Page 13 of Bound By Earth (The Nature Hunters Academy 1)

“So that’s it. I don’t know what it means for me as far as aging and how my body will respond. Will my skin wrinkle with age? Will my bones get brittle over time? I just don’t know. Does this change anything between us?” Taraasked.

“No, I’veknownyou were a freak from the moment I met you in the park. The freak in me recognized the kindred spirit of the freak in you, and nothing will ever change that. Unless you steal myman.”

Tara rolled her eyes. “Let the hymen go and the whole ‘I’m going to cut you if you steal my man.’ You have no man, Shelly. I can’t steal your imaginary fantasyman.”

“I just like full disclosure. You can never say you didn’t know I would go postal on you if you poached on my property. But we both know you’d never do that because of your weird lack of desire toward guys, despite the fact that youareattracted to them. See, you’re a freak, but you’re my freak. My freak of a BFF.” Shelly snorted. “You’re my BFFF, my best freaky friend forever. But really, that title would work for me, too, since we both know I like to get my freak on. I’m just a different kind of freak thanyou.”

Tara sighed. “Shelly, have you ever kissed aboy?”

“That’s not thepoint.”

“Pretty sure you can’t be freaky if you’ve never actually gotten your freak on,” Tara pointed out with asmirk.

“We aren’t talking about my freaky freak tendencies. We’re talking about yours. And BTW, I’m not going to turn you into any government officials or post an online video about your superpower. Your secret is safe with me. If I can do anything to help—not sure what that might be—let meknow.”

“Thanks. Although, the reference to the online video is a little disturbing. That means it crossed your mind for at least a fewseconds.”

“And was dismissed equally as fast because I love you hard. I would never do anything that would put you in harm's way. Even if you are an emotionally stunted, grumpy bear with anger issues who oftentimes deserves to be punched in the vagina. Which I now know would be fruitless. Stupid concrete girlparts.”

“I’m glad you’re keeping things real and not holding back what you reallythink.”

“Youthink I’m annoying and the death to all peaceful situations,” she pointedout.

“That’s because it’strue.”

Shelly tilted her head and gave Tara a “really”look.

“Fine,” Tara conceded. “I can be a tad bit abrasive attimes.”

“Good to see you’re being honest with yourself. Keep that up, champ. I’d really like to dissect this whole ‘can’t be hurt or penetrated’ in further detail, and I will be texting or calling. But my parents are expecting me to cook dinner tonight, and I have to stop at the grocery store on the way home. You need a ride?” Shelly asked without missing a beat. Tara knew Shelly would no doubt blow her phone up at some point, but she appreciated that her friend could absorb things so quickly and roll withit.

Tara shook her head. “I’m going towalk.”

“Girl, it’s colder than a witch's teat outthere.”

“I like the cold. And do you really know how cold a witch’s teat is?” Taralaughed.

“As cold as her wicked heart, I’m sure,” Shelly said with awink.

“Anyway, I like it when the sky is clear like it is tonight,” Tara said as she zipped up her bag and slipped on her shoes. She and Shelly walked out and locked the door. Coach Jones was sitting on one of the benches next to the locker room. He never left until all the players weregone.

“I thought I was going to have to send a search party in after you two.” He huffed. “There was some shouting and hollering. You girlsokay?”

“We’re fine. Just a little pissed,” Tara said. The frustration in her voice was as much about the game as it was about the fact that she’d forgotten their Coach would be sitting outside the locker room when she’d told Shelly about her secret. It was a miracle he hadn’t come running into the room in some misguided attempt to rescue them and found Tara with scissors in her hand ready to stabherself.

“Yep,” Shelly said, popping the p on the end of the word. Tara could tell she was trying to act nonchalant and failing miserably. Tara wanted to kick her.“Guess we will see you Monday,Coach.”

He gave them an understanding nod. “Keep your chins up. You girls deserve to be going to the playoffs. Sometimes, it just doesn’t workout.”

“That’s okay,” said Shelly. “A playoff game would have just meant I’d have to spend another game carrying this one on my back.” She indicated Tara. “No one wantsthat.”

Coach Jones chuckled and shooed at them to get gone. Tara followed Shelly out to her car so Coach would think she was riding with her. He would never allow her to walk home. As soon as she saw his car leave the parking lot, she waved to Shelly and then headed off in the direction of her house. Carol lived only a mile away, so it really seemed ridiculous to drive there from the stadium if the weather wasn’tbad.

Usually, her foster mom attended her games, but Carol was a nurse and sometimes she got called in to work a night shift if they were short on staff, which was why she hadn’t been there tonight. Tara really wished she would have been. Carol might have had some insight into the strangely familiar mountain of a man that was at the game. She could have offered up something more than Shelly’s creeper vibe and Tara’s weird idea that maybe he was long-lostfamily.

As she walked, Tara tilted her head back and looked at the stars. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. The bright celestial diamonds winked down at her and made her smile. She loved being outside. She loved the smell of rain and the rustle of trees. Tara would probably sleep outside if her foster mom would allow it. There was something about being connected to nature that gave her peace she never felt anywhereelse.

She rounded the corner to her street. After five years, Carol’s house almost felt like home …almost. But Tara missed the small ranch-style house with a one-car garage she and her parents had lived in before their deaths.Thatwas home. But it was gone. Sold to some random, anonymous family. She wondered if that family had children. Did those kids climb the coffee tree in the backyard like she used to? Or sit on the brick hearth and read after their father made a fire in the fireplace as she once did?Tara wondered if she would ever really feel at home anywhereagain.

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