7 He’s the Devil Like Momma Says

When we get home, Nan is waiting for us in the living room with the couch already made up as a bed. With my favorite quilt she made me and my favorite pillow, fluffy. Yes, I had named my pillow, what can I say there are things that make all of us feel safe as a kid. I was set to just relax. On the coffee table were a glass of milk and a peanut butter and strawberry jelly sandwich. Covering myself up as I lay down, Nan sits at my feet.

"How is my girl feeling?" she asks. "Better now" I reply.

"What happened sweetie?"

"Well, I do not really know. One minute I was fine in class reading, then the next my head was killing me. A student had to walk me to the nurse, well try to walk me to the nurse. I made it to the hallway when I almost fell to the floor when I was caught and carried the rest of the way in. The nurse said that I got light headed and needed rest."

"Who carried you?" mom asked.

"Tristen Keller" I answered. Then mom and Nan looked at each other. "What? What are you not telling me?" I asked them both.

"Nothing honey, just so romantic that a boy caught you and carried you is all." Nan said. I could so tell that was not what they were thinking about.

"Honey, I have never stepped in when it comes to you choosing your friends and such. And I truly never will. All we are wanting is for you to make sure that any friends are good company for you to be hanging with." Mom explained.

"It's not like we are best buddies, or heck even friends. I just had a class with him is all. And he helped me when I needed it." I stated. "I really don't think that you have any worries. It was just a pity thing on his part. There is no way any romantic feelings are floating between us." I felt the red forming in my cheeks. What is it about this boy? Remembering that he is engaged to Sasha makes my stomach turn.

"Brynn, Gran and I need to discuss something with you," Mom stated while looking more at nan then myself. "It's about our family." She sighs and continue, "Well, we are not like other families that you are use too."

"Really mom, I have known that my entire life. I mean we are like a bunch of hippies living off the land refusing the man or whatever it was they did." I replied. That got a sigh out of my mom.

"Sweetie really, this is important. Our family, has something special about us. We are different." She paused to see if I was catching on yet. "We are not normal people."

"What are we like physic or something?" I asked.

"yes, yes dear something like that." Nan answered. Now that was different.

"Let me get this straight, you are saying that our family has physic abilities and can read minds or see dead people and such?" I spoke with a giggle in my voice.

"She's not listening," Nan said softly.

"Baby girl you need to understand," my mom started but I stopped her.

"Mom really, I do not believe in that stuff. I know that you and Nan have always done things like the old ways and I will never stop you. But I just cannot believe in that kind of stuff. I'm sorry."

With that they both got up and went about their day. I remained on the couch for a few hours. My headache was not as bad as before but remained persistent the entire day. Being sick has its positives though, having both mom and Nan babying me was great. But, the replay of the conversation with Nan and mom would not stop. Around five o'clock, there was knocking on the front door. Nan was there before I could register to get up to answer it.

"Well, hello girls. How are you two today?" Nan ask in her not so surprised voice. "Good afternoon Mrs. McComas. We are doing well, just stopping bye to check on Brynn." Amber answered. "Well, come in she's just in here in the living room." Nan answers while motioning with her arm to enter our home.

Enters both Amber and Kat, Amber with the look of concern and uneasiness, and Kat bouncing on her toes with excitement. This is going to be something for sure. Amber comes over to sit in the chair next to the couch while Kat walks over to the fireplace being her nosey self, looking at all of Nan's photos of our family.

"How are you feeling?" Amber asks. She always seems to be the one with manners when adults are present. "I'm ok, tired and a little headache is all now," I answered. "that's a relief, we all were worried about you today." Amber replied. "The whole school was talking about it." Kat chimed in. With that Amber gave her a hard look. Nan decided that was her cue to no longer care about our conversation and left to the kitchen.

"Wait, What? The whole school?" I was stumbling out words. "How would they even know?" Kat walks over to the couch lifts my feet and sits down. She places my feet in her lap. "You are not in Kansas anymore there Dorothy, this is small town U.S.A. that means everyone is in everyone business." She spoke while drawing out a thick country accent more with each word.

"Do not listen to her, not everyone knows what happened, just that you got sick is all. It's no big deal." Amber speaking up. "The main people who were worried were us," she said pointing a finger between the two of them. "Mr. Marshall, and Marcus." She finished. That threw me for a loop, why would Marcus be so concerned. I could feel my confusion on my face when Amber continued, "Yes, I know I felt the same way." We sat there like that for a few moments.

"That's not all that Marcus did today." Kat relieved us of our thoughts. At that Amber unleashed her inner beast on her friend. "Now why would you go and bring that up? Really Kat?" she started. "She doesn't need to be worried about that when she is laying up in here all sick and disgusting. Sorry." she says to me but, continues. "I know I shouldn't say that but, girl you look like death eating on a cracker right now."

My self-esteem shooting way down right now, I sat up still with my feet in Kats' lap and try to cover myself with the blanket more. I start to pull my hair up while brushing my hair with my fingers. "Ok girls, you come to check up on me and in that process, realize I am going to live no death knocking on my door. Even though I might look like it." I say while giving my best stick eye to Amber that I could muster up. "You also, inform me of that Marcus, the devil himself, has taken more of an interest in me than before. And this really does not sit well with me for some reason. So, please continue with what else that demon did today after I made a fool of myself and left school." I finish while looking at Kat, I knew she would not hold back any details of today's events.

"Well, today at lunch we were doing our normal thing when he came over behind Amber. You know this got the attention of everyone. After he was stupid enough to put his hand on Amber shoulder he made her face him." Kat spokes. I felt my eyes get wide with this knowledge. "Yes, that boy seems to have a death wish." She continued. "Before we knew it Brayden was right up and making him step back away from Amber. Tristen had to grab his arms and pull him back before something bad happened."

Wow, was all I could get out. Before she started again. "Yep, and good old Marcus didn't stop there. He had the nerve to ask, "How is your pet doing?" He knows how to hit his buttons so easy when it comes to you. Because Tristen was on him faster than you could blink. The whole room then was quiet. All up in his face. Tristen told him to never speak of you like that again. Of course, Marcus just laughed in his face. If it wasn't for Amber being able to calm him down, Tristen would have ended him right there."

Ok, this was not what I expected to hear. These two boys who we know hate each other have shown from time to time different actions toward me. Neither one of them actual care about me just about this stupid feud between their families. "Why, would he do that?" I ask in a small voice. My emotions all over the place. Feeling as if I am just a play toy for these two kids to use against one another.

"Who knows why Marcus does what he does?" Amber answered me. "Because he is the devil like Momma says." Kat states with a giggle. This girl and her movie references. "No, not Marcus, Tristen. Why would he act like that?" I ask. "I am nothing to him, or to either of you I guess. Why do you all act like I matter, when we all know that I am being used to get at each of them for this thing between you families." I could feel my anger start to rise as I spoke.

Amber and Kat look at each other then back at me. Amber speaks, "We didn't even think that you would think like that. I am so sorry, Brynn." Kat continues, "No girl, you are one of us. And that honey is hard to come by." Amber shakes her head at her friend. "What she is trying to say is that we like you. And would like to be your friend. We are sorry if we came on strong. You just seemed like you wanted too when you kept stepping up for us."

That hit me in the gut. Here I was feeling sorry for myself that I was being used when I was the one who started the whole let's be friend's thing with Amber first. "I'm sorry guys, I didn't think about that." I say looking at them both. "It's not that I don't want to be friends, it's just so many things are going on. Like with the whole two gangs hating each other, Sasha and Tristen being Plighted, to today with me getting sick. And now to hear how Marcus acted, I just got overwhelmed. I'm sorry."

"Wait, you know about Tristen and Wicked Witch of the West getting hitched." Kat said. Shaking my head yes, Amber spoke, "That is not happening, it won't. My dad tried to make amends with that family by agreeing to it. And well, it is not going to happen. I know they are going to break their part of the deal."

Ok, that was not what I expected. This is becoming a trend around this town. "What do you mean a deal" I ask. "Dad wanted to make peace with the Collins, so he had a sit down with them. They all agreed to be peaceful if Tristen and Sasha were to be wed at turning of age. But, if at any point the truce was broken then the deal was off. Besides, it truly rests with Tristen if he agrees to it or not." She answered.

"This is a lot of information to take in and I know my little brain is not going to handle it well." I say to the girls. "I am so glad you said that," Kat jumps up dropping my feet on the floor. While rubbing her hands together she says, "so tell me about you and Tristen. I have been waiting years to find the goods on that sweet hunk of man meat."

I could feel the heat moving up my face. Amber was in her seat making gagging noises and shooting daggers with her eyes at Kat. Tucking my feet under myself, I respond to her shocking statement, "There is no Tristen and me." This deflates Kats excitement, she falls to the floor like a spoiled child. Leaning her back against the couch with her knees pulled to her chest she says, "That cannot be, we see how he looks at you, how you melt and become mush around him. How defensive you both become when Marcus or any of them are around."

Amber comes over to her friend and kneels beside her petting her head as she speaks, "It's ok little one. We know you are a hopeless romantic at heart. Shh now it will all work out." Kat looks up at Amber, "I don't care about romantic, I want to hear the juicy stuff." She says through her teeth. "I was hoping to live by carelessly through her." Pointing back at Brynn. "I do not have any type of relationship life and now to know neither does she is just plain wrong."

The laughter that came out of Brynn and Amber brought tears to their eyes as well. The thought of someone wanting to know all about her non exist love life and the to see Kat disappointment and fit she threw made it even worse. After a few minutes the girls settled down but they made sure not to look at Kat or the laughing would start again.

"That was much needed, thanks Kat." I say. "I think it is time for us to go Kat, we have bothered poor Brynn enough this evening." Amber says while pulling Kat to her feet. "So, are we good?" Kat ask while walking to the door. Nodding her head, "Yes Kat we are good." I say while a little laugh. "Yeah," she shrieks. "Okay girl, what's your digits? We need to keep this conversation rolling." After exchanging numbers and laughing way too much the girls were gone and I was getting ready for bed.

In my bed, my brain would not shut off. I had to get all this out so I called Autumn. I gave her the rundown of the past two days at school. How I could not shake the feeling that something was wrong with me. And I could not believe that I was in Tristen's arms but could not remember any of it. Getting off the phone with her I still had the images in my head. Oh, I could imagine it. The smoothness of his skin at the back of his neck, the clean scent of his cologne, and how hard his muscles of his chest were pressed against the side of me. And let's not forget the strength he showed in his arms by carrying me all that way. Awe, I wish I was awake to have experienced it.

A chuckling sound I thought I heard, but not really. I must be caught in my own fantasy, hearing things now. There it was again, only louder. As if it was outside. Getting up out of bed to look out the window. It was darker out now, I do not think I would be able to see anything. Even if there was something out there. And to my surprise, there was someone. To the right at the start of the trees were a dark figure. The stance had the feet shoulder length apart strong shoulders and it's as if it was looking right at my window. There was no way they knew I was looking at them. My room being as dark as it was. Then I saw it. The bright white glow of two small circles, in the correct place to be this person's eyes. My hand flies to my throat with a gasp, and the light is gone. I step back and almost tumble to my floor over shoes that I left in the floor.

Making it too my bed, I had to catch my breath. Now that was not normal. Maybe I really am losing it. Peoples eye cannot do that. Stretching my ears to hear anything that I could outside, I found nothing. Pulling my courage to look out again, I find the yard empty. My heart slowing down, I think maybe I was seeing things. Or this is a dream and I will wake any second. Nothing happened. I walk back to my bed and lay down. After a while sleep finally locates me.