Soul not Included

Chapter 17

Grace surprised me with her morning pick up. I cautiously made my way to her car and opened the passenger seat expecting Theo and Oliver to be in the back but it was just Grace today. I slammed the door closed and messed with the heater a bit before closing my eyes to enjoy the soothing motion of the car on a the road.

I thought i would have something to say to her but funnily enough the only thing that i could think about was how to ask her for my work packets back. Maybe if i had the extra work i wouldn't have time to think about all the negative stuff in life. 

"I'm sorry." Grace began which made it feel to me like a wall was about to be toppled over. "OIiver mentioned about your... your... uh, delicacies."

"Delicacies isn't the right word." I muttered.

She swallowed hard. "I didn't think it would bother you." 

"It's fine."

Grace bit her bottom lip and tsked. The drumming of her finger against the wheel gave away her anxiousness but i didn't understand what she could possibly be anxious about, "i just thought of you as... you know, like Oliver and you know... older."

"Older?" I asked.

"I mean you were twenty eight when you died right? I'm sorry not died... you just—" Grace gave me an unsure glance, "aren't adults usually reasonable and level headed? And you've handled yourself well so far. I assumed you'd be good... and accepting of the break we allowed you."

I scoffed, "right... Grace I'm not sure you noticed but I'm a child. Age has nothing to do with it. I'm fucking emotionally immature and definitely didn't know. Just... suddenly I'm asked to leave Simon alone one day and then the next nobody fucking talks to me. What the hell am i supposed to think other than i did something wrong?"

"Yeah... your delica... um sensitivities. We didn't take that into consideration." Grace glared hard into the road turning into the school parking lot. "We aren't good with people." Grace turned off her car and turned to me, "as you know our upbringing is very particular and not at all like everyone here... we keep to ourselves mostly and believe it or not we take our social cues from Oliver."

I rolled my eyes, "and that's why you guys don't have any friends other than each other."

"Ouch." Grace laughed, "but true. Girl, you gotta understand... how shitty it felt that day for us. It really hit us hard and it wasn't made any better when you say nothing happened. Izzy, we know you! That wasn't nothing..." She took a deep breath. Her eyes shifted this was and that. She looked to be debating with herself about something. I don't know what. For all that i knew about them, i really don't know much at all and that was annoying. Whatever it was that Grace was thinking of she seemed to have come to a decision when she stared back at me again,  "do you know what would happen to the culprit and victim in..." she looked around again, eyes glancing at the Cullen's parking spots, "Klara's world should such a thing occur? The culprit would be tortured and then made into a public example for his abuse of law and power and the victim... the victim would be given a swift death."

I flinched and said nothing. That wasn't what i was expecting at all.

"Do you know why they kill the victim Izzy?" Grace took a deep breath, "My family belongs to a grand Kingdom. The second most powerful. We value strength above all else. Strength of power of wisdom of talent of heart. And those that showed no strength to contribute to the Kingdom were culled... it's why Theodore was eventually dealt with...  when i see you... i see someone who is destined to die. And then you show me your future and fuck," she laughed wearily, "the universe practically is saying the same. How is that fair?"