Coven - Book I

☆ 6

☆ six

Chloe scrambled away from Alec. Even in the wind, he didn't look cold. His arms were bare in a plain black t-shirt, and his legs in black jeans. The combat books were making another appearance. As his golden eyes settled on her, she felt herself shiver, so she turned back to her tuna sandwich and busied herself with peeling the crusts off.
"You know you can't avoid us forever, right?" Someone else sat down on her other side and Chloe  glanced up at Rose.
"Actually, I've been meaning to ask you. . ." Her words came out clumsily and she took a deep breath to steady herself. She was going to sound so insane.
"You and Alec," she quickly looked at her neighbour, "you've both been doing something to me." She thought she heard Alec mumble "finally" under his breath, but Rose coughed into her fist, covering anything he was going to say.
"What're you talking about, Chloe?" She giggled into her hand and turned to the younger girl. "Are you feeling okay?" Rose quickly put her other hand to Chloe's forehead as if checking for a fever. Chloe saw right through her act; Rose's face was paling and her brow shone with a light sheen of sweat, even though the wind was blowing her braid against her back.
"Get away from me." Chloe quickly grabbed her messenger bag from the ground and stood, the sandwich falling from her lap. She brushed the crumbs away and started back toward the glass double doors, but Rose was hot on her heels.
"Wait," she called. "Chloe, please wait! We can explain." Her mouth was blabbing words that Chloe didn't care for suddenly.
"I  can explain." That was enough to at least get her to slow down as she barreled down the hallway. Chloe's fingers shook slightly as she twisted her locker combo around and around. This was what she'd been looking for, hadn't it? An answer to why The Group was so strange?  Here Rose McIntyre was, beside her, offering answers. So why was there a slight chill that ran down Chloe's spine at the thought of getting some answers? She pulled her history textbook from her locker along with her binder and shut the door.
"If you want to talk, we're meeting at Denny's at seven. We'll explain everything to you." The bell rang as her strawberry-blonde head disappeared around a corner.

           Having history and calculus in the afternoon was tiring on Chloe's brain. She was somewhat thankful for Rose having gotten rid of the fifth period drama class in favor of a spare. Getting out of school an hour early? What student wouldn't love that? Tossing her bag into her truck, she slid the key into the seat and put the key in the ignition. She was still debating whether to meet The Group for supper at Denny's later. It had been on her mind all day, to go or to not go. If she went, she might get the explanation she'd spend the first week of her new life looking for, but there was also a possibility that they'd just play it off like Rose had tried to do earlier at lunch. Chloe turned her signal light on and turned right down Chapman street and headed up the grassy neighbourhood. When the familiar brick home came into view, a small smile graced Chloe's lips. The house really had grown on her. Lyle was out front mowing the lawn and he gave her a wave as she locked the truck and made her way into the house.
"How was school?" He asked, following her in. She shrugged.
"Same old. I'm going out tonight, at seven." As the words left her lips she frowned.
I guess I've made up my mind then. . .
"So you made some friends?" Her dad placed a plate of carrot sticks and dip on the counter and nudged it toward her. If you can call them friends. . .
"Yeah, a group of kids." Guilt pooled in her stomach at the ecstatic expression her dad made. He'd been so worried that she wouldn't want to make friends with anyone when they had moved, and Chloe felt like she was lying by saying The Group were people she wanted to be friends with. They were strange and something was definitely not right with them, plus Meredith didn't exactly have a welcoming presence. Chloe rubbed her eyes as she opened her textbook. She could always change her mind, right?

           "I can't believe myself. . ." Chloe sat in her truck outside Denny's. The cool October wind was blowing branches of trees surrounding the tiny restaurant, and Chloe's hands gripped the wheel tightly. I should've stayed home.
Despite the pit of worry in her stomach, Chloe tied the belt of her army-green jacket around her waist and opened the truck door. Immediately she was plunged into a gust of wind that seemed to push her straight to the front doors of the restaurant. Strange, she thought, pushing through the cold glass doors. It was hard to miss a group of eleven teenagers whispering to one another at a table in the back corner. In the middle of the table were Blaire, Jenna, and Meredith (of course Meredith was in the middle). The two girls around her gossiped and giggled while she sat on her phone. To Jenna's left was Dean, Sebastian, and Alec. On the other end sat the rest of them; Charlie, Rose, and Eden were passing crystals back and forth while Nick and Corey discussed a recent basketball game. When Rose's strawberry-blonde head glanced up, a large smile graced her face.
"Chloe! You made it. Come sit," she gestured for Nick to move over, but to everyone's surprise, it was Dean who stood. "There's room over here." His boyish grin and the way his eyes moved up and over Chloe's body made her grimace slightly, but she pushed her fear away. She wanted answers, and this was how she was going to get them. She unknotted her jacket belt and slid into the booth. There was no getting out now that Dean had sat on the end and blocked any chance of escape. I could crawl under the table. . . Chloe swallowed the frog in her throat and pointed across the table at Rose's pile of crystals.
"What kind of crystals are those?" She murmured. Her navy tee was sticking to her body from the nervous sweat she was emitting. All these kids were so. . . so. . . Intimidating. Alec pressed his knee to hers and the feeling vanished. Her eyes quickly darted to him as she pulled away. "Stop." Meredith smirked and Blaire giggled.
"Looks like not everyone loves your charm, hm, Alec?" Meredith purred. His face remained stony.
Charlie shook his head.  "They're rose quartz crystals." He held one out and Chloe held it gently. Once the crystal was firm in her palm, she looked up at them and whispered the first accusation: 

"Like the ones you guys keep planting in my garden?"