatula against the marble. I kind of zoned out, just like when I stare into a fire, watching the flames flicker. I mindlessly popped another piece of the dark chocolate fudge into my mouth and stared at the confection being twirled and shaped into the yummy dessert that was now melting on my tongue. It was in this half-zoned-out state that I suddenly felt like I was being watched. I glanced around the fudge shop, but didn’t see anyone looking at me. Nick was watching the bakers intently, while shoving another huge piece of candy into his mouth. I looked back to watch the culinary confection show again. Just then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a stocky, dark figure quickly slink out of the shadows of the doorway of the shop. I got a strange jingly feeling that something wasn’t quite right as I stared at the now-empty doorway. Could it be some Fairy sense that I picked up from Sirrush? When he bit me and sent some of his magic coursing through my veins, Anya and Brennan told me I may have received more powers, besides being able to hear their silent telepathic language. Maybe this weird jingly feeling was the beginning of yet another one of Sirrush’s “gifts” to me. Or, maybe I was just being paranoid. As quickly as the sensation came, it faded, and Nick and I were ready to check out some other sights. I decided to tuck that little thought of Sirrush far away and just enjoy this night with Nick. I hated that stupid old dragon and the little “gift” of magic he gave me. I didn’t know what was going to come of it, and I didn’t want to waste any more of my precious alone-time with Nick worrying about it either. We walked out of the shop, once again holding hands, and continued down the sidewalk admiring the various che
rry-themed window displays and sales. As we stopped at the crosswalk to wait for the signal to change, Nick leaned over and kissed me. As his soft lips melted into mine, the busy street and tourists bustling around us seemed to disappear. Whoa. Am I ever going to get used to his warm, soft lips sending those jitters through my body? As I dreamily pulled away and saw that the traffic signal had changed, I walked out into the intersection to cross the street. That’s when I got shocked to my very core.

  I heard it before I saw it.

  A really fast, really big motorcycle was headed right towards me, obviously running the red light, and was about to plow me down. The seconds stretched on for what seemed like an eternity as I stopped dead in my tracks and stared wide-eyed, like a deer caught in the headlights, at the powerful huge Harley Davidson rumbling towards me at seemingly lightning speed. Just then, I blinked and I felt myself being yanked backwards as Nick just about pulled my arm out of my shoulder socket. I tumbled backwards into him. Nick shouted, “Whooaaa!” as I fell into him, pushing him back as we both landed in a heap on the curb. I shook my head as we watched the motorcycle and its black leather-clad figure zip off into the distance. “ASSHOLE!” Nick yelled after him as I sat stunned.

  “Ohmygoshhh!” I finally said as Nick helped me up and we began to walk across the street again. “I can’t believe that guy almost hit me! And you saved me! I must have been in a daze or something. I didn’t even see him ‘til he was just about on top of me.” I was still shaking as adrenalin pulsed through my body. Nick wrapped his arm around my shoulder, “Yeah, my kissing has that effect on girls I guess,” he teased. “No biggie. We’re both okay.” But, he seemed a little shaken too. “He was an asshole. Freakin’ moron. Not cool. Not cool at all,” he grumbled.

  Safely on the other side of the street, I gradually relaxed into Nick’s side and put my arm around his waist as he kept his arm wrapped around me while we continued our walk through town browsing in the shops. We stopped mid-way down the block to listen to a small jazz group that was playing under a gazebo tucked into a small courtyard between the old brick buildings. There was a fountain and some benches scattered throughout the courtyard where small groups of people had gathered to listen to the rhythmic sounds that echoed down the quaint street. The gazebo was laced with white twinkling lights glowing against the hazy pink sky. Combined with the smell of cherry flavored confections and chocolate fudge, it painted the most romantic backdrop. (Sigh.) This was more than a girl could ask for. I snuggled closer to Nick, rested my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes in contentment when my romantic bubble burst.

  Chapter 4

  “KANSAS! HEY, KANSAS!” I heard Brennan’s familiar voice calling out the nickname he had given me, quickly bringing me out of my dreamy fantasy with Mr. Hotness. You see, if I didn’t mention it before, my mother is obsessed with the Wizard of Oz. That’s how my brother, Leo, and I got our names. Ruby, for the ruby slippers that Dorothy wore, and Leo, for the Cowardly Lion. Brennan got a kick out of teasing me about that (and any other lame Wizard of Oz reference he can come up with), so now he calls me Kansas. At least it’s better than Scooby, which is what Leo usually calls me. (As in Scooby Doo, the cartoon dog? Plus, it rhymes with Ruby, so how could he resist? Ugh. Boys. They are soooo dumb.)

  I straightened up and looked around to see Brennan and Anya coming up the sidewalk to greet us. Their walks were as different as their personalities. Brennan was kind of bounding down the sidewalk in his navy blue board shorts and white t-shirt, his jet-black was hair sticking up in every direction, and…Oh my gosh! Was he barefoot? Again?! That kid wore shoes less than I did. I hate wearing shoes (unless they’re my Converse) but even I wear them out in public. Besides, city streets and sidewalks are nasty. Anya waved and was smiling brightly. She was wearing a short, white sundress and ballet slippers and seemed to be smoothly floating down the sidewalk. Nick smiled, and Brennan tipped his chin up in acknowledgement at him, “ ‘Sup?” I rolled my eyes. Boys and their dumb chin-nod. It’s like they’re too cool to smile or say, “Hello.”

  “Nice shoes, Brennan.” I smirked as I looked down at his dirty bare feet and raised my eyebrows at him.

  “Nice tornado-styled hair, Kansas. Is the wind-blown look in these days?” Brennan quipped back. I quickly reached up to smooth out my hair. It was a bit breezy. Shoot. I bet it got all messed up when Nick yanked me back from nearly getting run down by that stupid motorcycle. I was in such shock from that and then in such a romantic daze that I hadn’t even thought about how disheveled my appearance had probably become. I nervously glanced over to check out my reflection in a store window as Nick and Brennan shook hands and mumbled guy stuff to each other. Anya came over and gave me a quick hug. “You look perfect,” she assured me. I smiled gratefully in return.

  Well, so much for a romantic stroll around town with my hot boyfriend. We chatted with Anya and Brennan and listened to the jazz trio play.

  “So what are you guys doing tomorrow?” Anya asked.

  “Hanging out at the beach ‘til about lunch time, then we’re heading downtown with my parents for a day chock-fulla fun,” Nick answered somewhat sarcastically.

  “Do you guys wanna meet us at the beach tomorrow morning? We won’t really have any other time to hang out otherwise,” I suggested. After all, I loved hanging out with my friends. Even though I loved my time with Nick, I always felt happy when Anya and Brennan were around. Maybe it was their Fairy essence, or maybe it was because I had a little bit of that magic inside me now, but whatever the case, I seemed to enjoy their company more lately. Even Brennan didn’t seem as annoying as he always has been. I thought about how I actually kind of liked hanging around him over these past few weeks. Lately, he wasn’t always the pain-in-my ass that he always has been. And he’s definitely moved several notches above my annoying little brother Leo-tard. I snickered to myself at my thought, and I noticed just then that Brennan seemed to smile a little bigger. I looked at him and Anya for a moment and saw how beautiful and glowing they both really were. Brennan winked. He winked? Why did he just wink at me? I shuddered and glanced back over to Nick.

  Nick nodded at my suggestion of them joining us at the beach, “Yeah, you should come hang out. It’ll be more fun for us to hang out with you guys, than to watch my dad rub sunscreen on my mom’s back. Iccchgg.” He gave a shudder and winced. We all chuckled, and Anya and Brennan agreed to meet us at the beach the next morning. “Well, we’ll let you two get back to…alone time,” Anya winked at me and shoved at Brennan’s shoulder, pushing him away from us.

  “Uh. Yeahhhh. Guess we’re takin’ off now,” Brennan chimed in as he gave the evil eye to his sister, silently warning her to keep her hands off him. Actually, my Fairy hearing picked up what he was actually saying and it was more like, “Sweet stars of Mars, Anya! Don’t be so pushy! What’s the rush? I’m having a decent time here.” Anya rolled her eyes at him and nodded towards me. Brennan gave a little nervous smile. He still sometimes forgets that I can hear the silent conversations between him and his sister. I smiled and waved at the both of them as if I was unaware of Brennan’s annoyance with his sister and his not-so-obvious desire to hang around for a bit. Finally, by ourselves again, Nick and I leisurely walked up the street, hand in hand, chatting about the new CDs we had bought. The sun was finally setting and my stomach was starting to growl. Oh geesh. I hope he didn’t hear that! “I am starving!” I announced, as I grabbed my stomach, just in case he did hear it.

  “Yeah! Me too. Ready to head back?” I nodded, and Nick led me back down the street towards our hotel so we could meet his parents for dinner. Other than that close-call with the dumbass on the motorcycle, this really was the beginning of a perfect vacation!

  Chapter 5

  We sat down to dinner at White Caps, a restaurant right near the water with excellent views of the bay. I glanced up from my chair and noticed Mr. Martino pull the chair out from the table and usher his wife to her chair. Awwww! Isn’t that just the sweetest th
ing ever? Nick often did little romantic things for me, too. Like surprising me with flowers, or taking me on a boat ride around the lake… I guess he learned a few things from his dad. I let out a big, relaxing sigh. Nick put his hand on my knee under the table, and I felt a zing of tingles run up my thigh. How was I supposed to concentrate on eating with Mr. Hotness touching me like that? I raised my eyebrows at him and smiled. I opened a menu and held it between us so we could look at it together. As I was perusing the entrees, I couldn’t help but overhear the people at the table next to us. The middle-aged man was wearing a plaid short-sleeved shirt tucked into his khaki shorts, black socks and brown hiking boots. He was animatedly talking and gesturing to the woman sitting across the table from him. She was plump, with her dark hair done up in a kind of old-fashioned bouffant hairstyle. She had on a bright flowery-print sundress. Nick and I looked at each other with wide eyes and that was it. One surprised look at each other and we started chuckling softly as we listened, trying to contain our laughter.

  The man went on,“…Yah, so like I was sayin’ eh, dem apple knockers from da mitten had dere crawler gear pre-neer us. And der dey were; towsands of deer standing in da field side by each! Dem Trolls just ‘bout scared dem all clear overseas!”

  “Holy wah! Yah, sure hey!!” She exclaimed in return, with a look of surprise on her face.