"We're suspended for a week." I tell Isis through the phone.
"An entire week?! How can you and Cross be such imbeciles?!" Isis yells through the phone. I wince slightly, moving the phone a few centimeters away from my ear. "You kids needed to befriend the students so that they'd let you in on the vampire rumors! Not make yourselves look like complete jerks! Now everyone will be too scared to talk to you!"
"I know, I know, Isis. I'm sorry. I'm sure Cross is, too." I glance at Cross, who sits at the dining table a few feet away. His mouth is in a pout and his eyes are bloodshot, though he hasn't been crying. It's out of anger. The skin on his face is red on one side-the side I slapped him on.
"Sorry doesn't cut it, Pandora. Today you and Cross get into a fight at school, wasting time and losing chances to find out about more Leytonstone and it's vampires. Yesterday, you two stand around and flirt while Criss is busy being a slayer and doing what he's supposed to do at the abandoned factory."
"We didn't flirt!" I practically scream at the phone.
"Do not-I repeat: do not yell at me, Pandora. I'm you're leader, and you will show me respect." Isis warns in a superior voice. "And if you don't stake a vampire in this week, there will be consequences. Don't make me look like a horrible leader."
"I-" I pause, not knowing what to say anymore. "I'm perfectly capable of slaying vampires! I'll prove it to you! I don't need the help of mindless teenage students to sniff out those monsters-I'll do it myself. And without Criss's help." I say, and then I roughly press the hang up button on the phone.
As I sit on the couch of the living room, I feel a headache coming on. My head leans on the back of the couch, and I shut my eyes as I take a deep breath. The room falls silent for a few seconds.
My ears perk up when I hear someone sniffle. Opening my eyes, I spot Cross wiping his eyes as he sits on the dining table.
I feel my heart rip. Cross got what he deserved, but perhaps I did take it a little too far. Especially when I slapped him in front of everyone... and on the first day of school, too.
"What are you looking at?" He says to me, trying to sound mean but ending up sounding like a scared little boy.
I get up from the couch and slowly make my way to the dining table. I keep my distance, however. I don't want Cross charging at me again.
"Cross, I..." I search my mind for the right words to say, but I come up blank.
"You took it too far, Pandora!" He confirms, as if he read my mind. His eyes are covered by a layer of tears that dare to fall onto his lap. He holds them in, though, truly not wanting to show weakness in front of me.
"You started it." Is all I can say to him.
"What the-dude, I was joking when I said you weren't sexy!" He says, standing up from the seat. I automatically back away a few inches.
"You don't joke with a girl like that. Things like that hurt. Girls are sensitive to being called ugly." I state, trying to make my voice neutral and reasonable.
"I didn't call you ugly! Are you blind?!How can you possibly be ugly?" He states, pointing with his hand at my face.
I look at him, trying to decipher what exactly he meant by that.
"I..." He starts again, avoiding eye contact with me. Had he said too much?
"Besides, you called me a pathetic, worthless bitch." I bring up, showing a hint of anger in my voice.
"You're the one that slapped me in front of everyone! It was humiliating, you know that?" He says, sounding very hurt.
I'm silenced for a few seconds.
YOU ARE READING
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Vampiros→Slayer rule #1: Never fall in love with the target you're meant to kill.
