Chapter 17

Author's Note:

Today marks the six month anniversary of posting the first chapter of the first book in the Haven High Series, and it has been a journey and a half, if I must say so myself. This half year has been filled with ups and downs and a whole lot of in-betweens. Enlightened won The IC Universe Paranormal Book of the Year Award for 2017 and as well a multitude of contests, but what I'm most proud of are the friendships that have developed along the way. I could not have done any of it without my loyal readers, who have now become tremendous friends. It has been my goal to hit 50,000 reads by the end of the year and I'm still striving for that. Anyway you can help out would be greatly appreciated. Please share this story with anyone and everyone. It would make this very humble author very happy. Sometimes I hesitate when I refer to myself as an author, because I don't feel deserving of the distinction, but then I read all  your wonderful comments (over 12,000 in total) and I don't feel so uncertain anymore. My life is blessed because you are all in it. I love you guys. Special shout out to one of my closest friends ALegendaryAuthor whose support has been invaluable.

A good time to tell Donnie never presented itself during the morning classes, and lunch time was filled with too many people, and she was too darn smart to risk whispering it to him around a bunch of fae again. Nope she'd learned that lesson well.

The rain had continued so she couldn't drag him off for a private confo in the parking lot. She might have taken him to the mop closet that she and Xander use to visit for a little alone time, but how would that have looked and more importantly how would Donnie have perceived that little encounter?

Just because she had said yes to going to the ball with him didn't mean she would ever be his girlfriend. She had intended to set him straight about that after the ball, but now she couldn't even go with him. She just hoped, he didn't think she was using this as an excuse, because she was scared to go out with him.

The whole thing was just too damn stupid. Oh why, oh why, did she say she'd go with him? She'd won the match fair and square. What had possessed her to accept his offer? Stupid, stupid girl she berated herself as she walked down the hall to her first magic class.

As it turned out there was no time to tell him during afternoon classes and she was for damn sure not mentioning anything at training, not ever again.

So she snagged him after weapons training on the way to the guy's locker room. He was wring his shirt out sweaty and she wasn't exactly standing in front of him with a light sheen of perspiration either, but the timing couldn't be helped. It was now or never.

"Donnie," she began awkwardly, "Can I give you a lift where ever you might be staying? I have something I need to discuss with you."

His eyes narrowed on her shrewdly as if he was reading her mind, but he said with a sigh and a satisfied smile before tucking an errant tendril of her blonde hair behind her ear, "I would like that. I miss our talks Cara."

Hearing him say that made her feel all warm and gooey inside, and even though she had more serious things to discuss, namely how they were all kinds of wrong for each other and she had better things to do then go to a high school dance with him, she replied instead, "Me too," and gave him a shy smile in return before practically floating to the locker room to take a shower.

She showered quickly and reapplied her make up before exiting the change room to find Donnie waiting for her patiently leaning against the gym wall. He had his duffle bag with him. And he picked it up off the floor to follow her out of the training gym.

They walked to her car in amicable silence. Now that the time had come, she couldn't figure out what to say or how to begin.

When they made it to the front parking lot, she fished the key fob from her pocket book and pressed the unlock button giving Donnie access to the passenger seat before she went around to the driver side.

She hopped in before he could open the door for her though. It always weirded her out when the Cait Sith rushed to open doors for her. It was a holdover from another time and era and totally unnecessary in this day and age. She could open her own damn door thank you very much.

He just laughed it off though and went around the front of her car to slip into his seat.

Before he could even buckled up she was backing out of her parking spot and turned to ask," So where are you laying your head tonight?"

"I am staying with Lauren tonight after the Ball, Mia Cara."

His words made Kelly's air rush from her lips. Now was the time to break the news. She had to go home and pack, plus call the airline and book a last minute flight. There was too much to do not to strike while the proverbial iron was hot.

"Donnie," she began, "I've got a little bad news." She blurted out the next part before she could chickened out," I can't go to the ball tonight."

She snuck a peak at his face while she negotiated a sharp turn around a side street. He looked disappointed and confused.

But when he spoke he didn't sound any different. "You no want to go now Cara."

"It's not that . . . I'm not going because I don't want to, it's because, I can't go at all," she rushed to clarify.

He muttered, "I no understand," his tone made the disappointment in his voice more evident.

It wrenched her gut to hear it, but what could she do? Absolutely nothing, so she said instead, "I'm sorry Donnie. My rep called this morning. I need to be on a flight tonight to New York. I couldn't say no. I've been waiting for this opportunity for years." Her voice petered off as she spoke.

It sounded so lame even to her ears. But Donnie surprised her when he said, "Cara I understand your career, it means everything to you, no? If you must go I understand."

And when she risked a quick glance his way she saw the truth of his words. He wished nothing but the best for her and didn't that just make her feel worse.

The conversation came to an abrupt stand still. She had no idea what to say to him. She knew what she wished she could say . . .

That she was really looking forward to the ball and going with him. That she was eager to experience what it would be like to slow dance with him and end the night with the promise of a shy kiss. Xander and she had always had an understanding that they were just killing time together. Donnie had never once given her the impression that he had a blasé attitude about her.

But how could she utter those words? She would never be able to take them back or make him understand afterward that they were not right for each other once they were out of her damn mouth.

So she said nothing. Like the damn coward she was. When she pulled up in front of Lauren's rundown house, he turned to her and she mentally groaned inside.

He was going to force her to talk it out by refusing to leave the car. Damn she was in a hurry couldn't he see that?

"Donnie let's talk about this . . . whatever it is . . . when I get back okay? Right now I have to go."

He shook his head like she had slapped him, before shrugging and saying, "Okay we talk later Good Luck Cara." And he exited the car.

"And Donnie perhaps you can stop calling me Cara. I mean it's not my name."

He looked hurt when she said it, and frankly she didn't know what possessed her to confront him about it now. Maybe it was because she was so confused about the feelings she was having over the look of hurt in his eyes. He made her feel vulnerable. If she controlled every single aspect of her life, then no one could disappoint or hurt her, and as her heart did a sick little flop in her chest she thought or could they?

Damn this wasn't the time for this. She needed to go, but he was still standing on the curb with her door wide open staring at her like she had lost her damn mind.

And okay she seemed a little bi-polar, but what the heck -- now wasn't the time to analyze things.

"Okay bye then, "she said hurriedly to relay her lack of time, "Tell everyone I said bye and have fun tonight."

"Si you too." He called before closing the door firmly behind him.

She watched as a dejected looking Donnie walked sedately towards Lauren's tiny little run down house.

Kelly had to give her head a shake to break her from her trance like state. She groaned out loud as she drove away and blasted her tunes, but for once she didn't feel like singing along. She felt more like crying. She'd hurt the only person who never in a million years would hurt her back, because she was too afraid to be hurt.

Effectively she had drawn first blood. The question was: was she willing to take a chance on him or just let their friendship bleed out. And she knew the answer to that one without having to do much self spelunking.

The fearless Norse Demigoddess was a damn coward after all.

Kelly packed an overnight and garment bag for the shoot, of course she knew they would provide the clothes, she just didn't want to show up looking like a country bumpkin.

She took an Uber to the San Francisco Intl Airport. The last thing she wanted to do was take a chance on anything happening to Baby in the airport parking lot, while she was gone.

The red eye to New York with United was the only one with seats left so she snatched up an economy seat , thinking someday she'd fly first class, but not today, especially on a last minute flight. Gosh darn it, it was expensive enough! The flight had really hit her pocket book -- hard.

She did the usual hokey pokey at the security checkpoint and settled in to wait to board her flight at midnight. Nearby a baby wailed and fussed something fierce as she thought someone would have to be right out of their damn mind to fly with a baby on a red eye flight.

She spied the airport clock on the wall noting that it was ten minutes to midnight and she thought soon they would be calling the seat numbers to come forward, while meanwhile on the other side of the city, her friends would be decked out and waiting to enter the party tent on the school grounds.

She remembered last year's event. The beautiful but deadly will-o-the-wisps had led them with their guiding lights to the camouflaged tent on the hill behind the school.

She had gone with Xander last year his Domovoi had picked her up at her door and escorted her to the back seat were Xander sat busily discussing business on his cell phone.

At the time she had thought nothing of how unromantic that was, but now that she had gotten to know Donnie she knew how a guy treats a girl when he truly cares. He would have come to her door to fetch her, she just knew it.

At the time she would have scoffed and said that wasn't what she was all about, she wanted a relationship of equals, you can stick the traditions where the sun don't shine she would have said, but not now. Now she knew what it felt like to have someone treat her with respect.

She closed her eyes and imagined Donnie in his tux. She just knew it would be Italian cut, and for sure it would be tightly tapered to his body in light weight fabric and a daring and sleek design. And knowing him, it was probably a garish color like purple, that he would no doubt totally pull off.

She sighed to herself at the handsome imagine she had of him in her head. She'd give anything to have gone to the Ball with him tonight.

But when she opened her eyes back up she nearly fell out of her damn chair. In front of her was a magic text that simply read:

HELP back parking lot! D

The mother of the child was walking back and forth through it and rocking her now silent baby that was miraculously reaching out and trying to grab the letters in mid air.

Kelly dug in her pocket book and when she couldn't find the pen she dumped the whole contents of it on the airport floor not caring that her lipsticks and other items flew or rolled away under other passengers. People stared, but what did she care.

Her heart was racing imagining the worst. When the next text came through:

Be right there! L

Kelly quickly flailed her arms around to write her own text knowing to the human bystanders it must look like she was pitching a fit.

Lauren, come get me I'm at the airport! K

What the hell had the dweebs been thinking; of course the Caits would be waiting for him at the dance? Why wasn't anyone with him?

We're on the freeway we'll be there in a few. M & C

Same T & K

Lauren come and get me after you pick up Kelly. Z

Me too. Q

"Oh sweet baby Jesus! Was he all alone?" She muttered to herself, as she rushed to the handicap single bathroom and threw her carry-ons down on the dirty floor with a sigh. The dweebs were really wreaking havoc on her wardrobe. The portal opened then, and Lauren didn't even bother stepping out; she just reached her hand through and pulled.

What could be happening with Donnie and will the gang get there in time to help?

Tune in tomorrow to find out.