Unwanted Visitor

Chapter 10: Full Denial

Chapter 10: Full Denial

"Thank God you're safe," my father breathed as he ran up to me.

I froze at the unexpected hug. I didn't often get hugs, so they always kind of startled me. I patted his back awkwardly. "Uh, hi...dad," I shifted in his tight embrace, ready for the awkwardness to end. I heard Landon quietly sniggering in the background. I frowned at him. And he shrugged, trying to hide an obvious grin.

My father finally let go, and looked at me carefully. "Are you okay?" a concerned line appeared between his brows.

I shrugged. "More or less. I don't have an injuries. I think," I tacked on at the end.

He let out a relieved sigh and smiled. "Let's get inside then. You can clean up in the bathroom."

I nodded and stepped ahead of him into the restaurant, a pizza place cleverly called 'The Pizza Dance.' It was unfortunately one of the best places to eat in my small town. I went straight to the bathroom, hoping that I could get there before anybody else saw the mess I was.

I flinched when I saw my reflection again. No wonder everybody kept asking me if I was okay. In addition to the blood and dirt, my face was also pale and my eyes had an odd dazed look in them. I blinked trying to clear the look away and shook my head. I bent down to the sink and turned on the faucets.

Cupping my hands, I liberally splashed water on my face. Right now the last thing that I cared about was making a mess in the bathroom. It might have been calloused on my part, but I needed to get at least a little bit clean. As soon as I got home I was taking a long hot shower, with loud music to make sure that I didn't think too much about the past forty-eight hours.

After splashing water all over my face and head (and floor), I used paper towels to dry myself off as much as possible. Sorry, environment I thought after going through a large pile of paper towels.

I turned back to the mirror. I looked a little bit better now. Most of the blood and dirt was gone from my face, although now my hair was wet. And blood still stained my tattered shirt. Ugh, maybe I could borrow my father's jacket. I wouldn't want to give people in this town more of a reason to avoid me. Not that I cared that much, of course.

I sighed, giving myself one last glance before I exited the bathroom. Time get some of my questions answered.

I glanced around as I tugged at the sleeve of my borrowed jacket. The small restaurant was crowded with a gag of teens. Most of them were from my high school, but in different years than me. It seemed like they were having a birthday party or something.

A couple sitting on the other side of the room kept glaring over at them. It seemed like somebody chose the wrong day for a date.

Absently, I took another gulp of my iced tea. "So..." I said after my thirst was satiated, "You're a vampire hunter, huh?" I directed my obvious question at my father who sat directly across from me. We were seated at a booth, and I got one side to myself, while Landon and my father sat on the other side.

My father glanced over at Landon and sighed. "So, I see that Landon told you everything."

I slid my eyes to Landon who was looking down at his hands resting on the table with a complicated expression on his face. I moved my gaze back to my father and stared at him hard. "You have some explaining to do."

"I'm sorry, Kali. But if you knew the truth it would put you in danger," his eyes pleaded with me to understand.

I raised an eyebrow. "Yes, because people are always safer in ignorance. I mean, just look at how incredibly safe my friends and I were last night," I said sarcastically.