The Phantoms

Chapter 7

"Vikings?" Fabien asks,rubbing his temples.
"Is what they looked like," Evan says from my left. Gail is just staring into space thoughtfully.
The four of us are sitting in the same position we were in at Pump. Evan sprawled out beside me with Gail and Fabien opposite,only a paper-strewn desk separating them from us.
We're in a garage.
According to those three,we're in Evan's aunt's garage. Who apparently knows about their powers and that we're meeting in here tonight while she's left the house to do her own business.
The garage is exceptionally tight.In addition to the Bugatti there's two Hyundais and a Porsche parked in it,not to mention our desk,wedged between the wall and one of the Hyundais.
Not that the garage is small. It's slightly larger than the average,with greasy walls and almost blindingly bright lights shining from the ceiling. The cluttered space and oddly random objects lying in it, a white t-shirt on the Porsche and a red ball sitting in a corner,give it a cozy sort of feel,like it's been used countless of times for this purpose.
Even the desk seems like it was originally arranged for three,since we had trouble fitting mine in.
"Like they're straight from the TV show,"I agree with Evan. Gail sends a musing glance my way. It's nice to receive a look from her that's not a glare for once.
Our relationship has changed considerably after Evan and I had returned from our road trip in one piece. And no,it wasn't relief that her brother had come back without being molested and murdered by me that did it. It was a coincidence at an outdoor art supply store.
I'd gone down there for some spray paint for my still undecorated room after a long day of more questioning about the Andrews-which is Evan and Gail's last name as I'd found out because of the whole trophy checking thing. I'd been rounding the edge of a shelf on my way to the counter when I saw the back of her blonde ponytail out front. I'd frozen for a moment.
"I'm sorry if this is rude-but I don't know what that is,alright? Just point me to someone who can paint my car. Or say if you can't."
Gail had sounded close to tears. Jordie- the store manager,had that effect on people. I'd relaxed a little when I realized she hadn't seen me.
I remember hesitating for awhile before deciding to join her.
The moment she'd seen me,her face had turned frosty.
She'd silently wheeled around and strode out of the store. I- just as silently- had followed her,vaguely wondering why I cared so much.
I'd tailed her past three blocks when she'd finally snapped.
"What do you want?" She'd thrown over her shoulder. I'd fallen into step behind her.
"To apologize,"I'd said,stopping in my tracks to meet her gaze seriously. Thankfully she'd stopped too.
"And if I don't accept it?" She'd asked bluntly,arms crossed over her chest. Her eyes suddenly turned sharp,kindling her resemblance to her brother.
"Oh you will,"Had been my simple response. We'd both known it. Why else would she have stopped to talk to me?
Gail had given me a suspicious look. "You're a funny girl Lydia Phillips." She'd said,resuming her walk again. I'd kept up.
"Patricia Williams seems to think you're the devil incarnate while Finn Gilbert says you're an angel.The principal says you're nothing but a worthless troublemaker while the math teacher believes that you're just a sadly misunderstood girl who's  full of potential.The Bio teacher hates your guts but Mr Sultan who's harsh with almost everyone at Ebony doesn't seem to mind you so much."
She'd stopped again and faced me,eyes still razor sharp. "Who are you?" A small smile of respect had curled up a corner of my mouth. She'd been smarter than I'd given her credit for.And quick.
I'd known what she'd meant.
I call it the Trick and Hide game. It's my way of confusing people who're poking around. Covering my trail. Hiding my weaknesses. Because in my case if someone's poking around,it's never for innocent reasons.
They say when you live a lie,you become one.And that's what had happened to me. To survive,I'd become a lie.An illusion.
It doesn't even bother me anymore.
"You've done your research,"I'd said,my tone casual.
Gail gives me another dark look that I interpret as of course I had did you expect me to let my brother go out of town for two days with a girl he'd met a few days ago and I know nothing about-pfft.
"So who are you really?" Gail had asked again. As if I would answer honestly.
I'd shrugged,deciding to with hold the truth but not lie either.
"Everyone has a different version of a story." I'd said,shoving my hands into my hoodie's front pocket. "You just have to pick what to believe."
Gail had scoffed.My words hadn't made her any less suspicious.
Then,she'd changed subjects so abruptly,I'd been thrown.
"So you were apologizing?" She'd prompted. I'd squared my shoulders,preparing for the invitable. It's been some time since I'd offered a sincere apology.
"Uh,yeah. I didn't know you were like me,Gail. I thought you were going to report me as an alien or something. You know how people would react if they learned about us."
"That didn't even contain a sorry,"she'd grumbled. But nevertheless,she'd taken it. I'd went back home feeling a little lighter.
The next morning,Fabien had appeared next to my locker. He'd pressed 22 Vine Street written on a scrap of paper to my hand. "Tomorrow night." He'd whispered and left.
And here we are now,discussing on what to do about the portal.
"Someone obviously has to go back there to learn more." Gail is saying,passing me a couple more blank papers so I can sketch on them.I sigh and rotate my already stiff wrist. I'm seriously regretting ever offering to draw the "Vikings"'world for her and Fabien in the first place.
"Maybe the portal's a way back in time." I say, my pencil starting on a different angle of the same place I'd sketched about ten times already. Gail had wanted a sketch from a front angle,a side angle,a back angle,bird's point of view,insider point of view,outside point of view of every single thing we'd seen in the portal. I respect her thinking,I'd have done the same of I were her,but that doesn't mean it's fun work.
"I doubt it,"Evan says distractedly, shuffling through  some of the papers.
"Why?" I ask,my head tilted to look at him.
"Just a hunch."
"Well we're not gonna find out what it is if we don't go back and check." Gail cuts in before I can argue. She shoots a cutting glance at her brother. He blows out a breath and drops the papers.
"Fine,"he says. "But we're sending you and Fabien.Lydia and I have already paid our due."
Gail scoffs. "No way. Lydia's coming with us. She's the only one with an artist's eye here."
"We can just take pictures," Fabien offers. Gail rolls her eyes.
"Of course.Take a phone out and snap a picture in a world where guns don't even exist yet. Why not?"
"A risk you're going to have to take," I say,grabbing an eraser to rub out a wrong line. "I can't go out of town again if you don't want half the state's police chasing us.My mom's already suspicious." This morning she'd casually told me that she'd lost her Visa over the weekend. I'd responded with my usual whatever attitude,which Carson had been frowning over but inside I'd been groaning. She was just testing me. I'd put the Visa on Carson's bedside table upon my return to make it look like she'd misplaced it but so it'd be easy enough to find. There's no way she could have missed it. It was her way of telling me that she's watching.
"So what,Lydia," Evan says tipping his chair back to it's two legs. "Are you choosing the parents over the hunters?"
I remember I'd used almost the same words to get him to agree that I should drive a car a few days ago. I grin at him.
He grins back.
Gail lets out an impatient breath. "Ok,so,no I don't want that.Lydia's out.The sketches'll have to do."
Evan lets his chair fall back with a thud. "When are you thinking?"
"This weekend,"Gail replies."Dad's busy with work."
"He'll still notice,"Evan says,smiling humorlessly. I look down at my half-finished sketch to hide my curiousity.
"She can say she's staying over at a friend's,"I suggest.
Fabien and Evan wince. Gail smiles bitterly. I've obviously poked a sore wound.
"Here's the thing," Gail says,still smiling that bitter smile. "I have no friends."
"My sister thinks she's too good for everyone."Evan says in a disgusted tone. I refrain from passing him a disbelieving look. It might have fooled someone else but it doesn't fool me. That's clearly not the case. I've  the way the girls at school talk abot Gail. With the savage smirks of hungry lionesses on their mouths as if they couldn't wait to dish some shit on her. Displaying clear disgust.And that might not have bothered me or Evan and maybe not Fabien either but Gail has already proven that she can be sensitive. This is Evan's strange way of covering for his sister. Saving her from giving an explanation.
"You can say you're staying over at mine." I say,offhandedly. Like I don't feel the tension in the room.
Gail's suprise is obvious. "You sure?" She says,a little awkwardly. I shrug. "Why not?You can come over with a bag and all,even ask your dad to drop you off so he can see. We can even watch a movie or something for awhile,if mom and Carson are around.We'll plan the specifics later."
Fabien nods slowly. "That could work. Probably will work.But that's not the only thing we should be worried about."
Evan grimaces. "What?"
"The hunters.They'll have eyes on Ebony now."
I almost moan. Of course.We'd killed one of their beasts here. This town was probably under severe hunter surveillance as we speak. "We should take their eyes off it." I say,twirling my pencil absently. "Go use our powers in other random states. Confuse them."
"There's only one catch in that." Evan says,tipping his chair back again.I resist the urge to give hin a little push.
"What?"
"We'd literally be inviting the beasts over to come find us. How are you so sure we can survive another one?"
"Maybe they only muttated one,"Fabien says,hopefully.
"Add that on the list of things you need to figure out when you go there this weekend." I reply,an obvious edge of sarcasm in my voice. Fabien just regards me calmly.
I look at him with a mingle of admiration and suspicion.  He's been pretty much unreadable so far,still as mild and polite he was when I'd blown a ride for him. I've been testing him constantly since then,dropping irritating hints and bitchy comments on his head. Still I sense no annoyance or anger when he talks to me. Just an unreadable calm. As if he knows exactly what I'm doing and he doesn't care. He seems pretty close with the siblings though,especially with Gail. There's an age old familiarity in the way they communicate with each other,with subtle looks and light touchs,both moving in assurance that the other has their back.
"Oh we will." Gail says,smiling scarily. She pushes an even larger pile of papers at me. "You didn't sketch the bushes."
I groan,holding my hands up,so she can see the bandages still wrapped around them. "Come on-"
She shoots me a look that says,I don't care and turns back to viewing more of my sketches with Evan. This must be a punishment for how I'm treating Fabien. Evan doesn't even try to disguise his laughter.
Don't complain.Find equal ground.
As I start sketching for the billionth time today,my arm repeatedly hits the wall due to the tightness in the garage.
"Whatever," I say,looking up once more to point the sharp tip of my pencil at Gail. "But if you want to meet up ever again,you're gonna have to find somewhere with bigger space for it."