Here we are Chapter 5! Sorry for the wait!
Special thanks to; bjq and When I Make It Shine for reviewing last chapter!
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Disclaimer: I'm just visiting this world. Lena & Abby however belong to me.
"Three things cannot be long hidden: The sun, the moon, and the truth."
-Buddha
"This is all some ploy to sleep with me, isn't it?"
Reid nearly choked on air at the question. He was with Lena as they walked around the only Halloween store that Ipswich had to offer. He had been halfheartedly searching through the costumes because after all, he wasn't actually going to be dressing up for this party. He didn't need to in order to make an impression.
And though Lena had made a statement along the same lines of dressing up, she said she wanted to see what there was to offer in case she changed her mind. Plus, she said she was bored and she needed to be entertained and since according to her, he was the next best thing after Abby he would have to humor her.
Plus, she said it beat having to do homework. Especially, if it were a school night.
He had no idea this was what she actually meant.
She looked up from the rack of costumes she was looking through to meet his eyes steadily.
"Well?" she prompted.
"I'm not the one that asked you to hang out," Reid responded.
"You're not denying it," Lena sang. "Which would mean that the reason you and your friends are so nice is so that you can have a shot at getting in my pants."
Reid rolled his eyes, "You're relentless. I'm not spending time with you because I'm trying to sleep with you. I hardly need my friends to help me in that department. I mean, have you seen me?"
Lena smiled slightly as she turned away.
"Funny enough, I don't know what it is I see when I look at you," she picked up a random soldier outfit and held it up to him. "You're interesting, Reid."
"You know what I think," Reid said taking the costume and putting it back. "I think you want to sleep with me and you're projecting."
Lena looked thoughtful, her eyes roaming over him before she shrugged and turned back to the rack picking out a different costume.
A warlock's cloak.
Ironic. And tacky, Reid thought.
She glanced at him momentarily before she put it back and turned to face him while stuffing her hands into her pockets.
"Let's go, there's nothing here," she said moving around him and towards the exit.
Ipswich was Reid's home, but as he walked next to Lena he didn't believe he'd seen anyone look as at ease as she did. As though she always belonged to this little old town. Some of the kids he went to school with had been going there for years and even some of them didn't carry themselves like she did.
They hadn't spoken about the night he'd showed up at her door wanting to…he wasn't sure why he had gone there to be honest. And he wondered if she didn't bring it up because she was being polite or if she simply didn't care.
Either way, that interested him.
She was peculiar.
"Then you have to keep an eye on her. We all will, but she likes you the most."
Caleb's voice rang through his head and he had to keep himself from grimacing. He knew that Lena was suspicious of them and he wondered if all of this would be easier if they just told her the truth.
After all, she wasn't stupid.
"You're doing it again," her voice cut through his thoughts. "Staring at me."
Reid turned his gaze forward, "Was I?"
"You were," she said and he could hear the hint of a smile. "You do it a lot, y'know?"
Did he?
Lena sighed and he glanced at her again, she looked almost troubled as she ducked her chin into the collar of her jacket.
"What's wrong?" Reid asked.
"Oh," she looked up at him. "Nothing's…wrong…" she started and then her eyes landed on a bench and she sat upon it. She didn't speak again until he sat. "I just don't typically get along with people this well. Imagine knowing the same people for years but you never fit in with them and then you get shipped to boarding school, where you're welcomed into this group of awesome, popular people…"
"You don't trust us."
"I don't understand you," she sighed.
"Do you feel this way about Abby?" he asked.
Lena smiled slightly, "No."
"What's the difference?" he asked.
"She's not hiding who she is from me," she answered.
"We're not—"
Lena shook her head, "You are and that's fine, we all have secrets. I know I should be happy that I have friends. But I can't shake the feeling that it has something to do with me. I've said it before that it's clear you're keeping an eye on me. I don't miss the looks that pass between the group of you. Looks that should mean nothing but hold so much. It's all so strange to me. But to be fair a lot of strange things happen to me."
"So you keep saying," Reid remarked. The wind blew softly, "What really happened to have your parents send you here?"
She was silent for so long that Reid didn't think she was going to answer. Her hands had come out of her pocket and she was wringing them as though something was on them and she needed it gone.
"My parents are fucking crazy. That's what happened," she finally said. "It's getting late, we should head back before Tyler starts thinking you wrecked his beloved vehicle."
And like that, Reid regretted ever asking.
Lena flipped her phone idly in her hand as she sat on the hood of Caleb's car waiting for said owner and company to show so they could head to the Halloween party. Abby paced in front of her, trying to keep what heat she could while they waited.
"I doubt Caleb would take kindly to you sitting on his car like that," Abby said.
"He's too polite to say anything about it," Lena muttered. The cold wasn't bothering her or rather her wandering mind kept her from thinking much of the cold.
"Yeah and with knowing that, you shouldn't abuse his kindness like that," Abby chastised. Knowing her friend was right, Lena slid off the car and opted to lean against it instead. "That's an improvement…where the heck are they?"
Shrugging Lena glanced at her phone.
10:15pm.
She sighed.
"Hey Abby," she said. Abby stopped pacing to glance at her. "What do you really know about them?"
Abby looked taken aback by the question and Lena bit her lip. In the last week since she had had her moment at Nicky's and at the diner she had become almost locked on trying to understand her new group of friends when she had the time.
And she found that she could make the time and they were able to fit her in. No matter what.
It was an odd bunch.
She'd asked Reid to spend time with her in the guise of her wanting to look at Halloween costumes. She had done so in part because he made her physically aware of everything. An excitement she couldn't quite put a word to. She was drawn to him and she knew he was to her, but he'd yet to do anything about it, which was strange amongst other things. Reid Garwin didn't strike her as the type of guy to take things slow.
Her outing with him didn't get anywhere. In fact, she had wound up getting nervous and her hands started to ache and burn, and she suggested they call it an evening.
All in all, she hadn't learned much about him or his friends.
She'd tried to get some kind of tangible information out of Tyler while they sat at lunch one day. But that attempt was fruitless as well…well perhaps not completely, she did manage to get a small reddening of his cheeks when she spoke of Abigail. But she supposed that wasn't the type of information she really was quite transparent in the aspect of his crush.
Pogue had perhaps been the most unexpected, yet most open. She'd found him in the school parking lot kneeling in front of his motorcycle between classes. He had looked up at her as she approached. His hazel eyes gleamed mischievously.
"Wanna go for a spin?" he'd asked without prompt.
Of course, how could she say no to that?
Yet, even after they had arrived back at the school mid-way through third period, she'd found that though he was more rule breaking that Caleb might be, she still knew very little about him or the others.
Then there had been Caleb. Caleb was by far the toughest of the four boys to understand. He was forever polite and kind. But he was guarded to the point that Lena wasn't sure she'd ever get past his patient smile and kindness. It was clear he had a lot on his shoulders but no small bit of prying could get much out of him while he'd helped her with what she called math from hell.
All of this one on one time and she still knew very little about each of them.
But it was clear to her that they were trying to get to know more about her.
Kate and Sarah had also been pretty hard to crack. Always diverting conversation elsewhere. Typically gossip, but never the gossip she wanted.
"What do you mean? You mean about the boys?" Abby asked, breaking Lena from her thoughts.
"Yeah, you've been going to school with them for years now, right? I was wondering what it is you really know about them…"
Abby looked thoughtful before she frowned, "They've always been a bit secretive," she mumbled. "Charismatic would probably be the best way to describe them all, because let's face it, Reid Garwin isn't friendly."
"I think he is."
"Yeah to you," Abby snorted. "But anyway, they've always been a unit. Even when Pogue and Kate started dating, the Sons of Ipswich have been that group. Nothing really got in their way. Then beginning of term came and Sarah was new and so she was added to the fold."
"And the group was still as strong as ever?" Lena inquired.
"Well," Abby's arms crossed and her frown deepened, "It was around when Sarah and—"
Abby's sentence was cut short when an arm was thrown over her shoulder.
"Ladies," Reid grinned. Abby jumped slightly, but her face read annoyed as she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. Lena had been so captured by what Abby had been saying that she hadn't even seen or heard him approach. "What are we gossiping about?"
"Your lack of knowing what a personal bubble is," Abby muttered as she slipped out from under his arm. "Where is everyone? I thought we were supposed to be leaving like ten minutes ago," she said.
"They're heading down," he answered her but his eyes were trained on Lena. "Tyler went to pull the Hummer up."
"I take it he actually gets to drive his own car," Lena said. Reid's eyes seemed to sparkle.
"Just this once," he said.
"When are you going to get your own car?" Abby asked. "It's not like you haven't got the money."
Reid's eyes cut to Abby, and Lena was actually surprised by the moment of darkness that seemed to pass over them before they brightened again.
Abby seemed to not have noticed as her attention had gone to the figures just behind Reid, heading toward them. As the others joined them and Abby launched into conversation with them, Lena slid up to Reid.
"She was only joking," she said. Reid looked at her curiously. "About the whole car thing and having money for it or whatever. She was only trying to pick at you."
"I wasn't offended," he answered.
"I'm sure you weren't," she said as lights lit them up as Tyler came to a stop in front of their group. The driver's side window rolled down and he leaned out of the car.
"Are we going or what?" he asked. "This is late even for us."
"Got a hot date waiting for you, Baby Boy?" Pogue quipped.
"Yeah, with your mom," Tyler responded back, a clear note of irritation in his tone.
"Ah," Pogue chuckled lightly. "Reid's been rubbing off on you more than usual it seems."
"In any case," Caleb spoke up. "Tyler's right. Let's get going."
They had arrived at Kira Snider's mansion at a quarter to eleven, they could hear the music pumping even before exiting the vehicles.
Some of the guests were dressed in their best Halloween costumes, but a large majority were clearly only there to drink and dance without the hassle that comes with wearing clothes that were quite honestly, impractical.
Though, Lena would assume that those that were inspired by Mean Girls didn't exactly have much to complain about.
It came as no surprise that the moment the Sons of Ipswich had walked through the doors they were herald in, shouts going all around. Everyone was excited to see them and their girlfriends. Kate and Sarah that was, Lena and Abby were not a part of that collection.
Lena and Abby shared a look.
"They could at least say hello," Abby said. "It's like they don't even see us all because we're not an accessory."
"Are you calling Sarah and Kate accessories?" Lena asked in surprised.
"Of course not," Abby hissed. "I'm only saying that we've been around this group long enough, right? You'd think they'd notice us."
"They have," Lena pointed out. "They just don't care. Remember, I'm still the new girl and you…"
"Yeah, I'm nobody," Abby replied.
"Not to me," Lena smiled at her friend. "And as long as I'm here, you'll never be nobody."
"Then don't even think about leaving me," Abby laughed. "You've now sworn a life oath. Protect me forever!"
"We're stuck with each other," Lena grinned taking her hand. "C'mon, let's go get a drink."
Lena and Abby had spent a good hour having a drink or two and dancing before Sarah had insisted on introducing Abby to some group that Lena didn't get the name of. And after Lena told them both she was fine not meeting new people, she had pushed her roommate to go with their other friend, because if she were to be quite honest, she was in need for some fresh air.
She moved off the makeshift dance floor and headed toward the balcony. The door was open but no one was on it. Stepping out into the cold night air she took in a much needed deep breath. She was unaware at how anxious she felt until then.
What's wrong with you?
Lena leaned against the railing of the balcony staring at the dark trees that loomed out in front of her. The noise of the party a welcoming hum behind her.
For whatever reason she couldn't find herself to truly indulge in the debauchery of the night. Even if she really wanted to. Which she suppose, now that she was there she didn't. Which was a shame considering how much she loved the debauchery that always seemed associated with Halloween.
But there was a little something in the air tonight that made her very alert. Even while she was laughing and drinking with Abby. Something about the night felt…strange.
Ipswich was strange.
She suppose some would call it magic. But she wasn't so sure she believed in magic. At least not without a little proof.
Regardless if she believed that not everything could be explained away with coincidence. Magic just seemed the most reaching.
"There you are," Lena jumped, pivoting around to see Reid walking onto the balcony. "Not feeling the party?" he asked.
"Just needed some air," she responded. "What's up?"
Reid shook his head as he came to stand beside her.
"Just curious to where you'd run off to," he said. "You seem to really like parties but you're kind of…" he trailed off, and Lena looked over at him. He was watching her, his eyes half closed.
"I'm kind of what?" she prompted quietly.
"I don't know," he answered lamely. "I guess you just get bored of them quickly."
Lena shrugged, "I suppose I do," she said. "I loved parties back home," she elaborated. "But as I told you before, I didn't have real friends. The people I knew, we were friends because it was convenient. Not because of loyalty or anything like that," she paused and looked down. "I guess, when you have that in the back of your mind you grow tired of going through the same motions of pretending to like your 'friends'. I'd start off having a good time but by the end of the night something dramatic or horrible would have happened. And again, you don't have friends where I come from."
"Do you still feel like that?" he asked her. "Like you don't have real friends."
She had been suspicious of the new group she had found herself in when coming to Ipswich. She had even told Reid it was because she didn't understand them. But she thought that even though it was clear that they were hiding something from her, she liked them far more than the people she had known most of her life.
And she wasn't even sure why that was. Yet…she wanted to be around them. Needed to even. Something she never felt with people before.
"I think you guys make up for it plenty," she said looking up, meeting his eyes.
"Good," he smiled. "That's what matters."
She was very aware of how close he was standing to her. She usually was. It was a tantalizing closeness that burnt with a longing to be even closer. Lena wasn't sure either of them were breathing properly.
Because she had been staring into his icy blue eyes, she saw the moment his eyes lowered to her lips. She couldn't help but allow hers to flicker to his for just a moment.
"If you want to kiss me, then do it," Lena whispered. Reid smirked and moved back from her. Lena rolled her eyes and turned back toward the trees. "You're cruel."
"Hey now," he said and she turned to look at him again. "Maybe I'm still trying to understand you and I'm trying not to cross any lines," he explained. "You're not like other girls."
"You're a fucking cliche," she laughed. "I bet you say that to all other girls."
Reid grinned but there was something to it that made her tilt her head to the side curiously.
Don't look at me like that, she thought.
"Only the ones I like."
Despite herself Lena felt her cheeks warm and she looked away again.
"You're irritating."
"I know," he all but sang. "Hey, I'll be back. You thirsty?" He'd already pushed away from the railing and was walking backwards toward the house when she glanced at him.
"A bottle of water is fine."
"Boring," he said. "But your wish is my command," he mocked bowed and Lena rolled her eyes before turning back toward the treeline.
Lena found that her solitude didn't last for long as the space when a voice had sounded behind her.
"Happy Halloween," it drawled.
Lena glanced over her shoulder to find Chase walking up to her. She narrowed her eyes at him as he came to stand beside her.
"Haven't seen you around in some time," she said. "Not since our run in outside the dorms."
"Have you missed me?" he smirked.
"That would imply that I know you," Lena retorted. "And I don't. You don't even go to Spenser but you're always around. They say you disappeared, but here you are. So what gives?"
Chase looked thoughtful as he leaned against the railing.
"But you haven't told anyone that you've seen me," he pointed out.
"Because I'm not sure you're even real," she snorted. Chase seemed to find this funny but not in the same way she did. His laugh actually unnerved her.
"So do you believe in ghosts?" he asked after a moment. Lena mirrored his pose and shook her head. "Then do you believe in the supernatural?"
"I believe in what I see and what I know," Lena responded.
"But you believe that there's something after death," Chase said.
Lena froze. He had stated it as though it were a fact.
"And because you believe that," he paused and his blue eyes narrowed. "Then you should believe in everything else."
"What are you getting at?" she asked.
"You died once," he said.
"How do you—"
"And when you died you came back but not completely yourself. But you've been too afraid to really embrace the gift you were given. Why do you think you're here Lena?"
"Are you trying to scare me because it's Halloween? It's not working, I—"
"Death follows you and with it life."
Lena blinked, "I don't know what you're—"
"Oh come on think about it," he smiled. On anyone else, it may have been sweet. Maybe even friendly. She didn't think Chase was friendly.
Not by a long shot.
"You don't even have to think that far back. Just back to the house fire that landed you here. You'd been at that party, you'd been cornered by the head jackass of the football team. He thought he could have his way with you, didn't he? In that bedroom. Don't you remember?"
Of course she remembered, but how could he possibly have known any of that? No one knew that.
"Who are you?" she asked quietly.
She could feel her breathing pick up.
"How did you get out of that room, Lena?" he asked her.
She had…
"I…I…just left," she stuttered.
She didn't even know why she was answering him. It was as though something was pulling the words forcibly from her.
"No," his smile sent a chill up her spine. "You didn't just leave. You marked him. You didn't mean to, but you did. You marked him for death. You must remember how you felt that night."
She'd felt sick, cold, scared.
"None of that means anything to me," she spat.
"It should," he stood up straight. "Because that night the house caught on fire, not long after you left. And that jackass, he died that night in it. In the very room you left him in. But me, you saved me that night with what you did."
"I don't know how you did it, but it's fucked up for you to use the death of a former classmate to try to scare me into believing that—"
"Open your eyes, Lena," he growled. "You're a freak just like me and your so called friends. Do you believe in hell?"
Lena wanted to walk away but she found that she couldn't, as though something was keeping her rooted there.
"I've been to hell and so have you. But you came back quickly and I had to fight, I'm still fighting. But I was lucky that you existed at all. Even if by mere accident. I was very fortunate to find your link. To find you in a moment where you lost control. I need that now."
A memory flashed in Lena's head, her punching the football player, telling him that she hoped he'd burn. She remembered feeling light headed as it all was happening and running from the house. Eventually slowing to a walk and breathing in the cool night air, trying to control her shaking hands.
She remembered being a good distance from the house. Still hearing the roar of the fire, the shouting, the emergency vehicles…Then she had been home, rubbing her face of tears she hadn't realized she'd cried. Her phone buzzing with her texts from classmates asking if she'd seen Daniel Davies, since she was last seen with him.
And as fast as the memory was there, it was gone and her arm had been tugged. Hard.
Lena's head snapped up and she was looking at Reid, but his eyes weren't on her but on Chase Collins before her.
In that moment he had slightly put himself between her and Chase.
"Get away from her," Reid growled. Chase grinned and backed away slightly.
"Long time no see, Garwin," he said. "I'd be careful, Reid," he continued. "Wouldn't want your cover blown now would you?"
Reid didn't respond, but instead he was backing up himself, ushering Lena to do the same. Eventually, he turned and grabbed her arm again, pulling her through the balcony door. Lena only had time to look over her shoulder once, only to see that Chase was no longer standing there.
But where could he have gone? There wasn't any other exit off the balcony, nor was it close enough to the ground for someone to jump and land safely.
"We have to go," Reid was saying when she focused on him again. She had become aware that he was tugging her toward the front doors. Pushing people out of their way as though it were some emergency. As though something bad had happened or would happen if they didn't leave.
Her thoughts had finally focused, her bewilderment and confusion sliding into irritation and anger.
"What the hell?" she snapped, tugging her arm away from him. They were outside the house by then and clearly heading toward the car. "What do you think you're doing?"
"We're leaving," he said, glancing at the house.
"Oh are we?" she asked. "That's great. Why?"
Reid looked at her as though she was crazy. Which she suppose was fair, she herself wasn't sure why she was feeling combative all of a sudden.
"Because that guy—Chase Collins. You need to stay away from him."
"Because you said so?" Lena asked. "What right do you have to dictate who I talk to?"
"Listen, I—" he was cut off again by the sound of his name and Tyler running up to him, Abby in tow. "Keys," he said to his friend. "We've got to go now. Did you tell Caleb?"
"Yeah," Tyler breathed. He had glanced at Lena with some mixture of concern and curiosity. "But I didn't tell him much," he finished looking at Reid again.
"It's fine," Reid said gruffly. "Let's just get the fuck out of here. C'mon."
Abby had tried to meet Lena's eye as if to ask her what was going on but Lena avoided her gaze because she wasn't sure how she was to answer that, when the boys in front of them were the ones hiding something from them.
Reid could practically feel the anger rolling off of Lena in waves as he climbed into the car. She had just slammed her door shut as she leaned back into the seat and buckled her seatbelt.
"What's going on?" Abby said as she followed suit. Tyler had climbed into the passenger seat and Reid barely waited until the other two were strapped in when he started the car and threw it into drive, speeding away from the party.
"Garwin here didn't like me talking to another boy," Lena answered acidly.
"That's not it," Reid growled. "I really don't give a fuck who you talk to."
"Is that why you said you didn't want me to talk to him?" Lena asked. "Is that why you pulled me away as though I didn't have my own free will?"
"You have no idea who that guy is," Reid said, his hands gripping the steering wheel tighter, the Hummer picking up speed. "He was saying something but you weren't—"
"He was trying to scare me, Reid," Lena groaned, but there was something else in her voice. As if she was trying to convince herself more than she was trying to convince him that everything was perfectly normal. "None of what he said was to be taken seriously. It's Halloween, for Christ's sake. He was literally just talking. It wasn't like he would have hurt me!"
"Yes he would have!" Reid yelled at her.
"Who are you even talking about?" Abby cut in loudly before Lena could retort. "As much as I love this sexually heated conversation between the two of you. Who are you talking about?"
"Some dude named Chase Collins," Lena responded with a huff, then she groaned again. "Oh, not you too, Abby. What with that look?"
"It's just that…no one's seen him since just before the formal, right?" Abby said. "They said he transferred but…"
"But what?" Tyler asked looking back at her.
Abby seemed to hesitate. Reid glanced briefly at her through the rear view mirror. Her brown eyes were wide as though she wasn't sure how to answer.
"Well, something happened that night, didn't it?" she whispered. "It's like no one wants to point out how the night of the formal had been strange or that the events leading up to it had been odd," Abby ran her hand through her hair. "It was like one weird event after another and then all of a sudden Chase Collins just transferred? Kate and Pogue miraculously are at full health after both were in freak accidents?"
"All of you started acting weird, and no one said a thing. Everyone acted like it was fine, but nothing was fine. I couldn't understand it at all. And quite honestly, I don't understand it now. Especially when you guys have been—"
Reid and Tyler shared a look causing Abby to break off.
"What?" she asked. "Why do you look as though I've said something I shouldn't have?"
"We can't talk about it right now," Tyler responded.
And Lena exploded.
"What the fuck!"
"Would you chill out?" Reid snapped.
"Absolutely not. Tell us what's going on or I swear to GOD, I'll jump out of this car!" Lena yelled at him. Reid glanced at her through the rear view mirror. He was pushing nearly seventy miles per hour now, there was no way her threat was serious…but the look on her face…
"It's a fucking promise…"
She'd said those words the first night she'd gotten into it with Aaron and he'd overheard. He had believed her then and he believed her now. She would seriously jump out of the car if she didn't get answers then and there.
Reid's eyes cut to Tyler who was looking at him as though Reid was the responsible one of the two.
"Are you kidding me?" Lena snapped. "You seriously aren't going to say anything? Who exactly is Chase Collins and why the hell does he have you spooked? Not to mention, what happened at the party—"
"Lena," Reid growled, looking back at her, "I promise you that we'll tell you everything once—"
"Reid watch out!" Abby screamed.
Reid's head snapped back around to see he was hurtling straight toward the very topic of conversation.
Chase Collins.
Several things happened in quick session.
Reid's grip tightened on the steering wheel and his foot pressed harder down onto the pedal. He could feel the power that he associated with Tyler surge through him. He heard Abby screaming at him to slow down. Tyler telling them they'd be fine and to trust them. He could make out the slow smirk on Chase's face as they flew closer and closer to him. And he heard Lena gasp—
"I can't breathe…"
The words leaving breathless from her lips just as Chase lifted his arms and Tyler's car went airborne.
How did he…get there? We left him at the party…Right?
Lena's eyes were wide as it became clear that Reid had accelerated. And her head was getting foggy as if she had suddenly been awake for too long…her skin felt warm as though she had a fever…
"Reid! Stop! Slow down!" Abby was saying. "Reid!"
"It's going to be fine!" Tyler called back. "We're going to be okay. Trust us!"
Lena couldn't find her voice, everything was starting to blur around her. And she was sure she must have been seeing things. Because no way did Tyler have black eyes. She was swimming in her mind again, unclear, lost…
"I can't breathe…" Lena finally gasped, her eyes fixated on Chase lifting his arms as the car lifted into the air.
Everything seemed to have slowed down as she lifted her own arms as the car hit the ground and flipped over itself over and over. But she could just see it still, Reid jerking forward so hard there was no doubt his neck was snapped. Tyler's head smacking against the window hard enough to shatter the glass. Abby…
Abby's seat belt had snapped and Lena threw her arm out screaming for her as her friend was going to be being projected out of the car…
And then it all stopped. The car stopped rolling, landing on the hood, the horn blazing loudly into the night.
Hanging upside down, Lena had a sickening thought.
I'm the only one alive…
Her eyes were on Abigail lying just below her, Lena's breathing was fast. Through her own pain she struggled to unclip herself and land as gracefully as she could beside her friend.
"Hey Abby…" Lena said, her shaking hands going to her friend's face. "Can you hear me?" she leaned her forehead against Abby's, blood and tears smearing together. "Please, please. Abby, please. This is all my fault," she cried. "…Please…come back…can you hear me?"
"Lena," it came out as a cough, but it wasn't from Abby. It was from the front. It was Reid, unhooking himself and then moving to help Tyler, who was stirring himself. "Abby. She's—"
There was a sharp intake of breath from Abby, and then whimpering.
"Lena…" she whispered. "Lena…I'm…Lena…be careful…"
And then she went silent but she was breathing…
What was she trying to tell me?
Lena let out something between a sob and a scream as she collapsed beside Abby. Her chest hurt as though she'd been punched in it and her hands were still shaking. She could hear the sound of sirens in the distance.
"Lena...Lena can you move?" it was Reid again. From what she could tell Tyler was somewhere outside the car now. "Lena if you can move you have to get out."
"Is Tyler, okay?" she asked.
"Tyler's banged up but he's fine. Lena can you move? You need to get out if you can move."
"Abigail first," she mumbled not moving from her spot, still staring at her friend. "Take her first. Please."
"We shouldn't move her…"
"Then I'm staying."
There's a moment of hesitation before as gently as he could, Reid took hold of Abby and carried her from the wrecked car. Once she couldn't hear him any longer, Lena slowly sat up. Her head swimming as she began to crawl from the wreckage.
"Death follows you and with it life."
Chase's voice echoed in her head as she moved.
"You're a freak just like me and your so called friends. Do you believe in hell?"
Lena made to stand, but immediately found herself falling forward on the first step she took.
"I've been to hell and so have you. But you came back quickly and I had to fight, I'm still fighting. But I was lucky that you existed at all. Even if by mere accident. I was very fortunate to find your link. To find you in a moment where you lost control. I need that now."
She never hit the ground as strong arms had wrapped around her, catching her.
Reid.
They moved a few more feet before together they sank to the asphalt. The sirens were getting louder.
"Hey, you okay?" Reid was cupping her face, his blue eyes searching hers. He was wiping at her cheeks.
She realized it was because was still crying.
Lena said nothing as she removed his hands from her face and laid her head against his chest. His heart pounded loudly and fast in her ear. All her anger from before was a distant memory.
All she wanted now as for him to hold her tighter. Closer somehow.
"No," she whispered, her hand tightening into his shirt, "Are you?"
Her answer came with the flashing lights of the emergency vehicles and her world going sideways as Reid had laid back onto the road, cradling her head against his chest. Something between relief and anticipation seemed to wash off him as he breathed out his response.
"Not at all."
It's happening again…
That was the first thought that popped into Caleb's head when he finally got in touch with one of his Brothers.
"There was an accident…"
Was all his friend said before the line went dead.
He had felt the immense surge of Power and then nothing. Before he felt something else. Something that fleeted in and out so quickly he could have imagined it. But he knew he didn't.
It was moments later that he heard through the other partygoers that there had been an accident six miles from the party. They said the roads were probably going to be blocked. That they think it was someone leaving the party.
Tyler and Reid had not too long left the party with Lena and Abby.
Tyler had hissed something about Chase before disappearing. Caleb had been looking for Pogue, Kate and Sarah when the news had trickled throughout the party about an accident.
He'd found Pogue by the time he had finally gotten ahold of Reid and all his friend could say was that there had been an accident before the line went dead.
"What's going on man?" Pogue asked.
"We gotta go," Caleb responded. "Where are the girls?"
After finding them it had been a rush to the hospital from that point on.
The roads weren't as blocked as many had believed, but as they drove past what was left of Tyler's Hummer the gnawing in Caleb's stomach grew. He hadn't any idea if his friends were okay.
Caleb was having flashbacks to when Pogue was put in the hospital after a run in with Chase. Did something similar happen to the others?
Were they even at the hospital?
Were they even alive?
He couldn't even feel the usual hum he got from them.
"They're fine," Pogue said and kept saying. It had become very clear that he was saying it for his own sake as much as for everyone else present.
After reaching the hospital it had been a sprint into the emergency room after parking. They burst through the doors and Caleb was momentarily hit with some relief.
Reid was standing at the reception desk arguing with the man behind the counter. The blonde was bandaged and even for Reid, Caleb would say his friend had seen better days. Yet, there he was alive and just as argumentive as ever.
Caleb was moving toward him before he realized it.
"We go to a freakin' boarding school for crying out loud. Our families are fuck knows where. Plus, we all came in here together, I think I have a right to know—" Reid was cut off when Caleb pulled him into a bone crushing hug.
"Hey, man…that fucking hurts…" But Caleb didn't release him. Caleb felt Reid hesitantly hug him back. "Caleb, I'm okay…but you have to let go of me."
Caleb released him after a moment but the blonde wasn't free long before Pogue pulled him into perhaps a stronger hug than Caleb had.
"Man, get off me," Reid growled pushing him away.
"I'm just glad you're okay," Pogue told him. "Where's the others?"
"I was trying to figure that out but," Reid glared at the receptionist. "Because we aren't related they won't tell me their status."
"Mr. Garwin, by law I cannot tell you—"
"Oh shove it up your ass, Reggie," Reid snapped before Caleb steered him away from reception and giving the receptionist an apologetic smile.
"Sarah, Kate could you two maybe try and—"
"Don't worry we're on it," Kate said and the two of them went to the receptionist's desk. Caleb sighed as Reid shrugged himself away from Caleb's grip and and looked at him and Pogue.
"What happened Reid?" Caleb asked. "Tyler said something about Chase but—"
"He was there at the party," Reid ran his hand through her hair, there were flecks of blood in his blonde hair. "He'd been talking to Lena or holding her in place before Tyler and I showed up. That's when we left. We hadn't gotten far, he was in the middle of the road and I…"
Caleb cocked his head to the side as Reid trailed off, his eyes landing on something over Caleb's shoulder. Turning to see what it was that Reid saw. The doors had swung open and Lena emerged from the back. She was just as much bruised and bandaged as Reid was and there was a slight limp in her step.
When she looked up at Kate and Sarah who had rushed her, she absently hugged them as her eyes cut across the room landing on the three boys.
Eyes that normally held challenge and mischief no longer did. Lena Shaw looked haunted.
They had moved closer to the girls in time to hear Lena numbly respond with, "They said my injuries don't make sense. But they wouldn't let me see Abby. They discharged me but they wouldn't let me see her. But I heard her. I think she's okay, but I wanted to see her. And Tyler. Where's Tyler?"
"I'm right here," the doors opened again and the youngest Son of Ipswich had stepped out. He was favoring his left arm and aside from the cuts and bruises to his face he looked well enough. "I think they're about to discharge Abby. But I can't be sure because from what I saw she looked ready to argue…"
Tyler trailed off as Lena moved away from the group and sat in one of the waiting room chairs. Her head in her hands.
"I've never seen someone look like that," Sarah said quietly. "She looks…"
"Broken…" Kate mumbled.
"We have to tell her, Caleb," Reid said. He was watching Lena with a look that Caleb wasn't sure he'd ever seen on his friend's face before. "We have to tell her everything we know."
Lena's mind ran at full speed as she sat in the hospital waiting room, head in her hands. The cuts on her face and arms bandaged and stitched were itchy, but they didn't take away her worry about Abby. God, she hoped that what Tyler said was correct.
Because if Abby wasn't alright, then Lena would feel it was all her fault.
Everything was always her fault.
A feeling washed over her and she lifted her head from her hands.
Looking up, she stared at Reid and his equally cut face. That was the thing Lena just didn't get, why weren't they as banged up as Abby...granted Abby got away with a little less than what Lena thought possible. Honestly, Lena didn't understand how any of them survived that crash.
Lena looked away from him and looked at the ground.
"We should be dead," she stated.
"But we're not," Reid said as he sat next to her.
Lena didn't say anything as she picked at the bandage on her left arm. Sure she should count her blessings, but the matter of the fact is that the four of them should be more hurt than they were.
How was it that Tyler's head wasn't cracked open? She didn't imagine it hitting the side of the car. How was it that Reid's neck wasn't snapped? She didn't imagine the sharp whiplash. How was it that she left with a few scratches? She didn't imagine the number of times that car flipped landing on her side. How was it that Abby was even still in the car? She didn't imagine her nearly being thrown from the car.
Lena didn't imagine any of those things. Just like she had never imagined that boy at that party her first night. Nor did she imagine seeing him at the Halloween party tonight.
In fact, she knows that Reid saw him too.
So how was it that she and her friends were alive and why was it that those boys and their girlfriends were so hushed up about something.
Why was it that they all but flinched at the mere reference of Chase Collins?
Why were they keeping tabs on her?
How was it that Chase Collins was standing in the middle of the road?
"Lena?" turning her attention back to the blond at her side, she had come to realize he had said something and not only that but they had been joined by the others.
"Sorry, what?"
"I said, I'm sorry," Reid said.
Briefly she looked at the others before looking at him again. Reid's jaw was clenched, the muscle twitching at the tension.
She was suddenly aware he rarely said the word and here he'd said it twice.
"For what?" she muttered, but then she shook her head when she saw how hesitant he was to elaborate. "Don't apologize to me if you're unsure why."
"I know why, I just can't…" Reid sighed. "We can't talk about it right now."
"Then let's not talk."
She didn't wait for a response as she put her head back in her hands. Truthfully, she never wanted to be more alone.
But for now, Lena tried to get ahold of something tangible.
She recalled that during the week her curiosity surrounding these Sons of Ipswich and the town in general had gotten to its peak when she was getting little from the boys themselves. She remembered spending hours in the library reading about the founding families when she was supposed to be studying. How there used to be five, but then the Salem Witch Trials happened. Taking one of the families with it. There were many legends surrounding those five now four families.
Lena had marked them off as just that...legends. Perhaps there was more to these legends. They were known as powerful. Lena took the powerful to mean money and influence...but now that she had just survived the impossible...she was starting to think, powerful meant something more.
"You're a freak just like me and your so called friends."
Maybe there was something there that everyone overlooked because to think otherwise would be ridiculous. Crazy. They were just four families with a long history.
But exactly how crazy would it be? Lena had witnessed things around those four boys that just didn't make sense. Things everyone marked off as luck, even she did...but how much of it was luck and how much of it was something else? Lena was starting to believe that a lot of it was something other.
Such as some of the stories they told...the outcomes sometimes didn't match what a logical outcome should have been.
Then there was the fact that they were hiding something, something big. They weren't telling her the truth and she couldn't do this...be friends...when there was something huge they weren't telling her.
She already had weird shit happening to her for some time now. Why should these boys be any different.
What weren't they telling her?
"We can't talk about it now."
Lena sat back and ran her hand through her hair. She eyed Reid out of the corner of her eye, he was cracking his knuckles excessively. His anxiety manifesting in his hands.
Her eyes slid from him to Caleb and Pogue, then to Tyler. He was leaning against a pillar, staring at the opposite wall. A look at his blue eyes, Lena was reminded of something.
"Black eyes," she whispered. Though by the way the others had seemed to freeze, it wasn't as quiet as she thought. She stood up and limped over to Tyler. He seemed stuck on the spot as she stood before him looking him directly in the eyes.
They were as blue as ever, but she knew what she saw in that car.
"These are not the eyes I saw when that car was flipping over itself…what's really going on here? I'm not crazy. I'm not crazy."
Maybe you are.
She took a step back and bumped into someone. She whipped around to find it was Caleb.
"You're right," he said. "You're not crazy."
There was a moment of hesitation before he placed a hand on her shoulder.
"You're not crazy," he repeated, "And we will tell you everything. Just not here. It's not safe."
A strained laugh bubbled out of her, "Not safe," she laughed and brushed his hand off of her. "I should have never have come here…"
Rubbing at her face she turned away just in time to see Abby come through the swinging doors. Lena's could feel her eyes welling up as she raced toward her friend and pulled her into a gentle hug.
"What did they say?" Lena asked quietly as she pulled back.
"They wanted to keep me for monitoring but that was because they can't find anything wrong with me," Abby said. "I'm banged up a little but I haven't got a concussion…" Abby trailed off as Tyler had come over and given her silent hug, which she returned. Once he'd let go, Abby looked at him and then at the others as they had come over.
"They said they don't understand how I'm alive, let alone not have anything seriously wrong…to be quite honest with you, I don't get it either. I know my seatbelt was broken, but I wasn't going anywhere, even though I still felt pain. I couldn't tell them what happened because I don't even remember the car stopping. I just remember cold, burning hot, Lena, then the paramedics fussing over me."
No one said anything.
"What is it?" Abby asked.
"It's time we all talked." Tyler said quietly. "Really talked."
I had seriously debated splitting this chapter into two separate chapters. But I decided against it. When I would have ended it initially would have been a much crueler cliffhanger, while this one is more...humane haha.
Anyway, I hope you're all doing well! Happy Halloween!
Much Love,
TR