Chapter 4 Part 3: Dragon Guard

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Dragon Guard
Chapter 4
Part 3

"I'm a dragon, and so is my dad," Andi blurted out. "Don't hate me."

"If he hated you, or was even frightened by you, he'd be long gone," Mr. Thomas said. "Not sitting here sharing an afternoon snack. As meager as it is."

"Yes, Lee, I'm well aware you want me to go to the grocery store," Mrs. Thomas said as she rolled her eyes. "I'll do it tomorrow."

Ben and Andi's eyes met, and she gave him a shy smile before concentrating on her soda can. What Mr. Thomas said was true, though. Andi being a dragon, whatever that meant, didn't frighten him one bit. And he certainly didn't hate her. Quite the opposite. But it did confuse him to no end.

"Besides," Mr. Thomas said, "he's your guard. He's programmed to not hate you, and you him." He gave Ben a hard stare. "But just because I acknowledge it doesn't mean I condone you putting your hands all over my daughter."

"Daddy!"

"Lee!"

Ben could only sit there and wonder what was going on. He hadn't even been close to putting his hands all over her. They'd almost kissed, sure, but she started that, not him. And what did he mean that Ben was her guard? None of this made any sense.

"What?" Mr. Thomas said to his wife. "I'm stating my feelings. I thought you liked it when I displayed them."

"I also know you understand the concept of tact, but you're choosing not to show any of that at the moment."

"Excuse me," Ben said, hoping he spoke loud enough to be heard. He had, as all three looked at him. "Uh, well, I mean…" He took a deep breath, and though Mr. Thomas kept his sour expression trained on him, smiles on the faces of both Mrs. Thomas, and more importantly, Andi urged him on. "What do you mean I'm her guard?"

"It's fate, dear," Mrs. Thomas said. "You're destined to be Alexandria's Dragon Guard."

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Chapter 4 Part 2: Dragon Guard

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Dragon Guard
Chapter 4
Part 2

When he did, Mr. Thomas frowned, looking every bit as menacing as he had yesterday morning. "You again? Are you spying on us?"

Ben shook his head and tried to say he'd come to warn them, but he couldn't get the words out. He glanced at Andi. Her face held an expression that was both horrified and embarrassed, and he couldn't blame her. If he was some sort of monster and she found out, he'd feel the same way. But she didn't need to. For reasons he couldn't figure out, he didn't care. He still felt the same about her as when she almost kissed him a few minutes ago. How in the world was he not more freaked out about this? About any of this?

"You know darn well he's not spying on us, Lee," Mrs. Thomas said. "And you know why he's here, too. Even if he doesn't." She flashed a warm smile his way which made him feel a lot better.

"Fine," Mr. Thomas said. He growled something under his breath, and then barked, "Andi, lighter fluid. The damn things are moving closer."

And they were. The body parts had been strewn across the backyard in heaps, but now looked like they'd been carefully placed for future reattachment. Ben guessed burning them was the only way to actually kill them. Had Mr. Thomas torched the ones from yesterday?

Andi came out with the lighter fluid, but wouldn't meet Ben's eyes. Did she think he wouldn't like her after what he saw? Or did she not like him anymore? He wanted to say something, but didn't dare in front of her parents, especially her dad. They were all silent until the zombies were well on their way to becoming ash.

Mr. Thomas spoke first, his voice calmer than Ben had yet heard it. "Zombies burn easily. It's one of the few ways to ultimately stop them." Ben realized it was directed at him, so he nodded to show he understood. In fact, even though he had no business knowing, he could have told them that. And he didn't think that knowledge came from watching zombie movies and playing video games.

"Since you haven't run off," Mrs. Thomas said, "you're obviously who we think you are."

He glanced over to Andi, saw her blush, and then back to Mrs. Thomas. "What do you mean? Who am I?"

"Let's discuss it in the house where it's not as smelly." She wrinkled her nose and looked at the burning bodies to emphasize her point. "I know Andi and Lee will agree with that."

Once inside, everyone sat around the kitchen table. Ben sat next to Andi and across from her mother's chair, while she sat opposite her dad. Mrs. Thomas placed a basket of potato chips in the middle. "What would you like to drink, Ben? I'm afraid all we have is soda, milk, and tap water. I haven't had much of a chance to grocery shop yet."

"Doesn't matter. I'll have what Andi's having." He cringed inside when he said it and wished he'd just made a decision. Mrs. Thomas hid a smile, Andi blushed and again refused to meet his eyes, while Mr. Thomas frowned.

She pulled four cans of soda out of the refrigerator and set them down in front of everyone. They each popped the tops and took sips, no one saying anything for a few beats. Mrs. Thomas broke the silence. "There's no need to hide anything, Ben, but I'm curious as to what you think you saw."

He grabbed a chip to give himself a few extra seconds to think. Should he go with the truth, or would they hold that against him? They were a different sort, that was for sure, and they might cover it up at any cost, including burying him in the backyard. No, he'd seen too many movies and cop procedurals. Whatever Andi was, and he honestly had no clue, she was a good…person or whatever. Her mom, too. He glanced at Mr. Thomas as he swallowed his chip; the jury was still out on him, though he couldn't imagine he'd be evil when Andi and her mom were so nice.

"I, uh, felt the zombies, and when I turned, I saw four at the front of your house, moving to the side gate."

"You felt them?" Mr. Thomas said.

"Yeah, like pins and needles on the back of my neck. Just like yesterday morning."

Mr. Thomas started to say something else, but Mrs. Thomas jumped in. "Lee, let him finish. What next?"

"I figured I should warn you guys, so I followed them into the backyard to see what they were up to. But you were already there, waiting."

"I noticed them right after I got in the house," Andi said. She finally looked at him, and they shared a smile.

Mrs. Thomas prompted him to continue. "And you saw us…"

"I saw you chop two up with a couple of swords, just like yesterday morning, and I saw…"

"Say it, boy," Mr. Thomas said. It sounded like a dare.

"I saw you and Andi turn into…" He almost said monsters, but caught himself. "…something."

Mr. Thomas flashed a wicked grin that proved he knew what Ben almost said.

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Chapter 4 Part 1: Dragon Guard

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Dragon Guard
Chapter 4
Part 1

"You didn't," Andi said, her hand pressed to her mouth. They'd walked home together and were almost to her house.

"Yeah. He all but asked for it by being an ass. So Randy and Vince filled a lunch sack with dog doo, and Jay borrowed one of his dad's lighters. I rang the doorbell as soon as Jay had the bag lit, and we ran like hell. We couldn't see from our hiding spot, but by the way he cursed, we knew he stamped it out. Hopefully with his indoor slippers."

"Oh no," Andi said, this time not successfully holding back the laughter. "I've made friends with a hooligan. Not doing homework yesterday, and telling me about lighting dog poop on fire today."

He winked at her. "Yeah, you better watch out. I'm dangerous."

She lost it even more and gave him a half-hug to keep from toppling over as she laughed. Ben took a deep breath and held it, but he didn't think she noticed. Good.

They walked a little ways further, and she wiped away some tears that had spilled out. By the time she regained control, they were in front of her house. "Thanks for walking me home," she said. "It's nice to have company."

"Glad to. You're fun to be around." And nice to look at, he thought, but didn't dare say it aloud. She dressed like most girls at school, with jeans and a tight white shirt, but he had to admit he liked the way she looked in the clothes better than any other girl.

"I don't know about that." She nudged his arm. "I've never even thought about leaving a flaming bag of poop on a doorstep."

He nudged her back. "I'm guessing you have some secrets you haven't told me yet."

"Maybe. You'll have to wait and see if I share."

Had she hesitated and looked nervous before she said that? No, he was being silly and reading too much into everything. "I can be patient," he said.

"We'll see." She turned towards her house, but before she moved, she looked back at him. "Hey, since you walk this way anyway, would you mind if I joined you on the way to school?"

His breath caught in his throat, but he managed to nod and choke out, "I'd like that."

"Me too." She moved her face close to his, then stopped, blushed, and hurried up to her house. Whoa, she almost kissed him. Too bad she stopped. That would have been cool.

He started towards home, not sure his feet were even touching the ground. He hadn't felt this good the time he and Melissa had made out, and Andi's lips hadn't even touched his. Weird. And she was so easy to talk to. He always ran out of stuff to say to Melissa, but with Andi he felt like he could talk for hours without repeating anything. And it was even better that they could be silly together. Melissa didn't tolerate that. They spent half of lunch today coming up with new ways to shorten different names after she said she went by Andi because no one expected Alexandria to be shortened like that. Everyone, predictably, tried to call her Alex.

Before he lost himself in more thoughts, he spun back towards her house. That strange tingling sensation assaulted his neck again, just like yesterday morning. No, that was impossible. All of that seemed like such a dream. How could the zombies be back now?

There were four shuffling around the house. Like people, each had different features and such, but all shared the same limping stride and pale bluish-green skin tone, just like the two yesterday. This group moved around the front porch and pushed through the side gate to the backyard. Ben dropped his backpack on the front lawn and followed at a safe distance. He'd see what they were up to and then ring the doorbell to warn Andi.

A quick peek into the backyard showed Andi and her parents already waiting for the zombies. Her mom had the same two short swords she used yesterday morning, but neither Andi nor her dad had any weapons at all. As the zombies lumbered forward, none of the Thomas's looked frightened. But that was okay because Ben's heart beat fast enough for everyone put together.

Without warning, Mrs. Thomas leapt, skewering a zombie's torso with one sword, while decapitating it with the other. In the same motion, she lunged at a second. While that was going on, something happened to Andi and her father. Their necks stretched, his about ten feet, hers not quite as long, and their heads morphed into some sort of blue reptile. No way. He was hallucinating again. But that wasn't true, and he knew it.

As her mother decimated the second zombie, Andi and her father each bit the remaining two in half. When all four lay in still wiggling pieces, Andi and her dad reverted back to normal. Ben blinked hard to see if all of this had really just happened.

"Andi, the lighter fluid is in the garage," her dad said. "It's next to the box marked BBQ. Go grab it before they start to regenerate."

"Wait," Mrs. Thomas said. She looked towards Ben, and Andi and her dad tensed, ready to jump back into action. Ben pulled his head back and hoped she hadn't seen him. He thought about running, but before he moved, she said, "It's okay, Ben. Come on out."

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Chapter 3 Part 3: Dragon Guard

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Dragon Guard
Chapter 3
Part 3

When Andi was alone, she said, "Okay, that was weird." When did Mom ever care if she did her homework? She sealed the bacon up with the zip top packaging, placed it back in the fridge, and headed out to find her parents. If she was quiet enough, they'd have no idea she was listening. She'd done it before.

A quick glance around showed them out in the backyard. If the window upstairs in the extra bedroom, which was right above the patio, was open, she'd have no problem hearing the conversation. And luck was on her side. Though Mom didn't look to have worked in here, the window was up. She snuck over as quiet as she could and listened.

"She's too young," her father said. "She's barely over 750 years old. The earliest her mate should come is at 900, and I'd much prefer 1000."

"I know, I know," Mom said. "And it's not just about her. The boy is far too young at 15. He looked like a deer in headlights this morning. But we're not in charge of choosing, no matter how much you believe it to be true. It's fate's decision, and there's nothing we can do to change that."

Dad grunted. "It doesn't matter anyway. She's a teenaged girl. She has a crush. I don't like that, either, but it's not a big deal."

With the tone of her voice, Andi guessed Mom had rolled her eyes. "She's the equivalent of a fifteen year old girl. I'm assuming she's had crushes before, but has she ever brought one up? No. And you can't deny you sensed something in that boy. I felt it, too. Don't be stubborn, admit it."

Her father didn't say anything for a minute, and when he spoke again, it was in a low voice, almost a whisper. "Being bound, married, at 15 might have been fine in the past, but it's not appropriate for this day and age."

"Fair enough, but you know as well as I that dragon laws can't always fit into human society. Do you really think it coincidence that the boy shows up at our doorstep this morning? We haven't been troubled by anything supernatural since Andi was born. His being here means something big is on the horizon, and whatever powers he possesses are there to keep her safe. If you refuse to acknowledge that, you do nothing but needlessly endanger both of their lives."

Andi could almost hear her father's teeth grind. She might have done the same if she wasn't being ultra-careful to stay silent. All of this sounded big, too big. She'd just met Ben. He couldn't be her mate, her husband, or whatever it was they were talking about. Dad was right; they were too young. If danger was coming, what could Ben possibly do about it? But having said all that, why in the world couldn't she get him out of her mind?

"Fine," her father said. "Since you're so big on fate, we'll let it make the next move. If it points to the boy again, we'll give them a minor binding. That will give him enough power to get through this. Whatever is coming will be directed at us, not them."

Her mother let out a frustrated sigh. "I can't argue with you when you're being pigheaded for the sake of it. There's too much to do inside." The sliding glass door opened and closed with exaggerated gentleness.

Andi snuck back to her room so her mom wouldn't catch her eavesdropping. As she went, she heard her father mutter, "Why can't fate ever make any of this easy?"

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Chapter 3 Part 2: Dragon Guard

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Dragon Guard

Chapter 3

Part 2

"A couple of walking corpses paid us a visit, and Ben was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Poor kid thought they were after him for a minute. Your father pulled him into the house, and I sent him in here while we dispatched them in the hallway."

Andi wrinkled her nose. "I knew I smelled something gross in there."

"Yeah, I'm sure you and your father will gag over it for a few days. It's times like these that I'm glad I don't have your sense of smell."

Andi picked up her bacon slice and continued nibbling. "There doesn't seem to be any disturbance out there, so the neighbors must not have noticed."

"We're guessing whoever sent them put a spell on the neighborhood, imploring everyone to stay inside for a few minutes."

"Who did it?" She finished the first piece of bacon and pulled off a second.

"Don't know. We've stayed out of the supernatural spotlight since you were born, so neither of us can figure it out. Might have been a random attack. Someone lost control of their zombies and they were drawn to our magic. We'll have to wait and see if anything comes of it."

"Why didn't Ben mention any of this when we talked?" Andi asked. "It would have made a pretty big impression on my day, and I know this stuff exists."

"Maybe he convinced himself it didn't happen. Though I don't know how he can believe it was a hallucination after I drove him to school."

"You what? You drove him to school? Jeez, Mother, you really are trying to set me up."

"I swear I'm not. I didn't want him to be late on top of everything else." She paused and gave Andi a piercing stare. "Though I did feel something special about him."

"I did, too." Andi squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. "No, no, no. I can't feel anything for him. I've purposely avoided this every time I'm at a new school because it can only end in heartbreak."

"Not necessarily," her mom said, almost too low to hear.

"What do you mean? He's going to grow up, and I'm going to look exactly the same."

Her mother stood and returned to the dishwasher. "Eat your snack and think about it. Do you have any idea what I am?"

She started to say, "Of course," but didn't have anything to add after that. She took a sip of soda and concentrated on the bubbles running down her throat. Mom wasn't a dragon, not like her and Dad. But other than that, she never really gave it much thought. Mom aged at the same rate, roughly one dragon year for every fifty human years, but besides her almost superhuman dexterity, she seemed normal.

"Well?"

"I don't know. You're my mom. Other than having a dragon age, you're human."

"I am human," Mom said as she put a few more plates into their new home. "Or at least I was. Now I'm a Dragon Guard, your father's bound mate."

"What does that mean?"

"It means I'm your father's one and only. We share a bond stronger than any other. Only dragons and their guards have it. I always know where he is and what he's feeling. And when he's in his true form, we can communicate without speaking, though you already know that. Plus so much more."

"Wait, what are you saying? You think Ben is this to me?" She jumped out of her chair. "No, he can't be my one true love or any of that sappy Disney princess stuff. I just met him."

"Like I said, I felt something about him this morning, but I mostly ignored it. We never told you any of this because fate waits until the dragon and her guard are in their late teens or early 20s, dragon-year-wise, before introducing them. That way both are physically and mentally able to handle it all. They never meet earlier unless…" Mom's eyes went wide, and this time she did drop a plate, though it was a cheap plastic one that didn't break.

"Unless what?"

Mom took a deep breath and headed out of the kitchen. "Finish up, Andi, and then hit the books. I need to talk to your father."

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Chapter 3 Part 1: Dragon Guard

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Dragon Guard

Chapter 3

Part 1

Andi walked into this new house and yelled out, "I'm home!" even if it didn't feel like home yet.

"In the kitchen," her mom called. "Come in and tell me about your day."

As she breezed through the short entry hall, a strange scent hit her. It was mostly cleaning disinfectant, but something she couldn't place lay underneath it. Something that hadn't been there this morning. Something yucky. It faded as she passed through the living room, which still had boxes stacked against the bare walls. Mom must've tackled other parts of the house today.

She pushed into the kitchen and found her mom pulling plates out of the dishwasher and stacking them in one of the cabinets above the sink. When she saw Andi, Mom stopped and turned towards her.

"How was your first day?"

"Same as any first day, I guess."

"Meet any nice people?"

Andi shrugged, and though she tried her hardest not to, her face flushed. "There was this one guy."

Her mom had started stocking the cabinet again, but that statement froze her. Only her amazing dexterity kept her from dropping a plate. "Doesn't sound like a normal first day to me."

"Whatever. Not like it matters. Even if I liked him and started going out, it wouldn't mean anything. We'll still have to leave in a couple of years."

"What's wrong with having fun until then? Be a teenager."

She wanted to. For some reason, she really liked Ben, even though she didn't know anything about him. Sure, he looked good, with his playfully unkempt brown hair and understated fashion sense of a plain t-shirt and simple jeans that actually fit right, unlike how many boys wore them nowadays. But aside from his looks, there was something different about him, something she'd never noticed in any of the other boys she'd met. She felt it from that first second they locked eyes at break. And what about that shock when she'd touched his arm after lunch? That was definitely a first.

"I guess," she said. "Do we have any venison jerky left?"

"Sorry, your dad polished it off. We'll get more this weekend." Mom turned to the mostly empty fridge. "We do have bacon. I can heat it up, if you'd like."

"That's okay. I like it cold." Andi opened the package, peeled a strip off, and took a bite.

Mom took a seat in one of the chairs opposite her. "So, tell me about this boy. His name wasn't Ben, was it?"

Andi stared at her mom. "How did you know?"

Mom had a hard time hiding a smile. "That poor boy had an interesting morning. I told him to say hi if he saw you."

"Wait. What's going on?"

"We had a couple of, uh, strange visitors this morning, and poor Ben got caught in the middle on his way to school."

Andi got up and crossed to the refrigerator. "Did you buy any soda yet?"

"Wouldn't you rather have milk?"

"Not after I found out my mother's trying to set me up with boys. So what do you mean by strange visitors and him being caught in the middle?" She found a can of generic caffeine-free soda and popped it open.

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Dragon Guard Description

Dragons and the undead only exist in fairy tales and video games. Fifteen year-old Ben Phillips knows this as surely as he knows the sun rises in the morning and sets at night. And then he gets attacked by zombies on his way to school. But that’s not the worst thing that’s happened to him lately. He’s also fallen for the new girl in school, Andi Thomas, who turns out to be a 758 year-old dragon in a fifteen year-old girl's body. If that wasn’t enough to make it the worst school year of his life, fate has also decided Ben should be Andi's Dragon Guard, her bound mate with superpowers right out of comic books. And then an ancient evil bent on destroying the world kidnaps Ben's parents. Ben’s had better years. But evil necromancers and over-protective parents aside, Ben’s going to do everything he can, with or without the full powers of Dragon Guard, to do the right thing, not just for Andi, but for the world. 

And still get his math homework done on time.

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Chapter 2 Part 2: Dragon Guard

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Dragon Guard
Chapter 2
Part 2

Ben walked from his normal lunch spot to fifth period PE, a smile on his lips. His friends had resumed their teasing from break, but it had been good-natured, so he didn't mind. And each got a turn in getting picked on about a girl, so it was all fair. He supposed he liked Melissa well enough, and they'd probably be going out again, as soon as she pushed the topic enough for him to ask her. But there was something about the new girl. He'd never felt this way about Melissa, and he hadn't even talked to Andi yet. She'd been in his thoughts nonstop since break. He'd hardly even thought about the zombies.

Whoa! He stopped in his tracks. What was stranger? The fact that he'd seen what he assumed were real zombies, or that a few hours later it hardly phased him? Shouldn't something like that consume his thoughts? Give him walking nightmares? But it didn't bother him at all.

As if on cue, he looked to his left and saw Andi by herself at a drinking fountain. It was the perfect opportunity. With the distraction of everyone heading to class, no one would notice him talking to her. And her mom did tell him to say hi, right?

Who was he kidding? He couldn't do that. What would he say? Yes, he'd dated Melissa last year, but the guys were right. If she hadn't initiated it all, basically insisted, they'd have never gone out. And they'd been flirting on and off since elementary school. How would he start something with a girl he didn't even know?

She finished her drink and turned towards him. He should go, continue on to the locker room for PE, but his feet wouldn't move. What was it about this girl? He needed to at least look somewhere else so she didn't think he was some creepy stalker.

Too late. Her eyes caught his, and she smiled, ducked her head, and looked up again. C'mon, do it. There would never be a better opportunity. He'd faced zombies that morning. This whole day was probably a dream anyway, right? Go up to her. Say hi.

His legs obeyed even as him mind screamed, "No!" What was he doing? He couldn't think of anything to say. Wasn't his first remark supposed to be witty or funny or something? This could only end with him looking dumb.

Thankfully, or maybe unfortunately, she didn't run away. Her smile brightened and her cheeks blushed, but she held eye contact. "Hi," he said when he was close enough. "My name's Ben." Somehow his voice came out comprehensible.

"Hi, I'm Andi. Well, really Alexandria, but I go by Andi."

"Cool. First day, huh?" What? Lead with that? Stupid-stupid-stupid.

"Yeah. Seems like a good school. People have been really great so far."

"Nice. Where are you off to next?" Better.

"Algebra with Mr. Simms. Do you have him?"

"Yeah. First period. Always do your homework and you'll be fine."

"You can pretty much say that for any class, though, right?" she said with a laugh.

"He gets mean when you don't do it. Way more than other teachers. I'm still stinging from this morning."

"But I bet it motivates you to finish your assignments for the rest of the week." A half-smile lingered on her lips.

"Yeah, you're probably right."

"So there you go." She gave him a playful nudge on the arm, and a spark shot between them. Not like a static electricity shock, but something deeper, something he couldn't explain. She felt it, too, because her eyes went wide.

"Can I eat lunch with you tomorrow?" he asked, the question coming out all at once. "I mean, unless you already have someone to sit with. Or something." Not only did he have no clue where that came from, but it sounded way too lame for her to accept.

"Yeah, that sounds great."

Wait, had he heard her right? She said yes? Yeah, she did. "Meet me here and we'll pick a spot." Did she notice he had a hard time getting it out without hyperventilating?

Her slight smile said yes, but instead of commenting, she said, "Sounds good. I'll be here."

"Awesome."

"We better get to class. You already skipped homework today, so you probably don't want to get a tardy, too."

"I'll be fine. I have PE. But you shouldn't be late to Simms's class. I'll see you tomorrow, if not later today."

"Sounds great. Thanks for everything."

She smiled, waved, and headed towards the math building. He watched for a second, and then turned towards the locker rooms. As he did, he gave a start. Across the way stood Melissa, dressed head to toe in her signature pink, staring at him with a big frown on her face. He contemplated waving, but that might make things worse. Instead he ducked his head and pretended he hadn't seen her. It wouldn't work, but at least it would keep him out of a confrontation for the moment. As he walked into the locker room, it came to him that he didn't care if he smoothed things over with Melissa. There was something special about Andi Thomas.

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Chapter 2 Part 1: Dragon Guard

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Dragon Guard
Chapter 2
Part 1

"So you played all night instead of doing homework for Simms's class?" Randy said, laughing.

"Man," Jay said. "Even if you found good groups, it couldn't make up for the wrath of Old Man Simms."

"I didn't mean to," Ben said. "Every group I joined couldn't lose. I kept saying I was going to get to my homework, but all of the sudden it was after eleven."

"You should have seen it," Vince said. "Simms was in fine form. Especially since Ben was the only one who didn't finish."

His three friends laughed while Ben polished off the bag of potato chips he brought for a snack. "Glad you guys are enjoying this. It was a pretty crappy morning." He sighed. And they didn't know the half of it. In a way, he didn't mind the tongue lashing Old Man Simms gave him. It felt normal.

Jay punched Ben's arm. "Melissa says hi, by the way."

"When are you going to ask her out again?" Randy said. "She's only going to keep bugging us until you do."

Ben was about to say something about finding the right time when she caught his eye. Not Melissa, but the new girl, Mrs. Thomas's daughter. What was her name? Angie? Annie? Andi? Yes, Andi. As Mrs. Thomas said, there was no doubt who her parents were. She had long dark hair, the color of her father's, the petite, athletic frame and good looks of her mother, and…

She looked up at him, and her bright blue eyes pierced through him, like her father's. But unlike his stare, which brought intimidation, hers filled him with a sense of peace and happiness. It was unlike anything he'd ever felt before. She smiled, and he tried to smile back, hoped he did. He didn't dare look down because he was afraid he'd find himself floating a few inches off the ground.

His buddies burst out laughing.

"What?" he said, breaking eye contact. When he glanced back, she was already on her way in the opposite direction.

"Nothing," Vince said. "It was just perfect timing. We're talking about Melissa, and you're making eyes at the new girl."

"Yeah," Randy said. "That chick's pretty hot. You should've said hi, Benny."

"I don't know…"

"Sure, just like he did with Melissa last year," Jay said. "Oh, wait, that never happened. She had to finally make him ask her out."

Randy took a turn punching him in the arm. Like Jay's punch, it didn't hurt. Luckily, Ben's friends were all built like him, more for video games than physical activity. "For a guy with no game, you sure are a chick magnet."

"Whatever."

Before he had to endure any more, the bell rang, ending break and signaling the start of third period. The guys all said bye and headed for class. Ben hurried to Language Arts, hopeful this would be the one he shared with Andi Thomas.

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Chapter 1 Part 3: Dragon Guard

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Dragon Guard
Chapter1
Part 3

The front door thudded open, and Ben couldn't stand it. He had to see what was going on. He snuck into the living room and peeked around the corner to the entry hall. The two zombies stumbled in through the open door, and the man, Lee, moved too fast for Ben to see. The first zombie fell, decapitated. The woman leapt at the second, two swords in her hands. A few quick swipes and it dropped headless next to the first on the tile floor. Lee slammed the door shut and the lady headed back towards Ben, who retreated to the kitchen.

"Don't see that sort of stuff everyday, do you?" the woman said as she walked in.

Did she know he'd been watching, or had she meant zombies in general? His "No," wasn't a lie either way.

"Sorry you had to get mixed up in that. Let me get you to school. I wouldn't want you to be late on top of everything else."

Ben nodded, not trusting his voice enough even to mutter an "Okay," and followed her though a side door in the kitchen which led to the garage. School wasn't too far away, just a couple more blocks. Normally he'd have turned down a ride, but today he didn't want to risk running into any more zombies. Or worse, if there was such a thing.

A sporty red four-door and a big blue SUV sat parked in the garage. She unlocked the four-door, and he climbed in the passenger seat. As she backed out, she started talking as if nothing weird had just happened.

"You can probably tell by the mess in there that we just moved in. Today's our daughter's first day of school. She'd usually be leaving by the time you showed up, but she wanted to get there early to get a lay of the land, so to speak. We picked up her schedule on Friday, but didn't have a chance to explore. What grade are you in?"

"Tenth."

"Wonderful! A sophomore. So is my daughter, Alexandria. And I'm sorry, sweetie, I forgot to ask your name."

"Ben. Ben Phillips."

"So nice to meet you, Ben, though I wish it'd been under better circumstances. I'm Cassandra Thomas, and you met my husband, Leon. Maybe you'll meet Andi today."

"Yeah." He couldn't think of anything to add to that.

Like most mornings, there was a huge line getting into the parking lot, so he had Cassandra, Mrs. Thomas he should probably call her, stop across the street. Before he got out, she put a hand on his arm. "Ben, it might be best for all involved if you chose not to mention what you saw this morning."

Somehow he managed to smile. "I don't think anyone would believe me anyway."

"No, probably not," she said with a chuckle. "And if you see Andi, don't be afraid to go up to her and say hi. I'm sure she could use a friend today. You'll know her when you see her. She looks quite a bit like me except for her eyes and her hair color. Those she got from her father."

Ben said he would and thanked her for the ride, and she gave a wave as she drove off. He sighed and headed for the crosswalk. At least all of that had taken his mind off his unfinished math homework.

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Chapter 1 Part 2: Dragon Guard

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Dragon Guard

Chapter 1

Part 2

He turned to knock on the door but stopped himself. What right did he have to bring trouble to these nice people? Assuming they were nice, anyway. Maybe he'd be in worse shape if he got their attention. The zombies might be the lesser of two evils. And what if they were in league with the zombies? Not that he believed that, but all kinds of horrible scenarios ran though his mind. Before he made a decision, the door opened and a big hand grabbed his upper arm, dragging him inside.

"Should have run, boy. They weren't after you."

Ben turned and looked at the man. He was huge, standing at least six and a half feet tall and built like a truck, as Ben's dad liked to say. He had short dark hair and a thick mustache, but the thing that stood out most, which both scared and comforted him, was the man's piercing dark blue eyes. It was as if they saw right through Ben's skull and directly into his soul.

Ben gave a start and looked away. A woman also stood there, probably the guy's wife. The two appeared to be in their mid-30s, about the same age his parents. She was much shorter than the hulking man, around five and a half feet tall. She was pretty, and it helped that her eyes were plain green, not so noticeable as her husband's. Her hair was a stylish short blonde, dropping down just below her jaw line. He knew it was stylish because it looked similar to how his mom often appeared after a trip to the salon, and she always kept up on the latest trends.

"No need to scare him, Lee," the woman said. "I'm sure he's already freaked out of his mind."

The man, Lee, let go of Ben, who backed away. Would his shoulders have bruises from the grip? He looked at the adults. "What's going on?"

"Nothing to concern yourself with, sweetie," the woman said. "Why don't you head into the kitchen for a minute? There are some granola bars on the counter if you're hungry. I'll drive you to school in a few moments so you're not late. I assume you go to Valley Citrus?"

He nodded and followed her point out of the entry hall and to the left. He didn't know these people, so why should he trust them? But for some reason, he did. The floor plan wasn't much different from his own house and others in the neighborhood. The entryway opened into a living room, and a door to the left led to the kitchen. Were all the houses in the area just copies of each other?

He could tell these people hadn't been here very long. The living room had a half-finished feel to it. The furniture and television and other big stuff were set up, but the walls were bare, and there were a few boxes in the corner with family photos and other decorations peeking out. Everything had a new smell that he figured was from carpet cleaners. He remembered the scent from when Grandma Phillips passed a couple of years back. His parents, along with his aunts and uncles, cleaned her house top to bottom in order to sell it.

The kitchen held more clutter. Dishes, cooking utensils, and other things lay in a few of the open boxes. If he poked through the cupboards, pantry, and refrigerator, he knew he wouldn't find much. No breakfast odor lingered. The granola bars were indeed on the counter, but even if he hadn't already eaten, he wouldn't have the appetite for one now.

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Dragon Guard Hub

Dragon Guard is available in paperback:
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Large Cover Image of Dragon Guard:
Cover Image

Description of Dragon Guard:
Description 

Interview about Dragon Guard:
Crazy/Awkward Interview

Links to Sample Chapters:
Chapter One Part One
Chapter One Part Two
Chapter One Part Three
Chapter Two Part One
Chapter Two Part Two
Chapter Three Part One
Chapter Three Part Two
Chapter Three Part Three
Chapter Four Part One
Chapter Four Part Two
Chapter Four Part Three

Chapter 1 Part 1: Dragon Guard

Dragon Guard
Chapter 1 Part 1

Ben Phillips dragged his feet and hated the heft of his backpack. Not that it was heavy, but it reminded him that his math homework wasn't in there. He'd planned to do it last night, but made the mistake of turning on his Xbox before cracking the books. Neither Mom nor Dad would walk in on him, so his only enemy was willpower, which he thought he could beat. He kept getting in better and better battle groups, and before he knew it, it was after eleven. Even with their constant bickering, Mom and Dad would notice him still up that late on a school night. Probably.

Okay, so maybe playing too many video games instead of doing homework wasn't that rare of an occurrence. It wouldn't be such a big deal if it wasn't Mr. Simms. The math teacher notoriously yelled at students who didn't finish their assignments. Ben was pretty good about getting math homework done as he'd been on the receiving end of the browbeating before, and it wasn't fun. Since today was Monday, it would be worse. Sure, he had all weekend to finish, but he also had other classes. Why didn't teachers get this?

Something buzzed on the back of his neck. It was a prickly feeling, like when he woke his foot up after it fell asleep, that feeling of a thousand tiny needles sticking him. His hand flew up there, but nothing sat on his neck. He looked around and found himself in front of that house that sold a few weeks back. He still hadn't seen who moved in. Whoever it was, they certainly didn't come out very often.

Come to think of it, the whole neighborhood was quiet this morning. Usually there were people leaving for work, walking their dogs, or simply out to get their morning paper. But this morning? Nothing.

The prickly sensation hit harder, moving up his head and down his back. Movement caught his eye at the sidewalk by the property boundary. He let out a yell and stepped back. His foot fell on the edge of the grass and sidewalk, and he tumbled onto his butt. Instead of pushing back up, he turned and scurried on all fours up the lawn towards the porch. There was no way he saw what he thought he did.

Ben bolted up to the front door and spun to look, sure his imagination had gotten the best of him. It was a holdover in his mind from the zombie mode in Warfare Zone, the first-person shooter he'd been playing last night. But instead of an empty lawn, there were two people lumbering towards him. No, not people, not really. They were walking corpses, zombies. Had to be. Their skin was a pale mixture of blue and green, and open sores littered every bit of exposed surface. Their tattered dress shirts and pants wore stains of dirt and who knew what else. Both of their jaws moved up and down as if they were trying to speak. Or, more likely, ready to chew up anything that got in their way.

If he ran quick enough, he could skirt past them. These looked to be the classic slow-moving zombies, not the super fast ones from some of the more recent horror flicks. But weren't they, regardless of speed, relentless? If they really were after him, they wouldn't give up, no matter where he ran, until they caught him.

Hysterical giggles threatened to overwhelm him. Here he was, trying to sort this out as if it were science, not fiction. But, then again, there were two creatures he could only think of as zombies coming right at him. How much more real could this get?

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Poll About the Sample Chapters

If you'll look to the right, you'll see I constructed a poll regarding the ten sample chapters I published for my upcoming Young Adult Paranormal novel, Ghost Betweens. I hope you take a few seconds to choose an answer. I have no idea how the chapters were perceived, as I received very little feedback on them. Did I waste my time posting the chapters? Did they work in drumming up interest? Please let me know. And if you have additional comments, or have an answer that wasn't listed in the poll, please let me know in the comment section of this post, on Facebook (if you came from there), or on Twitter (if you came from there). Thank you! EDIT: Poll is now gone. Thanks to those of you who voted. If you would still like to share your opinion on the matter, I'd be glad to see it in the comments.

Chapter 9 Part 2--Ghost Betweens

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Chapter 9 Part 2

As Josh scrolled through the pictures he'd taken at the park, his mind wandered to Whisper. They'd got along great, but he still couldn't tell how she felt about him. He should just man up and ask her out. What was the worst thing that could happen? She could say no. He'd been rejected before. But he really liked Whisper, and he wanted to be her friend even if he couldn't date her. So the worst thing might be that she wouldn't want anything to do with him. It would be better to just wait and see what happened. Knowing Kendra, he wouldn't have to wait long, and if Whisper wasn't interested, it'd be Kend's fault, not his, and they could stay friends.

His phone jarred him out of his thoughts. He looked and saw it was Zach. "Hey, what's up?"

"Nothing. Just seeing how things went for you guys. Ghost-wise for me, you and Whisper-wise for Kendra." Kendra must've been with him because he heard her yell at Zach for being a jerk.

Josh laughed. "Nothing to report. No ghosts, and tell Kend that Whisper and I had a good time as friends."

He relayed the message, and Josh heard a brief scuffle, in what he imagined was for control of the phone. After a few seconds, Kendra's voice rang in his ear. "Seriously, Josh, how can you be so blind? The girl is hot for you. Ask her out."

Zach's voice filled the background with shouts for Kendra to give him the phone back. Finally, after more sounds of a scuffle, Zach was back.

"Sorry, dude. You know how she gets with this kind of stuff."

Josh bit the inside of his cheek to refrain from cracking a joke about Zach needing to control his woman. Zach would probably relate it to Kendra, and they'd both be in big trouble. Instead, he asked, "Did you guys find anything?"

Josh groaned. "Yeah, every frickin' shoe sale in the mall. But nothing ghost-wise. Kendra was good and took ten minutes of pictures. I kept snapping as she shopped. Ow! I mean we shopped. While we shopped."

Josh lost it and almost dropped the phone in laughter. It wouldn't have been as funny if he knew Zach didn't have a good time. But Zach always had fun with Kendra, no matter what he said.

"Anyway," Zach said when order had been restored on both ends, "we just wanted to know how everything went. See you tomorrow, dude." Kendra said something Josh couldn't make out. "Kendra says to not be a wimp and ask Whisper out."

If it were only that easy. "Tell her to not worry about it. If it happens, it happens. It shouldn't concern her."

"No way, dude. I'm not telling her that." She yelled in the background that she should be told what was being said.

"Just tell her I'll try. Okay?"

"You're going to get me beat up, dude. You know she can't resist gossip. Ow! That hurt, Kendra! See you, dude."

"Good luck," Josh said, but he wasn't sure if Zach heard. He shook his head, wondered if he and Whisper would be like that, and decided to push it out of his mind. He got started on his real homework.

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Chapter 9 Part 1--Ghost Betweens

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Chapter 9 Part 1

As Josh and Zach headed to Mr. Baxter's class, neither said anything about Kendra's outburst. He had a silly thought that Zach didn't even remember it, and if asked, Kendra wouldn't either. But that was stupid. There was no supernatural force blanking their memories. Why would he even think something like that?

They walked into the classroom and found the girls already there. Kendra gave him a big smile and discreetly pointed to Whisper before she gravitated over to Zach. What had that meant? Whisper looked up from the computer screen and smiled. His heart skipped a beat. Had Whisper been talking about him with Kendra? Or was Kendra simply trying to play matchmaker when Whisper wasn't interested like that?

He pushed it out of his mind for the moment and stepped forward to the monitor. "These are amazing," Mr. Baxter said. "You four got some great pictures. There are energy blurs, energy balls, mist, partial apparitions, and even some full-bodied ones. And you're not pulling one over on me? These were all taken yesterday afternoon in that half-hour?"

Whisper nodded. "It might have been a bit longer than thirty minutes, but if so, it wasn't by much."

"Forty-five minutes, tops," Josh added.

"Yeah, but Josh and Whisper had all the fun," Zach said. "They actually saw some cool stuff. Kendra and I couldn't. And believe me, I tried."

Mr. Baxter nodded as if he expected it. Josh didn't think it would be proper to ask right now, but he filed it away. He glanced over to Whisper, and they shared a look that said she'd caught it, too.

Mr. Baxter continued scrolling through the pictures, and when he reached the end, he pointed at the shots of the tree. Josh shuddered when he thought of the ghost cycling through its last moments before the hanging. "I don't see anything on these last few. Why did you take them?"

"That was all Josh and Whisper," Kendra said. "They said they saw some funky ghost hanging himself or something. Gag."

"Yeah, but we didn't see anything," Zach said. "And we looked even after they left."

"Nothing," Kendra echoed.

Mr. Baxter looked up at Whisper and Josh. "But you saw something? Something that wouldn't stick to the digital photos?"

"A farmer," Whisper said. "He hung himself."

"We watched him do it over and over. Like he was stuck in an endless loop."

Mr. Baxter nodded. "Yeah, I expected plenty of residual activity there, but these other photos. Wow."

"You expected stuff?" Zach said.

"Sigh, Mr. Baxter. You're showing your nerd."

"I'll ignore Ms. Phelps, and say, yes, I was expecting a few bits of evidence. It would be hard not to get something at that place. But this? This is almost unimaginable."

"What do you mean?" Josh asked. "What kind of place is it?"

He waved his hand to shoo the question away. "Not now, not now. But can you four do me a huge favor? With the cameras again?"

"Back to the dirty old spooky farm?" Kendra asked.

"Not today, but maybe tomorrow." He glanced up at them, a look of concern etched on his face. "You don't mind giving up a Friday afternoon at the farm tomorrow, do you?"

"No way," Zach said. "You couldn't keep us away."

Everyone laughed.

"Yeah, I guess that pretty much sums up all of our opinions," Josh said. "Except maybe Kendra."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Shows what you know. I don't mind." She gripped Zach's arm a bit tighter, though.

"Yeah, that goes for me, too," Whisper said. "I can't wait to go back. But why tomorrow? Why not this afternoon?"

"I have another task for you. As I said, if you don't mind." When they each nodded, he continued. "I'd like you to go in teams of two to separate locations. A park, a shopping center, a gas station, anywhere. Take a few pictures and examine them on your own computers when you get home. Email me if you find anything strange." He handed them each a business card with his name and email address--the generic Gmail one he gave to all his students.

"Ooh, I like this assignment, Mr. B," Kendra said. "Come on, Zachy. I want to go take pictures at the mall."

"Good, good," Mr. Baxter said. "Mr. Hart, Ms. Douglas, maybe you two could go somewhere a bit less crowded. A local park perhaps? Don't stay long," he chuckled and looked at Zach. "Though I believe you may be out of luck, Mr. Riley."

"Sigh. I'll be good, Mr. B. We'll take pictures before we shop."

Zach shot a pleading look to Josh, who laughed. But then it sunk in. He was going to be alone with Whisper again. That was way awesome, but butterflies flapped around in his stomach. And they started to multiply.

He turned to Whisper. Was she blushing? "Are you okay with this? Would you rather go with Kendra?"

Kendra make a clicking sound, and when he looked at her, she mouthed, "Don't be dumb," and motioned at Whisper.

Before Whisper could answer, Mr. Baxter said, "You don't mind, do you Ms. Douglas? Because I'd really like to team you up with Mr. Hart in this one."

Whoa! Was Mr. Baxter trying to set them up, too? No, why would he do that? But what was going on?

Whisper blushed harder, noticeable to Josh this time, and nodded. "Yeah, it's fine. He proved he's a gentleman yesterday."

Kendra rolled her eyes at Josh, grabbed Zach's hand, and walked out. "We'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Pictures, Ms. Phelps. Remember the pictures." As they got to the door, he added, "And homework!"

"Don't worry," Zach called back as they left.

Whisper giggled, and Josh and Mr. Baxter just shook their heads. "Doesn't really matter," he said. "I believe you two are the key, being as you saw the apparition in the tree and they didn't."

"What's going on, Mr. Baxter?" Josh asked. "Something more than you're telling us. That's easy to see."

"I know, Mr. Hart, but you're just going to have to trust me today. Email if you see anything this afternoon, and head over to the farm tomorrow after school. Don't bother coming to see me. Email me tomorrow night about the farm, whether anything big shows up or not. Take as many pictures as you can, but only stay a short time, just like yesterday. Got it?"

They both nodded.

"I'll clue you in later, I promise. But I don't want anything tainted until I see more of what's going on. Okay? Now get to it. I'll see you both in class tomorrow."

They both said goodbye and headed for Josh's car.

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Chapter 8 Part 2--Ghost Betweens

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Chapter 8 Part 2

Josh popped the last of his peanut butter sandwich into his mouth and shook his head. "Why can't she just listen to me? I don't have time to get a job. When football season is over next year, I'll be happy to, but not now."

"We'll find something that'll work around football, dude. Weekends will be shot, but you gotta do what you gotta do, right?"

"What do you mean we?"

Zach punched him lightly in the arm. "Like I'm going to let you go get all the money. When Kendra sees how you're spoiling Whisper, she's going to insist I get a job, too."

Josh choked on his soda, and had to spit some out. People around them laughed and asked him if he had a drinking problem. He ignored them and said, "What do you mean by spoiling Whisper? Did she say something to you and Kendra?"

"No wonder you don't have a girlfriend. Dude, she was practically asking you out yesterday. You didn't pick up on any of that?"

Josh frowned. "I guess. I don't know. We talked pretty easily in the car. Usually I get all flustered with pretty girls."

"See? Perfect girlfriend. Believe it or not, when you go out with a girl, you need stuff in common so you can talk. You can't just make out all the time." He paused, a wistful look on his face. "Though that'd be pretty cool."

"Yeah, but what do you and Kendra talk about? You guys don't have anything in common."

"That's not true."

Josh raised his eyebrows. "What do you talk about?"

"Uh, we talk about stuff we did with you. And we both like talking about Kendra."

"Yeah, Kendra can talk about herself all day if you let her." Josh barked out a laugh.

"So see? You don't need much in common with your girlfriend, but you need something."

"And why are you saying I'll spoil Whisper if I have a job? Seems to me I'll hardly be able to see her, at least during football season."

"Yeah, but if you have a job, you have money. I doubt your mom is going to take any. She's just tired of having to fork over cash when you need it for fun stuff. And if you're working and playing football, what use are you going to have of it other than buying Whisper gifts and dinners and stuff? You're going to make her a happy girlfriend. And Kendra's going to be all jealous and want me to get her things, too. So if you get a job, I need one, too."

Josh laughed. "Yeah, I imagine she'll be pretty high-maintenance when she sees she can. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. I'm not sure Whisper wasn't just being friendly since she's the new girl at school."

Zach shook his head and said, "Clueless," under his breath. Josh let it go.

"Anyway," Zach said. "Since we're just sixteen, places can't make us work too many hours. You'll have plenty of time for your new lady."

"Knock it off, will you? I don't want any rumors started about something that hasn't happened."

"Rumors about what? I love rumors."

Josh jumped as Kendra came up behind them, followed by Whisper. Kendra walked over to Zach, gave him a peck on the cheek, and sat between the two boys. Whisper settled in next to Josh, and his heart jumped up into his throat. She smiled and mouthed, "Hi," and he did the same. How did girls manage to sit so close without actually touching? He wanted her to melt into him like yesterday at the farm, but he wasn't about to push it.

"What rumor are you guys talking about?" Kendra said, practically bouncing on the lip of the concrete planter. "I love gossip. Tell me, tell me, tell me."

Zach shook his head, while Josh tried to head her off. "It's nothing, Kend. It didn't happen anyway."

"It doesn't matter if it's true or not, I still want to know." She turned to Zach. "Come on, baby. I'll totally make out with you this weekend if you tell me."

"You'll make out with me anyway," Zach said, fighting to keep a straight face.

She leaned past Josh, winked at Whisper, who was doing her absolute best not to crack up, and looked back at Zach. "Not if I'm mad at you."

Zach said something in a low voice to her. He had no doubt she knew he liked Whisper, but that didn't mean he wanted her blabbing that with her sitting right next to him. He turned to Whisper and said, "She does this all the time. You get used to it."

"It's hilarious," Whisper said. "Is this rumor or whatever even worth her getting this worked up?"

"It hardly ever is."

Whisper chuckled and looked over at them. "Did you ask Zach about yesterday after we left? They seem fine, so I'm guessing nothing happened."

"No, it hasn't come up yet." He turned to Zach and Kendra, who were still arguing in lowered voices. "Hey, did you guys see anything yesterday after we left?"

They both stiffened, and he could have sworn Kendra turned pale. After a second or two, they both put on fake smiles.

"No, nothing," Zach said.

"We left just a couple of minutes after you guys," Kendra added.

Josh frowned and turned back to Whisper, who looked as confused as he felt.

"Are you guys sure? You don't look very happy about it."

Zach forced a laugh. "No, we didn't see anything so we left."

Kendra rolled her eyes, stood, and said, "Seriously, Josh, why do you have to always push the questions too far? I swear." She grabbed Zach's hand and stomped off. Zach didn't look back.

"That was weird," Whisper said.

Josh nodded. "Yeah. She doesn't usually act like that."

Whisper gave a half-smile. "I'd agree with the nervousness part, but she seems the type to stomp off in a huff."

"No, she's a get in your face type. So's Zach. That's one reason they get along so well. Plus I never push her too far. I mean, I do when I'm picking on her, but never seriously."

Before Josh's brain realized he was alone with Whisper for the second time in two days, the lunch bell rang, signaling the start of the passing period to fifth period. Whisper stood, and picked up her backpack.

"Do you think they'll show to Mr. Baxter's class?"

"Yeah. Zach wouldn't miss it, and besides, she's pissed at me, not you, so she can make a show of ignoring me."

Whisper laughed. "You guys seem to have quite the relationship. Sometime you need to tell me about it."

A lump jammed into his throat. Was she trying to get him to ask her out? Should he? Instead, he chickened out and said, "Yeah, totally. I will."

"Sounds good. I have to get to class, so I'll see you after school."

"Okay, I'm looking forward to it."

She gave him a knowing smile and walked off. He watched her go, and then turned to head to his own class. Damn. Why did reading girls have to be so hard? Did she want him to ask her out, or did she just want to be friends? He wished Zach were here right now to bounce the question off of him. But he'd already said Whisper liked him. He shook his head and tried to push it from his mind so he didn't drive himself crazy.

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