See Me

Whoa. Cassidy was a hot mess. Her clothes appeared damp and wrinkled. A lumpy pony-bun sat askew on top of her head.

“What are your clothes doing everywhere?” she asked. “I tripped over them.”

“The Freaky Fae Girl came out of the portal and ruined my date.”

“Shut up! What happened?” She came over and sank into the bed at my side while I told her everything.

After she’d called the FFG every bad name in the book, and then some creative names she’d made up on the fly, I felt the tiniest measure better.

“Why don’t you just give him the presents and show him the video so he’ll know how you really feel?”

My insides seized up at the idea of making myself vulnerable in that way. She may as well have asked why I didn’t dance a naked jig for him on one of the tables. Sure, he might like it, but then again he might think I’m a desperate fool.

When McKale explained his clan’s feelings on the importance of gifts, he had really nailed how I felt about the bin. Giving him those presents was going to be like giving him a piece of myself. I wouldn’t force my gifts on him like the FFG had done to him tonight. And I couldn’t handle it if we weren’t both honored in full by the giving and receiving of each heartfelt item.

“I can’t,” I told her. “Not right now.”

“Yeah, you’re right. He doesn’t deserve it after kissing the enemy.”

“He can’t help it. She makes him lose his mind.”

“Then why are you mad at him?”

“I don’t know.” I was shaking. “I guess I just want him to be strong enough that she won’t affect him, but I know that’s not fair. I’ve never felt this… this…” I searched for the right word.

“Vulnerable? Threatened?”

“Yes…” But I was feeling so much more than those two words.

“What else?” she asked. She scratched my back and I tried to relax.

“I don’t know. I just, I’m starting to care about him, you know?”

“Are you scared he’s go

“Maybe. I mean, I don’t think he would on purpose, but if she keeps coming after him…”

We hadn’t even kissed, and seeing him touch another girl tonight, regardless of the circumstances, burned me up inside with hurt and jealousy. On top of that I was scared for my family. I felt powerless.

“Let’s just take it day by day, ‘kay?” Cass asked.

I almost gri

I almost asked Cassidy what in the world she was doing out so late, but then decided I didn’t want to know. At least not tonight.

She hugged me, smelling like fresh mud and other stream life.

“You can have first dibs on the bathtub tomorrow, chickadee,” I told her.

“You sayin’ I stink?”

“To high Heaven.”

She stood up and dropped her shorts on the floor with mine then climbed into her bed with the smelly shirt still on.

“Oh well,” she said. “Night.”

She sounded a little sad, but she was probably just tired and worried about me. I wished her goodnight and blew out the flame.

That evening I dreamed the FFG was luring McKale into the portal. I was ru

The next week was awful and the weather didn’t help. It rained almost every day.

Mornings were spent with Leilah and Rachelle doing chore duties. If it wasn’t raining too hard Cassidy joined us. I’d really gotten the hang of it all, and some of the older women now acknowledged me and spoke to me in the kitchens. One even made an apron my size.

My favorite job was collecting eggs early in the morning. It was neat to stick my hand into the beds of straw in the hen house, wondering if my fingers would encounter a smooth shell.

McKale and I hadn’t spoken. Not really. When my parents invited him to eat meals with us I greeted him and kept my face expressionless. I had to look at him, otherwise my parents would get suspicious, but the moment his eyes began to plead with mine, I looked away. I was torn between being wary of getting closer to him, and wishing he would seek me out and bare his soul. This i

My parents weren’t dumb, and they knew me too well. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t hide my mood. They pla

On the fifth day while thick clouds hovered above, we had a picnic di

“Licorice root,” Dad said. “You chew on it to extract the flavor. It’s too tough to eat.” Using a knife to cut off the outer layer, he handed me the bit of root like a candy stick. So this was what McKale often nibbled. When Dad turned around I tossed the thing away.

“It’s wonderful in tea,” Mom said, stretching out next to me.

“How do you know all of this?” Cassidy asked Dad.

“McKale’s been teaching me.”

My head snapped up. “He has? When?”

Dad plopped down next to me in the grass, not caring that it was wet. “We’ve taken a few walks together. He’s a smart boy. Has an eye for botany.”

It kind of warmed my heart that he’d been spending time with Dad. I pushed aside that nice thought and told myself not to care.

“I think it’s a shame that he sits all alone at meals,” Mom said. “Nobody pays him any mind.”

“Yes, it’s a shame,” Dad agreed. “I think bad habits have formed over the years, and it doesn’t help that McKale’s introverted. Somewhere along the line he closed himself off to relationships with the others, so he’s partially to blame for having no friends.”

“He does have a friend,” Cass said.

“Who? That Clourichaun boy?” Mom asked. “I imagine it’s not the same as having a close friend in his own clan, though. The Clour don’t share the same work ethic as the Chaun.”

“The Clour have responsibilities in their clan,” Cassidy said. “I mean, I assume they do, because otherwise how could they live. You know?”

“Doing the bare minimum to get by is a little different than having a hard-working, productive society,” Dad told her. “It may seem sexist the way the Chaun have rigid responsibilities for the men and women, but each individual’s role is important. Everyone benefits from one another’s hard work.”

Cassidy didn’t contradict or say anything else.

“You know you can talk to us, Robyn.” Mom reached out and took my hand.

“I know,” I told her. “Thank you.”

Inside, I was a bundle of confusion. I wanted them to like McKale and I was afraid if I told them what happened with the FFG, they would get upset all over again. I didn’t want to incite “Protective Dad Mode” and I wasn’t sure how much we needed to worry at this point.

Eventually the sky darkened and the rain started again, so we gathered our things and began walking back to the village. Mom and Dad took the lead, swinging their linked hands back and forth. None of us were bothered by the soft sprinkles. We’d gotten used to being rained on.

“Good job playing hard to get with McKale,” Cassidy whispered as we walked.

“That’s not really what I’m trying to do.”

“Well, it’s working. He just stares when you play soccer and when you dance at the festivals.”