Airel: The Awakening (Airel Saga Book One)

Chapter XIII

IT WAS GREAT TO have Dad home, especially now when I needed both him and Mom the most. He’d probably be gone on another sales trip again soon, but it was nice knowing he was here after the day from hell. Kim and I had said goodbye to our “dates,” if we really could call them that, in the parking lot at the police station. Kim was staying the night with us. I told her I would hate her forever if she didn’t, so she called her mom and told her I needed my Kimmie tonight and that was that.

The “dinner” Mom had been making for us turned out to be take-and-bake pizza, which was fine with me. We ended up pigging out on pizza and popcorn and watching Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday—one of my faves—just the four of us. Mom and Dad and Kim sat on the couch, and I sat on the floor while Kim did up my hair in all kinds of different braids, trying on different looks. It was good therapy.

Eventually my parents kissed me and trundled off up the stairs to bed, yawning, leaving Kim and me to talk. This was what I had been waiting for all day. Girl time with my one and only bud.

“So Kim,” I said, “talk to me. Tell me about your all-star quarterback boyfriend James.” I jumped up and sat next to her on the couch, drawing my legs up under me.

“No way. Besides, you know you wanna go first, princess.”

“Princess?” I said with disgust. Then I belched loudly, the result of too much pepperoni and soda pop in one day. “Agh,” I growled, “I needed that. Been holding it in too long.”

Kim laughed. “Dude. Don’t change the subject. You know you’re all about the L to the O to the V to the E.” She made her fingers into letters.” You’re totally crushing on Michael. Don’t deny it.”

I gasped. “Look who’s talking, Little Miss Check Me Out. The last time I saw you as glassy eyed as you were today was when Second Chance Dresses had their going out of business sale. Except James isn’t exactly 85% off. He’s all man, isn’t he?” I punched her in the arm.

“Ow,” she shouted. It was obviously too loud and she collapsed into a laughing fit, snorting like a pig as she tried to breathe, which only made it worse for both of us.

Finally we calmed down. “Kimmie, I love you.”

She looked at me very seriously. “I love you too, Airel.” She closed her eyes and pouted her lips, slowly leaning in toward me.

I laughed and pushed her away. “Stop it.”

“Oh, pardon me,” she said. “I forgot. Airel’s lips are only for Michael.”

I tried a little laugh, but it fizzled and died and then my smile followed suit. It was suddenly very quiet.

Kim broke the silence. “Oh, my gosh.” she said, pretending to be outraged. “You didn’t kiss him.”

“Kim, no. Jeez. Of course not.”

“Liar.”

I rolled my eyes.

“Li-arrr,” she sang.

“Kim, I didn’t kiss him. I promise. Would I do something like that, anyway?”

“Oh, come on.”

“You know what, no. I didn’t kiss him.” I paused. “But I won’t say I didn’t want to.”

“Uh-huh. Gorrr-geouuus,” she sang again, much to my annoyance.

“Kim, I haven’t—I mean, not since … I haven’t felt this way. Ever.” Saying it out loud made it sound momentous, even revolutionary, and that changed things. “Crap.”