Our Sick Inheritance (editing)

Chapter 17 - On A Path To Hatred

The house was eerily quiet as they moved towards the stairs. It was eleven o'clock at night but nobody was walking around. The girls weren't even sure if anyone was home. Anna saw Harmony feel a chill.

"One thing I won't miss about this house if the feeling of constantly being watched and those cold spots I keep running into." Harmony said as they descended the long staircase.

"It's picture time!" Harmony squeaked turning towards Anna in the foyer. Automatically they wrapped arms around each other, held out their phones, and took pictures together. Anna felt good and they looked great together in the pictures.

"You look beautiful." Harmony said staring at Anna's lips.

"You do too." Anna whispered back.

"The boys are going to love you, so I can spread a little love of my own." Harmony smiled.

"Yeah, glad to help." Anna blushed shoving down her private thoughts. "What are you going to do about Bryce? Won't he be hurt if you tease him?"

"It is if I didn't tease him then he would be hurt. I give him a little more than the others." Harmony said without guile and winked at Anna, making the butterflies tickle her stomach with their wings.

Right before heading out the door, they looked in the big mirror on the wall beside it. Both girls saw the blond-haired woman standing at the top of the stairs where they had just descended. Both girls turned around and saw it was Christine, even though her hair was not blond at all but brown. Harmony glanced back at the mirror, but Anna knew that Christine is who she would see and not the ghost woman she had just seen. They both remained quiet a little too afraid to speak.

Christine quickly informed them that Nate had left for California and their father was still at dinner with friends and wouldn't be home until late. They thanked her and waved. Harmony was opening the door as Anna quickly looked at the three pictures she clicked with her phone. Two of them were fine, but the third had a white orb blurring out their faces. Harmony rushed her out before she could show her and from the glisten on Harmony's skin, Anna knew she was needing sex soon.

Christine had made sure the Christmas lights were on in every section of her garden so that when the girls walked to Harmony's truck, they could see puffs of colors like giant cotton balls floating in the dark air with twinkles and the swirls of colors indicated where the slippery ground was in a slant to the sky.

"Are you going to stay with Skyler after you take him from Stacy?" Anna asked hoping it would be a short night.

"No, I just want to hurt Stacy. She didn't deserve that scholarship tour. I was counting on that. I guess I don't have to worry about that now, even though the schooling would be nice." Harmony said wistfully.

Anna realized Harmony was giving up things in her life to make this island change.

"It isn't fair!!! She cheats." Harmony said as she stomped her foot before she climbed in her truck and snapped Anna out of her thoughts. The girls were freezing in their thin dresses as they sat in the cold seats, so waiting for the heat to kick in was torture.

"If Skyler resists you then it shows that he truly likes Stacy and you won't have a chance." Anna said as she rubbed her hands together to keep generating warmth. Though she said it, she knew Harmony wouldn't be deterred.

"Skyler's family loves her, but I'm not sure he does. They seem to be pairing them up, so I want to get a hold of him before that happens. He is a good catch, so she doesn't deserve him either." Harmony snapped. Anna looked at her but didn't smile. She knew Harmony's anger was going to get physical but not with her fists.

"I'm only going to give him half a pill if I have to persuade him to come with me. My mom is out of town until tomorrow morning, so I've got the house to myself. Skyler is going to stay the night with me he just doesn't know it yet." Harmony said in a daze as she glided over the icy roads to Bryce's house.

Harmony giggled to herself and brushed her fingers through her silky long blond hair the long length past her shoulders. Anna turned to smile at her crazy friend and felt a bit sorry for Skyler since he seemed to be the innocent in the situation.

Harmony turned up the radio to tremor levels and was singing at the top of her lungs, which lasted the whole twenty-minute trip to Bryce's house. Anna wished Harmony would pay more attention to the icy roads. She had already had butterflies in her stomach as it was. However, an accident would be a good excuse to avoid going to the party. Anna looked at Harmony while contemplating the idea, as something in her wanted to grab and jerk her friend's wheel while she drove.

Harmony turned to Anna and smiled. Anna smiled back. She wasn't ready to die. Anna knew she couldn't kill them on purpose. Bryce just affected her in that way. To say the least she was still angry. Anna wanted to be over the situation and wanted the stupid party that they hadn't showed up to yet to be over before she got there.

Anna had a feeling it was going to be a long night. In the darkness of Harmony's truck, she bit her lip, so she wouldn't cry.