Honesty Falls

seVen

Nevaeha skipped school.

She knew she'd have hell to pay with Mr. Herrmann tomorrow, but her mind was completely engulfed with Bethany and her problems.

She was going to find a way to help the other girl and to do that, she had to know more.

The only way to do that is to shadow the human. It was a tricky spell, but she had no choice.

Not when she couldn't leave this town. Not when she needed to know more than just what was in the girl's heart and mind.

She already hated Bethany's parents by the time the girl left for school. They screamed a lot. To each other and to Bethany. They found trouble with everything she did, and not once had they thought to ask her why she had tears in her eyes.

It wasn't hard to see that they just didn't care.

There was no breakfast for her or lunch money to be had, yet the father went to the icebox for a beer as soon as he woke up. The mom smoked a lot and griped about having to work while Bethany went to school.

By nightfall, Nevaeha knew she had to get the girl out of that household. After school Bethany had a job, then she came home and had to cook and clean all while getting verbally abused. She'd actually gotten in trouble for trying to do her homework.

At school, she had no friends and now, without Shane at her side, she didn't fit in anywhere. The other kids whispered behind her back and questioned what really happened to her boyfriend.

When she ran into one of the other boys who'd been there that night, they'd both paled and ran in opposite directions of each other.

The elder's spell was working because neither of them remembered anything from that night. All they knew was that whatever happened wasn't good.

It was right before dinner that Nevaeha was offered some hope. Another path to investigate.

The father's sister called to check up on Bethany. She was worried after hearing about the missing children. Bethany's father was completely drunk by then and had barely communicated with his sister, but Nevaeha at least had a new starting place.

When she came to, Silas was shaking her, and her cheek throbbed.

"What are you doing?"

He stilled, then gave her a quick look. "My God, Neevy. What in the hell were you doing? You looked like you were half dead."

"I was shadowing someone. Did you slap me?"

"Warn someone next time." He yelled at her, then gave her a few more shakes before he backed away.

He was so upset, he was trembling. "I'm sorry, Silas. l'm not used to someone being around to witness things like that. Next time, just leave me be."

He ran a hand over his face. "That was easy to do the first hour or so, but Neevy, it's nearly ten. You haven't moved in hours. No one can do that. You didn't even cook dinner. I slapped you a few times, and you didn't even blink."

"Thank you for not alerting anyone. I'm fine."

"Are you freaking out of your mind? I thought you were high on something with all these powders around. Of course, I didn't alert anyone. Do you think I want to be associated with someone who does drugs? I'm the sheriff. I have a name to uphold. And where in the hell is my dinner, Neevy? I've been starving for hours."

She stood in a huff. "I don't do drugs, Silas Miles Babb, and for you to even think that for one moment shows what an ungrateful knuckle dragging ape you are. If you're hungry, fix yourself something to eat. I'm not your maid. Now that your mom knows that sleeping with the mayor will get rid of you, she might marry him."

He paled. "That's a horrible, mean thing to say."

"How dare you think I would do drugs."

"What was I supposed to think when you're all spaced out?"

"I may never speak to you again." She marched towards the stairs.

"I don't care if you do or if you don't, as long as dinner is never late again." He yelled after her.