Disclaimer: These ever adventurous characters belong to a Ms. Kelley Armstrong!
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The rest of the day and the next passed quietly. Simon kept up his usual cheery mood while I brooded over what was possibly going to happen. I still wanted to leave, but I knew that it wasn't going to be as easy as it sounded. I made sure to run different kind of scenarios in my mind, playing them out like movies as I tried to think of what I would want the heroine to do in each one. I made sure to keep a pen and paper with me at all times, writing down a list of things that would be useful in case one of these scenarios became a reality.
Rae was eerily quiet as well, and I couldn't shake the feeling that she was somehow upset with me. As I thought back, I couldn't remember anything that I had said or done that might've angered her. So instead of confronting her about it, I decided to leave it be, giving her the space that she needed to work out her problem. I just hoped her problem wasn't me. I already had one target on my back.
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True to my word, it wasn't until Monday afternoon that I pulled Liz to our shared bedroom and told her the jist of what we had planned, as well as finally telling her who my friends with powers were.
To say that she was surprised would be an understatement.
It took at least an hour to get past all of her questions about Simon and Derek, and why we needed to find their dad.
"So… both Simon and their dad are sorcerers? What about Derek? He's not?" I shook my head, running a hand through my hair.
"I… actually don't know what he is, really. For some reason, he's very secretive about it. All I know about is super strength and super… hearing? I think?" I said, thinking it over. Truth be told, I actually didn't know much about Derek. All I knew was that he was a stubborn jerk who could actually reinforce his demands. And the fact that his past was somewhat unknown… but I wasn't going to tell Liz that. That information seemed to be more personal. I doubt that Derek even knew what Simon had told me.
"Strange… Maybe if we bug him enough he'll finally tell us! I never thought Derek the modest type. I always felt that if he had anything special, he would be more of a bully. But I really shouldn't say that, it's not like it's his fault for looking like that. I guess it's because he's not so open like everyone else."
I gave a small laugh. "Yeah, well I don't recommend nagging, but if it works, you'll have to tell me what sort of answers you get out of him." I turned back to the bag that I had begun packing, checking through everything to make sure that I wasn't missing anything important. Clothes I got, deodorant, toothbrush and paste, debit card, rubber bands…. Basically everything. I made sure to put in a first aid kit with extra wrappings, just in case, as well as the hammer I found in the toolbox downstairs. I zipped up my bag before hiding it under my bed, turning to Liz. Her bag was lying on her bed, abandoned, as she fiddled with her fingers. I sat down next to her.
"I know this is… weird. And hard. If you want to stay, I'm not going to force you. I just want to help." She nodded.
"I know. I just- I'm nervous. I've never run away before. And I don't even know the next time I'll see my granny or my little brother." I patted her shoulder.
"I'll make sure that you see them soon. I miss my dad and aunt too. Once we find their dad, Kit, we'll make sure to call home." She put her hand on top of mine, squeezing for a second before bouncing up.
"Alright! I'm ready for this! We'll make it like a quest or something! Defeat evil dragons or vampires or whatever to save the man in distress!" She yelled, jumping to the closet. I winced at her volume.
"Just remember, Liz, no one can know. Not even Tori." She nodded, looking down for a second.
"I know… I feel guilty, though. If we're in possible trouble, who's to say she isn't?"
Because she's part of the danger. I muttered in my head. Instead I put on a comforting smile. "Tori doesn't have any sort of freaky power, right? So she should be safe here. She actually needs to be here, at least for a little while to make sure that she gets better. You and I can't exactly medicate and talk about our problems."
She gave a quiet giggle at that. "Yeah I guess you're right about that." She pulled out a few shirts and a couple pair of jeans. "So what time do we meet the guys again?"
I looked down at the watch that I managed to find in my suitcase. It was old, but it still worked just fine. Dad had gotten it for me a couple years back, saying that cellphones were unreliable because they were so fragile. The memory of my dad hit me a little harder than usual, remembering that mom's anniversary would be tomorrow. He always had a hard time functioning on her day. I wondered absently if he would remember to eat.
"It's about four now, so not for another ten hours, I think. Derek might make us leave sooner if we can. The more of a lead we have, the better our chances."
"You said earlier that he wasn't coming?"
I narrowed my eyes at her bag. "Yeah, he doesn't feel like it's safe for him to leave. Which is stupid." I said, a little louder than necessary. Since Derek seemed to have a habit of eavesdropping (though it wasn't really his fault) I figured I should use that to my advantage to tell him how stupid he was being without getting in his face.
Liz laughed. "Well, it's up to him. I don't care either way. I just want to get out of here. I miss my freedom."
I gave a soft smile. "Me too. Now hurry and pack, we don't want to stay locked up here for too long. The nurses might get a bit suspicious."
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When Liz had finally finished packing, we made our way downstairs. She instantly parted toward the couches where Tori was sitting, playing some kind of game on her laptop. I looked around a bit before spotting Simon outside again, his back to me. I smiled before I decided to make my way over.
He was lost in thought, and didn't even notice my approach until I was sitting right next to him. He was startled for a second, but just gave a smile when he realized it was just me.
"Hey, fancy seeing you here." He said, picking up the ball and putting it to the side. He reached over to my hand and gave a gentle squeeze. I squeezed a bit back before returning his smile.
"It's a nice day, and I figured you looked lonely. Your usual shadow is missing." I said, looking around to see that Derek was nowhere in sight.
He gave a laugh at that. "Yeah, Derek said he wasn't feeling too well. Definitely grumpier than usual. But he said that he should be better before we leave tonight." Simon shrugged.
I highly doubted that, seeing as though Derek had seemed a bit feverish throughout the past few days, but I didn't say anything. Instead I asked, "Are you still okay leaving? You think Derek will be okay?"
Simon nodded. "Yeah, we're still leaving. Derek was pretty adamant about that. He even made sure to set a couple alarms on his and my phones. Mind if I see yours?"
I let go of his hand to retrieve my phone before handing it to him. He quickly set the alarms before handing it back to me. I took a quick glance to see it set for 2 a.m.
"You seem like the type who can get up with just the first alarm. Liz, I'm not so sure." He and I gave a laugh at that.
"Well, it's a good thing we share a room then." He nodded.
"You've got everything packed? Are you guys all ready?" He asked, stretching out his arms. I wasn't surprised when one arm hooked around me as he relaxed back. As cheesy as it was, I couldn't help but secretly enjoy his attention. I wasn't used to a guy having an interest in me, I was usually looked over. Both figuratively and literally. The girls that were in my school were hard to contend with, especially when I only looked like I was ten and everyone else looked like movie stars.
I couldn't help the small voice that whispered that Simon didn't have much of a choice around here.
I quickly shook my thoughts out as I distanced myself a bit from him. While this was nice, I felt a bit uncomfortable. I wasn't usually a touchy-feely person, and so far, the majority of touches I got were from monsters. Well, monsters and Tori.
Simon's smile wavered for a moment, but it was gone the instant I saw it. He withdrew his arm. "Sorry, I have a habit of getting to handsy. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. Sorry." He raised his hand to his neck, rubbing it uncomfortably.
I quickly shook my head, feeling guilty instantly. "No! No, I'm sorry. I'm just not used to… physical attention, I guess." I laughed a little shakily. "Really, it's not your fault. I guess I'm just still getting used to it."
Simon quickly slapped his forehead. "Of course! I should've known that! Derek warned me to be careful. He said that you would be more jumpy than usual because-"
"Because of what?" I snapped, fearing that Derek had yet again let something slip. Simon just looked confused at my sudden change in behavior.
"...Because you're having a hard time telling the difference between ghosts and monsters now…? Since the thing in the classroom attacked?"
I took a deep breath and let it out, all of my anger leaving with it. I shouldn't of assumed anything.
"Sorry. Yeah, I guess that's part of the reason. I don't know anything about these things. They could change to look like regular people for all I know. Or, I guess regular ghosts, since I'm pretty sure these things aren't alive…."
I drifted off for a second, thinking of the different possibilities before Simon gave me a nudge.
"Hey, it's okay. I'm sure that there's not many of them out there. You only saw that one, what? About a week ago now? A week and a half? I'm sure that the chances of you encountering another one are slim."
Not as slim as I would like to think. I thought to myself, thinking of the one that lives in the basement.
Simon started to get up, grabbing the ball to continue dribbling out on the court. He made a quick basket before catching it and looking back at me.
He gave a sure and kind smile. "Chloe, don't worry. There's going to be three of us. We'll watch each other's backs."
I smiled back. "You're right. We'll be okay." And for a moment, I was able to calm down. We were kids who were different, weird. We could handle more than most.
I could believe that.
I would believe that.
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I had to believe that.
