Beasthood

~Chapter 7- Dupe~

I'm dedicating this chapter to a great friend of mine, who like one or two others has been a rock to me and helped me in my writing so much. Krystal, thank you. Please read her amazing book VAMPIRE BRIDE. It has been awarded the MOST READ VAMPIRE BOOK on WATTPAD!!! And there is a huge reason why: it's awesomesauce. So proud of you girl! 

~Chapter 7 -Dupe~

Saturday May 7th, 2011, 1:04 p.m. -On the road

“Egg and cress; that would be yours, darling.” Aunt Erica handed the sandwich packet to Uncle Bo.

He took it without turning round. “Thank you, dear.”

“I’m the chicken salad. I got you a ploughman’s,” she said, addressing Jaz. “I remember you having that at some point.”

Jaz took the sandwich and as she leaned against the door, she gazed at her aunt. “You have a really good memory,” she observed.

Erica looked at her and let out a short laugh. “Years of crossword puzzles to keep my brain healthy, though I’m not that old.”

Jaz looked her aunt up and down. It was the first time she had tried to guess Erica's age. She'd never asked if Erica was an older or younger sibling, but had always assumed she was younger by appearance. Perhaps late thirties? Maybe mid?

She had a very rectangular face; a strong -almost masculine- jaw gave her face a sharpness that was more attractive than fierce. The bones of her cheeks were high and pointy, disguising any sagginess, bags or wrinkles that might have been very obvious if they didn’t have the support her cheekbones provided.

Her small, feline eyes that were now studying Jaz, had the habit of twinkling when she smiled or laughed. Her straight, white teeth grinned below her small, pointed nose that Jaz was sure looked very similar to hers, minus the bump on the bridge.

Jaz gazed down at the black, pointy, patent heels with the bright red soles her aunt was wearing and then looked back up at her face.

“I’m thirty six,” Erica said, guessing Jaz's thoughts.

Jaz nodded with a smile. That seemed about right.

Her aunt then grabbed a bottle from her lap and handed it to Jaz. “Orange juice.”

Jaz took it with a smile and twisted open the cap. She noticed that the seal had already been broken and looked down at it in puzzlement. “Huh,” she grunted to herself.

She wasn’t looking up to notice the momentary startled expression that flashed across her aunt’s face. Her uncle almost choked on a mouthful of egg, cress and bread. Driver gripped the steering wheel so tight his knuckles turned white.

“What is it, dear?” Aunt Erica asked, composing herself enough to sound believably unknowing.

“Oh nothing, just my bottle. The seal was broken.”

“Oh yes, silly me. I opened it for you and then when you didn’t come out the bathroom straight away I put the lid back on.”

Jaz bobbed her head in understanding and twisted the lid off. She smiled at her aunt before turning to gaze back out the window.

When Jaz was sure no one was looking, she slipped her hand inside her handbag and very quietly popped the lid of her pills’ bottle. To normal human ears it was quiet.

Driver, however, did hear it.

He flicked his gaze up at her reflection in the mirror. She was looking down, her chin angled towards the window, as if she was trying to hide her face from the others. This sparked his curiosity.