Ghost Girl II

Old Friends

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"'Damian?'"

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I stare into the emerald eyes in front of me in search of an answer to all my questions; however I find my mind is blank. All the questions I want to ask appear and dissolve as they come. Those eyes tell me they're just as confused as I am. I read every part of his expression from his slightly raised eyebrows to his parted lips and stiff body. His jaw is slack, but his muscles are tense. Everything in front of me is a mystery and makes my brain slowly loose all tactics of processing the situation.

"Looks like you were right," Cassie blurts, her shock showing in her breathy voice. My eyes stayed glued to Damian. "They didn't survive more than 24 hours," she says in reference to our 'bet' from earlier in the car. She trails off, not knowing what to say now. 

Another voice speaks up in her place. "Did you make a bet? On how long we'd survive without you guys?" I snap my head away from Damian and towards the voice. I was so blown away by Damian's appearance that I didn't even notice Gar, Jon, and Bart standing awkwardly behind him.

"What the hell," I whisper sharply. I want to grab my head and smash it against a wall right now. Before I can get the chance to seriously contemplate doing so, Rachel takes my hand and squeezes it. My head turns towards her. She smiles softly at me. I return her gesture with a tight lipped smile. 

"Alright, I'm just going to say it," Cissie says sternly. "What the hell are you guys doing here?"

"We could ask you the same thing," Jon counters with less hostility than Cissie. Cissie glares at Jon, but Jon doesn't flinch. Its a standoff between the two.

Not understanding the intensity of their interaction Gar confesses, "We're here with Damian." Cissie and Jon both stand down and team up against the still oblivious Gar. "Since you guys decided to have your hot girl summer, we decided to-why are you glaring at me?" Cissie scowls at Gar, but doesn't say anything. Jon doesn't bother to answer either.

"Well," Everyone turns towards the new voice. The woman who looked so much like Damian beings speaking. "Now that you've all said hello, I'd like to introduce myself to you girls." She steps away from her place next to my mother. "I'm Talia al Ghul," she reveals. She looks directly at me as of her next statement was for me alone. "Damian's mother."

"Nice to meet you," Cassie says with a big smile on her face that contradicts the feelings of the rest of the room. At this point I'm tired of the plot twists and just want to eat and go to bed. Rachel gives me look as if to ask me the question, 'Are you okay?' I just shrug at her and let my shoulders sag downwards. If it was physically possible, they'd be on the ground.

"I'd like to introduce myself to you boys as well," my mother asserts. "I am Jennifer Conley. Karsyn's mother." She waits for their reactions before continuing. Damian is only one who is shocked by this revelation. His eyes widen for a few seconds before he switches back to a neutral expression. "Now, lets all take our seats for dinner." She moves in synch with Damian's mother. The two take seats at opposite ends of the table leaving nine seats along the sides for us. I move to take a seat, but Damian grabs my bicep stopping me in my tracks.