Blood Thirsty #Wattys2024

Chapter 13 (Samantha POV)

Andrew has been off lately, he's either too nice or just gives me the cold shoulder. When I ask him questions he storms off mumbling incoherent words. I hate how much he has plagued my thoughts lately. My mother surely knows something is going on. I can feel her scrutinizing eyes on me whenever I am home. I'm making may way to health class from the nurses office where I just dropped off some girl named Brooke. When I push open the hall doors Andrew is waiting for me on the steps.

"Hello!" I pipe. He looks up at me, he looks tired. Not the tired you get from loss of sleep, almost like everything that comes to his sight annoys him. Or like he's given up on everything. When I look at his eyes they are dark, almost black, and disassociated. He stands up and holds out his hand, I give him my bag and he slings it across his shoulder - he's so broad. When we get to my CNA class he hands me my backpack an walks off, towards his art class. "Hey!" He turns around, raising an eyebrow at me. "Can we actually hang out at lunch or did I do something to piss you off?" He looks at the ground for a few seconds and looks up at me,

"Sounds great Eve. Bye." And then he's gone again.

++++++

"Jake!" I shout, breathless. So glad I found a happy face today. With Charlotte on vacation and Andrew being extra I could use a pick me up.

"Wassup!" he drawls out the S making it sound funny, I laugh a little. His words were light but he also seemed like he was not present on earth.

"So, I was wondering if you knew what was going on with Andrew."

He looks at me. For a moment there is just nothing, followed by a hollow, far away look. His eyes become glassy. 'We just need some time Eveanna." He doesn't make eye contact with me any further; simply slams his locker shut and sulks away. 

What on earth is going on? I pout in defeat until I see Isabelle. Aw man, this will be a long shot. "Isabelle?" I ask softly. "Could you help me?"

She whips around, her long hair smacking my face, "Finally come to realize you need a wardroom change?" I look down at my clothes. Yes, I realized that a long time ago.

"Sure, but that not what I need form you at the moment."

"You got 30 seconds - go." Her eyes always held a sharp tick to them, I am not sure why she has never liked me but right now that didn't matter.

"Andrew has been angry and not talking to anyone, he didn't even pass his history test today. Jake who is normally such a ray of sunshine seemingly brought to tears... what's going on?"

"Keen eye young lady." Her words are always so sharp and precise. Like the crack of a whip.

 I frown, "I'm never going to find out what's going on will I?"

She must take pity on me as I walk away because she calls out my name and says, "Sisters."

I quickly run after her. "Sisters?" I receive a curt nod. "What do you mean sisters?"

"Once upon a time the boys dated the Belladonna sisters. They were like sisters to me. It was our home-made family. Tragedy struck, as it often does for us and those around us", She glances over at me, as if to warn me that I may also succumb to such fate; "They're both gone now. Today is the anniversary of said tragedy. I've accepted the terms over the years but they still mourn every year."

"Thank you Isabella." We stand stagnant now in front of a room I've not seen before. It must be her class. I try to study her movements, her expressions, but she offers me no hints. 

"Don't pry further. I've surely already said too much." This was a command indubitably, one of which I would be sure follow. 

I turn around and make my way slowly back to a familiar hall. I feel like, I know, that there is far more to the story than I have been offered. Could it be that these are the dangerous people my mother warned me of? Has tried to shelter me from? Would it seal their fate in disaster if I mentioned them to her? Surely I had to keep this to myself.