Matthew Silver and the Monster Hunters, Book One: The Darkest Waters

Chapter Fourteen

SilverCHAPTER FOURTEEN

One thing that I do not appreciate about myself is my inability to wake up in the morning. Jay told me that if I didn’t start moving, she’d “smother me with a pillow until I suffocated.”I shifted over onto my side, which to me is a form of movement. She didn’t see it that way. I’m still trying to catch my breath. Having Hunters for friends could suck sometimes, because when they say they’ll kill you, it’s hard to tell whether they’re kidding or not.

The storage units were only about a mile or two from the hotel, so we ditched the car in the parking lot. The other three were anxious to get away from it. With all the legal trouble we’d gotten into already, the last thing we needed was to get caught in a car theft.

We set out on foot, heading across streets, and walking along the highway. We began approaching the parking lot entrance of the small warehouses.

“I hope you have a new ride for us,”I said, catching up to Scott.”

“Yeah, do you really expect us to carry our stuff all the way?”Sandy called from a little ways behind us.

“I’ve got a plan, kid. I know what I’m doing.”

“Could’ve fooled me,”muttered Jay.

I stared at her a little surprised. Jay wasn’t a mean person…most of the time. She could be a little sarcastic or cynical sometimes, but the way she glared at him, and the way Scott huffed, creating streams of mist in the cool air, told me that they weren’t on the best of terms at the moment.

Figures,I snorted. I leave for two days, and they start tearing each other apart.

I took her hand and slowed pace a bit. She got the message, and we dropped behind. I subtly caught Sandy’s eye, and she went up to walk with Scott, speeding up a bit, while talking to him. Now that there was a gap between us, I could ask her what was up.

“Hey,”I nudged her shoulder.

She glanced at me briefly. “Hey?”Okay, so clearly she didn’t want to talk.

“Everything okay?”I asked slowly.

“Peachy.”She kept her stony gaze forward on the horizon. If she wanted to convince me that she was okay, then why would she make it so obvious that she wasn’t? Girls confused me so much. Peachy didn’t sound cheerful, even without the sarcasm.

“So…”I said, unsure of what else to say.

“So?”

“Anything you want to talk about?”

“You’re about to run into a lamppost.”Her voice stayed in the same monotone, so I thought she was joking.

I slammed my face right into it, releasing her hand to brace myself. I wished she would’ve warned me earlier. I guess I hadn’t realized that I had been veering to the side of the sidewalk, right into the path of a lamppost.

“So you and Scott are all good?”I said holding my nose, making my voice sound nasally.

“We had a slight disagreement earlier, but it’s been resolved.”

“Mmm hmm.”I nodded. “I didn’t detect any hostility from you.”

She scowled, dropping the false pretense. “He’ll get over it.”

“Sure, maybe, but you don’t sound over it.”

She let go of my hand and sped up her pace. “I’ll be fine.”