The Understorey, Book One of The Leaving Series (14 page)

    “Thank you Elliott. I take
that as one of the highest compliments.”

I was surprised by the way Jules viewed her
mother. I knew for sure right then, I truly should never judge a
book by its cover.

    I pulled into Lot B and
the parking lot was packed.
    “You ready for this?” I asked.
    “Ready Freddy. Eventually, they’ll all find out
that their starting quarterback’s miss is the last one they would
have expected, but that’s okay with me because, the truth of the
matter is, I have never felt happier than I do when my hand rests
inside yours. I’m happy to be myself and I make no
excuses.......but, I’m pretty sure you already knew that about
me.”
    “I did,” I said, wrapping my hand over hers. I
turned to face her, “It’s what makes you stronger than every girl
in this school Jules. You’re an example of examples babe. You
pioneer the self esteem cause in this little high school. Who knows
how many girls look at you and are influenced. When their minds are
ready, whether it will be now or later in life, they’ll be stronger
because of your exuberance for life and independence from peer
pressure. You’re amazing Jules.”
    “I could kiss you Elliott Gray,” she admitted, a
bit starry eyed.
    “What’s stopping you?”
    Her sarcastic stare burrowed through me,
“Hypocrisy. Can’t give into the pressures of society, remember?
You’re just going to have to wait.”
    “Jules!”

I got out, collected myself as best I could
and coolly strolled to her side of the truck and opened her door
for her. By the time the handle had clicked, at least a hundred
eyes were staring in our direction and those hundred eyes were
grabbing the attention of a hundred more.
Great, so much for
discrete
, I thought.
We should have come earlier, less nerve
racking.

I took her hand and helped her out of the
truck. I grabbed our bags, never breaking my grip on Jules’ hand
and began to walk toward the double doors. This feeling that
emanated through me from her forced me to stop about a hundred feet
from the doors. I turned to face Jules. I couldn’t take another
step without looking into her eyes. I was too hungry for her gaze.
She looked at me strangely when I brushed her hair over her
shoulders and trailed my finger down her jaw line.

I placed my arm around Jules’ shoulder to
send a clear message to those wondering what was going on between
us and started walking once more, a message clear enough that
people would accept it immediately and move on. Jules was mine,
mine for me to care for, always. And I was hers, for definitely all
the same reasons, I hoped.

“What was that all about Casanova?”

“Courage. Needed courage,” I lied.

I let her warmth rush over me and let the
beat of my own heart resonate with the extra life she gave to me.
It touched the tips of my toes and fingers and swirled through my
head. It was a peculiar feeling, something I hadn’t felt on that
first day, something new. I was curious to know where it had come
from and why. I knew it wasn’t from our shared supernatural
current, though it definitely was supernatural, just not associated
with our unique gifts. It was something different, something I
couldn’t quite put my finger on.

We were a pretty visible distraction, the
pair of us. Jules looked like a Barbie doll next to me. Well, a
seriously original and unique Barbie doll. Okay, scratch that. The
only thing Barbie doll-like about Jules was her insanely long legs
and crazy long hair, everything else was Jules’. Her
rocker-Victorian style was exclusively hers.

Everyone looking at Jules gave me the feeling
that many, many girls wanted to copy her but were too chicken to do
so. I also knew every guy around me was probably wondering how the
heck I got her. It was the first time I was happy to be six foot
four. It was sort of nice to be slightly feared for my size. I
towered over Jules, despite the fact that she was also tall, I
guessed about five foot eight. We were both some of the tallest in
our class and it just added an extra red circle to the target we
were both already carrying.

Jules was also
breathtakingly
beautiful. I looked like a lumberjack in comparison. Her skin was
flawless and pale as porcelain. I didn’t have time to shave that
morning and was looking pretty scruffy. Jules wore these jeans that
made her legs look like they went for miles. I wore a faded pair of
jeans that I had put in the dryer the night before and forgot about
so they were wrinkled as heck.

It was a bit chilly that morning so Jules
wore an olive green, very feminine light knit beret over her
freshly washed curled hair. I wore a wool cap from ten years ago
over hair that should have been cut two months before. My hair
reached just below my chin now and the cap kept it out of my eyes.
Jules wore shin length brown leather moccasins over her jeans and I
wore boots that were so heavy even a biker wouldn’t wear them.

Jules wore a thin, dark red floor length
sweater jacket over a white tank. I wore a wrinkled button up
sweater over an old Led Zeppelin t-shirt that used to belong to my
dad in the seventies. Plus, my contacts were bothering me that
morning so I had to wear my black rimmed ‘Buddy Holly’ glasses. We
were night and day. I was night and she was day. She was amazing
and I was a massive mess. Suddenly, I felt very self-conscious.

“Stop stressing babe. You look hot,” she
said, reading the way I felt through our touch.

    “Thank you sweetheart, but
I’m no fool. I know what I look like.”
    “You’re really that clueless? Elliott, every
girl here falls over for your casual sexiness. You don’t even try
and yet you possess this Johhny Depp ‘I’m a mess yet drool worthy
hotness. You kinda’ suck,” she giggled, which made me remove my cap
and run my fingers through my hair out of nervousness. “And if you
run your fingers through that hair of yours one more time, I think
I’m going to hit the wall.” She exhaled sharply then looked at me.
“I know you’re stressing about your glasses too because you keep
messing with them but your geek magnetism just makes you all the
more appealing, not to mention the eyes underneath the glasses!
Your eyes are like the brightest blue I’ve ever seen in my life. I
swear you could hypnotize with those eyes.”
    “This is a really uncomfortable subject for me.
No more please. Let’s change it or I’ll require a bonfire of the
vanities or something.”
    “No way, I love my curling iron and
makeup.”
I laughed.
    “I meant for me doofus. You’re the least vain
person I know.”
    “Uh, oh,” she said. “Here comes Jesse.”
I could feel her stomach tighten in anxiety through our shared
touch when he approached. I squeezed her hand to relieve some of
the tension.
    “Hey Jesse,” I said casually.
    “Hey,” he said with a nod but as he walked by he
scoffed a condescending snort.
   
What a jerk
.
    “I know,” Jules said in response.
    “You felt that?” I asked, totally forgetting
Jesse Thomas.
    “Yeah, I’m starting to be able to hone specific
feelings to specific thoughts now. It’s kind of awesome.”
    “I’ll say.”
We reached Jules’ door to Mrs. Hill’s art class and stood just
beside it for a few minutes talking. Jules had her back to the
wall, her head resting against the tile and I leaned my shoulder on
the bit of wall right next to her and folded my arms into each
other.  I stared at her for a moment. Her eyes were the most
beautiful green I’d ever seen. She stared back. Silence was not
uncomfortable for Jules and I. We spoke volumes in that
silence.
    “Teach me how to hone down specific feelings
Jules,” I said, smiling from our eye contact.
    “Okay.”
I reached my hand for her face but she shooed it away.

“Let me be the one to touch. I think you’ll
be able to concentrate better on what I’m feeling.”

She repositioned herself and turned her body
towards me leaving a shoulder to rest against the tile wall. She
raised her hand and placed it around my throat.
    “There are lots of nerve endings in the neck. I
think that would be a good place for us to practice,” she said
softly. “Okay, I’m going to think of specific things that I know
will trigger certain responses in me but I’ll tell you each thing
I’m feeling as it comes to me. That way, you can start to
associate. Ready?”
    “‘kay.”
    “Okay, I’m staring at your lips and that makes
me feel a need to kiss you.”
I had an overwhelming want to press my lips to hers and
involuntarily leaned forward but she backed away.
    “No, no. Try not to share the feeling.” She
laughed. “I know it’s hard but just try to figure out the way it
tastes and feels first. Here, let me try an easier one.”
She placed her hand back onto my throat and closed her eyes.
    “Okay, I’m thinking about my little art studio
at the house and that makes me feel....”
    “Happy,” I said. “You’re feeling very happy and
inspired.”
    “Right! What did it taste like?

“Like chocolate and
wine
?”

We both laughed.
    “Is that what it tastes like to you?” I
asked.

“No, your happiness tastes like pumpkin pie.”
She smiled.

“This is so weird. I don’t even know how I
know that it was happiness. I went with my instincts.”

“Okay, let’s try another.”

Just then Taylor Williams, who shared first
period with Jules, walked past us with a look of disgust on her
face before going into the classroom.

    “You’re feeling
smug........with a twinge of
guilt
?” I said, almost
laughing.
Jules let her hand drop to her side and her cheeks burned a bright
red.
    “That was embarrassing.”
    “Oh Jules, don’t be silly. It was a gut reaction
and you immediately corrected yourself. I felt it. Now, let’s do
another.”
I picked up her hand and placed it back around my throat.
    “I like this game,” I said.
She smiled, stared at me for a moment, then let her hand slide to
the back of my neck.
    “Okay, now I’m thinking....”
She pulled her hand away at lightning speed.
    “Wait,” I said, confused. “What was that?”
She turned her head away and clenched her hands into fists. I
pushed her back into the tiled wall and pinned both of my arms
beside her to keep her from fleeing.
    “You know,” she said, breathing deeply, “I think
that’s enough for one day. You’ve been an excellent student. The
bell is about to ring. See you next period.”

She ducked underneath my arm, too quick to
catch. I waved at her inside the classroom and went to History with
Coach Miles. It was a game day and he usually just played a movie.
I loved that because it was going to give me time to think about
the emotion Jules was trying to hide from me. I was still racking
my brain trying to figure it out when I sat at my desk next to
Jesse.

    “Hey,” I said,
distracted.
    “Hey,” he said sarcastically. “Care to explain
why your arm was around Julia Jacobs back there in the
hallway?”
    “Huh?”
He crossed his arms smugly around his torso.

“Please tell me she’s nothing more than a
tiny distraction right now, a bug to get out of your
system.”   

    “What? Why would you say
that? Do I look like the ‘tiny distraction’ type to you? Where in
my past behavior have I ever given you reason to think that about
me?”
    “I don’t know Gray. I guess I’m just hoping is
all. You have no idea what you’re doing do you? I mean, jeez Gray!
She’s freakin’
Julia Jacobs
. She should be a stepping stone
on your way to Taylor Williams.”
My blood was beginning to boil.
    “Jesse, I find it so hilarious that you’re
suddenly so interested in my dating. It’s also fascinating that you
are equally as interested in
who
I date. Your opinions are
comical because, last time I checked, you aren’t even this picky
for yourself. Why are you so hell bent on my dating Taylor Williams
anyway? If you like her so much why don’t you date her?:”
    “She’s too yippy for me,” he amended and waved
me off.
    “Oh, and I enjoy yippy so much, right? Give me a
break. I’ve never said a word about the girls you date and I’d
appreciate the same courtesy dude.”
    “Fine,” he said through clenched teeth. “You’ll
see though. It won’t last.”
    “Yeah, yeah. So, are you excited about the game
tonight?” I asked, desperate to change the subject.
The fuming seemed to subside and he leaned back in his desk.
    “Yeah, coach said he won’t be putting Farley in
after all. Can you believe it? Doc says his knee doesn’t look one
hundred percent. Farley said he could play with no problem but
coach doesn’t want to risk it the first game.”
Whew
, I thought, barely listening.
So annoying. Too bad
he’s so loyal.   

Coach started the movie and Jesse finally
shut his blubber mouth. I wrapped my ankles around the legs of my
desk and tipped my chair back. I wrapped my fingers around the back
of my head and stared at the ceiling, just thinking.
What in the
world was that? She was so quick to pull away. Let’s see. I
definitely felt distraction. Then she slid her hand to the back of
my neck. That was awesome. Must have her do that again. It was a
warm feeling that turned blazing hot. Tasted like what I would
think my mom’s Egyptian Cotton candle would taste like. If I didn’t
know any better I..........
I let my chair fall hard back to the
ground in sudden realization. I swallowed hard.
She loves me.
She’s in love with me. I haven’t even taken her on a proper date
yet! Haven’t even kissed her! Yet, she loves me!

My breath trapped in my throat and I almost
began to hyperventilate. I planted my hands on the desk in front of
me to anchor myself from falling over from the sheer shock of it.
Shock. Shock and
happiness
?
Why doesn’t this scare me?
Shouldn’t I feel like running the opposite direction from her or
something? I mean, yeah, so I’ve known her my whole life and all
but do I really
know
know her?
I thought about it for a
moment.
Yes, I do.