Okay, here's the story on how Ray and the others ended up behind the bush. It might seem a little redundant, but I'm feeling in a musical mood, in case you didn't notice from the previous chapter ;)
Can You Feel the Love Tonight?
"Check it," Ray hissed, pulling Sam behind a bush, an evil gleam in his eyes.
"Ray, ah don' think – " Sam was cut short by the scheming teen next to him.
"Shut it, you hick, or they'll hear you!"
"Who?" Sam asked, clueless.
"I dunno, just them. Now, look!" he pointed past the leaves to the patio. Jubilee was lounging on a deck chair by the pool, lazily chomping on her gum and shooting plasmoids into the sky. They exploded into brilliant colors, the sun having recently set.
"They sure are beautiful," Sam said, watching the colors.
"Not them, you dolt!" Ray slapped his hand against his face.
"Ray, it's jus' Jubilee. Ah'm not gettin' – " Once again, the southern guy was interrupted, but this time by Jamie.
The twelve-year-old tripped, sprawling to the ground, multiplying in the process. Ray tackled what he assumed to be the original Jamie, slapping his hand over his mouth. Out of sheer surprise, the copies vanished.
"Silence, pipsqueak!" Ray growled as a russet wolf loped into view. It turned into Rahne, who sent a fierce look over to Jamie before crouching behind the bush, brushing Sam's arm. He blushed at their close quarters, having never been exactly comfortable with the opposite sex, especially with Rahne – whom he had a crush on the size of Atlanta.
"What's going on?" the Scottie asked.
"Ah dunno," Sam managed, "Somethin' 'bout Jubilee." He gestured beyond the bush, taking the opportunity to scoot away from the girl. Rahne scowled, but managed to keep back the growl building in her throat. Jubilee was her friend and all, but being slightly possessive over her friends meant she wouldn't take it very well if Jubilee was stealing the attention of her secret crush.
"Move over, Guthrie," Ray said, joining them after ensuring Jamie would be quiet. Shoving Sam back onto Rahne, he parted the bush, ignoring his friend's obvious discomfort and the wolf-girl's blush.
By now, Bobby had joined Jubilee by the pool and they were teasing – more like flirting with – each other. Bobby was holding Jubilee's hand, saying something. Jubilee was frowning, but they could see the smirk on Bobby's face. They continued their playful banter, unaware they were being watched.
"Ae ye sure we shoul' be hea? It dinnae feel righ'…" Rahne said, squirming under Sam's weight. Ray sighed dramatically, pushing away from them. Sam hastily got off Rahne and brushed his long bangs out of his beet-red face nervously.
"I can see what's happening," Ray said, staring beyond the bushes to Bobby and Jubilee.
"What?" asked Sam, Rahne and Jamie simultaneously.
"And they don't have a clue!" Ray exclaimed.
"Who?" Jamie asked eagerly.
"They'll fall in love, and here's the bottom line – our trio's down to two." Ray looked meaningfully at Sam, who blinked.
"Oh," he said with Jamie, coming to a realization of what he meant. Jamie, because realized he wasn't being included in there group. Rahne just watched them with an amused expression.
"The sweet caress of twilight, there's magic everywhere." Ray scowled. "And with all this romantic atmosphere, disaster's in the air!"
"Shh!" Sam hissed, looking nervously towards the patio, where Jubilee and Bobby seemed to be… dancing. Ray huffed and Rahne stifled a giggle.
"Can you feel the love tonight?" Amara sang softly, stepping out of the shadows. Sam's eyebrows shot up underneath his bangs, and was about to ask where she came from when Ray's hand clapped over his mouth. Rahne's eyes narrowed minutely, but decided to withhold her wrath because of Amara's beautiful singing. Amara ducked her head a bit at her, as if reading her thoughts and gave a small smile, Rahne smiled back.
"The peace the evening brings. The world for once, in perfect harmony, with all its living things." She continued, crouching in between them. Rahne jerked her head in the general direction of the pool, and Amara swept away a section of the middle of the bush to see. Bobby, his head barely visible bobbing in the pool, was challenging Jubilee to do something. Said girl was standing at the edge of the pool, hip cocked and a mocking grin on her face. Amara raised her eyebrows at Rahne, who nodded and shrugged. Her attention was displaced, however, as Sam began to sing.
"So many things to tell her, but how to make her see?" Sam mumbled, having plucked up the courage to join the song now that he wasn't so close to Rahne, pointedly staring at the treetops. He chuckled to himself. "Th' truth about mah past? Impossible. She'd turn away from me." A snicker escaped Ray's lips and Sam elbowed him in the stomach, hard.
A call of "cannonball!" could be heard distantly.
"He's holding back, he's hiding," Rahne sang while Ray glared at Sam. Amara gave her an encouraging smile. "But what, I can't decide." Feeling brave, she reached around Amara and poked Sam in the side. As he turned to face her, she snapped her head around, suddenly very interested in a leaf as a blush burned her cheeks. "Wha won' he be th' kin' I know he is, th' kin' I see inside," she mumbled, her Scottish accent prevalent now.
"Can you feel the love tonight? The peace the evening brings?" Amara tried to keep her voice steady, as she tried to keep from laughing at her friends' awkwardness. Sam reached over and poked Rahne back, but when she looked, he was fiddling with a leaf. She averted her eyes to Amara, who was smiling, but still managed to look like she was in pain at the same time.
Rahne quirked an eyebrow.
"The world, for once, in perfect harmony, with all its living things?" Rahne's voice trailed off, the girl's face almost a red as her hair. Amara regained control of her expression, while Ray was failing miserably. She gave her wolf friend a pointed look, and Rahne pouted.
"Look!" Amara hissed, putting their song on hold, pointing past the bush. They leaned forward eagerly, wanting to see what their friends were doing now. Bobby and Jubilee stood at the edge of the pool, both of them soaking wet. Jubilee had her fingers to her lips, and she was looking up at Bobby with stars in her eyes. Ray snickered.
"Blackmail!" He sing-songed, the girls shushing him. Refocusing back on the pair, Jubilee now stood up on her tiptoes to give Bobby a kiss.
"No way!" Rahne breathed, wide smile on her face. "Thar so cute!" Sam watched her reaction carefully, but Ray was too involved in his own evil thoughts to notice.
"I know!" Amara squealed gleefully.
"Um, you gals know – " Sam was cut off by the girls' singing.
"Can you feel the love tonight? You needn't look too far. Stealing through the night's uncertainties," They sang with renewed vigor. "Love is where they are."
"Ah-wimba-wah, ah-wimba-wah," Jamie bobbed his head, somewhere in his own world, as he sang out of key. Sam clapped his hand over the boy's mouth, wrestling him to the ground.
Trying to keep from laughing. Ray began the end of the song. "And if he falls in love tonight, it can be assumed…"
"His carefree days with us are history," Sam grunted as Jamie wormed out of his grip.
"In short, our pal is dooooooooooommmm-ed!" Ray wailed with his friends, dissolving into a fit of laugher as he slung his arms around Sam, Bobby and Jamie and they staggered around drunkenly, completely forgetting about being quiet. Bobby pulled Jubilee under his arm, and she joined their screeching, too.
Rahne sat gaping at them incredulously, while Amara laughed wildly.
….And you know how it goes from there
