me. He wears a lot of black. Some kids think he’s goth, or a skater, but really he’s just into anything Japanese: manga, anime, electronics. People, too, although we don’t have many Asians here in our suburb.
Is something going on? Because everyone seems strange to me today, and when I look at Jonathan, there’s something there, too.
“You look different,” I tell him.
“I think I’m turning Japanese,” he says, smiling.
“No,” I say, “This is something new .”
Jonathan shrugs, giving me his full attention. “I did have this weird dream last night. It was sick . I was in the forest and I had these powers, and I was running around close to the ground.”
“In the forest?”
He smiles. “Crazy, huh?”
It is crazy, but he smells musky. And when I look in his eyes, he looks away.
“Jonathan,” I say quietly. “Have you been taking vitamins?”
He nods. “Me and Enrique got ours the same day; they were left on our doorsteps. They’ve completely cleared up my carpal tunnel syndrome. I can draw like I used to, and still play with my DS for like three hours a day. But hey, I hear you got some action.”
“Shut up,” I say, and I glare at him just as Meredith and Carolina come into the classroom. They glance at me, but Ms. Mayer seats them on the other side of the room.
“How was the party?” Jonathan asks.
“Good,” I say.
“And Carolina’s parents? Did you meet them?” Jonathan asks.
I nod. “Why?”
“Her dad’s the owner of the new health store–Natural Magic on North Main. They’re even going to have a second shop in the mall when it opens. Another Natural Magic, if you can believe that.”
“Are you serious?”
He nods. “They sell a lot of vitamin supplements and herbs, but I hear they have stranger things, too.”
“Like what?” I ask, intrigued.
“Herbs. Tarot cards. Ceremonial daggers. All kinds of stuff. The guy’s wife is some kind of Wicca priestess or something. Dude, I think she’s in your mom’s church. A Unitarian. She’s even supposed to sell love potions.”
Chapter 20: GARY FRUMBERG AND HIS NEW PET PITBULL
T he rest of the day passes in a blur; even the hunger and thirst are forgotten, as it seems impossible to focus on anything except talking to Jonathan and Enrique. Finally I’m saved by the bell and make it outside. It’s dark and cloudy like it’s going to rain. I walk toward my bus, then stop. Meredith and Carolina are waiting to get on. Maybe they feel my eyes on them, because as I stand there, frozen, they turn toward me. They’re about to say something when suddenly my arm is seized by a cold hand and I’m pulled away into some bushes, moving so fast my vision blurs.
When I can refocus, she’s standing there, still holding my arm. A tall girl dressed all in black with fiery red hair. It’s Karen. And she isn’t smiling either. More like snarling, showing some canines.
“What’s going on?” I ask her. Her hand is cold on my arm.
“I’m burning myself out here just to find that out. I hear you’re running track. What about your knee?”
“I don’t know. It’s better.”
“Don’t you even wonder what’s going on?”
“Yeah,” I say. “I wanted to talk to Enrique and Jonathan about it.”
“You must have noticed something. Who’s giving Zach the vitamins?”
“I have no clue.”
She shakes her head. “I don’t know why I’m even talking to you. You kissed her, Stanley. How could you kiss her ?”
The buses start up their engines.
“I didn’t think—you had been avoiding me, and...”
She grabs me then with two gloved hands. She pulls me close, and I want her to touch me, skin to skin. But she doesn’t take off her gloves.
She does something far more glorious.
She kisses me. On the neck.
Her lips suck gently at me. My body is wracked with sensation, with burning ice, tingling, burning thorns spreading out in waves from her cold lips. She nibbles at me, and then, with a groan, she pushes me
Is something going on? Because everyone seems strange to me today, and when I look at Jonathan, there’s something there, too.
“You look different,” I tell him.
“I think I’m turning Japanese,” he says, smiling.
“No,” I say, “This is something new .”
Jonathan shrugs, giving me his full attention. “I did have this weird dream last night. It was sick . I was in the forest and I had these powers, and I was running around close to the ground.”
“In the forest?”
He smiles. “Crazy, huh?”
It is crazy, but he smells musky. And when I look in his eyes, he looks away.
“Jonathan,” I say quietly. “Have you been taking vitamins?”
He nods. “Me and Enrique got ours the same day; they were left on our doorsteps. They’ve completely cleared up my carpal tunnel syndrome. I can draw like I used to, and still play with my DS for like three hours a day. But hey, I hear you got some action.”
“Shut up,” I say, and I glare at him just as Meredith and Carolina come into the classroom. They glance at me, but Ms. Mayer seats them on the other side of the room.
“How was the party?” Jonathan asks.
“Good,” I say.
“And Carolina’s parents? Did you meet them?” Jonathan asks.
I nod. “Why?”
“Her dad’s the owner of the new health store–Natural Magic on North Main. They’re even going to have a second shop in the mall when it opens. Another Natural Magic, if you can believe that.”
“Are you serious?”
He nods. “They sell a lot of vitamin supplements and herbs, but I hear they have stranger things, too.”
“Like what?” I ask, intrigued.
“Herbs. Tarot cards. Ceremonial daggers. All kinds of stuff. The guy’s wife is some kind of Wicca priestess or something. Dude, I think she’s in your mom’s church. A Unitarian. She’s even supposed to sell love potions.”
Chapter 20: GARY FRUMBERG AND HIS NEW PET PITBULL
T he rest of the day passes in a blur; even the hunger and thirst are forgotten, as it seems impossible to focus on anything except talking to Jonathan and Enrique. Finally I’m saved by the bell and make it outside. It’s dark and cloudy like it’s going to rain. I walk toward my bus, then stop. Meredith and Carolina are waiting to get on. Maybe they feel my eyes on them, because as I stand there, frozen, they turn toward me. They’re about to say something when suddenly my arm is seized by a cold hand and I’m pulled away into some bushes, moving so fast my vision blurs.
When I can refocus, she’s standing there, still holding my arm. A tall girl dressed all in black with fiery red hair. It’s Karen. And she isn’t smiling either. More like snarling, showing some canines.
“What’s going on?” I ask her. Her hand is cold on my arm.
“I’m burning myself out here just to find that out. I hear you’re running track. What about your knee?”
“I don’t know. It’s better.”
“Don’t you even wonder what’s going on?”
“Yeah,” I say. “I wanted to talk to Enrique and Jonathan about it.”
“You must have noticed something. Who’s giving Zach the vitamins?”
“I have no clue.”
She shakes her head. “I don’t know why I’m even talking to you. You kissed her, Stanley. How could you kiss her ?”
The buses start up their engines.
“I didn’t think—you had been avoiding me, and...”
She grabs me then with two gloved hands. She pulls me close, and I want her to touch me, skin to skin. But she doesn’t take off her gloves.
She does something far more glorious.
She kisses me. On the neck.
Her lips suck gently at me. My body is wracked with sensation, with burning ice, tingling, burning thorns spreading out in waves from her cold lips. She nibbles at me, and then, with a groan, she pushes me
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