Shadowbook

Chapter 14: Cherry Syrup

"What's with those circles under your eyes? You look like the walking dead!"

"Karrine's back to her old self again," Senka grumbled. "I guess she

totally forgot about Astor."

"He said she might not remember, but he promised she would improve..." I said.

"She did, for a couple of weeks," said Amaya. "She was kind of in turmoil, and now she's even more insecure so she actually has to go out of her way to make our lives miserable. Yesterday, when I came back from gym class to change, I found my black clothes in the trash can."

"We have to tell Astor. We should see what else he can do."

"Maybe we can help him this time. I'd love to see a hunt," said Senka.

"You know the hottest guy in the school just asked me out the other day?" Karrine's friend Angelika said loudly. "As though any of you creepy dorks could say the same!"

My friends and I all burst out laughing, thinking of the previous night.

This really threw them off. "Come on, you girls have no sense of style," said Chrissie, Karrine's other friend (what kind of name is Chrissie? Ugh).

"Wanna bet?" said Noire, producing the beautiful black diamond and ruby necklace.

All three girls gasped. "Where did you get that?" Karrine demanded.

"The Royal Treasure Vault of Umbragard," said Noire proudly. "A gift from His Royal Highness, the Prince of Shadows!"

"Sure," said Karrine sarcastically. "That's probably not even real."

"Of course it's real!" said Noire. Karrine and her pals laughed.

Before she could argue, I whispered, "Noire, don't say anything else. If we want Astor to prey on them, we don't want to give too much away."

"Oh yeah, good point. Whatever, believe what you want, Karrine! C'mon, girls, lets go."

"Wilson."

I spun around. "Karrine!" Why did she have to surprise me like that? And at the end of the day!

"You try to be strong, Wilson, but you know you're worthless."

"I'm not worthless, you bitch!"

"Then how come you don't have parents? Someone didn't want you, and Bryon's mom certainly doesn't want you. I don't know why she's wasting her time keeping you."

"Shut up, Karrine!"

"I'm pretty sure your 'friends' are just tolerating you. But their lives are already hard, so I don't know why they would bother."

I felt my eyes tearing up. No, I would not cry! Not in front of this girl!

"It's so sad that no one trusts you," said Karrine. "Everyone loves me, and knows that I would never do anything bad! You are dark and cold and have a reputation for being violent. No wonder the teachers assign classmates to monitor you."

I was fuming. "I have a reputation for being violent because I fight back when people say things like that to me."

"You shouldn't fight back. Your life doesn't mean anything. Just go die; it'll make you feel better." She turned and flounced off.

I watched her sashay away, wishing that my eyes could send lazars that would burn holes through the back of her head. As soon as she was gone, I burst into tears. I ran home.