The Days Before 16

Chapter 7 Continued

Well since it's Christmas tomorrow, I thought I'd give you two updates today, I guess as a virtual present!! Have a great day guys, stay safe for the holidays!!
Wednesday, 24 December 2014

I woke up about noon. I don't care, I really don't, I thought. I got into a comfy sitting position, leant over and grabbed my book from the bedside table. I read for a while, just read. You know how something happened in a book and you think- 'It's about time!' or 'No no no, how could that happen- why did that happen? No!' I hated it but I loved it at the same time. I loved to make situations into something that I wanted to happen. I was reading the third book in the 'The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod' series- 'Tenth Grade Bleeds' by Heather Brewer. She was a great writer. I stopped reading for a second and looked at my bookshelf. I had books about vampires, werewolves, vampires and werewolves, angels/ fallen angles, magic, murder, tigers and horses. They were all on different shelves and if they were in a series, they were with it. That got me thinking, did I have to cut my hair because I was a werewolf? Or was that some stupid thing? Todd's hair was short... I made a mental note to ask Todd about it later. But I felt as if I'd been transported into the Twilight series and Jacob did cut his hair when he became a wolf. I touched my hair. I don't want to cut you, I thought. I didn't like having to cut my hair. I'd have to see about that.

I'd read for another hour when the phone rang. I walked to the phone but hesitated before I picked it up. Should I answer it or leave it? I turned away. But what if it's Todd and he's in trouble? I picked it up.
I waited a second then said; "Hello?" It wasn't Todd because he always answered first, in the gap before I answered, that's his queue to say 'hello'.
"Willow, you're not supposed to pick the phone up when you're at home by yourself." said a voice. It scared me... because it sounded like...
"Mom?" I whispered accidentally into the phone, sounding confused. Damn I just made a big mistake.
"Yes my baby girl?" the voice said softly.
"No it's not you, your... dead." I said my voice shaky, my eyes blurry from the tears streaming down my face. Not because I was upset but because it scared me. What was wrong with me?
"Yes I am dead." She said. Wait that sounded like...
"Sarah, is that you?" I asked horrified. Sarah- misses popularity, miss everything-I-say-goes and but overall she was Queen Bitch at school.
"Yeah it's me." I heard laughter from the other end. I hung up. Tears were streaming down my face. I covered my face with my hands for a moment. How could they play such a cruel joke about that? But more importantly, how did they know? I didn't tell them and I don't think Todd told them either. I ran to my room and changed out of my pj's. I changed into a hoodie, jeans and tennis shoes. I bent down to tie my shoe and noticed another letter. Great. The note wasn't like the ones before; this one didn't have a drawing, just words. It was one of those letters which were made from the letters of magazines. I didn't think the letters and drawings could get any creepier but I was wrong when I read this note- 'You really should have gone on that date with me Willow. Love... well, you'll find out later. PS I wouldn't be alone for a while' and at the end of the words there was a small drawing of a heart. I left the letter inside my book, grabbed my phone and purse and locked the front doors as I left. I ran half way to the shops. At least there I wasn't completely alone. I sped walked the rest of the way there.

I felt better once I got there but I still looked over my shoulder frequently. I ordered my favourite drink from my favourite coffee shop- a white hot chocolate from Gloria Jeans. I walked around for a while, just circling the shop. One lady had come up to me and asked me if I was ok. I'd said I was fine and she nodded and left. I walked into my favourite bookstore and looked around. One of the ladies at the resister came over and said, "Hi Willow. Did you want to look at our new arrivals; we haven't got a chance to put them out yet?"
"Oh yes please." I said as I followed her. I'm always here and I only get my books from here. I was a VIP member for sure if they had a VIP system. I felt better here, I felt safer. I felt safer when I read- it was my escape. I could get away from my problems and I could also dive into someone else's and experience their journey through their rough times.
"Here. Vampires, werewolves, angels, horses, murders, curses and children's." she said as she pointed to a different box for each. "There may be some doubles to the ones you already have, but there are new ones." She continued and walked away. I looked at the huge brown boxes, my eyes going wide with excitement. I didn't bother with the children's books. I looked through the horse's box but found nothing. Angels I found two- Unearthly and The Replacement. I skimmed through the werewolves and murder boxes but still found nothing. My hope of finding something new was fading until I looked in the curses box. I found a series with two books already here, the series was called The Tiger saga and the first two books were called The Tiger's Curse and The Tiger's Quest. It was a series, the third book-The Tiger's Voyage, wasn't out yet. I put the two books with the other two books that I had found. The last box was about vampires and I found mostly doubles to the ones I already had, but there were ten books there that I didn't have. The series was called The Morganville Vampires and the first ten books were here. There were some not out yet but that didn't matter. But the books that I had here would keep me busy for a while. I made sure that all the books went back into the right boxes and took the books I was going to buy to the resister.
"Did you find anything Willow?" the same lady asked.
"Yes I did find something but I can't see any prices on them yet." I said as I handed over the tall tower of books in my hands. She put them in a bag.
"We haven't done that yet. How about thirty?" she asked.
"Thirty? For all these books? No, I couldn't. Forty?"
"Ok then. Forty." She said. I pulled out my purse and got forty dollars out. I handed it over. This was like, the cheapest book store in the entire world, and it wasn't even a second-hand store, it was a real bookstore.
"Thanks." I said as she handed over the bag of books. I walked away from the bookstore feeling much better. I looked at my phone. Oh crap. It was three-thirty and Todd had called twice. I hadn't heard it because it was on vibrate and when I'd sat down in the shop I took it out of my pocket. I typed in Todd's number and hit the green phone to call. He picked up on the second ring.
"Where are you? Where have you been? You are in so much trouble!" he said angrily but relieved to know I was ok.
"At the shops. Why? What's wrong Todd?" I asked worried that something had happened.
"Let's see. I leave you at home today and you leave. You didn't even leave a note to say where you were!"
"I needed to get away from home, be somewhere where there were people. I didn't feel safe after... " my voice trailed off as I realised I'd slipped. Oops.
"Wait. What happened?" the anger clearly gone from his voice now.
"I don't want to talk about it." I said nearly in tears. The other end of the phone went very quiet. "Todd?" I continued to make sure he was still there.
"Was it that bad, Willow?"
"Yes it was and you don't want to know about it."
"Where are you again?" he asked quietly.
"At the shops."
"I'm on my way. Bye." he said and then hung up. I walked out of the shops and to where Todd always met me. I had to wait a few minutes but he showed, obviously.