Make Quiet Things Heard

Chapter 9 : Crap, Crap, Crap, Crap, Crap (Ep. 4|Part 2)

Hope's POV

After Dana has just been reduced to a body-shaped piece of skin, hair, and clothing. We all stand there trying to figure out what to do.
"Should we call your dad...?" I suggest.
"Why? So he can take another bullet for you?" Lizzie replies. I return Lizzie's look to her as she's not understanding the gravity of the situation.
"No, because whatever did this is not a vampire." I explain.
"It's got to be another monster from the knife." I say looking at Landon. Kaleb, both suspicious of our newest student, and eager to clear his name, pick up where I left off and looks at Landon questioningly.

"Well, maybe the monster has been right in front of us all along." Landon immediately takes offense to Kaleb's accusation as the vampire walks closer to him. "What? Are you serious?"
"Hey, none of this started happening until you showed up and stole that knife, which is exactly what the other monsters came here to do. You saying it's a coincidence?" Kaleb explains.
Landon nods his head and gulps anxiously. "Yeah. Yeah, I am." Landon looks around at the rest of us, looking for back-up on this issue.
"You believe me, right?" he asks.

Me and Lizzie both can't look at Landon in the eyes, instead staring at the ground, and Mg gives him a sympathetic expression, it's clear that he's not going to go to bat for him. Landon, visibly hurt by this accusation, takes one last look at me before taking off on foot.
"Got it. Say no more." As Landon heads toward the school, I watch him leave feeling guilty. I feel bad for Landon, but Kaleb does have a good point. And I can't risk trusting him again.

Josie's POV

After Rafael left the school, I followed him to Old Mill, where he is angrily screaming as he throws the remains of the furniture inside it at the walls. After he destroys two chairs, I come rushing in to try to calm him down. "Raf. Raf!"
Rafael looks at me furiously, though it seems to be more out of embarrassment and shame.
"I told you to leave me alone!" he yells.
I reach out to gently grab Rafael's right arm to turn him to face me.
"No, I can't do that until you-" Rafael grabs me roughly by my free arm to try to scare me away. "No!"

We continue to tussle for a moment.
"Just calm down!" I say.
"It's not safe! Get away!" he yells. I, unafraid, reach out with my right hand and place it on his chest, rubbing it comfortingly despite his protests.
"Calm down! Close your eyes and breathe." I say. When Rafael continues to resist, I repeat my instructions, closing my eyes as I continue to rub his sternum with my fingertips. Rafael reluctantly does as he's told, and after a breath or two, he seems to be calming down. I encourage him to continue. "Good. Breathe."

We take several more deep breaths together before Rafael's heart rate finally starts to slow down to a healthy level.
"Good. That's more like it." I say. We continue for a few more moments until Rafael finally opens his eyes, having exhausted all the fight he had in him just minutes ago. Confused and a little groggy, he looks down at my face. "Was that magic?" he asks. I shake my head.
"No. Just years of practice with Lizzie, I guess." I explain. Now that his anger has passed, Rafael blushes in embarrassment.
"I didn't mean to scare you..." he says.
When I start to protest, Rafael looks away. "No--" I move so that he's forced to look me in the eyes. "You can't scare me." I say.

When Rafael continues to avoid my gaze, I once again forces his attention back on our conversation.
"Hey. Hey! What scares me is that you're dead if you don't submit." Rafael rolls his eyes and sighs, thinking that I'm trying to help Jed get him in line, forcing me to backtrack.
"Hey, no! It's just the way it is." I explain.
"You're the one talking about making change, right?" I am overwhelmed by his change in topic.
"I meant adding an elective, not launching a revolution..." "Josie-"
"Jed's an alpha, okay? You're a wolf. That's just-just the way it is. There's no other way." Rafael is suddenly looking at something above my head, but I think he's just still trying to run away from the truth. "Josie..."