The Light Tamer by Devyn Dawson

as warm electricity shot through me. I wonder if he knows how much I love it when he kisses me. I take his hand and lead them to the family room. Last summer, grandma and I painted the room sage green. I’d never been as sore in my life as I was after painting. We picked out new furniture and a massive flat screen to mount on the wall. Amber tossed her ‘Mean People Suck’ backpack onto the sectional.
     
    “Dude, that’s a fuggin massive-assed t.v.” Amber announced.
     
    “That’s what I told the salesman when I bought it, I need a fuggin massive-ass t.v.” grandma said as she entered the room. “You must be the delightful Amber Griffith.”
     
    Caleb and I stifle a giggle as we watch Amber squirm and grandma’s obvious amusement. “Amber, this is my…ah this is Ms. Gayle, my mother’s mother,” I stammer.
     
    Amber stood there, eyes wide and frozen to the spot. “I’m sorry Ms. Gayle, I didn’t realize you were in the room.”
     
    “Good to know. Jessie, I’m going to meet your mom at Spunky’s for dinner, so feel free to eat as much pizza as you want. I left the money and a tip by the front door. If the pizza is cold, don’t give him the entire tip. We’ll be back by eight, so don’t party too hard while I’m gone. If you do, hide the evidence,” grandma said as she shook her keys in her hand around.
     
    “Oh gra…Ms. Gayle, we won’t start the party without you,” I tease.
     
    After dinner, we set the movie to play. Amber sprawled out on one side of the sectional; I noticed that her toenails were each painted a different color. I wish I could be as confident as her, I thought. Caleb sat in the corner seat and I sat next to him, nervous about being too close when the parental units came back.
     
    “What does it feel like?” Amber asked out of the blue.
     
    “What does what feel like?” I asked and hit pause on the t.v.
     
    “I dunno, that bond thing. I know I keep asking, but I’m really curious. When you two are close together, the air feels electrified. I noticed it a little at my house when you came over. The vibe from you both is pretty cool. I think Mr. and Mrs. Johnson at school are bonded, but they are never together when I’m around.”
     
    Caleb took my hand in his and laced our fingers together; taking my hand to his mouth he kissed the back of it. It took every ounce of self control not to throw myself on top of him and make-out. We’d kissed every night when he dropped me off at the house, we did nothing more than hold hands in public.
     
    He took a sip of his Coke and cleared his throat. “I can’t explain what it’s like. The best description I can give is, well it’s like I’m home. That is a strange description, but when my mom died last year, I felt empty. The void of her in my life was unimaginable; it was like part of me died. I asked why every night before bed, in the moments of being alone, when my dad was in his room. Those moments were the loneliest moments of my life. Last week, when Jessie came over, it was as if I was whole again the minute she walked in the house. The pain was gone, the fear was gone, my life meant something again,” Caleb said with a softness to every word. I’d never had anyone die before, but I understood what he meant. I feel whole too.
     
    “No offence Jessie but Caleb, didn’t you go out with Brooke? What was that all about?” Amber asked.
     
    Brooke, who’s Brooke? He hasn’t said anything about another girl. Stop being jealous, it isn’t like he knew that I’d be back. He went out with her before you came around, stop…shut-up brain!
     
    “Thanks Amber, that was appropriate timing,” Caleb said as he shot Amber a dirty look.
     
    “Get over it. I’m sure Jessie has gone out with another guy.”
     
    Caleb turned to look at me as if he were waiting for me to freak out. “I went out with her two times. Twice Amber, twice. I wouldn’t consider that dating, and I sure wouldn’t consider her a girlfriend,