I woke up the next morning next to Dara, who was snoring. I rubbed at my eyes, trying to gauge if I could sleep for a little bit longer. Last night, I got home at about ten o'clock. Then, Dara and I watched at least four episodes of The Office before falling asleep. The whole night, I had nightmares about Trevor and the others.
It was difficult, but for the most part, I shooed them away.
Trevor plagued my mind. When I woke up I thought about him. Did he kill himself because of me? Or was he guilty for everything he had done prior? I wished I could ask him, but unfortunately, I couldn't. He was gone. There was no one to ask.
I turned on the shower, trying to alleviate the pain protruding from my back. As I moved my neck side to side it popped and cracked. Sighing, I tried to convince myself that today was going to be okay. It was Friday, so the week was finally over.
Once I was out of the shower, I shrugged on a lace long sleeve. It wasn't quite a turtle neck but came up to the base of my neck. It billowed out from my waist and stopped a little below my hips. I wore black skinny jeans that had holes in the knees. I had black leather Creepers that squeaked when I walked. I put on a couple of silver chains and curled my red hair.
By this time, Dara had gone back to her room to get ready. I was eating breakfast, chatting with Gran when she joined us. Then, mom came downstairs, heading straight for the coffee. She wore a purple blouse with grey slacks. She was going someplace.
"Where are you going?" I asked her. Since she quit her job, she had been dressing casually. She held the coffee cup with both hands, slowly bringing it up to her lips.
She sighs, sets the cup down.
"I am going to meet your father." From her curt tone, I can tell she isn't thrilled about it. I don't blame her. "It's nothing, but your father is trying to contend for custody of you two." She rubs her right temple. She's worried. Does he actually have a chance of taking us away from Salem? From our mom? From our friends?
"No way!" Dara yells, setting her spoon down.
"Do we have any say? I don't want to leave." I add, which softens moms expression. She was over the moon about Dara's dramatic change. We were all starting to feel like a family, getting super close and now, Chad was trying to ruin it.
Typical.
"For right now, he just wants to talk about it. He's marrying soon and wants the two of you to be apart of--
"His new family? Forget it!" It's me yelling. This is completely unfair. I won't go. Dara stirs next to me.
"He thinks it's safer for you guys to be up in New York with him," she trails off. There's no denying that since moving to Salem our lives have been in constant danger. Still, Chad didn't know about magic and all the wonderful things it came with. One of the downsides was the constant threat of death.
Dara and I grew silent. We couldn't argue with that.
"Let's not worry until we have to," Gran patted me on the back. She was right. Just because Chad wanted custody, didn't mean he was going to get it. I took a deep breath in, telling myself this over and over again. My heartbeat went back to normal.
"Thanks, Gran. I feel better." She smiled, her eyes swirling like orbs.
"We should probably go to school," Dara slung her backpack over her shoulder. I never thought I would see the day where Dara was in a hurry to go to class. All of us stared at her. "What? I have homework to turn in." She added, only the tiniest bit defensive. We laughed, then said our goodbyes.
When we got in the car, I contemplated telling Dara about Trevor's suicide. She might already know. It was on the news. I'm sure people were posting it on Social Media. Although, Dara had deleted every Social Media account she had. There had been a lot of people sending her hate mail. Honestly, I thought about deactivating mine too, but I didn't. I just ignored what people were saying about Dara and her involvement.
I didn't want to upset here, especially on our way to school. But kids were cruel and if Daniel had seen the article, then everyone at school probably did too. I didn't want her to be caught off guard. I rolled my jaw left and right, trying to come up with the perfect choice.
"Dara?" My voice was rugged. She looked up at me, her face full of innocence.
"What's up?" Her words were ripples.
"I-I," I stuttered. "I think you should know that Trevor killed himself the other day. Everyone will be talking about it at school. I didn't want you to be caught off guard." I finally said.
"Oh, I uh knew." She plays with her hands.
"You did?" I asked her incredulously. I don't know why I'm surprised that she already knew. Daniel had known, so why wouldn't Dara?
"Yeah, someone forwarded me the article." Of course, someone sent it to her. People were so cruel.
"How are you? It must be--
"I'm okay. In a way, I kind of suspected it. I mean I didn't think he would kill himself, but I'm not surprised."
"If you want, we can stay at home. We can tell mom and Gran that we found out on our way to school." I offer to skip class with her. She's made so much progress in just this short week, I would hate to see her go back to that dark place.
"No," she shook her head. "I want to go to school. I wasn't lying when I said I have homework to turn in. I have a lot of making up to do if I want to graduate the ninth grade.
Plus, finals are coming up next week." She's stressed. I had forgotten about finals approaching. At least, that meant Spring Break was coming up. Unfortunately, that also meant Ivelyn's birthday was approaching and my liver wasn't ready for the alcohol poisoning that was yet to come.
"Let's work on that after school," I assured her. "I have a lot of stuff to study and I can help you out." I flashed her a smile. I wasn't going to let her fail.
I was going to be there for her. I wasn't letting her slip through my fingers again. She was my responsibility.
The rest of the car ride, I thought about ways to help Dara out. I wasn't the best at studying, but flash cards always helped me. The last time I checked, Dara had three failings grades, but she just needed to turn things in. She was in ninth grade and they didn't penalize you for turning in things late. Her other classes were either C's or D's, which weren't great, but we could get those up too.
I pulled into a parking spot and we walked into school together. I couldn't help but be reminded of our first week of school. I remember trying to walk with Dara, but that was before. We weren't close back then. That and I had been seeing Levi everywhere. I look over my shoulder, seeing the large tree at the edge of the courtyard. I had talked to Levi there, under the safety of the long-looming limbs, so no one would see me talking to myself.
I had trusted him.
Dara had trusted Vayne.
We had been burned by people we trusted. We were both coping with that. I had to come to terms with the fact that I had befriended a Demon who was sent by Sarah Good to trick me and kill me and my family. That was hard, but not as hard as coping with the fact that Levi had been a murderer -- killing innocent girls all around me, without me even detecting it.
"You good?" Dara asks, leaning against the locker next to mine. It snaps me out of my daydream.
"Yeah, of course!" I said quickly. She raised an eyebrow.
"Pact." It was our deal we made with each other. We had to be honest with one or another. If we suspected the other to lying, we would say "pact" to remind the other that we are here to listen.
"Okay, fine. I'm just having a hard time today about Levi. I didn't even realize he was killing girls and--
I'm mid-sentence when Daniel grabs me by the waist and kisses me. Normally, I wouldn't care, but I was talking to Dara. His mouth is hot against mine. The tension from before melts away with his touch. I forget where we are and kiss him back. Our lips move in sync and my stomach flips. My fingers twirl in the soft locks. His hair grows so fast, it's already long enough for three-inch curls.
I missed these curls.
He pulled away first and I slowly opened my eyes. We were still holding each other. I didn't want to let him go. Out of the corner of my eyes, I caught sight of Addison and Erik. Erik's back was to me, but when Addie and I made eye contact she waved, then followed Erik.
My heart sank. My hands dropped to my side. I hadn't meant to kiss Daniel like that in front of Erik. He probably hated me, thinking I was rubbing my being with Daniel in Erik's face.
"Skip class with me!" Daniel urges, snapping me out of my guilt-ridden thoughts about Erik. I look at his face, trying to read what he's thinking. His face looks like milk, oddly pale for him. Usually, he sits somewhere between olive and sand. In those chocolate eyes, rest a rim of scarlet.
Ordinarily, I would be alarmed by the bright color coming from his eyes. Except, I had grown somewhat accustomed to it. The way the shade blended obtrusively with the brown made something gurgle inside me. It wasn't a good response to this bizarre eye color, especially because I knew what the red in his eyes meant.
Lust.
Thirst.
Hunger.
It meant he was Cursed.
It meant he wanted me -- and not like your average boy wanted your average girl.
It was the way a Cursed One wanted a Witch.
It was how Daniel wanted me.
I tried to breathe slowly, knowing the faster my heart beat the more his eyes churned with reddening burden.
"Uh, no I need to stay." It came out like a choke. I cleared my throat, taking a step backward. Dara was gone, exited due to our make out in the hallway. I didn't blame her. I wouldn't be able to stomach anyone making out with Dara either. It was a sister thing.
"Oh? Well, maybe after school I'll see you." He reaches for me again, but I push his hands away.
"Daniel," I warn.
"What? You don't want me?" He was hurt.
"You know that's not it. I just think we should cool it at school." I lick my lips. This is coming out all wrong. I can't exactly tell Daniel why I don't want to have PDA in school. If he knew it was because of Erik he might freak out. No-- he would definitely freak out.
The two of them still hated each other.
"It's never bothered you before, why now?" Daniel's tone was taking on an animalistic tone. I wasn't fond of it.
I grit my teeth, holding my chin a degree higher.
"It bothers me now," I responded back cooly.
He held up his hands defensively.
"Fair 'nuff, I was just curious." His eyes drop to the floor. He might be Cursed and have the strength that should scare me (and did) but I wasn't going to let him make me question myself. I was a Witch who could destroy him, but more than that I was a strong woman. I wasn't going to let anyone make me feel small, at least a male.
"I have to go to class, I'll talk to you later Daniel." I wasn't mad at him. I was just tired. Every action I made hurt someone.
"Okay, love you." It was the second time he said this. The first time was at the Abandoned Buildings when he declared he wanted me. It was right after he kissed me. I had chalked that up to him just being in the moment and not knowing what he said to me.
I hadn't said it back.
Now, he says it casually in the hallway of Salem High School. Before I can say it back, he waves and heads to class. We both have History, but that doesn't seem to matter right now. Instead of going to class, I turn around and head to the bathroom. I need a moment by myself.
Eventually, I went to History. I was sandwiched between Giu and Daniel. Gellar droned on and one about some war, I wasn't paying attention. I was going back in forth between my feelings. I knew I had feelings for Daniel and obviously, I really liked him. Did I love him? I know at one time I thought I did but was I there yet?
The bottom line: I wasn't ready to tell him.
I decided that was okay. He had said it twice now but hadn't commented on my lack of response.
After History, I beelined straight to math. I needed to talk to Erik. It worked out perfectly. Our math teacher wanted us to all work on a worksheet together. I almost ran into Kelly when I bulldozed through the classroom to Erik's desk. He always sat in the back of the room, positioned in a corner closest to the door.
"Hey," I huffed, out of breath. "Wanna be partners?" He didn't look up. His eyes were positioned straight ahead.
"Sure," he finally said.
Gingerly, I sat down next to him. His chair was scoot as far from me as it could be. It took me about fifteen minutes to work up the courage to actually talk to him. He was so silent, barely moving, it was hard to know if he was even breathing.
"I wanted to talk." Even as I said it, I cringed. How many times had I told him this? Each time, I hurt him more.
He didn't say anything.
"I want to make sure we're still friends. I can't--
"Of course we are." He rolled his eyes. "Why do you always think I'm mad at you?" His blonde eyebrows raised in that sarcastic arch. I gulped.
"I don't always think you're mad at me." Except, as I said this I realized he was right. I was always questioning his feelings. "Maybe it's because you never show your emotions," I add. He blinks at me, then rolls his eyes.
"Yeah, I'm sure it's that." Then, he doesn't say anything else about that. We work silently on the worksheet until class ends. He's right -- annoyingly always right. If he says we're friends then I need to leave it at that.
The rest of my classes are uneventful. In Gym class, I trip a girl named Kayla and myself on the way out of the locker room. I twist my ankle and she breaks her nose. I have been officially forever benched. The P.E. teacher told me to just sit on the bleachers until the term is over. Apparently, I need another trimester of Gym, but she's trying to get me out of it. I'm beyond thankful, but I feel horrible.
I have to have injured everyone in my class now.
Mir brings me ice, cringing at the giant welt growing on my ankle. We talk for a few minutes, but eventually, she leaves to go play basketball -- another sport she's amazing at. Honestly, I haven't seen her not be amazing at a sport.
After class, she helps me to my locker where Dara is waiting.
"How many people did you take out with you?" She asks, arms crossed. The three of us laugh.
"Only one other girl, but she broke her nose. I feel so bad." I open my locker, who trying not to stand on my bad ankle.
"Honestly, it sounds bad, but I wouldn't feel too bad. She's super rude." Mir says then covers her mouth, giggly. "Anyways, I have to head out, Scarlett drove to school today. Bye guys!" She waves goodbye to us, then jogs down the hall
"Do you wanna drive us home? I messed up my ankle pretty bad." Dara takes my backpack from me. I hand her the keys and we start to walk down the hall. I see Daniel up ahead. He's with Giu and when he sees us he waves us over.
His eyes zoom in on my busted up ankle.
"Are you okay? What happened? Do you want me to carry you? Do you--
"Calm down, it's okay. I just fell. It's no big deal." I wave him off.
"Oh, okay." He doesn't look convinced.
"You know she's clumsy, Danny." Giu's French accent sounds like melted butter. Today, she is clothed in layers of beige. She has a cream-colored lace shirt that is tucked into her high waisted long beige skirt that stops at her ankles, revealing brown colored high heels. She's a French dream, looking like she stepped right out of an expensive fashion catalog.
"Were you still going to come over?" Daniel ignores Giu's comment. He looks worried.
"I think I'm going to stay in tonight," I told him reluctantly. I had already planned on staying in with Dara, but he didn't have to know that.
"Yay! We can hunt tonight." Giu shakes his shoulder playfully, then erupts in laughter. She saunters away, but her message is clear to me. My blood dries up in my veins.
"She's joking," he tries to assure me, but I don't believe him. Giu isn't one for comedy. She's incredibly blunt and serious. She doesn't understand humor the way the rest of us do. I blame that she was homeschooled until a few months ago. That and she's Cursed and has been raised as such.
She isn't like Daniel and his mom. They survive off blood bags supplied by his mom because she works at a hospital. Between Daniel and her, no one notices the few blood bags that go missing. Giu and her family hunt people and drink their blood. Honestly, I wasn't totally sure how it worked, but I knew Giu didn't like bagged blood. She had made a comment about it before.
Her comment wasn't a joke.
It shouldn't bother me, but it did. She was insinuating that Daniel hunted alongside her. That wasn't okay. Daniel wasn't supposed to drink from Humans. Although, the two of us hadn't really talked about it before. I couldn't breathe.
"Uh huh, sure." I finally say. I feel Dara next to me tense.
"Corn, you know I don't do that." I was very aware that he didn't say he hadn't, but that he didn't.
"You don't or you haven't?" I question. His eyes twirl. Is he trying to tell me the truth or thinking of a good lie? I'm not sure.
"Cornelia," his tone is a warning.
"Let's talk later. I have to go." I push past him, my ankle threatens to give out. I take another step and almost fall, Dara catches me. She's tiny, but slings her arm over my shoulder, holding my upright. She's strong for being so small.
I wanted to talk about Daniel, but I didn't. It was annoying. If I talked about my doubts out loud, it would make them real. I didn't want them to be real. I didn't want to think it was a possibility for Daniel to be evil. If he was hunting and drinking peoples blood, then he was evil. Was that the case? Wasn't that the original fear I had when he told me he was Cursed?
My mind had automatically gone to that dark place. When he first told me he was Cursed, I thought he was admitting guilt to attacking and kill those girls. I thought, even for a moment, that he had killed Rachel Radley and Selene COnners. Everything from that moment had been a reaction. Had I been right the whole time?
No, there was no way Daniel could do something like that. Giu had just been making a joke at my expense. I had to believe that. Daniel drank from blood bad, donated by willing humans. Sure, it would have been great if Daniel didn't have to drink blood at all. But he did -- he did have to drink blood. That being said, I'd rather have him drink it from bags donated instead of biting people.
I shiver at the thought. Then, I remember my vision. What if someone was willing to have him drink their blood? Did the consent part matter? Sure it did, it had to. Still, there was something about him biting into someone's flesh that unnerved me. I started to bite my fingernails until Dara cleared her throat.
We were sitting at our table. I hadn't even touched my peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Half of Dara's sandwich was gone. We had been home for about a half hour. I think Dara was talking about something, but I was spacing out. I had too much on my mind. There was no way Daniel was going around hunting and biting people. It had to be a joke. It had to be!
"Oh, sorry," I muttered, picking up my sandwich and nibbled at it. It was too dry. I reached for my glass of iced tea and tried to take a gulp. It felt wrong.
"Something on your mind?" She finishes her sandwich and walks to the sink to ditch her dish. She's giving me a chance to talk about it. I don't let myself overthink it.
"I don't believe Daniel." I pause. "I think Giu was serious when she said they could go hunting. I don't want to believe it because that means Daniel is evil. I can't let myself believe that I chose him and he's evil. I just, I can't. He can't be evil because that means that I'm--
"Evil? Come on, be serious Corn, you could never be evil. You're way too moral and you're constantly thinking about other people. Take it from someone who dabbled in that and befriended evil people. You're not evil and honestly, I doubt Daniel is either. Sure, he is Cursed and all that, but what does that really mean?" She had a point.
I couldn't disregard that.
"Isn't it evil to hunt people?" I asked in a small voice.
She shrugs.
"Maybe? Who am I to judge?" She had a point.
I sighed.
"Can I forgive that? If he is biting people, he's lying to me about it." I look around the room, searching for the answers.
"Are you upset that he's biting people or because he's lying to you?" Why did she always have to have the best questions? It made me think. I opened my mouth to answer, but the doorbell rang, cutting me off.
"Who's that?" I asked instead of answering her.
She shrugged and we went to go answer the door together. I pulled open the door, expecting someone from the coven. It wasn't anyone I recognized. It was a woman with dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes. She was short and slim. I didn't know who she was.
Our eyes met and she smiled like she knew who I was. I searched into my memory but came up short.
"Um, hi?" I finally said. She must be here to sell us something.
"Hi, I'm Dolores." She smiled, showing large white teeth. My stomach dropped. Dolores?