Heterodox (BOOK 2)

Chapter 7

~Vesper~

One of you people owe me a eulogy. A very good one. Because I sure am gonna need it now.

I, a genius, have done something exceedingly stupid. Deadly and stupid. So for all the young ones coming up into the world, let this be the first lesson they learn right after their ABC's and 123's.

Never. Let. Circe. DRIVE.

Don't even let her get her hand on the wheel because the second you do, you might as well start ordering a customized tombstone.

So yeah. My dying wish is a eulogy at least a page long on my pathetic life. Not too much I ask of you.

Right. So back to my painfully quick drive to death.

"I SHOULD HAVE ASKED YOU IF YOU OWNED A LICENSE!"

Circe swerves down the street, breaking laws in seconds. She replies cooly, "Never had time to buy one."

"YOU DON'T BUY ONE, YOU EARN IT!"

"Oh well. C'est la vie."

Another swerve gets me slamming into the left car door. Latte lets out a squeal, fully aware of his near terrible fate. I hold on to the car-seat in front of me for my dear life, feeling dizzy and mildly tasting the blueberry muffin comeback. What have I done Lord? What have I done?!

Taking deep breaths, I lean back trying to stay calm and close my eyes so that I don't see the rest of Circe's manic path to destruction. My heartbeat might actually be faster than the car.

I think back to yesterday on our search for Min Ji and Dolan. Not so much Dolan but Min Ji in particular was very hard to find. I saw her yesterday in a the buzz of students but when I finally reached the spot where she was, she wasn't there. It was as if... she didn't want to be found.

"You okay, Vesper?" Circe has the gall to ask.

"Just keep your eyes on the road, Circe," I say tiredly, "Maybe we'll have the luck of living an extra five minutes before we die."

"Stop being such a drama queen." After a few seconds, she asks, "Is Talon on my tail?"

Before I can answer, one of Talon's cars saddle up besides us, her angry brother in the driver's seat. "Pull over now," her brother growls, menacingly.

"No," she answers stubbornly, "What are you? The cops?"

As if on cue, I hear a siren's wail and see through the rear view mirror, whirling red and blue flashes. MB, who is sitting in the backseat like me in Talon's car, whimpers. "I don't wanna die! I'm too young to die!" he groans.

"And I'm too handsome to get arrested," Talon snaps. "Circe, do as I say AND PULL OVER NOW!!"

Circe sticks her tongue out at him and crushes the gas pedal instead. I hear Talon's furious roar and MB's weeping from behind. While angry cars honk excitedly on the road, I wonder in a daze at how it is possible to get tangled up in a high speed chase with expensive cars and get pursued by the police in a span of ten minutes.

Only with the Grey twins, I tell ya. Only them.

***

Staggering out of the car, I empty my guts rid of the muffin I had so enjoyed earlier. Circe watches me in silence, wearing a look that I can't distinguish between sympathy and boredom. I rise wiping my mouth and point a finger in Circe's face dizzily. "And you call yourself responsible."

She shrugs as if that is a satisfying reply for my sarcasm.

Boredom it is.

Talon's car pulls up. He steps out as MB shuffles with his arms wrapped around himself. Taking one look at me with the car hood as my lifeline, they nail Circe to the cross with steely glares.