Fighter - [Sweet Pea]

|| 14: S u s p e c t s, S l u t s & B l o o d S p r ay ||

XX

I roared up to the Cooper's cute, blue-roofed, white planked cottage in a swirl of squealing tires and engine exhaust. Practically nose-diving the car into the curb, I shut off the engine, pausing as the entire frame of the vehicle shuddered and groaned.

When I was a hundred percent certain that the old banger wasn't about to fall down around my ears, I quickly jumped out, tumbled through the nifty, picket gate and made my way towards the Coopers' front door.

Clattering noisily up the porch steps, I took a hasty look at the windows bordering the front of the house. All of them were covered in a dark, neon fabric and the sills were layered with a thick coating of dust. It looked like no one had opened the curtains in this place for a few weeks at least!

Shaking my head to clear the cobwebs, I stepped onto the door-mat and raised my hand to rap my knuckles against the door when, all of a sudden, it was opened from the other side!

I stumbled backwards, gasping in surprise. Righting myself, I glanced up, straight into the steely glare of a blonde-headed woman who looked to be in her late forties.

"Who are you?" she demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. "What do you want?"

I opened my mouth and closed it again, not exactly sure how to respond to such an abrupt question.

"Mum! That's for me! Don't worry, I'll get it!" a shrill, feminine cry echoed from upstairs and I could hear the hastened footsteps of Betty as she rushed downstairs into the hallway.

"Don't worry, Elisabeth, I've already answered the door!" Mrs Cooper shouted over her shoulder. "Who is this? Elisabeth? You know better than to invite strangers into our house!" Turning back to face me, she brushed her bangs out of her eyes as she repeated harshly, "Who are you?"

"She's not a stranger, Mum!" Betty complained as she pushed past her and glanced apologetically at me. "Hi Kenz. Come in."

"Kenz? What kind of a name is that?" Mrs Cooper continued to rant as I stepped inside.

"I'm Mackenzie," I returned shortly, finally finding my voice again. "Everyone just calls me Kenz."

"Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait," she shoved her finger in my face as she gaped at me. "Mackenzie? As in Mackenzie Jones?"

I nodded. "Erhm. Yes. That's right."

"I can't believe it!" Mrs Cooper slapped her hands down on her thighs as she marched through the hall into the kitchen. "Hal? Hal! Honey, we have a Serpent slut in our house!"