Glitch and Cody

Chapter 18 - Dinner with the Townsend

Cody

I'm tired, my leg is killing me, and the headache always snapping at my heels is catching up with me... but I'm happy.

I don't really get why seeing Allie trying to strangle Jasper with his crown is giving me so much joy, but it is. The girl jumped onto his back, shoved the crown down his head to hang around his neck and is now pulling on it while he thrashes around, trying to throw her off. It's like watching a disturbing bull ride.

Glitch is not enjoying the fun display of violence as much as I do. She's gone very quiet, holding onto my hand so tightly my fingers are starting to go numb. "Glitch, are you okay?" I ask, hearing her gasp in shock when Jasper bends over, catching his rider unawares - he's had his share of riding recalcitrant animals and learned from their examples - and she slides off into his waiting arms.

"Yes," Glitch giggles, clearly enjoying seeing her cousin lying docilely in her groom's arms, blinking up at him with admiration... or surprise... or she's just taking a break from trying to kill him to plot his demise. Glitch might have a romantic streak because she squeezes my hand, wraps her free arm around mine, leans her head against my bicep, and sighs dreamily. "Isn't that beautiful?"

I don't think she means the twins arguing about whose crown and cloak are the most impressive or what's left of the orchestra, hastily gathered on the stage, abusing our ears with some gut-awful coronation noises.

She is gazing at Jasper setting Allie on her feet and holding her hands in his to prevent her from hurting him. I think the girl is tired now or resigned to her fate, as she's looking up at him with narrowed eyes and pouty lips, but her fangs and claws are no longer visible.

Glitch is right; they look good together, and Jasper is a braver man than I because he is flashing his megawatt smile at Allie, making her cheeks flare up with more angry colour.

"So, food?" I prompt, turning Glitch away from the stage, and she happily skips beside me on our way to the many food stalls. Her abundance of energy ignites a spark in my body, sorely lacking it and I... don't skip with her, but I'm definitely grinning, making her giggle and twirl under my arm every few steps.

The girl's appetite is a lot bigger than mine. I used to eat everything that got thrown my way... and was edible, but I'm hardly ever really hungry since the accident. Done with our shopping spree, we make ourselves comfortable on either side of one of the raw-wood picnic tables with the benches attached to them, and spread our collection of food and sodas on the surface between us. I enjoy watching Glitch take bites and pieces of everything, groaning and humming in delight.

As with everything she does, she's eating with every fibre of her being, fully immersed in enjoying our spread. We bought baskets, bowls and platters of every available type of food at the festival and were given many samples for free. Four of Aunt Suzie's pies are on a plate, which she'd kindly heated for us.

I claim one of them, take a generous bite, savouring the gravy goodness and place the rest on my paper plate. I nearly choke on the mouthful when Jasper throws himself onto the bench beside Glitch, grabs a couple of our French fries from the shared basket and glares at me while he angrily bites into them.

"It was you, wasn't it?!" he grumbles, and Glitch slides a few inches away, giving him nervous looks even though he was barking at me, not at her. I don't think she likes having him in her space. I'm not sure why she is so afraid of him. He wouldn't do anything to her... at least the Jasper I knew wouldn't. Surely, he hasn't changed that much in the years we haven't been hanging out.

"No," Glitch says, taking a couple of fries, probably afraid she won't get any if Jasper has now joined our party. "It was Mrs Tucker."

"What?" Jasper scowls, turning his head to look at her, and when she smiles at him, I realise that it's not fear she's experiencing towards him; it's something much more complicated. It is puzzling me. I don't think I like it.