"Here I have arranged for this nice and wonderful family to come to our house and have dinner with us, so you and Duncan could meet, and then you say no? Just like that? Without giving the boy a decent chance?"
"I…I…"
"Is it because of…that boy again?" she asked, clearly fighting to keep her cool. If this had been a cartoon, there would have been steam coming out of her ears by now.
"Don't tell me," she continued, "please, don't tell me you're still hung up on…that boy…that…you know who.”
Now we don't even mention his name anymore? What is he Voldemort? He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?
"We need to have a talk," my mom said and grabbed my arm.
She pulled me into the living room and sat me down on the couch. She stood in front of me, towering above me, making me feel even smaller than usual, which I assumed was her intention.
"I know you're still in love with him," she said, looking down at me, her eyes ablaze. "But it's got to stop. You've got to forget about him."
I didn't dare to say anything. My mother stared at me for a very long time, then sighed and sat down next to me.
"Let me let you in on a little secret, my dear."
She paused and looked in the direction of the kitchen, where my dad and Adrian had turned on the TV and were watching some game.
"The truth is, men really aren't that important. Loving them is highly overrated. I mean they're sweet and all, and nice to have around, but they're idiots, to tell you the truth. Once the kids come along, they're mostly in your way. Always doing the wrong thing. Sometimes, I think life would be a lot easier if I didn't have your father running around. He came in handy when I needed him, and I appreciate everything he does around the house, but love? I don't know. Did I love him when we married? Love is such a big word. Do you really need to love him to marry him? Definitely not. I mean, the guy has a brain like a peanut, for crying out loud. He's dumber than that door over there. He's in the way most of the time, but I like having him around. He supports me. He's there if I need anything. That's all you need, honey. Love really has very little to do with it."
I stared at my mother, and while I could tell she was thinking she had somehow told me the secrets to life, that what she had told me would change my perspective of things and make me understand grownup life better, all I could think about was that it was the saddest thing I had ever heard.
She got up and corrected her skirt. "Now, I have a kitchen to clean, but I leave you feeling assured that if Duncan ever asks you out again, you will say yes."
She made it sound like a threat.
Chapter Fifteen
Adrian picked up Jazmine on their way to school. He parked the car in her driveway and walked to her front door and rang the bell. She came out. He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek as she approached him. He was wearing his hoodie on his head and sunglasses to cover his eyes. The kiss made her smile.
As they left the cul-de-sac and reached the end of the street, Adrian turned the car left.
"What are you doing?" Jazmine asked. "School is the other way?"
Adrian grinned and gave her a look. "We're not going to school today."
"What?" Jazmine felt the blood rush through her veins.
He shrugged, still laughing. "I thought you and I could take the day off together."
Jazmine felt excited, thrilled even. She hadn't skipped school even once since they moved to Shadow Hills. She used to skip school in their old place now and then and go to the mall or the beach. But the kids around here seemed to be way too disciplined—or boring—to even think the thought. Jazmine had been so tired of school and doing nothing but work that she almost felt burnt out.
"You have no idea how much I needed this," she said and sank into her seat.
"I had a feeling," he said and pointed at his nose. "I have a knack for these things. And I could see in your eyes you needed to get away. When they're almost grey, that means you're bored and tired. Besides, I needed the day off too. You won't believe the night I had to sit through last night. My parents are trying to get my sister married to this guy who comes from a family they want to be a part of."
"So that's what I saw," she said. "Last night. They came in the limo?"
Adrian rolled his eyes. "You have no idea how boring those people are. Not like you. You're fun to be with. My wild rose."
He grabbed her thigh and Jazmine laughed. She had missed being wild. A lot. She was sick of acting like a good girl.
"So, where are we going?"
"I thought we'd go to the mall, hang out…maybe watch a movie, grab something to eat?"
"Sounds perfect," she said, looking out the window when she spotted a fox running next to the car, looking like it was trying to outrun them. Jazmine stared at the fox, wondering why it would be running next to the car like that. Then she laughed because it couldn't keep up with them and soon she could only see it as a small dot in the mirror of the car.
"What's so funny?" Adrian asked, accelerating down the road, going a lot faster than he was supposed to.
Jazmine loved how he drove. Like he had no care in the world. Which he, of course, didn't because if they were in a car accident, he would survive it but she wouldn't.
"Nothing. It was just something I saw," she said as he ran a red light and someone honked at them.
"Wait, are you worried?" he asked and looked at her, then back at the road.
"No," she lied. "Why?"
"Your eyes are turning red. That usually means you're worried."
She shrugged. She hated how he had gotten so good at reading her eyes and nails when she barely knew what the colors meant herself. "It can mean a lot of things. Don't think you have me all figured out just yet."
Chapter Sixteen
We need to talk to you."
Amy's parents looked at her, both sets of eyes were staring at her intently. Amy swallowed her cereal with a gulp. Her parents never talked to her much when they were home since they were usually busy getting ready for the next trip or catching up on lost sleep.
"Sure, what's up?" she asked, putting the spoon down along with the book that she was reading while eating, as she usually did because she thought that eating alone was the most boring activity in the world and it was when eating alone that she felt the loneliest.
Her mom looked at her dad, then back at her. "We’ve been to the basement."
Amy's heart dropped. She swallowed even though it was hard. "Th-the basement? What were you doing down there?"
"We had some stuff we needed to get for our next trip."
"Oh, you're going on another trip?" Amy asked, trying to turn the conversation away from the basement.
"Yes," her mother said. "Tomorrow. But we have a matter we need to discuss with you…concerning the basement."
Amy exhaled.
"I know what you're doing," her mother said. "And to be honest, I can't blame you for wanting to hide her; Lord knows I was never happy about what the other parents wanted to do to her, but she can't stay here."
Her dad shook his head. "We can't have that kind of fire on us now."
"Why not?" Amy asked. "She does no harm. It's only at night that she turns into the werewolf and the shelter helps her from hurting anyone, and if she’s here, the Joneses won't find her."
"But they will, Amy," her mother said.
"Your mother is right; they will eventually and then we will get in trouble with them."
Amy shrugged. "So what? Since when do we answer to the Joneses?"
"There’s other stuff too," her mother said.
"Like what?" Amy asked. "To me, it seems like you two just want to please Camille Jones and no one dares to stand up to her. Like she is some queen around here."
Her mother shook her head. "You wouldn't understand…you're not old enough to…"
"To understand what?" Amy asked. "Please, just tell me. I am old enough."
Her dad had a worried look on his face. "There's a man who just recently moved ont
o our street…"
"Jim," her mother said, shaking her head.
"Mr. Aran?" Amy asked. "What about him?"
Her dad cleared his throat. "We can't have her here," he repeated, while Amy wondered what it all had to do with Mr. Aran and why her parents didn't want to tell her the rest.
"It's too dangerous."
Amy drew in a deep breath, then shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe you two. She's nothing but a young girl, same as me. Melanie needs our help. She has nowhere to go. Her mother doesn’t want her and everyone else wants to kill her. How can you deny a young girl shelter from a world like that?"
Her mom reached out her hand. "Just find another place for her, please? You'll understand when you get older." Her mother was getting angry now. She could tell by the tone of her voice.
"How many times do I have to be told that? I’m sixteen years old, for crying out loud. Why can't you just explain it to me now?"
Her mother sighed and shook her head. "I just can't. You just have to trust me."
Amy got up from her chair and walked to her backpack and picked it up. "Well, I don't. I don't trust you at all."
Chapter Seventeen
They were watching IT. Jazmine always loved a good scare and apparently Adrian liked this type of movie too, which she was very pleased about. Jayden had never wanted to go see it with her, so she was happy when Adrian told her that's what they were watching. She even enjoyed the way he told her what movie they were watching and not asking her what she liked as most guys did. He was in charge just as he had been when deciding they were going to skip school today. It made her feel wanted, desired.
Adrian laughed out loud as the clown scared the kids and chased them around the old abandoned house. Jazmine thought it was scary and less funny, and she put her head on his shoulder, then shivered slightly as he put his arm around her.
He pulled her closer into a kiss and she breathed happily as they kissed through some of the scariest parts. They were almost alone in the entire theater except for two younger guys sitting in the front, screaming their hearts out every time the clown appeared on the big screen.
Jazmine's eyes returned to the screen where one of the boys walked into a room and you just knew it was a matter of time before he found the clown in there somewhere, and you knew it would be scary in a surprise jumpy-scary kind of way.
Jazmine braced herself and held Adrian's hand tightly, when suddenly a bird, a black raven, flew into the theater, heading toward Jazmine. Jazmine screamed as the bird approached her and landed on top of her head with a loud shriek.
"What the heck?" Adrian asked and pulled away.
"Get it out of my hair, please, get it out of my hair!" Jazmine yelled, trying to wipe the bird off her head, but its talons were entangled in her hair, and as it started to flap its wings to get away, it pulled her hair, forcefully, and a lock of it was pulled out. Jazmine screamed again and saw the bird flying away with her hair clenched between its talons, out the door where it had come in.
"Are you okay?" Adrian asked, baffled.
Jazmine felt the top of her head where the lock was missing, then cried, "It hurts."
He grabbed her hand in his. Pennywise was laughing on the big screen, but no one was watching anymore. The two younger boys in front had turned around and were still staring at Jazmine, jaws dropped.
"What’re you looking at?" Adrian said addressed to them, then hissed angrily and that made them turn away.
He looked at her. "Let's get out of here."
Jazmine nodded with a light whimper and followed him out of the theater toward the food court outside of it, where she spotted a big spider, a tarantula on the tiles. She stopped and whimpered. The tarantula hissed and lifted one of its legs like it was pointing at her.
Jazmine shrieked when she spotted a set of shoes approaching behind the spider. She looked up and saw Mr. Aran.
"Oh, there you are, Finn," he said and reached down to pick the tarantula up in his hand. He petted it while staring at her. The tarantula was hissing at them when Adrian pulled her hand.
"Come, let's get something to eat."
Jazmine followed him, still staring at the man who was grinning from ear to ear in his bald head while watching her walk away, petting the tarantula, then lifted his finger and pointed it at her, pretending it was a gun and that he shot her.
Chapter Eighteen
Who is that guy?" Jazmine asked when they had found a Chick-fil-A and got in the line.
Adrian glanced back at him. He was still watching them. Adrian shook his head.
"He's nobody."
"I see him everywhere I go," she said, still shaking.
"So what? He's not allowed to go to the mall?" Adrian asked.
Jazmine nodded. "Of course, he is, but I just feel like…he’s everywhere. Did you see how he looked at me? And how he pretended like his finger was a gun and that he shot me?"
"He was probably just joking around. But he is strange; I'll admit that," he said.
The line moved forward, and Jazmine tried to shake the fear. What the heck was that bird doing in the movie theater anyway? How did it get in there in the first place? And the dogs and the bird on her window last night? And what was going on with that spider, was it actually hissing at her?
"The others think that he’s here to investigate the killings of Natalie Jamieson and Blake Fisher," she said.
Adrian paused and glanced at her. He seemed worried for a second but didn't want to show her.
"Then maybe that is what he is."
"But why would they need someone to investigate if it was a wolf? That's what I don't understand. They keep saying on TV that they think it's a wolf. Why send an investigator to our neighborhood if that's what they think?"
Adrian moved ahead in the line. His look was suddenly distant like he too was wondering about this, and Jazmine realized he was staring at Mr. Aran, who was still standing by the entrance to the movie theater, looking back at the two of them. Jazmine shuddered when she laid eyes on him again. That guy freaked her out.
"He scares me," she said.
Adrian looked at her, then scoffed. "Nothing can touch you now. You're with me, and I am immortal."
Realizing his little slip-up, he suddenly seemed perplexed. He looked at Jazmine.
"I mean…practically."
"Welcome to Chick-fil-A, what can I get you?" the young girl behind the counter asked.
Adrian turned to order, while Jazmine wondered what it was like to know that you would never die. To live a life where you couldn't get hurt, where death had no sting. To be superior to death, what a thought. She suddenly wondered if Adrian would turn her into a vampire too if she asked him to. Or was it something you had to earn? To be born into? Like a royal family? Would they let anyone else inside? She also wondered how long he was going to keep it a secret from her. So many times, she had thought about telling him that she knew, that she and her friends—and his sister—had known for quite some time, but she was terrified of his reaction. Would he get mad at her? Would he resent her for what they had done with Melanie? Would he leave her?
"Right, Jazzy?" he turned around and asked.
"Sorry? I didn't hear."
"I just told the nice young lady how much you enjoyed chicken," he said.
"Oh, yeah, that's right. I do. Any type, but mostly fried chicken."
They got their food and turned to find a seat. When Jazmine glanced toward the movie theater, Mr. Aran was no longer there.
Chapter Nineteen
I received the Snap from Amy when I was in the middle of doing my Algebra. My mom had to take care of some business stuff, and so she had left me alone to do my work on the computer. Amy was asking us to meet by the lake after school at three o'clock. I had hoped to be alone with Jayden for a little, but I could tell it was serious. I told my mom I was going for a run. She was too occupied with her paperwork even to notice and simply waved at me, so I snuck out the door and jogged toward the park.
/>
I was the first one there, but seconds later, Jayden came up, riding his bike toward me. He threw the bike in the grass, then grabbed me by the shoulders and planted a kiss on my lips. It felt very forced and a little aggressive.
"What was that about?" I asked when his lips had left mine.
He smiled. It seemed strained. "Nothing. I just missed you, that's all. I rode my bike here so fast to make sure I beat the others. I wanted to make sure to be able to kiss you before they got here."
I smiled, then stood on my tippy toes and kissed him again. This time, he grabbed me around the waist and lifted me up, then let go as I pushed him away.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"You're just…it seems like you…"
I paused when I finally put two and two together. "You saw me last night, didn't you? On the swing. Of course. I should have known you'd see me."
"Wasn't that why you chose to sit there, right outside your house and hang out with…him?"
I chuckled, nervously. "You have nothing to worry about."
"Who is he?" he asked.
"Are you seriously jealous?" I asked.
He looked away. "Who is he?"
"Just someone my parents want me to hook up with and possibly marry one day so they can become a part of his 'respectable' family. They are such snobs. I can't even begin to tell you how annoying his family is…"
"It didn't look like you were annoyed with him last night," Jayden said, kicking a rock till it landed in the lake.
"Are you kidding me right now?" I asked.
"I don't know. Am I?"
"Duncan is the most pretentious, boring guy I have ever met. He is nothing to me. I even turned him down when he asked to take me out."
"But your mom likes him. That's gotta mean something."
"It doesn't…Jayden, look at me. "
He turned and looked me in the eyes. I felt such deep love for him, and it tore me apart that I couldn't convince him about this.