Part 26
By the end of the day Erica had decided she didn't like Tatania Patterson. The older girl was twisted, and as for her ideas of revenge...Erica wanted no part of it.
She was still made over Janelle's death, but that was Dathan's fault. She was starting to understand a little more about this whole soulmate thing. It was making her thing of Scarlet in a new light. Okay, so she'd done something to Tatania, but everyone messed up, mistakes could be forgiven. Nobody needed to be so utterly twisted with the desperate desire to destroy another person's life.
She was worried about Scarlet, no one had seen her since that morning. She didn't know who to walk to, apart from Joab, who didn't seem to be around anywhere.
"You've been distracted all day, are you okay?" Triana asked, as they left their last class of the day.
Erica sighed, she didn't know how to explain it in words. "I...I don't know. This whole thing with Tatania..." She trailed off. She probably wasn't making a whole lot of sense.
"You're worried about Scarlet," Triana guessed.
Erica nodded. "Whatever this girl is planning, I *don't* want to be the excuse to make it okay." She was a little embarrassed to admit she thought she might be falling in love with Scarlet. She barely knew the girl, but at the same time knew she would never be the same if anything happened to Scarlet. It was all to do with the whole soulmate thing.
"Tatania Patterson isn't even a real Daybreaker," Triana said as they left the high school.
Erica frowned, stopping at the top of the steps. "What's you mean?"
"I did a little background checking. Her viciousness surprised me as well. She dropped out a few years ago. Scarlet was responsible for the death of her sister. She never got over it."
Erica didn't say anything. Technically, Scarlet was the reason Janelle had died. Erica didn't want to deal with all the irritating technicalities of the whole thing.
"Scarlet's terrified of her, so I'm guessing she somehow got some sort of revenge. What's she doing here *now*?"
Triana shook her head. "I don't know," she said. "Se's happy to use any excuse to get back at Scarlet."
Erica sighed again. It was all completely nuts to her. Tatania could kill Dathan if she wanted, Erica decided she didn't like him anymore. She actually found herself starting to like Joab. He was a little weird, but that made him slightly more appealing to her.
And speaking of Joab...he was coming up the steps heading towards her and Triana. Erica had the sudden horrible feeling that she might be blushing.
"Now what?" Triana wasn't pleased to see him.
"Scarlet's thinking if she leaves everything will be okay," he said to Erica, ignoring Triana. "She's on the beach."
Erica felt like he'd slapped her. Scarlet couldn't leave! "I...I have to go." She fled down the steps. She knew vaguely where the beach was. She just hoped she wasn't too late.
* * *
It never should have happened, but of course it had. And Scarlet was going to have to deal with it whether she wanted to or not. She had always been on top of things. She had been so stupid. Now she was paying for what she had done.
Scarlet had always believed she was the more superior one. The one with the laws that had to be followed with a threat of death, a force to be reckoned with. For almost all her life she had been perfectly inclined to believe that.
She wanted someone to talk to, but who would understand? Joab never really got it. Dathan would be disgusted. Ara would be appalled. Caleb and Ridge would die from laughter. She certainly wasn't ready for the change yet. Not while *she* was a world.
"It'll happen sooner or later, and you know it as well as I do."
Scarlet's teeth gritted. She refused to turn around and look as she heard Erica's voice, her footsteps sliding over the pebbly beach.
"Not necessarily," Scarlet said through gritted teeth, keeping her voice calm and cool. She refused to let any emotion show.
"What's the big deal, anyway?" Erica asked. Her voice was hurt.
Scarlet tried to pretend she didn't care. Everything was Erica's fault. If Scarlet had never met the girl, she wouldn't be where she was now.
"If you stay, then they'll kill you." Erica reached out to touch her.
Scarlet jerked away. "Don't. Just leave me alone." She turned to glare pointedly, her eyes flashing with rage.
Erica just stood there, in the dying light of the day, her pale face sad, her luminous grey eyes brimming with unshed tears. Her soft blonde hair blew in the salty breeze of the ocean. "But I love you," she whispered.
"Well I *don't*," Scarlet snapped. She knew she was being cruel. She knew Erica was likely to go home and cry herself to sleep. She was completely in love with Scarlet. What had changed from yesterday? Whatever. *It* *didn't* *matter*. "What do I have to do to get it into your thick head? *Go* *away*! I don't want to see you *ever* *again*!"
Erica sighed sadly. "If that's what you want, then I'll just go." She turned and began climbing over the rocky beach, and out of Scarlet's sight.
Scarlet watched her go feeling surprisingly empty inside. ~This isn't fair~ she thought.
Before Erica disappeared, Scarlet caught one last fleeting thought from Erica's mind. ~If she hates me so much, how come she hasn't left yet?~
Scarlet almost laughed. Erica really believed she was hanging around for *her*? Scarlet started to shake her head. Then got it like she'd been hit with a ton of bricks. The truth finally, *finally* sank in, ~Oh *God*,~ she thought. She couldn't deny anything anymore, not matter how much she wanted to.
~Damage control~ she thought, trudging back the way she'd come.
* * *
The house was empty when Erica got home. There was a message from her mother saying she was staying with Erica's grandparents for a few days to pull herself together. Erica could come too if she wanted. Erica called back and said she didn't mind staying in the house, she had to go to school anyway.
A storm had started outside. Every time the thunder boomed and lightning crashed, she jumped, she did her home work, ate some dinner, watched TV for a few hours, trying to ignore the tears that kept threatening to spill. If she started crying she was afraid she would never stop.
Eventually she turned off the TV and locked the doors, turned off the lights and went upstairs to go to bed. When she got to her room, she stopped dead at the tall shadowy figure with long dark hair.
"I thought you never wanted to see me again," Erica said through the lump forming in her throat.
"I know. I just..." Scarlet held out her arms.
It might have been a trick of the lightning, but Erica was convinced she could see a silver line, a cord, pulling her to Scarlet, binding them together. For the first time her lips met Scarlet's, and the rest of the world melted away.
* * *
By the end of the day Erica had decided she didn't like Tatania Patterson. The older girl was twisted, and as for her ideas of revenge...Erica wanted no part of it.
She was still made over Janelle's death, but that was Dathan's fault. She was starting to understand a little more about this whole soulmate thing. It was making her thing of Scarlet in a new light. Okay, so she'd done something to Tatania, but everyone messed up, mistakes could be forgiven. Nobody needed to be so utterly twisted with the desperate desire to destroy another person's life.
She was worried about Scarlet, no one had seen her since that morning. She didn't know who to walk to, apart from Joab, who didn't seem to be around anywhere.
"You've been distracted all day, are you okay?" Triana asked, as they left their last class of the day.
Erica sighed, she didn't know how to explain it in words. "I...I don't know. This whole thing with Tatania..." She trailed off. She probably wasn't making a whole lot of sense.
"You're worried about Scarlet," Triana guessed.
Erica nodded. "Whatever this girl is planning, I *don't* want to be the excuse to make it okay." She was a little embarrassed to admit she thought she might be falling in love with Scarlet. She barely knew the girl, but at the same time knew she would never be the same if anything happened to Scarlet. It was all to do with the whole soulmate thing.
"Tatania Patterson isn't even a real Daybreaker," Triana said as they left the high school.
Erica frowned, stopping at the top of the steps. "What's you mean?"
"I did a little background checking. Her viciousness surprised me as well. She dropped out a few years ago. Scarlet was responsible for the death of her sister. She never got over it."
Erica didn't say anything. Technically, Scarlet was the reason Janelle had died. Erica didn't want to deal with all the irritating technicalities of the whole thing.
"Scarlet's terrified of her, so I'm guessing she somehow got some sort of revenge. What's she doing here *now*?"
Triana shook her head. "I don't know," she said. "Se's happy to use any excuse to get back at Scarlet."
Erica sighed again. It was all completely nuts to her. Tatania could kill Dathan if she wanted, Erica decided she didn't like him anymore. She actually found herself starting to like Joab. He was a little weird, but that made him slightly more appealing to her.
And speaking of Joab...he was coming up the steps heading towards her and Triana. Erica had the sudden horrible feeling that she might be blushing.
"Now what?" Triana wasn't pleased to see him.
"Scarlet's thinking if she leaves everything will be okay," he said to Erica, ignoring Triana. "She's on the beach."
Erica felt like he'd slapped her. Scarlet couldn't leave! "I...I have to go." She fled down the steps. She knew vaguely where the beach was. She just hoped she wasn't too late.
* * *
It never should have happened, but of course it had. And Scarlet was going to have to deal with it whether she wanted to or not. She had always been on top of things. She had been so stupid. Now she was paying for what she had done.
Scarlet had always believed she was the more superior one. The one with the laws that had to be followed with a threat of death, a force to be reckoned with. For almost all her life she had been perfectly inclined to believe that.
She wanted someone to talk to, but who would understand? Joab never really got it. Dathan would be disgusted. Ara would be appalled. Caleb and Ridge would die from laughter. She certainly wasn't ready for the change yet. Not while *she* was a world.
"It'll happen sooner or later, and you know it as well as I do."
Scarlet's teeth gritted. She refused to turn around and look as she heard Erica's voice, her footsteps sliding over the pebbly beach.
"Not necessarily," Scarlet said through gritted teeth, keeping her voice calm and cool. She refused to let any emotion show.
"What's the big deal, anyway?" Erica asked. Her voice was hurt.
Scarlet tried to pretend she didn't care. Everything was Erica's fault. If Scarlet had never met the girl, she wouldn't be where she was now.
"If you stay, then they'll kill you." Erica reached out to touch her.
Scarlet jerked away. "Don't. Just leave me alone." She turned to glare pointedly, her eyes flashing with rage.
Erica just stood there, in the dying light of the day, her pale face sad, her luminous grey eyes brimming with unshed tears. Her soft blonde hair blew in the salty breeze of the ocean. "But I love you," she whispered.
"Well I *don't*," Scarlet snapped. She knew she was being cruel. She knew Erica was likely to go home and cry herself to sleep. She was completely in love with Scarlet. What had changed from yesterday? Whatever. *It* *didn't* *matter*. "What do I have to do to get it into your thick head? *Go* *away*! I don't want to see you *ever* *again*!"
Erica sighed sadly. "If that's what you want, then I'll just go." She turned and began climbing over the rocky beach, and out of Scarlet's sight.
Scarlet watched her go feeling surprisingly empty inside. ~This isn't fair~ she thought.
Before Erica disappeared, Scarlet caught one last fleeting thought from Erica's mind. ~If she hates me so much, how come she hasn't left yet?~
Scarlet almost laughed. Erica really believed she was hanging around for *her*? Scarlet started to shake her head. Then got it like she'd been hit with a ton of bricks. The truth finally, *finally* sank in, ~Oh *God*,~ she thought. She couldn't deny anything anymore, not matter how much she wanted to.
~Damage control~ she thought, trudging back the way she'd come.
* * *
The house was empty when Erica got home. There was a message from her mother saying she was staying with Erica's grandparents for a few days to pull herself together. Erica could come too if she wanted. Erica called back and said she didn't mind staying in the house, she had to go to school anyway.
A storm had started outside. Every time the thunder boomed and lightning crashed, she jumped, she did her home work, ate some dinner, watched TV for a few hours, trying to ignore the tears that kept threatening to spill. If she started crying she was afraid she would never stop.
Eventually she turned off the TV and locked the doors, turned off the lights and went upstairs to go to bed. When she got to her room, she stopped dead at the tall shadowy figure with long dark hair.
"I thought you never wanted to see me again," Erica said through the lump forming in her throat.
"I know. I just..." Scarlet held out her arms.
It might have been a trick of the lightning, but Erica was convinced she could see a silver line, a cord, pulling her to Scarlet, binding them together. For the first time her lips met Scarlet's, and the rest of the world melted away.
* * *