CHAPTER 10
I had a massive headache in the morning. I vaguely remembered getting to my room and being woken up various time, but it was all a bit hazy. I looked at my clock. I was going to be late for school if I didn't start moving. Not like that was anything new; running late that is.
I rolled out of bed and went to my closet, opening the door. I nearly jumped at what I saw staring back at me in the full mirror. My hair was a disaster, what makeup I had on yesterday was smeared all over my face, and there was a nice, big black eye.
I groaned as I assessed the eye, looking at it closely. My fingers prodded the dark area.
"Next time you should talk to me before you go out on a hunt with that boy," my dad said from the doorway.
"Trust me, it won't happen again. Two times is good enough for me."
I grabbed a towel and started rubbing off the smeared makeup, being careful around the eye. I grabbed my concealer and started pouring it on in an attempt to cover up the dark spot.
When I looked back in the mirror it just looked worse. I sighed and weighed my two options: take off the makeup and go in with the black eye, or try to leave the concealer on—when you could still see the black eye. I chose to just take it off, using a wet tissue to carefully wipe it away.
I got dressed and went downstairs meeting my dad at the back door.
"How'd you do that?" My dad asked. He knew exactly what happened, but he also knew I would get asked at school. He was testing me to see if I had a lie ready to go.
"Case of wrong place wrong time. I was walking down the sidewalk and passed a bar fight that had been taken outside. One of the guys was bringing his hand back to punch another guy and his elbow got me right in the eye." I shrugged. It had been the best I could come up with while I was getting ready.
He considered for a moment, deciding if it was good enough. "Let's go."
I walked out to the car, plopping into the front seat. Instead of the usual silence that filled this trip, my dad had opted for conversation.
"You know you shouldn't be going out on big jobs like that alone."
"I wasn't alone. I was with Ian."
"You shouldn't be going out without more experienced hunters. He could have gotten you killed."
"That's funny. You were all for Ian before last night," I said remembering when we'd first started hunting and he'd tried to get either Sarah or I to cozy up to Ian and the rest of the Freemonts.
"That's before he nearly got you killed," my dad said firmly.
"It's all part of the job, Dad. This is dangerous. I know that, and you know that. Accidents happens."
"That still doesn't excuse him taking you after an Alpha."
"We didn't know if he was an Alpha, Dad. The Organization said it was possible. He told me before we went out. I said 'let's go'. If you want to blame anyone, blame me."
"He still should have known better."
"Yeah, well apparently he didn't have someone to train him as well," I grumbled, recalling the other hunt I had gone on where Ian forgot to get some of the most important information.
"Look dad, you don't have to worry. I'm not going on anymore hunts with him alone. I already told him that."
The car stopped and I looked out the window to see we were already in front of the school.
"You better be home when I get there," my dad said as I got out of the car.
"Yes, sir." I got out and made my way up to the large doors, stepping into the prison we called school.
All eyes were on me when I walked through the doors. I wondered if maybe more rumors had spread about Jared and me. The throb around my eye told me it was probably something different.
I went to my locker, grabbing the notebook I needed and putting away the text books I didn't. I closed the door and turned to find Jared standing right in front of me.
He looked slightly annoyed, but as soon as his eyes fell on my face it melted away into-
What was that look? Concern?
"What happened to you?"
I started stammering. I had already worked out what I was going to say. I'd said it over and over in my head and yet now I couldn't remember a gosh dang word of it.
"Fight,"
Jared's brows raised and he looked angry.
"Uh no. Not on purpose. I was walking by a fight. This guy was about to take a swing at someone else. His elbow got me in the eye. Wrong place wrong time I guess," I said, my brain finally functioning.
Jared raised his hand as if he wanted to touch the spot, at least that's what it looked like, but he put it back down by his side.
"That seems to happen a lot," he said absentmindedly.
"Yeah, I guess."
I slung my backpack over my shoulder and I made a motion toward the classroom.
"We may want to get in there before the bell rings. Don't want to get in trouble, it's only your first week here."
"Right."
We walked in silence down the hallway, this time it was an awkward silence. I looked to Stacey when I stepped through the doorway, noticing the only open seats were right next to her. I was going to be sitting next to Jared the whole class period.
I walked passed him and to the seat right next to my friend, watching her face change as she saw the black eye.
"What in the world happened, girl?" Her eyes were wide as she assessed the damage
"Long story. Just wait until lunch," I said trying to get away from the subject.
I could feel Jared take the seat next to me, and I knew his eyes were on me as class started. I wanted to look his way, but I knew that it wouldn't be a good idea. So far since he'd come to this school, I'd been able to pay attention in class less and less, and it was all because of him. I was finding my resolve weakening the longer I was near him, the desire to turn his way growing stronger by the minute. One way or another he'd been on my mind and I didn't know how to get rid of him.
A part of me didn't want to get rid of him though. He'd been easy to talk to, our time together had been casual. He could turn out to be a great friend.
When I see a friend it's just like 'oh, there's another person.'
The words I'd told Ian the day before rang in my head. I ran my fingers through my hair and started doodling in my notebook. I made random shapes and patterns, just trying anything to keep my thoughts away from Ian, my emotions—or lack there of—and Jared.
That melted away however when I felt something touching my arm. I looked down to see a piece of folded paper on my desk. I looked at the small square and unfolded it, looking at the small printed words.
Whatever I did, if I made you mad, I'm sorry.
I tapped my pencil on my chin, deciding whether or not to reply. I didn't want to feed into whatever this was, but I wasn't mad at Jared, and I didn't want him to think I was.
I'm not mad. I was just busy, and I'm not a very sociable person. I wrote passing the paper back.
It didn't seem like that the other night.
The other night; our not date. I'd told Jared more about myself and my family than I would tell anyone on the first day of meeting them. And that was why I was trying to stay away. There was so much I couldn't tell him, and I was afraid that if I kept talking to him, I was going to slip up.
That was a mistake. I wrote the words and bit my lip looking them over. I turned the pencil over and erased them. That wasn't what I wanted to say. I mean yes, it was a mistake. Wasn't it? But it hadn't felt like one.
I couldn't think of what to say back, so I just kept the paper. I could feel his eyes burning holes into me. His intense gaze watching my every move. I shifted slightly in my seat, getting a small glance of him, those eyes looking my way. He was waiting for something—anything—back, but I had nothing to offer him.
He finally turned to the front, not sparing me another look until class was over. I stood up to leave and I felt a pull on my sweatshirt-covered arm. I looked back at Jared.
"Do you think we could have lunch together?" He asked.
I bit my lip looking toward Stacey who was standing in the doorway waiting for me.
"I don't know."
"Come on. It's just lunch at school. How bad could it possibly be?"
Stacey gave me a little eyebrow wiggle as if she knew exactly what we were talking about, and blew me a kiss before leaving. She'd abandoned me. I turned back to face Jared.
"Yeah, okay. Fine."
"Great." Jared smiled and stepped around me, leaving for his next class. I shrugged my bag higher on my shoulder and sighed.
During my next class I couldn't stop kicking myself for agreeing to lunch. It may only seem like lunch to him, but to me it was a chance to stick my foot in my mouth.
I thought about what Ian had said in the car, about finding the other emotions in me. But I didn't think they were even in me anymore. Even if they were in me, they didn't offer anything but trouble. Getting attached to someone only meant you could get hurt. Either they could be used against you, or they could be the ones to stab you in the back. I was pretty sure my emotions had taken a hike a long time ago though. They were probably fed up trying to deal with someone like me. All that was left was this rage inside an empty soul.
But at least I still have a soul, I thought. It was more than I could say for those creatures.
I alternated between taking notes and doodling on the pages of my notebook. When class was nearly over, I looked at what I had, and I thought I understood it less than if I'd just not taken notes at all. I sighed and picked up my red pen writing one phrase in all caps under my latest doodle.
START PAYING ATTENTION.
If I didn't follow my advice, there was no way I was going to pass this class. The bell rang and I put my stuff back in my bag. Maybe if I just don't go into the lunchroom—if I went straight to my next class instead—I could just avoid Jared. It was always a possibility, and it seemed like a good enough plan. Just don't show up.
I was walking out of the room and realized that wasn't going to happen. Jared was waiting for me, leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the hallway.
I had to admit, he looked really attractive standing there all cool and collected. He pushed off the wall and crossed the few feet to me.
"I thought I'd make sure you didn't back out on our lunch date. Are you ready?" He asked with a smile.
"This is not a date," I couldn't let him think we were dating. That was the furthest thing from a possibility. There was no way it would happen.
"Oh I don't know, you could say that it is. I mean we made plans ahead of time to meet up together and go to the same place at the same time to do the same thing. Isn't that what dates are?"
"Depends on your definition of date," I grumbled.
"Two or more people making plans to do something. Why, what was your definition?"
My face went red and I grabbed a tray at the back of the line. We went through, getting our food and went to one of the smaller tables in the back corner. The roar of a thousand conversations going at once made thinking impossible.
I could feel Stacey's eyes on my back. I knew I was breaking the 'girl code' but to be completely fair, I hadn't approached him—he was the one coming after me. What was I supposed to do? Ignore him? I'd been trying that, but he just didn't give up. Stacey had been giving me mixed signals anyway. One minute she'd call dibs, the next she's leaving me alone with him while he asks to eat lunch together.
"So Electra, I know that you like Chinese food, that you like to hunt, and that you live with your dad and have two siblings. What else is there to know about you?"
"Well, I'm a Libra," I said sarcastically.
"That's fascinating."
I had to look up from my tray to tell if he was serious or not, and even from his face I still couldn't quite tell.
I picked up a baby carrot and took a bite.
"What's your favorite memory of your family?" He asked.
My favorite memory of my family? That seemed like a personal question. Though, I had already started opening up about my family by telling him about my mother's death. But still.
A part of me didn't want to answer, but no one had ever asked something like that before. No one had ever shown much interest in me or my past. It was quite disarming.
I thought about what my fondest memory was, even if I chose to keep it to myself. A slow smile started to spread across my face, and I found myself sharing it without even thinking.
"There was this time ... I was probably seven years old. I don't remember what I'd done, but I had made my sister angry. So, so angry. She had gone up to my mom asking if she could take me back to where I'd come from." I chuckled at the memory of Sarah.
"My mom had knelt down between us, looking at us both with a smile on her face. She wasn't angry about what my sister had said. She wasn't angry about whatever it was I'd done. She just looked at us and said, 'this is what sisters are for. You're going to test each other, you're going to get mad at each other, and sometimes you're going to think you hate each other. But at the end of the day, you'll always be there for one another. You'll be there to pick the other one up and dust her off. You'll help her get through any problem she may have.'
"I hadn't really gotten it in that moment, I mean I was only seven. Sarah didn't get it either, but as we grew up, it was true. That's what we were. We fought, we screamed, we threw tantrums, but we were always there for each other."
My eyes connected with Jared's and I could see a smile dancing behind them.
"What was your mom like? I mean from that story she sounded really nice."
"She was. I don't remember a time she ever yelled at us for anything, and believe me, we tested her a lot. We weren't exactly the easiest children—two girls and a boy—we were probably a nightmare. But she never failed to handle everything calmly. She told us every morning and ever night how much she loved us. She read to us when we were younger, and sang us to sleep."
I looked down at my tray, picking up the sandwich and taking a bite. We sat in silence for a moment until Jared asked another question.
"When did you start hunting? What started it really?"
I tensed slightly, the happy mood officially gone. We were treading near dangerous waters now and I'd started letting my guard down. I'd fallen into his sentimental questions and now I was trying to grasp for a way out.
Just be vague, Electra.
"My, uh, father. He hunted for a long time, long before he even met my mother. After she passed he started taking the three of us out with him on his hunts. Showing us the ropes I you could say. It was something to do, and we all got into it." I shrugged trying to keep it brief.
"But where do you hunt? There aren't a lot of woods around here."
"Oh, we go lots of places. I mean there are neighboring towns with plenty of woods. We just go wherever. As long as it's within a two hour drive, we'll go."
"How do you hunt? I mean, some people prefer bows and arrows, what's your weapon of choice?" He asked sounding genuinely curious.
I could feel sweat started to collect in my palms and I wiped them on my jeans. Why was he asking so many questions about hunting?
He thinks it's only hunting, Electra. Just cool it. He has no reason to assume that you hunt paranormal creatures.
"I like to use guns," I said quickly, barely swallowing the bite of food I had in my mouth. "They're probably my go to weapon." I was lying of course, but I couldn't really say my weapon of choice was a dagger. Hunting animals with a dagger, what was I going to catch? A snail?
I took another bite of my sandwich when a girl came up, snaking her arm around Jared and taking the seat next to him. She looked about his age with similar facial structure, except she obviously looked more feminine.
"Hey bro, what's up?" She popped the 'p' at the end.
"Nothing, Alex. I'm sort of talking with someone," he said slightly annoyed.
"I could see that. That's why I came over here. You two all alone in the corner, I wanted to make sure no one was taking advantage of anyone. Anything could happen all the way back here." She paused eyeing me. "You are one gorgeous piece of work." She gave me the eye elevator and my eyes went wide. Just like that, I felt overexposed.
"God, bro, I sure hope you're tapping that. You need to tap something other than your hand. And well, if you don't get with that I just might." She winked at me with a toothy grin.
Okay, I had just been hit on ... by a girl. That was a new one for me.
My jaw was hanging open as she sauntered away. My eyes reluctantly followed after her, her hips swaying as she moved through the crowded room.
"I am so sorry about that." Jared's head was in his hands.
"Was that-"
"That ... was my sister," he said sounding defeated.
"Your sister ... just hit on me."
"Please don't take it personally, she sort of hits on everyone. She's been doing this for a while. Our parents think it's a phase."
I wasn't sure what to say. His sister had definitely been a character, that's for sure. Probably the most open person I'd met. Unless she was actually the most guarded, hiding behind a mask of openness. She wouldn't be the first person.
Jared looked up at the clock. "Can we meet up after next class?"
"Uh-"
"Please? I really like talking to you."
I liked talking to him too, and that was the problem. I liked talking a little too much.
"I'm not going to force you to, I don't want to force you to do anything. If not talking to you again today means that you stop trying to pull away, then I'll just see you tomorrow."
That tone in his voice—what was it? All I know was that he sounded genuine. Dang it. I really shouldn't be doing this, and I knew I was going to get an ear full later, but something in me wouldn't let me say no.
"Okay," I conceded. "I'll meet you in the lobby."
Jared smiled. "All right, whatever you say. You're in charge."
A smile pulled at the corner of my mouth and we went to dump our trays. "Okay then. I'll see you in a bit."
We split off from each other, each going to our own classes.
I couldn't believe I was actually doing this. I told my dad I'd be more careful, and yet there I was, talking to him about hunting and meeting up with him after school. I could see this going only one way, but at the moment I didn't really care.
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So they're about to go into a house of werewolves... Hmmm.
Remember to leave your COMMENTS and VOTES thanks much!
~Red