I Like Your Fangs

Chapter 8

"Okay, bye."

I smiled and hit the end button on my phone, placing it down happily beside my milkshake. Jenna sighed and rolled her eyes, swirling the red straw of her drink around the rim of the glass.

"What's with the eyes grumpy?"

Jenna pursed her lips, staring down into the contents of her glass, "oh nothing."

I raised my eyebrows, "Please, you're as subtle as a car alarm. Tell me what's wrong."

"You and Lukas. You two are inseparable and I never have time to hangout anymore. Like that, what in the hell was that?!" Jenna pointed an accusing finger at phone and I shrugged innocently.

"He just wanted to say hi, is that so bad? I actually find it really sweet-"

"Barf!" Jenna jabbed a finger in her mouth and then went back to playing with her milkshake.

"Come one Jenna, just be happy for me. Besides, I saw Steven Glass checking you out today, what was that all about?"

Jenna grinned and I laughed as she refused to make eye contact with me, "You didn't, behind the bleachers..."

Jenna pressed her lips in a firm line as she suppressed the urge to giggle. I widened my eyes in friendly shock and slapped her hand, "Jenna Francine Lancaster! I expected more from you, well actually..."

"Hey! I am not a slut. It was just a simple make-out, and besides he's not my type, we were just bored. And don't you my full name, are you trying to make me hurt you?" Jenna blushed and took several gulps of her milkshake as I continued.

"Well then I get leeway to talk about Lukas!"

"Nuh uh, yo-ow, ow ow, brain freeze!!"

Jenna grabbed her forehead in pain, waving a hand rapidly in front of her mouth as she shoved away her milk shake. I began to laugh loudly, not caring about the booths of people who turned around to stare at us.

"Graceful."

Jenna looked up from the table, smiling at me, "Bitch."

"Let's go, I need some air. Are you finished?"

"Defiantly," Jenna rose from her chair, glaring at her milkshake before joining me as we sauntered off out of Burt's Shakes and Fries.

It was a pleasant night, freezing as hell, but all the stars were out as we walked in the middle of town. Jenna and I stared up the sparkling wonders, gazing in awe as we took a moment to ourselves.

"Wow, they're beautiful."

"...yeah..."

Jenna glanced towards me and grinned, grabbing my arm as I let her drag me across the street towards the town playground.

"Oh no, really?"

"Come on! When was the last time you remember coming here and swinging with me?"

I smiled back at her and we both crossed the lawn, walking over the sand as we dove beneath the monkey bars where I broke my arm at six, climbed the purple tower where I had my first kiss with Andrew Jones, and finally arrived at the swing set where Jenna and I first met.

We each took our designated seats, launching ourselves off the ground as we flew through the sky; our hair whipping out behind us before coming back to cover our eyes. We laughed and screamed, dared each other to use no hands, and closed our eyes as we leaned all the way back. A sensation of pure freedom swept over me, and I relished in it as much as I could.

"Hey, Rachel."

I opened my eyes, looking over at Jenna who had her cheek pressed against the cold, rusted chain of the swing as she watched me.

"Hey, Jenna."

"What are you thinking about?"

I sighed contently, "Just how happy I am right now, how perfect this moment is."

Jenna nodded, gazing out at the park that held so much of our childhood.

"It's amazing right? Just how fast time goes by..."

"Yeah, and how huge my ass grew!" I laughed as Jenna reached down and grabbed her butt cheek in disgust. But she looked back up, sticking her tongue out at me as I traced a line in the sand with the tip of my sneaker.

"God, I'm going to miss you like crazy next year," I gave Jenna a crooked smile as she spoke. Jenna had gotten into Berkley College, all the way in California. She came off as an airhead to other people, but grades were always her secret obsession. I was the only person she told so far about her college acceptance.

I still hadn't received an news, and wasn't quite sure as to what I even wanted to be. But it was nice to forget about that for a while, just for now.

"Look! Do you remember that? Holy crap, I thought they had cut it down..."

I looked up from the sand towards Jenna, who was walking away from the swings towards the massive oak tree that stood rooted firmly into the ground, several hundred feet away to the right of the playground. I swallowed and stood, feeling the blood slowly drain from my cheeks as I took a step backward.

"Rachel! Come on!" Jenna's voice grew fainter as she drew closer to the tree, her figure beginning to blend with the shadows of the night.

"I can't!" I called out to her, taking another few steps back.

"What?" Jenna had stopped, and she shouted to me across the lawn as she struggled to hear me.

"I'm going to go home, I'll call you later." I yelled the last few words as loud as I could and turned away, rushing back towards the street as I left.

Soon I had arrived on my street and began to slow my pace, but I couldn't shake the disgusting feeling that had crawled across my skin when I saw the tree. I hated the way it made me feel - fear. For that tree had haunted my dreams for the past year. It was the exact place where I had been turned.