CHAPTER TWO
A deep silence filled the room. Infiniti and Veronica stared at me, wanting to know my question no doubt, but according to the rules I had to keep that to myself. My thoughts flooded with my vision, and the throbbing at the back of my neck that lingered still. I remembered I had a birthmark there, a red one. My hand went to the spot. I wondered if I should mention what I had seen, but I didn’t. Besides, they probably wouldn’t believe me, especially since I hardly believed it myself.
Veronica got up, pulled the scarf off the lamp, and stood in front of the mirror. She opened a drawer, took out a bag of makeup, and began putting on even more black eyeliner. With light skin and blonde hair, the eyeliner really stood out, but not in a good way.
Infiniti walked to the door, and I followed. This was my chance to get the hell out of there. As I walked past Veronica, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Damn. My face looked deathly white, like I had seen a ghost. Even my long brown hair looked dull and greasy.
"You want some makeup, too?" Infiniti asked.
I couldn’t help but think she was telling me I needed some, especially since I knew I did. "That’s all right, I’m fine. I need to go, anyway."
"Okay. I’ll go downstairs with you," she said. She stopped at the door and eyed Veronica. "Well, you coming? You know, to the real fun?"
"In a minute. You guys go on." She had finished with the eyeliner, but had moved on to blood-red lipstick. "Gotta make sure I look perfect."
Infiniti studied Veronica for a moment. "Ya know, you really should forget about Trent and move on. The spirits never lie."
Veronica blotted her lips on a tissue. "I didn’t ask for your opinion."
"Whatever," Infiniti added with a shrug.
When we got downstairs, the number of people had more than doubled. I could easily slip away without anyone noticing me. "Hey, thanks for having me over and helping me meet people."
"Sure, anytime. And I was serious about knowing what it's like to be new. I moved here from Pennsylvania two years ago, so I know the drill. We can even hang tomorrow if you want."
"Sure," I said, hoping it wouldn't include Veronica. "Just text me."
When we parted ways, someone grabbed my arm. I turned to see one of the hottest guys I’d ever seen. He had tan skin with the bluest of eyes, a light blue that you see at the edge of the bay back home. His hair was a sun-kissed brown, and he had bangs that were a little on the long side, hanging just slightly over his eyes. He was taller than me, but not by much, and from the way his shirt hugged his body, muscular.
"Hey, you can’t leave yet," he said with a casual smile. "I just got here, and we haven’t met."
"Oh, well, uh." I averted my eyes, completely embarrassed because I looked like total crap.
Infiniti had left me, but now returned with a curious look on her face. "Do you guys know each other?"
He stuck out his hand for a shake. "Not yet," he said. I hesitated a moment, not sure if I should take it. He leaned in. "Come on, I won’t bite."
I immediately relaxed and placed my hand in his. His skin felt nice and warm, and my cheeks filled with heat. "I’m Dominique Wells, and I was just leaving."
"I’m Trent Avila, and I was just entering."
Holy crap! It was Veronica’s ex. He stepped a little closer to me. A hint of clean fresh soap drifted my way. "You sure you can’t stay?" he asked me.
"No!" Veronica called from the stairs, her eyes shooting daggers at me. "I mean, no, she can’t, she’s…tired. Isn't that right, Dominique?"
I glanced at Infiniti, hoping she'd rescue me from Veronica’s nasty glares, but she didn’t seem to notice them.
"Yeah, she’s right," I said. "I gotta go. I’ll see you guys later."
Before anyone could stop me, I got the hell out of there.
The moist and sticky Texas air clung to my body. I walked as fast as I could down the sidewalk, my heart beating so loud I could hear it pulsing in my ears. What had I just seen at Infiniti’s? I knew I had to get myself under control before I got home. If I didn’t, Mom would ask a ton of questions—and the last thing I needed was for her to find out about the beer, the weed, and the card game. She’d freak.
I grabbed my hair and began twisting it in a knot, the red vision clear in my mind. I’m okay, I said over and over. It was nothing. After taking several long and deep breaths, my nerves settled and my heart slowed to a normal pace. I took my phone out of my pocket and texted a few friends back home, but no one responded. Everyone had moved on without me.
I had never felt so alone in my life.
When I got home, Mom and Dad were in the dining room. They hovered over maps and ancient documents that covered the table, no doubt researching their latest geological project and the reason we had moved to Houston.
Without stopping, I hollered that I was going to bed and made my way for the stairs, but Mom had other ideas. "Dominique, come back for a minute. We want to hear about the party."
I paused for a second, my eyes darting to the safety of the second floor before giving a silent exhale and joining them. Why couldn’t they just leave me alone?
I stood at the doorway. "It was good."
"Just good?" Mom asked.
"Yeah, you know, just—" My mind flashed to my red vision. "A regular party."
Dad lowered the papers in his hands and stared at me. "Are you sure?"
A nervous twinge struck the pit of my stomach. Could he smell the weed? I backed up a little, pretending to scratch my back. "Yeah, just the normal stuff. What about you guys? How’s your research going?"
Dad looked at Mom, then back at me. "It’s coming along." His green eyes said otherwise. For as long as I could remember, they were always filled with worry. I knew the move here was as hard on him as it was for me. And even though I wanted to make him feel better, wanted to somehow reach out to him, I didn’t. I still couldn’t forgive him for ruining my life. Not yet anyway.
I gave a quick, fake yawn. "I’m gonna crash."
"Okay, good night," Mom said.
My mind kept flashing back to my red vision as I went upstairs, got ready for bed, slipped on the earbuds for my iPod, and huddled under my covers. Just chill, I kept telling myself. It was nothing, I repeated in my head. I saw nothing. After a while, my mind eased up. My body relaxed. I took out my ear buds and placed them on my nightstand. My heavy eyes had just closed when a flashing bright light filled the insides of my eyelids. I raised my hand to cover my face, irritated that someone had turned on my light.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself in the red desert again. This time heat painfully filled my lungs and burned my eyes. My gaze drifted upward. Flashes of light illuminated the red sky—heat lightning. Panic took my breath away, followed by the feeling that I had been here before, that I knew this place, that I dreaded this place.
My hands instinctively went to my birthmark, knowing the pain would come again, and it did. But this time it wasn’t a subtle creeping sensation, but more of a shooting, searing pain. I spun around, searching for the source, but again I was alone. Without even thinking about it, my mind called out for help, my voice so loud in my head that for a moment I thought I heard it echo all around me.
"Dominique!" a voice called out.
The red desert vanished. Dad leaned over me, his strong hands grasping my shoulders. It took me a while to recognize the safety of my room.
"Dominique," he said again. "Are you okay?"
"Dad?" I brought my comforter up to my chin. "What just happened?"
He sat on the bed. Mom stood behind him. "You were dreaming, I think," he said. "But your eyes were open."
"Open?"
Mom touched my forehead. "Yes, wide open, like you were awake."
The dull, aching throb remained at the back of my neck, the only evidence that my vision was real. I wanted to touch it, but not in front of them. For some reason I didn’t want them to know what I had seen.
"Dominique," Mom continued.
"What is it?"
Flashes of red filled my eyes, and my heart started racing again. "Nothing," I said. "I guess I’m just, I don’t know, exhausted."
I bit the inside of my cheek. Just go, I thought over and over in my head. Please. My throat tightened as I forced my tears to stay buried deep down inside me. Finally they left, and I was alone…all alone, the dread and despair from the red desert my only companion. Then I thought of the card I had drawn at Infiniti’s. There are heavenly forces working behind the scenes to help you, even if you don’t see results yet. I had never believed in God, or heaven, but I hoped somebody out there was helping me, because I really needed it.