Page 155 of Nobody's Girl

Shit, there’s two of them! They’re huge. I’ve never seen any bird so large. I tug at Kyle’s hand, trying to get him to stop.

I want to look at them, not run from them. They can’t be stalking us. They’re just birds.

His eyes are wide and full of fear as he looks back at me, still running. “What are you doing, Ally?”

“Let’s stop. I want to look at them.”

The look I get in return assures me he thinks I’m nuts. He keeps running, then a horrific shrieking sound vibrates down my spine.

I look up and see giant, black wings beating through the light blue sky. Kyle’s speed increases. I’m practically flying behind him. My feet barely touch the ground as he pulls me along.

The thing is, as weird as this might be, I’m not afraid. Kyle is, though, so I’m not going to try to stop him again. I don’t want him to feel like a fraidy cat.

His feet hit the ground with loud thumps as the wings continue to beat above us. The noise the huge wings make is so loud. I can’t help thinking how magnificent they must look.

The gate of our privacy-fenced backyard looms only a few yards ahead of us. As Kyle hits the latch to allow us into my back yard the sound stops.

They’re gone!

We both stop and look up, turning in a full circle. It’s as if nothing was following us at all. The sky is bright blue. Not a single bird flies above us.

Crap, I really wanted to see them. I was hoping I could get a good look as they flew over our yard. This is really disappointing.

Kyle looks back at me as we walk into the yard. “What the fuck?”

My eyes go crazy wide. It’s no secret my parents are the strictest people in the entire world. Make that the universe.

“Kyle! Language!”

He bends his head to speak in my ear. “Sorry, baby. But seriously, what was that?”

Shrugging my shoulders, I say, “I don’t know. But whatever those things were, they’re gone now.”

He tugs at my hand, pulling me further into the yard. “That was weird. Don’t you think it was weird, Ally?”

I roll my eyes. “Of course I think it’s weird, Kyle.”

“Isn’t it strange that when you kissed me the thunder of wings began?”

I laugh. “You kissed me, not the other way around.”

Suddenly I’m halted, his hands on my shoulders, and the twinkle in his sky-blue eyes captivating my attention.

“I asked you to go to Texas with me and gave you a ring, then you kissed me after you said yes. Remember, Ally?”

I nod, making him smile. My parents are not going to be happy, but I’m going to Austin with Kyle after graduation. Only three weeks away. I turn eighteen the day after, so I’ll be legal and they can’t stop me.

Right?

God this is scary. So much scarier than those birds were.

How could they have just vanished? Man, I wanted to see them clearly!

My hand is still in his. That’ll be a problem, as my father’s looking directly at us. He’s frowning.

I’m not supposed to be touching my boyfriend. My parents don’t think he is what he is. They think he’s a friend. A longtime friend, but only that.

When I was thirteen, I had to promise my parents I’d never engage in any relationship until I turned eighteen.