Chapter 7: Anomaly

Brie's POV

“Elle, have you met my new friend—” Lynx started to introduce but there was no introduction necessary.

Friend, hardly. I couldn’t even muster up the courage to sign to tell him that I don’t speak.

“We know each other. She goes to school with us,” Noelle said.

She tried to remain calm but I could see her b*tch interior starting to drop. She was never known for keeping her composure or controlling herself. As far as I was concerned, her speaking English was the only trait that differentiated her from a wild animal.

“That’s cool, you didn’t tell me you go to school there. You should know my little brother then,” he said.

I didn’t tell him anything. I haven’t been able to form a solid thought while alone with him since we’ve met. This was the first time my brain had worked this fast since being near him, mainly due to being in such close proximity.

Wait…little brother, this house, those green eyes. If his brother was Logan then it’s official—I’m cursed. This town had cursed me to have the worst luck in the history of new movers to have ever moved here.

“You don’t remember her? She’s the girl who said she was attacked in your basement,” Noelle taunted.

Don’t react, don’t take the bait. Just take another step back and find Vic so you can get the hell out of here, simple enough.

One step, another step, with each step walk, Noelle stepped closer. Why couldn’t she just leave me alone? Why did she have to keep the animosity going? She could have just let me walk away with my embarrassment intact and leave, never to speak of this day again but she couldn’t.

“You shouldn’t have come here,” she whispered.

I saw the hatred in her eyes, the devious glint in her smile and I knew that very second, she was going to do something wicked, and I would be too late to stop it. Holding her arms out, she gripped my thin shirt, my balance gone, and then water.

It was everywhere—my ears, my nose, my mouth. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t escape. I was stuck sinking like a ship in the middle of the ocean. The screams were muffled much like the few visuals my eyes could produce. They burned, my heart spiked, and my feet kicked but I only sank deeper.

Why the hell hadn’t I learned to swim yet?

Probably because I was spending all of my time dealing with psych evaluations for why I refused to talk and my interest in using my voice fading more each day.

The blues of water soon turned to darker shades, my eyelids heavy and the ability to fight for help was pointless. Just like talking.

What’s the point if no one will listen? If no one will help?

***

“What the hell is wrong with you? You’re seriously unf*cking hinged, Noelle. This is a low for you.” Vic’s voice penetrated my ears.

A groan leaked my lips involuntarily along with a string of coughs.

“Take it easy, you’re all right. You gave us a scare though.”

Smooth voice, like silk, but unfamiliarly familiar. Whoever it was smelled so good. His voice like butter rolling over my skin and his scent like fresh pine. I wanted to inhale but everything hurt.

“I tried to catch her. Lynx, you saw her backing up into the pool. She told me years ago she couldn’t swim.”

Noelle…I know that lying voice when I heard it even with my eyes close.

I tried to move my muscles to prop myself up. Strong arms held me, guiding me to the upright position despite my eyes staying closed and body protesting the movement.

“Funny enough that it was your idea to have a last-minute pool party after Logan invited us,” Vic countered.

That’s my girl! Don’t let her play innocent. The only thing I can’t figure out is why? Noelle never tried to act innocent before unless she was around adults. Adults who she didn’t want or need to know that she was a backstabbing scam artist.

“I know it might hurt, but do you think you could open your eyes for me?”

There was that butter voice again, coaxing me into doing whatever he wanted. I felt my head nod as my eyes slowly started to flutter. I may not be in control of my body, but he was.

I opened my eyes, those same haunted green ones looked back at me, the golden specks in their outer corner swirling to make the most delicious color.

“Hi,” he whispered.

I opened my mouth to respond when it hit me—why I was surrounded by people like Noelle, why Vic was screaming. She pushed me. The little conniving witch pushed me into the pool knowing I couldn’t swim.

Was it for utter humiliation or to cause me physical harm, I wasn’t sure, but I was sure the push was on purpose.

I coughed more and moved away from him. He was like them. He wasn’t an innocent visitor or newcomer like I had originally thought. He was one of them.

“Vic, get me out of here,” I signed.

I didn’t know if she could see my hands or not, but I hoped she was close enough to pick up even a fraction of what I said.

“With pleasure,” I heard Vic say.

“Let me drive you,” Lynx said.

“We drove, I’ve got it,” Vic spat, pulling me from his strong grasp.

“You’ve been drinking, and she nearly drowned. Let me make sure you get home safe. I am the active adult on duty anyway,” he said.

Active adult. How much older than us was he? I knew he was older than high school, but how much? Was I crushing on a thirty-something year old man? Not the worst thing that could happen but still kind of gross. Even grosser knowing he could be related to Logan.

Vic’s lack of protest was taken as a sign of agreement. Lynx stood and dragged the towels and blankets I was laying on around my shoulders to keep me dry.

“Go clear everyone out the house and tell Mom I’ll be back later,” Lynx said.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Logan said.

Correction, it is even grosser because now I know he was definitley related to Logan.

“If you’re good to move around, you can change in the bathroom.”

Lynx handed me a folded pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. Were these his clothes? I couldn’t wear these. Besides the obvious holes Noelle was burning in the side of my face, my mother would have a field day about me coming home late with a boy and wearing his clothes.

Could this day get any more complicated?

“He’s afraid you’ll get sick if you sit around in the wet clothes for too long. You’re drenched babe,” Vic signed to me.

I nodded and wobbled a little as I regained control of my sore limbs. Never knew drowning would hurt this much.

“Thank you,” I signed to him before dashing as fast as I could to the bathroom.

I’d like to think everyone had a basic knowledge of sign language. Words like thank you, I’m sorry, and I love you were more commonly known as basics for everyone. You didn’t need to know sign language to know those. Sentences were trickier, which is why I was thankful only my parents, Vic, and my therapists knew the language fluently.

Changing as quickly as I could, I exited the bathroom, my wet clothes in a messy ball tucked under my arm. I had attempted to wring out the water, but it only seemed to be making more of a mess.

“You’re welcome,” he signed.

My heart had stopped in my chest. Did he know sign language fluently or was it just one of the few words and phrases he did know?

“Don’t worry about the mess, I’ll have the maid clean it up,” he said.

I nodded in response.

Was I wrong? Was he not like them at all? Could he be the anomaly like Vic in a town of scarecrows?