Killer

Chapter Five

"Hey," she greeted sheepishly, smiling timidly.
Dean couldn't help but smile back. He loved how perfect her teeth were, how full her lips looked. He found himself wondering what they would feel like against his. Vanilla wafted through his nostrils as she stepped a little bit closet. It wasn't coming from her breath, but from her skin. He loved how she always smelled that way.
"Hey," he replied.
"I just wanted to know if you could apologize to your parents for me. I'm not exactly sure what I said or how I said it, but I really am sor-"
Without thinking, Dean put a finger to her lips. They were soft...and warm. Sophia seem startled, but relaxed a little. "Don't apologize," Dean assured. "My parents are over dramatic. No big deal."
"Are you sure?" Sophia asked.
"Positive."
The bell rang, signaling the early bell and that both had about five minutes to get to class. "Well, I should get going," she said, pointing to the direction opposite the way Dean had to go. He nodded in understanding.
"Me too."
"Well," she paused for a moment, staring down at her boots, "bye."
When she spun around really fast, a tube of lip gloss fell from one of her boots. She didn't seem to notice though and Dean didn't bother telling her. When she was a safe distance away, he picked up the tube and stuffed it into his pocket. And even though it was safely tucked inside his pocket, he could still smell watermelon. He smiled.
*****
When he got home, he slipped past his parents who were watching TV, which was rare, and walked into his room. He placed the lip gloss tube in a little box with an infinity sign engraved at the top-a box that his parents gave him after he turned. The only thing he kept in there was a Vintage Rose rhinestone necklace that Sarah gave him before he had to leave her and his friends. He also had Dark Indigo and Indian Siam rings. Wade and William's class rings. Something to remember us by, they had said. He slammed the lid closed and turned his back to it. He took a deep breath before going back out to feed.

When Sophia got home from shopping with Lola and Abby, she saw her mom fluttering around the kitchen, humming happily. Ms. Parker was a happy person, one of the most cheerful residents in the neighborhood, but Sophia had never seen her like this.
"Someone's happy," she observed as she watched her mom fill her plate with tonight's dinner, lasagna and garlic bread.
"What?" Ms. Parker asked. "I can't be happy?"
Sophia leaned on the frame of the kitchen doorway. "It's a guy isn't it?" Even though Sophia was trying to sound teasing, it came out bitterly making her mother's smile falter.
"Yes," she answered. "But there's nothing serious going on," she quickly added. "We've been hanging out from time to time."
"When am I gonna meet him?" I asked.
"You wanna meet him?"
Sophia shrugged. "Well, sure. It's good to forget the past."
Ms. Parker sighed. "Sophi," she whispered. "You know I love your father with all of my heart and I will never forget the love we had. But I feel like this grieving process has gone on long enough. I feel like I need to move on."
"I get it," she said harshly.
"Sop-"
"I said I get it, Mom!" Silence descended upon the room. "I'm not hungry anymore," she mumbled. "I'll be upstairs."
When she made it into her room, she got cracking on her homework, finishing it in no time before slipping out the window, locking her bedroom door before doing so. She decided to go through the woods to get to Dean's house. She needed someone that was close by to talk to.
She stumbled upon the middle of the woods in no time, fallen branches and loose twigs snapping under her now black Coversed feet. She could feel a presence near her.
"Hello?" she called out, turning her head this way and that, but she saw nothing.
A small branch cracked and fell right beside her, tumbling to her feet. She looked up and saw Dean with an expression as if to say, Busted.
"What are you doing up there?" she asked.
"Uh, nothing," Dean replied as he swung down. He had a red smudge on the bottom of his lip. Sophia wiped it away. "Thanks."
"No problem," she stated. "So, what are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same thing."
"But I asked you first," she countered.
"True," he agreed. "Just came to clear my head." After a moment he looked up at her suspiciously. "You didn't see anything, did you?"
"Of what?" Sophia asked.
Dean shook his head. "Nothing, but you didn't answer my question."
"I took this way because it's faster to get to your house."
"Wait," Dean said. "You know this is a shortcut?"
Sophia frowned. "Uh, yeah. I've been living in this neighborhood for, like, ever." Dean rubbed his forehead. "But anyways, I needed someone to talk to."
"About?" Dean asked as he sat with his back against an oak tree.
Sophia did the same with one across from him but remained standing. "My mom's been seeing a guy lately." Sophia stared at him, expecting to hear a, Oh, that's messed up, or, It'll be okay. They're probably not serious, but he said nothing. "That's bad, Dean."
"Why?" he asked.
"My dad's been dead for, like, 2, 3 years and already she's seeing other people," Sophia explained.
Understanding passed over Dean's face. "I'm sorry for your loss," he said.
"Thanks," I mumbled. "She never told me, though, about seeing this other dude, until now. We're supposed to be honest with each other, but I guess, when it comes to boys, that's a no or at least a late honest admission."
Dean nodded. "I'm sorry. Is he gonna be living at your house anytime soon?"
"God, I hope not," she stated. "I don't think I can take him being at our house. Him residing there." She shivered before scratching-or at least trying to-the top of her shoulder blade. "Hey, Dean, can you help me out here?"
Dean rose to his feet and turned Sophia around so that her back was to him. "Where?" he asked. He peeled back the back collar of her sweater to reveal the spot she had pointed at and gently scratched it. Sophia felt him push her bra strap aside to look at something. Probably her birthmark that looked like an infinity sign. But what completely caught her off guard was when he kissed that spot, his cool lips scattering goosebumps across her shoulder blade and sending chills up and down her spine. She spun around making Dean back up a little.
"Uh," he stammered, trying to catch himself. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"
"Don't worry about it," Sophia assured hurriedly. "I should get going. I locked the bedroom door before I came and my mom's probably freaking out trying to get the it open," she explained, lying about the last part. Ms. Parker could easily send the door to the floor with a flick of her wrist. Without letting Dean get another word in, she set out to go back home, not bothering to turned around to see if he was still there. She was a little scared of the expression she might see on his face.