Inside the Fire Book One in the Warden's Series (12 page)

So many thoughts were running through my
head I hadn’t even noticed I had picked up my phone and was in the
process of texting Wesley. By the time I perceived what was going
on I had already hit the send button.

Me: I’m no good for you. I will only drag
you down when you need someone to lift you up.

Can I be any sappier?

I looked at the time. Good lord, it was 5am.
I crossed my fingers and prayed he wouldn’t see the message. I knew
better though, so it was no surprise when my phone buzzed back at
me impatiently.

Wesley: Let me be the judge of what is good
for me and what isn’t.

Did this boy ever sleep? It was too late to
end the conversation there, I had just begun.

Me: How can you love someone like me?

I was tearing up, talking to him again was
making my heart pound and my fingers were ice cold. I had two
options right now, I could go my whole life without him and wonder
what it would have been like with him, or I could suck up my pride
and open the door to let him in.

I had never been in love, but if this is
what love felt like it was ripping through me like I had been
stabbed repeatedly by an icepick. I looked down to see his message
back.

Wesley: How can I not Dawn?

I started bawling, my chest heaving in and
out, it was hurting so bad. I felt like a shell around my heart was
being broken, I felt more real and more alive. In such a short time
I had taken so many things from him and yet he still held on to me
like I was a lifeline.

Me: How can you be so sure?

If he was unsure of this then I would know
what I was feeling was nothing more than heartburn with a side of
apocalypse.

Wesley: When I saw you I knew.

With that I melted into a big glob of black
and white goop on my maroon bed spread. This had to be love because
the thought of being without him made my body tremble with a fear I
could not understand. My heart felt like it was about to explode
and my head was swimming.

Me: How do you know?

The pain was easing and nerves were setting
in, the cold tingle percolated in my finger tips and for the pure
Hell of it I willed it to escape. The ice burned with an intense
freezing sensation and made me gasp in discomfort. I closed my
hands and let a few profanities fly as I tried to stop the burning
feeling lingering on my fingertips.

Let me explain the feelings in my
fingertips. When my fingertips burn it means I’m about to release a
red flame, similar to what my father showed me. When they felt icy
it was a white flame with a soothing blue glow. I could only assume
it was connected to my mother, but I had never seen her use it so I
wasn’t completely sure it was.

Wesley: Are you going to ask my any
questions where I don’t have to prove myself?

I looked at the message annoyed. So what if
I was asking too many questions, maybe I just needed to figure out
if I felt the same for him that he felt for me. I had managed to
come to one conclusion if I was in love I didn’t want to know what
it felt like to have a broken heart. My phone started buzzing, and
it took me a moment to get to it.

Wesley: I’m on my way. I have to see
you.

I half smiled as I lay down, curled myself
in a ball, and let the tears fall. I didn’t know what was happening
to me all I knew is I felt like I would fall apart. I had been so
sure of myself before coming to Midvale. Why was this town twisting
me into something different? I couldn’t understand why it was my
life changing. I knew what I was.

There was a lot of things I didn’t
understand actually. It seemed ever sense we moved here I was
spending a lot of time wondering what was happening to me. Either
this town had some form of force that caused the light to go dark
or it was the fact I had turned eighteen.

****

I had fallen asleep at some point. Cried
until my tears would not come anymore. I awoke to the feeling of my
bed dipping as if someone was crawling in next to me. I rolled over
and into familiar arms; I could feel his heartbeat and smell his
fresh scent. I felt his lips on the top of my head and I sensed I
was at ease. Closing my eyes I went back to sleep in the arms of my
blue eyed boy.

It was cold, the sky was dark but you could
still make out the shades of blue along the moving clouds, I was
walking along the shore my toes sinking into the soft sand. The
wind was pulling my hair away from my neck making it flutter in the
breeze behind me.

I walked on the beach for hours letting the
water lap at my feet. Up ahead I could see him standing, waiting.
However, with each step I took it seemed like he was getting
further and further away.

There was laughing and a flash of red. I
looked around fervently trying to find what was blocking my view up
ahead.

I screamed as I watched Wesley crumble and I
ran. I ran faster than I had ever ran before but I could not reach
him. The laughing was constant in my head now, whatever it was, it
was toying with me.

He was still there when I woke up later that
morning. He looked so innocent and peaceful in his sleep and I did
not want to disturb him. I quietly got out of bed and walked into
the kitchen, my mother’s bedroom door was open but she wasn’t home.
I looked outside to see her car was gone.

I wonder where she went?

I looked over and saw there was a note on
the fridge.

Gone to the store and a few other places
will be home later. Tell Wesley next time to just come in and not
wake me up. The door is unlocked for a reason. –Mom-

“She was up when I got here. Said she would
have to run a few places in the morning and to make sure you were
ok. There was an animal attack last night? What were you doing out
in the front yard at two in the morning?” His arms cloaked me and
he kissed the top of my head.

When had he come into the room?

Why didn’t I hear him, I can hear
everything. I looked up at him puzzled trying to figure out how he
was getting around my super sensitive spidey senses.

“Is that why you decided to finally text
me?” His eyes were shining.

What had my mother told him when he showed
up last night? She usually has far more believable than this. I
suppose it would be too much for a mortal to understand. They had
it hard enough grasping the concept of what was good and bad in
their tiny little world.

“That was probably the main reason.” I
sighed.

No tingles or prickles appeared in my
fingertips I finally felt at peace in my skin.

“The other reason is.” I swallowed. I would
say it. I would let it roll off my lips. Finally I would take the
plunge. “The other reason is.” My heart started pounding my palms
were getting sweaty. “I love you Wesley. I cannot imagine my life
without you.” There I said it. I could have patted myself on the
back if I wasn’t enjoying the safe sensation of being in his
arms.

“I know.” I could sense him smiling. “I love
you too Dawn.”

It sent chills up my spine. I had never been
told someone loved me. Not even from boys that said I was the type
of girl they could spend forever with. The emotions surging through
me were confusing, but I felt excited. I was starting this new
life, and I was fortunate enough to have this amazing boy by my
side. My heart pained me for a second before settling in rhythm
with his.

Friends & Family

When my mother had enrolled me in school she
had to choose a sixth period elective to count towards my
graduation credits. Some of the classes I had taken as electives in
El Paso transferred over into other spots. I couldn’t do a half day
because I had a seventh period writing class that wasn’t offered
earlier in the day. So without asking she enrolled me in Choir. Let
me say there is nothing wrong with Choir. I absolutely love to sing
my issue was with the other students in the class. It was hard
enough just trying to be in the same room with twenty of them now
I’m stuck in a large square box with over an eighty.

We had a sub on this particular day so we
were pretty much having a study hall period. I was sitting with my
back against the wall my ear buds secured in my ears listening to
Three Days Grace when a boy came over and sat beside me motioning
for me to turn down my music. I paused the song took the buds out
of my ears and looked at him flabbergasted. The only person that
had taken the time to talk to me was Wesley. So what could this boy
possibly want?

“Dawn, right?” He held out his hand. I
stared at him for a moment before reaching out and taking it firmly
in mine.

He smiled brightly at me. I was suddenly
confused. Why was this boy being so nice? Other kids in the
classroom had stopped what they were doing and were suddenly
staring at the two of us. Nobody had taken the time to just say hi
and now someone wanted to have a conversation? The few discussions
had been centered on school work and only because they were my
partners for that class. I was waiting for the pig’s blood to pour
down on me from above so everyone could point and laugh. To me it
was the only logical reason this boy was talking to me.

“Yeah, that’s me.” I said still a bit
muddled by what exactly was happening.

No, really, what was happening?

“I’m Adam.” He said not paying any attention
to the fact I was tense. “I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you earlier.
You know like when you first got here. I’m usually really good
about introducing myself.”

“It’s ok, Adam, I’m sure I made it pretty
hard for anyone to really approach me. People haven’t been all too
nice to me since I got here.” I was starting to soften to the boy.
He didn’t feel like a threat, and he sure didn’t look like one.

He was in or around six foot three maybe one
hundred sixty five pounds, brown hair and light brown eyes. He had
a nice smile even with the braces on his teeth. Not that braces are
bad in any way just a lot of people are pretty sensitive to their
smiles when they have them. He was definitely cute, some might even
say hot, and incredibly friendly. What I mean is I felt instantly
at ease with him.

“I know you are with that Wesley guy.” He
didn’t sound too thrilled to say my boyfriend’s name, but he was
pleasant none the less. “You really look like you could use a
friend sitting over here all by yourself.”

I laughed warmly. “Yeah, a friend would be
nice.”

“So why did you move here of all places? Not
many outsiders come to Midvale.” He crossed his ankles and smiled
at me.

“My step father passed away about six months
ago and my mom had a really hard time dealing with it.” I can’t
believe I was telling him this. “She started to go downhill and the
pastor at our church told her this would be a good place to start
all over. So we packed up and came here.” I gave him the abridged
version. I was sure he didn’t want to hear the other details
involved in our move.

“Your mom must be the new counselor at my
church then. I haven’t seen you around there though.” He said
glancing at the class for a second then looking back at me.

“I’m not a very religious person anymore to
be honest.” I said softly.

“We all have our moment when we question
faith. Some come out of it quicker than others I suppose. I’m sorry
to hear about your step- father. What happened?” He was fumbling
with the hem of his shirt.

“He was in the Army. Was shot overseas.”
This was all I wanted to share about that story. I didn’t want to
tell him how my mother knew he was dead before the military even
showed up on our doorstep. I glanced at the clock we had only five
minutes left of class.

“May I see your phone?” He said pointing at
the object in my hand. I nodded as he took it and looked at it a
moment. “Three Days Grace huh? Pretty cool. Great taste in music if
I might say so myself.” He closed my music files and opened the
phone book. “I’m going to give you my number. If you need anything
such as a tutor, duet buddy, or mechanic on that run down piece of
shit car you have parked in the parking lot you can call.” He
smirked.

My car wasn’t exactly how he described it
but it could use some work. However, it was mine and I loved
it.

“Anyway you can call me or text me.” He
opened my text messages, created a new one, and texted himself. He
smiled again and checked his phone in his pocket. “Now I have
yours. I promise to call you at all hours of the night and ask you
relationship advice.” He was joking of course.

Right, he had to be
joking
?

“Thank you.” was all I could say when he
handed my phone back to me.

I looked at it a little puzzled but I was
grateful someone had taken a moment to actually talk to me. I know
my personality had not exactly given the other students the push to
actually get to know me. I’m also sure my different appearance
helped as well.

“It’s no problem.” He gave me another warm
smile as he got up from my section of the floor. “I’m serious
though. Call me or text me any time.”

He walked away from me and grabbed his bag
from the other side of the choir room just before the bell rang. He
gave a wave as I stood to get my stuff together. I waved back and
flashed him a sincere smile, teeth and all. I prayed deep down
inside it didn’t come across as creepy as it felt.

I threw my bag over my shoulder and walked
into the hallway where my very handsome and wonderful boyfriend was
waiting on me. He was standing there with a huge smile on his face.
Adam passed him and they shared a silent nod.

“What was that all about?” He asked me
taking my hand.

“What was what?” I asked answering his
question with a question. He looked at me and rolled his eyes. If
there was one thing Wesley hated it was being answered with another
question.