-Chapter 4-
As I became conscious again and my vision became less blurry, it was no brighter where I was than the avenue. My head was pounding making my vision go in and out. I had to notice my right arm limp by my side, I moved it and was relieved. I sat up, my stomach lurched.
"Hi!" I heard a voice somewhere near me. I look over the couch back, where I was laying and looked into Garren's face glowing from the computer screen. I groaned and fell back onto the couch, jumping up, feeling the reason why my head was pounding. A huge goose egg was sitting on the back of my head.
"That was a dumb thing you did." Jason said sitting on a chair besides the couch.
"What?" I asked trying to focus on him.
"What you did last night. Going out on your own, and getting the shit beat out of you." Jason said, sounding unimpressed.
"Wait, I have ringing in my ears." I said, putting my hands to my ears, and making a face. I shook my head lightly so not to get dizzy.
He sighed.
"I think I have a concussion!" I said slowly, opening my eyes wider.
"Well serves you right." Jason said.
"Want some ice?" Scott asked walking in... before backing away seeing Jason giving a lecture.
"Yes?" I answered.
"And you called us lunatics and then you did what you did." He said.
"I didn't really know that there were big groups." I said as my head started pounding harder. "I can handle up to four on my own."
"Well you fucked up." Jason spat.
I rested my head against my knees.
"Hey, now that you know you're like the rest of us. Are you joining?" Garren asked.
"And we want her because?" Jason asked.
"Cause I can fight, I have weapons, and we are after the same goal...ish, plus I'd like to work with you." I said, and again my stomach lurched.
"Ha!" came Pierre's voice. "I knew it would work." he smiled and walked in.
My eye twitched and I groaned cause it was the eye I was punched in twice. "What!" I whined as my eye twitched again.
"We knew you'd come over to the good side. Like who in their right mind could really work alone in this kind of business." Pierre said sitting on the couch's arm rest.
"Great. Can I pass out now?" I asked as my head pounded harder.
Scott threw me an ice pack and I almost let it hit me in the head. Catching it I put it gingerly down on my skull and sighed.
--
I apparently did pass out on the couch again, cause I woke up and the clock said it was nine at night. My head was just sore, not pounding like my brain was going to explode. I sat up hoping I would not get dizzy. I swung my legs around onto the floor. My muscles were stiffer than after any fight I had before. I stretched just to flinch back to my slouch as I felt my bruised side awaken.
I groan and slowly get up and loosen my joints.
"Hi." Garren walked in and looked at me. A small smile coming to his lips. After putting down his phone on the table he walked up to me. Put a finger in front of my face and moved it left, right, down, and up. My eyes followed, but my head began to pound again. His smile turned into a giggle.
I give him a curious look.
"Do you think you're up for some hunting tonight?" he asked, sitting in the chair adjacent to the couch.
I just looked at him, trying to keep my balance.
"Defiantly your first time being beaten down like that." he chuckled.
"How do you know?" I asked.
"You aren't carrying your wounds too well." he said, staring at my face.
"If I just clean up I'll be fine!" I said defensively.
"If you're sure." he got up and left for a bit coming back with towels, and threw them at me, making me fall onto the couch. He laughed, and waited for me to catch up to him. Just as I started to walk I heard my bloodied knees cracking. I flinched but continued to walk to loosen my joints.
"In there." he pointed to a door.
"Thanks." I said.
I got out of the shower slowly, scowling at my cuts, bruises, and contusions. I was as colourful as a Christmas tree, and knew that going out should not be an option. But because I didn't have anything broken, besides my pride, I got dressed in last nights clothes and walked out, toweling my hair. The only thing that worried me was the huge black eye I had. No makeup would be able to cover that for a job interview.
Coming out of the bathroom I followed the sounds of fighting grunts and growls. I walked into a training room where Scott, Pierre, and Jason were fighting each other, while Garren was under a light with a net gun in his hands. I stood in the door way and watched, thinking how I missed training with people.
I began remembering the first training sessions I had as a slayer. I had my trainer and a friend... I don't know why I ran away from all of that. The support and protection of others.
I sighed and continued to watch.
"So you ready?" Jason asked.
I was quiet for a bit, then did a slow back flip, knowing it was just my legs that burned from pain. I nodded after.
Jason nodded, and motioned everyone to get their gear.
"Did I use all my stuff?" I asked, looking at my empty belt.
Pierre handed me my dagger. "Your crossbow was smashed." he said.
Scott pushed a net gun into my hands. I looked at it with doubt, but kept silent.
"You push the green button." Garren said, pointing to his own.
I narrowed my eyes, but silently followed, like a good little duck. Since I kind of owed them. I sat in the back of their car with Pierre and Scott whilst Jason and Garren were in the front. I will admit that checking things out in a car was a better deal than being jumped while walking. The only problem with this was Scott and Pierre were taking turns poking my bruises. Making me cry out or growl, getting giggles out of the two of them. I soon elbowed them in the sides, seething over my own weakness.
Garren was driving slowly around with his camera phone hanging out the window... I assumed taking surveillance photos. We came back to their hideout after about two hours of looking. I sat on the couch and stared at the wall, while Garren sat at the computer. Scott and Pierre sat around me, and Jason started to chop stuff up and putting it in a blender. I turned around, and stared at him, cocking my head to the side. I got up and stared closer at what he was doing.
He grunted, "What?"
"It smells." I said giving him a dirty look and walking back to the couch.
Jason shook his head, and the whirling sound of the blender started.
"So like, what do you guys do for fun, during boring nights?" I asked trying to start a conversation.
"I dunno, stuff?" Pierre answered.
"Huh." I said, trying to ignore my headache.
"Planning." Scott said.
"Cards." Garren said in the back.
"Sleep." Pierre added.
"Fixing stuff." Garren said.
"Sleep." Scott said.
"Counting tiles." Jason said, sitting in the chair.
"Sleep." Pierre added again.
"And sleep." Garren said, and stopped to look up. "We sleep a lot." he added.
"What about you?" Scott asked.
"I'm usually up from dusk to dawn, and then sleep till eight. But on dead nights, I make up games while walking around. Like how far I can throw things, hop scotch, and stuff." I said.
"Did someone say hop scotch?" Garren asked.
"Yeah, the pansy did." Jason said.
"You have something on your face." I commented to him.
He narrowed his eyes and wiped it off with his sleeve.
"So when can I go home?" I asked, knowing if I left now I'd be lost.
"You can leave in a night. We'd rather you not go home and be found dead or whatever from your concussion" Pierre said.
"Cause to fly up in a five foot arch and falling on your head really could create some short term problems." Garren said, perching himself on the table.
Scott laughed. "That was sweet."
I looked at them, before shaking my head.
"So I'm sleeping on the couch, again, in these clothes?" I asked, looking down at my blood stained knees, and my shirt that was not ripped just dirty.
"Why not?" Jason asked.
I just stared at him. "Stupid unhygienic boys." I mumbled under my breath.
"What?" Jason looked at me.
"Nothing." I said, and continued to stare at the wall.
--
I ended up staying up late with the guys trying to figure out the x-box. We were playing the most stupidest games ever, but the violence calmed me down slightly. The funny thing though was this foolishness reminded me of my friend before she had left. Yet not, because these were guys playing video games and not my friend and myself giggling over something stupid.
I growled and just threw the control to the floor. The systematics of the games were making me get obsessive. While all the other guys were going further into levels, I was stuck playing the same level over and over again, barely getting better each time.
I looked around and noticed Jason wasn't with them. I began to think if he started to play then left or was never here. I got up and walked around their place. I walked into their training room and looked around. I guess I was impressed with their weapons and room, but there was no windows. Which made sense, but still didn't make it any less drearier. Walking the perimeter of the room, I noticed Jason in a corner. I approached him quietly.
"You're not very quiet either." he said in low voice not taking his head away from his knees.
I sighed.
"Did you come looking for me or what?" He asked, his voice easier to hear.
"Uh no. I was checking out the facilities, and you happen to be here alone and not playing games with your people." I said.
"My people?" he asked looking up. "And I like to be alone once in awhile." he added.
"Me too, that's why I left." I said, not telling him I'm a sore loser.
He nodded.
"Well I'm going to leave." I said and began walking out of the room my eyes catching some of the great weapons they had.
"So what happened that makes you want to kill every single vamp?" his voice said from his corner.
I turned around, feeling a bit surprised that Garren didn't say anything. "Are you sure that the job of killing demons is not a birth right that has to be followed?"
"Well the thought of having to kill every single one on your own seems a bit big, don't you think? A job that may be hard considering there are many, and that you are killing living beings."
"Vampires are not living, they are soulless shells of a being that do the work of some darker power. Just like you. A soulless shell of evil." I said slowly.
He growled lowly. "I'm different."
"No vampire is different than the next. No matter what." my voice echoed in the empty room.
"How can you say that?" he asked, obviously not happy.
"Because I can." I said stiffly, a pang of anger hit me.
He stood up his foot steps echoing as my voice had.
"You have no right." He said, shoving me a few feet.
"I do." I said, standing my ground.
"How can you, when you have no idea how it is?" he asked angrily stepping closer.
"Because of this; no matter how gracious one is, or how pure hearted, loving or kind. What friendships and loving background they have, a Vamp will ALWAYS turn." I growled, my eyes prickling from tears.
"You're wrong!" He yelled, and I was sure the others heard.
"I am not wrong because that's what happened to my best friend." I yelled back. "She was turned, and then she turned over my family to the vamps. No matter what our friendship meant to her. She rather be a traitor and feast than protect and be my friend. I lost trust that day, to all. I lost everything because I trusted a Vampire." I said my voice hoarse, I noticed I was crying the whole time. I sat down hard and hit the floor with a loud thunk, bruising my hands. "She was the Slayer. I was her friend. I took her place because of the stupid thing she got into." I said quietly.
I could hear Jason breathing hard, then some feet shuffling away. I took out my dagger and threw it behind me. I heard a whimper.
"You're all asses." I said into the room, and got up. I stalked away, slamming the door shut and walked into the alleyway. Dawn was showing it's first light. I quickly wiped my tears with my dirty sleeve, cursing a bit after hitting my bruised eye. I could hear whispering behind the door, and soon the click of the door opening before it slammed shut. A person falling to the ground and quickly getting up dusting themselves off. The bolt lock was heard sliding into place.
"You okay, Kali?" Garren's voice asked behind me.
"Go away." I growled, but it sounded pathetic.
I heard him sigh and shuffle closer to me.
"Do you want your butt kicked?" I asked.
"No..." He answered.
"Then go away." I said, trying not to choke up again.
"But..." he sounded uncomfortable. "back.. there..." he said.
"Yeah so?" I could not hold back any more tears, as memories started coming back in pieces.
"Well it sounded pretty intense... and--"
"Your point?" I said, trying to get my composure back, wiping the tears away more harshly, flinching from my eye.
"Are you okay?" he asked again.
I could feel my emotional barrier fading away, feeling weak from the all the feelings I had been hiding and denying for so long.
"What do you think?" I asked, sitting down on a crate.
He sat beside me and put an arm around my shoulders. I pouted feeling absolutely miserable.
"I miss them." I said sniffling.
Garren nodded.
I added quietly, "I feel like I can't trust anyone anymore."
"But you have to trust someone sometime." I felt Garren looking directly at me.
"I haven't for two years." I said sadly.
Garren nodded.
"I think you can trust Jason." Garren said.
"You think?"
"I know." He said seriously.
"You said think."
He sighed.
"You said think. That's suppose to console me?" I said, staring at him.
He lowered his head.
I looked him in the eyes and said, "You're not sure yourself, are you?"
"No, I have all the faith in the world in Jason." he said.
I searched his face for doubt, but could not find any. I sighed.
"Can I go home?" I asked in a whining voice.
"Come on I'll go get the keys." He said, helping me up off the curb.
He knocked on the door loudly. The bolt moved and the door opened a crack, before opening all the way. Scott was standing behind the door. Garren walked up to his desk and grabbed the car keys, and walked out, me following close behind.
"Where ya going?" Pierre asked from the couch.
"Taking her home." he answered.
Scott followed us with his eyes, and Pierre made a noise. I looked back and he tossed me my dagger back.
The car ride was silent to my apartment. He walked me up to my floor silently."Do you want me to come in, or are you going to be ok on your own?" he asked.
I shrugged.
"Are you coming back?" he asked, waiting for me to open my door.
I pursed my lips fitting the key into the lock. I left the key in the lock, and smacked my head against the door repeatedly.
"Hey, hey, don't do that." he stopped me by holding my shoulder back.
"I feel so lost now." I cry out.
He sighed. "It's okay." he said unlocking my door, and leading me in.
I moped in and fell onto my sleeping bag. He closed my door and sat on my bed with me. I sighed into my pillow. He patted my back and got up to look at my fridge, half forgetting there was nothing in it. He took out some water bottles and the only two chocolate bars I had.
"Man, you need to stock up on actual food." he said, and sat back down on my mattress. "Hey you cleaned." noticing my less stained floor and walls.
I mumbled something into my pillow.
"Want some?" he asked pushing a chocolate bar under my nose.
I groan, and sit up.
"When was the last time you ate?" he asked me.
I was silently thinking. "Uh...two days ago."
He looked at the bar in his hand, "Hm, that's not good." He took out his cell and called a pizza place. Twenty minutes later I was eating a cheese pizza happily. I think I fell asleep because when I woke up there was a phone buzzing by my face, and a passed out Garren half off my bed. I picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Garren?" the other person asked slowly.
"Garren's not here right now... he fell asleep." I said, looking over at him.
"Where is he?" asked the voice, I think Scott's...
"At my house... asleep." I said.
"Is this Kali?" Scott asked.
"Yes, why? Does he often go around sleeping at girls' homes in the daylight?" I asked curiously.
"Huh?" he sounded confused.
"Never mind. Would you like me to wake him up?"
"Uh... yes?"
I poked Garren in the side repeatedly until he groaned awake. He looked up in surprise.
"Phone." I said and passed it to him.
He looked at it in confusion until he saw who was calling. "Ya?" he woke up more. "Uh hu--" he slid off my bed from stretching and woke up completely. "Okay, uh see you in a bit." he closed his phone and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Hi." he smiled stupidly and got up.
He got ready quickly.
"You coming?" he asked putting on his jacket.
"Tell me if Jason is okay, and I'll come." I said.
"Kay." he said, and walked out.
'Now what?' I ask myself. 'Right... groceries.'
--
I just finished getting dressed when there was a knock at the door. I rushed over and opened it.
"Hi." Jason said, solemnly.
I was surprised to see him. I half thought that one of the others would come to tell me, and that Jason and I would not talk for a bit. But apparently not, as he was standing in front of me.
"You coming?" he asked stepping aside. He looked at me funny, probably because I was doing the same.
"Uh..." I said. Thinking to myself I only had one stake and my dagger. "Yeah." I ran to get my keys, and closed the door following him.
"We're just patrolling." Jason said, jogging down the steps sideways so I could hear him. "Take shotgun." he said quickly seeing me go to the back.
I looked in the back, and no one else was in the car.
"So how come you patrol?" I asked.
"Just to know what's going down." he said, getting into the car.
"So you don't kill every night?" I asked, shutting the car door.
"No."
"Oh."
"We think the Dandies are up to something again." He said staring at the dark road.
"Are they the masterminds of the Vampire world?" I asked, half joking.
"Yes."
"Oh..."
"We don't know exactly what their plan is. That's why we patrol, to spy to understand them better."
"That would be funny if they were trying to get rid of me, and used some of my tricks." I said laughing.
He looked at me at the corner of his eyes. "That would not be funny."
"Well if they used my tricks it would be." I said, laughing to myself.
"Do you want to die?" he asked pulling over to scan.
"No. Though it would be an awfully big adventure." I said sarcastically laughing out loud.
"Are you fucking nuts!" He yelled.
"Shh." I said putting my finger to my mouth. "Jeez, you have no sense of humor."
"Well there shouldn't be humor in your line of work." he said, calming down.
"Why not? It's better than being all mean all the time." I said. "Like just because I try and hold in my secret and stuff doesn't mean I can't laugh once in a while or poke fun at things."
He pulled over and just scanned the area with his eyes, I did the same. After a long silence, Jason turned on the car again and started to drive.
"I'm sorry for what happened to you, but I swear that it will not happen with me." he said, not taking his eyes off the road.
"Okay." I said. "But if you screwed up once, your ass is dusted."
"Fine." he said, through his teeth.
"But I'll help you guys anyway, with your goal." I added, before falling silent.
"Thanks."