heard. I kind of
think I want to go home and hug my parents.”
“I
do, too,” Clarisse said and laughed.
“Wait
a minute! What about Mr. James and Jessie. He loves her with everything he’s
got.”
“Once
you throw a human into the mix, all bets are off. I’m sure he loved her mother,
too.”
“I
know he did. Jessie told me all about them.”
“It’s
different with humans.”
“Why?”
“No
one knows.”
“Great.”
“Alright,
bedtime.”
“Gee.
Thanks, Mom. See. You’re learning,” I said with a wink. “Good night,
Clarisse. Thanks.”
“For
what?”
“Answers
and being here when I needed you.”
She
walked over to me and gave me a hug. I returned it, but when my arms
slid around her, she pulled back. “Close enough, mister,” she said
and smiled.
Chapter 12
“Connor!
Jessie’s here!”
My
sister’s shrill voice echoed through the house and rattled through my teeth.
“Okay!”
I
pulled my shoes on and ran downstairs, seeing Jess and Caelyn chatting in the
living room. From the amount of giggles I heard, I figured I was the topic of
conversation.
“What
did I do now?”
They
both turned, looked at me, and giggled even harder. “Nothing,” Jessie
said, but I could tell she wasn’t telling the truth.
“Uh
huh. You ready to go, beautiful?”
“I’m
not going,” Caelyn responded innocently.
“You’re
also not beautiful,” I immediately responded.
“Connor
Sullivan. You take that back right now!”
I
didn’t know Mom was in the kitchen. She didn’t sound too happy with my witty
comeback. In fact, even Jessie didn’t look too happy with it either.”
“Relax
everyone! Caelyn knows I’m just kidding. Right, Cae?”
She
was looking down at her lap and sniffling. She said nothing. “Cae?”
“Connor!”
“Connor
Ryan,” my mom chimed in from the kitchen.
“Cae!”
She
started laughing, and looked up at me and gave me an evil grin. “Yeah. I
know.”
I
sighed in relief. “You’re a brat. They almost killed me, you know,” I
said and pointed at Jess and Mom, who still didn’t look too happy.
“Don’t
worry. I wouldn’t have let them cut off much,” she said and punched me in
the arm before running upstairs.
“Sisters,”
I said to Jess, who only rolled her eyes.
“A
good rule of thumb is to never tell a woman she’s not beautiful. Even if
she is your sister. Wars have started over that crap.”
I
nodded dutifully. “Consider it an oversight on my part, one that shall
never be repeated again,” I said and bowed low in a sweeping gesture.
“Smart
boy. You ready to go?”
“Yep.
You want to walk or take the scooter?”
“Oh,
I have a surprise for you.”
“What?”
“Come
on. Follow me,” she said and walked toward the front door. She opened it
and pointed outside.
In
the driveway was a shiny new convertible Mustang. “Holy crap. But wait.
You don’t have your license yet!”
“I
do. Daddy took me after school on Wednesday. You were off doing something, so I
decided to surprise you.”
“Consider
me surprised!” I pulled her into a hug and kissed her on the lips.
“Did I mention I’m very proud of you?”
“Not
yet, you haven’t.”
“Well,
I am.” I sighed heavily. I really needed to get off my butt and go get
mine. Maybe then the parents would finally relent and let me get something
bigger than a scooter.
The
one problem with Jessie driving was that she was too nervous to let go of the
steering wheel with both hands. Normally when we sat next to each other, her
hand was in mine. Being this close and not doing it kind of bothered me.
“You
okay?”
“Yeah.
Just not used to not holding your hand.”
“Don’t
worry, Mr. Clingy, we’ll be at the mall in a minute.”
“I
know,” I said defensively.
“Just
so you know, I like that you’re clingy,” she said with a slight wink,
taking her eyes off the road for just a moment.
That
brightened my spirits enough to put a smile on my face for the
think I want to go home and hug my parents.”
“I
do, too,” Clarisse said and laughed.
“Wait
a minute! What about Mr. James and Jessie. He loves her with everything he’s
got.”
“Once
you throw a human into the mix, all bets are off. I’m sure he loved her mother,
too.”
“I
know he did. Jessie told me all about them.”
“It’s
different with humans.”
“Why?”
“No
one knows.”
“Great.”
“Alright,
bedtime.”
“Gee.
Thanks, Mom. See. You’re learning,” I said with a wink. “Good night,
Clarisse. Thanks.”
“For
what?”
“Answers
and being here when I needed you.”
She
walked over to me and gave me a hug. I returned it, but when my arms
slid around her, she pulled back. “Close enough, mister,” she said
and smiled.
Chapter 12
“Connor!
Jessie’s here!”
My
sister’s shrill voice echoed through the house and rattled through my teeth.
“Okay!”
I
pulled my shoes on and ran downstairs, seeing Jess and Caelyn chatting in the
living room. From the amount of giggles I heard, I figured I was the topic of
conversation.
“What
did I do now?”
They
both turned, looked at me, and giggled even harder. “Nothing,” Jessie
said, but I could tell she wasn’t telling the truth.
“Uh
huh. You ready to go, beautiful?”
“I’m
not going,” Caelyn responded innocently.
“You’re
also not beautiful,” I immediately responded.
“Connor
Sullivan. You take that back right now!”
I
didn’t know Mom was in the kitchen. She didn’t sound too happy with my witty
comeback. In fact, even Jessie didn’t look too happy with it either.”
“Relax
everyone! Caelyn knows I’m just kidding. Right, Cae?”
She
was looking down at her lap and sniffling. She said nothing. “Cae?”
“Connor!”
“Connor
Ryan,” my mom chimed in from the kitchen.
“Cae!”
She
started laughing, and looked up at me and gave me an evil grin. “Yeah. I
know.”
I
sighed in relief. “You’re a brat. They almost killed me, you know,” I
said and pointed at Jess and Mom, who still didn’t look too happy.
“Don’t
worry. I wouldn’t have let them cut off much,” she said and punched me in
the arm before running upstairs.
“Sisters,”
I said to Jess, who only rolled her eyes.
“A
good rule of thumb is to never tell a woman she’s not beautiful. Even if
she is your sister. Wars have started over that crap.”
I
nodded dutifully. “Consider it an oversight on my part, one that shall
never be repeated again,” I said and bowed low in a sweeping gesture.
“Smart
boy. You ready to go?”
“Yep.
You want to walk or take the scooter?”
“Oh,
I have a surprise for you.”
“What?”
“Come
on. Follow me,” she said and walked toward the front door. She opened it
and pointed outside.
In
the driveway was a shiny new convertible Mustang. “Holy crap. But wait.
You don’t have your license yet!”
“I
do. Daddy took me after school on Wednesday. You were off doing something, so I
decided to surprise you.”
“Consider
me surprised!” I pulled her into a hug and kissed her on the lips.
“Did I mention I’m very proud of you?”
“Not
yet, you haven’t.”
“Well,
I am.” I sighed heavily. I really needed to get off my butt and go get
mine. Maybe then the parents would finally relent and let me get something
bigger than a scooter.
The
one problem with Jessie driving was that she was too nervous to let go of the
steering wheel with both hands. Normally when we sat next to each other, her
hand was in mine. Being this close and not doing it kind of bothered me.
“You
okay?”
“Yeah.
Just not used to not holding your hand.”
“Don’t
worry, Mr. Clingy, we’ll be at the mall in a minute.”
“I
know,” I said defensively.
“Just
so you know, I like that you’re clingy,” she said with a slight wink,
taking her eyes off the road for just a moment.
That
brightened my spirits enough to put a smile on my face for the
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