Fates (On Hold, Rewriting)

Chapter 7-UPDATED

Chapter 7 

The sound of my demanding alarm clock wakes me at 4 a.m. I shut it off and take a shower. When I get out, I dress myself in jeans and a tight t-shirt. For breakfast, I eat scrambled eggs, an apple, toast and orange juice.

A car horn honks outside. I quickly finish the rest of my breakfast and scribble a note on a sheet of paper.

Gone to the cities with friends. Be back late tonight.

—Lilly

I quickly slip on my tennis shoes, grab my purse, and head out the door.

            “Good morning, sleepyhead,” Emma greets me as I slip into the passenger seat.

            “’Morning, Emma,” I reply. “‘Morning, Raine.”

            “Ready for a fun day of shopping?” Emma asks as she pulls out of my driveway.

            “I’m ready for anything that will get me out of the house,” I reply earnestly.

            Emma frowns. “Did something happen that I don’t know about?”

            I long to tell them the truth. Not just portions of the truth, but all of it. I wish to tell them that I’m a vampire hunter. I want to tell them that Jason is the vampire I’ve been assigned to kill.

            But I can’t tell them any of it.

            “Just a little bit of misunderstanding between me and my parents,” I reply.

            “That’s all the explanation we need,” she replies.

            “So,” Raine begins from the back seat, “what’s really going on between you and Jason?”

            “Why do you want to know so bad?”

            “We don’t want you to end up like the others.”

            “For the love of God, I am not going to end up like the others!” I snap. 

            They flinch.

            I take a calming breath. “Sorry. It’s just that my parents said the same thing last night.”

            She remains silent for a moment. “But you do understand why we are so concerned don’t you? It’s like he has a black cloud of death following him and snatching up those closest to him.”

            “I understand your concern, yes,” I agree. “I just want to know how they died, so I can protect myself.”

            I spend the next half-hour or so listening to them as they recount the relationships and how they each ended. While I already know the information, I nod and ask questions when appropriate. I’m just glad they’ve let up about Jason and me. I comfort them when they discuss what happened to their friend Lauren. I don’t know what it’s like to lose a friend. I’ve never had any to lose, but I hope I never get to know the feeling.

Emma gives me a half laugh, half sob thing and says, “Lilly, promise me. If you do end up going out with Jason, be careful. We care about you and don’t want you to die, too.” Her eyes are pleading and tear filled.

            “I’ll be careful,” I promise them. “I can take care of myself.”

At least an hour has passed since we left my house and it’s light outside. We’re silent the rest of the way there, except for the occasional sigh or slight complaint about traffic. We stop at a gas station every so often to use the bathroom and stretch our legs. Each stop lasts about ten minutes.