Brindle by V. Vaughn

Author:V. Vaughn [Vaughn, V.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sugarloaf Press
Published: 2015-06-08T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT

I’ve spent my day on pins and needles, because this time, when the urge to shift gnaws at me later tonight, I know I’m going to give in and answer it. Brindle isn’t coming to me until midnight, and I keep myself busy with weeding the gardens and helping my mother create the window box planters she favors every year. The rich earth from her compost pile sifts through my fingers, and I pick out twigs and the occasional worm as the dank aroma floats up.

“I’m so proud of Devon,” says Mom. “She did a wonderful job on your hair.” My mother shakes the roots of a plant clean. “I remember how she could spend hours giving you hairdos and plastering your face with too much makeup.”

“I’m pretty impressed with her, too. She asked me to work as a receptionist for her this summer, and she wants me to work part time when I go back to school in the fall.”

“That’s a great idea. When you start, book me for my first appointment.”

“Devon will be so flattered. And if I know you the way I do, you’ll not only be switching to her salon, but also you’ll bring ten or so friends along.”

“Well, it’s time for Melanie to retire. I’m not sure she sees very well these days. Nancy Milton’s hair is practically orange right now, and nobody has the heart to tell her.”

I chuckle because Nancy is partially blind and hard of hearing. I mimic her voice and guess at what she might think Nancy said instead of “My hair is too orange.” “You think my ear is too foreign?”

My mom plays along. “Oh! My chair is deformed?”

We carry on until we’re laughing hard enough our stomachs hurt. We spend most of the day giggling at silly things only the two of us find amusing. My father arrives home from work to find us on the porch steps covered in dirt, sweat, and tears. His feet thump up the wooden stairs. He says, “I see your mother has her best friend back.” He stops and rubs the top of my head. “Good to have you home, Katie.”

He says to my mom, “I’m going to go for a run before dinner.”

My mom asks, “Should we eat at six thirty?”

“Sounds good.”

When my dad leaves, my mom leans into me. “Want to talk about Brindle?”

I replay the memory of us in the woods last night. Sure, Mom. Remember prom? Well, that night, I let Brindle turn me into a werewolf, thinking I wanted to be with him forever. But then I didn’t. So now I struggle with the full moon every month because it makes me want to shift. Oh, and there’s this little problem with mating season, too. I sigh. “There’s not much to talk about. Devon says he’s dating someone.”

“That may be, but he’s still in love with you. Every time I run into him, I see it in his eyes when he asks how you are.”

“And I’m still in love with him.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.