Part 30
Erica was already tired of waiting for the day to be over. She wasn't exactly sure how people were turned into shapeshifters. She hoped it wouldn't involve drinking her blood.
She noticed throughout the day, and particularly at lunch, Celeste was giving her funny looks. She put it down to people seeing her and Scarlet outside that morning. She hadn't seen Tatania Patterson lurking around and wondered if it was something to be worried about.
Dathan was giving her dirty looks as well. His flirty thing with her had vanished completely and Caleb and Ridge were whispering about her every time she passed them in the hall. In last period French Triana tried to talk to her.
"What's going on with you and Scarlet?" she asked softly. "Joab dragged you out of class yesterday, something's wrong with the bitch later on, and you zoom off like there's no tomorrow. Then today you leave with Kimmy to meet with Scarlet and Li."
Erica frowned, nervously drumming her fingers on the desktop as she glanced at her watch. Five more minutes. "We've sorted things out," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.
"Come on," Triana snorted. "I hope you know what you're doing."
Erica nodded. "We talked about the soulmate thing and are dealing with it." Her tone became a little defensive. "And anyway, she's not as bad as you guys make her out to be. And this plan of Celeste's and Tatania's is absurd anyway."
Triana looked at her silently for a few minutes. Then sighed, clearly realising she wasn't going to be able to talk Erica out of whatever Erica was planning. "Fine then. I just hope you don't end up like your sister."
Erica turned away. She hadn't talked to Scarlet about what they were going to do with that yet. She wondered if wooden stakes really killed vampires.
Finally the bell rang and she was out the door in two minutes. Scarlet was waiting for her by the picnic tables, along with Li, who wasn't looking happy. Scarlet smiled and held out a hand which Erica took. "Now?"
Scarlet nodded. "Now."
* * *
"What's up your ass?" Cole was at least smart enough to keep his distance as he made the comment.
Dathan glared at him, trying not to smile even though Cole was doing a lousy job of trying to keep a straight face. "Look at them." He gestured across the front lawn where Scarlet and Erica were leaving school hand in hand, Li following them, her expression looking like she was on her way to meet the devil in flesh.
Cole's eyebrow arched. "What? You're allowed to experiment with the same sex and she's not?"
Dathan had to control himself not to hit Cole. "That's not it," she said hotly, though as reluctant as he might be to admit it, maybe that was *part* of it. "They're up to something. Scarlet's always been terrified of other girl's touching her, after Tatania tortured her." He scowled. "I've got a pretty good idea of what it is and *don't*" he whirled around as Cole's mouth opened, green eyes blazing, "say it."
Cole shoved his hands into his pockets. Dathan had the feeling Cole would have done something else if they had been alone together, but not here in school where everyone could see them. Had Erica and Scarlet forgotten the rest of the world existed that morning?
"Do you know what they're doing with Li?"
Cole shook his head. "I know that Tatania Patterson is up to something, but Celeste wouldn't tell me what. I got the impression that's because *she* doesn't know."
Dathan sighed. He was very tempted to let Tatania do whatever it was she wanted to do to Scarlet. But...he still loved her. It hurt she had found someone else to be her soulmate. Not her choice, maybe, but she was accepting it. The part of him that was angry and jealous had to e squashed.
"Go save her," Cole said softly.
Dathan looked up and their eyes met. An unspoken understanding passed between them before Dathan set off. He couldn't be too late already.
* * *
Erica was already tired of waiting for the day to be over. She wasn't exactly sure how people were turned into shapeshifters. She hoped it wouldn't involve drinking her blood.
She noticed throughout the day, and particularly at lunch, Celeste was giving her funny looks. She put it down to people seeing her and Scarlet outside that morning. She hadn't seen Tatania Patterson lurking around and wondered if it was something to be worried about.
Dathan was giving her dirty looks as well. His flirty thing with her had vanished completely and Caleb and Ridge were whispering about her every time she passed them in the hall. In last period French Triana tried to talk to her.
"What's going on with you and Scarlet?" she asked softly. "Joab dragged you out of class yesterday, something's wrong with the bitch later on, and you zoom off like there's no tomorrow. Then today you leave with Kimmy to meet with Scarlet and Li."
Erica frowned, nervously drumming her fingers on the desktop as she glanced at her watch. Five more minutes. "We've sorted things out," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.
"Come on," Triana snorted. "I hope you know what you're doing."
Erica nodded. "We talked about the soulmate thing and are dealing with it." Her tone became a little defensive. "And anyway, she's not as bad as you guys make her out to be. And this plan of Celeste's and Tatania's is absurd anyway."
Triana looked at her silently for a few minutes. Then sighed, clearly realising she wasn't going to be able to talk Erica out of whatever Erica was planning. "Fine then. I just hope you don't end up like your sister."
Erica turned away. She hadn't talked to Scarlet about what they were going to do with that yet. She wondered if wooden stakes really killed vampires.
Finally the bell rang and she was out the door in two minutes. Scarlet was waiting for her by the picnic tables, along with Li, who wasn't looking happy. Scarlet smiled and held out a hand which Erica took. "Now?"
Scarlet nodded. "Now."
* * *
"What's up your ass?" Cole was at least smart enough to keep his distance as he made the comment.
Dathan glared at him, trying not to smile even though Cole was doing a lousy job of trying to keep a straight face. "Look at them." He gestured across the front lawn where Scarlet and Erica were leaving school hand in hand, Li following them, her expression looking like she was on her way to meet the devil in flesh.
Cole's eyebrow arched. "What? You're allowed to experiment with the same sex and she's not?"
Dathan had to control himself not to hit Cole. "That's not it," she said hotly, though as reluctant as he might be to admit it, maybe that was *part* of it. "They're up to something. Scarlet's always been terrified of other girl's touching her, after Tatania tortured her." He scowled. "I've got a pretty good idea of what it is and *don't*" he whirled around as Cole's mouth opened, green eyes blazing, "say it."
Cole shoved his hands into his pockets. Dathan had the feeling Cole would have done something else if they had been alone together, but not here in school where everyone could see them. Had Erica and Scarlet forgotten the rest of the world existed that morning?
"Do you know what they're doing with Li?"
Cole shook his head. "I know that Tatania Patterson is up to something, but Celeste wouldn't tell me what. I got the impression that's because *she* doesn't know."
Dathan sighed. He was very tempted to let Tatania do whatever it was she wanted to do to Scarlet. But...he still loved her. It hurt she had found someone else to be her soulmate. Not her choice, maybe, but she was accepting it. The part of him that was angry and jealous had to e squashed.
"Go save her," Cole said softly.
Dathan looked up and their eyes met. An unspoken understanding passed between them before Dathan set off. He couldn't be too late already.
* * *