Of Sirens and Beasts (Top 10~OnceUponNow) Being Published October 11th

Of Sirens and Beasts-Part 3 #OnceUponNow

This story is entered in the #OnceUponNow contest hosted by Target. Voting for the contest starts on Monday (June 13) at 8:01 pm Est time and ends Tuesday (June 21) at 3:59 pm Est. By voting for the FIRST chapter during this time frame, you can help it win a chance to be published! The top 25 voted stories go on to the next round. I will be so grateful if you vote.

I rub my head, my headache back, and stare at the ceiling of my room. My stomach churns, the feeling of disorientation overwhelming me. I try to think of what I last remember. There was pizza and an awkward conversation with Rose about poop. I groan at the memory of that. Right, Rose and I talked and then went outside. After that, it's just a big black hole in my head.

Kind of like taking a dump.

I rub my forehead. I'm never going to forget that, am I? I forget everything else but that.

Once I'm finished getting ready, I head into the kitchen. Taija, my twelve year old sister, is at the table reading and absentmindedly biting a breakfast sandwich. Two out of three times, she misses her food.

I grab the carton of orange juice from the fridge. Shaking the carton, I feel it's almost empty, so I chug it back which I know she hates. She doesn't notice, too engrossed in her book. I toss the carton into the trash and grab a bagel and twist the two halves apart and drop them in the toaster.

"What are you reading?" I ask her.

"The Twelve Dancing Princesses. I'm supposed to finish it for book club today but forgot about it until last night."

I twist the orange tie from the bagel package around my finger. "What's happening in it?"

"Right now the guy is on his last chance to prove where the princesses go dancing at night."

"What happens if he can't prove it?"

She shrugs, flipping the page. "He's killed." She actually manages to bite into her breakfast, crumbs falling on the table and her lap. "Oh, how's dance going?" she asks, her mouth full of food.

"I can't remember anything I learned."

"You're that bad? I'm not coming to your recital then."

I roll my eyes, pulling my bagel out of the toaster with tongs. "There's not going to be a recital."

"Maybe that's what they're telling you so they don't hurt your feelings."

Mom walks into the kitchen and sets her purse on the island. "Morning." She grabs the other half of the bagel out of my hand and kisses me on the cheek. "I have a meeting that's going to keep me late so I won't be able to pick you up after football."

I stare at my bagel in her hand. "No problem. I'll just go home with Reed and then go to the practice tonight."

"You mean ballet?" my sister sings.

I grab my backpack from the front door and head outside, Mom and Taija following. I hop in the car and buckle up while Taija slides in next to me and pops in her earbuds, returning to her book.

When Mom stops at a stop sign, she adjusts her mirror, her eyes landing on me. I shift in my seat. I'm about to have a talk.

"Have you met these girls' parents?" She's going to freak any second now.

"No."

"You've been over there twice. Is there no adult supervision?"

If I tell her there isn't any, she's going to flip along with her freak out. If I lie, I'll feel horrible, but at least she won't have to go through the trouble of lecturing me. "They're there. They just stay in their room or office." Which could be true.

"What's their last name?" The perks of having a mom who works as an assistant at a law firm—she may not be a lawyer, but she definitely picks their tactics of questioning—interrogation— up and brings them home.

"I don't know. I'm sure Coach does."

"You seem to know nothing about them."

I unzip my backpack and dig out my folder. I need to make sure I put my history homework in here. "The one I talk to's name is Rose." Bingo. History homework packed.

"I just want you to be careful and make smart decisions."

I reach forward and pat her shoulder. "I know, Mom."

She places her hand on mine and gives my fingers a squeeze.

We ride in silence the rest of the way. My school is the first on her morning route so she drops me off first. As I'm getting out she rolls down her window.

"Remember I can't pick you up today."

"Got it." I sling my backpack over my shoulder and head to the doors. Two of the boys from my team meet me before I reach them.

"How's the ballerina doing?" Camden jokes while Tyler does an arabesque, dramatically falling onto Camden.

"It is what it is."

"Aww... you embarrassed?" Tyler teases. "How long is Coach going to make you four keep this up?"

"Well if he sees improvement he's making the whole team join in. And it's just four of us?"

Camden nods. "Yeah, four right? You're the one taking ballerina class with them. You should know."

I sigh, a headache starting to come on. "Ballet class. And I just thought there were more of us. That's all."

"Twelve chicks too much to handle for the four of you?"

"Shut up."

As we walk to our first class, math—who schedules math at seven thirty in the morning?—I spot Rose surrounded by six of her sisters. If I didn't know they were her sisters, I'd say they'd be about to gang up on her and fight.

"You can't waste anymore of our time." Amaryllis runs her hand through her own red hair and tugs at the ends. "You aren't getting attached are you?"

Rose doesn't answer. She simply takes a deep breath.

"You are, aren't you?" another sister asks.

"No, I'm not. Don't worry. I can handle it." She notices me and swallows.

The sister behind her mutters, "Here come the Beasts."

"Everything good?" I ask, attempting to intervene.

The sister who muttered rolls her eyes and slinks off. The others nod to me and leave.

Camden taps me on the shoulder. "We're going to head on to class."

I shrug and tilt my neck, looking at Rose who doesn't meet my eyes. "You okay?" I ask.

"Yeah. Sisters are sometimes a bit needy."

"I know and I just have one." I stare at the locker behind her. "You know, I still can't remember anything of your class. I just remember talking last night."

She brushes her hair behind her shoulder. "You drove yourself home so that's a tad bit worrying. Maybe you should see if you have a concussion." She has a good point. I've been playing football since I was four. I've been hit on the head with just about everything more times than I can count. One time I got hit by an Ohio license plate. "You're coming over tonight?" she asks before pressing the knuckle of her finger against her teeth.

"Of course."

She smiles, nervously biting on her skin. "It's sure to be a life-changing class."