Desolate Me

Someone Like You

My father wanted me to stay home from school the next day, but I told him a little white lie and said I had a paper due. I didn’t want to be in the house, under those blue eyes that watched my every move. It unnerved me, set me on edge and that was something I didn’t really want.

I was in the middle of second period when a student from the office walked in. I swore my heart stopped beating as my teacher unfolded it, read it over, and then looked at me.

“Ms. Kennedy. You’re needed in the office. Take your things with you.”

Lunch was only ten minutes away. I was really scared Drake had changed his mind and was pulling me out of school.

I was so completely wrong.

My favorite cop stood inside the office, looking out the glass enclosing, waiting for me. When he spotted me, he waved to the office lady and came out.

He did not look happy.

“I need to talk to you.”

“Do I need my father?”

“It’s not that kind of talk.”

“Um…ok. Do you want to…”

“Let’s talk outside.”

He pushed open one of the doors for the courtyard and led me over to one of the picnic benches. I sat down hesitantly, knowing full well what was coming. He looked me over, his eyes landing briefly on the cuts across my cheek before he leveled them to mine.

“What the hell happened last night?”

I flinched. “I told you. I tried…”

“No, no. You said you were going to pull a forced cross over. Not light up the freaking night. God damn it, Cass! Do you have any idea what you did?”

I really wanted to say yes but I really had no clue. I knew I’d lit up the Ghost Plain but other than that…nada. I knew nothing.

“You don’t, do you. Jesus Christ.”

“You know, if I was a Catholic like my mother, I’d be offended by your phrases.”

“Well you’re not a bloody Catholic.”

I tried not to smile as his accent popped out. As it turned out he had a grandmother who still lived in Ireland and every summer, his parents would ship him off to spend it with her when he was a kid. After hearing the back story on my mother, he checked with her to see if it was right. Turns out they knew each other and she used to babysit my mother when she was younger. And me as it turned out. Resulting in why he looked oddly familiar when I met him. We’d played together a few times when I was a kid.

Small world. But right then probably wasn’t the moment to be thinking about that.

 “Andy…”

“My grandmother called me. Dead of night, mind you. Last night was the first chance I’ve gotten to sleep in forty eight hours. I didn’t even know what was going on. But she asked about you and I told her what you were trying. Do you know what she said to me?”

He was too calm. That came out way too gentle than it should with all that build up. Especially when it came to his grandmother.

“No,” I said sheepishly.

“SHE BLOODY WELL LECTURED ME! Demanded I go out there, in the middle of the fucking night to stop you. When I got there you were gone but there was a whole layer of magic left.” My eyes got wide. “Don’t worry. I cleaned up after you but that’s not the point!”