Daughter of the Demon (I)

Daughter of the Demon-8-Of Sane Conversation that Reveal the Truth

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Chapter 8: Of Sane Conversations that Reveal the Truth . . . Or Some of It

~Jemma~

I honestly didn’t know what to think when Jacob came strolling up my driveway. My first thought was, how does he remember where I live? My second thought was, he probably has no idea I’m up here.

I watched him from my vantage point in the tree, eyes glued to him as he sauntered up my driveway to the cabin. He stopped in front of the front door and raised his hand to knock. A moment later Aunt Clara opened it up. She looked surprised and full of questions. It’s not every day some hot seventeen-year-old guy shows up on your doorstep, and he just happens to know your loser of a niece-turned-daughter.

I couldn’t hear what words were exchanged between the two, but I saw him wave good-bye and Aunt Clara shut the door. Good. I just had to be absolutely still until he was gone so he wouldn’t notice me and he didn’t have to . . .

Oh . . .

Oh shit.

Don’t sneeze, don’t sneeze, don’t sneeze. Of course I’d have to sneeze right now. Not ten minutes before this, or even five minutes after this. Right now. As in, this moment. And it was gonna be a doozy.

Before I could even begin to stop myself I emitted the loudest sneeze I’d ever produced in my life. The action caused the tree to shake and I clutched the branches and the trunk to keep from falling off. Jacob swung around, looking in all directions, and then he finally looked up. “Jemma?” he enquired in wonderment.

I closed my eyes and turned my face to the sky, mouthing why? Then I leaned over the side and gave a half-hearted wave. “Hiya.”

“What are you doing up there?”

“Thinking.”

“Do you mind if I join you?”

“Kind of.”

He folded his arms. “So you’re going to be stubborn again?”

“I’m always stubborn.”

He laughed. “Got that right. Is this your special tree or something? Is that why I’m not allowed on it?”

I rolled my eyes. “Exactly. Don’t go near it. Don’t even touch it.”

Jacob stepped forward and tauntingly reached out a hand. “I’m going to touch it.”

“Don’t you dare.”

He leaned forward and pressed his hand against the bark, smilingly smugly up at me. “I’m coming up,” he declared without further argument to back it up. He began grabbing limbs and loose edges to pull himself to me. I willed myself to teleport from my spot all the way back to the ground the whole time he was climing. It didn’t work. Curse my lack of magical powers.

He sat across from me on the thick branch, half-supported by another tree near mine. He got himself comfortable and looked at me.

“So, you’re up here. What do you want?”

“If you don’t mind me asking . . .”

“Which I probably will.”

He licked his lips. “Why did you suddenly . . . start crying after the movie?”

I sat back. I would feign ignorance. If it didn’t work it would at least drive him crazy to the point where he gave up. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”