White Roses

White Roses; Chapter 11

I wasn't able to think clearly for the rest of the week. And no, it wasn't just because of that crazy vision-dream-flashback thing that happened. It was because of the crazy vision-dream-flashbacks that had started happening since the first one with the bloody vampire. It seemed like everything I touched, a flashback would happen. The biggest problem? They all felt so real, like I was actually there. I was so terrified to touch things or talk to people, just in case I got a flash of their past.

On Monday morning, all I saw at school were flyers for the Halloween dance coming up. Oh gosh, was it October already?

"Hey," Zander said, as he walked by my side to my locker. I nodded at him.

"Where's Taryn?" I asked. He shrugged nonchalantly.

"I was about to ask you the same thing. She is your best friend."

I rolled my eyes. "She is your girlfriend. You should know her whereabouts just as much as I should."

"And we both don't." He put his hand to his chin as I spun my combo in. "What kind of people are we?"

I grinned. "Still trying to figure that out myself."

The first few classes of the day passed, no sign of Taryn yet. Eventually, Zander was going unseen. Where was everyone?

During my off period I called Taryn. Six times. And she didn't answer any. By the end of the day I was freaking out. I stalked over to my car.

And found Taryn leaning against it, Zander directly behind her. My anger boiled to the point where I couldn't speak. I opted for shouting.

"What the freaking hell?!" I shouted, drawing attention to myself. "Where the flying fuck have the two of you been all day!?"

Taryn sighed, rubbing a smudge out of the lenses of her teal glasses. "Sorry, Ev. We had... business to do."

"It must have been some pretty fucking important business to miss an entire day of school." I stared at her more closely. Her eyes were rimmed with redness. Zander's were the same. "What have you guys been doing? Getting hammered or something?"

"What? No," Taryn stated, looking at me squarely. "I'm just tired, that's all." She capitalized on the statement by yawning. "I'm coming over in twenty minutes."

I rolled my eyes. It was typical Taryn, inviting herself over whenever she felt necessary. "Whatever."

I jumped in my car and went to pick up Eva. I didn't comment on anything she said as she told me about her day.

Dad was out of town for the week and mom wouldn't be home until late. I slung my backpack over my shoulder and handed Eva hers as we got home and got out of the car. She grumpily stormed inside.

Yeah kid. You aren't the only one having a bad day.

I walked to the front door and was hit by a strong scent. I stopped cold.

The scent was minty but... there was a... an almost dirty smell around the minty-ness. It smelled toxic.

"Eva!" I yelled into the house. Her little body bounded to the front door, her brown curls bouncing. I scooped her up in my arms. She was bouncing and smiling happily.

"Evie!" she squealed. "There's a pretty man in our house!"

Oh God.

I sprinted to my car, threw the driver's door open and stuffed Eva in the seat. I buckled her in extra tight.

"Listen to me," I said as sweetly as I could. "Stay out here in the car." I handed her my phone. "If I'm not out in ten minutes, press that green button and dial 9-1-1. Okay?"