Chapter 3
Rayne sat in her room, feet up on her desk, keyboard on her lap, trying to figure out what to write about for her English paper. Her door and windows were locked, her music played from her computer's speakers, and her eyes were closed, attempting to think. Even though the song played loudly, she still could hear the plink, plink of something hitting her window. Rayne dropped her feet to the floor, and placed her keyboard on the desk. She got up, and peeked around the curtains to see who was out there. Casey stood down on the green grass with Delilah, Zeke, Stan, and Stokes. She shook her head, and drew the curtains. Unlocking her window, she shoved it open, and stuck her head out.
"Haven't you guys heard of a front door?" she called.
"We were gonna go to the movies, and when no one answered the phone or the door, we decided to knock on your window.wanna come?" he asked. Rayne laughed.
"Alright.let me get my bag, and I'll be out in a minute." She closed the window, but left the curtains open. Before she did anything, she unlocked her door. Turning, she walked to her computer, and shut it down. She had picked up her bag near the window, took a few steps back, and turned around.and gasped. Billie stared at her, an evil emptiness in her eye.
"Billie, you scared me. Listen, I'm going out.." Billie didn't say anything, only raised her hands to shoulder level. "Billie?" she asked. Casey looked up, and turned to Zeke.
"I wonder what's taking her so long."
Billie pulled her elbows back, and shoved Rayne, hard, into the window. The shattering glass caused them all to look up as she came flying out the window, kicking her feet, screaming. Zeke and Stan leapt forward, and caught her before she hit the ground. She started to shake as they stood her up, and then she glanced up to her window. Billie stared down at them, and then was gone. One minute there, the next not. Rayne looked at them.
"Let's get outta here.now!" she said, and took off for the car in front.
"What is going on?" Delilah asked.
"I wish I knew.but I think something happened to Billie." They hopped into Stan's jeep, and drove off to the movies, but didn't go in. They just sat in the car.
"Now, what do you mean something's happened to Billie?" Stan asked, turning around. Rayne sighed.
"Well, she's been acting really different, like she was someone else," she stated.
"What do you mean?" Rayne thought.
"Usually, she's a wimp. She doesn't hurt me when she hits me, she rarely hits me, she's never mean, or angry with me for stupid things. She's shoved me out of a window, and she's been looking different, and she went fishing."
"So?" Delilah asked. Rayne looked over at her.
"Billie thinks fishing is murder. She's never held a fishing pole, she's never held a fish, and she doesn't eat fish, unless it's canned tuna or breaded shrimp at a restaurant. Yesterday, I came home to find a fish on the counter, with its gills ripped out. Billie isn't the type of person to start something and not finish it, so even if she did like fish, she'd have finished ripping it apart, not just stop with the gills." Zeke nodded.
"And she was very hostile towards Ray for taking the fish and her set of keys to my place." They all looked at him, except Rayne.
"She came by to make sure the gills were missing." They nodded. Rayne dropped her forehead into the palm of her right hand as they got out of the vehicle. Casey stopped, and slid back in beside her.
"You alright?" he asked. She shrugged.
"Something's wrong, Case. I can feel in my veins, and it's the same feeling I had when we fought the aliens," she mumbled, and looked up at him. He froze for a second.
"Well, if anything does happen, at least we've still got each other. We've always known if something was wrong with the other," he said. She smiled.
"Your right.yea, let's go inside," she said, and shooed him out of the car.
They pulled up in front of her place, but she didn't get out. Stan tapped his fingers on the wheel in rhythm with the radio. Finally, Delilah looked up.
"Rayne, this is your stop. Get out of the car," she said. Rayne didn't look up, and her hair stayed hung around her face.
"No.I can't go in there," she said.
"Why not, baby?" she hissed evilly.
"Because I'm afraid! Are you happy? Huh? Are you happy now, bitch?" she snapped, slightly turning her head. Everyone turned and looked at her.
"Your afraid? Of Billie, right?" Casey asked. Rayne nodded.
"Yea.I'm afraid of Billie. Whatever's happened has made her a hell of a lot stronger than usual, and for all I know, she could kill me in my sleep.could I stay with one of you guys tonight?" she asked.
"Not me, my roommate's there, and he's not partial to me having someone stay over," Casey said.
"Same," Stan said.
"My roommate is a lezbo, and I think she likes you, so I'm not gonna risk it," Stokes said.
"No fucking way," Delilah stated.
"That leaves Zeke." Rayne lifted her eyes. He shrugged.
"Sure, what the hell. Let's go," he said. Stan drove to the girls' dorms, dropping them off, and then pulled into the guys' dorm. Rayne slipped in with Zeke, and they walked down the hall into his room.
"Alright, now, your in luck, because it looks like Don is staying somewhere else tonight," he said.
"Top bunk is yours," he said. She nodded, and kicked off her shoes. Zeke walked out, and tossed her one of his longer shirts.
"You can sleep in this," he said.
"Thanks," she said, and went to change. She walked back out wearing a black shirt that hung down to right above her knees. Rayne pushed herself up onto the bunk, and pulled the blankets up to her neck as she lay down. Zeke turned off the light, and laid down, telling Rayne goodnight. She responded, and fell asleep.
She woke up the next morning, and looked down. Zeke had rolled off his bed during the night, but apparently didn't wake up, so he was still sleeping. She almost started laughing at him. Quietly, she climbed down the ladder, and picked up the clothes she had tossed onto his chair. She walked into the bathroom and changed, then walked back out, setting the shirt on the chair. Rayne looked around, trying to find a pen and a piece of paper. Finding one, she wrote him a note:
Zeke:
Thanks for letting me stay with you last night. I appreciate it. I'm going to be at the Café until ten a.m., when I'll be going to Stan's so he can come back to my place with me. I'm not trusting Billie anymore, and I won't go by myself, and, not knowing when you'll be up, he's my only choice. After that I'll be staying with someone else.or I'll probably rent a place.but, actually, if I'm lucky, Billie won't be there and I can get the locks changed right away. I've gotta go. Thank again, Zeke. :-P ;-)
~~Rayne.
She quietly walked out of the room, closing the door behind her, and jogged down the hallway.
Rayne sat at a table off in the corner of the Café, drinking a glass of hot cocoa, and reading the paper, sunglasses planted on top of her nose and a black baseball cap on top of her head. She heard the bell above the front door ringing all morning, but didn't look up.until now. Her eyes lifted, and she saw Zeke walk in, his hair a ruffled mess, as though he'd just woken up and come out to find her. She looked back down as he looked in her direction. He nodded, and headed to the counter.
"Yes?" the lady asked.
"Just a coffee." he said, pointing it out on the menu. After getting it, Zeke walked over and sat at the table, right across from her.
"So, your incognito, huh?" She lifted her head, her sunglasses still down on her nose. The visor's shadow that was cast over her eyes shrunk and vanished, and Zeke saw the black eye she had.
"What happened to you?" he asked.
"When I went home yesterday, after classes, before I flew out the window, I had gone into the kitchen, and Billie flung open the cupboard door.it hit me in the eye."
"Why didn't you say something before?" he asked, leaning in.
"Because I didn't think of it."
"Well, if it happened yesterday, why didn't we see it?"
"I was wearing concealer, alright? Give me a break," she said. He nodded, and looked down at his coffee.
"How'd you sleep?" he asked.
"Alright. What about you? You seemed pretty content on the floor," she smiled. He rolled his eyes.
"Yea, yea. I slept fine.until I rolled off the bed. My dream had me flying off a cliff.and landing two feet below. It was strange." She nodded, and looked at her watch.
"Ten.Do you want to come with me to Stan's then to my place? I mean, since you're here," she said. He shrugged, then nodded.
"Alright, sure." They stood up, and walked out of the Café, driving to Stan's. She knocked on the door, and his roommate answered.
"Is Stan here?" she asked.
"Nope.went out last night, probably stayed at Stokes'." he said, and closed the door. Rayne looked at Zeke.
"Do you mind being the only one to come with me?" He shook his head.
"Nope. Come on."
Rayne sat in her room, feet up on her desk, keyboard on her lap, trying to figure out what to write about for her English paper. Her door and windows were locked, her music played from her computer's speakers, and her eyes were closed, attempting to think. Even though the song played loudly, she still could hear the plink, plink of something hitting her window. Rayne dropped her feet to the floor, and placed her keyboard on the desk. She got up, and peeked around the curtains to see who was out there. Casey stood down on the green grass with Delilah, Zeke, Stan, and Stokes. She shook her head, and drew the curtains. Unlocking her window, she shoved it open, and stuck her head out.
"Haven't you guys heard of a front door?" she called.
"We were gonna go to the movies, and when no one answered the phone or the door, we decided to knock on your window.wanna come?" he asked. Rayne laughed.
"Alright.let me get my bag, and I'll be out in a minute." She closed the window, but left the curtains open. Before she did anything, she unlocked her door. Turning, she walked to her computer, and shut it down. She had picked up her bag near the window, took a few steps back, and turned around.and gasped. Billie stared at her, an evil emptiness in her eye.
"Billie, you scared me. Listen, I'm going out.." Billie didn't say anything, only raised her hands to shoulder level. "Billie?" she asked. Casey looked up, and turned to Zeke.
"I wonder what's taking her so long."
Billie pulled her elbows back, and shoved Rayne, hard, into the window. The shattering glass caused them all to look up as she came flying out the window, kicking her feet, screaming. Zeke and Stan leapt forward, and caught her before she hit the ground. She started to shake as they stood her up, and then she glanced up to her window. Billie stared down at them, and then was gone. One minute there, the next not. Rayne looked at them.
"Let's get outta here.now!" she said, and took off for the car in front.
"What is going on?" Delilah asked.
"I wish I knew.but I think something happened to Billie." They hopped into Stan's jeep, and drove off to the movies, but didn't go in. They just sat in the car.
"Now, what do you mean something's happened to Billie?" Stan asked, turning around. Rayne sighed.
"Well, she's been acting really different, like she was someone else," she stated.
"What do you mean?" Rayne thought.
"Usually, she's a wimp. She doesn't hurt me when she hits me, she rarely hits me, she's never mean, or angry with me for stupid things. She's shoved me out of a window, and she's been looking different, and she went fishing."
"So?" Delilah asked. Rayne looked over at her.
"Billie thinks fishing is murder. She's never held a fishing pole, she's never held a fish, and she doesn't eat fish, unless it's canned tuna or breaded shrimp at a restaurant. Yesterday, I came home to find a fish on the counter, with its gills ripped out. Billie isn't the type of person to start something and not finish it, so even if she did like fish, she'd have finished ripping it apart, not just stop with the gills." Zeke nodded.
"And she was very hostile towards Ray for taking the fish and her set of keys to my place." They all looked at him, except Rayne.
"She came by to make sure the gills were missing." They nodded. Rayne dropped her forehead into the palm of her right hand as they got out of the vehicle. Casey stopped, and slid back in beside her.
"You alright?" he asked. She shrugged.
"Something's wrong, Case. I can feel in my veins, and it's the same feeling I had when we fought the aliens," she mumbled, and looked up at him. He froze for a second.
"Well, if anything does happen, at least we've still got each other. We've always known if something was wrong with the other," he said. She smiled.
"Your right.yea, let's go inside," she said, and shooed him out of the car.
They pulled up in front of her place, but she didn't get out. Stan tapped his fingers on the wheel in rhythm with the radio. Finally, Delilah looked up.
"Rayne, this is your stop. Get out of the car," she said. Rayne didn't look up, and her hair stayed hung around her face.
"No.I can't go in there," she said.
"Why not, baby?" she hissed evilly.
"Because I'm afraid! Are you happy? Huh? Are you happy now, bitch?" she snapped, slightly turning her head. Everyone turned and looked at her.
"Your afraid? Of Billie, right?" Casey asked. Rayne nodded.
"Yea.I'm afraid of Billie. Whatever's happened has made her a hell of a lot stronger than usual, and for all I know, she could kill me in my sleep.could I stay with one of you guys tonight?" she asked.
"Not me, my roommate's there, and he's not partial to me having someone stay over," Casey said.
"Same," Stan said.
"My roommate is a lezbo, and I think she likes you, so I'm not gonna risk it," Stokes said.
"No fucking way," Delilah stated.
"That leaves Zeke." Rayne lifted her eyes. He shrugged.
"Sure, what the hell. Let's go," he said. Stan drove to the girls' dorms, dropping them off, and then pulled into the guys' dorm. Rayne slipped in with Zeke, and they walked down the hall into his room.
"Alright, now, your in luck, because it looks like Don is staying somewhere else tonight," he said.
"Top bunk is yours," he said. She nodded, and kicked off her shoes. Zeke walked out, and tossed her one of his longer shirts.
"You can sleep in this," he said.
"Thanks," she said, and went to change. She walked back out wearing a black shirt that hung down to right above her knees. Rayne pushed herself up onto the bunk, and pulled the blankets up to her neck as she lay down. Zeke turned off the light, and laid down, telling Rayne goodnight. She responded, and fell asleep.
She woke up the next morning, and looked down. Zeke had rolled off his bed during the night, but apparently didn't wake up, so he was still sleeping. She almost started laughing at him. Quietly, she climbed down the ladder, and picked up the clothes she had tossed onto his chair. She walked into the bathroom and changed, then walked back out, setting the shirt on the chair. Rayne looked around, trying to find a pen and a piece of paper. Finding one, she wrote him a note:
Zeke:
Thanks for letting me stay with you last night. I appreciate it. I'm going to be at the Café until ten a.m., when I'll be going to Stan's so he can come back to my place with me. I'm not trusting Billie anymore, and I won't go by myself, and, not knowing when you'll be up, he's my only choice. After that I'll be staying with someone else.or I'll probably rent a place.but, actually, if I'm lucky, Billie won't be there and I can get the locks changed right away. I've gotta go. Thank again, Zeke. :-P ;-)
~~Rayne.
She quietly walked out of the room, closing the door behind her, and jogged down the hallway.
Rayne sat at a table off in the corner of the Café, drinking a glass of hot cocoa, and reading the paper, sunglasses planted on top of her nose and a black baseball cap on top of her head. She heard the bell above the front door ringing all morning, but didn't look up.until now. Her eyes lifted, and she saw Zeke walk in, his hair a ruffled mess, as though he'd just woken up and come out to find her. She looked back down as he looked in her direction. He nodded, and headed to the counter.
"Yes?" the lady asked.
"Just a coffee." he said, pointing it out on the menu. After getting it, Zeke walked over and sat at the table, right across from her.
"So, your incognito, huh?" She lifted her head, her sunglasses still down on her nose. The visor's shadow that was cast over her eyes shrunk and vanished, and Zeke saw the black eye she had.
"What happened to you?" he asked.
"When I went home yesterday, after classes, before I flew out the window, I had gone into the kitchen, and Billie flung open the cupboard door.it hit me in the eye."
"Why didn't you say something before?" he asked, leaning in.
"Because I didn't think of it."
"Well, if it happened yesterday, why didn't we see it?"
"I was wearing concealer, alright? Give me a break," she said. He nodded, and looked down at his coffee.
"How'd you sleep?" he asked.
"Alright. What about you? You seemed pretty content on the floor," she smiled. He rolled his eyes.
"Yea, yea. I slept fine.until I rolled off the bed. My dream had me flying off a cliff.and landing two feet below. It was strange." She nodded, and looked at her watch.
"Ten.Do you want to come with me to Stan's then to my place? I mean, since you're here," she said. He shrugged, then nodded.
"Alright, sure." They stood up, and walked out of the Café, driving to Stan's. She knocked on the door, and his roommate answered.
"Is Stan here?" she asked.
"Nope.went out last night, probably stayed at Stokes'." he said, and closed the door. Rayne looked at Zeke.
"Do you mind being the only one to come with me?" He shook his head.
"Nope. Come on."
