Rise of Alpha (The Prodian Journey #1) (6 page)

“Mark, what the hell! My head is split—”

Shannon stood outside, balancing books in one hand, and what do you know, a bottle of orange juice with the other, looking so feminine, so pretty. Her hair was pulled in a nice ponytail this time, showing off her bare neck. I had the sudden urge to trail my fingers along her ivory skin.

“Are you always this grumpy?” she asked, her face breaking into a wide grin.

“What . . . ” My voice trailed off. I was still in total shock at finding her on my doorstep. “What are you doing here?”

“Are you just going to stand there and scowl, or are you going to let me in?” She shifted from one leg to the other.

In an instant, I was self-conscious, because I was standing in front of Shannon, shirtless, with my hair sticking in every direction and my mouth hanging open. The best I could do was to open the door wider and step aside to let her in. A breeze swept in as she came inside. Her scent was nothing like how she’d smelled before, and I heard the scratching noise again. Weird. Last I remembered, she had the scent of jasmine, not some funky odor that made me wrinkle my nose.
 

Shannon gave me a bright smile as she walked past me into the foyer. I watched her glance around in appreciation before turning around to face me.

“I got you OJ. Mark told me you stayed home sick.”

Okay. It was obvious she loved to talk, and I didn’t mind listening to her, but at this point, I knew I had to say something. However, before I had the chance to utter a word, my shoulder scrunched in a tight loop and a twitch rolled through me. I felt my face redden with humiliation. It was different when she was up close in broad daylight. I closed the door and faced her. What was the point of hiding who I was? She’d have to know what being around me involved—constant embarrassment and a possible heart attack.
 

“Yeah, I’m sick.” I walked to the kitchen, not sure if I should show her back to the door or to give her full disclosure. It wasn’t a surprise to find her following me, her shoes creating a soft echo on the kitchen tile. Shannon, I was beginning to learn, could be very persistent and was not easily deterred. “I don’t know if it’s a good idea for you to be around me.”

“Why not?” She placed her hands on her hips, tapped her foot on the floor, and waited for me to answer.

Honesty would come in handy now, but I was at a loss for words. I glanced over my shoulder, half-relieved to see she remained unfazed.
Great.
Now what am I supposed to do with a girl inside my house?

Shannon put the bottle of juice and the books on the counter and faced me. “Look, I don’t know why you’re acting all weird. If you don’t like being around me, you can say so. We can ask to switch partners. I’m sure Sweeney and Peters won’t mind. But it’s just plain rude to be ignoring my calls.”
 

All I could do was stare at her. Did she think that I didn’t want to be around her? I made the decision to come clean and to hell with everything else. “Why don’t you sit first?”
 

She obliged, taking the barstool.
 

“OJ?” I attempted an awkward smile.

She smiled back, and it was a breath of fresh air. It was comforting to know that Shannon was easygoing, not like some of the girls in school who wouldn’t want to be caught dead in my company. “But I brought it for you. Aren’t you supposed to be in bed?”

I raised an eyebrow and chuckled. “I
was
in bed until the doorbell rang,” I reminded her.

She cupped her mouth upon realizing what I had said. “Do you want me to go?” she asked, poised to hop off the stool.

“No!” I caught her hand to stop her. My skin tingled where it touched hers, and I was quick to release her. She didn’t seem to mind, so it must have been me imagining things. To hide my discomfort, I went to the cupboard and retrieved two glasses and put them on the counter. When my hands shook, I wrung them together. At least, the trembling wasn’t caused by my tics for a change.
 

“You’re burning hot. If you want, I’ll get the juice, and we can hang out and talk right there.” She gestured at the sofa in the adjoining family room.

“Sure.” I’d do whatever she said if it meant having her around for a bit longer. This felt even better than the time I first laid eyes on my brand new car. I could already tell that even the thrill of winning the lottery couldn’t compare to having Shannon in my house.
 

I handed her the glasses, and my skin continued to tingle where her hand brushed mine. She poured our drinks and followed me to the family room, sitting down next to me and making herself comfortable. My mind started running happy scenarios, which I batted away. I had no right to think there was something more to this visit than getting our project done.
 

“I want to apologize,” I said, and took a big drink to hide the awkwardness in my voice. After all, everything happening today was a first. Apart from my buddies, she was the first ‘real’ guest to visit me at home, let alone a girl.
 

“What for?”
 

My instinct told me she understood what I was trying to say, but she didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. “First, I’m the biggest nerd on the western seaboard.”
 

I groaned under my breath. What was coming out of my mouth? I’d better lay off Wikipedia for a bit.
 

Shannon laughed and took a sip from her glass. Watching her mouth, I felt another twitch building up. I squared my shoulders. She was too sweet-looking, and I was having another urge to trace my fingers across her plump lips. Instead, I sat on my hands to keep from reaching out to her.

“I’m sick.” As if to support my statement, a spasm shook my shoulders. “Well, I’m running a fever right now, but that’s not all.” I continued. “I have phonic tics, and I jerk like crazy. I’m sure you knew anyway.”
 

She took a deep breath before speaking. “Well, I kinda guessed you had something going on medically. I saw Kevin making fun of you last year. It made me sick to my stomach.”
 

So Shannon knew who I was. Now I was really embarrassed.

She hesitated and took another drink. If I didn’t know any better, I would have said Shannon McKesson was nervous. “Or you swallowed a bagful of Mexican jumping beans.”
 

That broke the ice, and I roared with laughter. It felt good to have someone make light of my disease without making fun of me for a change. Shannon joined me, and our laughter sounded good together, so natural. I had to remind myself that this was temporary, but I’d be a fool not to enjoy the moment. Maybe there was hope for me. This could be my shot at being a normal teenager.

“What’s the medical term for your jumping illness?”
 

I was glad the question came up right away. “It’s called Tourette’s Syndrome.”

“What is that?”
 

The question plagued me wherever I went, and I had the answer down pat. Explaining it one more time wouldn’t kill me. “The sudden and involuntary tics and vocalizations are byproducts of an abnormal metabolism of my brain’s neurotransmitters.” I shrugged.

“Wow… sounds heavy.”

Yep, it was a big issue for a teenager, something I wouldn’t ever sign up for. “If my involuntary cursing and jerking doesn’t bother you, then I don’t have a problem being your partner. I’m just trying to protect you from a possible heart attack. In my experience, people get nervous being around me.” I leaned against the cushion, feeling good now that I’d gotten her all prepared. If my fever was making me delirious with happiness, then I wouldn’t mind the mercury spiking up a bit more.
 

“You sound like you’ve been hiding for much too long, Curly.”

It would have sounded better if she used babe or sweetie, but I’d settle for anything. “It comes with the territory, but let’s not talk about me anymore. Why don’t you tell me what you want to do for our photography project?” This was a ploy to get her talking so I could keep listening to her voice.
 

Shannon’s eyes rolled up to the ceiling. “Um, I like taking portraits rather than moving subjects. I would love it if you would pose for me. You’re very interesting, Mexican jumping beans and all.” She giggled.

I glared in mock disapproval at her attempt to make light of my situation. “Hell, no. I’m not comfortable in my own skin, let alone with allowing someone to take my picture for everyone to make fun of.”
 

I stood up, but my legs wobbled. Shannon was quick to get up and place her arm around my waist.
Holy smokes, batman. She touched me!

“You’re such a dork! I’m not kidding. Haven’t you checked yourself in the mirror?” she asked, helping me back down onto the sofa.

I felt like a total loser and had no idea what to say. Look at myself in the mirror? I’d been doing that for the last seventeen years and never liked what I saw—blond hair, dull blue eyes, and average build.
Interesting
was a word I’d never apply to myself.
 

Freakish, yeah. Right on.

“Call me whatever you want, but I won’t pose for a picture. Now, do you want to hear my ideas?” I slid as far away from her as I could. This touchy-feely stuff might lead us into areas where I lacked expertise.
 

“We’ll see about that. I’m quite persistent, you know. Besides, I have all the time in the world. Now, tell me what you have in mind.” She threw me a challenging smile.
 

I want to kiss you,
I wanted to say. Of course, that thought brought on a lot of unwanted twitching and jerking. Shannon watched me, looking helpless while I attempted to control the tics from breaking out. Her hand covered mine, and I let her feel good about being Florence Nightingale.
 

After the twitches subsided, I let out a frustrated sigh. This whole scene was so pathetic. Here I was, in my family room, alone with a hot babe, and I was twitching to the beat of “Pumped Up Kicks.” I avoided meeting her eyes, not eager to see the pity there. Instead, I focused at a painting on the wall and answered her.
 

“I like to photograph nature. I enjoy capturing the natural calm and vibrant colors. It’s like they’re speaking to me, telling me to express in pictures what they can’t say for themselves. With their silence, it’s like they’re giving me the freedom to speak on their behalf.” I rammed my fingers through my hair, embarrassed by my confession. Now she’d know what a total bore I could be.
 

“That’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard someone our age say,” she said in a quiet voice.
 

I looked in disbelief at the expression of awe on her face. Dang, if she could look any prettier, I could die right here. I had no idea what to else to say. Afraid she’d see right through me, I reached for my drink and took another long gulp, then muttered, “Thanks.”

The garage door opened and closed, and Mom strode in with bags of groceries. Her eyes twinkled when she caught a glimpse of Shannon, then gave me a disapproving shake of her head.

“Young man, why don’t you go put on a shirt?” She gave me the
eye
. “And who is this pretty young lady?”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” I had forgotten how I must’ve looked. “This is Shannon from school. We’re talking about the project we’re doing for Photography.”
 

I excused myself to get dressed. Just before I reached my bedroom, I heard them engaging in a full-length introduction. Once inside, I flew to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face. I splashed water on my hair in an attempt to tame it. Applying gel would make me look like I was trying too hard. After several tries, I left it looking like it had before. It had a mind of its own and would end up wherever it wanted, no matter what I did.

I hurried to change into the cleanest jeans I could find inside my overstuffed hamper and slid into a cotton shirt. Running back to the kitchen, I found Mom and Shannon seated at the counter watching the news.
 

I caught the tail end of the report, and the shock hit me so hard, I doubled over. A teenage girl had been found dead along the Merced River, brutally beaten to death with a blunt object.
 

Both Shannon and my mom shot to their feet and rushed over to me. I raised my hand to stop them and sat on the arm of the couch to recover.
 

“What’s the matter?” Mom asked, frowning.

The girl had been in my dreams just this morning.
It didn’t make sense, but who would believe me, anyway? Feeling anxious like never before, I wished I was back on medication. This might very well be a side effect of drug withdrawal. Hallucinations could be dangerous if left untreated. Fear gripped me harder. This coincidence was way too bizarre.
 

“Nothing.” I coughed, and my shoulder twitched. To counter the onslaught of tics, I rotated my head and cupped my mouth.
 

Shannon looked like she wasn’t buying my excuse. “Brian?” She tentatively touched my arm.

I closed my eyes for a brief moment, loving the feel of her hand on my skin and hating what I was about to say.
 

“I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m not feeling well. Thanks for the juice. I’ll see you at school tomorrow.” I turned to walk away.