Jeff
"There you are! You don't look very bloody, what happened?" I said disdainfully as I wrapped an arm around Thomas's shoulders.
"Oh you should've seen it, he ripped open a guy's ribcage and quite literally ate his heart out," Chelsea snickered as she unlocked the car, Snow jumping in instantly to clean herself off.
"You dog," I cackled and he pushed me off, climbing into the passenger seat before I hopped in back with Snow.
"Am I good? No sticky red stuff?" Snow asked and gave her a good once over before nodding.
"Unfortunately," I said with a sultry grin and she socked me in the arm.
"Alright if we're all clean and presentable let's head into town," Chelsea chirped as she started the car, pulling out onto the road while Thomas hung his head out the window like a dog with a smoke in his hands.
Everything was quiet as we parked on the side of the street, a convenience store with buzzing lights to our left and some closed down shops on our right. Thomas and Snow both hopped out before Chelsea even got the chance to ask them what they wanted and Thomas dropped his cigarette on the ground, tossing back a grin.
"I've got to take a leak, we'll be right back!"
"What, do you need a fuckin' buddy?" I snorted.
"I have to pee too, asshole!"
Snow flipped me off and I blew her a kiss before the two of them disappeared into the bushes, turning back toward the store as I perused the shelves as best I could from out here. Just as Chelsea closed the door I spotted a familiar label and slapped the glass, rolling down the window just enough for her to hear me.
"Grab that bottle! The one with the dragon!"
"Fuck's sake, you really are an alcoholic," she rolled her eyes while I offered a sheepish grin, watching her walk in and grab the bottle off the shelf before she grabbed anything else.
Snow and Thomas eventually returned and Chelsea came back out with two bags in hand, tossing a Red Bull to Thomas while she handed the bottle back to me. I revealed it to the beautiful girl beside me and she did a double take before she took the bottle in her hands.
"No way," she laughed, her eyes bright as she grinned, "you actually remembered this? From over a fucking year ago?"
"Oh, so it was to schmooze her," Chelsea snorted, the sound of Thomas cracking the can echoing in the car.
"Oh my God I haven't had one of these cold in months," he groaned after tipping the energy drink back, "thank you so much."
"I figured you'd like one— so we'll head back to the park and actually camp out for the night."
"Is that even allowed right now?"
"Does it look like I give a shit if it isn't?"
"Touché," I laughed as she pulled a U-turn, heading back out to the park.
In her defense there were a few other cars parked around the area and I could see a fire in the distance through the trees, everyone grabbing their things before we started into the forest. I'd never actually camped out in the old fashioned sense before but once we found a good spot Thomas and Chelsea started to set up the tent while Snow grabbed the things to start a fire. Eventually everything was set and Chelsea put a pot of water on the logs, Snow kicking back with her bottle of wine and Thomas tossing me a bag of chips. While I couldn't feel the fire much the smell was nice and I could tell Snow was enjoying it.
"I am chugging this whole thing before I eat a single piece of food," Snow hummed happily as she offered me a sip, "getting drunk by the fireside for my birthday, now this feels like old times."
"Hold up, remember when Jules was so drunk she caught her cardigan on fire and jumped into the river?" Thomas laughed and a strange pang struck my chest.
"I swear to God we had to save her from so many stupid decisions," Chelsea groaned, nothing but a nostalgic smile filling her face, "like when she tried to get Mason's name tattooed on her arm and then found out he was cheating the day after we talked her out of it."
"I think I might've killed him," Snow snorted as she took the bottle back, "hey Chels, want me to snip your ex when we go back to Silver Cove?"
"Just cut his dick off and let him bleed out, he'll know it was from me."
Everyone laughed at that one and the unease settled but something in me still just didn't feel right. I tried to chase it down with a beer that Chelsea tossed but no matter how much I tried to distract myself it kept coming back. They talk about her like I wasn't the one who left her bleeding out in a dumpster. My mind wandered as I mulled over the only kill that I cared enough to remember in full detail, fighting against the bile in the back of my throat while I got lost in the act. Anything in our wildest dreams, huh?
I wondered if Operator could truly work magic like Delilah but I suppose if you're still alive now you must've gotten to this point somehow. Bringing back the dead though? It almost seemed like the plot of a horror movie. Except...unless there was some sickening twist, bringing back a loved one who didn't die rightfully would be pretty goddamned nice. I already had everything in the world I could want right here though, the sound of Snow's singing bringing me out of my deeper thoughts and back to the party. We were all here together, finally friends like she probably hoped we'd become. It felt good, no matter how hard it had been to get here in the first place.
"I cannot wait to see Nina," Chelsea laughed from across the fire, her body tucked into Thomas's side while Snow polished off her bottle, "I want to piss her mom off so bad and dye her hair for her."
"She wants purple bangs," Snow said with a hum, the flickering firelight vibrant in the gloss covering her gaze.
"Purple would be a good color for her," she agreed. "It's nice being back out in the wild again. I didn't have anyone left to goof off with in Silver Cove after all of you bailed."
"To Nina," Thomas suddenly held his bottle out, "and finally getting a goddamn road trip in where we didn't have to hunt someone down."
"Fuck it," I leaned forward, tapping my glass against his, "cheers bitches."
Nina
Visiting hours were technically over at the hospital but they usually let me stay, my backpack stuffed with a change of clothes and anything else I might need to keep myself busy. It wasn't often I took my eyes off of Chris though, his body hooked up to all kinds of machines while his eyes were bruised and his arm had been wrapped in a cast. Broken ribs, stab wounds, he was lucky to be alive. I held his hand while I rested my chin on the edge of the bed, thinking about how he reminded me of Sleeping Beauty but with the roles reversed. He'd been awake but...barely.
I must've fallen asleep there because when I woke up again it was daylight, my mother shaking me to get my attention so she could swap places with me. She gave me a tight hug before I left the building, walking the short mile it took to get to the school with my head hung, watching my own feet the whole way. It was Thursday now and I could barely think about the fact my cousin was supposed to be here tomorrow as I trudged through the doors. Claudia waited by my locker with a nasty look on her face as per usual but I couldn't even bear to be mad at her. Everything felt so...numb.
"I heard you decided not to tell your parents it was us," she snickered as I opened the door, shoving my clothes into the locker so I had room for my books, "too afraid of what I'd do to you if you did?"
I ignored her as I went through the motions, Jeff's voice ringing in my ears as I went through my checklist. Always keep my knife on me. I saw the pink blade jostle around for a second before I hid it with my journal.
"—are you even listening to me?"
Never be afraid to fight dirty. I squeezed my hands and felt the scars in my knuckles from the first fight I'd ever gotten into.
"Hey cunt, I said look at me!"
Don't let any nasty bitch walk over me like a doormat.
"Meet me at the Walker's old house," I started as I slammed my locker closed, taking her by surprise, "ten o'clock tonight."
She recoiled, her gaze narrowing while she crossed her arms. "Why the fuck would I do that?"
"You want to make my life miserable, right?" I leveled an even stare with her as she held still. "I want a fight. A real, one-on-one, no holds barred fight. If you win, you can do whatever you want to me. I win, you leave Chris and I alone."
"You know what? I'm game," Claudia said as the bell rang, "don't be late."
My hands trembled as I walked away, returning to my usual routine of going through the motions of the day. I did my work, put my earbuds in, and kept my head down. I was ready to leave five minutes before the final bell for the day rang and I kept my eyes ahead of me as I marched off back to the hospital. Mom asked me the usual questions, 'how was your day' and 'did you get any new projects', but my mind remained elsewhere as my fingers twitched here and there. I was reminiscing on the feeling of digging Thomas' scalpel into human skin and I shivered while I tried to hide my erratic movements as best I could. I wanted to feel it again. I wanted to feel something again.
"I'm heading home honey," Mom interrupted my thoughts and I realized the hours had slowly ticked away while I swam in my own head. "You should come home soon, Nina. He's being well taken care of here."
"I'll be home this weekend," I told her, my blood beginning to boil as she left the room.
I changed in the bathroom, pulling a pair of shorts on and tugging one of my old shirts over my head. I tied my shoes back on when I was done, readjusting my bow before I slipped my small knife into my pocket. Blood flashed across my vision and I twitched hard, my neck cracking as I tried to get ahold of myself. Now that reality was setting in all these different things went through my head, thoughts desperately screaming over each other to be heard, but they all wanted the same thing. They all wanted her head.
"Nina...?"
Chris's voice snapped me out of my trance and I walked to his bed, finding him blinking up at me while tears welled in my eyes. I hated seeing him like this but I was about to fix this problem once and for all. I ran my hand over his head as he gently furrowed his eyebrows.
"Go to sleep, my prince," I whispered, tears washing down my face while I kissed his forehead, "everything will be over soon. They'll never hurt us again."