A Summer in Salem with a Lot of Bay

[TelephotoMarigold]

“You don’t have time to explain, no of course not,” Nic muttered to herself mocking Miles’s visit to her house earlier. Now she was standing by a stall next door to the dinner with a big sign above it proclaiming free wedding dresses. And she still wasn’t sure where Miles got all the white wedding dresses from within the space of the hour it took to set this up.
There was one she loved amongst them and couldn’t stop her hand from touching the lace material of the dress.
Looking around she spotted a chair from in front of the diner and dragged it over to where she was so she could sit down and take the weight off her feet. Just in case this plot of Miles’s was going to include Geoff she’d changed into a tight vest top, black leggings and her highest boots.
Thinking of him she pulled out her phone and looked at it for a long minute before the combination of boredom and teenage hormones had her typing out a message to Geoff. She looked at the screen reading the words she’d put before her thumb hovered over the send button. Maybe it was a bit full on for a ‘hey you’ text message? She frowned concentrating on the phone so much that when a noise sounded behind her she accidently hit the send button.
“No, no no,” she gasped out looking at the phone as the message sent icon appeared on the screen. Her phone vibrated with an incoming message and she read it with trepidation.
‘no he didn’t want to see a picture of her in her underwear, thnx 4 the offer’
Nic blushed looking at the message and groaned before she reread what she’d put. It hadn’t been creepy had it, she asked herself before groaning again. No, of course it wasn’t, she consoled herself. She’d only asked if he wanted to spend some time on the beach with her. Where did he get the underwear bit from?
Putting the phone away she focused on looking around and acting like she had some idea of what had been Miles’s plan. Still an hour later she was still there and being a bit bored she picked up one of the wedding dresses and slipping it on just as her phone beeped with another message.
‘think we r going2 fast… maybe shouldn’t have coffee!’
She read the message before frowning and the frowning some more. No one dumped her before she dumped them. Ever.
Picking up the phone she dialled his number and waited impatiently for the video call to connect.
“What do you mean we are going too fast? We haven’t even had a date yet!” she screeched into the phone when the call was answered glaring at Geoff’s image in the phone. He looked like he’d just gotten out of the shower and she watched fascinated as water rivulets dripped slowly down his chest.
“Er Nic what are you wearing?” Geoff asked her without answering her question.
“A wedding dress,” Nic muttered distracted. “But I don’t see how we are going too fast…”
Geoff gulped and closed down the call without answering her. He gave his phone a horrified glance before he hid it in a drawer and moved over to his wardrobe to get out some clean clothes. She was wearing a wedding dress and didn’t think they were moving too fast? His Pops was right, city folk were strange.

[TelephotoMarigold]

“Now just a bit longer,” Miles murmured.

Jai glanced at Miles, both of them were hiding behind a bush near where Nic was standing with the ‘wedding dress stall’ they’d just set up, “What?”

“And what do you want longer?” Aden muttered crouching behind the other men.

“What are you doing here Jeffries?”

Aden flushed, “I thought someone mentioned pizza,” he admitted.

“Aden,” Miles glanced at the pale boy, his hair slicked back and the long cape he was wearing.

“Yes?”

“Have you er.. been bitten lately?”

“No,” Aden muttered, “And even if Belle did bite me it was nothing, just a little love bite, I’m not a vampire at all.”

“Ok then,” Miles shrugged.

“You believe me?”

“Totally,” Jai answered.

Miles shot Jai a shocked look, “You do?”

“Oh yes, I mean aside from the cape and the fangs he’s totally not a vampire,” Jai said and then did a double take as he thought about what he’d just said. He saw Miles and Aden share a look before they both looked back at him. “I just said something funny?” Jai asked hopefully. “Please don’t bite me,” he added.

“Er Miles are you there?” Nic hissed out.

“What is it Nic?” Miles hissed back.

“I think someone is coming?” Aden answered for her as he sniffed the air, “And they smell like the diner.”

“Exactly,” Nic whispered.

“Ok, stick with the plan,” Miles told her.

“About that, I …er… didn’t exactly listen when you were talking about it,” Nic groaned.

Miles uttered a similar groan before shaking his head and muttering something that sounded like, ‘look what I have to put up with’ before he lifted his head and looked over at Nic through the hedge. “Why are you wearing one of the dresses?” He asked getting distracted.

“Er… advertising…”

Miles shook his head again and then glared at Aden as he let loose a loud snigger.

“Quiet!”

Aden shook his head and covered his mouth to stifle his laughter.

“We’re setting a trap for Leah, we have to capture her and remove her ring,” Miles explained patiently.

“And what do we do then? Do we like let her go? Do I get to keep the ring? Won’t she like notice that we kidnapped her and stole her jewellery?”

“Er..”

“You didn’t actually think past the initial plan did you?” Aden muttered with a snigger.

“Hey, I could call Ruby… “

“And what?” Miles asked still glaring at Aden.

“Well she could I don’t know… hex Leah?”

“Wait… what?” Aden exclaimed, “She’s a….. hexer?”

“Witch,” Jai corrected him.

“Woah,” Aden said and rubbed at the back of his head feeling like someone had just smacked him round the head and wondered who it could have been when he didn’t see either Jai or Miles move.

Miles noticed, “Problem?” he asked.

“No, not at all,” Aden said quickly looking around just in case it happened again.

“Ouh Nic, what lovely dresses,” Leah called loudly as she approached the stall reminding the others why they were there.

“Yeah, er.. yeah…”

“And such detail… is this Greek lace?”

“I don’t know…”

“Yes…” Miles muttered.

“How did you…..never mind.” Again Aden felt the smacking sensation against the back of his head.

“Can I take this one and well this one… and maybe …” Leah said her eyes glazing over.

“Why would you need three wedding dresses?” Nic asked back.

“B E C A U S E ….” Leah’s voice boomed, “I have to marry …”

“Now Nic,” Miles called springing out of the hedge along with Aden and Jai.

Nic used the confusion of the three men suddenly appearing to snag Leah in a net she’d fashion out of some wedding veils. She held the struggling woman whilst Miles reached for her hand and dragged the ring off. He held it up becoming mesmerized as he looked at it.

“My ring…” Leah said before she collapsed in Nic’s arms, forcing the other girl to pick her up and carry her over to the table. Nic gave a little groan as she balanced the weight for a moment before laying her down amongst the cavernous folds of the wedding dresses.

“It’s beautiful ring,” Miles said, his voice taking on a dreamy note, “I should go see Kirsty…”

“Miles, what are you doing?” Nic asked slowly, “maybe you should give me the ring?”

“No it’s mine,” Miles hissed, sounding like an angry cat, “It’s my pres-cious,” he added.

“That’s right Miles it’s your precious,” Aden said calmly picking up on the situation unfolding around him for once, “how about we put it somewhere safe for you?”

“Yeah Miles… er… “ Jai said earning a glare as he trailed off.

Nic looked around quickly before she spotted the case of Aden’s mobile phone sticking out of his pocket. She pulled on it and slipped the phone out handing that back to him before holding up the small woollen knitted pocket as he protested.

“Hey, Irene made me that!”

She silenced him with a glare and offered the pocket to Miles seeing the other man’s internal debate about handing over the ring before he finally popped it in there watching as Nic closed up the bag.

“Well done!” Another voice boomed startling them all.

“Gand-Alf…” Miles called out coming out from under the lure of the ring.

“It’s the ring that can ruin them all..” Gand-Alf intoned, “Now then little hobbits,” he added tapping his staff to the ground, a beam of light came from the top of his staff and then they noticed Annie standing a little way off. She came forward and looked over at Jai before smiling shyly. “I believe that now you need to start your journey.”

Jai looked at Miles before glancing back at Annie.

“Us?” he asked her.

“Yes we need to go to Japan and … wait… what was it, yeah, we tell everyone we’re going to Japan but we’re going to Mount Doom,” Annie flushed, “Or maybe it’s the other way around.”

“Either way do not put on the ring little hobbits,” Gand-Alf warned as he took the bag away from Nic and handed it over.

With another tap from his staff both Annie and Jai disappeared.

“Er can you just…” Miles waved his hand in the general direction of where Leah was still asleep.

“No problem,” Gand-Alf boomed and with another tap of his wand he sent her back to her bedroom.

“Right then, er.. it’s late and I need to go find some pizza or something…” Aden nodded at the other two before he spun around, his cape fluttering out behind him and he morphed into a bat and flew off.

“Wow he’s like totally been watching old vampire movies, well anyway, goodnight,” Nic moved to the dresses and scooped them up before heading in the direction of home.

“Nic what are you going to do with so many wedding… never mind,” Miles shook his head and let her go. Tomorrow was another day in Summer Bay, where the veil between worlds was thin and a rift could happen at any time where anything could take place. Who knew what tales would be coming and what would happen. Still that was tomorrow and no doubt, would be part of the sequel.

The End.