James was waiting in the car with hot exhaust spewing out into the night. He drummed his fingers to an unheard tune on the steering wheel, while chewing on the nails of his opposite hand. Suddenly, he had become sober, and dangerous.

Opening the car door, he glanced over at me, raising his eyebrows as if to ask me something, then shifted the car into drive and began to pull away from the hospital. He was chewing on his lower lip because he kept both hands on the steering wheel, which prevented him from biting his nails.

"James?" I asked, knowing that I was going to have to confront him about certain issues anyway, so I figured it best to get it done and over with.

"Hmm?" he grunted, not looking at me.

"What did you say to Case?"

He paused, ceasing the agitated chewing, then shook his head fervently. "Nothing."
"What do you mean 'nothing'?"

"I mean that I didn't say anything to him," he snapped with more force than I assumed to be necessary.

"You certainly must have said something. Your best friend just called you a son of a bitch, then spit in your face."

"He was angry."

"About what?" I asked, arching a sassy eyebrow.

"Do I really need to answer that?" he questioned with bitter sarcasm. "His baby just died, which he had to hold in his arms, and his girlfriend nearly kicked the bucket as well, and you're asking what he could be angry about?" James laughed hoarsely, flipping his blinker on as we turned right. "C'mon, Alanza, you can't be that stupid."

For a moment, I didn't say anything because I had focused all of my attention onto the puddles of moonlight on the road in front of us. Slowly, in the distance, the sun was beginning to rise, yet hesitated as if unsure whether or not to do so. In the back of my muddled mind, I could hear Dad's insistent voice, "Keep your attention at the mission at hand. Don't worry about frivolous nonsense." Fine, I thought, I can do that, Dad. The mission right now is to get home and then go back to see Max. No big deal.

Then, I glanced over at James with his hardened eyes, and I heard another message from Dad that completely made me forget the entire mission. "Destroy the enemy at any and all costs." And, at the moment, James had the word "enemy" painted in bold lettering smack on his forehead.

"Don't you dare call me stupid," I hissed.

"Did I? I don't remember doing so."

"Then maybe that explains why you don't remember the opened pack of condoms in your bathroom."

"What?"

I pulled back my lips in a feral, animalistic grin. Dad had taught me how when very young; he explained that because of our feline DNA, we were able to do such stunts while shocking the living hell out of ordinary people. Yet, if James was afraid, he was rather good at hiding it.

"Here's the deal, James," I hissed, using his name like a taser's sting. "You had condoms in the bathroom. You wouldn't let me go in there earlier the day before. You were probably screwing someone in the bathroom and therefore she-or God forbid, he-was still in there, waiting for me to leave. I don't know what the hell Case's problem is with you, but I'm starting to see it. All you have been doing is lying to me. I question something, all it takes is a little bit of sweet-talk and everything's good to go. Yeah, and by everything, I mean that you only took me out for dinner just to take me back to bed. I don't know what your sick little mind game is, but I don't want to be a part of it."

"Screw you," he mumbled.

In a flash, I had gripped his right arm, digging my nails through the thick sweatshirt. Although I didn't want him to lose control of the vehicle, I wanted to make sure that he knew I meant business.

"That's all you ever wanted-isn't it?"

"You're no perfect angel, yourself," he bit back.

"What the hell do you mean by that?"

Hitting the gas, James glanced over at me with fire in his eyes. "What are you lying to me about? Your mom was close to death, and she's suddenly walking around all fine and dandy just the day after. That Cale guy was paralyzed. Frickin' paralyzed, and he's walking around too. No problems whatsoever. And how could your dad have picked you up so easily when you were going into a convulsion? Doesn't make sense. A normal human can't pick up a full grown female, who's out of control as well. So, who's the devil and who's the angel now?" he asked.

"Why did I ever believe that you could escape your past? Looks like your father's sleazebag genes got passed on."

He flinched unintentionally, and I was partially pleased that I was weakening his resolve. "Don't talk about my father," he growled, clenching his jaw down tightly.

"Why? Afraid you might become like him?"

"Shut up."

"Scared that monsters in the basement are going to come and bite your ass?"

"I said shut up!"
"James, our best friends' baby just died tonight and all you can think about it yourself! You're no better than your father. A horny, good for nothing sleaze. I hope you take those condoms and shove them up your ass!" Stopping, I inhaled deeply, my face on my fire, yet loving every minute of it. "Don't you just love it how we can't escape our past? My dad's a loner, so am I. Your dad's a lying, manipulating, screwing bastard…" I paused for dramatic effects, daring myself to really say it. "And so are you."

I felt the air gather around me as James' hand came towards me at the usual slow speed a human moved at. Grabbing him by the wrist, I forced his hand to the ground so that he screamed in pain and slammed on the brakes, while struggling to pull over to the curb.

"Looks like your father taught you well," I grinned with evil sarcasm. "You even have the abusive streak in you."

"Get out of my car, Alanza."
"I will," I snapped, shoving him back against the window so that his head hit with a sickening thonk. "I don't ever want to see you again."

"Stay out of my life."

"Here!" I cried, stepping out onto the sidewalk. In one fluid motion, I ripped the ruby heart necklace off my neck, snapping the thin chain and tossed it at him. "Take that!" Then, before he could say anymore, I slammed the car door so harshly that the entire vehicle shook with the sheer force. Not even bother to tear off my tipsy dress shoes, I ran the entire half of mile home, barely breathing when I entered the apartment in a flurry of dirt and tears. Throwing myself on the couch, I sobbed, knowing that it was forever over.