The Viper ONC 2020

Chapter Seven (Unedited)

When Saturday morning arrived, Scarlett was beyond paranoid. She was attempting to hide everything from her mom. Keeping all her recent secrets was getting increasingly harder throughout the week. That was why she was ready to jump out of the house and get it all finished.

Thankfully, for once in a long time, Scarlett was thankful that her mom had a back to back shift at the hospital. She would be able to get out undetected, and she wouldn't have to deal with her mom's panic until she was in the air, heading to Berlin. Truth be told, Scarlett hated keeping something so serious hidden from her mom, but the last thing she wanted was for her mom to be dragged into a situation where she would end up hurt, or worst, dead. 

Granted, Scarlett had cussed out Jacklyn in every word thinkable due to her pure stupidity in the very idea of tagging along. Jacklyn was not a dumb girl, she was, surprisingly, quite smart and clever. However, she had the tendency to attempt to play the hero when not needed. That is why Scarlett had insisted throughout the rest of the week for Jacklyn to just drop it. But, that wouldn't happen.

When Scarlett had been picked up by Brandon in an old, red mustang, the last thing she expected was for Jacklyn to be in the back seat. She had silently been hoping that Jacklyn would have been left behind, but she was rather persuasive. That and Brandon was unable to deal with her threats. Jacklyn might have been human, but she was well trained in combat. When you lived in Chicago, you had to know the basics in hand to hand fighting. 

"Jacklyn, are you sure you want to tag along?" That was the first thought out of Scarlett's mouth as she tossed her duffle bag below her feet. She closed the door, and it groaned with age as it shut. Thoughts had been running rampant in Scarlett's head; she was terrified to be going with a mere stranger to Berlin. But, to drag her girlfriend into this whole charade, it was beyond comprehensible. 

"Scarlett, I made up my mind before I entered that diner. So, whether you like it or not, I'm coming with you. Plus, you never know what a military kid can do." Brandon let out a scoff.

"Being a military kid ain't gonna change the fact that we are fighting otherworldly deities." Scarlett rolled her eyes as they strolled through her neighborhood. Memories ran through her mind like a slideshow. She could remember riding her first bike, skipping rope with her school friends, and even playing street basketball; it all was a set of memories that Scarlett cherished. She wasn't sure whether or not she would see this neighborhood again. Maybe she would, maybe not. 

"If Scarlett's going, then so am I. It's a two for one deal." Scarlett once again shook her head before looking backward towards an anxious Jacklyn. She was trying to be confident; Scarlett knew that Jacklyn put up this facade of being brave and strong, but on the inside, Jacklyn must have been utterly terrified. She knew that Jacklyn had put on an emotional mask in order to be there for her. 

Scarlett rested her head along the seat belt and closed her eyes. She listened to the soft music in the background as Jacklyn seemed to quiet down. The airport wasn't far, but the ride seemed to feel longer than a cross country drive. It was almost like they were on a ride to hell. 

Scarlett allowed the music to drown her senses out. She wanted to forget about all of this; she didn't want to believe that her mom would arrive to see an empty house. She didn't want to look at her phone as her brother stacked up missed calls. She didn't want to hear her ringer go off with a frenzy of messages from every person she knew. 

Scarlett knew that she wouldn't just be hurting her mom; she would be taking a piece of her mom and running away. It hurt Scarlett to think about it, but with everything that has happened in the week, she prioritized her mom's safety. Just in case anything were to happen.