Amid the Roar - Sequel to M.A.L.

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Accusing eyes made way for the girl in the purposefully tatty back dress. She did nothing but smile at them but they still were wary of her. Her brown eyes took in their quiet skepticism. Family did that. They’re required to love her but she knew they wouldn’t give her a passing glance on the street unless it was a look of pity or loathing. The seething girl passed by them, trying to find the kitchen.

“Oh, darling,” a woman with a bellowing voice shouted across the room. Gabrielle quickly made her way through her distant relatives who’ve only heard her story on the news to the woman who called her mother every week for an update. “Gabby, baby! I was so scared!”

Aunt Vicky crushed the girl in the strength of her arms. The smell of sweat and unclean litter boxes pushed into Gabrielle’s nostrils along with her great aunt’s bottle-redhead hair. She wrapped her smaller arms around the wrinkled woman but let go fast. Her great aunt wiped her eyes, glad to finally see her niece.

“When your mom called,” she started. Her badly lipsticked mouth opened up to speak but only her hands tried talking. Aunt Vicky pulled her in again. “I am so happy you are okay!”

“Thanks.” It was all Gabrielle could think of to say. The girl was let go and her embrace replaced by her mother. The sister’s hugged mercilessly before chatting away.

“Aunt Vicky,” Gabrielle’s mother greeted. “How are you? Holding up okay?”

“As much as I can with everyone here,” Victoria replied. She ushered the two to the kitchen where all sorts of party trays and cheese dips lined the table. “There are more people staying with us this reunion than last. Joey and her kid are here too. I hope that’s not a problem.”

“Joanna’s here?” Mrs. Harris’s eyes lit up at the mention of her cousin. “With Jason?”

“Yes, and that cute new husband of hers,” the old cat lady commented. “I’m glad Joey’s moved on. She was so hung up over her first husband’s passing that I never thought she’d see the light of day again.”

“Well it’ll be great for Gabby to see Jason,” she said, turning to her daughter who was about to slip away into the quiet backyard. “You two can play together like old times. That’ll be fun.”

Gabrielle resisted the urge to narrow her eyes at her mother and set her hair on fire. Play? That was for children and she was by no means a child any longer. But she nodded her head with the smile no one could see through.

The girl was told to find her second cousin to let the ‘grown-ups’ talk. Gabrielle practically ran from them to find solace. Her great Aunt Vicky was never one she could stand the company of long and she was tired of the same questions everyone else had asked.

Are you sure you can’t remember anything? Wow, that’s something to lose months of your life, isn’t it? How does that feel? And you have no clue what happened?

Gabrielle’s responses would be along the lines of: Yes, I’m sure. No kidding. It feels totally awesome to not know. If I did, wouldn’t I have said something already?

Gabrielle had been a professional liar since she was 11. It made her satisfied to know that it finally was of use to her real life instead of to suppress the wild side she was craving to live.

The back door opened and cool air shivered the skin on the back of her neck. Halloween was just around the corner so the really cold air was about to arrive. Pulling her jacket around closer, the girl noticed smoke coming from around the corner of the house. Gabrielle let her curiosity take over and walked toward it. She almost snorted from seeing who it was.

“Since when did you get high?”

Jason coughed and nearly lost his footing from the sudden voice. Gabrielle’s second cousin was never someone to call fearless but Gabrielle had to hand it to him, he was starting to be gutsy in his choice of attire. Black trip pants with chains and studs, striped long sleeves under a black band shirt and a dark denim vest. His wrists held multiple bracelets, the bottom of his eyelids had remnants of guy-liner and his hair was no longer the regular brown but a dyed black. A new lip ring decorated the middle of his bottom lip too. Gabrielle smiled, glad to know she wasn’t the only black sheep of the family but Jason was still trying to catch his breath from his joint and shock.

“Damn it, Gab,” he swore at her. Gabrielle took her place next to her cousin on the wall beside him and they both stared off into the wooded area beyond the grassy field in front of them. “Couldn’t take it either?”

“Nope. They’re still nut jobs.”

“Hopeless nut jobs,” he agreed. Jason held the joint for his older cousin who hesitated. But remembering the last time she got high was months ago, she was itching to get back to her old ways and took the rolled up paper. Gabrielle noticed the black fingernails along with a skull ring. She chuckled and inhaled. The goth phase suited him.

“We’re so going to be in trouble,” she softly snickered as she passed it back. Jason took another hit and exhaled with a laugh.

“If we get caught,” he countered.

Gabrielle paused. That was the advice she needed to remember. The wheels of her mind started turning and her smile widened. There was something deadly in her and it was dying to come out.

“Right,” she giggled again. “If we get caught.”

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: If she gets caught... any idea what that's about? ;)