The Light Tamer (7 page)

“Okay you two, stop. I don’t care if Caleb went out with anyone else, he isn’t going out with her now and that’s what matters,” I lie.
Was she pretty? I bet she has great hair
.

“Not as pretty as you and your hair is the fairest in the land,” Caleb whispered.

Melting…you can find me in a puddle
.

“Amber, if you really want to know what it feels like, why did you make fun of Caleb?” I asked. I smoothed my shirt down in a moment of nervous fidgeting.

Amber sat up straight and grabs her backpack and starts frantically rummaging around in it. “I’m not making fun of him. What I’m trying to make sure of is his feelings around you. It was a test…of sorts,” she said pulling out a leather-bound book. “This book explains the bond very similar to Caleb’s explanation. The book says that very few bound people that are meant to be a couple will find pleasure in going out with anyone else. I knew he didn’t go out with Brooke more than two times. Hell, the entire school knew it. Brooke moaned and groaned about him not kissing her and didn’t touch her at all. She knows his dad is loaded and wanted him to take her to a dance, she was using him. She’s a loser. So, it sounds like you have the real thing, which is kinda strange and kinda cool.”

“I think this calls for something sweet, I’ll be back in a minute,” I said. Caleb took my hand as I stood up and pulled him up to standing. Well, I didn’t really pull him all by myself, he helped.

“I thought you might like some help.”

Heck yeah I need help. I’m a light throwing, shadow chased teenager that is dying to have Caleb kiss me. I bet my breath smells like a pepperoni, damn. He can probably hear me, crap. No more thinking, none. Zip, nodda, none. Okay,tell him you need to go to the bathroom, brush your teeth. Get back before mom and grandma does, and lay a big kiss on him.

“You’re going to lay a big what on me? I only caught the tail end of that thought,” Caleb grinned.

I throw my head back in exasperation, “Oh that is so cheating,” I said. He steps closer to me until my back is up against the refrigerator and his hands are placed on each side of me. I hold my breath so he can’t smell it. I’m oddly aware that my breast are about to be smashed against his chest. I mentally sigh at the thought.
One beat, two beats, three…breathe in, breathe out…one beat, two beats, three…

“Jessie?” He says my name so beautifully. “Can I kiss you?”

In a moment before our mouths meet, I nod my head yes as I’m unable to speak. His lips touch mine softly, he pulls back and looks at my face. It is then that I notice his eyes are brighter with a soft glow.
One beat
…and there it is, his mouth on mine. Our worlds melding together, causing my heart to beat loudly and my brain to scream for oxygen. We, the two of us, together, a moment in time, suspending on a lifeline of light. He moves his hands to my hips and pulls me in closer to him. Our thighs are touching, my stomach is incredibly close, my breast pressed against him, my hands in his hair…my heart reminding me I’m alive. Pounding almost drowning out the sound of the light buzzing overhead. Everything is reeling, his thoughts are now my own, together… BAM the overhead light shatters.

The other half of my soul is ripped away from me in an instant. Without notice, Caleb pulls away from me. I stand there, dumbfounded unable to move. Thankfully, Caleb is a professional light wielder and is armed and dangerous with his flashlight. The sun barely setting but the blinds are all pulled to block the summer heat and light. Amber came running in, armed with an industrial sized light.

“Whoa, what happened in here?” Amber asks. “The light exploded?”

I look at both of them sheepishly, knowing that the intensity of our kiss caused the light to blow up.

Keys rattle in the front door, great, mom is home.

Mom and grandma walk into the kitchen and see that two light bulbs have shattered and glass is everywhere.

“What happened in here?” Mom asks as she searches my face for answers.

“Yeah, I don’t know. I came in the kitchen to raid the pantry for cookies and it exploded,” I lied…kinda.
I did come in here for cookies but a kiss got in the way
.

Grandma looks at my face and I know she knows that I blew it up.

“Is everyone okay?” Mom asks. “Your arm is cut Caleb. Is that from the light?”

I look at Caleb’s arm and see a razor thin piece of light bulb sticking out of his arm. The blood beading up on his arm starts to make me feel a little woozy.

“Oh my gawd Caleb! Are you okay?” I grab some paper towels, without thinking I pull the glass out of his arm. Mom ran into the other room to get supplies to treat his arm. For some reason I decide to move the paper towel and I take in a deep breath, keeping my mind off the blood. My fingers start to tingle and I look into Caleb’s eyes, seeing his curiosity I whisper to him, “My hands are my tool.” My finger tips start to glow and then light, a bright small light shot from my hand to Caleb’s arm. His eyes close and there I stand staring at his arm and it is completely smooth.

Holy cow, his arm is healed. What did I just do
? “Caleb, do you see what I see?”

“Nothing?” He replies.

“Yeah, crap, what do I say to my mom?” I look up to see both Amber and my grandma standing with their mouths wide open, in shock. “Grandma, don’t let her come back in here. Please, she’ll freak out,” I beg. Without another word, grandma is out of the kitchen and heading off mom before she returns. The next I hear is her scolding her daughter.

“Tabbie, leave them be. I know you’re a nurse and all, but it’s no big deal. It was no more than a little dot and Jessie has it under control. I told them there are some Band-Aids under the counter and she put one on it. No worries Tabitha,” Gayle said loud enough for Jessie to hear.

“Mother, I’m a nurse,” mom said.

“Yes, and they are kids and accidents happen.”

I run over and grab a Band-Aid and cover up the would-be wound, just in time to hear the voices fading away.

“That was so damned amazing, I almost shit my pants,” Amber said.

“You’re so eloquent Amber,” Caleb said. “Jess, you okay?” He put his hands on my shoulder, I hadn’t looked at his face yet. I was afraid that he’d be afraid of me, like I’m a freak or something.

“Yes…no…maybe. I don’t know. That was so incredible, how did it happen? I mean, well…it was like you and I were connected. I felt the same pain you did and I knew I could heal it. It was as if a voice from within told me how to do it,” Jessie proclaimed. “Am I a freak?”

“What? No, of course not,” Caleb says and pulls me to him. “You were so beautiful, I felt it to. I was you and I felt us work together. Our power must have amalgamated totally together.”

“Amalga who?” Amber said. “You and your fancy words, can’t you say something like…our power merged like peanut butter and jelly.”

Caleb shook his head back and forth. “I’m sorry that my friend here is an idiot. The word is amalgamate, if you don’t know it, look it up. There’s this fancy invention called a dictionary, it starts with a m a...”

“You’re so mean Caleb. Anyone ever tell you that? If not, they should’ve, bully.” Amber pretend pouted.

“Stop, both of you. Am I the only one that gives two poops about the light exploding?”

“Two poops?” They both said in unison and did nothing to hide their obvious amusement.

Amber crosses her arms and makes a smug face. “Yeah, what was that all about? Getting a little bow chicka wow wow in here? I’m totally cool with it, blowing out lights is intense shit. That must be one helluva pair of lips you got going on there B.”

I look at her sideways. “B?”

“B for Bronx, I’m testing it out to see if it fits you.”

“Thanks, I feel all
hood
now. The answer to the question about us kissing, is yes, we were kissing. Have you ever heard of
Light Tamers
blowing up lights?”

Caleb pulls me to him, a concerned look on his face blew his cover at being nonchalant. “If we get a chance to talk to Ms. Gayle tonight, we should ask her about it. Let’s grab the cookies and Cokes. I hear your mom in there still fussing about my arm, maybe if we show her I survived she’ll ease up. If you hand me a dust pan and broom, I’ll get this glass up.”

We watched two movies and went through three bags of popcorn before my mom finally decided to go to bed. Amber admits she needs to get home to help her dad get in bed. She might like playing hard ass, but she really seems to be a good person.

Caleb and I hold hands as I walk him to the front door. “I can’t wait to have you all to myself tomorrow night. I’ll text you when I get home, be careful. You have your flashlight right?”

I pat my pocket to show him I have my flashlight. “Caleb?”

“Beautiful?” he replied.

“Thank you,” I say.

“For?”

“I dunno, for being you. Good night. I’ll wait for your text, be good. Don’t text and drive!”

“Hmmm, good isn’t fun, but I’ll try,” he whispers to me. I shiver and tingle in places I’ve never shivered or tingled before.

I watch him climb into the car and feel a pang of jealousy that it isn’t me in the passenger seat.
Jealousy is ugly, it will betray you in a heartbeat.

~~~~~~~~~~

Grandma went to bed, telling me she and I’d go out for a while this weekend and have a good long talk. If I were a suspicious kind of person, I’d guess she wasn’t sure about the reason the lights blew up. Me either.

Caleb and I got on the internet and messaged each other through Facebook so our parents wouldn’t hear us talking. While we chat, I ask questions about the things he’s done in his life. He told me stories about going to the doctor a lot when he was young. Doctors poked and prodded him, coming up with nothing. No one could tell his parents why he was weak. His mom always thought he had a vitamin D deficiency because he would perk up after a day at the beach. Other kids made fun of him because he was small and pale, having no idea he was also extraordinarily smart. I told him stories about my dad and how his OCD was starting to get the best of him. How life was living with an artist that painted for a living. When he was good, he was amazing and how when he was bad, life sucked for everyone. I’d never expected that I’d be so forthcoming to someone I barely knew. Here he is, and here I go, falling for the first guy that pays me any attention.

I wake suddenly at 3:15 A.M., only to find my laptop screen protector spinning Captain Jack Sparrow around in circles. Thankfully the lights in my room are still on; my mom has a habit of getting up in middle of the night and turning them off. I go to shut down my computer and see that Caleb sent me a goodnight and good morning note. Does it get any better than this? I’m excited to find out.

Hearing a noise come from the kitchen, I grab my flashlight and decide to investigate. Walking past the door to my mom’s room, I notice its open a crack. I peek inside to see she is steadily snoring quietly. Okay, grandma must be in the kitchen. When grandma had the house rewired for my bedroom lights, she had light switches installed with motion detectors that will turn on when someone walks around. The new houses being built all come with them, and now, this one does too. The light is dim but enough to keep the
Dark Ones
away I hope.

The kitchen light is on and I fully expect to see grandma up to no good, eating cookies or something. Before I have a chance to react, I’m grabbed from behind. The gloved hand across my mouth prevents me from biting the person and scream for help. I hear the assailant whisper in my ear, “Jessie, don’t scream. It’s dad.”

Did I hear that right? My dad isn’t in New Bern, North Carolina. My dad is in Greece being a starving artist. My dad that never technically married my mom because he didn’t believe you need a piece of paper to belong to someone else. My dad wouldn’t ever appear and not call me to let me know he is in town. Suck is not the word I’m thinking, screaming at the top of my lungs feels right.

I struggle against him, my arm about to elbow him in the gut. It sounds like my dad, but it can’t be. Why is he sneaking into the house?

“Jessie, stop, it’s your dad. Stop struggling and I’ll let you go. I don’t want you to wake your mom or Gayle. Understand?” He whispers in my ear.

I shake my head up and down and he lets me go. “Daddy, why are you sneaking around in middle of the night?” My eyes surely deceive me, it looks and sounds like my dad, but is it?

“Thank God you’re okay. I’ve been worried sick about you. I’m sure Gayle has told you what you are. She has right?”

I shake my head up and down in agreement. I throw my arms around him. I’ve missed him so much, but he will freak out that I’m dating.

“Jess, I don’t have a lot of time. Listen to me, I need to meet with you. The library isn’t far from here, tomorrow at lunch time I can be there. You can see if Gayle will drop you off. I have to warn you Jessie, you need to be careful. Yes, you are a
Light Tamer
but you’re not just any tamer, you come from a royal line. I can’t tell you everything right now, and no matter what you do you have to have light with you. That boy, the one that saved you when you almost drowned. I don’t remember his name, but he is someone you need to be with. You need to find him, he is your salvation,” dad said.