Luckily I reached my room just as the sun was rising. Distractedly, I threw myself onto the bed, catching a few hours of much needed sleep. My mother woke me up, shaking me slightly, muttering something about teenagers being lazy. I gave her a sleepy glare and threw the comforter over my head, ignoring her muttering as she stomped out the door.
"I'm going to work," she said. "I want this room clean when I get home!" she slammed the door. I glared at the door from inside my comforter cave, and then sat up, stretching uselessly. It was eight o'clock, according to the clock in the kitchen. Groaning I ate a quick breakfast and took a shower, changing into some old clothes. Armed with garbage bags, a small vacuum and a Swiffer cloth, I attacked my room, and cleaned until my arms ached. By the time I was done, it was twelve o'clock.
I surveyed my room, taking in how neat it looked. I could actually see the white carpet. My bed, covered in a simple floral print, was tucked into a corner along with my bedside table. A dresser sat in the opposite corner, and a full length mirror sat against the wall. To the right of the bed was my closet… hopefully mom wouldn't look in there, or open the closet door. All in all, my room was plain. Even the walls were a plain light pink. My room at Dad's place was wacky, complete with bright blue walls, animal print bed and funky paintings hanging here and there. But it was different here. Mom's house was completely prim and proper, like something out of a furniture catalogue. Most of the walls were an elegant creamy white, the bedrooms being an exception. Mom's room was a baby blue, and the guest bedroom was pale green. Every other room had white walls and white floors, even the kitchen had white tiling. All the machinery was white, and here and there were soft, pastel accessories and paintings. Nothing in this house was fun or even remotely funky. Everything was boring.
I felt a sudden need to get out of my boring house. Shrugging, I grabbed my purse, figuring this was as good of a day as any for shopping. After changing into a pair of Capri's and a black t-shirt, I slipped out the front door, locking it behind me. I slipped on my sunglasses and walked down the street, checking out the stores that surrounded my house. We lived by a busy street that was mainly all shops except for our house, which was on the corner. I stepped into a second hand clothing store, taking my time as I checked out the accessories on display. Selecting a gold bracelet, I made my purchase and left the store, continuing my trek.
Several hours, and bags, later, I arrived back home. I passed by the kitchen and grabbed the phone, hitting the 'Message' play button. The first message was some man from mom's work. Skip. The next one was from my mother herself.
"I won't be home till late tonight. I've got a dinner planned with some clients. The pizza place down the street delivers. Their number's written on the list beside the phone. Bye."
I scowled at the phone and was about to put it down when the next message began to play.
"Hi Melissa, its Michelle," I cringed. "I need you to come into work tonight. Sam's sick. See you at four."
"WHAT?!" I yelled at the phone. "This was supposed to be my day off you stupid-" I broke off, glancing at the clock. It was three-forty. "Shoot!"
I scrambled around the house, grabbed my uniform, wrote a quick message for mom, and left. Muttering, I took off down the street, barreling down the sidewalk. Anyone who was in my way quickly moved out of my path. Then, I passed in front of Starbucks, and paused for a second, debating on getting coffee. Realizing I didn't have time, I kept going, walking at a brisk pace.
"Hey! Angel!" I rolled my eyes and walked faster. My day was steadily getting worse. "Hey wait up!" Panting, he ran up to me. I kept my head down, and quickly darted across the street. To my surprise he followed me, and almost got hit by a car by the sound of the honking from behind me. Still, I did not turn around.
"Hey! I want to talk to you!" he yelled. "Just for a second! Please!"
"No!" I yelled, not looking back. I was almost at the restaurant. If I could just get there-
He grabbed onto my arm, stopping me in my tracks. I gave him a glare that could have frozen a volcano. "What did I say about grabbing?"
"I knew it! You are the girl from last night!" He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his other hand. I debated screaming, but since Grit was going to erase his memories anyway, I figured I'd have a little fun with him first.
I snorted. "Oh please. You make me sound like a tramp." I tried to shrug him off, but he wouldn't let go. "If you don't let go-" I broke off, giving him a silent threat.
"I just wanted to talk to you-"
"One." He grew flustered. He knew this game, and he thought I was going to disappear on him again.
"I want to know how you-"
"Two." He was getting really flustered now, tugging on his tie and running his hand through his hair.
"I just want to know your name," he said. I gave him an exasperated look.
"If I tell you, will you leave me alone?" I asked, glancing at my watch. My shift started in five minutes.
"Yes," he promised. I debated telling him a fake name, but since Grit was hopefully going to erase his memories, it wouldn't make a difference anyway.
"It's Melissa," I said. "Yours?"
"Chris."
"Sweet. Now if you'll just let me go, I have to get to work," I said.
"Angels have to work?" he asked, grinning.
"I thought we already established that I'm not an Angel," I frowned. "See you later, Chris." He let go of my arm and I trotted away, dodging into an alley further along the street. I waited there for a minute, and peeked back down the road; he was gone. I then darted back out onto the street and headed to L'Oiseau Bleu. I arrived a little late, and after changing into my uniform, I raced through the staffroom to the kitchen. Steve barely glanced up from his cooking, but both Michelle and Lisa gave me a good glare. Lisa shoved a notepad into my hands and shoved me out the swinging door, straight into the super crowded dining room. Immediately I was bombarded with complaints.
"Excuse me miss, I'm still waiting for my drink-"
"Tell the chef I asked for medium rare, not rare!"
"My soup is cold-"
All complaints were answered with a polite smile. I took down their complaints and orders down on my notepad, and rushed back to the kitchen.
"It's like a zoo out there!" I puffed. Michelle was gone from the kitchen, probably in the waiting room greeting more customers. Lisa was just leaving with a heavy platter of steak in her hands. I held the door open for her and she shot me a grateful smile. I grabbed the next couple platters off the table, read the table numbers off the slips for each dish, then trotted back into the restaurant. Smiling I handed out the plates, and just as I was about to walk back into the kitchen, a man waved me over.
"Miss, I've been sitting here for five minutes and I still have not been served." He said impatiently. I struggled with my smile, and then poised my pen over the notepad.
"What can I get you?" I asked. He prattled off some French names. I looked at his partner expectantly, meeting the cool eyes of my very own, one of a kind, mother.
I was so startled, I almost dropped my notepad. She lifted one eyebrow as she surveyed my uniform, and I knew she disproved of the length. She turned her eyes back to her menu.
"I'll have steak bleu, please," she said politely. I nodded stiffly and turned away. Of course my own mother wouldn't acknowledge me as her blood kindred in front of a customer.
I returned to the kitchen, and threw down my notepad on the counter. I sat down at the small table and sighed, putting my head in my hands. Just then Michelle walked in, making me leap back onto my feet again. She gave me a solid glare.
"You were late," she pointed out, her blue eyes snapping dangerously.
"Sorry. I didn't get your message till quarter to," I said nervously. She nodded and turned back to the staff room.
"Don't let it happen again," she called over her shoulder. I rubbed my forehead tiredly. This day could not get any worse.
"Orders up," Steve said. I grabbed more dishes and went back into the dining room.
At eight that night, I changed out of my uniform and headed home. As I stomped down the street, I noticed a gang of boys huddled in a corner. Ignoring them I continued walking, but when I looked back, they were gone. I glanced up and down the street, but couldn't see them anywhere. I stepped up my pace and trotted along, frowning at everything that had happened today. It would be just my luck to get caught by a gang on the street at night. I frowned even more. There had never been any gangs around here before, why had one shown up now? Then again, they could have just been a bunch of teenagers hanging out…
I finally reached my home without incident. Wearily I unlocked the door and stepped inside. My mother was sitting in the family room, reading papers from a folder. Apparently my mom found the need to work even on a Friday night. She stood up and carefully tucked her papers away.
"Hey mom," I said wearily. She shut her folder and carefully picked it up, tucking it under her arm.
"Melissa, we have to talk," she said quietly. "Come into the kitchen."
I followed her into the kitchen, dropping my work bag onto the floor. She slid into a chair at the head of the small table, and I sat in the chair across from her.
"I think you need to find a new job," she said. "Somewhere with a more appropriate uniform."
I cringed, thinking about her idea of an 'appropriate uniform'. Probably something high buttoned with long pants and an ugly name tag. "Mom, I like my job." I lied. I hated my job, but it was better than working at a grocery store or, god forbid, a fast food place.
"It's not an appropriate job for a girl your age," she paused. "With all those men around, and they all noticed how short your uniform was."
My cheeks were on fire. "Mom, you know that's not true," I said. "Besides, I wear thick black tights, and most of the time I wear a sweater-"
"Very well," she said. "As long as you don't talk to strangers."
"Mom, it's my job to talk to strangers!" I whined. She gave me one of her 'looks'. I sighed. "It's just for the summer. As soon as school starts, I'll find a better job. Okay?"
"Alright," she said. "Time for bed."
My mouth dropped. "It's only eight thirty!"
"Goodnight," she sat at the table, looking at me expectantly. I pushed myself out of the chair and stormed out of the kitchen, grabbing my bag as I went. I slammed my bedroom door and sat down on the floor, my back against the wall. Sometimes it seemed as if my mother wanted to ruin my life. She never let me go out on Friday night.
Oh well, not that it mattered. Tonight was the Full Moon, and I was going to the meeting whether my mom liked it or not. I glanced at my clock- it was only eight thirty. Groaning, I got out some nail polish and re did my nails. I tried not to spill any polish on the rug, but a few drops ended up on the carpet anyways. I wiped it away quickly, but it just smeared more. I stuck my tongue out at the closed door. This is payback for not letting me go out, I thought. Once my nails were dry, I grabbed my mp3 player flicked it on to its highest volume. Lying down on the bed, I started reading, loosing myself in a different world for just a few hours.
I felt my magic seep into my veins, starting with my wrists, as soon as it was midnight. Smiling, I put away my book and mp3 player, and switched off the light. I stretched lazily like a cat, reaching for the ceiling, and felt myself slowly turn into invisible bits of sand. I whisked out the window, and soared into the sky. My destination wasn't very far away; Grit's cottage was located in a small forest close to the ocean in Newfoundland. The meetings weren't mandatory, and they were more like a party to be perfectly honest. But if you had a question for Grit, the Full Moon meeting was the time to ask it.
As I flew towards my destination, I thought about my problem. A human could see me. A perfectly normal, average human. And he had followed me down the street- twice actually- and he seemed to think I was an Angel. I wouldn't tell Grit that last part, but seriously, this was a huge problem for me. No one is supposed to see me while I'm doing my rounds. No one! Grit would know what to do, or at least I hoped he would know what to do.
Finally I spotted a huge campfire in the center of the forest down below me. I eased down towards it, fluttering around the gathering of Silens, searching for Sara. I spotted her sitting on a bench beside the campfire. Gently I changed back to my human form and sat beside her. She grinned at me in greeting as she roasted her marshmallow over the fire.
"Hey," I said.
"Hey," Sara said. "Want a marshmallow?"
"No thanks." I fiddled with my hair nervously.
"Guess what?" Sara asked, perking up slightly.
"You won the lottery?" I asked, grinning. She stuck out her tongue at me, and then promptly shoved the steaming hot marshmallow into her mouth.
"No." she said. "You know that Vampire we ran into the other night?"
"What about him?"
"I scoped out the area he was in, and there's no sign of a Vampire left! He's gone! Isn't that fabulous?" she said, her words slightly muffled by the giant marshmallow she was chewing on. "Now he won't bother me while I'm doing my rounds."
"That's great!" I said, though I had an uneasy feeling about it. I tucked my hair behind one ear and stood up. "Okay, I'm going to see Grit now."
"I'll come with you," Sara tossed her marshmallow stick into the fire. We walked together to Grit's cabin, greeting a few other Silens as we went. When we reached his door, I took a deep breath, and then knocked.
"Come in," a scratchy voice called. I opened the door and poked my head in, before swinging it open fully. Grit was sitting by the fire, accompanied by a few lingering Silens, who left as soon as I entered. I smiled nervously and he gestured to the seat across from him. Sara stood by the door, and gave me a nod of encouragement.
I sat down carefully, eyeing Grit. He looked a bit more tired than usual, but then again, every time I see him he looks a bit more tired and a bit older. His hair was white with a few silver streaks in it, and his pale blue eyes had a milky look to them. They still shone like the stars in the night sky, only with a little less light. His frame was wiry and muscular, and not bowed in any way. He looked healthy enough.
Grit smiled at me and took a sip of his tea. "What is it that you want to tell me?" he asked quietly.
"I have a problem," I said. He lifted a white eyebrow, waiting for me to continue. "A few nights ago, while I was doing my rounds, a man saw me."
"He saw you?" Grit echoed. I looked down at the table.
"Yeah. And he's completely normal. He's not a Vampire, Werewolf, or Demon. And he can see me." I paused, looking up. Grit caught my gaze and I felt as if he was looking into my soul. Quickly I glanced down at the table. "And he's seen me during the day, so he knows I'm not just some figment of his imagination."
"This has happened before," Grit said thoughtfully. "If a man has magical blood in him, or possesses a gift for healing or second sight, he can see Silens," I glanced up at him, and he gave me a thoughtful look.
"I don't see how this is a problem," he said. "As long as he does not tell anyone, particularly a Vampire, I have no problem with him knowing what you are."
"We can't trust him!" I said, scandalized. "He's a human!" Grit smiled at me, his eyes mysterious.
"You must learn to trust others, Melissa," he said. 'You may leave now."
I knew a dismissal when I heard one. I nodded to him politely, and left the cottage with Sara in tow.
"Do you think he saw something in the future about me and Chris?" I asked her quietly as we made our way over to the giant campfire. Already half the Silens were gone, racing against daylight to reach home.
"Maybe," Sara said. "But maybe not. No one really knows if Grit can see the future. It's just a rumor." We settled back down on the bench beside the fire, watching the other Silens as they danced to music blaring from a nearby stereo.
"What am I going to do?" I asked, referring to Chris. Sara smiled at me mischievously.
"Do what Grit says," she advised. "Learn to trust him."
"You don't seriously mean that?" I asked, disbelieving. "I can't trust some guy who tries to catch me every time I show up, then follows me down the street and insists that I'm an Angel!" I felt my cheeks grow warm when I mentioned the last part. Sara smiled broadly, winking. I glared at her as I brought my hands up to my cheeks, trying to cool myself down.
Smiling, Sara stood up. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm dead tired," she joked. We laughed lightly, knowing that a Silen never grew very tired. "Shall we go?"
"Sure," I laughed, and then we both disappeared, floating up into the air and raced each other back home, Sara veering off towards her house as I continued towards mine. Sighing, I eased myself through the cracks around my window, and switched to human form just as I sunk into my bed. I curled up in my bed sheets and drifted off to sleep.
Authors note: hey guys! Sorry this chapter wasn't as long as the last one… on the plus side the next chapter is 14 pages long soooo don't be too disappointed :P Thanks to all my reviewers: Iccle Fairy, Mariacin, ElvishKiwi, Bumbledbee, sueariel, Ihaconch, Animals are my LIFE and porkypick! Thanks soooooooooo much I love all your reviews!!
-teardrop O