A set of coral colored beads and a silver necklace hung from the rearview mirror, giving her car a lived-in feel to it. The cup holders in the middle floor console were full. One held a brush with a yellow elastic wrapped around the end of the handle and a package of bobby pins still attached to the cardboard wrapper it came on, and the other held about twenty lipsticks in a complete array of colors. Before I could climb in, she had to move a gym bag stuffed with clothes from the passenger seat to the rear seat. She dumped it next to where she had tossed a pile of her books for class.
"Nice jacket," she said in a teasing tone.
I closed the door and clicked my seatbelt in place. "Ah give me a break, Kellan was just being sweet."
"Uh-huh." She didn't look convinced. "So spill already, I want details," she said like a little kid who couldn't wait another second to open up their birthday presents. "I get this cryptic S.O.S. text, only to find Jaxon, Kellan, Jessica and you with all the furniture topsy-turvy in the café. Not to mention, Ethan looking like he wanted to throw Jaxon out of the café on his head," she paused, "...and since when does Jaxon frequent the Stompin' Grounds anyway?"
"Since Jessica saw me go into the café wearing Kellan's jacket with him holding my hand?" I cringed answering her question with mine.
"What? You're kidding me right?" She stopped the car in the middle of backing it out.
I shook my head. "So not kidding. I think she probably texted him to let him know we were there."
"Wouldn't doubt it if she did, they are cousins," she said as she continued to back out the car. "So Kellan was holding your hand was he?" She teased giving me a playful shove. "Just being sweet my..." she added pausing just before she actually swore. She shook her head in disbelief and made a right onto Main street away from my house.
"Hey, where are we going? My house is that way." I pointed in the opposite direction.
"Pit-stop at my place." She smiled and shifted the car into the next gear. "No way, I'm going to drive you home and not get the rest of this," she paused as she made another turn, "story. And I need the rest of the story. You do know that nothing ever actually happens in here Swallow Falls, and then you arrive, and events have happened all day."
I groaned. "Pretty sure that's not what I'd like to be known for." She pulled up and parked in front of an earthy green colored house with white trim.
"Wait here. I'll be right back."
She ran up the walk to the front door and pushed it open to a brightly lit room. I could tell which room was hers when a light went on lighting up one of the windows, then about a minute later it went off again. When she came out the front door, she was carrying a small bag and large king sized pillow. She walked up to the car, opened the door and released her seat forward, and heaved her stuff into the backseat.
"What are you doing with the pillow?" I said staring at all the stuff she just threw in the backseat.
"I'm going to need it if I'm staying at your place. I can't sleep without a good pillow," she said in a very matter-of-fact tone.
"Stay at my place? Have you been dropped on your head? What am I supposed to tell my grandmother?"
"Well, it's only the first day of school. It's not like we have homework yet or anything and besides it's important to go into my senior year having friends," she said raising her voice slightly then batting her eyes like she was pretending to be me trying to convince my grandmother. "Please Grandma, she already has her stuff."
"You're impossible. You know that right?"
"All that matters is if I'm impossible to say no to." She flipped the seat back in position. "Besides, you've been knocked out twice today, and standard protocol is to wake someone with a concussion throughout the night. Oh, I think last time I checked you weren't planning on telling grandma about those two little misfortunate incidents that happened earlier." She was trying to contain her smile beneath her seriousness, knowing she was about to win this match. "Let's face it. You need me." She gave me her best smile.
Check and mate. I guess there was a reason I wasn't any good at chess. "Ugh, fine," I grumbled feeling totally out maneuvered.
"Yeah!" She shrieked throwing her arms around me from the driver's seat. "This is going to be so much fun!" She climbed in behind the wheel and buckled herself in.
She started the car and headed back toward the Stompin' Grounds. When we drove by the café this time, I could see Kellan's truck was no longer there, and the parking lot was now empty of cars.
"Okay, Wren, which turn? Gaetz?"
"No, it's just past that on the right."
She passed Gaetz and turned onto Harleton. We were nearing the end of the road, so I pointed to the old farmhouse we lived in to let her know where to park. She drove up the driveway and stopped next to my Gran's truck. "All right come on." I sighed very unsure on how this was going to play out with Gran.
She bound out of the car with excitement with her bag slung over her shoulder carrying a pillow that looked almost as big as her. We walked up the old worn stairs. Hearing their loud creaks, I knew my Gran would know I was home. The screen door was closed, but the door to the house wide open, which my grandmother often did to let in some cooler air when she was baking or making one of her remedies in the kitchen.
The screen door squeaked as I pulled it open, "Gran?" I called out. She was standing next to the oven door pulling out a fresh sheet of sugar cookies. The table was already piled high with dozens of oatmeal, sugar and chocolate chip ones.
"Oh Wren, you're home." She nudged the oven door closed and smiled at me. Her smile turned to dismay when she took one look at me. "Oh my goodness, what on earth happened to your face!" she asked, almost dumping the pan of baking she was holding onto a cutting board. She walked around the counter and wiped her hands on her apron as she went. She stopped in front of me and gently turned my chin so she could better examine my swollen cheek.
"Mmm, that looks like it would have hurt," she said as she let go of her hold. She stood back and pondered for a moment then muttered aloud, "Lavender arnica salve should do the trick."
Still in thought, she walked across the kitchen and opened the cupboard door where she kept her remedies. Inside, the shelves were stacked with bottles of essential oils, beeswax granules, jars of various dried flowers and leaves. On the bottom shelf, there were at least thirty white jars with varying handwritten labels on them. She ran her finger along the jars and selected one of them. She unscrewed the lid while she walked back to us. She ran her fingers through the whitish colored salve then rubbed it across my cheek filling the air with its lavender scent.
"Arnica salve? Never heard of it," Sage piped up from behind me.
Pulled from trance, Gran finally realized there was someone else in the room. She looked over to where Sage was standing and replied, "Oh, arnica is a type of flower that has been used as a natural herbal remedy for centuries. Not something you'd find in a drug store, though," she said pausing to take a breath, "So, I'm not surprised you haven't heard of it. The dried petals of the flower can be prepared into a salve that is well known for stimulating blood circulation, soothing pain, and relieving bruising."
"Gran has been making herbal remedies and selling them for years," I said cutting in. "She has customers all over the world that swear by her remedies. She really does have a talent. Oh sorry, where are my manners? Um, Gran, this is Sage. Sage this is my grandmother Rosemary."
"Nice to meet you. I love your spicy name," she said noting their namesake and connection to each other.
"You too." Gran gave a polite nod. "So Wren, are you going to let me in on the story behind your cheek?"
"It wasn't her fault, Ms. Rosemary. She got caught in the middle of two school team captains trying to show off in front of her," Sage said jumping to my defense. "Terrible timing. You know the wrong place at definitely the wrong time. The guy that accidentally hit her was really apologetic about the whole thing, though."
"Well, I guess accidents do happen, and it looks like you'll be fine. You're lucky it wasn't worse." She glanced at the name blazing across the sleeve of the football jacket I totally forgot I was wearing, "So, are you going to tell me who Kellan is or do I get to guess?" she asked.
Sage coughed choking on the cookie she had picked up from the table. "Yes, Wren do tell us, who is Kellan."
"All right the two of you, knock it off. Sage, I already told you he was just trying to be sweet so I wouldn't be cold and he is getting his jacket back tomorrow. So not a big deal."
"Uh-huh." She shook her head like she didn't believe me for one second then took the final bite of the cookie she nipped from the table. "Do you ever make rosemary shortbread cookies?" she asked looking at the pile of baking on the table. "My mom makes them, they're one of my favorites, but I like your sugar cookies too, mind if I had another?"
"Sure, help yourself. Rosemary shortbread? I haven't made them in a while, but you're right they are good. I like them too."
"Hey Gran, I know I haven't already talked to you, but we were hoping that you wouldn't mind if Sage stayed over tonight. We don't have any homework yet, and Sage can drive us to school in the morning if it's all right with you."
"Hmm, I can't see why not. Just as long as you both don't stay up all night, you do have school tomorrow."
"Really? I promise we'll get to bed early," I said almost not believing she had agreed to Sage staying. I threw my arms around her in a big hug. "Thanks, Gran!"
"Now, the two of you get. I have work to finish up here. I'll bring up a plate of snacks in a bit, assuming you're heading up to your room?"
I nodded. "Come on Sage, let's go before she changes her mind." I turned toward the stairs bounding up them two at a time with Sage right behind me. At the top of the stairs, we turned into my very messy room where piles of moving boxes were scattered. "Sorry, we only moved in a couple of weeks ago, and I haven't been motivated to put anything away yet." I hung Kellan's jacket on the back of the desk chair. When I glanced down, I could see the dark edge of the watery mark just above the collar of my t-shirt. I scanned my bedroom floor for the hoodie I tossed there last night. I picked it up then pulled it over my shirt.
"No biggie." She came up behind me and dumped her bag on the top of the desk then tossed her pillow onto the bed and dusted off her hands. "There the bed's nearly made now." She laughed. "Don't worry about it. It wasn't like you invited me over, right?" She picked up a box to move it aside. "How about you fill me in on what happened after school and I'll help you get your room sorted out at the same time?"
"Sure, I could use the help if we both want to sleep in here tonight." I looked around at the disaster that covered the floor. I updated her on about my rainy walk home with Kellan stopping to give me a lift. Our kiss in the truck, but not wanting her to think I was crazy and commit me, I decided it was probably best not to mention his tattoo or the water trick. So I explained how we ended up at the café, enticed to hear about my past and how he knew me before the accident. When I got to the part of what Kellan was demanding in payment for his answers, she almost dropped the snow globe she was holding. The mention of the hot and steamy kiss with me pressed me against the wall, she stopped putting things away and was listening to every word I said.
"So what I don't get is, how did you run into Jaxon and Jessica, did they just walk in and sit your table?"
"No worse. They were at our table when we came back in from outside."
"Noooo..." She gasped. "That is worse. That would have been, oh I don't know, awkward." She covered her hand over her mouth and shook her head. "You have guts. Wow, I can't believe you even sat down." She laughed. "If that had been me, I think I would have bolted back out that kitchen door or excused myself to the washroom and climbed out the window."
"There's a window in the washroom?"
She nodded.
"Good to know now." I sighed. "Quite honestly that option never even occurred to me, or I might have even tried it. No, fortunately, I got a text from my diligent medic friend who not only checks up on her patients but also takes S.O.S calls off duty."
"Whew, you are lucky. So how did all the furniture end up all over the place then?"
"Let's just say there was a mishap with a glass and the incident ended with Jaxon being asked to leave," I said glossing over as much of the weird and unusual stuff as I could.
"So if he was just about to leave, then why did he and Kellan look like they were about to kill each other when I walked in?"
"Jaxon kissed me." I quietly said raising my voice.
"Wait. Jaxon kissed you in front of Kellan?"
I nodded.
"Wow. He kissed you. Like in front of everyone for them to see?"
I nodded again.
"Hanging out with you is so much better than the movies. So do you think he knows that Kellan kissed you too?"
"Uh, I think that answer would have to be most definitely yes."
She sat down on the edge of my bed and flopped backward onto her back. She looked up at the ceiling like she was contemplating everything I had said. I looked to see if there was something else to put away and realized there wasn't anything left but the flattened moving boxes next to the door.
Feeling more than a little bit grungy and in desperate need of a change of clothes. I walked over and opened the bottom drawer of the dresser to find something to hang out in but would also hide the inky sketches that covered me. I plucked out a gray crew neck t-shirt and a pair of flannel drawstring pants, then closed the drawer and opened the one above it and pulled out a pair of sports sox.
"Hey, I'll be back in a minute," I said as I held up my change of clothes.
"Sure," she replied as she rose up leaning back on her elbows. "I'll change when you get back."
I headed down the hall towards the bathroom. The worn carpet beneath my feet was old and needed to be replaced. It's comforting warmth dissipated as soon as I stepped onto the cold tile floor. I closed the door and faced the mirror as I peeled off the hoodie and then my shirt.
Facing the mirror, I stood there looking at the newest permanent addition etched across me in blues and greens. The wave's swirling waters were beautiful. They artistically started at where the tear mark used to be then wrapped around my breast. It was hidden in part by my bra, so I lifted the edge of the fabric to get a better look at the end of the watery mark. It appeared just to fade off like it was somehow not quite finished.
I focused on seeing if I could get it off me. I turned on the taps and grabbed a bar of soap and lathered it in my hands, then put the bar back into its holder. I reached up and tried to scrub away at the mark, trying desperately to get it to come off, but no luck that thing was on me for good. I ran the tap again and leaned into flush my skin with the clean water, running my fingers against the marking as I did.
Wren, it's not coming off, he said in a firm voice.
"Wahhhaaahhh!" I screamed and jumped up bumping my head on the frame of the medicine cabinet. I grabbed the hand towel next to the sink to cover myself up. When I looked around the tiny room, there was no one there but me.
"Kellan? Are you in here? If you are, you can definitely forget about lunch tomorrow."
No one answered. I walked over and looked behind the shower curtain. No one was there. The room was empty. Great, now I was hearing thing too. I must have smacked my head harder than I thought. I went back to the sink to finish washing off the remainder of the soap. I wet my hands then started to wipe the watery mark clean.
Okay, now don't freak out. Keep your hand on the flourish and you'll be able to hear me.
I kept my hand on the mark, but it was too late, I was definitely freaking out.
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