Author's Note:
Hey kids! It's the next installment of The Perfect Poison! (Lol, I realized that Vampire Repellent was way less poetic sounding than that hahahaa) I've also realized that I love watching my view count increase, it's pathetic but true, lol. (But there's some sort of error with the counting thing and I haven't seen it increase T.T)
Review! Enjoy!
Once the bell rang, I walked with Mira to lunch, chatting happily along the way. We grabbed lunch together, and I asked her questions about herself. It felt nice to be the one asking questions.
I learned that she liked to read, go for walks outdoors, and even go shopping if it was with friends. I also learned that I felt comfortable around her, even if we weren't filling every moment with chatter.
When we sat down, I suddenly remembered the weird reaction the Morrings had yesterday. I glanced over to that table to find just some normal kids. Where'd they go? I scanned the room to find them sitting on the complete opposite side of the cafeteria from me, close to Gabriel. They looked as though they were avoiding looking in my direction, or maybe I was just imagining it.
Speaking of Gabriel, he certainly was not trying to avoid looking at me. He kept glancing at me and then back at the Morrings, curiosity coloring his face.
I decided to ignore this strange scene, and ate this weird, grey sludge stuff the cafeteria staff was calling macaroni and cheese.
Once the bell rang, I halfheartedly met up with Billy, and got into his small sedan. His shabby car reminded me of the red corvette I had seen yesterday.
"Who does that red corvette belong to?" I asked him. He grimaced, probably comparing his car to it.
"Oh, well, that belongs to the Morrings," he said.
"Oh yeah, I remember Mira saying they were rich.. Must be nice," I sighed in jealousy.
I'm pretty sure he took my sigh the wrong way, because he quickly started explaining to me how stuck up and rude the Morrings were, especially the single one, James. I laughed silently, making him go into an even more furious description of how horrid James is.
After hearing that Billy was pretty sure James had kicked a puppy once, I had arrived home. I smiled because I was free of Billy, but he misinterpreted it as a smile at him and instantly perked up. "Bye Bella, I'll pick you up tomorrow!" I rolled my eyes when he couldn't see and went inside my house. "Bye Billy."
So went the rest of the week, making me more exhausted every day, grasping at the weekend like it was a life preserver. I was now seriously considering scootering to school or getting a job to buy at least a bike.
I decided that my mom and I could use some extra cash around the house, so when the weekend finally arrived, I called Mira to invite her to the only mall in town. We could have fun and I could search for any 'Help Wanted' signs.
I was glad that she wasn't going to bring Rachel or Shelly along because I knew they would drag us into every store relentlessly until my head exploded. It would be just us and we could go at whatever pace we wanted, into whichever stores we wanted.
Mira and I had incredibly similar tastes; we had no problems deciding where to go. After leaving one store, only Mira had any clothes to show for it.
I noticed a particularly trendy looking store, and lucky for me it had a 'Help Wanted' sign. "Oh, let's try that store!" I said as I dragged Mira over. Inside, I noticed three incredibly pale people, their backs turned to me.
They seemed to stop what they were doing for the briefest of moments, and then continued chatting happily. Alana gently put down the shirt she was looking at and they all left the store.
Was it a coincidence that they left just as I came in? Did I imagine that? What was with them and avoiding me? This was getting so incredibly frustrating.
As he was leaving, James looked at me without seeming to realize it was rude to stare. I seemed to have also forgotten it was rude because I just stared right back, mesmerized. Time seemed to go in slow motion. It was as if I was pulled into the vortex of his bottomless, golden eyes.
His eyes stayed attached to mine until he finally got out of the store door. I shook my head, trying to get rid of this feeling as though I was under hypnosis.
"Bella? You ok?" Mira asked, successfully snapping me out of my stupor.
"Huh? Oh.. yeah. Let's go!"
Mira walked over to look at some clothes while I went to inquire about getting a job. The cashier told me she'd give her boss my information so I gave her my resume along with some extra contact information.
I returned home with only two shirts, but I had had fun with Mira, and was already planning to hang out with her more.
I waved hello to my mother who was already cooking something. "Hey mom, what's for dinner?"
My mother looked over at me with a smile. "Oh, it's a surprise, Bella dear. Today's a special day!" There was something excited and slightly nervous about her tonight. Her being nervous whilst cooking my food was definitely starting to make me feel nervous.
"Why? What's so special about today?" I asked, gulping.
"Well if I told you it wouldn't be a surprise! You'll find out later," she practically sang. There was definitely something sinister amiss. I laughed, looking at my mother in an apron. This was seriously a special night. Usually, she came home and changed into incredibly comfortable, baggy clothes just to relax and beg for takeout.
Tonight, though, she was wearing some nice jeans, a pink, frilly shirt, and her hair was up in a nice, orderly ponytail.
"Looks like you're getting old, mom," I teased. Her shiny, black hair showed a few, new gray hairs. She looked in a shiny pan at her face with a questioning look that immediately turned to terror. She glanced over to me. "Oh no!" she croaked.
"Relax, mom, it's a miracle you haven't gotten gray hairs already. Call me when you finish, I guess. And try not to go too crazy with that food," I laughed, and went upstairs to my room.
She must have been almost finished when I arrived, because only a few minutes later, my mother called me down for dinner.
When I saw what she put on the table, I gasped, then immediately looked at her with the most suspicious look I could pull off. "Is this surprise bad news, then?" I asked, my voice low, suspecting the worst. "Are we moving again!? Is that why?" I said, already getting angry.
"No, no, nothing like that. Just eat, have some water, relax," she cooed, gesturing towards my seat.
The table was set. I mean place mats, tablecloth, the works. In the middle of the table was a delicious looking pot roast that looked like it took half a day to cook. I'm not even one for pot roast, and my mouth was watering. My eyes wandered, and I saw a salad that looked gourmet, and several other side dishes. Ok, now I was really scared, since when did my mom cook like this?
I slowly looked at my mom. "Did you throw away some 50 grade project of mine?" She shook her head. "Kill the cat?"
"We don't have a cat."
"Kill the dog?"
"Or a dog."
I paused for a moment. "Did you finally decide that I'm a nuisance and decide to 'get rid' of me?"
"Bella! How could you say such a thing? Now sit. Eat. Drink. I'll tell you after dinner."
And so we ate. All the while, I was eyeing her suspiciously. She didn't seem to be eating very much, only occasionally eating a spoonful of some mashed potatoes. She gazed at me with admiration.
I drank my water, ate the pot roast and everything else. The taste of everything almost made me forget what she was going to tell me. Almost. Finally, I finished everything, feeling a bit tired from being so full.
"Ok, I'm done. Now.. what happened?" I asked her sluggishly.
Her face fell, and I could see regret and sadness forming in her eyes. Oh dear.
"Well, you see Bella. There are people after you, and yes, you need to move, but not like you think. We'll still be in Hawkswarren.. or.. close enough. But I need to protect you! You're in grave danger!" she said, slight panic coloring her sad eyes.
"What? Who? What're you talking about, mom?" I barely uttered. I was starting to think that being full wouldn't make me this tired. My eyes were drooping. I could barely stay upright.
"What's happening to me, mom? I feel tired.. so tired." I think I was starting to slur. I lifted my bowed head with effort, and looked at my mother. Her eyes showed immense sadness, and her gray hairs were disappearing. Wait, what?
"I'm sorry," she said, and then my world went black.
So what'd you think? It's a bit longer than usual, so should I not be rewarded with a review? :P
