Secrets

Chapter Seven

Hope you enjoy!

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I got off the bus as quick as I could last night, at the stop after Jay left. As I had departed the bus, others were boarding, but I couldn't get a clear image of them in my head because I raced past them as quick as a fox. I didn't know exactly where I was at first, but I somehow forced my legs to move and ended up at a small grocery store that I've never been to before. Luckily, a little old woman with fragile bones and eyes like an emerald caught sight of me in the dingy store. Ms. Quinn had been my nanny when I was a child and when I explained to her that I had no way home, she gladly offered me a ride, concerned about my safety.

My mind had swirled with thoughts and ideas last night, causing me to earn very little sleep. I now lay awake, in my bed, on a Sunday morning, the only noise being the chirping of birds from outside my window. Someone needs to tell those damn birds to fly away from this totally screwed planet. Or at least away from my fucked up life.

No noise comes from downstairs this morning due to the fact that my parents went out to have breakfast- without me. I woke up to a text saying that they would be back later, and that I should be old enough to feed myself.

My comforter is obviously holding me against my will because I haven't gotten up yet and it's 10:12 a.m. I grab my phone that lays abandoned on my bedside table. Scrolling through my various social media apps, I sigh heavily.

I never got a reply from Hanna. Last night was an unexpected, mostly unwanted adventure that I decided to take because I've always stood by my best friend, and I wished to continue doing so. I needed Hanna last night. I was frightened. Of what I'm unsure, but I needed someone to be there for me and she wasn't.

Jay seems like the epitome of dangerous. His rough, biker-boy image imitates the appearance of the fuckboys at school, however Jay has an aura that screams 'stay away', as if he drinks poison for breakfast. His dangerous ways of living cause his already handsome features to seem more attractive, which is bad news for me.

When he left last night, he still wore that confident smirk, which seems to be glued to his face. He had the last word yesterday, and that worries me. That makes me think that he expects me to come running to him and his secrets like a lost princess being chased by a viscous dragon. My mind plans to do the opposite, to never come across Jay again and to continue my normal, teenage life as it was, but my body still craves that excitement of exploring new territory and power.

What am I, an Alpha in a werewolf novel?

I surprise even myself as I leave my comfortable position on my bed and walk towards the bathroom, ready for a relaxing Sunday morning. I take quite a long shower, seeing no reason to hurry since nobody else is home. After showering, I search through my closet to find something to wear. I eventually settle on wearing frayed, USA themed shorts, a white, graphic tank-top with a teenage phrase in thick, black letters, a school football team jacket, and red converse. I also decide to throw a bracelet on my right wrist.

Going downstairs, I treasure the silence. Wandering over to the fridge, I search frantically for something delicious to eat for breakfast. However, all I find is a box of eggs, and I'm not awake enough to successfully make scrambled eggs. Actually, I don't even know if I'm capable of cooking eggs.

Sighing, I once again turn my attention towards my phone. I haven't heard from Sean since Friday at school, and I had been so focused on finding Hanna that I feel as if I've abused our friendship. I make sure to text him right away.

Tori: Hey babe, I need coffee. Drive me to Starbucks?

He answers quite quickly, almost as if the coffee gods have summoned him.

Sean: Yea, I am the best fucking driver ever. Be there in like 10.

I smile at his unnecessary cursing. Sean is the king of being 110% adorable and he rules his kingdom extremely well. I've tried to hook him up with guys on tinder before, but he likes being single while eating Pringles, and he shares the food with me, so I gave up being matchmaker pretty quickly.

Making sure I have my phone, some cash, and anything else I might need, I head outside and sit on my front porch, waiting for Sean to pick me up. 

The crystal blue sky is clear and the tall oaks are still, as if time has stopped. Cardinals continue to dance around my yard happily, singing songs to the rainbow of portulaca flowers that my mother planted recently. In a nearby tree, a squirrel jumps from branch to branch high in the sky, keeping away from predators that could easily consider him a late morning snack.

I see movement out of the corner of my eye. A few houses down, the tires of a car screech loudly, breaking the peaceful scenery as the vehicle turns into a driveway and parks. I squint my eyes curiously. An old couple lives in the small, pale green house, and last I checked they weren't driving at their old age.

The doors of the car swing open, and I'm suddenly alarmed. Two rough, suspicious looking men with hardened expressions exit the vehicle and begin having a conversation in front of the house. I suddenly feel the need to leave the scene immediately. Something isn't right. I text Sean in a hurry.

Tori: Sean r u coming? Something is happening down the street.

I look back up from my phone, and my heart sinks like an anchor being thrown into the deep blue ocean. I make eye contact with one of the guys. He studies me for a moment, taking in my appearance and my current position. The thought of sprinting into my house crosses my troubled mind, but I refuse to turn into a sick horror movie cliche, so I stay exactly where I am.

He nudges his accomplice's shoulder, shifting his attention to me. We sit there for a moment, the three of us sharing glances at each other before a car drives down the street and stops in front of my house. I let out a shaky breath and hurry towards the car. Getting inside, I lock the doors before even glancing at my friend.

"What is with Thing 1 and Thing 2 over there?" Sean asks as he begins driving out of the neighborhood. "You look terrified. That's not really like you, bitch. You've got to get back into the game."

I shake my head at his question, choosing to ignore his statement. "I'm not sure what they were doing," I say, not mentioning the exceedingly confusing, silent conversation I had with the men. "They looked out of place. Not like they were going to steal from the house they were parked at, but like they shouldn't be there."

Sean shrugs, keeping his eyes on the road. "They're probably just visiting family and didn't know if they got the right address. Doesn't seem like a big deal really."

"Yeah, you're probably right," I say convincingly. I still think their actions had been strange, but so much has been on my head recently that I really should just forget about the ordeal.

"But hey," he says happily, a grin spreading across his face. "Coffee?"

I chuckle at his enthusiasm. "Yeah Sean, let's get coffee."

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Hope you enjoyed! Please vote and comment :)

** Oh yeah, and I just wanted to mention that it's now November when I'm posting this, so that means NaNoWriMo! Starting with this chapter, I will be writing 30,000 words (Young Writer's Program Goal) and hopefully continuing to get to 50,000 words (NaNoWriMo Goal). Wish me (and also my friend WeezyInk) luck babes :)