Magic of the Moonlight: A Full Moon Novel (11 page)

THIRTEEN

something blue

T
he following morning, Nash stumbled into class. His hair wasn’t gelled and meticulously unkempt but rather tousled as if he’d just crawled out of bed. His eyelids were droopy and his preppy clothes were wrinkled, with half of his polo collar sticking up. He carried his books like they were a football.

A few of the girls snickered at his appearance.

“Had a late night with Celeste?” Dylan asked.

Nash high-fived him. But we girls knew differently.

Abby winked at me while Ivy didn’t even turn around.

The next several days, Nash continued to arrive late for class, and Ivy continued to ignore my pleas for forgiveness.

“I’m benched for a few baseball practices until this thing heals,” Nash said, looking bummed at lunch.

Ivy still sat on the opposite end of the table from me. The tension was as thick as the meat loaf the cafeteria served.

Her scorn didn’t go unnoticed by the guys at the table.

“You barely even look at Celeste,” Dylan said. “Catfight?”

“You can ask her,” Ivy said.

“Nothing wrong over here,” I said.

“She would think that,” I heard her mumble.

“We are one big, happy family,” Abby said to Dylan.

Abby was stuck in the middle of our feud and was doing her best not to draw attention to it.

But I was dying inside. My best friend was now acting as if I were her enemy—and maybe to her I was. It turned me inside out and made me upset to be ignored—especially by my own best friend.

I decided to do something about it, sooner rather than later.

“I want to make a peace offering to Ivy,” I said to Abby later that day.

“Are you sure?” she asked. Abby hadn’t told Ivy her secret; if Ivy and I reconciled, then she’d be the odd girl out once she revealed hers.

“I can’t take her ignoring me any longer.”

“What do you want to do?”

“Go back to Dr. Meadows’s shop.”

Abby perked up. “For another fortune?”

“No, I want to avoid that at all costs.”

“Then what for?”

“Something blue.”

Abby and I entered Penny for Your Thoughts, and I rushed over to one of the jewelry tables with bated breath, hoping the earrings were still there. I spun the rack of earrings around when I saw the blue crystals glistening back at me.

“Can I be mad at you, too?” Abby asked as I held up the sparkling jewelry in the light.

The earrings were way more than I’d ever spent on jewelry for myself or my friends. I was known more to make earrings or buy them at mall boutiques. But these were real rocks, not plastic, and cost the amount of two trips to the movies including a tub of popcorn. But today I was going to splurge for the girl who had always saved a seat on the bus for me for the past eleven years.

I was nervous about seeing Dr. Meadows, however.

“Hello, ladies . . .” she said as she greeted us at the counter. “Where is your friend?”

“Ivy?” Abby said. “We are here for a surprise. But you probably already knew,” she said with a giggle.

I didn’t want to give any information to Dr. Meadows—my plan was to get in the shop, pay, and get out without so much as a future warning about moons.

But Abby was all about telling Dr. Meadows our story, like she was a therapist instead of a psychic.

“Yes. She’s a bit mad, and Celeste thought it would be awesome to give her a ‘forgive me’ gift.”

“Uh . . . yes,” I politely agreed. “Ivy really liked these earrings last time we were here.”

“Well, that is a good friend,” Dr. Meadows said, “to think that much of her to remember what she liked and buy them for her. I can’t imagine why she’d be mad at you.”

“She’s mad because Celeste was going out with this guy and she didn’t tell her.”

Abby couldn’t stop talking to Dr. Meadows.

I rolled my eyes. I felt like I was with my mother when she’d blab my bra size to the saleswoman even though I could look in the bin myself. Too much information.

“Ahh . . . you have a boyfriend?”

I shrugged my shoulders.

“But I think I already knew that,” she said.

“You did?” Abby said, surprised. “Celeste told you? Ah . . . of course you knew. You read her mind.”

But in fact I was the one who had told Dr. Meadows that I had feelings for a guy who I thought was changing into a werewolf.

“I’d just like to buy these, please,” I said, trying to change the subject.

“So who is this mystery man?” Dr. Meadows pried. She knew whoever he was must be the guy that I thought was a werewolf but refused to reveal to her.

I wasn’t about to tell her. Not now or ever.

“It’s Brandon Maddox!” Abby blurted out. “Do you know him? He lives around here.”

My mouth dropped wide open. I was shocked and horrified by Abby’s blabbing. I didn’t even have the chance to hush, nudge, or quiet her before his name and location were handed to the one woman I didn’t want to have the information.

“No, I don’t think I know him,” Dr. Meadows said.

I was only slightly relieved, because as long as she knew his name, she could search him out.

“Is he related to Sophie and Franklin Maddox?” Dr. Meadows suddenly asked.

Those were Brandon’s grandparents, but I wasn’t about to give her any more information.

“I think it’s time we go,” I said. “Abby is almost late for volleyball practice.”

“Oh, yes,” Abby said, realizing the time.

I handed Dr. Meadows my money, and she placed the earrings in a box.

“Would you like me to wrap this?” she asked.

“No, thank you,” I said hurriedly. “I can do that at home.”

“Please come again, girls, and bring Ivy with you. I know she’ll cool off after she sees what she means to you.”

That was one prediction she’d made that I hoped would come true.

“Okay!” we both said as we headed for the door.

“Oh, and Celeste,” she called after me. “Be sure to bring Brandon, too.”

I scowled inside but smiled sweetly on the outside. Before she could come from behind the counter and attempt to give me another of her unwanted psychic predictions, I raced out of the shop and into the safety of my car.

The next morning, I unlocked Ivy’s locker. We all knew one another’s combos as if they were our own. The inside of her locker was decorated with pictures of our sixsome together.

I placed the package I’d wrapped with pink paper and a whimsical purple bow on the top shelf, along with a card I’d made for her.

I waited at the end of the hallway with a watchful gaze. When she arrived at her locker and opened it, she picked up the gift.

“It’s from Celeste,” she whispered. She must have recognized my handwriting.

Abby nodded. “You should open it.”

“Of course I’m going to open it. It’s a present. Hey, maybe this is that unexpected gift Dr. Meadows told me about!”

Ivy opened the card and read my touching note. “Aww . . .” she said.

Then she unwrapped the gift.

“She bought me the earrings I loved!” she said. “That was so nice of her!”

I headed over to her locker as she caught sight of me.

“I’m sorry—” I began.

“Me too!” She opened her arms for a best friends embrace. “I missed you!”

“Me too!”

We squeezed each other so hard I knew that she, too, had really missed me during the days we’d spent apart.

“I love these earrings,” she said. She quickly took off the gazillion-dollar ones she was wearing and replaced them with the ones I’d bought for her.

“I’m so glad you do,” I said, relieved we were back to normal. The blue crystals shined brightly against her lustrous blond hair.

“I wanted to tell you,” I said.

“I shouldn’t have made fun of him,” she apologized.

Abby stood with her arms folded as Ivy and I ended our feud.

I was so happy to have my friend back, I almost teared up.

We headed into class and chatted like we’d been doing every day since elementary school until the ringing bell ceased our gossip session.

FOURTEEN

a new nightmare

B
efore I got to the cafeteria, Nash pulled me aside. “I have to talk to you about something.”

“Are you going to tell me who painted Brandon’s Jeep?” I asked. “Because I already know.”

My former boyfriend paused for a moment with a quizzical look. “No, that’s not it. I really need to talk to you.”

“All right,” I said. He led me into the empty speech and drama classroom. A rack of clothes and boxes of shoes and accessories were stacked at the back of the room. Nash and I sat in chairs face-to-face, so closely our knees were touching.

“So what’s going on?” I asked.

“I can’t sleep,” he whispered.

“I know—you haven’t really been yourself lately. But I’ve had a lot on my mind with my fight with Ivy—so I’m sorry I didn’t ask you about it earlier. How’s your arm?”

“I think I’m going to have a scar for sure. But the problem is I’ve been having trouble sleeping. I think I’m having post-traumatic stress or something.”

“I’m sure you are. It’s understandable.”

“So you think that’s it?”

“Yes. It was traumatic. It was awful for me just seeing you being attacked,” I said truthfully. “I’m sure for you it was horrendous.”

“I just can’t shake that night,” he said with a far-off look. “Ever since, I’ve felt really odd.”

Odd? That didn’t sound good. “What do you mean?”

From his furrowed expression, I could tell he was worried. “I have these bizarre dreams, and I wake up really exhausted.”

Dreams?
“Maybe it’s the medications for your bite.”

“You think so?” he asked as if he hadn’t thought of that himself. “I hope so.”

“Maybe you should see the school nurse,” I offered.

“She’ll send me to a shrink.”

“Why would she send you to a shrink over dreams? We all have wild dreams.”

He placed his hand on top of mine. “I dream about that night,” he said.

I didn’t want to hear any more. “You’ve always had a fear of wolves,” I consoled him. “It’s only natural to—”

But he didn’t take his hand away. “I know if I tell you—you won’t say anything to Ivy or Abby.”

“Of course not, but you don’t have to tell me. I don’t think I really want to know.”

His grasped my hand intently. “I dream I’m a wolf,” he said.

My heart plummeted to the pit of my stomach.
Oh no,
I thought.
Not again. Not Nash!

“Isn’t that weird?” he asked, a bit shaken. “Odd? Bizarre?”

“It’s probably just nerves,” I said, trying to reassure him as much as I was trying to reassure myself. I wasn’t about to accept the alternative—that Nash could be experiencing what Brandon had before he turned into a . . .

“But to be safe, why don’t we go to the nurse?” I said.

Nash took both of my hands in his. They were strong and a little rugged from playing sports. “This feels like before,” he said, “when we were dating. I’m not sure why I always messed it up with you. I know it sounds cliché . . . but you are the best thing that ever happened to me.”

His words were so honest and caring that it really did shake me inside.

I laughed nervously. I didn’t know what to say. These were the best moments, when Nash’s armor was removed and I could see deep down in his soul. I always sensed that he didn’t share his truest thoughts or emotions with other girls—that, for some reason, he only shared his fears and dreams with me. It was something I wished he would have confessed and realized when we were dating.

But now wasn’t the time to consider his romantic feelings for me. I had to get him to the nurse to see if his dreams and strange feelings might just be the result of an infection from the wolf bite.

The nurse didn’t find anything out of the ordinary with Nash and sent him back to class. I was relieved, but only slightly.

After school, when Brandon and I were alone on the hilltop, I shared Nash’s confession with him. “Nash told me he’s been having strange dreams.”

“About you? I see how he is trying to make his comeback with you.”

“No, it’s worse than that.”

“What could be worse than that?”

“He dreams he’s a wolf.”

“You don’t think . . .” Brandon looked concerned.

“It’s not possible. You are related to the Legend’s Run werewolf, Nash isn’t.”

“Then I’m sure it’s nothing. Just bad dreams.”

“That would be awesome,” I said. “But I just wanted you to know.”

“I’m glad you told me. There’s something I want you to know, too.”

“What?”

“I got word from my dad today,” Brandon said enthusiastically. “He told me he’s getting close to an antidote.”

“You’re kidding!” I exclaimed.

“Wouldn’t it be great if he had something for me before the next full moon?”

I rested my head against his chest.

“It’s funny,” he said. “I think I might miss it. There is some part of me that seems to crave those nights.”

“I guess it’s in your blood.”

“And the way you look under the full moonlight. It’s extraordinary.”

“Well, if you don’t mind my saying, I think I’d miss it, too.”

He leaned in and kissed me. There was a tiny part of me that hoped Dr. Maddox took his time with the cure.

Brandon and I took our school relationship slowly. Though Ivy and Abby knew about Brandon, we were still concerned not to go public until his condition was cured. The vandalism stopped, but the teasing didn’t. We heard “Wolfie,” “Wolfman,” and “Werewolf” muttered under Eastside students’ breath as we walked down the halls, and I didn’t want it to become worse if they found out the truth. I wasn’t so worried that Nash might reveal the secret, since he seemed to be preoccupied and recovering from his own trauma regarding the attack. However, I didn’t want to make life even worse for Brandon. An Eastsider dating a Westsider would be major news in our school, and though I didn’t want to hide it anymore, I knew for Brandon’s sake that we had to wait for the cure.

Nash continued to show up to class restless and irritable. But as the days wore on, he became increasingly interested in me. Even when I told him I only wanted his friendship, he didn’t waver in his attention. Nash didn’t use the threat of revealing Brandon’s secret as an attempt to win me back, but rather this time he tried chivalrous and charismatic actions. He was more charming to me than he ever had been. And though Nash opened doors for me, texted and called me, and mostly ignored every other girl who came his way, it didn’t change my feelings. I had one heart, and it was meant for Brandon.