cutting off motion with his hand.
"Huh?" Ashe stared at Marco.
"Let's go find that book you wanted," Marco hauled Ashe away from the reference section. "Sali and Wynn broke up this afternoon," Marco hissed when they arrived in the sci-fi section. Ashe pulled the new hardcover he wanted off the shelf as he listened to Marco. "You saw the bracelet Wynn bought Sali for his birthday? He didn't want to wear it all the time. She got upset and now they're history."
"Well, Dori might get what she wants after all," Ashe muttered bitterly.
"Ashe, you can't let this bother you. I had at least eight girlfriends before graduating from high school. And in a small paranormal school, that's a lot."
"But you were cool. Sali's cool. Ashe Evans?" Ashe pointed to his chest. "Definitely not cool. And I don't have wheels, so I'm doubly not cool."
"I wish you'd stop looking at yourself in that light. Coolness isn't measured by what you have or drive. Anybody who looks at someone else that way is too shallow to waste time on."
"I know. But you see where we are and all? I can't go anywhere without a bodyguard. What if I want to go on a date, Marco? Is Trace coming along for that?"
"That does present a problem," Marco rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "But you could always flash that tattoo you have and your girl might not mind going on a double date."
"It's all moot at this point, I don't have a girl," Ashe pointed out the obvious. "And not likely to get one, either."
"Chad and Jeremy don't have any either. And not likely to get any," Marco chuckled.
"Where are they?" Ashe asked. "I haven't seen them around."
"On vacation. Jeremy's parents went to Florida and took Chad and Jeremy with them. Those two won't head back to school until the end of August."
"And Mr. and Mrs. Booth are such nice people," Ashe said.
"You think somebody dropped a cuckoo's egg in their nest?" Marco grinned widely.
"It can happen," Ashe agreed.
"Yeah, you'd know, all right. Let's go; Trace is probably seeing double, surrounded by so many books."
* * *
"Dude, you don't like to read?" Ashe asked Trace as they loaded into the SUV.
"I'm a little dyslexic," Trace admitted. "I had a tough time getting through school."
"But you're a smart person," Ashe said.
"Yeah, but the words on the page? They just scramble when I try to read them. I listen to audio books," he said. "I enjoy good mysteries when I have free time."
"I didn't realize wolves could be dyslexic," Ashe said. "Sorry, man."
"Not a problem. I like what I do. It suits me."
"Someday, maybe you'll teach me that Kung Fu stuff," Ashe said.
"We're working on that," Trace nodded.
* * *
"Are you sure this is what you want, Ashe?" Aedan leaned back on the glider with Adele.
"I think it is, Dad," Ashe said. "I mean, nobody really knows me anymore." He couldn't keep the bitterness from his voice. "What difference does it make how I finish high school?"
"Son, I don't know what to say," Aedan sighed. "It's almost too much. We've destroyed your friendships, I know. That's the only reason I'm allowing this now—perhaps you'll have new friends with Mr. Winkler's group. A few of them know what you are and what you can do."
"I like Trace, Trajan and Marco."
"I know. Don't give up on Sali just yet, Ashe. He's been a good friend all along. Perhaps things will work out eventually. In the meantime, I expect you to study and pass that test. We'll look into online courses over the weekend. You'll work four hours a day, Monday through Friday, for Mr. Winkler. The rest of the time you can devote to your studies. You won't have a teacher reminding you to turn in homework, son—you're on your own. Fail any class and this all goes away."
"Got it, Dad."
"I'm off to do patrol," Aedan rose and walked through the patio doors.
Ashe waited until he heard his father leave the house. "Mom, why is it always doom and gloom whenever I do something different? Does he expect me to fail now? I never have before."
"Honey,
"Huh?" Ashe stared at Marco.
"Let's go find that book you wanted," Marco hauled Ashe away from the reference section. "Sali and Wynn broke up this afternoon," Marco hissed when they arrived in the sci-fi section. Ashe pulled the new hardcover he wanted off the shelf as he listened to Marco. "You saw the bracelet Wynn bought Sali for his birthday? He didn't want to wear it all the time. She got upset and now they're history."
"Well, Dori might get what she wants after all," Ashe muttered bitterly.
"Ashe, you can't let this bother you. I had at least eight girlfriends before graduating from high school. And in a small paranormal school, that's a lot."
"But you were cool. Sali's cool. Ashe Evans?" Ashe pointed to his chest. "Definitely not cool. And I don't have wheels, so I'm doubly not cool."
"I wish you'd stop looking at yourself in that light. Coolness isn't measured by what you have or drive. Anybody who looks at someone else that way is too shallow to waste time on."
"I know. But you see where we are and all? I can't go anywhere without a bodyguard. What if I want to go on a date, Marco? Is Trace coming along for that?"
"That does present a problem," Marco rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "But you could always flash that tattoo you have and your girl might not mind going on a double date."
"It's all moot at this point, I don't have a girl," Ashe pointed out the obvious. "And not likely to get one, either."
"Chad and Jeremy don't have any either. And not likely to get any," Marco chuckled.
"Where are they?" Ashe asked. "I haven't seen them around."
"On vacation. Jeremy's parents went to Florida and took Chad and Jeremy with them. Those two won't head back to school until the end of August."
"And Mr. and Mrs. Booth are such nice people," Ashe said.
"You think somebody dropped a cuckoo's egg in their nest?" Marco grinned widely.
"It can happen," Ashe agreed.
"Yeah, you'd know, all right. Let's go; Trace is probably seeing double, surrounded by so many books."
* * *
"Dude, you don't like to read?" Ashe asked Trace as they loaded into the SUV.
"I'm a little dyslexic," Trace admitted. "I had a tough time getting through school."
"But you're a smart person," Ashe said.
"Yeah, but the words on the page? They just scramble when I try to read them. I listen to audio books," he said. "I enjoy good mysteries when I have free time."
"I didn't realize wolves could be dyslexic," Ashe said. "Sorry, man."
"Not a problem. I like what I do. It suits me."
"Someday, maybe you'll teach me that Kung Fu stuff," Ashe said.
"We're working on that," Trace nodded.
* * *
"Are you sure this is what you want, Ashe?" Aedan leaned back on the glider with Adele.
"I think it is, Dad," Ashe said. "I mean, nobody really knows me anymore." He couldn't keep the bitterness from his voice. "What difference does it make how I finish high school?"
"Son, I don't know what to say," Aedan sighed. "It's almost too much. We've destroyed your friendships, I know. That's the only reason I'm allowing this now—perhaps you'll have new friends with Mr. Winkler's group. A few of them know what you are and what you can do."
"I like Trace, Trajan and Marco."
"I know. Don't give up on Sali just yet, Ashe. He's been a good friend all along. Perhaps things will work out eventually. In the meantime, I expect you to study and pass that test. We'll look into online courses over the weekend. You'll work four hours a day, Monday through Friday, for Mr. Winkler. The rest of the time you can devote to your studies. You won't have a teacher reminding you to turn in homework, son—you're on your own. Fail any class and this all goes away."
"Got it, Dad."
"I'm off to do patrol," Aedan rose and walked through the patio doors.
Ashe waited until he heard his father leave the house. "Mom, why is it always doom and gloom whenever I do something different? Does he expect me to fail now? I never have before."
"Honey,
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