Chapter 5

Tuesday 19thAugust 2014

The next day dawns overcast and dreary. I lay in bed for a while, staring out at the grey sky. I can't help but feel conflicted over the events from the night before. It seems as though every time I feel like I'm becoming closer to Mai and her strange group of friends, a huge iron wall slams down and separates me from them again.

I finally drag myself out of bed and stand in front of my mirror. Remembering how Mai had looked the first time we met, I lift my shirt up slightly so my stomach is showing. My belly button is pierced (thanks to my birthday last year when Mom thought it would make her seem like a cooler parent) but I have none of the qualities that make Mai look like a supermodel.

My legs are long, sure, but they always seem more prone to tripping me over than walking down a runway. My stomach is pretty toned, thanks to the volleyball I played at my school in Cali, but it isn't as tan and bikini-ready as Mai's, and I always have this idea that my navel was a weird shape, and hate exposing it. My breasts are bigger than hers by a cup or two, but they are more of a pain than they're worth, so I do my best to ignore them.

Sighing, I let my shirt fall back down and try my best to rummage for some clothes that make me feel somewhat happy with my body. Denim shorts and a loose white shirt, blue Converse sneakers are to be the order of the day. Not even bothering with my hair, I trod downstairs to scavenge for something to eat.

The house is quiet, Mom and Sky having gone out to shop, no doubt, and Saraiyu doing whatever it is she usually does on a weekday. Even though it isn't lunch time yet, a sandwich sounds really good.

I set about slicing leftover roast chicken, humming to myself as I work.

Shit!

The knife slips and slices into my hand.

I drop it like a brick and grab my bleeding hand to try to stem the crimson flow. There's blood dripping to the floor and I grit my teeth. Even just the idea of looking at the cut makes me feel queasy.

I guess this is what I get for sneaking out of the house to hang out with a bunch of teenagers I don't even know, I think grumpily. I'm glad Mom isn't here to see; she always freaks out whenever Sky or I hurt ourselves. I used to call her crazy overprotective because of it.

Grabbing a wad of paper towel, I mop up as much of the blood as I can. The sharp tang of iron and rust is filling my nostrils, making me vaguely nauseous. Turning the kitchen faucet on low, I brace myself and hold my hand underneath the soothing stream.

Once all the blood is gone, I force myself to examine the wound closer. What I see totally stops me in my tracks.

On the palm of my hand, where I could have sworn I would need at least ten stitches to close the cut, there is nothing more than a scratch. Saraiyu's cat could have done it, for how deep it is.

Gaping from the scratch to the sodden lump of bloody paper towels and back, I can't believe what I'm seeing. How could it even be possible for such a small cut to produce so much blood? Maybe my blood is just really thin and it just seems like it's a lot that comes out, I muse. I could have laughed at myself. While the theory sounds weak at best, there's no point worrying over something that surely has a reasonable cause.

No longer hungry, I clean up the kitchen and write a quick note to whoever came home first. I need some serious fresh air.

I make a quick and somewhat bold decision, then run upstairs to grab a couple things.

Halfway down the paved footpath in the front yard, I run into Saraiyu.

"Serenity! Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

After a quick explanation, some detailed directions and a crudely drawn map on a napkin, I'm on my way to the Hale household. I have no idea what exactly I was thinking, but it feels like the right thing to do.

I hug Luca's jacket to my chest as I walk, reliving the sweet moment when he had given it to me and I was enveloped by his warmth and scent. I blush, embarrassed. I barely knew the guy and here I was snuggling up to his jacket.

I kick away the part of my brain that's telling me to put it on just one last time.

The Serenity Falls township doesn't really have a lot in the way of houses or streets, which made my job a lot easier.

As I get closer I begin second-guessing my rash decision. What if he isn't even home? What if for some weird reason the last few days had been a dream and he didn't even know who I am? A million thoughts race through my mind, each one more ridiculous than the last.

Approaching what seems to be the right house – white fence, blue mailbox, five different cars parked in and out of the yard, house just about as big and awesome-looking as mine – the butterflies in my stomach kick into overdrive.

Probably because I'm so nervous, it takes me a few moments after I open the gate to notice the trail of blood splattered along the pathway leading up to the front door.

Even as my heartbeat picks up the pace, my mind is telling me that there had to be a good explanation for it. Maybe someone just hurt themselves and hadn't had a chance to clean it up yet? Maybe it was just red paint and the tin was leaking?

Cautiously I approach the front door, being careful not to step on any of the crimson splotches. Between this and my perhaps-imagined accident earlier, this was the most blood I had ever seen in my life.

Seeing that the front door had been left ajar, I gulp. I'm not a fan of horror movies, but I'm pretty sure that the scene I'm standing in was the beginning of one. Stifling my reluctance as best as I can, I approach the door and listen carefully for any noise whatsoever.

Realising that I'd best not just wander into someone's house uninvited, blood or no, I call out Luca's name. Not hearing a response, I venture further into the house. I can't help but gasp as I see more blood, some of it smeared as though something had been dragged through it.

I begin to panic, the smell of the blood overwhelming my senses. Just as I'm about to leave, screaming, I hear what sounds like muffled voices coming from deeper in the house. Pulling Luca's jacket on – just in case I needed both hands to fight my way out – I dodge the blood and continue down the hall. Passing three doors, each as quiet as the last, I follow my ears.

If this house was similar to mine, then I was headed towards the kitchen, and I was hoping so hard that all I would find is Luca and Avery talking, maybe with Jesse or Mason hanging out with them. Maybe they were all baking cookies.

Taking a deep breath as I reach the kitchen door, I almost gag at the smell of the blood and something distinctly dead. The voices are a little louder, paired with something that sounds a lot like a knife going through meat. Pulling every tiny piece of courage into me, I push open the door.

Well, they were definitely not baking cookies.

A huge deer had been pulled onto the island bench, where Luca and Mason stood, skinning and gutting it. Jesse and Avery were acting as assistants, grabbing whatever they needed so they didn't have to slow down.

Luca is the first one to notice me. At first his face is blank, and with a streak of blood across one cheek he looks positively menacing. Then a slow grin grows on his face, and my insides tighten deliciously.

What the hell is going on with me? I wonder, flushing bright red under his heated gaze.

"Why, if it isn't the Princess. Would you like to join us?" Everyone turns to stare at me, their surprised looks almost comical.

"Oh leave her alone, Luca." Cloud appears in front of me. I hadn't even noticed him here. He was spotless, which in the cream sweater he's wearing, was nothing short of incredible. His hair is in his eyes, like usual, and I fight the weird urge to brush it aside. He had the coolest shade of moss green eyes, and it's a pity you can't see them most of the time.

He begins to usher me back the way I came, and I glance back at Luca. He winks at me, then gets back to work. Who would have thought that a one-eyed blink could send me reeling?

"What are they doing?" I ask, half-concerned that it's not even legal.

"They were out hunting early this morning, caught a nice buck. Jesse got a little careless and didn't wrap it right." He wrinkles his nose at the blood-splattered floor. I hide a smile. I get the impression that Cloud isn't a fan of his brother's hobbies.

"So you didn't go with them?" I ask it, hoping to get some more information from him.

He glances down at me. I can't read his expression, but I'm beginning to get used to it with these people: they sure liked to hide their feelings. I feel like an open book compared to them. "It's not really my thing." He pauses, seeming to evaluate something in my face. "I prefer books."

I'm pleasantly surprised. "Me too. Although I've never really hunted to find out if that's my thing or not."

He seems to find this funny, a smile gracing his delicate mouth. "I have a feeling you'll find out soon enough."

What's that supposed to mean? I stand there staring at him, not really knowing what to say next.

He seems to take pity on me. "Did you wanna hang out for a while? I'm assuming you came here for a reason." He looks at me expectantly.

Who would have thought that eight little words would have my mind in such an uproar. Wow. Late-night parties in the woods and now cute boys asking me to hang out with them. When the hell did I get so lucky?

"Sure," I say, smiling shyly up at him.

Cloud leads me to a room that turns out to be some kind of den. Game consoles and the corresponding video games clutter the TV cabinet, on which is perched one of the biggest televisions I have ever seen outside of an electronics store. One wall is covered in bookshelves, similar to how my room at home is, and like mine, these are full of books. Some of the spines are leather and old, which has me itching to go examine them.

A couple of huge soft leather couches are positioned in front of the TV, scattered all over with magazines and clothes. It's only once I spot a huge four-poster that I realize this must be Cloud's bedroom.

Holy shit.

Something on a wall catches my eye. It's a long, ivory colored object placed horizontally on a wall bracket, with a smaller matching one underneath it.

"Those are called katanas. Luca bought them for me a couple years back from some trader who came to town. Cool, huh?" Cloud flops down onto one of the couches, peering up at me through his hair.

"Definitely cool," I murmur. I make a mental note to Google them later.

I move on to inspecting his book collection. There are a lot that I have never heard of before, but I'm not surprised: he was obviously going to like different genres than I did.

It's the leather-bound ones I'm interested in. I had seen some like them in the library at home, but hadn't had much of a chance to look at them without Mom around. She always started squawking as soon as I so much as looked at them.

"What are these?" I ask over my shoulder. I don't want to pick them up in case they're fragile.

"Oh, those. They're a record of the town's history and some journal entries from Aves Hale." He sounds almost bored, as though they aren't anything new to him.

"Who?" I ask. I note the same last name, but had never heard of him before.

"Wow, you really don't know much, do you?"

I almost feel my hackles rise at his comment. I turn to glare at him. "I know plenty, thank you!"

He raises his hands in surrender, laughing. "I didn't mean to offend you, Your Majesty," he says, playing on Luca's teasing name earlier. "I meant you don't know much about this town. I thought your Mom or your grandma would have told you something."

Mmm. I would have thought so, too.

"So who is this Aves Hale?" I ask, not wanting to let this kid think badly of Mom or Saraiyu, even if I am annoyed about them leaving me in the dark about something I obviously should know.

"He was one of the founders of Serenity Falls. One of seven, he helped build this town." Cloud says it with a hint of fascination, making me believe that this knowledge was something he treasured. "The others were Stephan Steele, Carlos Malven, Charles Williams, Ashton Rhodes, Jacob Hawthorne and Acuda Oaken."

Some of the last names stand out to me, but it was the last that pulls me up short. "Oaken? You mean some ancestor of mine was a founder of this town?" This is proving to be a very educational afternoon.

"Yeah, Acuda Oaken and Carlos Malven were the ones who first found this empty valley and came up with the idea to build a town in it. It was a pretty big task though, so they brought in their friends – Stephan, Aves, Charles, Ashton and Jacob – to help. Within a few years they had a thriving community here, and it's only grown since then. There's some debate now whether what they did was a good thing, but there's not much that people can say about it now."

I'm shocked. I had never in my life heard of any of this, which kind of begged the question: is it even true? I narrow my eyes at Cloud. "You sure you're not just pulling my leg?"

He smirks at me, and Luca's face flashes through my mind. "Just ask your grandma about it. She'll tell you."

I think about his words for a minute, but come to the conclusion that it was a pretty detailed story, and what would be the point if I could just ask Saraiyu if it was true?

I sit on the couch next to him, trying my best to look relaxed. "Okay, I believe you. Can you tell me about what you said about people contesting their decision to build here?"

His guarded expression tells me more than the words that come out of his mouth. "Best just to ask your grandma about it. She hears a lot more of it than I do." He makes a physical effort to lighten up. "So how do you feel about Call of Duty?"

"You are in for a world of pain," I assure him with a grin.

A couple of hours later Cloud finally throws his controller down onto the coffee table in disgust. Once again he was killed and I'm still alive and kicking. "Come on, I have never ever lost this to a girl. Let alone one wearing pink nail polish." He falls back onto the couch for dramatic effect.

I grin, pleased with myself for holding my own. This is what I used to play instead of acting my age and going to sleepovers and parties. I'm glad to see it paying off.

Just as I'm thinking of something to say, Luca walks in. "Hey Cloud, what happened to- oh." He stops as he spots me – still grinning from my victory – and Cloud – still sulking from his destruction – on the couch together. I get the mad urge to slide further away from Cloud, and I have no idea where that feeling came from.

"Yeah I was just showing her how to play CoD," Cloud says casually, and I thump him with a cushion.

"Liar! I totally kicked your ass."

Luca watches the exchange with a bemused expression. "Well the reason why I came up here asking is because your grandmother just called and asked for you to come home." He smirks, and I'm completely mortified.

"Oh yeah, I guess it is getting pretty late." I try hiding my embarrassment, but thankfully it seems Cloud is oblivious to my blush.

"Did you want me to give you a ride home?" he asks, standing and stretching. I find my eyes instantly drawn to the strip of skin exposed as his shirt lifts. Stop it! I scold myself, averting my gaze only to see Luca giving me a devilishly knowing look.

"Uh no, that's okay, it's not too far to walk. But thanks," I do my best to sound polite and not that I was trying to get out of there as soon as I could.

"Next time you won't be leaving here victorious," Cloud threatens, and it takes me a moment to realise he was talking about PlayStation. Next time? So he wanted me to come back again.. that's a good sign, right?

I grin. "We'll see."

The walk home is peaceful, but I walk fast because the sky looks like it was threatening to rain. I'm surprised that Saraiyu had called me at the Hale boys' house and not on my mobile. Thinking that maybe Mom hadn't given her my number, I shrug it off.

Arriving home, I walk into the kitchen to see Mom and Sky going through the stuff they had bought. Saraiyu looks up when she hears the door open. "Serenity! You're back from your walk already," she says, smiling widely as she shuffles around the kitchen making tea.

I'm confused. She knew exactly where I had been and how long ago I left; why is she pretending like I'd only just stepped out of the house? Knowing she wasn't the type to get me to go along with something just to get me in trouble, I follow her lead.

"Yeah. Looks like it's going to rain soon." Absolutely no details and an obvious fact were the best way to go when lying.

Mom gives me an understanding smile. "Have a look at this cute dress I got for you. I thought it would be nice seeing as you don't have many of them." She holds up a pale yellow and white tie-dye sun dress. It is nice and I thank her for it with a hug, but I secretly know it won't ever see the light of day.

Dinner is a quiet affair.

I begin noticing Mom's odd behavior more and more, particularly when Saraiyu starts talking about anything to do with the town. It's really beginning to get on my nerves, and makes most conversations tense.

Sky is bugging me too, but that is because she keeps staring at me suspiciously and hinting to Mom about me sneaking out of the house. I try quietly telling her to shut up about it, but typical for a fourteen-year-old, she just glares and me and goes back to poking at her food.

I feel strange after the last few days, especially around my family. It's like I had been living this fairly sheltered, normal life, and now I'm transitioning into a totally different person.

And I keep puzzling over Saraiyu's lie. It makes no sense at all. Why didn't she want Mom knowing I had been at Luca and Cloud's? Maybe she thought Mom wouldn't be happy with me being at a boy's house when she didn't know them.

I finally give up when I won't find out without just asking her, and when she disappears straight to bed after dinner, I know I'd have to wait until tomorrow.