You would think that a seventeen year old girl would be terrified of facing her parents after disappearing for two days but no I don't feel fear I feel numb. My heart isn't beating rapidly in my chest my fingers aren't shaking as I type in the code to the penthouse. I'm exhausted and too wrapped up in my own world filled with dark secrets to care about my father's wrath. The elevator stops and I step out without a care in the world.
I must have made some kind of noise because my father , Alice , Ronnie and two men I don't recognize are already approaching me.
"Oh God , Heaven where were you?" Alice is the first one to talk me. She attempts to hug me but I stop her.
"I'm wet." I tell her so she doesn't feel like I'm deliberately avoiding her touch.
She flushes with embarrassment. "Honey where were you? We were all so worried."
"Is this the girl?" One of the two men asks before I can reply my stepmother.
My father nods. "Yes , that's my daughter." I can tell from the way he avoids saying my name and how he's not looking at me that he's very upset with me.
"Well I guess she's not missing after all." The other one with a hint of irritation. He pushes back his leather jacket and whether the act is deliberate or not it gets me a glimpse of his badge , a police badge. Oh God my dad called the police.
"Apparently not." My dad says as if apologizing to them. "Sorry for the inconvenience."
The detectivea just brush it off. "Next time you decide to take a little trip please inform your family." He says to me but I don't reply. My dad waits until they enter the elevator before he unleashes his anger on me. Here we go.
"Where the hell were you?" He shouts.
"Out." I say simply.
"It's been two days Heaven! You didn't call...."
"I left my phone here." My nonchalant tone serves to only further anger my dad.
"I can't believe how childish you are. We didn't know where you were and we had to call the police because we thought something might have happened to but no you were just out!" He continues to scold me and I just stare at him , waiting for it to be over.
"Aren't you going to say something?"
"I'm sorry I was out , can I go to my room now?"
"Why you spoiled little brat...."
Alice chooses this exact moment to intervene because my dad is clearly out of his mind with anger. "Maybe you should let her go upstairs so she can change , her clothes are wet and we don't want her catching a cold." She says , trying to reason with her husband.
And it works. "Fine but you are grounded." He adds gruffly. "No phone and no going out."
"Ok." I say and move further into the apartment so I can go to my room. Maybe if I wasn't so messed up I would care that I was grounded but what difference does it make. I didn't go out for nine years of my life , why would I care if I suddenly had to go back to that lifestyle.
I feel better after my quick shower. I wear my oversized pajamas and sit cross-legged on my bed. With the dreams I have been having lately I don't think sleep is the best thing for me. Also I need to think about what Amelia and her sisters told me. As much as I try I can't wrap my head around it. I just don't see myself being what they say I am. But I have to admit it does explain a lot. It explains the dreams , how they seem to know everything about me and James. As much as I hate to face it that fight wasn't a dream and I might deny it but I felt a connection between myself and the Rosemont sisters. But what about James? He seems to be like them as well but they hate him. I recall Cassandra referring to him as a demon? And that girl , what about her? She must be nonhuman too and she did call me sister. But then why did she try to kill me and why did she call me Aurora? Come to think of it who's Aurora and why do these people call me that?
"Heaven?" Ronnie interrupts my thoughts. Her head is peeking through the door but the rest of her body is not inside my room.
"Hey , I didn't see you there."
"I figured." She says and comes in completely. "I knocked but you didn't answer." She continues.
"I didn't hear you."
"Um they wanted me to check if you needed food."
I shake my head. "I'm not hungry." I tell her.
"I figured that as well." She says awkwardly then attempts to live but I stop her. I don't know who's more shocked by my action , me or her.
"Are you sure?" She asks , stunned by the fact that I asked he to stay. Why did I do that?
"Yes. Come sit with me." I don't want to be alone and Ronnie is not a bad person so I guess I could use her company.
"Do you wanna talk about where you were?" She asks abruptly.
"No." I snap.
"Oh , sorry." She apologizes immediately and I find myself regretting the way I spoke to her.
"No I'm the one who's sorry."
She reaches into the pocket of her jeans and takes out her phone which she hands over to me.
"Why are you giving me this?" I ask as I take the phone.
"I know dad took your phone and I don't really use mine so you can use it until you get yours back." I stare at her wondering how she can possibly give me her cell phone but as I look into her eyes I can see she's dead serious. I tear my gaze away from her , I don't wanna read her mind , I don't wanna become one of them.
"Wow thank you."
"Oh don't worry about it. I don't even know how to use it most times." I'm not surprised because it's one of those iPhones. "But I'm sure you will figure I out and you will also need to talk to your boyfriend." She adds and I blush. It's such a thoughtful act from someone I'm only nice to a handful of times.
"You sure you won't need your phone?" I feel the need to ask even though I'm overjoyed by the fact that she just lent me her phone.
"Yes. I prefer reading and if I need to use the internet I can just use one of the computers at the library."
"Library?"
"I work at the local library." She goes on to tell me about her job which apparently she started last year. Wow I'm a terrible sister , I never knew she had a job or that she loved reading so much. But then again I never took the time to know Ronnie I was always indifferent to her when she's always been kind and sweet. I suddenly feel ashamed , she doesn't deserve my poor attitude and maybe I should change.
Ronnie has fallen asleep on my shoulder but I don't mind. I'm not sleepy yet so I'm still playing with Ronnie's phone. It's not very different from mine so I don't find it hard to use it. I notice the Google application and decide to look up something that's been bugging me. My heart is furiously beating as I type the word nonhuman.
Many articles pop up so I just click on the first one. There are so many definitions. Sirens , witches , vampires , demons and even angels all fall under nonhumans. Apparently it's people with nonhuman qualities like unusual gifts and powers. The following article says nonhumans are just a myth and that no such thing exist. One says they were real during the eighteenth century but were destroyed and are now extinct. I keep on reading and even click on the images. The images are a bit scary and definitely not human. I only stop looking when I receive the notification that the phone is about to shut off due to the battery being low. I swift it off and lie next to Ronnie. I know it will probably be hours before I sleep but I just close my eyes non the less.
"Heaven , it's time to wake up." Ronnie softly shakes my body. "It's time for school."
She probably has no idea that I have been awake for a while now but I decide humor her. "I'm up , I'm up." I groan as I get out of bed.
"Ok you get ready and I will go to my room then I will meet you downstairs." Is she always like this in the morning? She's probably freaking out because she didn't wake up in her own bed.
I nod. "Ok." I say and she practically runs out of my room.
I don't take much time in getting ready considering that I had a late shower last night. And I also don't want to freak out Ronnie by taking too long.
My dad is still upset with me. He barely acknowledge me when I sat for breakfast. Alice seems to notice because she offers me a sympathetic smile as she sits next to her husband. I have lost my appetite completely but I don't wanna offend my stepmom so I eat a little of what's in my place.
Fortunately my dad being mad at me doesn't mean he still won't drop me off but it does mean he won't kiss me goodbye. I get it really and I will give him time to come around. I see Ella but my mood drops when I don't see her brother.
"Hey you." She pulls me into a tight hug. "I feel like I haven't seen you in forever. So what happened on Friday?"
My eyes widen when she mentions Friday. How could she possibly know about that? "Friday?" I ask trying to figure out how exactly I will explain what I don't even understand myself.
"Um you skipped school."
Oh. I had forgotten about that , so many things happened and it totally slipped my mind that I didn't go to school. "Oh I was just a little sick but I'm good now."
"Great then, come to think of it Sky did mention something about you being sick but I must have been high of my mind." She says it like it's the most natural thing.
Speaking of which. "Where is your brother?"
"He went inside already. I was waiting for Kev but then I saw you bestie."
I smile at the term"bestie". I have never had a best friend before so this was quite an achievement. The rest of the walk to class is full of conversations about Kevin and how she believes she's making progress. I ask her about her weekend and she tells me about her attempt to quite smoking which resulted in her going through her dad's drawers after she had flashed all her cigarettes.
Our first class is English and I'm not particularly enthusiastic about it because I haven't started reading the Shakespeare classic , Romeo and Juliet or is it Julius Caeser? I can't say for sure but I know it's Shakespeare. Ella and I separate in class when she goes to sit with Kevin. I look around for Sky and my heart almost stops when I see him. He's sitting in the second role but he isn't alone. Phoebe can't stop looking at him , she's listening attentively at every word he's saying. Anyone can see she's inlove with him myself included. I just won't tolerate anyone making moves on my man.
I clear my throat and both of them look at me. "You are in my seat." I don't waste any time in small talk because I want her gone.
"Actually I always sit here." She dares to say.
"Well that was before I was his girlfriend. Now I sit here." I tell her sharply.
"Phoebe there's no need to..."
"Actually there is." I cut off Sky , I won't let him defend her. "Hurry up and go Phoebe , I'm sure you need reread Romeo and Juliet."
"Actually it's Julia's Caeser." She corrects me probably feeling bold but I narrow my eyes at her and all that courage disappears. She quickly grabs her books and sits elsewhere.
"What was that?"
"Not that I have to explain myself but we were studying." He says but he's not looking at me.
"Well that ends today. I don't like the way she looks at you so from now on you study with me." I say trying to control my jealousy.
"You?" His voice is incredulous. "You don't even know which book we are doing in literature so why on Earth would I study with you?"
"Maybe because I'm your girlfriend." My voice is a little high which attracts fellow students but I could care less.
Sky finally looks at me and I see flashes of anger and irritation on his face. "Unfortunately." He says and all my anger evaporates and is replaced with sadness. "You are crazy and you have this crazy obsession with me. Last night you were in my bedroom and when I asked you for an explanation you disappeared." Now people are definitely looking. "Do you take drugs or you are on some kind of medication which justify why you act like a part-time lunatic?"
I don't know what to say. I know he's saying the words out of annoyance but with everything going on his words hit home. The words hurt because they are coming from the one person who I realize I wanna be good for. Also they are kinda true , I might not take drugs but I'm on medication.
Before anymore words can be fired at me I vacate my sit. I'm making my way out of class when I bumb into the English teacher , Miss Peterson , and I give her an excuse as to why I can't attend class. Fortunately she buys it.
I'm so glad Ella showed me her hiding spot well technically I followed her and that's when I realized that she sometimes escapes everyone in this old biology lab. I'm even more grateful for cigarettes she gave me. I have never smoked before but Ella said it helps with stress. And she was right about me needing them if I was serious about dating Sky. Since I love him so much I might just need marijuana cause he really doesn't make it easy for me.
Being called crazy doesn't bother me much , really I don't mind. I will take crazy over nonhuman any day. Maybe that's why I was rude to Phoebe because of all this stress. But I know I don't like especially when she's near Sky. She looks at him like I do , like he walks on water and I don't like that. I don't want her near him and I will do anything to keep him so I don't regret my attitude towards her. I will probably apologize but only for Sky's benefit. I don't want him upset with me and I sure as hell don't want her to look a victim while I come off as crazy obsessive girlfriend.
"Why am I not surprised."
For a moment I panick fearing that one of the teachers caught me smoking during learning periods. I'm relieved when it's only Sky but then realize that he's just seen me smoking. I don't know who's judgement I fear most , Sky's or the teachers. He sits next to me on the concrete floor.
"I didn't know you smoked." He says as he takes the cigarette from me.
"I...." I'm rendererd speechless when I see him taking a puff from the cigarette. "You smoke?"
He shrugs. "Here and there usually when I'm upset."
"Oh."
"I didn't like what you did to Phoebe." I'm tempted to roll my eyes at the mention of her name. "But I had no right to talk to you that way. I'm sorry , do you forgive me?"
"What?" He's apologizing to me. "Of course I forgive you. I thought you were upset with me." I can't conceal the relief in my voice.
"Oh I am upset but I still needed to apologise." He pulls me closer to him and kisses me and I kiss him back. My kiss is expressing just how desperate I am for him. He's taken aback when I push him so he's lying on the floor and I'm on top of him. Thankfully he doesn't break the contract of our lips.
"Heaven." He moans into my mouth.
"Sky." I mimick and pull back for air. I'm still on top of him and I couldn't be more comfortable. I rest my head on his chest and I can feel his heartbeat , the heart that will one day belong to me.
"We have to go to class." He eventually says but he doesn't make any effort to get up.
"No. Please just for today." I sound like a whiny kid.
"I have never skipped a class." He says and I laugh , why am I not surprised.
"There is a first time for everything." I tell him. It's not even lunchtime but it's already weird. Speaking of weird where are those Rosemont weirdos? I didn't see them in lit. Maybe they had a different class. Good cause I don't wanna see them , not yet at least.
"Hey." Sky's voice pulls me out of my wayward thoughts. "What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing." He gives me a look that tell me that he doesn't believe me but I give him my best smile and he sighs in surrender.
"Sky can I ask you something?"
"Yes sure."
Here goes. "If I was different like very different from everyone else would you still want me?" I need to know if he would ever be open to the idea of dating a nonhuman.
"What do you mean 'was'? You already are different from everyone else. I have never met anyone like you." He says but he's not exactly answering my question maybe it's because I didn't ask the right way. "You don't know how many nights I have asked myself 'was she born this annoying or does she work at it?"
I start to laugh. I don't know but his answer just warms me and I instantly feel better. Maybe he will always want me no matter what.
"So you think about me at night?" I tease him and he covers his face with his hand.
"Of all the things I said..."
I kiss him swiftly to shut him up. "I think about you at all the time even at night." I tell him whilest looking in his perfect blue eyes.
"And sometimes watch me. If you weren't my girlfriend you would be my stalker."
He has no idea how true his statement is.