returned with a stack of clothes, looking at the both of us strangely before joining in with my laughter, learning all he needed by searching my mind.
Wes hopped into the house between our legs. Jake motioned him in the direction of the powder room, still chuckling. He placed the stack of clothes on the counter and shut Wes inside.
“Jealous boyfriend you’ve got there.” Jake lifted a brow, his suddenly sharp features accentuated in the dim light of the hall. His eyes glimmered with a veiled light as he walked past me, brushing my shoulder just enough to send a tingle down my spine.
I shook it off and slid up to the bathroom door. “Wes?” I tapped with one finger, figuring that by now Wes would be back in his human form.
I heard rustling—a feathery rustling.
“Wes, what are you doing? Hurry up.” I pushed my hands into my pockets and leaned against the door, waiting.
A few minutes later there was a gasp as though Wes had just surfaced from water. I could hear him moving about inside the bathroom, human again.
“Wes? Are you alright?” I was trying to read his thoughts, but they were knotted. “Wes?”
“ Er … yeah. I’m fine.”
I knew better than to believe him, but I also knew I was on thin ice as it was. Aggravating him at this point was relationship suicide.
Wes:
I was sweating, trying to think of a million things other than what had just happened, hoping that it would confuse Emily and leave her unawares. I looked at myself in the mirror.
“ Get it together, Wes,” I whispered to myself, keeping my thoughts running in a constant stream of mediocrity so that Emily wouldn’t sense that something was wrong— baseball, homework, weather.
I heard a murmur from somewhere else in the house, recognizing Jake’s voice.
“Yeah, Jake. Be right there!” Emily yelled, still behind the door.
Baseball, homework, weather…
“Hey, Wes? I’ll just be in the living room, okay?”
“Sure.” I swallowed, trying to gather my voice once more. “Be there in a minute,” I forced the words.
“Okay.” There was noticeable concern in Emily’s voice, but I heard her footsteps walk away despite that.
I turned back to the mirror, leaning my hands on the counter. Why was it so hard to change? It was as though a voice was telling me not to. It was begging me like a chant— Stay. Stay. Stay.
I took a few more deep breaths. Distracting myself, I unfolded the clothes. As I fished my legs into each pant leg, I already knew they were three inches too short—Great, Capri’s. At least the shirt was loose, though clearly not adding to the fact that my ankles were showing like a woman. I grumbled and pulled on the socks, finding one had a hole that was beginning to unravel on the heel.
I began to wonder if Jake had done this on purpose. I bet he’d wanted me to look like an idiot because he was trying to prove a point—he was better for Emily than I was. I was no idiot, though. Now that I knew who the strange looking kid I’d originally seen through the window was, I knew all too well how he gazed upon Emily in Math class. Could I not catch a break? Besides, what was with the makeover? The disguise?
I splashed a little water on my face, trying to make myself look a little less drained. I flicked off the bathroom light and exited into the hall, drawn by the sound of Emily’s voice. She laughed, making my muscles tense with jealousy—now I knew how she felt about Jane.
I rounded the corner, walking into a green room, the couches a deep red in contrast.
“There he is!” Jake stood from the couch opposite Emily—at least he wasn’t sitting beside her. Maybe he knew better, maybe he wanted to save that insult for later. He walked up to me, his hand outstretched.
I shoved my hands in the pocket of my Capri’s, refusing to grant him the courtesy of a hand shake—he’d still stolen my girlfriend.
“Well,” Jake dropped his hand. “Sorry to steal Emily away, Wes.” He said it as
Wes hopped into the house between our legs. Jake motioned him in the direction of the powder room, still chuckling. He placed the stack of clothes on the counter and shut Wes inside.
“Jealous boyfriend you’ve got there.” Jake lifted a brow, his suddenly sharp features accentuated in the dim light of the hall. His eyes glimmered with a veiled light as he walked past me, brushing my shoulder just enough to send a tingle down my spine.
I shook it off and slid up to the bathroom door. “Wes?” I tapped with one finger, figuring that by now Wes would be back in his human form.
I heard rustling—a feathery rustling.
“Wes, what are you doing? Hurry up.” I pushed my hands into my pockets and leaned against the door, waiting.
A few minutes later there was a gasp as though Wes had just surfaced from water. I could hear him moving about inside the bathroom, human again.
“Wes? Are you alright?” I was trying to read his thoughts, but they were knotted. “Wes?”
“ Er … yeah. I’m fine.”
I knew better than to believe him, but I also knew I was on thin ice as it was. Aggravating him at this point was relationship suicide.
Wes:
I was sweating, trying to think of a million things other than what had just happened, hoping that it would confuse Emily and leave her unawares. I looked at myself in the mirror.
“ Get it together, Wes,” I whispered to myself, keeping my thoughts running in a constant stream of mediocrity so that Emily wouldn’t sense that something was wrong— baseball, homework, weather.
I heard a murmur from somewhere else in the house, recognizing Jake’s voice.
“Yeah, Jake. Be right there!” Emily yelled, still behind the door.
Baseball, homework, weather…
“Hey, Wes? I’ll just be in the living room, okay?”
“Sure.” I swallowed, trying to gather my voice once more. “Be there in a minute,” I forced the words.
“Okay.” There was noticeable concern in Emily’s voice, but I heard her footsteps walk away despite that.
I turned back to the mirror, leaning my hands on the counter. Why was it so hard to change? It was as though a voice was telling me not to. It was begging me like a chant— Stay. Stay. Stay.
I took a few more deep breaths. Distracting myself, I unfolded the clothes. As I fished my legs into each pant leg, I already knew they were three inches too short—Great, Capri’s. At least the shirt was loose, though clearly not adding to the fact that my ankles were showing like a woman. I grumbled and pulled on the socks, finding one had a hole that was beginning to unravel on the heel.
I began to wonder if Jake had done this on purpose. I bet he’d wanted me to look like an idiot because he was trying to prove a point—he was better for Emily than I was. I was no idiot, though. Now that I knew who the strange looking kid I’d originally seen through the window was, I knew all too well how he gazed upon Emily in Math class. Could I not catch a break? Besides, what was with the makeover? The disguise?
I splashed a little water on my face, trying to make myself look a little less drained. I flicked off the bathroom light and exited into the hall, drawn by the sound of Emily’s voice. She laughed, making my muscles tense with jealousy—now I knew how she felt about Jane.
I rounded the corner, walking into a green room, the couches a deep red in contrast.
“There he is!” Jake stood from the couch opposite Emily—at least he wasn’t sitting beside her. Maybe he knew better, maybe he wanted to save that insult for later. He walked up to me, his hand outstretched.
I shoved my hands in the pocket of my Capri’s, refusing to grant him the courtesy of a hand shake—he’d still stolen my girlfriend.
“Well,” Jake dropped his hand. “Sorry to steal Emily away, Wes.” He said it as
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