Deadly Sins (a Damnation Trilogy Prequel)

Chapter 10

When Damian and Seth woke up the next morning, Jade and Justin were relieved to be able to get some sleep. Their eyes hurt from staring at the computer screen and print out for hours, and even with Justin's occasional 'mandated' breaks, their eye sight began to blur with the need for sleep. After waiting for Damian and Seth to finish in the showers before they left for the morgue again, Jade and Justin went in for their turns and returned to Damian and Jade's room where they both fell asleep on her bed. To them it seemed like they had just fallen asleep when they were awaken hours later by Jade's phone ringing.

            Jade groaned, trying to cover her ears with the pillow and Justin's chest until Justin grew irritated by the incessant sound in his ear and answered. “Yes?”

            “Um, Jade?” the voice on the other side asked, and through his sleepy haze he managed to recognize it as Christian's.

            “Jade's sleeping,” Justin said with a yawn into the phone. “This is Justin.”

            “You answer your sister's phone?”

            “Was there a purpose to this phone call?” Justin asked, ignoring his question. “If not, I would like to hang up now and continue with my own sleep.”

            “You were-- you know what, never mind,” Christian said. “I was just calling to talk to Jade about the plan for the dance tomorrow.”

            “Justin, who is that?” Jade asked sleepily, looking at him through half lidded eyes. “Why are they bothering us so early?”

            “It's three in the afternoon, hun,” Justin laughed quietly at her.

            “Ugh, is it? I need more sleep,” she replied. “Wake me up  when we're forty and out of this town.”

            “Got it,” Justin said to her, almost forgetting about the phone in his hand until he heard Christian's impatient sigh and returned his attention to the phone. “Like I said, Jade's asleep.”

            “Well, can you tell her to call me later?” Christian huffed. “I wanted to ask her what she was going to wear.”

            “My guess is she's wearing her face and usual endearingly sarcastic attitude,” Justin answered. “Is there some sort of dress code to this thing? Like she can't wear jeans or something?”

            “Not really, no,” Christian said. “But it's a theme dance; the party committee decided on a club theme so it would have to be something...clubbish, or whatever, without breaking school length rules.”

            “Right, well, I'll pass that information on then,” Justin said. “Anything else?”

            “No, just tell her-”

            “To call you. Yeah, yeah, I got that the first time,” Justin interrupted. “Bye now.” Before Christian could think to say another word, Justin hung up the phone and turned down the ringer, prepared to go back to sleep. Apparently Jade didn't get his memo.

            “That was Christian.”

            “If you know, why mention it?” Justin asked, keeping his eyes closed.

            “I forgot about that dance tomorrow.”

            “Great, then you don't have to go.”

            “Justin-”

            “Yeah, yeah, I was just kidding, relax,” he sighed. “Can we go back to sleep now? My head still kind of feels like it's throbbing. It could be sleep deprivation or could be the fact that I just spoke to Christian; can't really tell right now.”