The only two who could sleep that night were Erik and June. Everyone else felt as if they had slept for days and could not sleep no matter how desperately they tried.
Having actually slept for days, Hope feels well-rested. Her father won't explain to her why he's been crying for the last hour. Doctors have been in and out of Hope's room, dozens of them all staring at her chart. She hasn't asked why yet. The only explanation offered is that they are going to give her a few tests.
Thankfully for Percy, hospitals seem to exist out of time. When she made her way up into the intensive care unit, no one thought that it was odd to see a young woman, wearing a leather jacket over top of a green dress with the energy of someone in mid-afternoon. Everyone here is too preoccupied with their own injuries, illnesses, and medical bills to even notice Percy. Not that they would know that she is wearing the only dress she owns.
It occurs to Percy that whatever magic she has previously described as a plague, is anything but.
She smoothens out the bottom of her dress, as if she hadn't ironed it twice before heading here. Her curly hair smells of the cheap perfume her sister bought her for Christmas two years ago, and Percy hopes it is enough to impress.
Percy decides she should express her gratitude to Cara, after all, Cara gave told her which room was Hope's, so that Percy wouldn't have to sneak around to get there. The door to Hope's room is propped open.
She sees her. Her hair is dirty, and messy, but otherwise, Hope looks untouched. The girl flashes a bright white smile at her Dad, before she looks up.
When she sees Percy, her brow furrows. Not because she wasn't expecting Percy (although she wasn't) but because when she sees her, she watches Percy smooth out the bottom of her dress. It is green, and it looks cozy and homey, but it is absolutely not Percy.
Then, Hope's father stands. Before she can say anything, he steps into the hallway and shuts the door.
Though Hope is weak, she pulls herself out of the bed. When her feet touch the ground, she feels her world shake. It takes her a second to realize that she is not wearing slippers.
Percy isn't sure what she expected when Hope's dad shuts the door. After all, there was no way she was going to get in and see Hope. Not with him hanging around.
"You should leave," he tells her.
Her hands become fists at her side. Damn her for trying to appeal to the sensibilities of this man, who knows nothing about her except that she might be involved in Thea's death. Percy grows madder as she realizes that his opinion is sensible, actually.
"I will," Percy tells him. She takes a step closer to him, staring up at him from below. She tries to find a way to articulate exactly how angry she is. Percy has always been a dog lover, and an astrologist, and someone who trusts her cut. With Hades dead and the world overcast, the only thing she has left is her sensibilities. "At some point, you are going to have to let Hope make her own decisions. The more you try to make them for her, the more people like me will try to get between you. Understood?"
Hope begins to make her way across the room.
Percy leaves.
Hope's father re-enters her tiny hospital bedroom. His eyes go wide in shock as he realizes that his daughter is standing up. Quickly, he ushers her back to bed.
"Why did you have her leave?" Hope asks. She tries to resist her father's attempts to force her to lie down. His hands are delicate on hers, careful not to remove the wires attached to her.
Her father ignores her. "You should lie down, Pumpkin."
"Is it because you think she helped Eden Connor and Cara Nightly kill Thea Davis?" Hope asks, cocking her head to the side and blinking. "Or is it because you think she and I are having sex?"
Her father stops trying to gently get her on the cot, and instead holds her for a second. Then he slips his hands off her and sits down in the room's only chair. "What are you talking about?"
"Dad, please stop lying to me," Hope takes a step closer to him, running her eyes up and down him. From this far up, she feels bigger than him. "About everything. Percy and the medication and the test that the Doctors are giving me, and I will stop lying to you about being a lesbian."
Her father looks up to her. Tears brim in his eyes. "I just wanted to protect you. I thought I lost you. They've had you on a ventilator. It's not about girls. It's about her. You have to understand I want what is best for you, and that's why I do this. Hope-"
"Why was I on a ventilator?" Hope asks.
"Your heartbeat," her father begins to sob. The words confound in his mouth, becoming all jumbled. "Hope, you have to understand. They... your heart was a beat per minute. I don't understand. They don't know... they put... you had to have open-heart surgery. Just please sit down."
For the first time, Hope doesn't see her father. Instead, she sees a man who is trying desperately to cling on to her. Let's say Hope dies just as young and as tragically as her mother (which is unlikely, all things considered), then she is dead. Her father can't freeze her eggs and create a grandchild no more than he can actually bring his wife back. Hope can't decide if he's pathetic or desperate or romantic, but Hope is all of those things.
She is her father's daughter.
~~~
June is woken up by the feeling of a pillow slapping her in the face. Her eyes squint together as she pulls herself into a sitting position. As she rests her back against the headboard, she takes a minute to wipe her eyes.
"Get him out of here," April mutters to June.
The ginger girl looks down at the boy next to her in bed. Instinctively, she scoots away from him, looking from him to her sister. It takes a second for her to realize they are fully clothed. It's not the first time she's been in a bed with Erik, but it's the first time she's been caught.
June reaches over and touches his shoulder. Erik's hand shoots up to hers, and he is suddenly sitting up. It takes him a second to realize June isn't his Dad, and that he never went home last night.
Quickly, Erik pulls himself out of bed. He scours the floor for his black running shoes, ignoring the angry blonde girl staring him down. Eventually, he finds them. Without a second thought, he climbs out the balcony and jumps off.
"What's your fucking problem?" June shakes her head at her sister. It is difficult to catch details of her face in the dark. Though June hates to admit it, she sees herself in her sister's shadow.
April slaps June with the pillow again. "You can't be bringing guys in here. Mom and Dad are definitely not okay with that."
"You don't even live here," June hisses, looking around. She spots the time on the clock and puts her hand against her head. "It's the middle of the night?"
April tosses a strand of hair over her shoulder, careful not to let it catch in her earring. It's clear she was at a party last night. June would roll her eyes at her sister, but June's behaviour has been no better.
"I came to meet Archie and help him make breakfast for Mom and Dad," April shakes her head back and forth. "Did you forget that today was the Autumn festival?"
They always have a family breakfast to thank their parents for all the hard work they put into their jobs, and by extent the festival. It's a yearly tradition. June resists the urge to retort that she was too busy focusing on the anniversary of August's death, which is tomorrow. After all, that doesn't change the fact that yes, she did forget about the festival. Just like she missed the twin's birthday last year because she couldn't bear to be home.
"I just, I just can't believe you," April shakes her head back and forth. "Like, you'll never talk to any of us about August. You have had like three guy friends over now that none of us know, and you were making out with strangers at a party, when you always told me they were stupid. Like, what has gotten into you the past few weeks? It's not just August, and it can't be the death of that stunt worker. I know it."
The ginger girl puts her feet on the ground. She has felt so out of body lately that she hadn't noticed her becoming the centre of the crowd. Like, even her magical friends don't trust her to be alone. She hates it, she really does, but everything feels insane.
"I'm not going to explain, but I hope you let me cook breakfast with you," June tells her older sister.
April has her arms crossed over her shoulder. She shrugs and gestures for June to join her.
On the other end of town, Erik barely makes it back to his house. Quickly, he darts up to his bedroom, not caring if he causes enough noise for his Dad to notice. After all, when he fell he had broken both his legs, and now his left pant leg is bloody.
In his room, Erik quickly throws off the pair of sweatpants and changes into a new pair. As he is slipping them on, he glances around his room, trying to figure out exactly what his plan is for the rest of the day. He ought to visit Hope in the hospital, which wouldn't draw attention. Yes, that is what he will do, he guesses.
Erik figures that he could answer the texts from his friends about the missed soccer practices, or about how much school he has skipped, or anything, but Erik can't. Not that they didn't matter to him, but they can't understand him now. Understanding Amelia was already impossible, but this?
Then, he notices. Erik has a messy room, but it is cleaner now. There were files about Amelia on the ground, from a time that he was angry which he forgets now. However, they are gone. Only one person has access to his room that isn't him.
His Dad stole them.
~~~
"Thanks for letting me stay here," Wes puts down his bag only to take his coat off. He quickly throws it on the coat rack and picks it up. Not that Wesley is tidy. Normally, Wesley has a room ripped apart by the worst of tempests. However, he knows better than to make a mess of someone else's space since he has often found himself a stranger in a new home.
"It's no problem," Jamie says, even though it was a big problem between him and Kyle. Not that it matters anymore because Kyle is gone.
Wesley shrugs. "Still, I hope Kyle doesn't mind too much."
Jamie's eyes go wide. The last few days have been a blur, and it hadn't occurred to Jamie that he hadn't mentioned Kyle's departure. He prays that Wes won't be mad. "I... umm... Kyle isn't staying here anymore. He kept doing drugs in the apartment, and I told him I wouldn't have it. I don't know where he is anymore, but-"
"Wait, he's gone forever? I thought it was just a temporary thing."
With only an eyebrow cocked, Jamie finds Wesley incredibly hard to read. He begins to panic. After all, this can't be good. Wesley was in foster care too, and it only now occurs to Jamie that Kyle might be homeless and living on the streets. Eventually, he nods.
Wesley pulls Jamie into a hug. He hopes Jamie can feel Wesley's smile against his forehead. He murmurs to Jamie. "Good. That must've been hard."
Jamie looks up at Wes. "You aren't mad?"
"No," Wesley laughs. He shakes his head back and forth. He can feel a pressure building in his chest as he can feel something bubbling up inside him. He has to tell Jamie. Now. Maybe it means Jamie won't let him stay here, but there is always Eden's. "God. Fuck."
"What?" Jamie asks as Wesley pulls away.
Wesley rubs his chin, taking in a breath. "I just... listen to me. I spent some time in juvie which you know about."
He takes a second to think. Jamie takes his hands and brings the boy on to the couch. He throws a blanket over them both. Since they face each other, their knees are touching. Oh God, they are touching. While Wesley lets the touch distract him for a second, Jamie can't tear his eyes away.
"It, uh." Wesley spits it out. "it was for getting in a fight with this homophobic drug addict. And like, yeah, that is a pretty awful thing of me to do, but it was also ten years ago, and I've forgiven myself. The worst part of it all, though, is that his wife apologized for me, as if it was her fault. Just, don't blame yourself for Kyle's actions, is my point."
When he is done speaking, Wesley shoves his hands under the blanker and looks down. Jamie tries his best to meet Wesley's eyes, but he can't. It hadn't really occurred to Jamie that Wesley would've gone to juvie for something other than shoplifting or vandalism. Like, Wesley has never seemed violent before. Maybe he isn't. Maybe it was long enough ago that it doesn't matter.
It's like the explosion. It changed everything, but it is over now.
Jamie leans up and kisses Wesley. He pulls the boy in closer to him by his neck. They knell on the couch like this for some time, their hands beginning to run up each other's skin. Then, they are kicking off their shoes and heading into Jamie's bedroom.
~~~
On a college campus, it is rare that the library is dead. Even at three in the morning, there is always someone cramming for a test. However, if you know what you are looking for, there is always somewhere secluded. Though the study rooms have glass windows, no one can hear what happens inside. Since most textbooks are online, people often hide between the bookshelves.
Even though it is extremely early, Cara can't risk being seen here with Lee. So, she waits for the other girl in the woman's bathroom on the third storey. She taps her foot on the floor, checking under the stalls for the third time. Cara doesn't dare leave, in case someone is waiting for her outside.
Then, Lee opens the door. She forces the door to shut behind her, leaning against it and turning to Cara.
"I'm sorry," Cara tells her. "I should've said something to you before now. I wanted to make sure you were okay."
Lee taps her foot against the floor. A question darts through the back of her mind, but she pushes it down. "I'm fine."
"You don't have to tell me if you aren't," Cara raises her hands up to her chest in defence. God, she is so easily distracted by Lee. Not that the girl is her type, but Lee is quite beautiful. Cara forces herself to remember the fights Lee has caused while looking at the softness in her cheeks. Lee isn't any one thing after all, but a complicated mess. "Basically, Eden, Wes, Jamie and I are here for you. I can't really speak for Erik, Percy or Hope, but you seem close to Percy. Getting shot at can be quite a trauma."
"Well, getting shot at wouldn't be even high up on my list of traumas this month," Lee rolls her eyes. When she watches Cara's neutral expression turn to a frown, she rolls her eyes. God, if Cara weren't so fragile, Lee would wish she was more like her.
After all, Cara isn't the girl who gets shot. She is the girl that cute boys fall in love with. She is the one who everyone rushes to protect when the police target her. She's just like Hope and June. Lee's mother would like any one of them more than her.
"Thanks," Lee finally manages. "You're the only one who has reached out to me. Which, I get, everyone is dealing with their own stuff. But still, it actually means a lot. Don't go repeating that."
Cara nods to indicate that her lips are sealed. She wasn't expecting this conversation to go so slowly. Though she isn't physically tired, she is emotionally. She wants nothing more than to go home and talk to her brother and Dads.
It's not like she hasn't seen them. They brought her clothes in the hospital after all. Still though. It's not enough, and it will never be enough. If Cara lives forever, she won't be able to spend enough time with everyone she cares about.
Screw her studies. There is no point pretending anymore.
"I think I'm going to drop two classes," Cara tells Lee. She laughs. "I don't know why I'm telling you. The others said I shouldn't, but I think they are being naïve. They don't realize how much our lives are changing. I only need six credits to graduate, which I hope I'll do after next year. No more med school."
Lee leans her head against the door behind her. It is cold and hard, but at least it isn't as freezing as it is outside. Lee doesn't like taking the joy out of people. In fact, she dreads it. However, desperate times. "I don't know that you'll be able to finish college."
"What?"
"Long story short, some lady showed up at my door and said she found out about us. Like, she is also one of us. She referred to our group as a branch. Not that that matters, but apparently, we aren't alone. Like, there could be dozens of branches out there. Anyway, there is a group trying to kill us all. She didn't really explain, but she offered us protection. I only told her about Percy and me until I can trust her, since she could've been the one to fire the shot. No use getting all of us killed."
"What does she want?" Cara asks, trying to run over the information in her head. There seems to be both too much and too little. "Are you going to meet her?"
"During the festival," Lee offers. "If Percy doesn't get back to me, will you come?"
It takes a few seconds, but Cara nods.
~~~
"They're giving up!" Keisha shakes her head back and forth.
Eden holds her against his shoulder, feeling her sob into him. He tries not to look at her, instead focusing on the cloudy sky outside. It's too early for him to be here, but when Keisha calls, he comes.
"They're out of leads," she continues. "So they are just giving up! They barely even looked into Bike Boy. I can't believe this. Someone murdered my sister!"
Eden winces. He can't help it. He has to say something. It's been burning inside him, and Cara is basically all of his impulse control, so without her his heart is going to explode. "No one murdered your sister."
Keisha lifts herself away from Eden. She scurries across the couch, wiping her eyes. They are wide and big, just like Thea's. Eden hates that he can't lie to them anymore, but it's been to many nights listening to her cry.
"What are you saying?" She begins, holding her arms firmly against her. Eden recognizes the look. Her eyes blink between confusion and fear. "Were you there? You told me you weren't. What do you know?"
Eden blows out air. His body is turning colder and colder by the second. Even though Thea is dead, and Eden isn't sure if he believes in Heaven anymore, he hopes she would be happy with what he is saying. "There was an explosion. It was some natural phenomenon that blasted her into a tree and got her impaled. A ball of lightning or something. It gave me a concussion."
Keisha gets off the couch, she moves away from Eden, into the back corner of the room. Without a word, she points at the door.
~~~~~
This chapter is so many good little things. I gotcha with Lee, didn't I? Percy is sweet, and also Wes and Jamie. Also, wtf is up with Hope's heart? Yikes. Ooh, and like Eden is YIKESing up in here. Ya boi is too good for this world. So pure, so putting himself into danger. RIP.
There are exactly 10 chapters left, including the epilogue. AHHHHH. Any predictions? I promise you it's going to go all over the place. I'm excited to go with you there!