My Place- Randall Carpio Love Story

I belong nowhere

A warm shower cleaned all of the blood and sweat from her skin, but it did very little to warm her up inside. She could still feel the icy fear of death slip around her. It cawed its deep talons into her and refused to let go. 

As she dried herself she ran her hand down the length of her stomach, starting from between her breasts down to her navel. Her fingers met no resistance, but she could still imagine the pain as the knife drove in through her skin. 

Her fingers moved back up and hovered over the nonexistent wound. There was no scar, no proof that she had almost died. It was as if it never happened in the first place. 

She preferred scars. She preferred a memory of her pain to remind herself that she survived it. Without the scar, she had nothing. Only the pain. And the fear. 

She dressed in a pair of black athletic shorts and an extra large hoodie to try and provide a warmth that the hottest setting on the shower couldn't. 

Water dripped from the ends of her stringy hair. She tucked it behind her ears but let the wet ends cling to the front of her hoodie and drench it. She had more important things on her mind than trying to dry her hair. 

"We have to go after Kyle and his little death squad."

Hamish's voice traveled easily up the stairs. He wasn't trying to hide it. 

"What about Jess?" Randall's voice was softer. "Remi wouldn't want-"

"The Order wants us dead. Jess is part of The Order." Lilith argued. 

Remi left the bathroom and started down the stairs. The voices stopped the moment her bare foot hit the first step. She cased down the stairway that led directly into the living room. She stopped on the last step as they all looked at her. She lifted her hands and gripped onto the banister as she looked them all over. 

"Don't stop on my account," Her voice held strong. "Continue on about how you want to kill my roommate, I mean there can't possibly be any reprussions for that... except of course-" Her eyes fluttered up to the ceiling. "That The Order knows I'm her roommate and that I was kicked out of The Order, so when she turns up dead... I'll be their first suspect. Just a little digging on their part and-" Her eyes flashed dangerously down to the wolves. "I'll be dead and they'll know about you guys."

"How?" Lilith asked. 

Remi shrugged her shoulders. "They have endless magic, Lilith. Figure it out."

"She's right," Randall agreed with a nod. His eyes stayed on her as his head tilted towards Hamish. "It would look suspicious if Jess died and Remi didn't make any noise about it. She'd be a giant target."

Remi kept her head straight as her eyes fluttered under his gaze. 

"So what do we do?" Lilith turned towards him and Hamish. "The Order knows there are two werewolves on campus."

A sadistic, calm smile pulled on Hamish's lips. "So we give them a werewolf."

Remi's shoulders lifted as she heard someone's soft footsteps over the gravel. "Someone's coming-" She dropped from the stairs and jogged to the door. 

"Remi, wait!" Randall hissed as he chased after her. "You don't run towards the mysterious person!"

Remi didn't wait as she tore the front door open and walked out onto the porch. 

Jess stopped in the middle of the gravel as she clutched her phone in her two hands. She lifted her head and looked up at Remi, then to the house behind her.