Hey guys! I really have nothing to say this time... except that I really do appreciate reviews!
~wwsadd
Chapter three: Half-told Truths
It didn't take me long to make my way back to the table that my brother and friends were occupying. Dean's words still rang in my ears, and I was feeling uncommonly affectionate. I plopped down next to Caleb, giving him my most apologetic smile.
Unfortunately he didn't buy it. "Where the hell have you been?" He asked. I shot a glare at Kate. She shrugged, apparently not that sorry.
"Marblehead." I said truthfully.
"Why?" He didn't look like he'd gotten over the fight we'd had earlier yet.
I shrugged. "Because I felt like it." I said, trying not to snap, but what can I say? Old habits die hard.
"It's not a safe place to be alone." Tyler said, not helping any. Usually Ty defended me.
I stuck my tongue out at him. "We grew up on those cliffs; I haven't fallen to my death yet." I pointed out.
Apparently they were all going to take turns lecturing me. But it was Reid's reply that set me off. "Yeah, but we're always out there too." As if I was unable to keep myself from walking off the side of a cliff without them to steer me back.
I stood abruptly, pulling my keys from my small bag. "Well I'm so sorry I didn't ask one of you to come babysit me. My mistake. Next time I'll make sure to ask permission." I said contemptuously.
Something changed in Caleb's face then, like he was finally realizing something. "D…" He started. But I shoved the chair back so I could leave.
"Look, Caleb, you're my brother and I love you. But if you don't let go a little, you're going to lose me." I promised. My reply must have shocked them, because none of them called me back as I headed for the door.
I was fuming as I climbed into my truck. How was I supposed to have a real conversation with them when they didn't believe that I was capable of anything more than drinking and getting myself in trouble? Why did they think I did those things? For laughs? The only times they even felt the need to talk to me was when they were going off on what a screw-up I am… so sue me if I take what I can get.
I left the door unlocked to the room, knowing it would be late when Kate got back. Climbing into bed, I stared up at my ceiling, letting the conversation in Dean's car run through my mind again. A big part of me wanted him to be right. The part of me that was terrified that her family was disappearing in front of her eyes—the part of me that couldn't stand to think about what could possibly happen next fall, when the boys started turning eighteen, and the curse of our heritage started to suck the life out of them too.
These were the only times I let myself be weak. I refused to cry in front of them-Kate had never even seen me tear up. I was tough, but when I was alone in the dark, I let myself feel all the terror and uncertainty that I repressed during the daylight hours.
I cried silently, tears ghosting down my face. I wanted to run up the stairs to Reid and Tyler's room, bang on their door until one of them opened it with a smart-ass remark, and throw myself into one of their arms, begging them not to leave me behind.
But I couldn't do that. They already thought I was a baby; I couldn't solidify that belief by showing up at their door, crying and talking nonsense about the unpredictable future. I wished, more often than I'd ever admit, that I was still ten years old. That everything would make sense again, and that'd I'd be sure, again, that they loved me, and didn't just see me as an obligation—a girl born into a family of boys, that had no place with the Sons of Ipswich.
That was where the smaller part of my heart came in. The part that kept me from going stark-raving mad in their world of magic and shadows. It was the part that let me push them away, told me to survive on my own—because who knew how soon it would be before I was all alone?
There were a lot of reasons why I could be labeled as "different"; my last name was only one. I didn't concern myself with the same things that the other girls in my class did. I could care less who was dating who, and what color prom dress was in vogue this year.
Because I had bigger things to worry about. There was no way to tell if it would be ten years or thirty, but someday I would be the only one left. I didn't have to worry about my life being over before it started, I was one hundred percent, entirely human. But the people that meant the most to me weren't, and I didn't know what I would do when I had to stand by and watch them kill themselves.
It was a long time before I'd cried myself out. The neon numbers on the alarm clock proclaimed that it was nearly two in the morning. Kate still wasn't back, but I wasn't worried, she was probably staying at Pogue's. Rolling over, I tried to drift to sleep, but was awoken by a soft knock on the door.
Pulling myself out of my bed, I stumbled over to it, furiously wiping at my eyes. I was shocked to see a still-dressed Tyler leaning against the door frame. "Ty, its past two; everything alright?" I asked, stepping back to let him in to the small dark room.
He collapsed on the side of my bed, his head falling onto my pillow. He patted the small spot next to him, and I curled up, letting my head rest on his shoulder. "No." He finally answered my question. I stiffened.
"What happened? Is everyone okay?" I asked in a rush. I couldn't lose my family yet.
"No one's okay right now. What you said at Nicky's earlier-" I breathed a sigh of relief that this was just a routine argument. I cut him off.
"Sorry Ty, but this isn't that important, I think we can just talk about it tomorrow."
He poked me in the side, causing me to squeal. "It is important D. You told Caleb what he was most afraid to hear." He explained. "What we were all most afraid to hear. We're all terrified to lose you Andromeda." He said, using my full name- something he never did.
I sat up, propped up on my right hand, so that I could look at him directly. "Oh come on Tyler. We all know it will be the other way around, in the end." His eyes widened, and I clamped my mouth shut. We didn't talk about the guys Ascending, as a rule.
"What is that supposed to mean?" He asked, sitting up as well, so that his face was just a couple feet from mine. I scowled in the darkness.
"Like you don't know." He remained silent, an odd look in his eyes. I sighed, giving in. "Next fall… after next year in general, everything will be completely different, and I don't just mean that Caleb will be off at Harvard being a big shot. It won't be me slipping away Tyler—I'll be the one that has to watch it happen and know that there is absolutely nothing I can do to stop it." I told him honestly.
He still seemed to be searching for the words he wanted. "Andie, you know your brother… he's not like your dad. He'll be fine. Besides, you know there's no way he's leaving you alone. That's the last thing in the world he'd do. Who'd chase all the boys away?" He asked, a smile on his face. But I saw right through it. He was scared too, and it only made me panic more.
"Hey Ty?" I asked timidly, after taking a moment to let his words sink in. He raised an eyebrow, inviting me to continue. "Did you guys ever resent having me around all the time? I mean, I know that the Elders all just sort of thought it was a fluke, and mostly ignored my existence… but did you all think that too?" I asked my question in a rush- not sure I wanted to know the answer.
Apparently, the answer was to laugh hysterically at me. Until he caught the look on my face- he'd thought I was kidding. His face became incredulous. "You've got to be kidding me." He said sharply. I shrugged.
"Are you crazy? We knew we were special, knew you were special. Not many other generations had Daughters. We took it as a gift, D. It scared us when we all got the Power and you didn't—not that any of us would wish it on you, but we felt like maybe we shouldn't be around you anymore, like it probably wasn't safe for you to hang out with a bunch of kids that could burn down buildings with a blink of an eye." He said, and it seemed like he was far away.
My own laugh brought him back to the present. "Could? Don't you mean did? Caleb didn't talk to Reid for like, a week." I said, giggling at the memory. To be fair, no one liked that teacher, and it wasn't like she was inside when he lit it on fire.
Tyler laughed too. "Yeah, I guess. But seriously, if you ever question why we're all so… overbearing? It's because we're trying to make up for the danger you face by being part of this." He said, his eyes flashing in demonstration.
I rolled my eyes. "Danger-schmanger. You guys aren't badass enough to scare me." I teased, pushing him lightly.
He put on a mockingly outraged face. "Don't let Reid hear you say that." He warned. I laughed again. We both knew Reid had a soft-spot a mile wide, most people just never got to see it.
I yawned. "Thanks Ty, I think things will be better now- I promise I'll talk to Caleb in the morning." I said, hugging him tightly before he hopped off my bed and toward the door.
"Goodnight Andie." He said softly, pulling the door shut behind him. I laughed again as the lock clicked.
"Thanks Ty!" I hollered. I heard a far-off snicker in reply. It didn't take me long at all to fall asleep after that; all of my fears were calmed, at least for now.
The next morning, I pulled myself reluctantly out of bed. Throwing on my hideous Spenser uniform, I yanked my hair back into a sloppy ponytail and booked it to my first class. I'd meant to get up early and find Caleb before school started, but I was never a morning person.
Learning was easy for both Caleb and I, but he actually did the homework, making his grades much better than mine. I had no interest in school; I wasn't headed for college, despite how scandalized my poor mother may be. I wanted to go to a music school, I was a fairly decent dancer, and I was a master at the electric guitar.
So, obviously, I slept through classes like Trig and Biology. I just didn't care about 2+2 equaling 4… who gave a damn? The best part of being a Danvers, I'd decided by the first semester of my freshman year, was that the teachers were too in awe of you to ever reprimand you for doing anything they didn't like seeing in their classroom.
After my first class, I headed down a hall that housed junior classrooms, looking for my brother. I ran into someone close. "Hey Pogue!" I said brightly. "Where's Caleb?" I asked.
He shrugged. I may hate mornings, but Pogue couldn't even function before eleven a.m.
"Isn't he in your first class?" I asked, holding back a laugh.
He seemed to process what I was saying then. "Oh, yeah. He had to go talk to the Provost. Now what's this I hear about you thinking we resent you?" He said, walking me to my next class.
I growled playfully. "Tyler is such a tattletale." I muttered, causing Pogue to laugh momentarily, before returning to seriousness. I sighed. "I just thought you all might. You know, because I serve absolutely no purpose to the Covenant except to cause you all to freak out periodically." I said sarcastically, casting a quick look around, although the hallway was pretty deserted by this point.
He didn't speak until we'd arrived at the door to my next, and only enjoyable class. "Come on Andie. You know that's a bunch of BS. You don't have the Power— so what? Trust me; it's not that great, no matter what Reid says. And you know how boring our lives would be if we didn't sit around wondering what slightly-idiotic, usually funny stunt you're going to pull?" He asked.
I shoved him playfully. "Gee thanks. Love you too." I said, turning to go into my class- I was already five minutes late.
"Love you!" He yelled as I opened the door and slipped in, causing everyone inside to look up in curiosity. When they saw it was me, they all turned back to the choir teacher, unsurprised now.
"Miss Danvers. Thanks for joining us." I smiled sweetly.
"You're welcome!" I said, getting a dirty look that didn't completely mask the humor in Mr. Matthews face. He was the only one who openly contradicted me—being a new teacher, he didn't realize that I came from a long line of legends. But that was okay with me, it was nice for once not to be compared to generations of Danvers'.
Lunch was the only time we were all together. I raced to the mess hall, hoping to catch Caleb, though he was still nowhere to be seen. Plopping down next to Reid at our normal table, I played with the cap on my water bottle, still looking for my brother.
"Hey D, about last night." Reid started. I tried to refocus my attention. I hadn't realized at the time that I'd struck such a nerve with them.
I laughed at the contrite look on his face. "It's okay Reid. I've been reassured that I'm not that big a pain in the ass." I said.
He smirked. "Says who?" I glared. "Kidding. But seriously- you know we love you right?" He said, and I could tell that he was trying to get this conversation over before the others got here. He had issues with being sentimental.
"Reid Garwin loves somebody?" I asked sarcastically.
He rolled his eyes. "Tyler told me about last night—why would you ever think we don't want you around?" He asked, truly curious.
I shrugged, wondering how many times I'd have to go through this. Damn Dean and his philosophical bull shit. "When we were little, we used to be inseparable. I guess it just seems like now I'm more of an obligation than anything. I don't like feeling like a charity case Reid. I can make my own friends if you guys would just back off." I said, half-teasing, half-serious.
He answered me in the same fashion. "Not if I have anything to say about it. We're just going to have to be friends enough for you." He said. I stuck my tongue out. It didn't irritate me as much as it usually did though.
"Why?" I challenged.
He shrugged, self-conscious again. "Because I don't trust anyone else." He said. I was going to push him on it, but we were interrupted by the others showing up. My brother, naturally, was the last to arrive. I hopped to my feet and bounced over to where he'd just sat down.
Throwing my arms around his neck, I kissed him on the cheek. "Sorry Caleb." He looked surprised for a minute, before hugging me back. I wasn't usually one for apologies.
He scooted over so that there was room for me to sit right next to him. He left an arm over my shoulder. "Me too; truce?" He asked, smiling crookedly. I pretended to think about it for a minute.
"Oh, well I guess." I said dramatically, earning a laugh from everyone. "But if we're not arguing… what are we going to do?" I asked jokingly.
"I'm sure we'll think of something." Reid said, that familiar mischievous twinkle in his eye. I giggled as Caleb groaned.
"So what did the Provost want?" I asked, taking a drink of water.
"He asked me to show the transfer around." He answered, causing me to choke. He patted me on the back, giving me a quizzical look.
"How's that going for you?" I managed to splutter. Caleb shrugged.
"He seems alright. Nice kid-from California. He should be here soon; I offered to let him have lunch with us." He explained, ignoring Reid's rude remark about newcomers.
I got hastily to my feet. We'd just made up, there was no way I was starting another fight. "I forgot, I need to talk to Mr. Matthews about something, I'll catch you guys after school- we're still hanging out at Ty's house, right?" I confirmed.
"Yeah…" I didn't stick around to hear more. I made my way hurriedly to the hallway, smacking into the other person that'd I'd been hoping to see all day. I dragged him around a corner, though we weren't within eyesight of the table I'd just left.
"Hey, I was just looking for you." He said with a smile, grabbing my arms when I'd run into him, keeping me from falling on my ass in the middle of the crowded walkway. His eyes were still mesmerizing somehow, and my retort got lost as I drowned in them again.
"Are…you okay?" He asked, concern darkening his features as he pulled me to the side, near a wall of lockers.
I shook my head, to clear it, not to answer in the negative. "Fine. I just didn't want to see World War Three when you showed up in there." I teased. "So, talk about irony, my brother's you're tour guide."
Dean scoffed. "Yeah, you were right about him, pretty straight laced. Not nearly as much fun as you seem to be." He said with a laugh.
I smirked. "That's what they tell me." I quipped. He snickered.
"So, I take it you'd rather me not say anything to him about last night, right?" He asked, after a moment. I nodded pleadingly.
"I took your advice, and told them how I feeling—it was good to get out there, but I think I need to give them a few days before throwing curve balls at them again." I said.
"Understandable." He said, though he sort of looked disappointed.
"Oh! About last night, is everything okay with your little brother?" I asked, remembering how fast he'd changed demeanors when the little boy had called.
He nodded, that mysterious look back in his eyes, like he was keeping a big secret. "Perfectly fine. Thirteen year old boys think they know everything." He said, rolling his hazel eyes.
"Don't I know it." I muttered, and he laughed.
"So… what are your views on cutting class?" He asked conspiratorially, after the hallway was mostly empty. I grinned.
"It's healthy." I replied quickly. He smirked.
"Then what do you say we ditch this place?" He asked, gesturing to the nearest exit.
"Dean, that's a fire exit, so unless you want the whole school ditching with us, we're going to need to sneak out the front." I pointed out the large red warning on the metal door.
He pulled a credit card out of his pocket, a playful look on his face. "Wanna bet?" He asked, doing something with it that I couldn't quite follow. The door opened soundlessly, "Ladies first." He said, holding it open for
me.
"Cool trick." I said, rolling my eyes as I passed him.
Again, I didn't ask him where we were going until we were in his Chevy, roaring down the highway. "I don't
care. I just needed to get the hell out of there." He answered when I'd voiced my question.
It seemed like he was driving aimlessly, letting go of the wheel momentarily to shrug off his uniform jacket and loosen the tie considerably around his neck. I reached over to grab the wheel as we almost drove off the shoulder of the winding road.
"Nice catch." He said, unconcerned. I rolled my eyes, pulling off my jacket too and tossing it into the backseat to join Dean's.
A heavy metal song came on the radio, and Dean cranked up the volume, singing. He was ridiculously off key, but I found something endearing about it. I laughed as he got really into it, imitating the singer's screeching.
When the song ended, he glanced over at me. I was still laughing. "What's with the death music?" I asked, kicking off my shoes and pulling my legs up under me. I rolled down the window and pulled my hair free from its band, letting it whip around my face.
He stared at me for a minute before answering. "I don't know, it's got a good rhythm." He finally decided, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel along with the beat to the next song that had come on. "What do you listen to?" He asked, reaching over to fiddle with the controls.
I shrugged. "Something that doesn't make me want to shoot myself. Country's not bad… mostly alternative stuff though—there are some really cool obscure bands out there." I told him, finally examining our surroundings.
My breath caught in my throat as I realized where we were, I tried not to let it show, I couldn't tell Dean the truth about my family, and I had a feeling that if he turned those eyes on me and asked me directly that I wouldn't be able to resist.
The road wound around, the barren trees casting threatening shadows, the sky darkening. It couldn't go a full week without raining in Ipswich. Suddenly the road ended, causing my new friend to curse. "Where the hell did I get us lost?" He asked.
I tried not to answer too quickly. My eyes were trained on the large beaten down building. I knew that if either of us got out there would be a rifle going off. "It's one of the original houses built here in the 1700s. When the colony of Ipswich was founded." I said slowly.
He whistled. "Wow. That's pretty cool. Does anyone still live here? Let's go explore!" He said, sounding as excited as a twelve year old. I reached out and grabbed him before he could open his door.
He looked at me like I was nuts. "No. We shouldn't be here. Let's just go." I knew this was sure to hurt more than it helped.
"What's wrong?" He asked, leveling those ridiculous eyes at me. I concentrated on my answer, watching every word.
"Me and my friends used to play here as kids…the caretaker is getting on in years, and if we get out of a car that he doesn't recognize…we will have bullet holes to explain to the dry cleaners." I said. His eyebrows shot up into the scruffy hair that hung down over his forehead.
He studied my expression for a moment, before putting the car in reverse and turning around. We sat in silence as the wind whipped around us, brining a bite of winter's chill. I wanted to say something, anything to smooth over the moment, but could think of nothing that would rid him of the notion that I was absolutely insane.
"Soooo…awk-ward si-lence." He said, after another three songs had played through on the radio without a word of conversation. I giggled.
"You don't think I'm crazy?" I asked hopefully.
He smirked at me, and I was momentarily worried about him not watching the road, until I got lost in his eyes again and couldn't even remember why I'd been concerned. "Babe, you don't know crazy." He said, driving aimlessly through the trees again.
I snorted. "Yeah, I do." I said, and then bit down on my lip, hard.
Thankfully he somehow didn't find anything weird about my outburst. "I'd be willing to bet that my life is way crazier than yours." He said, throwing me another cocky look.
I rolled my green eyes, and tucked my hair behind my ears, though now it was snarled beyond what a brush would repair. "That's a bet I'd take, and win." I said, sure that there was no one who had a more messed up life than me. Though I was usually okay with that; I loved most parts of my life.
"Well I guess we'll just find out, won't we?" He asked, turning back on to the main street in Ipswich. I shrugged.
"Prepare to be outcrazied." I said lightly. He snickered.
"Prepare to be amazed." He returned, putting the Chevy in park and climbing out. I took a moment to look around. The dilapidated apartments had been here forever, although I was willing to bet that there were few people that actually rented here.
I hopped out of the car too, slamming the door and giggling when Dean winced. "Easy does it!" He said.
I shrugged, following him up the creaking wooden stairs. He sifted through the five or so keys on the ring, until finding the one that unlocked the door at the top of the steps. He pushed the door open and then pulled me by the hand inside. My heart sped up. If Caleb knew I was here…
He flipped on a light in the small dining room, and I heard a voice come from one of the tiny looking bedrooms. "Dean?" The voice sounded sort of anxious.
"It's okay Sammy, it's just me." I was confused. Who else would it be? I was apparently missing something. Seconds later, an adorable little boy came skipping out into the hallway, a grin splitting his face. He stopped dead when he saw me, instant mistrust in his eyes.
Dean fell into one of the two shabby mismatched chairs next to an old kitchen table. He yanked gently on my hand, and I sat down lightly on his lap. "Sam, this is my friend Andie. Andie, this is my little brother Sammy." He said, gesturing as he made introductions.
I smiled my warmest smile. I was touched that Dean wanted to introduce me to his brother. "Hi Sam." I said.
Sam was currently glaring at his older brother. "Don't call me Sammy." He warned. Dean reached out a hand and ruffled the boy's already-messy dark hair, causing him to redouble his glare. "Is this your girlfriend?" He asked, finally remembering my existence.
I felt my heart speed up, waiting for Dean's answer. There was no reason to hope for a yes, but that was what my heart wanted to hear. I felt Dean stiffen slightly. Sam seemed to realize the tension in the room. "She's too pretty to be your girlfriend." He decided.
I giggled at him. He was a charmer that was for sure. "That she is." Dean agreed, and I felt my cheeks warm slightly. He climbed up in the other chair.
"So…Sam." I stressed. He grinned approvingly. "Is your big brother as big a pain in the butt as mine is?" I asked jokingly. Dean poked me in the ribs, making me laugh.
"Yep. Bigger, probably." He answered, causing Dean to glare at him. I smirked.
"Wanna bet?" I wagered.
"What are you a gambling addict too?" The elder Winchester asked, making a veiled reference to my drinking, no-doubt. I stuck my tongue out at him.
"I have an addictive personality. Get used to it." I stated. His eyes got that mischievous glint that Reid's did—the one that always meant trouble. It made my stomach twist up in delicious knots.
Sam jumped down from his chair, I could see him vibrating with the natural energy that all children seem to have endless supplies of. He hopped back toward his room. "See ya later Andie!" He called.
"Bye Sam!" I hollered, giggling.
Dean smirked. "I had to make sure that the kid approved of you." He said, when I looked at him curiously after a moment. I suppressed the urge to 'awww'.
"And the verdict is…?" I asked, trying to sound like one of those legal people in the retarded courtroom shows that were always plaguing daytime TV.
He smirked. "The jury is still deliberating." He said, nodding his head in the direction of the door that Sam had pulled closed behind him. I pretended to pout.
Not three minutes later, the little boy ran back out, something clutched in his fist. He opened it, holding out the small charm. It was a pentagram inside a circle. The figure was vaguely familiar. I held my hand out and he dropped it onto my palm.
Without another word, he ran back into his room. I turned, startled, to Dean, looking pointedly at the metal pendant in my hand. He looked slightly shocked. "It's a devil's trap." He explained after a moment. "It's a protection symbol." He said, taking the thin chain from me and clasping it around my neck.
"Okay…so he really likes you." He said, after another moment of silence. I smirked.
"So… what does that mean?" I urged. Dean looked suddenly unsure, his focus held by the little symbol around my throat.
I reached out slowly and used my finger to pull his chin up to meet my gaze, like he had the night before. After a few seconds of that startlingly intense eye contact, he smiled.
His rough, warm hands snaked up to hold my face, which he brought down to his. The minute that his lips connected with mine, it was like wildfire. I gasped, pulling myself closer to him. We stayed like that for god only knows how long; I couldn't form coherent thoughts when his mouth was on mine.
We broke apart suddenly when my purse started singing.
I grappled for my phone, dazed and disoriented. "Hello?" I asked breathlessly.
"Where are you now?" My brother's voice brought me jarringly back to reality.
