Betrothed Page 8

  ‘Marla. Patience, beloved.’

  I quietened instantly and looked to the direction of the voice, but it was gone. The forest was gone. I was back in the shower all alone with the knowledge that I’d imagined the whole thing. I curled into a ball on the floor and gave into my misery, my tears running down the drain along with the hot water.

  Eventually the hot water ran warm and then cool and then cold, forcing me, shivering, from the shower. I dried off slowly, sapped of energy and filled with a mix of loss, fear and confusion. I missed Leif so much but knew at the same time that I was losing my mind. How on earth could I feel this . . . what was it—love, obsession—for a guy who existed only in my dreams? To compound my wretchedness, there was the realisation that, with this latest delusion, I didn’t even have the excuse of being asleep. Frightened and more determined than ever to embrace reality, I wrapped myself in my towel and went to my room to get ready for my date. I would force myself to have feelings for Jason.

  My sanity depended on it.

  Hilary was too excited to notice the state I was in. She had finished her make-up by the time I joined her and was just starting on her hair. Her good mood brought me crashing back to reality.

  ‘Amy, I need help,’ she said putting her brush down as I came in. ‘Which outfit do you think I should wear?’ She had brought two and they were laid out on my bed for my inspection.

  ‘Oh, I don’t know, they both look good—how are you wearing your hair?’ I asked, doing my best to summon some enthusiasm.

  ‘Up, I think.’ She swept her thick shoulder-length hair up to demonstrate.

  ‘Go with the dress,’ I suggested.

  She stepped into the dress and did it up. Hilary had a nice curvy figure and the dress fitted it flawlessly.

  ‘You’re going to make Kyle weep,’ I said, managing a smile. She looked just about as pleased as I’ve ever seen anyone look.

  I blow-dried my hair and, inspired by Hilary, considered wearing it up. I tried it, took one look at my ears and let it back down again. I wondered, not for the first time, if I would ever be brave enough to have them surgically altered.

  Jason and Kyle arrived right on time. Jason walked through the door, confidence personified, took a long look at me and said with a broad grin, ‘Babe, you look hot.’

  Kyle just stood gawking at Hilary, eventually managing to form a syllable when she laughed. ‘Wow.’

  After a lecture about the dangers of drink driving and speeding, Dad offered the guys a Coke. Jason pointed out that we would have to get going to make the restaurant on time. We said goodbye to my parents and headed for the door.

  ‘Not too late, Amy,’ my father said, shooting me one of his ‘I know I can always trust you’ looks.

  ‘Dad,’ I said, giving him a look of my own.

  He smiled, unrepentant.

  ‘Intense,’ Jason said with a shudder when the door closed behind us.

  Jason parked at the beach and we hurried along the esplanade to the restaurant. Daylight was beginning to fade and cool salt mist filled the air. I wrapped my arms around my body, wishing for a jumper. Jason frowned as he watched Kyle take his jacket off and drape it around Hilary’s shoulders. But the frown turned into a smirk as he wound an arm around me and informed me that with a muscle mass far greater than Kyle’s, he didn’t need a jacket and wasn’t it my lucky night because he was willing to share his body heat with me. I looked at him. It was impossible to tell if he was joking or not.

  The restaurant was warm and noisy and smelt of frying things. We were shown to the only vacant table. Like the others, it was chunky wood with bench seats and lit with a single lantern. Jason sat so close I could feel his thigh pressed to mine. I glanced sideways. He looked innocent enough. I gave him the benefit of the doubt and scooted closer to the wall. The waitress came to take our orders. I didn’t bother with the menu, just ordered an egg white omelette with cheese and mushrooms and a glass of orange juice, pointing out the care that needed to be taken because of my allergies.

  ‘That’s tough, babe,’ Jason said.

  ‘What’s tough is if I eat the wrong thing and my throat swells shut.’

  ‘Yeah, but now I know how you keep that bangin’ little body,’ he said, looking me up and down.

  I felt my eyes narrow. ‘The secret’s out,’ I muttered.

  Kyle and Hilary were staring into each other’s eyes and could have been alone in the universe. All they talked about was school, but they were enjoying each other regardless. I sighed, envious. Visions of Leif leaped uninvited into my mind before I could stop them. I quickly changed the subject in my head and turned my attention to Jason, asking him about the first thing that came to mind—the essay due for English.

  ‘No way,’ he said. ‘We’re not talking about school tonight.’

  The trouble was I didn’t know what to talk to him about. In any case, it didn’t matter—I wouldn’t have got a word in. He rambled on the whole time about football and surfing: his favourite team and players, the size of the perfect wave and what an awesome surfer he was.

  Dinner was soon finished and we strolled up the road to the cinema.

  The movie was awful. It was about a couple of stupid guys somehow scoring the two hottest chicks in school. I couldn’t wait for it to be over. Jason kept his arm around me, stroking my shoulder now and then. I had to remind myself of my resolve to like him otherwise I would have pushed him away. I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I should have been grateful to have the attention of a popular guy like Jason. But this date was like something to be endured. At least Hilary was happy. She sat beside me, head tucked close to Kyle’s, whispering all through the movie. They were lucky the theatre was empty or they might have had a popcorn box or ten thrown at their heads. When the movie was over, we went back to Jason’s and after hanging out there for a while, he drove us home. My father smiled his approval as we walked in just before midnight.

  ‘Did you have a good night?’ he asked.

  ‘All right,’ I replied.

  ‘It was brilliant,’ Hilary corrected. Dad smiled at her enthusiasm and I couldn’t stop a grin as she pulled Kyle’s jacket around her body and sniffed the collar. She caught me watching and removed the jacket with a blush, hanging it over the back of a dining chair.

  ‘Night, Dad,’ I said, chuckling, as I took her by the hand and dragged her away.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Jack came around the next morning to quiz us about the night before.

  ‘So how was it?’ he asked, when I opened the door.

  ‘Well, Jason didn’t make any sleazy moves, so you can admit you were wrong now.’

  He pushed me aside and I followed him into the living room. ‘Give him time.’

  ‘Jack, you’re so frustrating!’

  He turned to me and smiled, one eyebrow lifted. ‘I frustrate you?’ he asked, making himself comfortable on the nearest lounge. ‘Because I’m sexy and intriguing?’

  ‘No, because you’re annoying.’

  ‘But you love me anyway, right?’

  ‘Hmm, sometimes I wonder.’

  ‘You do not wonder.’ He laughed. ‘You love me. Where’s Hil by the way?’

  ‘Still asleep, she kept me awake half the night going on about Kyle. I dozed off eventually, but I doubt she got much sleep. I actually caught her sniffing the collar of his jacket!’ I gestured to the jacket hanging over the back of the dining chair as I said it. ‘Oh, I shouldn’t have told you that,’ I moaned, realising my mistake the moment the words had left my lips.

  ‘Ha, that’s hilarious.’

  ‘Don’t tell her I told you.’

  He looked at me. The eyebrow rose again. ‘You know me better than that.’

  I groaned. ‘Please promise you won’t tell her.’

  ‘No way, you know I won’t be able to help it. Anyway, tell me about last night?’

  ‘When you promise not to say anything.’

  ‘Oh fine then,’ Jack said, rolling his eye
s. But I knew he’d find some loophole or other.

  ‘It was all right, dinner was boring, but when isn’t dinner boring for me? The movie was lame, but afterwards, we went back to Jason’s place and . . . it was okay actually.’

  ‘So, is it all on between you two now?’ Jack sat forward, resting his forearms on his knees.

  ‘Well, I wouldn’t say that, but I did tell him I’d go to the dance with him.’

  Jack frowned. ‘I thought you were coming with me?’

  ‘Geez, it’s not like we won’t all be together.’

  ‘So you like him then.’

  I looked down and frowned at my hands. ‘He helps me forget Leif.’

  ‘I suppose that’s a good thing. You were a bit obsessed,’ Jack said gently.

  I sighed. ‘Not any more, I won’t dream about him again.’

  ‘How could you know that? You can’t control what goes on in your mind when you’re asleep.’

  ‘Because he told me.’

  ‘He’s a dream, Marla.’

  I looked up and into his eyes. He looked concerned. ‘Well, my dream told me he wouldn’t see me again.’

  ‘But you haven’t discovered the meaning of the dreams yet.’

  I twirled my bangle on my wrist. ‘Doesn’t matter, I know the dreams are finished.’

  ‘Then we must have missed something. Tell me about the last one.’

  ‘You’ll laugh.’

  ‘I won’t.’

  ‘You will, but whatever. It was just more of the same really, only . . . Leif sprouted wings and flew me through the forest.’

  ‘Hectic.’ Jack’s lip was twitching.

  I sighed. ‘Go ahead, let it out. I know you’re completely without self-control.’

  ‘You know sometimes you can be very hurtful,’ he said, not looking remotely hurt. ‘The place is called Faera, right?’

  I nodded.

  ‘Let’s Google it.’

  ‘Actually that’s not a bad idea.’ I wondered why I’d never thought of it myself, after all, if it hadn’t been for my dreams I wouldn’t know my real name.

  Jack sat down at the computer. I perched on the arm of the chair and leaned on his shoulder. A moment later he pulled me into his lap and held me there with one arm curved around my waist as he typed with his free hand.

  ‘Were they like angel wings, or dragonfly’s, or did he look like a giant bird?’ Jack asked casually.

  I turned my head to look at him. He was staring at the screen, a tiny smile flickering at the corner of his lips. ‘Couldn’t help yourself, could you? Try Telophy,’ I suggested, when Faera yielded nothing of interest. I leaned forward to type it in.

  ‘I’m genuinely curious, Marla.’

  I turned to study him again. He looked at me—blinked. I narrowed my eyes. ‘I’ll bet you are.’

  ‘I am,’ he insisted.

  ‘His wings were not like any of those things.’

  ‘Were they more like little bee’s wings or ladybird’s? Did they make a big noise like cicada wings?’ he asked, trying to keep his face straight.

  ‘Cicadas make noise with their bums not their wings,’ I said, frowning at him.

  Jack laughed and gave me a squeeze. ‘Tell me.’

  ‘They were kind of like butterfly wings, if you must know. Dazzling white butterfly wings,’ I said, pretending to keep my attention on the screen.

  ‘Of course,’ he said, with a smirk that I ignored. Nothing came up for Telophy. We tried a few spelling variations, but still nothing.

  ‘That’s disappointing,’ Jack said, giving up and typing cicada noise into Google.

  ‘But not surprising, we are searching for Fairyland after all.’

  ‘What about Ruby?’ Jack said, selecting a site and sitting back to wait for it to load. ‘I can’t recall her mentioning where your parents came from that day.’

  ‘Neither can I.’

  We spent a moment reading the information on cicadas then Jack said, ‘Huh, I was sure it was their wings.’

  I grinned. ‘Told you.’

  ‘Well it’s not their bums either!’

  I was about to tell him I was closer to being right than he, but Hilary walked in at that moment.

  ‘Morning,’ she said, as she joined us at the computer. She had a big grin on her face.

  ‘Hilary, look at you,’ Jack said, swivelling in the chair to face her. ‘Don’t you look, um . . . in love.’

  Hilary glanced at me. ‘What have you been telling him?’

  ‘Very little, Hil, the evidence is all over your face really.’

  ‘What is that smell?’ Jack said looking around the room and sniffing the air. ‘It’s been wafting up my nose since I got here. It’s strong, kind of leathery, overpowering.’

  Hilary and I looked at each other.

  ‘What are you on about, Jack?’ Hilary said, looking confused. I pinched Jack’s arm, suddenly and uncomfortably aware of where this was going. Then I frowned at him to remind him of his promise.

  ‘Can you smell it, Hil, it smells like . . . man.’ He lifted me from his lap. I watched as he walked to the dining chair and picked up Kyle’s jacket. ‘Can’t you smell it, Marla?’ he asked, as he brought the jacket to his nose and took a deep whiff.

  Hilary glanced at me, then back at Jack. ‘Jealous, Jack? Upset that you don’t smell so fine?’

  ‘Oh, Hil, I’m injured.’ Jack clasped a fist to his chest.

  ‘You promised,’ I said, glaring at him.

  His big brown eyes were all innocence. ‘What? I only commented on the odour permeating the room.’

  ‘I’m in too much of a good mood to worry about you making fun of me,’ Hilary said, smiling at him. ‘Did Amy tell you about what a good time we had last night?’

  ‘She told me about what a good time you had last night,’ Jack said with a smirk.

  I left them alone so Hilary could fill Jack in on her night with the wonderful, intelligent and amazing Kyle.

  I showered and dressed before going to the kitchen to make my friends a coffee. When I returned with their drinks, Hilary was still going on about Kyle. I could imagine Jack internally begging for mercy. I’d left them alone for almost an hour and it looked like she hadn’t even paused for breath. But Jack—maybe because her enthusiasm was so out of character—was giving her his full attention. I smiled at his willingness to do so. Despite his passion for having fun at our expense, he really was a brilliant friend. I waited for Hilary to take a breath before I interrupted.

  ‘So what do you want to do today?’ I asked.

  ‘We could visit Ruby,’ Jack suggested. ‘Hang out at Bondi afterwards.’

  ‘You wouldn’t mind?’ I asked.

  ‘Why would I?’

  ‘I dunno, time, petrol, wear and tear on your new car.’

  Jack rolled his eyes. ‘Call Ruby, see if she’s home.’

  I made the call. Ruby happily agreed to the visit.

  ‘What was this Telophy you were Googling?’ Jack asked, as he drove.

  ‘Telophy is Leif’s father. The kingdom he rules is named after him and, according to my dream prince, when my mother refused to marry him, King Telophy decided a fair punishment would be to murder her child if she decided to have one.’

  ‘But you’re still alive,’ Jack pointed out.

  I looked at him. ‘I know you can’t be taking any of this seriously.’ He said nothing. ‘Are you?’ I asked, astonished.

  ‘Well, there’s something weird going on,’ he said.

  I kept my eyes fixed on him. He wasn’t even smiling, so I carried on. ‘Anyway, Leif told me that when I was born, my parents fled Faera to escape the wrath of King Telophy. They left me here, went back there and haven’t been heard from since being captured on their return.’

  ‘Lena did say someone had been looking for you, and you did have to prove your identity with that cute little birthmark that you still refuse to show me.’ Jack paused to shoot me an accusing look. ‘Who knows, maybe there really is
something to your dreams. Maybe you are from this place Faera.’

  ‘Jack, you’re suggesting that Amy’s a fairy and she’s in hiding here on Earth so as not to be executed!’

  Jack glanced at Hilary in the rear-view mirror. ‘That’s not exactly what I said, but the truth is we don’t know where Marla’s from, and apart from those dreams, there doesn’t appear to be any way of finding out.’

  ‘I wouldn’t be the only person unable to trace my birth parents.’

  ‘True, but Marla, let’s be honest—you are . . . different.’

  ‘So I have a few allergies,’ I mumbled, unable to work up a protest. He was right—I was different.

  ‘Sweetheart, you’re allergic to the whole world,’ Jack said, gently. ‘Seriously, it’s only that you have that bizarre ability to heal quickly together with a very amiable friend ready to lock lips with you when you’re in a sticky spot that you’re even alive.’

  ‘Amiable, Jack?’ I said, shooting him a grin. ‘I can see you actually read your Austen.’

  Jack barely cracked a smile as he continued. ‘Your skin, when you can see it underneath all those rashes, has a very strange gleam to it. You’re fair but you never burn or freckle, and—I’m loath to say it because I know how sensitive you are—there are your ears. Maybe you’re not of this world.’

  Hilary leaned forward in her seat. ‘I don’t think I’d go that far, Amy, but Jack does have some valid points.’

  ‘Oh please, I can kind of believe Jack getting carried away, the big drama fiend he is, but you . . . Besides, I can’t kiss my elbow.’