here’s the deal, dude. She’s not used to seeing you all jacked up. That little burst of temper at the lunch table both pissed her off and shocked her.”
I gave him a disbelieving look. “She saw us fight a monster in the woods. I fended off an eight-foot-tall Wookie while you dragged her and Alyssa to safety. How could she be shocked that I have a temper?”
“All she saw was the two of us swooping in to lead it away.” Will’s face was stone cold. “She didn’t see you kill it.”
“Crap,” I said.
“Exactly. Look, I’m not telling you to becoming a daisy-picking sissy. I’m saying you need to work on some anger management at school—that’s all.” Will nudged me hard with his shoulder. “If that means I have to let you kill yourself on the treadmill at my house immediately after we get home from a mission, then fine. Whatever it takes.”
I stood slowly, stretching my sore legs and back. “I probably need a rain check on that burger. Can I get a ride home?”
“Sure, dude.”
There was something to what Will said, about me being aggressive after I got back from a hunt. I could still feel the spirit’s power humming through my nerves and it kept me on edge. Maybe Uncle Mike was right. Maybe I needed to learn where the knife stopped and where I began, before I scared off my girlfriend for good.
Chapter Eleven
I told Mamie the whole story about my fight with Ella while we ate spaghetti. Mom was working late because she had a big trial coming up, and it’d been Mamie’s turn to cook. The smell of oregano hung heavy in the air. Even if her cooking wasn’t quite as good as Mom’s, Mamie tried hard. Besides, I would’ve eaten anything after my workout—no telling how many calories I’d burned on the treadmill alone.
We sat across from each other at our rectangular kitchen table. It seated six and looked kind of lonely with just the two of us eating. Next year, it’d be me, all by myself, eating frozen pizzas or chicken pot pies. I sighed, not wanting to think about it.
“So,” Mamie said, twirling a dark brown pigtail around her finger, “Ella caught you ogling a cheerleader and laughed it off, but when she exchanged two sentences with Carter, you blew a fuse?”
I flushed. Mamie had a way of cutting right to the heart of things. “Pretty much.”
At my admission, she shook her head. “Oh, dear. I hate to say it, but you were kind of a jerk.”
“Ouch…thanks, sis.”
Mamie patted my hand. “I’m not trying to be mean. You’ve got a lot going on, and Carter’s a sore spot between you two. Ella should’ve known that. This was your first big fight, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah,” I said. “What do I do now? I mean, I don’t even know where to start.”
“Start by changing your clothes,” Mamie said. “You need to wear something nicer than a T-shirt and track pants when I take you to her house.”
My jaw dropped. “Mamie, I could just text her…if you’ll help me with what to say.”
“No, you’re not.” Mamie pointed at me like a schoolmarm. “You’re going to guy up and apologize in person.”
I rolled my eyes. Brains should never try to use slang. “It’s ‘man up,’ and there’s no way I’m going over there.”
“Yes, you are.”
Was she crazy? I couldn’t go over Ella’s house with my tail between my legs and apologize while Ella stood there with her arms crossed so tightly her hands met up in back. I shook my head. “No way.”
“You’re such a chicken,” Mamie said, looking mischievous.
Ugh, she knew I couldn’t let the chicken comment stand. She also wouldn’t give up until she got her way. “Fine. You win—I’ll go change.”
“The blue button-down shirt with the white stripes and nice jeans,” she called after me as I stomped upstairs. “Oh, and brush your teeth! I put garlic in the spaghetti sauce.”
“Aye aye, Captain.”
I ran upstairs to dig out the required outfit, get dressed and brush my teeth. After I passed
I gave him a disbelieving look. “She saw us fight a monster in the woods. I fended off an eight-foot-tall Wookie while you dragged her and Alyssa to safety. How could she be shocked that I have a temper?”
“All she saw was the two of us swooping in to lead it away.” Will’s face was stone cold. “She didn’t see you kill it.”
“Crap,” I said.
“Exactly. Look, I’m not telling you to becoming a daisy-picking sissy. I’m saying you need to work on some anger management at school—that’s all.” Will nudged me hard with his shoulder. “If that means I have to let you kill yourself on the treadmill at my house immediately after we get home from a mission, then fine. Whatever it takes.”
I stood slowly, stretching my sore legs and back. “I probably need a rain check on that burger. Can I get a ride home?”
“Sure, dude.”
There was something to what Will said, about me being aggressive after I got back from a hunt. I could still feel the spirit’s power humming through my nerves and it kept me on edge. Maybe Uncle Mike was right. Maybe I needed to learn where the knife stopped and where I began, before I scared off my girlfriend for good.
Chapter Eleven
I told Mamie the whole story about my fight with Ella while we ate spaghetti. Mom was working late because she had a big trial coming up, and it’d been Mamie’s turn to cook. The smell of oregano hung heavy in the air. Even if her cooking wasn’t quite as good as Mom’s, Mamie tried hard. Besides, I would’ve eaten anything after my workout—no telling how many calories I’d burned on the treadmill alone.
We sat across from each other at our rectangular kitchen table. It seated six and looked kind of lonely with just the two of us eating. Next year, it’d be me, all by myself, eating frozen pizzas or chicken pot pies. I sighed, not wanting to think about it.
“So,” Mamie said, twirling a dark brown pigtail around her finger, “Ella caught you ogling a cheerleader and laughed it off, but when she exchanged two sentences with Carter, you blew a fuse?”
I flushed. Mamie had a way of cutting right to the heart of things. “Pretty much.”
At my admission, she shook her head. “Oh, dear. I hate to say it, but you were kind of a jerk.”
“Ouch…thanks, sis.”
Mamie patted my hand. “I’m not trying to be mean. You’ve got a lot going on, and Carter’s a sore spot between you two. Ella should’ve known that. This was your first big fight, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah,” I said. “What do I do now? I mean, I don’t even know where to start.”
“Start by changing your clothes,” Mamie said. “You need to wear something nicer than a T-shirt and track pants when I take you to her house.”
My jaw dropped. “Mamie, I could just text her…if you’ll help me with what to say.”
“No, you’re not.” Mamie pointed at me like a schoolmarm. “You’re going to guy up and apologize in person.”
I rolled my eyes. Brains should never try to use slang. “It’s ‘man up,’ and there’s no way I’m going over there.”
“Yes, you are.”
Was she crazy? I couldn’t go over Ella’s house with my tail between my legs and apologize while Ella stood there with her arms crossed so tightly her hands met up in back. I shook my head. “No way.”
“You’re such a chicken,” Mamie said, looking mischievous.
Ugh, she knew I couldn’t let the chicken comment stand. She also wouldn’t give up until she got her way. “Fine. You win—I’ll go change.”
“The blue button-down shirt with the white stripes and nice jeans,” she called after me as I stomped upstairs. “Oh, and brush your teeth! I put garlic in the spaghetti sauce.”
“Aye aye, Captain.”
I ran upstairs to dig out the required outfit, get dressed and brush my teeth. After I passed
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