Luminary {Book 2 ✔️}

Chapter 13

Now, I directed my attention to Tilly. "Can you do that?"

She rolled her eyes humorously and pushed herself into a position next to me. Ben leaned against the fridge, already seeming calmer than before.

"Not that I'm aware of."

I directed my question back to the werewolf in the room. "So, are you going to tell your two best friends what's up with you? What's with the animosity between you and Jacob?"

Ben sighed. "What animosity?"

I scoffed and Tilly made a 'psh' sound with her lips.

"Okay, okay," he put his hands up defensively, "I don't know, alright? The guy has always gotten under my skin. He's all high and mighty and thinks that everything my brother says is the law now."

Even as he spoke, Ben's face flushed with, what I assumed was, anger, but I wasn't sure. I'd sensed the energy between them and it wasn't hostile. But if Ben wanted to believe it was, then I'd let him. I was still slightly exhausted from my nightmares, seeing Isaac die, and my argument with Tucker and I couldn't be bothered to press him on it.

"Let's go get drunk," Tilly wisely suggested.

That was how I went to school the next day with the world's biggest hangover. Every bell sounded like an atomic bomb and every teacher's voice sounded like they were screaming in my ear. At lunchtime, all three of us didn't speak to each other. Ben was wearing sunglasses inside and Tilly was still wearing pajamas. We all agreed that we would never, ever drink on a school night again. Ever.

To make matters worse, Mr. Carmichael assigned a pop quiz in class that I absolutely failed. He seemed particularly smug when he saw my dejected expression. He then, however, passed out our first quarter grades and I was pleasantly surprised with an A in his class. All of my other classes reflected similar grades and I let a small glimmer of hope form in my stomach. College, for the first time in my life, might be an attainable goal.

My brother, however, was quick to shoot those ideas down. That night, after my mom had stopped crying, he came into my room to find me still awake.

"I thought you might be up," he murmured before coming to sit on my bed.

"Can't sleep," I responded.

It wasn't strictly speaking true. I never wanted to go to sleep. Not anymore.

He smiled sadly like he knew what I wasn't telling him. My brother seemed to have aged years in the last few weeks. My mother's grief seemed to have awakened a new and more mature side of him.

"Har," I began hesitantly, "what do you think you'll do after school is over? I mean, do you think you'll go to college?"

He thought for a moment and I was surprised. I was sure he'd already be set on packing his bags the first chance he got.

"Depends on Mom," he finally answered, "and the...stuff  here. I can't leave if I don't know it's safe."

He was still having a hard time wrapping his head around the supernatural world. He'd taken the news better than I had and I had my whole life to get used to the idea of being psychic. Sometimes though, I forgot that his life was flipped upside down when we moved too.

"I think we both need to go."

He looked at me, strangely. "You won't be able to, Lou. This is where you were meant to be."