My mother and my father stared at me with wide, unknowing smiles. My first thought was, I'm dead. How are they so calm about seeing me? Do they not know I died?
My parents left their table and came to hug me. They were rambling on and on about how their travels were and the things they had done for their job.
Stunned, all the words I wanted to say when I saw them again, left my mouth. All the anger and abandonment I felt. At the same time, my body had frozen, completely in shock.
"You didn't come for my sixteenth birthday," was all that came out. "I haven't seen you for years."
"Oh, I know, Eveny, my darling," my mother cried, crushing me in her arms. "And we're so so sorry but we're here for this birthday. Our baby is turning eighteen!"
Quickly, I ran my family's birthday list through my head. Oh, it was my birthday. In two days.
And the chances of me having to spend it with my parents? 98%
"Oh, God, oh, God," pulling away, I rubbed my forehead, stressed to the max. "I'm not supposed to be doing this. I'm supposed to be dead."
"When did you get back from camp?" My dad asked, tucking me under his arm. "How was it?"
"Camp? What camp?" Absently, I began rubbing my cheeks in stress.
"Dante told us about this fantastic camp you went on," dad continued. "Some sort of summer military camp."
It was spring now. Dante is still an idiot. Not only that, but it seems that the boys hadn't told my parents about my death. It had been, what, a year and a half?
It led me to wonder whether the boys even had a funeral for me and why they didn't tell mum or dad.
"Oh it was fantastic," I had to work to keep the bite out of my tone. "I learnt so much." If my parents didn't know I had died, did that mean they had been away for...just over two years, counting the year they hadn't been there for, even when I was alive.
And my brothers. Why hadn't they told them?
Light flared around my hands as my anger rose. Stepping into the sunlight, I let it look like the suns reflection on my skin was what made it so bright.
"Thats good," my mother took over the conversation. "The boys are holding a party at the house on your birthday. They probably told you all about it though."
Biting my cheek, I smiled sourly. " No, actually, Im staying with a friend from military camp. So I don't know."
"Oh, the party starts at 4pm. Your father and I haven't seen your brothers yet so it'll be nice if we all arrive at 4 together."
"Of course, mum," the venom in my voice was practically boiling and I didn't bother hiding it. I could probably turn my family to stone with one glare. That's how mad I was. "Anything for you guys. I can't wait to see my brothers again, too. How surprised will they be?" With a fake laugh, I threw my head back. "Well, I've got to head out now, I'll see your guys in two days."
With one last hug, I walked out of the building before I could do what the other shadow walkers had been accused of doing.
***
Batty didn't grill me on my mood but I did have to deal with the feds that appeared at our door, banging on it. When they came rushing for me, I smacked one of them down and began yelling obscenities at them.
Before they could accuse me of assaulting an officer, Batty chimed in. "You can't run at a girl like you're about to tackle her, especially when shes on her period."
They didn't need to know those details but I was thankful because that probably got me out of being arrested.
After agreeing to sign a confidentiality agreement, and agreeing to meeting with Robert for an appointment in two days, they left. Not before threatening to find me if I ran. Sticking the finger up, I watched them leave.
I couldn't stop shaking, either. The effect of seeing my parents after everything that happened since I died was too much. The fact that I had come to terms with not seeing my family ever again, now having them thrust back into my life...I needed guidance.
After I went to bed, I had another nightmare. I couldn't quite remember it, but I did remember a great roaring sound. Waking up, I saw Batty standing in my doorway watching me. The moonlight highlighted her pale skin and hair. I didn't have nightmares after that.
***
In the hallway, faces pressed up against the door and Windows, looking at me. Glaring at the front, I refused to acknowledge them.
"Do you know why they're looking at you?" Rosie asked me, sitting down carelessly, chucking her bag behind the seat. Pulling out her phone, she showed me a video. "It's because of this."
A YouTube video played of a news report about a girl jumping out of a building. Phone footage played, starting from when I was lying in the crushed concrete. People were yelling at me to stay still or asking what my name was. One person asked if I was an alien.
Ignoring them, I stood up as if I wasn't hurt and ran off. A series of "what the f*cks" were left at the crime scene.
An interview with Cassidy played where he looked shaken up. "I didn't push her, I didn't push her. I swear! I asked her what she was doing in my floor then she ran to the window and legit tore the metal open then jumped out. I swear I didn't push her!"
"Dipshit," I muttered when the video stopped.
"Yeah, well, you can see why everyone is looking at you. You should be seriously injured."
Even from the school opposite ours, people's noses were pressed up against the window. "Hey, it's Deans woman," they all said and pointed.
Almost everyone's heads were down, watching the news segment.
In the other school, Dean was making a point of not looking at me. He was still mad about his cousin's place but I had biiger things to worry about.
One of his friends walked up and showed him the video. By that point I was ignoring him.
After the video was finished, he leapt up and ran somewhere.
"VALERIE, MY DARLING," the megaphone blared as he ran back into his classroom, holding the -most likely confiscated- megaphone.
I fell off my seat in shock.
"LETS LET BYGONES BE BYGONES. IVE REALISED I REALLY DONT WANT TO LOSE YOU AND-"
"It's too loud, Frayme!" A teacher shouted.
Adjusting the volume, he spoke to me again. "And I've decided I'm gonna look past your weirdness and just embrace the fact that we're supposed to be together."
Ignoring him, I waited for the teacher who was extremely tardy.
"Or maybe she doesnt want to be one of your conquests," a voice shouted loathingly at him. "She probably knows that you're a rotten Apple."
With a cheeky smile, Dean pointed at Madhuri and shook his finger. "Silence, turban head."
Madhuri's friends had to hold her back from running to WPC and killing him.
"Valerie, my love," he said again. "Ive realised how accident prone you are and I don't think we should waste the precious remaining time we could be spending together. Alone. In bed. At least we know you'll be able to withstand my beast mode considering how you managed to survive falling onto concrete."
Everyone in WPC cracked up, leaving the street floating with laughter. Rolling my eyes, I turned my head to him. "Dean, that wasn't me in the video," at being addressed he sat up straighter, a pleased smile on his face. "And if you ever want to be acknowledged again, if you ever want me to deal with your sad existence, you'll turn to your board, shut up, and if I hear a single word from you, I will never talk to you again."
"Even though I helped you the other night?"
Helping me break into his cousin's apartment and computer probably sounded like him helping me get off or something.
"I'm not in the mood."
"I can help you with that. Let's go back to my-"
"Dean. Shut up."
He didn't shut up. So I ignored him.
But I couldn't ignore the kids that were flocking around me taking photos and gossiping.
"I heard she takes steroids."
"Dude, she didn't jump, she got into a fight with some drug addicts with a pick axe. You guys are so naive."
Rubbing my forehead forcefully, I turned to Rosie. "Why won't they shut up?"
Shrugging, she doused the joint she had been smoking, when the teacher walked in. "It's the way everyone acts when someone gets back from rehab," with a grin, she flashed her somewhat yellow teeth at me. "I would know, my relatives are worse than the paparazzi when I get back from rehab."
It was more shocking that I was friends with her than it was the fact that she had been to rehab at least five times.
"Kids, shut up," the teacher yelled at our class, then turned on the bystanders. "And you guys, get out before I suspend you all."
Slowly, the bystanders shuffled away.
Clapping his hands as if getting rid of dirt, the teachers eyes scanned the class and settled on me. "So, we have a celebrity in our class. Tell me Miss Cole, what actually happened?"
Fuming at the lack of protocol, I snapped at them to use their brains while trying to convince them it wasn't me in the video.
"Why does everyone think it's me? You can't even see the person's face properly in the video."
"My auntie was there, she has an iPhone 6s and its very clearly your face," some random kid said.
"Shut up," I snarled, both to the kid and to the warning that Amber and Miguel had given me, 'don't draw attention'.
"Miss Cole, just tell is how you did it. This is a safe environment and we won't talk about it with anybody, will we class?" The class nodded eagerly at his words but from the look on his face, it was clear he was hoping I had some secret formula to superpowers. "Stop hiding whatever it is and speak."
"It's. Not. Me."
"Miss Cole, it's as clear as air that-"
The teacher, being as ignorant as he was, left me with no respect for him, so in the middle of the class I whipped out my phone and texted Miguel.
Me: got caught jumping out of window. News segment on me. Ran into my parents. They don't know about my death. Have important news on s.walkers
Immediately after I sent it, my phone rang. Quickly hanging up, I ignored the dirty looks received, and typed in class. Call at 2.30.
When two thirty came around, I was halfway out the school when my phone rang.
"Miguel, almost everyone has seen the vid-"
"Hello, Robert," Robert of the conspiracy department, said wryly. "I hope you're not thinking of avoiding our appointment."
"No, I'm not gonna avoid it and don't call me until tomorrow. I'm busy." Hanging up on him, I rang Miguel.
He picked up immediately. "Miguel, I don't know what to-"
"I'm sorry," a robotic voice said. "The number you have called, cannot be connected. Please dial the number and try again."
Three more attempts left me with nothing.
Something was wrong. No matter how much we disliked each other, Miguel always answered my calls.
Hailing a taxi, I went to Miguels mansion and paid the driver. Something was wrong. The mansion seemed so lifeless.
Walking up to the door, I opened it and stepped inside.
Empty. Everything was cleaned out and not a single piece of furniture remained, including the lightbulbs.
My footsteps echoed so loudly that it hurt my ears.
No. How could they leave now.
When I was in the middle of the ballroom, I noticed another figure in the mansion. Tensing the muscles in my body, I turned to him.
He was tall. So tall that he could only just pass as human. He wore long black robes and had short white hair. Hands clasped behind his back, he stared up at the staircase thoughtfully.
"Who are you?" I asked. "Where is Miguel?"
He turned and I glimpsed a view of the long sword strapped to his belt. His skin, lips and hair were so white that Batty would look tan next to him.
The Hunter had come. I was in the presence of an angel.