The Berserker

Chapter 8

Something startled me awake into sitting position. There was chiming, and I groaned when it rang inside my head.

That's the doorbell. Who's ringing this early in the morning?

Peyton wasn't next to me, already up. My watch rested on the bedside table, and the time read one o'clock. I pulled open my curtains blinking at the amount of sunlight that streamed in. I closed my curtains again getting dressed. The ringing stopped, and now, I heard voices.

"Who are you?" Nicky demanded as I stepped outside my bedroom. I wasted no time in going directly to the front door.

"Nicky, what's wrong?" I asked.

"These people won't tell me who they are, and they say they want to come inside," Nicky scoffed. "Do they have no manners?"

"Let me deal with it," I told her opening the door a bit wider to see who it was. I wasn't even surprised to see Gabriel and Justin standing there, just annoyed. Nicky went back inside cursing them under her breath.

"We thought we had the wrong address for a second there," Gabriel laughed. "Who was that?"

"Family," I ground my teeth. "Why are you here?"

"Chelsea and Maya want to talk to you, but they were too nervous to ring the doorbell," Justin answered gesturing behind him. I saw Chelsea's car parked in the driveway.

"Why are you two with them?" I asked returning my gaze to them. I wasn't happy that they knew where I lived.

"We're getting ready for the party."

I crossed my arms across my chest. "The party starts at five."

"It's down by the lake." Justin shrugged as if that would clarify things. It didn't.

Blake pulled on my pants legs grabbing my attention reaching up towards me smiling but hid when he noticed the two strangers at the door. I patted him on the head sending him back inside. Peyton stood behind me, exuding a dangerous aura.

"Who are they?" he growled low in his throat.

Justin and Gabriel tensed. "Friends of Chelsea and Maya. I'll be right back." I stepped outside walking past the two boys down to the car. The warm tar reminded me I was barefoot, but it didn't matter. Maya and Chelsea got out walking towards me sparing glances at each other as they did.

"Why are you here?" I asked indifferently.

They stayed silent for a bit before talking at the same time voice overlapping.

"We want you to - " and "We would like to know -" before stopping.

"Let's talk inside," I told them. They followed, but Peyton and I stopped Justin and Gabriel. "This is between my sisters and I. You two can wait outside." The flint in my voice ensured it wasn't up for negotiation. Peyton closed the door, taking Blake with him to his room.

Chelsea and Maya were in the living room, and I sat across from them. "So," I started alternating my gaze between them, "what's going on? And one at a time."

Shifting in their seats, they looked at each other, and Maya nudged Chelsea.

"We were wondering if you can still come to the party with us," Chelsea finally spoke.

I scoffed incredulously. "You both want me to come? Even after what I said?"

"Yes. We thought about it, and decided that we'll judge for ourselves whether Mom's right about you," Maya answered. "I'm having a hard time seeing you like that because that's not you when you're with us. When you said it, it came as a shock. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to think or do. But, I know the you of the last three years, and that's you now."