Charlie's POV
As I walked down the steps to the parking lot, I saw that most people were gone. Shaking my head, I unlocked my car and got inside. Screw this place and everyone in it.
I threw another rock into the water. I've been on a three hour run, and I stopped at this stream in the woods. This is what peace sounds and looks like. As I made it down to the house, I felt less stressed and angry. After checking the messages, I went up and showered.
The water was nice on my skin. As I washed my body, I looked at the scars across my skin. Small and large, superficial or very deep, thick and thin, any difference in the scars. All of these are from my childhood, my whole life story is written on my skin for all to see. Sighing, I stepped from the shower after turning the water off. After getting dressed, I made my way to the kitchen and made myself some chicken tenders and fries for dinner.
I sat and ate my food while watching TV in a darker room. The clock read about 8:23 when I cleaned up and made my way upstairs to my room. There wasn't much homework, but it was enough to keep me up until around 10:30. Not wanting to deal with having my light shut off anymore, I just did it myself before slipping into bed, falling asleep.
The phone ringing woke me to a start. Groaning, I stood up and made my way into the hall and down the stairs. When I picked up the phone, Violet's voice was quiet and worried.
"Someone's in my house. It's just me here at the moment. The person sounds scary..." My heart sped up.
"Give me ten minutes." I said gently, she took in breath and got quiet. I muted my end just in case, but I listened to her end as I threw on sweats, grabbed my keys, and ran out the door.
"Hurry up." Her end cut out.
Her house is twenty minutes from mine, I made it there in almost nine minutes. When I parked in her driveway, I saw that no cars were here except hers. How were those people able to get here? They would have had to run here....wolves. I kept my car running, and made my way to her front door. Someone had smashed the locks to gain entry. Lights were on throughout her house, my heart was almost in my throat. I heard growling come from her father's office, go to our hiding spot.
I was silent as I made my way to our childhood hiding spot. No one could ever find us three when we hid here. It was safe in the hiding spot. When I opened the door, she went to hit me, then calmed when she saw it was me. Holding my finger to my lips, she nodded and followed me.
"There's one car here, meaning someone has to be here." A man snarled at his companion. "Check upstairs while I look." He snapped, that's when I watched some scary looking guy walk past us and our hiding spot. When he was gone, we snuck our way downstairs and out the front door. She had her go-bag with her as she got into my car.
"Found them!" Someone screamed with a snarl. I had the car in reverse as both men started running towards us. They had to be wolves, they were barefoot with only shorts on.
"Charlie." She cried as I sped down the road. I took corners at 60, drifting the entire way. "Oh goodness, I didn't know you could drift." She whispered as we made it in the clear. They weren't behind us anymore, meaning they either left or are in the woods chasing us. My heart raced as we finally made it onto the main roads.
"Where is your family?" I asked her as we made it to a public place that is frequented at night. She was shivering right now, forcing me to hand her a sweatshirt in the back of my car. She gladly took it, shivering at the warmth.
"James is out of town for a few days, my dad is working late at the office, and my mom is a nurse." She was shaken up.
"Okay, did you call anyone else?" She shook her head crying. "Okay, call Luke and tell him to meet us here. I don't know if it's safe to go to my house since it's equally as vulnerable. Our best bet is to stay in public areas until someone can come get you or protect us." She nodded at me thinking through the scenarios.
"I'm sorry." She sniffled. When I looked at her, I saw how shaken up she was. "It's early in the morning and I know you hate being woken up, but-" I grabbed her, bringing her into a tight hug. "Your car is probably ruined becaus-" I shut her up.
"You are what's important, Violet. My car is replaceable. I will be able to catch up on sleep. I can't revive a friend from death." She sat there crying, holding onto me tightly.
"I love you." She held me as if I was her last breath. We sat here in the parking lot for what seemed like ages before she called Luke. We got out of my car and went inside the diner. When we walked in, the waitress we all know well dropped the smile on her face.
"I'll call. Take a seat at a booth, my loves." She was an older woman, similar to an aunt. She's known us all since birth. She disappeared before returning with tea and something light for Violet to eat. "Are you both okay? Are either of you hurt?" She said gently, hugging Violet gently.
"Charlie saved me. I'm okay, they didn't get a chance to attack me." She said gently to Amy, the waitress.
"I'm glad." She said squeezing my shoulder as she hugged Violet. Vi was in need of a maternal figure to sooth her. When I stood up, Violet grabbed my wrist.
"I'm going to get you shoes and pants from the car, Vi." She nodded gently at me. "You can see me from the window." She looked at my car, then me and let me go.
The cold air bit at my skin through my sweats. I dug through her go-bag and grabbed the shoes and pants she had. Sighing, I stepped from my car and turned to look at Violet from outside. Amy was sitting with her, listening. There were a few people in there like always. This diner is the place that's always open. Sometimes I come down here to just be around people when I'm lonely. The screeching of tires forced my eyes to the left, I saw Luke's truck. He jumped out of the truck and attacked me in a hug. His scent was always comforting.
"I'm okay, Violet isn't. I'm not sure who they were, but they were digging through Mr.Reed's office." He sighed, holding my face. "I'm okay, Luke. I promise." He kissed my forehead and hugged me again. He and I made our way inside, Violet attacked him in a tight hug. I set her sweats and shoes on the bench where she was previously.
We sat here with Amy for what seemed like an hour until more people showed up. I had my head down on the table from exhaustion, it was four in the morning. Oh no, Beasty didn't show up before I left, I hope he's okay.
"Hey, we got here as soon as we could." I heard Kaine's soft voice, I didn't pick my head up to look because Violet and Luke were okay and that's all that mattered to me. People that showed up kept their voices to a gentle tone, as if knowing I was tired and Violet wasn't okay. Probably more for Violet than anything else. A hand on my shoulder forced me to grab the person, ready to attack. When I saw that it was Mr.Reed, I calmed down.
"Sorry." I mumbled as he brought me into a hug. He held me for a few minutes.
"Don't be, Charlie. You didn't hesitate to help Violet at two in the morning." He said gently. "Stupid of you to go in without weapons or help, but appreciated." He brushed the hair from my face with a gentle smile.
"I would have stayed to beat them up, but I knew Violet was more important than me making a point to whoever sent them." He nodded and let me go. Violet attacked her dad in a hug, he didn't let her go.
"I'll the school when it opens to let them know you both aren't going. I can call for Luke and Kaine if you both want?" It was Michael's voice. How did all of these people get here, why are they here? I understand Mr. and Mrs. Reed, Kaine, and Luke - but not Michael.
"What are we supposed to do?" Vi asked gently to her father. Everyone looked to Michael who wouldn't stop looking at me. I ignored them all and went to the counter, Amy got me a cup of coffee and a muffin.
"You did a good thing, Peanut." Amy sighed, looking at me. "You seem to be a guard for your friends in all ways." She smiled as I picked at the muffin. A smile met my lips as I sat with her for a moment.
"Landon, your family will stay with mine. Violet can stay with Luke or Charlie." Michael's voice was one of authority.
"I want to stay with Charlie." Violet's voice was firm. I turned to the group and watched her.
"You know I love you, but you're safer at Kaine or Luke's. I'm a weak link here, Vi. You're in just as much danger at my house as you were in yours." Her shoulders dropped and she growled at me.
"Not true, Charlie. You make me feel the safest, you always have. I want to stay with you." She crossed her arms, determined. Irritation started to build in my system.
"Violet.." Her father's voice was gentle. "She has a point." She shoved his hand off and glared at me.
"No, she doesn't." She growled at him. "I called her because I knew she'd help no matter what. She always has. She'll keep me safe because that's all she's done since birth with her friends." She was determined. "I stayed with you over the summer, and now you're telling me no? I don't understand wh-" I cut her off finally.
"Because Violet!" I snapped. "My house is the least secure in the town. It's easy for someone to break into my house without my knowledge, it's happened plenty of times over the past month, okay?! I might have been able to help you all before when we were kids, but now that we're grown up, I can't beat one of those things. I'm a inferior human, Violet." She stood there, staring at me in shock.
"So it's settled-" Michael spoke cutting through the silence. Violet cut him off.
"He doesn't hurt you though! He's harmless to us all for Christ Sake!" She said angrily, stilling me. Luke and Kaine pushed her, growling at her. How did they find out...do they know who he is?!
"Violet, shut up!" Kaine said, she immediately looked like she wanted to be invisible.
"Did you snoop around my house?" I asked with irritation.
"No." Luke said, he was lying. I leaned back in utter shock, I never break their privacy.
"What is going on?" Mr.Reed said in confusion.
"Nothing." All four of us said simultaneously. He and Mr.Reed looked at each other in confusion. Mrs.Reed squeezed her husbands shoulder.
"Cha-" Vi started, I interrupted.
"No, Violet! It's not up for discussion." She stood there, watching me. I walked outside, the cold hitting me. When I turned around from tossing her items in Luke's truck, I was met with the small group coming outside. I watched Violet as she hugged me gently. "I do love you." I mumbled, hugging her tightly.
"I know you do. I'm sorry." She said gently as she got into Luke's truck. "We'll call your house when we get to Luke's house. Be safe, please." She sighed. I nodded at her and gave Luke a hug before they drove off. Kaine left, following Luke's truck. Soon I was left in the parking lot on my own.
The drive to my house was silent, when I parked in my driveway, the house was the way I left it. Sighing as I entered, I kicked off my shoes at the door, then locked it. My mind raced, trying to figure out how they all knew about Beasty, and how they knew his ID.
I woke to my alarm going off for school. I got maybe three to four hours of sleep last night. My house was empty as usual, today I decided to go to school. As I walked down the hallway, I thought about the message Luke left for me.
"Hey, we made it to my house. Violet went right to bed, and I thought you should know. I don't know if we're going to school tomorrow, but we'll definitely talk tomorrow about everything. I love you and I hope you're okay."
What did he mean by 'everything'?
"Miss Gideon, shocking to see you here today." Mr.Hale spoke to me as I walked in silently to his class. Kids stared at me as I took my seat. Exhaustion stopped me from being my normal self today. He taught the class without a hitch, students allowed him to do his job for once.
"You all have a test on Thursday before your long weekend." His words sent groans through the room. "Now, hand me your packets as you leave." He stood by the door, collecting our class work. When I was the last to hand him mine, he closed the door. Why does he continuously want to speak with me?
"What, Hale?" I asked rubbing my eyes from the sleep that so badly wanted to take me.
"I was rather shocked to see you in my class, Mr.Lockwood called your group of four out today." He took the packet, then crossed his arms.
"Well, my brother didn't give me permission to skip, meaning I show up." He nodded, gently smiling at me. "What?"
"Your brother said you would still show up, I didn't believe him." Confusion made its way across my face. "He and I are good friends, Miss Gideon. He asked me to check up on you."
"I'm fine, now can I go?" I went to step around him, he didn't allow me to leave. "Come on, man."
"You're not fine, and you may not want to speak with me, but I made a promise to your brother. Now, spill it." He got me to step away from the door, taking a seat on a desk. I watched him set the papers on his desk, then sit facing me.
"I don't understand anyone in this town. I don't know what's happening in this town with the people in it. I don't know why one of my best friends almost got attacked, or why her house was broken into. I don't understand why the Lockwood's are being nice for once. I don't know the people that I thought I could trust. I hate being in this town because I feel like a black sheep. I don't know what my brother is hiding from me or why he keeps lying to me." He sat quietly as I ran out of breath. "I'm starting to think that there isn't a reason for me to even stay here since no one here respects my brother or I. The fact my own friends lied to me and snooped through my house irritates me. The fact I have some admirer who I don't know what he even looks like irritates me. My friends know who he is and I'm just in the dark." Taking a breath, I looked at Mr.Hale. "I don't know why I'm even telling you all of this.." He smiled gently at me.
"Because you trust me. Because you know that I'm just going to listen." He said calmly.
"Why do you even care to listen, and don't use my brother as an excuse." He laughed gently at me.
"Well, you're one of the better people in this town, Miss Gideon. You may not want to believe it, but I genuinely like you, professionally of course." He said, blushing.
"You sure about that one?" I crossed my arms at him. He scoffed, standing up.
"Yes, I'm very sure about 'that one'." He mocked. " You're the only student who I see potential in." He shrugged. "Your brother is a good friend, and I know he's always gone. Trust me when I say, people care about your well-being, they show it in weird ways."
"Can I go now?" He nodded once at me.
"Be careful, Charlotte." His words stopped me. "I'd hate to get word that my favorite student did something stupid or got hurt. You have to be careful." His words didn't set well with me.
"Yeah, sure." I mumbled as I left.
Who is Mr.Hale to my brother, and why is he so focused on me? Is he Beasty?!