Blood Land, J.R. Lawson [electric book reader .txt] 📗

of maybe doing something…to thank her…” he then said.

“Thank her for what?” Caroline asked without looking up.

“Well, you know,” Kale said, “For being so accommodating of my wishes.  I know she doesn’t really like that I’m keeping her from getting her ability but she trusts me enough to accept what I want and she’s not complaining about it.  Plus she’s working really hard at this training stuff.”

Caroline ended her useless effort of a search for food as she closed the fridge and turned to face him. “Oh o.k.  Well, what were you thinking of doing then?”

“Well…I don’t know actually.  I already took her to my dad’s fairground.  I don’t know what else I could do.  We can’t really go anywhere, it’d be too risky.”

“Well, do something here,” Caroline suggested.

“Like what?”

“I don’t know…have dinner or something.”

“As opposed to what we do every night?”

Caroline chuckled and shook her head. “No, like…a nice dinner.  Like dress up and everything…that kind of dinner.”

“Oh…” Kale hesitantly said.

“What?” Caroline asked, sensing his nervousness.

“Well…” Kale went on, “You don’t think it’d be too much like a….date?”

Caroline laughed. “You scared to go on a date or something?  What are you twelve?”

“Come on, I’m serious, Caroline!” Kale argued, “I don’t want her to get the wrong idea or something…”

Caroline finished laughing as she then responded, “Look, if you’re really that worried about it, just tell her it’s just a dinner between friends.”

“Yeah…o.k…” Kale then settled, “But where would we do it…in here?”

“Oh!” Caroline then exclaimed, startling Kale a bit, “I know exactly where you guys can have it! Come here!” She then grabbed Kale by the wrist and led him to the back of the house where a small back door stood with a large glass window in it that framed the backyard that shown through it.  Caroline wasted no time in opening it and leading Kale further through it and out to the backyard.  What Kale saw when he walked out there was a patio that stretched out into the backyard with a small French bistro style table and chairs.  Above them was a wooden pergola that stuck out from the side of the house and covered the entire patio.  Strings of lights were woven into the top of it which gave the yard a fairy tale type atmosphere.

“Wow!  Caroline!” Was all Kale could exclaim.

“I know, I worked on this for a long time.  After…my brother made me leave you…..” Caroline spoke the last sentence quietly as she even trailed off a bit at the end of it.

“It’s perfect,” Kale just said in response.

“Do you think Nora’s ever had a nice dinner before?” Caroline then decided to ask as the two of them went back into the house.

“Probably not.  I doubt Will ever took her out or anything,” Kale spoke his sentence with a slight bit of disdain and Caroline picked up on it.

“Who’s Will?  Are you jealous of him or something?”

“What?!” Kale asked defensively, “Hell no! He’s just one of her friends she grew up with.  Besides, he died.  So why would I be jealous of a dead guy?  Which…I’m not!”

“Please, you so are!  You’re jealous of her dead friend!”

“Shut the fuck up!” Kale then angrily yelled.

“O.k.” Caroline lightly chuckled as she rolled her eyes and then left the room.

Kale sighed as he took one last look out the back door window at the patio and then headed upstairs to his own room to change out of his wet clothes as well.

 

***

 

It was only a day later and Nora was sparring with Caroline out in a clearing in the woods.  Caroline had begun with the basics, but it didn’t take long for Nora to catch on.  She jabbed and punched as Caroline blocked and coached her.  Nora could tell she felt much stronger today.  Kale had given her his blood for the last day and even just little bits of it seemed to make a difference.  She could tell every time she took some that she felt different.  She also noticed that Kale didn’t seem to enjoy giving her his blood, however.  He looked somewhat defeated every time he did it and Nora wasn’t going to deny that she hated seeing him like that.  She just had to keep telling herself that it was for the best and the stronger she got the better she could help.

However, during this particular training session, Nora had something specific gnawing at her brain.  Something she desperately wanted to ask Caroline about, but she wasn’t quite sure if the two of them had reached a relationship where she could.  It was then, though, that Caroline decided to stop their brawling and said, “O.k. let’s take a short break.”

Nora nodded as she wiped the sweat from her forehead and without much thought, plopped down onto the ground.  She hadn’t realized just how exhausted she was and even though it was cold outside and she was sitting in the snow right now, she could feel the heat radiating off of her.  She watched as Caroline decided to copy her and sit down on the ground as well.  It was only quiet between them for a little until Nora finally decided to put her fears aside and speak, “Hey, Caroline?” she timidly asked.

“Yeah?” Caroline casually responded.

“Um…I was wondering if I could talk to you about something…”

Caroline raised her eyebrows in curiosity. “Oh, yeah sure.  What is it?”

“Well…see the thing is…” Nora nervously started, “I never really had a mom to have these kind of conversations with and even now….I don’t.  And…since you’re the only girl around….”

“Yeah?” Caroline tried to urge on.

“Well…I know we haven’t had a real strong relationship but I just…”

“Nora just spit it out, what is it?” Caroline insisted.

“O.k. see….” Nora went on, “Kale….he just asked me yesterday….if…I’d have dinner with him….”

Caroline lightly chuckled. “So?  What’s wrong with that?”

“I…” Nora looked away kind of embarrassed, “I’m kinda nervous about it.”

“Why’s that?”

“Well…I don’t know…” Nora pulled her legs in to sit Indian style and looked down at her hands as she nervously picked at her fingernails.  “I’ve never really been to a nice dinner before.  Let alone with him.  And I just don’t know….what to do.  Every time I think about it I get all nervous and freaked.”

Caroline chuckled again. “You’re going as just friends though right?”

“Yeah…that’s what he said…”

“Well then what’s there to be nervous about?  He just wants to do something to thank you for all the hard work you’re putting in.  That’s what he told me.  And you’re just going as friends.  Just…be yourself.  Just act like you normally would around him.  Don’t worry about it too much.”

Nora nodded as she then looked up at Caroline. “Yeah…you’re probably right.  I guess I’m just reading too much into it.  Putting too much pressure on myself about it…”

“It’s o.k.” Caroline smiled, “It’s just because you like him.  It’s no big deal.”

Nora’s expression suddenly turned to surprise, “What?  No…I don’t like him…. I mean…I like him….as a friend….” She began to stutter.

“Right you like him,” Caroline repeated.  She leaned back, propping herself up by her outstretched arms behind her, palms down on the forest floor.

“As a friend…” Nora also reiterated.

“Sure.” Caroline gave a sly smile as she spoke.

There was a small pause in their conversation before Nora spoke up again. “Well…there is another thing I need help with…” she started.

“What is it?”

“Well…see…I don’t really have a dress.  I mean…I used to have dresses.  But they’re all destroyed along with the house I used to live in.  And not only that…again, not having a mother around, I never learned how to do makeup or my hair or anything.  I don’t know how to dress up or look nice.  I…need help.” Nora hesitate for a minute to look over at Caroline, but once she did she saw her grinning widely back at her.

“And you’re asking my help?” she happily asked.

“Well, yeah…I mean, you’re the only one who could help me…”

“I’d love to help you!” Caroline almost shrieked with joy. “I have tons of dresses you can borrow.  Oh, and I can do your hair and makeup it’ll be amazing!  You’re gonna look so adorable!”

“O.k. but nothing too crazy…I still wanna look like me…” Nora specified.

“Oh, of course!  Don’t worry, you’re in good hands.” Caroline winked at her with a sweet smile and Nora gave her a soft one back.

Suddenly Caroline sat up and then jumped to her feet.  “O.k. well, let’s go again.  This time I want to teach you some kicking moves…”

Nora nodded and then stood up as well.  She got herself in a ready position but then relaxed as she noticed Caroline seemed to want to say something.

“Caroline?  What is it?” Nora then urged her.

“Oh…oh nothing it’s just…” Caroline looked down for a split second as she started to speak, “I just thought now would be a good a time as any to apologize for all the things I did to you back at Kale’s house.  I never really got to say I was sorry for the way I acted…”

Nora then held a hand up to silence her. “Don’t worry about it.  It’s o.k.  You’re helping us now.  That kind of makes up for it to me.”

“But I’m serious,” Caroline then continued as she looked over at Nora with the utmost importance. “I want you to understand I was only being that way because I knew I had a job to do…one I didn’t think I was going to be able to do and I was trying to distance myself from it and what emotion did come out was…well…bitchiness.”

Nora let out a small laugh. “It’s o.k. really.”

“I really did want you to hate me.  I hoped that maybe that and me telling you how to get into the desk and finding the pictures of me and Charlie would get you to make Kale see what I was going to do.  I secretly wanted you to find me out so I wouldn’t have to go through with what my brother wanted me to do.”

“Caroline.” Nora now urgently said, “Seriously.  I get it.  It’s o.k.  What really matters is the fact that you didn’t go through with what you thought you had to do.  Instead you helped Kale.  And you helped me.  And you’re still helping us.”

Caroline looked down as she then nodded.  Nora thought she heard her sniffle a bit as she then looked up and gave her a weak smile.  “O.k. well, thank you.  For giving me another chance.  And letting me in a little even if it was just to ask for advice about girl stuff.”

Nora chuckled a bit. “No problem.” She then widened her stance and put her hands up in defense. “Now let’s fight.”

Caroline laughed and got into position as well. “You first!” she shouted.

CHAPTER 41

 IT HAD FINALLY come again; the full moon and after the past few weeks of extensive training and hard work, Nora had now found herself in Caroline’s room downstairs.  She had her eyes tightly shut as she hesitated the inevitable turn she would have to make to look into the standing mirror that she knew was next to her.

“Go on, hun, just look!  Tell me what you think!”  She heard Caroline urge her.

Nora then took a deep breath and let it out. “O.k.” she finally agreed as she