Over the next three weeks Diana didn’t see Jeremy very often, they both sat with Ashley at lunch pointedly not speaking until she got tired of it and abandoned both of them after three days. It took Diana another two days to come around and start asking Ashley how he was doing. What surprised her was that every time she did ask Ashley had a lot to say. It seemed the pair were a lot more than just mutual friends through her like she’d thought. He would ride his bike over to her place to walk around her neighborhood with her or whip about in her car doing doughnuts in the parking lot at Belmar after hours. They even drank together. That came as real shocker to her, neither seemed to be the type.
On the other hand Diana and Chris seemed to be getting closer every day. Their date at the movies ended with them making out, and they started hanging out with each other after school. And two weeks later she found herself walking.
The sun was shining through an overcast sky, a chill breeze blew playfully around the street, and Diana was walking instead of driving. Long story short she was miserable. The thick tan jacket she had pulled up tight did nothing for her fingers and nose. “Freaking icicles...” She muttered darkly. She sighed deciding to focus on something else.
The only thing she had to think about to improve her mood was the mysterious little scheme Chris seemed to have. The scheme that had her walking down a street over a mile away from her home and trying to outrun the snow forecast for the evening. She would have asked him for a ride when he called her earlier but she couldn’t get a word in. He’d asked her if she would go somewhere with him that night, didn’t tell her where just somewhere, and she’d jumped at the chance. The second she said yes he said, “Great I’ll see you at my place, I have to help my dad with something, bye sexy!”
That left her wondering, “What had him so...excited, bouncy sounding even?” From what she knew about him he never got excited, he was always calm and collected. Never cold or stoic but calm. So anything that had him so energetic had to be cataclysmic or world changing. “Of course...” She admitted to herself, He could be excited about something other than the date. He did jump off the phone for something. “...no.” She said grinning, “It’s the date.” She preferred to feel special despite the evidence.
Refocusing on something other than her fantasies for the first time she realized with a start that she was walking passed the spot where Chris had his car parked when he was arguing with Markus. She turned around to look back at the spot but her attention slid to the park beside the street.
Starting with a baseball field closest to her, just beyond that was a foot-worn plain and ending with a wood and steel playground surrounding a wooden pyramid. The whole place looked like the fondest dream of every mother ever.
Diana grinned at the baseball field, “Ash would love this place. Perfect for softball practice.”
She heard a noise and whipped her head around there was a pasture beside the field with horses. Three bays and a sorrel. She grinned, “He has horses.” She imagined mounting that lone sorrel beside Chris on a bay and riding up the path behind the pasture. The same path that she and Markus followed that dark strange night.
She shivered, “He better not be planning to take a romantic walk in the woods.” She sighed and turned back to the road, “Let’s just find out what he HAS planned.”
She walked passed one more minor intersection before finding his street. The road was steep and was soon nearly grunting with the effort of climbing the hill. About halfway up the hill she spotted a house matching his description, a red and brown place with a six foot privacy fence. The house started out as a squat ranch style identical to the others on the block but Chris’ dad had added a second story and was partway through another project in the front room judging by the plastic tacked in place where there should have been walls on the of the house.
As Diana walked up to the door she heard voices, “... and I can’t do anything about it that weasel is ALWAYS there.” Said a voice she recognized as Chris.
“You really think we were up in the attic looking for that old album?” asked another, older, voice that she thought was probably his dad.
“What are-”
“Your solution.” his dad said, cutting Chris off.
Diana, both mystified and slightly irritated about it, decided to knock then.
“That’s Di.” Chris said.
“Well don’t keep the young lady waiting. Here.”
“But how do I...?”
“Go!”
Chris opened the door and slipped a small velvet bag into his pocket, “Hey.”
Diana raised an eyebrow and smiled, “What’s that?”
“Oh nothing.” He said, reaching back and grabbing his jacket before letting the door close.
“Uh huh.” She rolled her eyes and smiled, “You really enjoy the whole mysterious thing don’t you?”
He grinned.” Yep but, admit it, you like it too. Makes me sexy.”
She snagged his arm and turned to the car, “Yeah even if it bugs me.” They got in the car and as Diana sat down her knee brushed a bag on the ground. She reached for it but found her hand snagged by Chris.
“More surprises?” she asked frowning.
He grinned and turned back to the road, “You learn fast.” She huffed dramatically. “You only need to wait about twenty minutes, that’s not unreasonable is it?”
“I GUESS not.” She said petulantly before slouching in the chair.
Chris chuckled and threw the car into reverse, spilling Diana halfway out of her seat. “HEY!”
He laughed all the way around the block.
As his dark green Accord sped up onto the highway Diana started to get antsy. The surprise should have been at least within the city limits but the sign they’d passed said now entering Englewood. “Where are we going?” She asked, turning away from the window.
Chris seemed to be concerned chiefly with driving and a staring contest with the rear view mirror. Diana turned back to look out the back window just as the car turned. She didn’t see anything interesting enough to warrant that sort of attention, nothing but cars and highway. Just as she turned back to ask what had his attention he said, “And here we are.”
At that she whipped around, excited to finally find out what he’d had planned, and saw, “A rec center?” She wasn’t exactly excited to play sports with Chris. It wasn’t that she disliked sports, she played on Ashley’s softball team some years, but Chris was the head of the swim team. Anything in sports he did he had to be better than she was. That meant a whole lot of swallowing her pride and playing the graceful loser.
“Look in the bag.” Chris said parking the car and opening the door.
Diana did. “Wha...” Inside she found a swimsuit, a girls swimsuit. “WHAT is this for?” she asked knowing full well what the answer was.
“Di listen, you’re a teenager rebellion burns in your blood. When my dad was our age he was out drinking at the Wendys and shooting out streetlights! You can do something so simple as go swimming.”
She’d had to tell him no before and it was hard enough once. “Chris...” she said weakly.
“Come on...” He said putting on that grin that made her tingle. “...our little secret.”
She sighed and hiked the bag up onto her shoulder, “ My gullibility is going to get me in trouble someday...” He grinned, “Sore winner.” She muttered.
As they walked through the sliding automatic doors Diana was hit with a blast of chlorine. “Water..” she whispered. She ran across the lobby and through a small lounge to the bay window that separated the main reception area from the pool. She smiled, taking in the wonder. There was a kids current pool complete with buckets to dump water on friends and mounted water gun pipes to shoot at the opposing side. Of course no kids pool is complete without a water-slide and theirs was six feet tall. For the adults a lap pool, an exercise pool with wheelchair access ramp into the water, and the thing that got her the most excited. “A diving pool...”
“That’s right, ‘thought you might like that.” Chris said as he came around beside her waving a locker key. She grinned and snatched the key before pelting her way down the hall to the locker rooms.
His chuckles floated down after her.
After they got in the pool Diana’s reservations drowned quickly. She splashed and swirled, dove and dived and played like she was five again and all the while the sun sank further and further in the sky.
Chris grinned when Diana finally broke the surface. “I lost count you were under so long... that has to be some sort of record.” She beamed, proud not only to be doing something right but to be doing it better than the best. The best in this case being the sexy nearly chiseled young man eying her with naked interest. Taking advantage of that pride her grin slid into a sexy knowing smile. His smile turned silkier in turn. “You’ve been down so long the weather has changed.”
She spun around in the water to see big fat snowflakes lazily bumping into the window and lounging on the low hedge outside. “Oh! How pretty!”
“Yep, I’ve been waiting for it.” Chris said behind her. By the time she’d turned around he was already halfway around the pool.
“Hey!” she called, diving into the water and shooting across the pool. As she pulled herself up out of the water Chris had already pushed open a door she had assumed was an emergency exit. As he did steam or fog flooded in and made him vanish with a grin.
Pushing open the door Diana paused for a moment, blinking, trying to see through the mist. Suddenly the clouds seemed to part and lessen. She saw first a shining metal rail and lights shining through both mist and water. Finally a hot tub bubbling and churning came into view.
“That’s what happens when they turn it up too high.” She turned and there he was turning down the dial on the wall and smiling at her reaction. “Hop in.” he said motioning to the water. She smiled nervously. As soon as she felt in control of the situation Chris threw her off balance. And the worst part was that she loved it. She stepped into the warm water and felt it embrace her, warm and soft like the gentlest of lovers. It traced up over her thigh raising the hairs one by one and making her tingle. She moaned at the feeling and relaxed into the heat.
“Oh god...” she closed her eyes and laid her head back letting the water take her hair and bunch it about her shoulders. When she opened her eyes and watched the steam drift up to where the snow fell. Together they danced and mingled in the air above. There was no line where the snow ended and the steam began.
Chris dropped in with a large splash. “Well it WAS nice and peaceful, till you jumped in like that.” She muttered.
“I’m so sorry to interrupt your peace.” He said as he settled across from her in the tub. Judging by his grin he wasn’t exactly as repentant as he claimed.
“Uh huh.” She muttered dejectedly. He chuckled. “You enjoy my pain don’t you?”
“No!” he cried, sounding genuinely hurt. “Never! Frustration however...”
She groaned and sank down into the water until it covered her upper lip. She blew petulant bubbles in the water. He laughed harder. “Did you expect anything else?”
“No. But trying to hide it is the gentlemanly thing.” She said raising up out of the water just enough for him to see her grin.
“Hey, I’m plenty gentlemanly”
“I don’t know, that sounds more sadistic than gentlemanly.”
He grinned and flexed an arm. “Sorry I meant manly.” He said kissing his flexed bicep.
She laughed and rolled her eyes. And if anyone asked her she would deny the flash of heat she felt till the day she died. When she looked at him again Chris had his eyes locked on something behind her.
“What?” She asked turning around to see behind her so fast the water splashed around her. Nothing but midnight green bushes surrounding the small courtyard. She heard Chris get out and pad his way across the cement.
The bushes started rustling before he had gotten to them. There’s no wind, there really is something there. She thought, suppressing the gasp of fear her traitorous body tried to react with. She tracked the rustling closely wanting to be sure she would see the creature before it had the chance to sink its fangs into her soft supple neck.
For his part Chris looked fearless. He cocked his arm, paused to aim, and thrust it into the shrub without flinching.
A muted cry of frustration sounded and with a grunt Chris threw a large black shape to the ground beside him. “The rat, I thought so. Hello Jeremy.”
“Jeremy?!” She cried “Jeremy Mathers?!”
“Uh...busted...” Jeremy said as he stood and dusted himself off.
“What the HELL?” She screamed, outraged that her best friend was spying on her.
“Hey look I’m not doing this because I like it or I get some kind of sick pleasure from it.” Jeremy responded, pointedly ignoring Chris’ scoff, “I’m here because I care and I DON’T trust him.” He punctuated his statement with a finger jabbed at Chris.
“I’m sure.” Chris said.
Jeremy turned and threw a punch at Chris. A punch he easily deflected and used as leverage to wrench Jeremy’s arm behind his back.
Diana found herself wishing it had connected. That way Chris would have every right to lay him out. The little sneak deserved it.
“I know what you have planned for her.” Jeremy grunted. “I’m NOT going to lose my friend like that.”
Immediately Chris’ face changed. Before he had a look equal parts annoyed and amused. Now it was resigned, determined, and just a little bit angry.
A spark of unexpected concern flashed through Diana at the change. “I knew you were spying on our dates, but I didn’t think you’d have a reason to spy on me when I’m away from her. Shifty prick. That makes this easier.”
Jeremy looked confused. “Huh? OW!” He cried as Chris let go of him and he staggered forward to look at his hand.
Diana jumped out of the water. “Are you OK?” She asked as she took his hand in hers. She had just enough time to see some blood on his hand before the steam got in the way. But it wasn’t steam, she realized, as his entire body began to glow a soft white.
“Wha...?” Both friends said. And as fast as you could blink your eye Jeremy was gone and she was holding a weasel in the hand she’d been holding his hand in only seconds earlier. “WHAT THE FUCK?” she cried, dropping the poor thing to the grass and backing up a step, almost falling back into the water.
“Hey!” Cried the small creature. “What am I doing down here?”
“It talks...Jeremy?!”
“Who the heck else?” It squeaked as it rolled off of it’s back and to its feet.
“What did you do to him?” She asked an unconcerned Chris who was whipping a golden needle off on the small velvet bag she’d seen him pocket earlier, now soaked from the pool.
“Gave him what he deserved for spying on me.” he said simply as he pocketed the bag and needle.
“He deserved a beating not...whatever you did to him. How did you do that anyway?”
“You know I’d like to know that myself.” Jeremy the little ferret said.
Chris stopped dead. “You...you don’t know?”
“How would I? One second I’m nursing an aching finger and the next I don’t HAVE any!” He said in between irritated chittering.
“Shit.” Chris said, pressing a hand against his forehead. “You said you knew.”
“Yeah I THOUGHT I did, but apparently you have more respect for her than you did my sister. Or at least you have some other nasty plan first.”
“Still believe the lying bitch...” Chris sighed.
“YOU WOULD say that, what a child, can’t ever take responsibility for your actions.”
“EXCUSE ME!” Diana said stamping her foot perilously close to Jeremy who had been backing up to her during the discussion. “Can we get back to the part where Jeremy is a rat?”
“I’m NOT a rat! I’m a...a ferret! You like ferrets remember?”
“I HAD a ferret, didn’t say I liked him. Stinky little bugger.”
“Oh admit it you loved him. You played with him all the time. I remember the smile that STINK put on your face.”
Diana huffed, “Beside the point. WHAT did you do to him?”
Reaching into his pocket Chris pulled out the bag and produced the small gold needle. “I stuck him with this.”
“Don’t play coy with me, how did he end up like this?” Diana asked, starting to feel annoyed.
“Yeah...feyspeak always annoyed me too. ...Alright...My family and I... know some magic.”
“I knew it!” Jeremy cried, “You’re the druids in the forest near my house!”
“No! Yes, sort of... we are the Dteagmhail it’s Gaelic for the touched. We’re close with...” Chris sighed deeply, “Faeries.”
Diana’s jaw dropped and so did Jeremy, laughing so hard half of them became chirps.
“Faeries?” he cackled, “Like butterfly winged magic dust sprinkling tiny naked chicks faeries?”
“Some of them...” Chris muttered.
The ferret sat up and looked at Chris for a full second before falling over laughing again.
“I’m serious,” he sighed, “Don’t you believe me?”
“OH I believe you! I’m three inches tall! Bless your eyes with magic light I give the gift of fairy size!” He started rolling with laughter at his own joke.
“What?” Chris looked confused.
“You haven’t seen Ferngully? LUDDITE!”
“I don’t buy it.” Diana said, “Faeries Chris? Try something more believable.”
“Like turning your friend into a rat?” He said.
She bit her lip. Good point, that sounded about as unbelievable yet Jeremy was a rodent.
“Not a rat.” Jeremy muttered as he scurried up onto Diana’s shoulder. He adopted a gravely voice as he said, “Best start believin’ in fairy tales missy, yer in one!”
“Very funny Jeremy.” She muttered. “Look I want to go home, I can’t handle all of this its just too weird.”
“Fine I’ll take you home.” Chris said.
“No. Jeremy how did you get here?”
“I borrowed Ashley’s car.”
“Great we’ll take that.”
“The keys...were in my pocket when I got furry.”
“...Great.”
“Come on I’ll take you home.” Chris said with a sigh.
The ride back was tense and quiet. Chris drove without a word, looking over at Di from time to time. Obviously hoping to be able to say something to make what he’d done OK.
Diana was too busy trying to get a handle on the situation. Magic? Really? She’d never bought into her mother’s magic. Leather talismans covered in arcane runes and feather tassels for protection. Then again when she’d worn them at her mother’s insistence she had been safe. Although she had been safe all the rest of the time too, except when she fell into the river. That was what motivated her mom to make the talisman but that never felt dangerous.
Jeremy on the other hand was having a blast. He had a whole new set of senses which he was reveling in. He scurried around the cab sniffing everything from the seats to the ashtray, much to Chris’ irritation. “Oh smell that Ketchup!” he called from the floor. “Messy messy.” “Hey I thought you didn’t smoke.” from the dash.
“Will you please SHUT UP?” Chris growled
Jeremy ran to the back seat, sniffed, and sat there staring at it for a second. “What?” Chris asked.
“I smell Cassy and sex.”
“Yes! I fucked your sister, right there, in the backseat.”
Di gasped and turned to Chris. She wasn’t ready for that kind of bluntness.
Jeremy snarled and raised his hackles. He lept to the front seat and attacked Chris by viciously biting the hand that was holding the stick shift.
Chris yanked his hand away and the car swerved dangerously, nearly spinning out.
Diana grabbed the hissing ball of fluff and held him so tight she thought she might kill him, though then he richly deserved to be crushed.
“Bastard!” Jeremy squeaked with what little breath she’d left him.
“We had sex not...” He sighed as he shook his hand out and pulled up to the curb. “Just get out.”
Diana got out and swung her bag onto her shoulder. Chris dropped his head hard against the steering wheel before getting out of the car. Diana had already started across the street toward the forest and Jeremy's house
“Diana?”
She turned around and sighed. “We need to talk, we do, but I’m not ready for it yet. Magic... this... thing with Cassy.” She was still mad at him for lying to her and as far as him raping Cassy, which was obviously what the bad blood was about, she wasn’t sure who to believe. Both of the boys had shown they were willing to lie to her and Cassy didn’t exactly seem the type to turn down sex when offered, especially with a sexy beast like Chris.
“I DIDN’T-”
“Later Chris, la-” She stopped mid-word as she felt a pain flare in her back and Jeremy squeaked. Immediately the pain was replaced by a feeling like being massaged and a euphoria spread from there through her body taking in every sense as it reached them. Even her vision got blurred and rosy.
“Di!” Jeremy yelled as he scurried down her jacket to get a closer look at the shot.
“Diana?” Chris asked, obviously worried by Jeremys reaction and the sudden blank look on her face.
“Somebody shot her with, like, a dart or something!”
Chris came around the car to get a look, “That looks like...”
“Faerie shot.” Said a voice from behind them.
They all turned to see Markus walking up to them and throwing a small bow over his shoulder. “Diana be a dear and go wait for me in the forest, I need to talk with your boytoy here, I think you know where.”
She thought back to the forest and the circle of stones popped into her head.
“Ok.” And she turned and started walking across the street toward the forest. Jeremy was surprised but Chris was furious. “I warned you not to touch her.”
Markus grinned, “I didn’t.”
“Hey!” Jeremy said, “Where are you going?”
Diana stopped, obviously surprised by the question. It had never crossed her mind to question the order. Things just felt so good that she didn’t feel any reason to argue. “Going to wait for Markus. Why, doesn’t it sound like fun?”
Jeremy was speechless.