✓ | WELCOME TO DEADTOWN → original

nineteen

                     "HOW'D YOU SLEEP?" KYLE'S VOICE BROKE THROUGH THE SURFACE OF KAYDEN'S THOUGHTS, INTERRUPTING THE TIDAL WAVE THAT HAD SEEMED TO OVERWHELM HER SINCE HER DEPARTURE FROM AIDEN. The second she had gotten into Kyle's car that Saturday afternoon, she had broken down into tears. She didn't know what the hell was right anymore. For all she knew, everyone she had ever put her trust into could be screwing around on her whenever she wanted. So she had done it. Went back to Kyle, the one person she could never seem to get away from no matter how hard she tried. She hadn't had any other choice. She was a seventeen year old girl, exhausted and horrified at the events that had hit her small town, and sat by herself at parties with her twisted boyfriend's initials carved into her skin, too scared to even put the slightest bit of faith into anyone anymore.

"Fine," Was her listless answer to her boyfriend, who's dark eyes connected with the side of her face.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," She answered sharply, turning away from him and scrunching into the passenger seat, resting her head on the window.

"I was just asking, Kayden," Kyle flicked on his blinkers. "Sorry for wondering if you're alright."

She swallowed, letting out a breath of air. "I didn't mean it like that. I'm just- I'm sorry, okay? For everything. I was scared, and I didn't know what else to do."

He didn't acknowledge the apology, simply sighing and reaching a hand to move a strand of blonde hair away from her face. "I'm your home now, Kay. You don't have to be afraid anymore."

She nodded silently, squeezing her hands into fists. Only she was afraid. She was fucking terrified. The murderer had killed one of the members of the pact, and had almost done away with her best friend as well. She had heard on the television this morning at Kyle's house the third note they had discovered at the brutal crime scene near Eliza's mutilated body:

ONE DOWN, NINE TO GO. -THE SHADOWMAN.

The newscasters were baffled, and were obviously trying to work out what the note meant, but coming up empty handed. But Kayden certainly knew, and if it wasn't for the fact that half of their group had walked out just days before, they probably all would have met up before school to discuss the fact that they were getting a little too close for comfort in the Shadowman's perspective- and that if they kept trying, they would be killed for it just like Eliza had been.

As her and Kyle arrived at the school, he put the car into park, cutting the engine. They watched the students stream into the school, apprehensive looks on all of their faces. It was clear that close to none of them were comfortable with being in the school yet; the majority kept looking over their shoulders and jumping slightly if their friends came up behind them.

Kayden inhaled in surprise as Kyle took her hand, torn out of her thoughts. He turned to face her, his eyebrows drawing together. "Hey. I don't want to have problems with you again."

She rolled her eyes. "Are you fucking-"

"Don't fucking do that," He said coldly, and she rearranged her facial expression. "I'm serious, Kay. I don't want to have to repeat what I did with O'Conner."

Kayden shook her head and tore her wrist away from his, opening the car door. "You know what, Kyle? Come find me when you're ready to love me like you said you were going too Saturday morning and not just when you want to fucking control me."

His face contorted. "Kayden Turner, if you get the fuck out of this car-"

She slammed the door, leaning in close to the window, her teeth gritted together. "When you want to apologize, you know where to fucking find me."