Irregular

Chapter 19

Nalsa rented us a room in Holiday Inn. There are two queen sized beds and a pullout couch. The room is pretty big, but feels tiny because I am stuck in it with demon. The ride here wasn't too miserable. I never would want to do it again, but everyone was pretty quiet after the whole Damien and Jaley thing.

I know I've made it seem like I am in love with Damien. But, i'm blaming it all on his ability. I don't care for him until I see him. He also is a pretty big jerk to me and I don't put up with anyone, especially a guy, treating me like that. So, its just his abilities.

"What's the sleeping situation?" I ask.

"I don't sleep much." Nalsa says. "I think I might just go downstairs and watch the news in the cafeteria. That way I can make sure there are no demons heading towards us and we not know about it because we are all sleeping."

"Well, I call one of the beds and Mae." Jaley jumps onto the bed closest to the window.

"I'll take the couch." Damien offers.

"Marah, you cool if I sleep with you?" I ask. Her face lights up and she nods really quickly.

"Okay. Well, you guys get some sleep. I'll go downstairs and hang out for a while." Nalsa leaves the room.

"I'm going to shower." Jaley says as she closes the bathroom door. Damien and Marah sat on the couch as she flipped through the channels looking for SpongeBob, I could only assume.

Mae slides open the door. "Oh, there's a balcony!" She steps outside. "I'll be out here."

"I'll join you!" I say, then shut the door behind us.

Mae hangs over the railing of the balcony and watches the cars go by on the highway next to our hotel. It is beautiful. The lights from the houses on top of the mountains makes it look like fallen stars, the lights from all the tourist attractions light up the city so perfectly. The music from one of the restaurants is loud enough to be heard from the top floor of our hotel. It is playing older country music, which I don't mind. I usually hate country music, but I grew up on it. My dad always listened to Rascal Flats. I liked him, but it wasn't until the first Cars movie came out that I really loved him. I had this little Nano that my grandfather gave me and all it had on it were Rascal Flats, Big and Rich, Elvis Presley, Linkin Park, and The Black Eyed Peas. I would never listen to it unless we went to Tennessee on our annual trips. It just wasn't right to listen to it anywhere else. It was my mountain music. Hmm. I miss my dad.

"It's extraordinary, huh?" Mae states taking it all in. "I never knew that anything could be this amazing."

"Have you never traveled?"

"Mm, a little. My aunt took me and Jaley to Wild Adventures in Florida once. But, then she got caught for having drugs on her, so we got kicked out. But the top of the Ferris wheel made everything look unbelievable while I had a chance to actually enjoy it."

"I use to travel a lot. My parents always said that they would rather spend all their money now to make memories with us than to save it for whenever they're old and can't really do much."

"You had a good life, didn't you?"

"Yeah. A really good one."

"Do you ever miss it?"

I nod. "All the time. But, I use to always miss things that used to be and completely oversee everything that was. I try not to be sad about the past anymore. Even though its cliche and dramatic, nothing last forever."

"I always hated everything." She giggles. "But then Dugger found us, and I'm okay with everything now. It's not the most perfect life, but we are safe. Nothing ever changes, no one ever leaves. Nothing can really hurt me."

"I guess that's a good way to look at it."

"It's pretty much the only way. Otherwise, I'd end up like Jaley."

"Bitter?"

She laughs. "Yeah."

"Did you see what she did to Damien today?"

"Yeah. I wish she wouldn't do that. He loves her so much."

"I know. He doesn't deserve to be treated that way."

"She loves him too, you know?" She turns to me. "She actually loves him a lot. She talks about him all the time. She cries herself to sleep basically every night, and I know it's because of him."

"She sure doesn't act like she loves him."

"She's too scared to admit her feelings. She thinks not being with him is going to somehow make it easier on her."

"Why?"

"Everyone she's ever loved has left her. Either by choice or by death." She sighs, and looks back over the balcony. "Sometimes both."

"Dugger told me that she is kind of protective of you because of a reason like that."

"Yep. We're best friends. Sometimes I think I get in the way of her being happy when all I want to do is make everyone happy."

"Mae, you can't put that on yourself."

She shrugs. "It's whatever."

"Say where we are going actually exist and is as amazing as Nalsa says. What is the first thing you want to do?"

"Eat ice cream with Jaley. She loves ice cream." She laughs. "Then set her and Damien up on a sweet date. If this world is for the supernatural, that means it should be safe. Therefore, she should not have her guard up and actually love the poor boy."

"That's nice. But I meant for yourself."

"I wouldn't mind finding a nice, quiet place to sit and paint." She smiles. "That's weird, but I love to paint. Lymiex tried to teach me how to draw once and I sucked at it. So, she went to the store and got me paint and I was really good at it. If I could have one thing, it would be that."

"We will have to make sure that happens then." I smile at her.

"Yeah, definitely." She giggles. "I really hope this place is what she claims it is. I'm kind of excited to find out now!"

"You'll have to paint me something."

"I'll paint you the moon to howl at."

I playfully shove her. "That's creature-ist."

"That's not even a word!" She laughs.

Damien pokes his head of the door and says, "Hey, everyone is going to sleep."

"Okay, we're coming in." I tell him, and he goes back inside.

"Thank you for talking to me, Zinn." Mae hugs me. "No one really listens to me."

I hug her back. "You're welcome. You can talk to me anytime, Mae."

She pulls back and smiles. "I hope you mean that because I will come to you and have random conversations now. Be prepared." she then goes inside.

She is a sweet girl. She doesn't deserve a demon as her sister. But, Jaley loving Damien? That doesn't seem right. If you love someone, you would never treat them the way Jaley treats Damien. Whatever. I guess Mae would know.