Chapter17
I somehow managed to sleep well into Friday, grateful for the extra hours. Ethan and Kieran’s words swam in my head like hungry sharks. They said. I belonged to them, and for some reason, the feeling was mutual. No matter how hard I resisted, part of me felt they were mine, that the twins. belonged to me.
I stayed in my room most of Friday, only daring to venture out when I knew Lauren was at work. Darren was the biggest risk. Things would go downhill instantly if he was awake. It must have been my lucky day. As I tiptoed downstairs, Darren was snoring away in his recliner. I managed to grab another box of leftovers from the restaurant and creep back up to my bedroom. I couldn’t wait until I could get out of this hellhole.
Sneaking around my own house was miserable. Constantly tiptoeing, hoping I didn’t step on a landmine. My Friday was spent in complete. solitude, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Either Darren was completely unaware I stayed home from school, or he simply didn’t feel like bothering me. Lauren left me alone all day, not that she ever made it her mission to talk to me. I texted back and forth with Kat a bit, commenting. as she gave me a rundown of her day. Lilian and I texted a little too, mostly about what Lilian planned to wear to the party Saturday.
While Lilian had a dress and heels picked out, I planned to take the comfortable route. The remainder of my Friday was spent thinking about Ethan and Kieran. I wanted to resist them, but why did I miss them so much? Why did I wish they were with me?
I went to bed Friday afternoon, ready for another night of blissful sleep.
Chapter17
Sleep was a break from the stress my conflicting emotions were bringing on me. Unfortunately, tonight would provide me with little rest.
I woke in the middle of the night, sitting straight up in bed as my heart hammered away. A deafening crash of lightning had ripped me from my strange dream, one that featured Ethan and Kieran.
I was dreaming about a girl, someone I had never met before. She seemed. to know me well. She was yelling at me, but I felt no danger from her. “Clean your d*mn ears out and start listening to me,” she yelled, followed by, “Quit fighting Ethan and Kieran, stupid. They belong to you.”
While it was an interesting dream, I couldn’t see it changing anything. It was simply a reflection of my subconscious, Telling me what I wanted to hear. While I found the intense storms quite beautiful, I wasn’t used to them. Moving to Georgia had exposed me to a whole new side of the weather. I was used to the dry heat and desert–like surroundings. Georgia was so green, so intense with its humidity and storms.
I shuffled out of bed and to the bathroom, then walked over to the window once I returned to the bedroom. The thick ledge by my window. was probably my favorite thing about the small bedroom. I could squeeze right onto the ledge and watch the intense storms. I kept my eyes trained on the forest, half expecting to see the two wolves looking up at me. Admittedly, I was disappointed when I didn’t see their familiar dark eyes. I wasn’t sure how long I sat on the windowsill. The rain gradually faded, leaving behind a wet afterglow on the forest and grass.
Once my legs and back were stiff from sitting on the windowsill, I trudged back to bed, hoping sleep would finally claim me. I woke sometime in the afternoon. Peeking my head from my bedroom, I crept
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down the hall and into the bathroom. My shower was a total of four minutes; any longer would simply be a risk.
Lauren was home from work today, meaning I would have to be extremely careful when leaving my room. I applied the concealer to the fading marks on my neck, courtesy of Ethan and Kieran. My dinner consisted of a couple of granola bars I had leftover from a few days ago and a tall bottle of water.
I worked on some overdue homework while lounging around my bedroom. By the time I finished, it was nearly time for Lilian to pick me up for the party. I wasn’t exactly looking forward to the party; I was simply going for Lilian, and the fact that Kat would be there only encouraged me further.
I texted Lilian my address and dug through the small pile of clothes I owned. I settled on a thin long–sleeve shirt, jeans, and my usual beat–up sneakers. My boot was large and uncomfortable on my foot, making me hobble unsteadily. Comfort over everything, in my opinion.
Once I got the text from Lilian telling me she was here, my heart began hammering. I could only hope Lauren and Darren had gone to bed early. I opened my door slowly and glanced down the hall, only leaving my room after listening for several seconds. There was no way in hell I was planning on jumping from my window anytime soon. I crept down the stairs and nearly jumped out of my shoe and boot when I noticed Lauren and Darren watching TV. Neither one of them turned to look at me.
I made it to the front door before Lauren dared to look up I
from the T
kept half my body out the front door, shielding my boot from view. Lauren said nothing about me leaving so late at night, which I figured she
back
wouldn’t. She simply raised her eyebrow at me and turned her attention back to the TV.
I closed the front door behind me with a shaky sigh and locked it before. walking down to Lilian’s car. Lilian wasn’t lying when she said she planned on wearing a dress. She had on a skin–tight crimson dress, with a pair of black heels to match. Her chocolate hair framed her face in large curls.
“You weren’t lying when you said you’d dress comfortably.” Lilian chuckled, pulling out of the driveway.
I shrugged, “I’m probably not going to know anyone there anyway.
Lilian’s gaze flickered down to the giant boot on my foot, “What happened to you?”
“Fell down the stairs.” I frowned. I had been telling the lie so much, it almost sounded convincing.
Lilian chuckled and shook her head, “Only you could break your foot falling down a flight of stairs.”
While Kat remained suspicious, Lilian believed my lie with no problem.
“Tell me about it.” I shook my head, “My clumsiness will be the death of me someday.”
Chapter17
“We’ll have to wrap you in bubble wrap to keep you safe.” Lilian chuckled.
11
I wasn’t sure who was hosting the party, but they didn’t live very far from me. We turned into a much nicer neighborhood than mine and pulled up to a large house. The house wasn’t as big as Kieran and Ethan’s, but it was much bigger than mine. Two stories and very wide, the house sat at the beginning of the neighborhood. I could already hear the thumping music coming from inside. Kids stood around the front yard and in clusters on the porch.
I hobbled from the car and Lilian waited for me patiently. There were so many people inside, no one noticed when Lilian and I strolled in. Many girls were dressed much like Lilian, in flashy dresses and short skirts. I had never been to a party before, but I felt underdressed. Lilian’s crimson dress hugged her athletic body perfectly, and I silently wondered if I’d look that good in a dress. My body wasn’t athletic by any means, but my stomach was technically on the slimmer side.
I felt beyond awkward trailing after Lilian half the night. This party was truly a testament to my conversation skills, meaning I had none. Around thirty minutes into the party, I trudged into the kitchen. Bottles of liquor were strewn about everywhere. Avoiding anything with alcohol, I poured myself a cup of soda.
I had been looking for Kat for the past half hour, failing miserably at finding her–Instead of wandering the house, I pulled out the phone she had gifted me.
*Hey, where are you?*
**Kat 10:18 p.m.
*Home lol? Where are you?*
I frowned down at my phone for several minutes. Was she not able to make it? Why hadn’t she let me know?
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*Sophia 10:23 p.m.‘
*I’m at some party with Lilian. She said you were coming too?*
**Kat 10:28 p.m.”
*I never heard anything about a party. You sure she meant me?*
I shoved the phone into my pocket, something unfamiliar and threatening swirling around in my stomach. Maybe Lilian was talking about someone else, and I had thought she meant Kat. This was partially my fault to begin with. I hadn’t mentioned the party to Kat at all this week, too wrapped up in my conflicting thoughts. I simply assumed she knew about it already and planned on going.
“Sophia, right?” A deep voice caused me to turn. I looked into a pair of bright hazel eyes. A guy around my age was talking to me. Sandy blonde hair sat on his head, long enough to graze his shoulders.
“Uh, yeah, that’s me,” I said, frowning. The guy looked my age, but I couldn’t remember ever seeing him before.
“I’m Calvin,” he grinned, showing a perfect smile. “I’m in your first–period
class.”
“Oh.” My mouth dropped open. I had never noticed him before. “Sorry about that. I didn’t realize.”
“It’s not a problem, beautiful,” Calvin replied, still grinning.
Normally, butterflies would swarm in my stomach at the thought of talking to a guy as attractive as Calvin, but this time I felt nothing. Anxiety was swirling in my stomach, and at that moment, I just wanted to talk to Lilian.
“Um, I gotta find my friend real quick,” I mumbled awkwardly. “It was nice talking to you, Calvin.”
I grabbed my cup of soda and walked back out to the living room, the last place I had seen Lilian. She was talking to a group of people, three girls and two guys. I tapped her on the shoulder timidly, nearly cringing when their conversation halted.
“Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?” I raised my voice over the thumping music.
Confusion flickered on Lilian’s face, and she nodded. We walked over to the dining room, which had far fewer people than the rest of the house.
“What’s wrong?” Lilian asked, noticing the worry on my face.
“You told me Kat was coming, right?” I pursed my lips.
Lilian nodded. “Yeah, I talked to her about the party last week.”
“I texted her, and she said she never heard anything about a party,” I frowned.
Realization flashed in Lilian’s eyes. “Sh*t. I might’ve forgotten to mention it to her. Did you want me to take you home?”
I could see the reluctance in Lilian’s eyes, and I instantly felt guilty. Here I was, practically freaking out that Kat wasn’t here. I could survive another. hour or two, just long enough for Lilian to have some fun before she took
me home.
I drank the rest of the soda in my cup and shook my head. “No, no, it’s alright.”
A relieved grin spread across Lilian’s face. “You’re the best, Sophia. I’ve been talking to this guy over there, and I think he’s into me.”
I chuckled along with Lilian, glancing over at the guy she was talking about. He was nothing special in my eyes, trying his best to strut the ‘bad- boy‘ look. I couldn’t help but compare him to Ethan and Kieran. This guy looked like a kid playing dress–up compared to the twins.
My stomach was still swirling despite my decision to stay at the party.
“I’m gonna head to the bathroom,” I nodded. “I’ll catch up with you later.”
Lilian nodded and gave me another grin before walking back to the living room as I trudged up the stairs. My stomach wasn’t just swirling now; it was flip–flopping, making me nauseous and dizzy. I managed to find the bathroom with little trouble and closed the door behind me. Splashing cool water on my face did nothing to make me feel better. Any movement made my head swim and my vision blur. Something was seriously wrong.
I was having difficulty forming coherent thoughts. My mind was only able to focus on one thing at a time. I yanked my phone from my pocket and stared at the shifting screen. The letters were floating and swirling. I could vaguely make out Kat’s name, but everything else was a blur.
**Kat 10:30 p.m.**
*Do
you need me to come get you?? Lilian never said anything about a party?? Are you alright?? Sophia, answer me. Send me the address. Hello???*
W
I barely managed to shove the phone back in my pocket when another single–track thought came to mind. I needed to find Lilian, fast. I flung open the bathroom door and walked out, but whatever was happening getting worse. I couldn’t walk straight, and it was becoming harder to stay on my feet. The entire hallway was tilting, swirling into one big jumbled me I couldn’t remember which way I had come from or which way led to the stairs.
I picked a direction and stumbled down the hall, my hand grazing against the wall in a pitiful attempt to keep myself upright. My leg buckled from under me, and I fell toward the floor.
Chapter 17
“I got you,” a familiar voice murmured, lifting me from the ground.
