The Otherkind Book One:Heart

~*~ 3 ~*~

~*~ 3 ~*~

After school a frowning Sarah met up with me in front of the school.

"What's wrong?" I was puzzled.

"You're still coming right? Tonight?"

Not this again. "I promised didn't I?"

Jorgi came up from behind us draping an arm around my shoulder. "She'll be there or I will embarrass her like no one has ever done before. Ever!" She leered at me, adding emphasis to her threat.

I didn't doubt her ability to accomplish this.

Heading off to our cars, Sarah yelled at me from her car parked a few spots away. "You better be there Rowan!"

I waved at her as I got in my car and headed home. Dad called saying he would be late. I reminded him I was meeting the Almont's up at the bonfire later.

"Oh! I forgot that was tonight. You'll have a lot of fun!" He began to reminisce. "I remember those days!"

I stopped him before he could get started. "Dad? Dinner will be in the microwave. You sure you don't want me to stay and cook it for you?"

"And miss the bonfire? No way honey! You go and have a good time tonight."

"I'll try." It had been worth a shot.

I decided I'd best get ready. I didn't think I wanted to see what kind of torture Jorgi could come up with if I ran late. After a quick shower I dried my hair which drove me nuts. Whenever it was damp all my curls would turn into power frizz. Brushing and smoothing it into a ponytail I decided what to wear. Settling on jeans and a sweatshirt, I pulled a blue flannel jacket over it. Grabbing my keys and cell phone I stuffed some money into the front pocket of my jeans and left driving back up into town.

By the time I got there the main lot was full as well as the overflow lot. Easily four times the amount of cars filled the lots and all the surrounding blocks. Everybody from every small town around came to this event. Driving a few blocks away I parked on a side road and began walking back to the school. Cutting across the parking lot there were a lot of tailgate parties going on. I was betting it wasn't just cocoa being drank from paper cups. Mr. Dillon must be working overtime, yet he couldn't be everywhere at once. The laughing kids knew this. I headed behind the school where the football fields were, making my way across the large lawns that were turning brown and crisp from the cold nights.

Extra bleachers had been set up earlier this week, along with an enormous pile of wood that hulked like a misshapen creature not too far from the football field. Thick ropes, cones, and wooden barricades had been placed around it to keep people away. There were people everywhere, which didn't help my rising feelings of apprehension. How on earth was I going to find Sarah and Jorgi in this teeming throng? With Halloween tomorrow a lot of students as well as adults were in costume, incorporating the two festivities together.

Managing to thread my way through the surreal chaos to the first set of risers, I looked up. Sarah must have been watching for me because she suddenly stood up waving like she was trying to flag down an airplane on the distant horizon. I waved back relived. I could see now up on the top riser sat Sarah, Jorgi, Jorgi's current boyfriend of the moment, Tammy, her boyfriend, and Matt whom I had known for a long time and lived at the end of my street. I was glad she had seen me because I don't think I would have found them which is what I had been secretly wishing. The feelings had intensifying all evening, something was definitely showing up on my creepy-radar.

Sarah began climbing over people to get to the end of their row, finally making it to the steps to start her descent down toward me. She held up a finger for me to wait where I was. Her face was flushed and she looked extremely happy. Stepping out of the crush of people coming up or down the risers, I desperately held onto the railing so I wouldn't get swept away with them. Sarah nearing the bottom of the stairs looked over at me grinning from ear to ear.