When I arrived in English class I spotted a shiny object lying on my desk. As I drew closer, I realized it was my cell phone.
"Someone found it!" Ivy said, discovering it, too.
Brandon wasn't in class, but his backpack was leaning against his desk.
Just then Brandon sauntered into class. He was wearing an NHL jersey over an oatmeal-colored thermal and black fingerless gloves. I thought it was quite a cool look, but I knew the gloves were to cover up the horrible mauling he'd received a few days before. I felt such sympathy for him and the wound he'd incurred, but I also felt electrified by his presence. An immediate buzzing tingled all over my skin. Before I knew it, I was oversmiling and hypertalking to Ivy as if I were onstage performing for an audience. I didn't even know why I was doing it, but I couldn't help myself.
I didn't dare make contact - eye, verbal, or any other kind. Brandon must have felt the same. In my peripheral vision, I saw him take his seat. I was dying to see if he noticed me.
Instead, I held the cell phone in my hand. I imagined where it had been. In his coat pocket? Maybe at his home by his bed. At some point, he had held it in his hand, as I was doing now.
I was such a love-struck girl and yet I couldn't control my ridiculous feelings.
Finally, I put the phone in my back pocket.
"Not so fast," Mrs. Clark said. It was against school rules to have a cell phone in class. And though I was a good student, Mrs. Clark wasn't about to bend the rules for me. "I'll return it to you after class."
Abby whispered to Ivy. Then Ivy whispered to me. "Brandon is wearing fingerless gloves."
"So?" I said.
"Don't you think it's odd?"
"No. It is cold out," I defended.
"Maybe he got a tat," Abby said.
"On his hand?" I asked.
"On his knuckles," Abby corrected.
"Yes, that's big with the juvies," Ivy said.
"There is no evidence he's a juvie," I said. "You both watch too much TV."
"He's just not like us," Abby said. "It's like he doesn't want to fit in with the rest of us - or even try to."
"Why should he?" I asked. "It's not like anyone is overly friendly toward him."
"I think he's trying to hide something," Ivy theorized. "He doesn't make eye contact, he sits alone, and now he's all about coats and gloves in class."
"Yes... I'm sure that's it," I said. "Has to be hiding something, otherwise it's not worth discussing."
"You are so right," Ivy said with a smile.
"What could it be?" Abby asked.
I was the only one who knew what Brandon was hiding. And I wasn't about to tell.
By lunchtime, Jake and Dylan were showing signs of strain, trailing Ivy and Abby and holding their girlfriends' trays, backpacks, and purses. The students laughed as they passed by, and so did I. They were doing their best to live up to "servants for a day."
Nash grabbed a burger from the line and passed Brandon.
"Hey, dude - what's with the gloves?" Nash said. "We are inside, you know."
Brandon paused. I wasn't sure what he was going to say. I'm hiding a wound I received while saving your girlfriend's life? Didn't she already tell you?
But he didn't answer.
"Wolf got your tongue?" Nash challenged.
"Don't be rude!" I said to Nash.
"I was just wondering, is that the new fashion in Riverside?" Nash asked.
Abby, Ivy, Dylan, and Jake remained at Nash's side. Brandon was alone.
"You can tell me," Nash said.
Brandon remained silent.
"Or maybe you're trying to hide something," Nash taunted.
I pulled Nash away.
"Sorry. He got an A in football but an F in manners," I said to Brandon. I continued to lead Nash back to our usual table.
We sat down and Jake and Dylan began cutting my friends' salads.
"You aren't going to feed them, too, are you?" Nash asked.
"I hadn't thought of that," Abby said with a laugh.
"So what did you have Nash do as your servant?" Ivy asked.
"So far, nothing." He grinned triumphantly. "And the day is half over."
"Nothing?" Dylan asked, outraged.
I'd thought about it all day. What would I make Nash do? I could carry my own purse and backpack. I guess the point was to humiliate them and be able to order them around like we couldn't normally. Nash wasn't used to taking orders, and I wasn't used to giving them. I was the kind that let my opponent win a board game for fear they might feel bad if they lost.
"You have to make him do something," Jake urged.
"Yes, and it better be good," Dylan threatened.
"Okay. Okay," I finally said.
My friends waited for my command. Nash tensed up, sure I was going to order him to run naked through the cafeteria. I wasn't sure, however, if he'd object to such a stunt.
"I told you I want you to have a party," I said.
"That's it?" Nash replied happily. "I always have parties. No big deal."
"That's not all," I said. "I haven't provided you with the guest list."
"Oh. Is it boys only?" Jake asked. "You getting to hang out with the entire basketball team?"
"No, maybe it's only Nash," Dylan said.
"That's not much of a party," Jake said.
"Yeah?" Nash finally said.
"You'll invite the usual crowd. Plus one special guest."
"Who's that?" he asked.
"You were just talking to him," I said. "Brandon. The guy with fingerless gloves."
"Are you kidding?" Nash asked, slapping the table.
"That's not it," I said. "I want you to march over there and apologize to him for your behavior. And then, invite him to your party."
"You want me to kiss him, too?"
"Now, that's a good idea!" Dylan said.
I was beaming. Even my best friends were thrilled.
"Wow - we had it easy," Jake said. "You have to apologize to a Westsider in front of the whole school."
"Apologize for what?" Nash was fuming.
"Hey, man, we lived up to our bargain," Dylan said. "Now it's your turn."
"I don't want that jerk running around my house," Nash said. "What if he steals something?"
"What if he doesn't?" I replied.
"You're kidding me, right?" he said.
I shook my head. My friends grinned.
We watched as Nash rose and headed over to Brandon. As Nash got close to Brandon's table, the other students, one by one, became aware of the unusual occurrence and watched with awe.
When Nash reached Brandon's table, Brandon appeared skeptical.
The whole lunchroom was prepared for a fight.
"Hey, dude - " Nash began. "I'm... uh..." He cleared his throat. "About the glove comment..."
Brandon rose.
Nash looked back at me. I nodded.
Then he turned to Brandon. "I'm sorry."
Brandon was as surprised as the rest of the lunchroom. The staff even breathed sighs of relief, knowing that they wouldn't have to break up a fight.
"No problem," Brandon finally said.
"And I'm having a party this weekend," Nash continued painfully. "You can bring some friends."
"Uh... Okay - "
Nash pulled a face as he walked over to us.
Brandon gazed at me, and I couldn't help but smile in return.
I sat at my computer and attempted to work on my essay on folklore and distract myself from my Brandon Maddox obsession. The bite of a wolf. The full moon. A howl on a dark and dreary night. Everything wolf-related only reminded me of him more.
As if that wasn't enough, I'd been clinging to my cell phone, the very same one he possessed. I'd never felt this guy-crazy before.
"Why don't you put that down?" my mom said that evening at dinner. I had my fork in one hand and my phone in the other.
"I'm afraid I may lose it," I said.
"I think you might be a little overprotective of it. I'm glad you found it, but it's not necessary to hold it twenty-four/seven," my mom said.
I tried my best to eat, but my stomach was in knots. Ever since we'd gone to Penny for Your Thoughts, I felt like my life was out of control. First the wolves in the snowstorm, Brandon Maddox rescuing me, his wound, and now my ridiculous obsession with him. I couldn't help but blame Dr. Meadows and her strange fortune for getting me into this situation in the first place. What exactly had she said? Beware of the woods... of the sounds of howling. There could be outsiders who will turn... underneath the glow of the full moon. And then, when she'd grabbed me on the way out the door, she'd added, Beware of a kiss under the full moon. It will change your life forever.
The snow. The woods. Howling. A full moon. Could she have really seen the strange events before they unfolded? Maybe not. It was November, so it wasn't that unforeseen that it might snow. Legend's Run had a wolf population, so seeing one wouldn't be as shocking as coming upon a zebra. And the moon? It was full twelve times a year. But a kiss? Brandon Maddox was the outsider, but I could only dream of kissing him. What did that part of the prediction mean?
I imagined the party Nash was going to host. This time, since he'd lost the dare, he'd have to be as kind to his Riverside guests as he was to his own players on the field. This could be a big step for Nash, opening his home to someone outside his comfort zone. Nash usually only thought about himself. Maybe this would be an opportunity for him to expand his tightly knit social circle. An opportunity for him to grow. If Nash could get along with Brandon, maybe at last the Westside and Eastside could be Oneside.