The Patron Saint of Monsters

Chapter Two Part Three

The group of girls were all scared witless, but as they sat around the island in the kitchen as Mrs. Jameson served them french toast. Mrs. Jameson was ecstatic to see that Oleander’s friends had spent the night, she was well aware of how eccentric her daughter could be, especially when it came to their home and who was allowed into it. She was hoping that her daughter was finally growing into herself, she had spent the majority of Oleander’s life worried that the girl was never going to even out and become normal. The morning seemed to bode well for those hopes and beliefs only because Abra was blissfully unaware of the happenings of last night.

“It was quite lovely to wake up and see that you girls had stayed the night, when you came over yesterday evening I was certain that Ole would send you away.” She chuckled.

Oleander rolled her eyes and tried her hardest to suppress the blood that was rushing to her cheeks and coloring them. She could feel in her heart that her friends were currently wishing that she had sent them away, she was sure that this morning was going to be the last time she spent with her friends. They were going to abandon her in fear, she could feel tears building behind her brown eyes, Valerie was the first girl to look up from her breakfast platter and saw Oleander, she placed her hand on her shoulder comfortingly and mouthed the words “We’re gonna fix things.” mistaking the sadness on her friends face for stress and fear from last night and not because she was expecting to be abandoned.

Cameron had left early that morning to go grade papers at his office on campus, he liked to be there for Office hours in case a student was in need of some assistance. Abra was preparing to leave to go meet up with her friends to go run errands together, neither one of Oleander’s parents ever spent very much time with the girl, they felt completely comfortable leaving her alone, sometimes they even forgot to mention when they would be leaving town without their daughter.

“Oh Ole, by the way your father has a conference to speak at this weekend, so he and I will be flying out tomorrow night, we will return why don’t you spend the night with one of your friends? Or maybe have them come over again, there will be money in the drawer.” She said in place of goodbye as she grabbed her keys from the counter and exited out the kitchen door.

Rebecca sat up straighter and said “You know what this means right?”

Trina replied with “Party, or monster hunting.”

“Both.” Valerie decided.

Oleander laughed lightly and asked “You guys still want to be my friends?”

“Obviously! I mean fuck Ole, this is the most interesting thing to happen since the clementine stand at the grocery broke!” Rebecca joked.

“When did that happen?” Questioned Trina.

“Never, that’s the joke.” Clarified Oleander, before suggesting “maybe we could invite Ian to the party?”

Valerie raised her eyebrows suggestively and said “The Ian who embodies perfection?”

Oleander sighed girlily and gleefully, “Yes, the Ian with angsty blonde bangs and thriftshop jumpers. The Ian I adore.”

The girls began to giggle and joke, temporarily forgetting all their fears, the sunlight streaming in through the window causing them to see things as a fun filled adventure. They would have remembered the danger and the threat that Trent was capable of posing, had they been able to see the face he was making at the mentioning of Ian.