***This is chapter is one of my favorites. It's Cayden and Phoenix's date night!!!
Just for the record, I'm an avid Back to the Future fan and absolutely love Indian food and am from Rhode Island hence why these amazing things are reference in this chapter.
Please Review and I'll give shout outs next chapter, promise!!
Chapter Nine: The Case of the Broken Flux Capacitor
On Friday morning, my family left for Tucson. My mother and father loaded into their Jaguar while the Elder's transported themselves via Firebird flames, which was so much more convenient. They would scope out the terrain and discover which of the preplanned battle techniques would work the best.
"Be careful and don't do anything stupid," I warned Helios after Karlstadt had disappeared in a spiral of flames, his white feathers consumed by the inferno.
Helios' booming laughter filled the room. "Are you serious, Phoenix? I always do stupid things! My stupidity is my greatest ally. No worries, sis, we'll win this one in no time." He brushed off his shoulders theatrically while I rolled my eyes at his overconfidence.
Before I knew what was going on, Helios had scooped me into a vice-like bear-hug that robbed the air from my lungs. I awkwardly patted his back, partly out of affection and partly as a plea for oxygen.
My dad obnoxiously blared the horn cutting our brother-sister bonding time short. Once I was breathing normally, I reminded Helios of the trivial knowledge we had gained through our research—the larynx are the weakest point on sylphs, their voices are the most powerful ability that they possess followed closely by telekinesis…the same old information to which we were already privy to.
After pecking his cheek, I pushed him out the front door lest my father should have an aneurysm due to his lack of patience. You'd think that after six hundred plus years he would learn to calm down, but I suppose his annoyance at the fact that he can't transform yet has taken its toll on him. Poor shmuck. I seriously hoped that Helios and I never became that annoying and pathetic.
My family's early departure left me an extra hour before school started, but I was far too restless to do anything productive so I drove over to Madeline's instead.
I let myself in using the spare key hidden in the compartment of an artificial rock that was meant to be inconspicuous and blend into the environment. It was an utter failure and, if I had wanted to, I could have successfully robbed Maddie's house at the age of six when I had first discovered their horrible hiding spot.
"Maddie, It just me, not some psychopath that wants to make a coat out of your skin. No worries," I howled up the staircase to give her fair warning of my presence.
"Phoenix, you have a sick mind," her answering call sounded from the second floor.
"I'm well aware of that fact."
Maddie clambered down the stairs and threw herself onto the sofa that I was already sitting on. "So is your familia heading to Tucson yet?"
"Yeah, they just left. Sorry for the intrusion by the way," I said out of courtesy. I did this so often that she was practically immune to my presence at such early hours.
"No prob. I won't worry too much about the infestation. Karlstadt knows what he's doing," Maddie said.
"I feel like I should've researched harder. It was the only thing they would allow me do, the only way that I could help out. All I managed to find out were really obvious facts. There's some piece of information that I'm missing and it's gonna make all the difference for the clan, I just know it. If I only had two days extra I'm sure I could have found something useful, an indispensable bit of knowledge! It's so infuriating! I should be there with them!!" I vented.
I always got this way when one of my family members went on a raid without me. My nervous went into overdrive and I was pretty much a wreck for the first few days of their absence. This raid was different, however, as it was the first one that my entire family partook in and its objective also happened to be a coven of one the deadliest black magic creatures imaginable. How was I supposed to function in school with this black cloud hanging over my head? Granted, I could always skip out, but that would just give me eight full hours of undistracted torture in which I would undoubtedly dwell upon the rumble that was going to go down within a few short hours.
"You busted your ass searching through book after book, some of them printed in languages I never even knew existed! Stop it right now, Phoenix! You can't do anything more. And besides, Helios was helping you and he didn't find any useful information either," Maddie stated in a huff. She was well acquainted with my pre-raid jitters.
"Comparing me to Helios in regards to research abilities is a mortal sin. Helios is pretty much useless in that area. His contribution was wikipedia-ing 'hot sylph crazy bitches' and he actually thought that an article would exist under that title!" I screeched.
Maddie's eyebrows curved into a disbelieving arch. "Did he really? Oh, that's really sad. Thank God he has his strength 'cause good looks can only take you so far."
"He could have been so much more helpful with planning the attack, but my dad was being a tool and pretty much forced him to do research. The Elders agreed, but Karlstadt pulled Helios aside to help him out. I swear, the only person who knows what they're doing is Karlstadt and that worries me. My brother can be so rash, but he has a crazy amount of luck. My mother is really good with potion making and all, but she sucks at hand to hand combat. My dad's a tool. The grandparents do whatever they need to, but they're not that impressive, either. I bet that'll come back to bit them soon," I continued.
"Somebody's exaggerating a bit. Stop thinking about it, it's all you can do. Besides, they've never lost before," reasoned Madeline as she twirled a strained of her hair around her index finger.
"Maybe I should go home and grab another manuscript. I could find something important and phone them…"
"I don't think so. You're ridiculous, come on," she jumped up from the couch and grabbed my arm, pulling me up alongside her. "Go!" She pushed my back, directing me towards the door. "School starts in fifteen minutes. I'll buy you a chai to calm your nervous, darling. Hurry, hurry!"
I grinned at Madeline's faux bossy attitude, appreciating her attempt to get my mind off of my worries.
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With chais clutched firmly in our hands we arrived to school just in time to pass Noah on the way to first period. It was horrible timing. Or perfect timing to a mind like Madeline's. I diverted my eyes from his graceful form, knowing that he would somehow be able to surmise that I was staring at him. Apparently Madeline was counting on that probability.
"I know this is next to impossible, but try to be flirty," Maddie whispered before shoving me with excessive force towards a group of congregating boys.
With a yelp of surprise and indignation, I clumsily stumbled into crowd, knocking one boy down and falling into another's arms. My cheeks colored with embarrassment and flames were threatening to explode from my skin. What was Maddie's deal? Was she really that fed up with me? I chucked her a dirt look, before turning to the boy whose arms I was currently resting in.
"I'm so sorry. My friend pushed me and I…" then everything clicked. Maddie was a devilish little thing.
"Well, I can't have you breaking any bones before tonight, can I? It was lucky I was here," Cayden laughed, his eyes bright with amusement.
My jaw was still hanging somewhere around my collarbone as I wracked my brain for something to say in this unceremonious circumstance. Remembering what Madeline had advised, I made a pathetic attempt at flirtation.
By now, I could feel Noah's gaze on me. It was like Peter Parker's spider sense; my own personal 'Noah sense.' How pitiful was I?
"Wow, you're my own personal superhero," I said casually and added in a laugh for effect. "I can safely say that you just rescued me from a face plant. That would have been so embarrassing!" I straightened up and let my hands linger in his as I regained my balance. Sadly, that was pretty much my flirt capacity.
I felt horribly guilty using Cayden to make Noah jealous. Cayden was an amazingly kind person, most likely one of the only decent guys in this school. I really did care about him, perhaps more than I should, but I was beginning to want Noah more than was healthy.
"Are you ready for out big date tonight?" Cayden asked, closing the distance between us that I had created when untangling myself from his arms.
Normally, such close proximity would make me uncomfortable and probably cause me to say such cheerful sentiments as "Do you wanna get punched out?" or "Get out the hell out face, before I shank you!" Needless to say, I can clear out a room rather easily.
But, oddly enough, Cayden's intimate stance didn't bother me as I would have expected it to. Instead of bitching him out, I reflexively smiled, feeling a sort of kinship with him.
"I've been looking forward to it all week," I answered even though all of the craziness of the day had driven it out of my head. He was a sweet kid and hanging out with him wouldn't be completely horrible, though I was still not a fan of dating.
Cayden's smile widened to a near impossible width. "Really? I swear you're gonna have an amazing time. I have everything planned out. It's gonna be perfect!" Aw, shit. Now I feel even guiltier. He had obviously expended a great deal of energy to make this date amazing and I was at this very moment using him to make another boy realize what an jerk he was for flipping out on me. This was so not fair to him. I promised myself that for the next twenty-four hours or so I would not allow my mind to dwell on Noah Wilder.
"I can't wait." I doubted that he heard the guilt wavering in my voice.
Inadvertently, my eyes drifted over Cayden's shoulder and locked with Noah's. There was defiantly sadness and defeat present in those deep green spheres. I bit my lip before shaking my head in disbelief.
Damn! That was a new record—two seconds! I was either the least sincere person in the world or shared some messed up magnetic attraction with Noah.
Okay, no more Noah! I didn't like Noah like that. As far as I'm concerned, for the rest of the day Noah didn't exist. After all, Noah was kind of being a jerk! I had to prevail out of respect to Cayden.
I redirected my gaze to Cayden's crystal blue eyes and smiled. "See you at seven?"
"Not a second later."
The doorbell's chime resonated throughout the empty house at exactly seven o'clock. I sucked in a nervous breath and hopped down the stairs, my black suede boots hardly making a sound as they hit the hardwood floor.
This was technically my first date. I had made it a point to steer clear of boys; what's the use in starting something that can't possible end well. I told myself that it was Maddie's fault I was being forced to partake in this ridiculous teenage ritual—at least this explanation allowed me to retain my steel edge. The truth was, no guy had ever actually asked me out and Cayden's invitation had startled me.
Then there was the whole Noah deal. Madeline was adamant on the idea that I was madly and secretly in love with him, but if that were true she would have been the first person I would have told. No, I wasn't madly in love with Noah Wilder, but I had a suspicious feeling that it would be extremely easy to fall in love with him.
Okay, not what I want to be thinking about right now, I told myself as I realized that I had once again broken my vow for about the billionth time today.
Cayden, on the other hand, was adorable in that geeky all around good guy way. They way I felt about him confused me. There was no spark, no uncontrollable fir, but there was definitely happiness and comfort. That was something, right?
I glanced in the hall mirror and straightened the loose hanging collar of my sleeveless, turtleneck sweater dress. I had to admit that I looked pretty hot. The rich emerald green hue of my dress was in starch contrast to my mane of ginger red hair and pale cream colored skin. It matched the shade of my eyes exactly. My dress fit like a glove, falling just above my knees. I gave myself a reassuring nod and opened the front door where Cayden was waiting nervously, a white rose clutched in his hand.
His face lit up as I stepped out onto the stone walkway. "You look…wow! You're breathtaking. This is for you, by the way." He held out the single white rose which I accepted with a reciprocating smile.
"Thank you, you really didn't have to," I stammered.
"Oh, please. It's the gentlemanly thing to do. Are your parents home? I would like to introduce myself." Despite its corniness, his sentiments were adorable.
"No, my entire family went to Tucson for the weekend. Believe me, you're not really missing much." He looked a bit disappointed, but he quickly cleared his features. "I'm sorry. Were you planning to meet them?" I added.
"Well, truthfully, yes. But it's no big deal," he replied, downtrodden.
An involuntary chuckle that I instantly regretted escaped my pursed lips. He looked up in confusion, so I clarified. "My parents won't hunt you down if you take me out without first introducing yourself to them. Trust me, you're tame compared to what I could be dating." Noah…shit! Stop. Stop. Stop!!
Cayden's face brightened again. "I'll take your word for it, then. It just seems like the courteous thing to do, you know, meet the parents."
I shrugged and flicked my wrist as if waving off that idea. "Sounds cliché to me. Let's live on the edge."
"Oh, yeah. We're such rebels," Cayden joked.
"Tell you what, you can meet them when they come back. I'll put a good word in for you and everything." I made an attempt to ease his nerves.
He shook his head in amusement, clearly understanding my reassuring motivations. "Thanks, Phoenix. If your parents are anything like you, I'll be in for a treat. Mysterious, witty, mildly eccentric—it'll be like Christmas."
I laughed effortlessly. "More like the Nightmare Before Christmas." Again, he just shook his head, a lightheartedly smile dancing on his lips.
"I'm parked on the street, shall we?" he extended the crook of his elbow out as if he was ready to escort a debutant. Then I realized that I was the debutant. I was never the little princess girl and I wasn't too sure if I liked being treated like one, but I slide my arm around his and continued down the moonlit walkway.
I stopped in my tracks when I saw his car, unable to suppress an obnoxious chortle. "Whoa, Marty McFly, did the flux capacitor breakdown leaving you stranded in the twenty-first century? Seriously, a Delorean? Are these things even street legal anymore?"
Cayden rolled his eyes as if he'd heard it all before, the corners of his mouth twitching. "I knew you'd be the kind of girl who'd crack a joke about my ride."
I instantly felt ashamed. "Oh, Cayden, I'm sorry. It just caught me by surprise…"
"I'm not insulted," he said before I could continue. He inclined his head towards mine and whispered, "Between you and me, I thought that this was Doc Brown's house. Imagine my surprise when such a breathtakingly beautiful girl opened the door." Now it was my turn to be flustered. When did Cayden Maloire turn into Rico Suave? Well, the nerdy Back to the Future referencing version of Rico Suave.
"Wow, McFly, since when did you become such a smooth talker?" I bantered, unable to help myself.
He raised his eyebrows innocently. "You can only be born with my skills. It's not as though I planned that line out all day, hoping you would bring up anything remotely related to time travel." I burst into laughter. "If you had so much asked for the time, I would have wiped that pick up line out on you."
"I knew I should have stuck with 'That's a fresh ride, Cayden!' and left it at that. It would have been worth it to hear you try to set yourself up for Back to the Future allusion."
"But you fell into my trap instead. Just as I planned," he teased as he opened the door for me. I was almost knocked out as the scissor-doors retracted upwards.
I slid into the soft bucket-seat and took another breath while Cayden circled around to the driver's side.
"See, no Flux Capacitor." He used his thumb to point to the back seat. I laughed in responds, getting a little nervous as we drove away from my house, my safe haven.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"My family owns an Indian restaurant downtown…do you like Indian food. We can go anywhere you want if you don't… It was just an idea… I really should've asked you before… I'm sorry," he rambled, obviously nervous now.
"Whoa, Cayden, calm down! Where did that smooth talker go?" He shrugged apologetically and I slapped him on the shoulder playfully. "I happen to love Indian food. My grandparents are big fans and they always make it. I didn't know there was a restaurant in the city though?"
His shoulders relaxed. "Oh, good. It attracts mostly college kids, so not many adults know about."
"Why did your parents open an Indian food restaurant?" I asked curiously. There was no way that Cayden was Indian. He was almost as white as me.
Noah chortled in response. "You're not the first to ask, believe me. French heritage and Indian restaurant don't seem to mesh well, huh?" I nodded in response. "My parent met in India. They're both sort of hippies, but not the cool VW van owning, Woodstock attending ones. They're more like, world-peace-is-where-it-at kind of hippies, both of them were in the Peace Corps and everything. They were both anthropology students and were observing the Indian culture when they met, but loved India so much that they stayed for twenty years. I was actually born in New Delhi."
"That is so amazing! Isn't it weird how things like that work? I mean, your parents were so similar and they meet half way around the world." Sometimes I wondered if there was a predestined fate for all of us, an idea that I had previously been opposed to. I liked to have control, but Cayden's parent's meet cute was just too coincidental.
"My parents are perfect for each other, too. It's weird!" he laughed.
"I think our parents would get along great. My entire family is on the crusade for world peace. My grandparents even know the Dali llama," I told him.
"The Dalai Lama!? Don't tell my mom and dad that. They would probably show up to your house and start kissing you grandparent's feet because they've walked in his Tibetan footsteps?' Are you serious? The Dalai Lama?" Disbelief colored Cayden's voice.
"I'm serious. My family likes to travel, but of course I've never been out of the country, how fair is that?"
"You should complain!" Cayden sympathized. "Where are you from, then?"
"Well, I was born here in Phoenix…"
"…yeah I made the name connection, Phoenix Faryn. I meant where are your parents and their parents from?" He rolled his eyes in faux exasperation.
"Geesh, you're impatient! I was getting to that! My grandma and grandpa on my mother's side were born in Egypt, but she was born in Israel. My dad was born in Germany and was raised by Karlstadt, who's pretty much the coolest adult in the world. He lives with us too. My brother was born in Greece, so I'm the only native born American," I explained. Cayden's brow contracted in bewilderment.
"How did your parents meet? Israel and Germany? How did that work out? And where did you get the red hair from?"
"Umm…" I wasn't about to tell him that there were about one hundred Firebirds in the world all of whom knew each other. I shouldn't have gotten into this with him; it was such a bad idea. "My parents went to college together here in American and study abroad in Greece for two years, which is when they had my brother." Even I was impressed by my lie. "My grandmother has red hair, too, and I have no idea where it comes from."
In truth, Firebirds' possess every physical trait imaginable which means that any characteristic can be passed to offspring despite the attributes of the mother and father, save for one exception—our pale coloring. My brother and I, for example, are complete opposites even though we share the same parents. He has dark features and I'm stuck with red hair.
"Wow, I feel lame now. I was trying to impress you with my exotic heritage and here you are with a family scattered around the world! I'm the one who's impressed!" he exclaimed.
"Are you serious? I've only been out of Arizona once…" when I was kidnapped by Noah Wilder. Damn it, not again! "…and you were born in India. That's ridiculously exciting."
"Thanks for the pity points, but they're not necessary," he said jokingly, but I registered a hint of truthfulness behind them.
"Believe me I don't throw around compliments unless they're well deserved. Right now, I'm truthfully impressed that you were able to make a Delorean seem cool. That is an amazing accomplishment." My reassurance worked; a genuine smile expanded across Cayden's face.
"Well, in that case thank you."
He pulled into a parking space in front of a crowded two-story stucco building and jogged around the car to open the door for me. Strings of miniature lanterns adorned the outside of the building which cast an eerie, exotic glow about the exterior of the restaurant. Layers of thin gauzy curtains blocked the inside of the dining room from view and acted as a filter, throwing patches of purple, red, and blue light onto the crowded walkway. Now this was severely impressive!
"Wow, this place is gorgeous!" I exclaimed.
"Wait until you see the inside," he told me, clearly pleased by my reaction. He led me past the long, winding line of impatient college students and ushered my through the glass entrance.
"Good evening, Mr. Maloire," greeted the maitre d' flashing a smile at Cayden and me as we passed by.
"Have a good night, Tim," Cayden answered before taking my hand and leading me past the gorgeous dining area. The room was dimly lit with various types of plants strewn strategically about the room, creating a rainforest atmosphere. In the place of conventional booths, there were instead plush throw pillows with corresponding tables standing two and a half feet off the ground. It was if I had been transported halfway around the world.
"We're dining upstairs," Cayden informed me when I had involuntarily stopped to gawk at my surroundings. I quickly regained my composure and followed him up the spiral staircase which opened out into a similar dining area. He led me around a corner to a set of glass double doors. "Shall we?" he asked, opening the tastefully decorated door.
My jaw dropped yet again. He laughed and escorted me onto the most beautiful patio ever created. Vines hung from the wrought iron fencing and potted plants added burst of exotic color that complimented the ornate throw pillows perfectly. Four massive, stained-glass lanterns that were perched on pedestals surrounding our ground-level table cast a mystical glow about the porch. The exposed full moon and twinkling stars added to this effect.
"What do you think? Too much?" he asked.
"NO! It's perfect! Absolutely beautiful?"
Another smile rose to his lips as he directed me towards one of the plush throw pillow seats. He plopped down on the side of me and handed me a menu before restarting conversation. Forty minutes and five appetizers later we order our food. The majority of our conversation had consisted of lighthearted banter as we discussed our favorite bands and books, before it turned to future goals—oh, joy!
"So, you come from a family of globe trotters but haven't been out of the state, do you want to go far away for college." Well, at least I did have a college plan even though I wouldn't be entering the workforce anytime soon.
"I applied for Early Decision at Brown University as last year and got accepted so, Rhode Island it is!" I told him. College was a big deal in my family. After I graduated, the entire clan would move to New England so that I could obtain the best possible education.
Brown had always been my dream college and I had wasted no time in submitting my application. Helios was also going to take a few classes at Brown in order to brush up on his philosophy; he was almost as excited as I was. Even though he was easily distracted by sports and videogames, Helios was an amazingly intelligent person, but could not endure the tedium of high school, hence why he refused to enroll alongside me. College would be an exciting change. Madeline was also planning on applying to Brown and Providence College, both of which she would easily get into.
"You've already got accepted into an Ivy League school? Nice job!" he congratulated. "What are you planning to study?"
"Archaeology with an Ancient Egyptian focus…" a major that would be very useful as a Firebird. "What about you? What are your plans for next year?"
"Well, I pale in comparison to you, Indiana Jones, but I'm planning on being an engineer," he told me. "I kinda wanna to take a year off and travel. My parents are all for that, but I'm not sure if that would be a smart plan…I might never want to come back!"
"What's stopping you from going? The thought that it might be a great experience?" I tried to comprehend.
He chuckled in responds. "Yeah, I guess so. It's just that the world is such a vast, amazing creation…I want to see ALL of it. I could spend my entire life visiting every single country, see every wonder of the world, manmade or otherwise, and I still wouldn't be able to say that I've seen enough. I wouldn't want to force myself to stop after just one year, that's not nearly enough time. Life's too short, and it bugs me sometimes. If I could live to be six hundred years old, there would be so much time to help the world become a better place. I'd be able to actually make a difference…I guess my parent's tree hugging tendencies have rubbed off on me," he seemed to be slightly embarrassed by his rant.
But not as embarrassed as I was. Cayden had such a passion for life, such an appreciation for the earth and the finite gift of time, a characteristic very rare for a teenager to possess. And here I was, a young Firebird, practically guaranteed three thousand years of life, and I didn't want it. I was already jaded at the age of eighteen. I felt ashamed.
Of course I planned on bettering the world within my lifetime, what with exterminating dark creatures and all, but to have that desire, that selflessness without the accompanying superpowers was a trait that I admired about Cayden. He reminded me of Madeline and her fervor for volunteering. Perhaps it was a human attribute that I would never have the pleasure of experiencing. I desperately prayed that that wasn't true.
"Cayden, you're a special person, you know that? You care so much about everything, that's a gift! I wish I wasn't such a pessimist; I wish I was like you. So you have to pick up my slack and go on a trip around the world, being the Good Samaritan to anybody in need. If that's what you want, then you should go for!" I advised him wholeheartedly.
"Really, you don't find me to be a wimp or something?" His self-consciousness was evident in his voice, a striking contrast to the confident boy who had rolled up to my house a few hours ago.
"What? Of course not? Not many guys would put their lives at risk to help others. That's what I call bravery."
"Thanks, Phoenix. I really needed to hear that."
Our food arrived and we sat in companionable silence for a few minutes as I absorbed the possible meaning behind his words.
"Did somebody make fun of you for wanting to help others, or something?" That was the only explanation I could come up with for his lack of self-assurance.
"It's no big deal, but you just made me realize that I was stupid for listening to other, so all's well. Let's change the subject, though." It was probably Tyler Jackson, that idiot who was always making fun of Cayden in gym class, I knew it was. That jerk was gonna get more than his iPod burned the next time I saw him. But I would drop the subject if that was what Cayden wanted; it was clearly making him uncomfortable.
"Okay. Subject changed. How about you show me some Indian dance moves," I grinned innocently.
He laughed and rolled his eyes. "I'm pretty much Lord of the Step in these part, little lady," he joked as he rose to his feet, resigned.
The speakers above the door provided us with excellent Indian sitar music perfect for a dance performance. "I don't consider the night complete if at least one person doesn't dance around the dining room. What you do is flick your wrist like this and sway your hips a little…" he animatedly reenacted these motions in a surprising skilled and graceful manner. It was scary! I couldn't help but keel over will laughter.
"No, but seriously, the guys go just as crazy as the girls do. It's pretty much the funniest thing to watch. They get really into it and hum along to the beat."
"Show me!" I yelled between fits of laughter.
He winked. "For you, I'll subject myself to the embarrassment." He started convulsing rhythmically to the music before dropping to the floor and break dancing. It was hilarious!
"Damn, Cayden! You can bust a move!" I complimented.
"I'm not exaggerating. People dance like that all the time here in front of perfect strangers. It never gets old!" he resumed his seat next to me and we continued talking well into the night.
It was twelve o'clock by the time we pulled back into my driveway. I must admit that this was far from being the worst experience in my life; in fact, Cayden had become one of my favorite people in the world. Romantically, however, I just wasn't feeling it.
"Cayden, I had an awesome time. Thanks for free styling to Indian music for me," I told him as he walked me to the front door.
"Yeah, about that… If you tell anybody, I'll send a hit man after you," he joked. I chortled.
"I'm glad Madeline stopped you in the hall the other day. I know that I just gained an awesome friend," Shit…I didn't me to drop the friend bomb on him so bluntly.
"Just friends, huh?" He caught on like I knew he would.
I looked at my feet. "I'm sorry, Cayden. I just don't feel anything romantic for you, but any guy who can be as adorable as you and can plan such an amazing date will find the perfect girl easily."
"But, she not you?"
"No, she's not me, I'm sorry." I couldn't bring myself to look him in the eyes. I felt like such a jerk for doing this after his perfectly organized date, but I didn't want to lead him on. The conflicting feelings I had felt over Cayden prior to tonight had resolved themselves into a strong platonic affection. He could easily become one of my best friend, but never my boyfriend. And the fact that he was human also lent itself to that conclusion.
He let out a sigh and his head fell. I simply couldn't have this. "Cayden, I really wish I felt something more for you because you would make an amazing boyfriend, but it wouldn't be fair to you."
"No, I understand. We're friends, though, right?" His tone was still slightly downtrodden.
"Of course. I need a few if you haven't noticed. You successfully broken down my defenses, Cayden Maloire. Not you can join the ranks of the great…namely Madeline," my attempts at light-heartedness were pretty lame.
"Wow, at least that's an accomplishment," he laughed. His smile didn't reach his eyes, but it was a start. He would soon get over the initial let down. I wasn't a great catch and even Cayden, the nicest boy in the word, would realize that after a few days. Noah was the only person who could understand my freakishness—and I now realized that I was in love him.
There was no point in denying it anymore. I was in love with Noah Wilder, no matter how sick and unhealthy that fact was. Unfortunately, Noah had been too perceptive and had seen right through my defenses. He had seen the pathetic nut-case that I really was and now only felt disappointment where he had once felt affection. He wasn't jealous like Maddie thought, he was confused by my sudden burst of false charisma and that was all.
"Good night, Cayden. I'm sorry," I hugged him goodbye and gave him a sincere smile.
"Please don't apologize. I'm happy to be your friend."
I nodded. "Drive safely, the roads are really sandy," I said as he walked to his car.
"No problem. This baby comes equipped with a hover function. Didn't you see the sequel?"
I smiled, clinging to that joke as if it was a peace offering, a sign that we would truly remain friends. "Silly me. How could I forget?"
"Night, Phi." He waved as he climbed into the driver's seat and sped away.
***Thanks for reading! I really appreciate it. You're in for a real treat next chapter. There's gonna be hot and heavy Noah-Phoenix bonding time and beaucoup de drama! I may be a little slow to update because I'm working on another story which is also on FanFic, but Phoenix is still my number one priority.
***Notes: The Cayden dance session was inspired by a memorable hooka bar experience in which our waiter demonstrated how people bust moves all the time. It was hilarious!
***It the following chapters Phoenix will stop being such an indecisive tool, btw. Lol
Again PLEASE REVIEW!!!!PLEASE REVIEW!!!! I really want to get your thoughts about the chapter because it was a hard one to write.
Again, I write quicker with more reviews.
