The Hunters of Artemis: A Siren's Call

5)Stranger Things

"Mad Hatter" by Melanie Martinez
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I passed my drivers test. I suppose it was only a matter of time; someone could only read and re-read a drivers' manual along with practice driving so many times before they passed it. For the next two weeks it would take for my license to officially arrive in the mail, I still had to use my beginners permit. While I was taking my test and Sam was waiting, he had run into an old friend he had met during one of his visits to Kenosha a few years ago. Twenty minutes after my test, they were still talking. The two had remained friends on social media. His name was Tanner and a he had a last name I could care less about remembering. The two had gotten to talking and catching up on old times. But once Tanner started talking about running his father's coffee shop downtown, he immediately caught my attention. From the way he spoke it sounded like his father's place was the closest coffee place to my grandparent's house. As soon as Tanner started talking about needing to hire new employees for the summer, I immediately interrupted him. "I'm looking for a job," I suddenly say with a mega-wat smile.

It didn't seem Sam and his old friend had known I existed prior to my speaking. Both suddenly turned to look at me. Tanner was shorter than Sam by a few inches. He was nothing but scrawny with a mop of flaming red hair, much redder than mine. Tanner looked at me with what appeared to be interest while Sam surprise. "You're looking for a job?" My brother looked as stunned as he sounded.

"I am," I smiled confidently at Tanner. Really, I could care less about working. Sam knew that about me better than anyone. I had more than enough money from my father's hefty allowance that I didn't need a crappy coffee job that probably paid less than minimum wage. Ever since Grandma Diane had started talking incessantly about outdoor activities involving gardening or cleaning up the house, I knew I needed to come up with a plan to get out of it. Making coffee as a summer job sounded a lot more appealing than playing around in the dirt or a cobweb filled house.

To my good fortune Tanner seemed to be on board with my idea even though he really didn't know me.

"Sure! You're Gabi, right?" he said, sounding as if he knew my name already but wanted to play it cool as if he didn't.

Sam raised an eyebrow while I smiled brighter. "Yeah, it's nice to officially meet you, Tanner," I answer sweetly, moving forward to shake his outstretched hand. "I'm very sincere when I say I would love a job. Is there an application online I could fill out?"

"Actually, there isn't," confessed a sheepish Tanner. "We're a fairly small place in comparison to Starbucks or local donut joints." I must have looked a tad dejected for he spoke faster. "I mean since I'm good friends with Sam I can pretty much vouch you'd make a great employee. You could meet my dad tomorrow and I'd bet he'd have you start this week!"

I could tell Tanner found me attractive. Even with my 'regal' looks I knew I was pretty. I had perfectly aligned white teeth, a flawless completion, and a gift for applying makeup. I've always been able to make myself more appealing than I actually am. Sometimes this works to my advantage. Other times, it made fellow teenage girls hate me. Sam could obviously tell Tanner was interested in me for he resisted snorting over his friend nearly tripping over himself. I kept my smile. "That sounds great! Let me give you my phone number."

After his exuberant promise to call me tomorrow Sam didn't say anything during the drive back. When he finally spoke, he seemed about to laugh. "I don't know what I'm more surprised by. The fact that you know how to play guys or that you want a job."

"I guess I can manipulate people as well as you know how to lie. Isn't that funny?" I immediately regretted my hostile words as Sam winced. I sighed as I looked out the window. "I just don't want to sit in the house all summer, okay?"

Sam sighed. "Fair enough."

Things were still awkward after our recent fight. Usually Sam was difficult to keep quiet. As we drove the silence was palpable. I purposely didn't try to mend it. A strong part of me was still deeply aggravated he kept such a large secret. I had always thought we were too close to ever allow a potential love interest to get between us.

My sour thoughts had me stewing for most of the car ride. It was only once we were driving down the highway back to Kenosha did I find something to make comment of. I saw the man from the trolley the other night. My eyes did a double take. He was even more gorgeous than my one time of seeing him in the dim light of the trolley. His wavy brown locks were spiked up. He was walking shirtless and barefoot. His skin was sparkling as if he had just been swimming. The only bit of clothing that covered him was an odd silver and sea-green pants that looked strangely like armor. The guy who looked too gorgeous for words was just walking down the street. I stared out my window to the point my nose was near pressed against the glass to look at him. He was walking along the edge of the highway as if oblivious to cars passing him at blazing fast speeds. The guy didn't seem to care he could be hit and killed at any given moment. But that wasn't the bizarre part of seeing him again. On the man's face was a very murderous look. In his hands was a long, silver stick that looked like a big fork. Gems the size of a horses eyeball decorated the top in pretty decorative patterns. I finally stopped gawking long enough to form a sentence. "That's something you don't see every day," I remark as Sam pulled off the road and towards our exit.

"What?"

I snorted. "Nobody likes a smart ass." I watched how my brother's eyes furrowed as he looked on at the highway ahead of him.

"I'm driving Gabi. I'm not exactly paying attention to random things out your window."

He said this in a voice that sounded as though I was ignoring the obvious. I raised an eyebrow. "You're really going to say you didn't see the guy walking the highway? Come on. He looked like he was pulled from the set of a play!"

Now I caught my brother's full attention. As we pulled up to a stop light Sam turned to look at me. "What the heck are you talking about?"

"Duh. Guy walking the highway dressed in a costume." It wasn't as though the young man was easy to miss. Not only was no one else walking the long stretch of highway but no could miss the giant fork in his hand as he marched on.

Sam peered through our back windshield as we pulled up to a stop light. His eyes squinted as his brows furrowed once more. "I never saw anyone."

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