Sinners | ✔

Chapter 28 : Educated Ignorance

Jett

Rolling into the parking lot ten minutes before the school day starts, we look nothing short of inconspicuous. Yet, the flurry of nerves that accompanies my every waking breath doesn't seem to have ceased. Even though my body is no longer dependent on the function of my lungs. 

Something seems very off. Yes, what could possibly be more discomforting than teenage vampires gallivanting around in leather boots and blood stained t-shirts?

Almost every member of our unified clan moves about with the slight ease that has become our tilted new normal, except for Ace.

His normally steady hands twitch as if his nerves have been shoved into a light socket, then fished out in time for school.  Well, I wouldn't put it past Quinn.

"Jett?"

Her voice sounds as if it's a million miles away, just like I feel.

Alma's slender fingers intertwine with mine, sliding my hands from their place on my forearms, landing onto the plush interior of the van.

I was tracing my dragons again, we both know it, yet neither of us said anything about it.

I'm nervous, because if Ace is nervous, then we all have something to be worried about.

Quinn

This mornings irritation has fizzled out like a mild chemical reaction, leaving only a mild trace of steam in it's wake.

"Why school? Is learning really necessary at this point."

Ahh, the bundle of joy has returned. Harper makes her way beside me as if I had no clue that she was standing behind me moments before. Watching the last of our group reach the doors, I continue to walk to in sink with my thoughts. Making it painfully obvious that I'm paying her no attention, I wait for Harper to stomp on along ahead of me. When she doesn't, I'm no longer that sure she will.

"Come on, I thought you were smarter than that." My words tumble from my mouth in a huff, oh, a quite intentional huff.

"I am, but I no longer need to be."

She's waiting for a reply. The stubborn habit that speaks to my decisions wants me to ignore her, and I'm not sure I disagree with it, but something has got to give. I can't expect her to try if I myself don't try. I'm not sure I'll ever get used to how this works.

"Clearly, she's trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy. Maybe putting us back into our normal lives is meant to trigger us somehow." No huff this time, score!

"Ha, trigger, that's funny. It only reminds my why I even started sinning wildly and uncontrollably." She speaks more to the wind than she does to me.

"Everyone sins wildly and uncontrollably, but we sin insatiably."

Silence served with a side of more silence.

"Harper-"

"Hmm."

"I'm sorry for earlier."