Spanish 2- A
Calculus- A
English 3 Honors- D
AP Biology- A
Girl’s P.E. – A
Study Hall- A
I studied my second quarter report card, still trying to question why I took it upon myself to skip newspaper club.
I felt like an utter disappointment when Miss Little handed it to me. I could still see her unwavering straight face after she had given me numerous times to raise the D.
This surprise, however, was nothing compared to my mom’s reaction when I gave it to her.
“Danielle Marie Porter, I knew I shouldn’t have canceled your tutoring lessons. This is your first D. Maybe next time you’ll study a bit harder.” Her speech ended too quickly.
“Am I . . . grounded?” I asked following behind her down the hall coming into the large living room where workers in white uniforms were decorating our real Spruce tree my mom ordered form Norway. It’s radiant green leaves filled the house with a strong pine scent.
I ducked under a tall ladder two men carried out the front door, finally catching up to her as she stopped to light some cinnamon smelling candles and straighten a few Christmas knickknacks.
“I can’t imagine why.”
“You can’t?” I said moving out of the way for other workers to pass by.
“You’re stressed, sweetheart. Everybody experiences it in one lifetime or another. It’s how you deal with it that really counts.” She turned on her heel to look at me. “You need to acknowledge your principles death, talk about the good times and move on.”
I looked down at the folded report card in my hand.
“You’re my only daughter, Danny. My only child. You mean everything to me.” Her brown eyes looked serious as if she was mentally shaking me by the shoulders. “I have to say I wasn’t pleased with hearing that this psycho broke into your school and killed someone. I’m worried about your safety. Promise me, if you’re questioning whether somebody is harmless or not, that you don’t have to question them. That you will never second guess anyone, understand?”
I tried to nod, but my neck stayed stationary where it was as I gave her a blank stare.
“I’m not saying don’t have any fun, after all, you’re on winter break. Just be cautious, because when your not having panic attacks, I’m not having panic attacks and things can run a lot smoother around here.” She smiled as she went back to adjusting throw pillows and lighting more candles.
I walked up the stairs and stopped when I got to the top.
From up here it looked like a Macys on Black Friday with all the hired strangers in white clothing on ladders hanging different colored ornaments and others wrapping white lights around fake plants around the house.
Outside was a whole other crew lighting a reindeer replica and tying red Christmas lights to the giant palm trees.
I watched as a woman set a large doll-faced angel at the crest of the tree whose wings made the whole tree glow.
She grinned at her work and retreated down the ladder.
I opened the door to my dark room and searched the wall for the light switch, finding it wouldn’t turn on.
I felt a cold draft as I made my way the direction of my dresser, picturing the lamp sitting on it in my mind.
I held my hands out at arms length trying not to run into anything when smooth wood touched my fingertips. I patted my hand around the dresser moving my fingers up the lamp for the on button at the top.
The room illuminated with a dimmed golden glow instantly. I pulled open one of my drawers to find some pajamas and threw them on the bed.
I turned toward my closet when next to it the bedroom window was wide open.
I stood in place just looking at the curtains billowing from the light breeze.
I struggled to remember the last time I even opened it.
I slowly walked over to the large shutters, concealing the night and locking the latch.
I looked down at myself and then back up to the window.
I could fit through it as easily as a toddler could fit through plastic Chucky Cheese tubes.
I shook off the idea and thought about Niles earlier coming up here to dust.
I came into my closet, pulling a sweatshirt off one of the hangers when I kicked a box in my path.
What in the world? I thought as I knelt down uncapping the cardboard lid.
It was empty.
I pushed it aside, wondering why a cardboard box was in the middle of my closet and closed the door.
I shed off my clothes and slunk into my pajamas, pulling down my bed sheets.
I shut off the lamp and drew my legs underneath the covers.
I laid my head down on a pillow, tugging my long hair to one side of my neck.
I closed my eyes and only at that moment did I realize what was missing from the empty box.
All my black roses.
************
Nick stood with his arms folded across his chest taking a moment to acknowledge all his friends. “He’s come again.”
“Who, Nick?” Asked Trey standing up from the couch, his eyes switching off from Nick to Lucas.
Nick paused and Lucas cut in. “A Death Catcher.”
Lucas set down the cardboard box he was carrying.
Arison opened it pulling out a black rose.
Trey took a step back.
Arison glanced up at Nick from under his dark bang. “Is it the same one that caught Helena?”
Lucas stepped forward looking like he was going to tell the boy off when Nick put an arm out to stop him in his place.
“He has a right to know.” Nick said to Lucas only hesitating for a second as if it was hard to talk about it. “Not this one. He’s just as cunning and determined, but different.”
“Who has he come for?” Questioned Trey.
“Danny.” Said Lucas.
The whole group fell silent, but Trey soon disturbed the peace clenching his fists at his side. “If that bastard comes after Danny, then I swear I’ll-“
Nick interrupted him. “You’ll what? This guy will kill you and drag you back to Hell with him.”
Trey’s face turned red just thinking about it. “No one’s taken me down yet and I’m willing to put up a fight.”
“All of us are.” Said Lucas.
“Nobody’s going after anybody.” Said Nick.
Lucas and Trey gave him a puzzled look. “Of course we are.” Said Lucas.
“No. It’s not the right time. I’ve worked too hard to keep us safe.”
“Come on, man. We’ve done pretty well for ourselves over the years.” Trey loosened up a bit, but Nick was staring off into the far corner of the basement feeling utterly disappointed by the lack of obedience.
“It’s not that were not strong enough, but this guy, he’s got ways of spinning you inside out with your back turned. Figuring out all the right buttons to push before seeing them. He was created kill and serve the devil.”
“So were just going to sit here and watch her die before she’s even lived?” Seethed Lucas plucking the dark colored rose Arison was holding. “She’s human. A pshysic human, but there’s no way she could survive.”
Nick turned to his friend. “Pshysic? How do you know this?”
“I was out one day feeding in the woods by the hiking trail, y’know at the park in the center of town.” Lucas knew very well that Nick knew where it was.
“Yes, I know. Felt your presence. I was there too.” Said Nick quickly ravenous with underlying anger.
“She was out for a jog and we bumped into each other.”
“I saw that…and?” Nick hurried him not caring for the details.
“Well…we kissed.”
Nick laughed an airy chortle. “She kissed you?” He resumed his laughter and Trey began to chuckle as well.
Lucas took heavy breaths. “Why does that come to such a surprise to you?”
“Simon, it’s obvious you compelled her.”
Lucas came closer to Nick smirking. “And what if I didn’t?”
Nick still had a smile on his face as his laughter ended.
“What if for a second our minds connected and I could feel all her emotions and sense every thought she was thinking. What if none of them involved you?” Nick’s smile wore away instantly at that sentence.
Lucas was now the one laughing pinching the ends of the rose petals and pulling them from the bud, dropping them to the ground. “She loves you, she loves me, she loves you, she loves me.” He kept replaying it until there was one left. “She loves me.”
Lucas laid the soft black petal in his pale slender hand and with a small breath of air blew it into Nicks face.
Lucas laughed erratically and Trey forced himself not to join him.
Unable to control his actions Nick felt his heart beat faster and faster. All his blood moving through his veins like magma, making his head ach with an intensity so bright he grabbed Lucas by the throat and hurled him into one of the basement walls.
Pictures and portraits fell off and crashed to the floor. Glass flew in every direction.
Lucas groaned as he sat up on his elbow.
Nick walked over to him, his shoes making a crunching sound as he stepped on glass. He took a fist full of Lucas’s hair so that he was looking at him in the face.
“Never taunt me, Simon. Never.” Nick jerked his hand away so that Lucas’s head flew backwards.
Nick stood up and turned around.
“She… She likes me.” Lucas spit out blood from his mouth. “You just can’t handle it.” He got up from the floor forgetting the throbbing pain that consumed him, already healing.
Nick didn’t bother to take a second glimpse at him as he walked away from his bloody companion.
“Finally a girl has taken interest in someone other then you. Jealous much?”
Nick pursed his lips, taking a deep breath. “Don’t do this, Simon.”
“Don’t do what? Say the truth? As a coven I thought it was important to be honest. I didn’t know the leader wanted to be a cowardly exception.
“Call me a coward one more time and I’ll rip out your windpipe like an apple step.” Nick and Lucas stood at a fairly good distance and had been painting a line for sometime, but either one was willing to cross it.
“I’d like to see you try, chief.” Lucas spat the last word out like he’d just tasted something rotten.
Nick charged him like a bull thumping Lucas’s nose so hard with his fist it sounded like a rock hitting stone.
Arison stepped in as if to stop them, but Trey shook his head at him saying, “They need this.”
Lucas readjusted his broken nose back into place and advanced on Nick, his knuckle punching Nick’s left eye, leaving a purple ring around it instantaneously.
They beat each other until they were both rolling on the ground in pain.
“One… two… three.” Said Trey pounding his hand on the wood flooring as if he were a referee in a boxing match. “And neither one of you is the winner. What have they won? Oh yeah nothing! Now stop messing around.”
“Do you… like… her, Nick?” Asked Lucas more calmly between painful, shaky breaths.
Nick tried to sit up and found it nearly impossible. “I…I…”
Before he could answer Trey said, “Focus. If you both care about her and want her to stay safe we have to keep each other strong, not down.”
“He’s right.” Nick finally stood up cracking his neck and lending a hand to Lucas, helping him off the floor.
Nick sighed grabbing Trey’s shoulder for support. “If she’s psyhsic, she’s seen him coming, not only that, but he’s been playing her with flowers that only grow in the fertile soil of the underworld. The only way we can protect her is if she knows.”
“Knows about what?” Inquired Arison.
“Our kind.” Said Lucas.
“Who’s going to tell her?” Trey put his hands in his pockets, hoping his question wouldn’t start another fight.
“I will.” Said Nick sternly looking directly into Lucas’s eyes. “I’ll seek her out when she is alone. I know she can be trusted. She wouldn’t dare trespass me.”
“And if she runs?” Asked Lucas dazedly.
Nick smirked feeling anticipation swarming in his stomach.
“I chase her.”