Free TIED (A Fire Born Novel) by Laney McMann Page A

I felt for Max seemed secret or something. Not sure what to say, I said, “Just couldn’t sleep. Too quiet. You know how I hate that.” It was partially true anyway.
    She turned to me for a minute. “Go home,” she said, standing up. “I’ll tell Ms. T. you were throwing up or something—side effect of the concussion. She won’t freak too bad. You practically live here.”
    I raised an eyebrow.
    “You need some sleep.” Her glare challenged me to argue.
    I dragged myself up to a sitting position, and Benny hauled me to my feet.
    “Should I call Devon? You shouldn’t be driving.”
    “Don’t go calling Devon.” I lugged my dance bag over my shoulder. “He’ll just drill me with a hundred questions. I owe you one.”
    She stood at the door until I got in my car.
    I rummaged around in my dance bag searching for the Gatorade I’d thrown in earlier. Benny was right, I probably shouldn’t have been driving. Thankfully, the roads were practically deserted.
    “Teine? Is that you?” Mom asked as I walked back in the house.
    “Yeah, too tired to practice. Up late. Going back to bed.”
    “Are you okay?”
    “I’m fine.” Everyone’s telling me to rest, so let me rest already. I sank down on my bed, breathing in the scent of clean laundry, and kicked my Converse on the floor.
    “Are you going to tell me what happened to your car?”
    I shot back up. Crap! I forgot to cover it with the tarp.
    “Um … yeah. Just a minute.” I wracked my brain, trying to come up with a myriad of possible excuses. The doorbell rang, and the front door creaked open.
    “Hi, Ms. LaBelle.” Benny’s voice chimed in from the living room.
    I crept down the hall, wondering what I was going to say, and ambled into the living room just as Benny threw a pair of shoes at me from the front door. I caught them, eyebrows raised in confusion; Benny’s shoes hung from my hand.
    “Layla forgot her shoes.” Benny smiled at my mom.
    “I … huh?” I glanced at Benny and down at her shoes.
    “Oh, well, thank you, but you didn’t need to do that. She would have been fine until later.”
    “It’s no problem. See you guys.” Benny waved, winked and left.
    My mom made her way back to the kitchen. “I thought you were taking a nap?” she asked in an unusual voice.
    “I … uh … yeah. I was.” I turned away and stopped. “Didn’t you want to talk to me?”
    “No.” She seemed disoriented. “Have a good nap.”
    What is going on? I hurriedly made my way back to my room and crawled in bed.
    ••
    “Teine! Come and play.” The little girl runs through the forest laughing hysterically, her blonde locks bouncing down her back. “Mother is waiting for you. Where have you been?” She laughs again and runs out of sight.
    “Wait, I’m coming!” I chase after her, trying to keep up. The light shifts, shining directly into my eyes. “Cara, wait.”
    She skips along far ahead of me.
    “I can’t see. It’s too bright.”
    “You’re so silly, Teine. You know the way. Come on, Mother has been waiting.”
    • • •
    The heat of the shower stung my face, creating red welts on my cheeks. I splashed them with cold water before strolling out of the bathroom toward the French doors with a towel wrapped around my head.
    Long lines formed along the ocean’s horizon, one after the other in fluid succession, as I walked out on the back porch. Sitting in my favorite rocking chair, legs curled underneath me, I looked out over the skyline, blue water and off white clouds merging into one fluid color in the distance.
    The last twenty-four hours seemed like nothing more than a blur. Maybe I’d simply dreamed it all. I fished my cell phone out of my robe pocket and checked for missed calls. Ten. Benny had called twice. Three calls and voice messages from Devon, who I assumed spoke to Benny.
    I scrolled down to a number I didn’t recognize. Five missed calls from the number Max had called from the night before. Five voice mails.
    My pulse