It was day fifteen; the rooster's boisterous crow woke Faith from her slumber. Her languid eyes were greeted by the full brilliance of the burning star pouring through the window she forgot to close.
Last night, she sprawled across her bed, gazing out the window as the moon's luminescent glow streaked across her room was the only way she fell asleep. Her bored, trapped mind drifted to times when she had more freedom than she could handle. She lied under the thin quilted blanket listening to the rooster's entire chorale letting all souls near know that it was time to rise as she replayed the things she thought about last night
"What's her name again?" Harper asked lounging in the backseat of Isabeth's Land Rover in a tie-dyed bikini top and white shorts skimming the page of a weathered book. "Georgia?"
"No, she's from Georgia." Isabeth corrected sliding the gearshift to park in front of the stonewashed storefronts on Emerald Lane. The spaghetti strap slipped off her shoulder as she unbuckled the seatbelt. "Her name's Gidget. You know like the movie."
"What movie?" Harper inquired jumping up and propping her arm on the passenger seat.
Faith pushed Harper's arm off her seat, "You know she doesn't watch anything made before 1991." Isabeth shook her head disapproving of her friend's lack of appreciation for the classics while Faith smirked as she shifted her azure eyes to the buildings. Her gaze on the storefront a couple of feet away from them with pristine glass windows displaying high-priced jeans and appealing blouses. Above the windows in bold, black, plain lettering was the name—Hamilton. "I can't believe Fiona's parents make her work in the summer."
"They say it builds work ethic." Isabeth swiped through the texts on her clear-cased phone. "I, on the other hand, was born with a gift."
"Lying...is that the gift you have?" Faith teased snatching the phone out of Isabeth's hand.
"Gave me that back." Isabeth tried to get her phone from Faith's quick hands.
Faith leaned against the door with the phone close to the window, "Malachi. Malachi. Malachi. How many times have you two texted? Damn."
Harper's eyes lifted from the book her mother made her read because she told her she was bored, "You and Malachi."
"Relax, Harper." Isabeth read the girl's sad face in the rearview mirror. "I'm not trying to steal your imaginary boyfriend." The words made the backseat rider roll her honey eyes. "We're just working on something." She slapped Faith's bare arm, "Give me."
Faith paid no mind to the reddish mark glowing on her tanned olive skin as she gave Isabeth the phone back, "Friends shouldn't have secrets, Isabeth."
"We don't." Isabeth dropped the phone in her lap staring ahead at the BMW parked in front of her. "It's a non-issue. We're just friends."
"Humph." Faith let out as she looked back out the window. The golden summer sun basking over Evening highlighted the unrefined beauty of the girl at Fiona's side. "I don't like this Gidget girl. There's a darkness about her."
"Oh give it a break, Faith," Harper spoke up tossing the book in the seat. "You're not a mystic. I don't care if your Grandmother is from New Orleans."
Faith bestowed the girl with a wicked stare then turned back around, "All I'm saying is we don't know any O'Malley's and if we don't know her family how are we supposed to know what kind of person she is."
"Here's a hint..." Isabeth began as the pair neared the car. "Get to know her."
Familiar knocks tapped against the door ripping Faith out of the domicile of her mind to the prison that awaited her in reality. The door swung open and she rocketed upright clinging the blanket to her chest, braless and free. She frowned at the boy with fierceness in her eyes as he shut the door behind him.
YOU ARE READING
The Homecoming: Book Three of The Psychopath Maker Series
Mystery / ThrillerThree played a 'Wicked Game.' Now, it's time for round two. One will fight. One will meet The Maker. And one will try to keep them all safe. The world may be black and white but to win this game, they'll have to play in the gray.
