Warning: Rated PG15 for suggested themes

Chapter Ten

Awwwkward…

So there we were, riding in a rundown, green, patched up, car smelling of you can guess what. As creative as the situation may be, I can't necessarily say that it was thrilling. Maybe Sarah was enjoying it. She liked doing the iffy and unexpected. I, on the other hand, would have been perfectly happy with waiting for my mom to get off work, or at least start out on foot, but Sarah was in a sleep deprived craze and wouldn't settle for waiting.

"Which way?" Dan asked.

I pointed and remembered that he shouldn't be looking at me while driving. "To the right."

I still wasn't so certain of his driving capabilities. Though I may be sixteen, I don't know how to drive. My parents are too busy to teach me, or to help me at least get my permit, or to sign me up for some classes. They probably would if I asked them, but I'm perfectly content at the moment for letting them drive me around.

My point is I couldn't tell if Dan was a decent driver while moderately intoxicated. He didn't hit anything, so that's a good sign. I hope.

I looked over my shoulder at Sarah, sitting in the back seat. She was gazing forlornly out the window. Apparently entering the drag faze of sleep deprivation.

"Do I turn here?"

I twisted around, we were still a few blocks from my house, but I wasn't about to show Dan, the pervi-stoner, where I lived.

"No, pull over. It's right here," I said.

He pulled to the curb and I immediately exited the vehicle, glad to be out of the stench. Sarah, belatedly, followed after. To my surprise, Dan turned off the car and joined us on the sidewalk.

"This is fine, thanks," I said, hoping he caught the hint.

But he wasn't paying attention to me. His eyes were on Sarah. "You're going to be alright?"

She nodded, crossing her arms, and looking pathetic.

He grabbed her by the shoulder. "Hey, if you ever need anything, just give me a call. Maybe we can exchange numbers, just so I can check up on you."

"I'm okay. Thanks, though," Sarah said. She didn't sound rude, or dismissive, so Dan, being a guy, didn't pick up on the tipoff. I wasn't at all sure Sarah was giving him one.

"Maybe I can walk you inside, just be sure you're safe." Dan suggested none too slickly.

Sarah looked as if she was considering it.

I had to do something! "It's fine. My mom will freak if she sees me bring home a boy." I tried to put worry and emphasis in my voice, but I wasn't used to expressing myself with so much emotion. Besides, for all knew, my mom could freak. I've never had 'the talk' from my parents, thank god. They've never lectured me about boys or anything. So, I didn't really know how they'd react.

Dan gave me a look that could have meant anything.

"Yeah, we're okay. I wouldn't want to make Tonia's mom angry," Sarah said.

Dan looked put off. "Alright. But if you ever need anything." He licked his teeth and obviously checked Sarah out.

A look of disgust overcame Sarah's features, she finally picked up on Dan's ulterior motive. "Fuck off!" She shouted and stormed up the pathway that would have been my house. I hurried after her.

Dan, good-naturedly, waved us off and returned to his car. I managed to stop Sarah from knocking just as Dan was driving off.

"What?" Sarah asked.

I waited for Dan's car to pull out of view. "This isn't my house."

"What?" Sarah repeated this time a tad of anger touched her words.

"I wasn't going to show him where I lived," I said, and walked back towards the road. "My house is just a few blocks away."

Sarah trotted after me. "Good thinking. If anyone was following us they'd be thrown off."

Okay, now Sarah was really starting to lose it.

I saw my mom's car in the driveway as we approached. I opened the door to stop Sarah from knocking. She looked perplexed as her hand fell through the air. Once we were inside, Sarah quickly shut and bolted the door behind us.

"Lilith is staying at a friend's, and dad is working a night shift," Mom announced from the kitchen.

Convenient.

I was halfway to my room, when my mom called after us again. "Who's your friend?" she seemed a little surprised.

It dawned on me then that I hadn't had a friend over since I was, like, ten. I turned around to observe my mom's reaction of the pink haired Sarah. My parents had never said anything when I died my hair black, but I could see my mom's concern over Sarah's unnatural hair.

At my lack of reply, Sarah stepped up.

"Hello, I'm Sarah," she said crossing over to shake my mom's hand. Her smile was so bright I almost thought she was back to her bouncy self again. "Is it alright if I stay the night?"

"I, ah, I guess. Yes. Yes. It's fine." Mom smiled warmly at Sarah and I. "And since it's just going to be us older girls, why don't I order some pizza?"

Mom was getting awkward. Maybe that's why I stopped having friends over. I hurried off to my room.

"That sound's awesome," Sarah called as she followed after me.

I dumped my backpack on the floor and gestured vaguely about my room. "You can probably sleep in my sister's room. I only have one bed." And I wasn't about to give it up.

"You're moms nice," Sarah said and opened my closet.

"What are you doing?"

"I need to shower and change," Sarah said, looking over my clothes. "Your wardrobe is so drab. Don't you have anything that's not depressing?"

My clothes weren't that depressing. It's not like I dress in all black and mope about the school. Well, it's not as if I dress in all black… I just didn't wear the pop out colors Sarah liked.

"Whatever," Sarah sighed, and pulled out a pair of my most comfortable pajama pants and one of my dad's old undershirts. "Thanks," She said and went off to the bathroom.

"You're welcome," I muttered after she'd left.

I had just started my homework when my mom quietly knocked on my door and popped her head in. "Oh, where's your friend?"

"In the shower," I said, not looking up.

My mom was quite for a moment. And just when I was beginning to worry she spoke up again. "What would you like on the pizza?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Are you sure? What about peppers and pineapple?"

"Sound's fine."

Another awkward pause. "Okay. I'll pick up some ice cream as well. Any particular flavor you want?"

"No. Anything's fine. Thanks, mom." I lifted my head and would have met her eyes if she could see through my bangs.

She smiled at me. "You're welcome," and took her leave.

Now, I thought I took long showers. Thirty minutes is quite a while to put up with the spray of water. But two hours? I'd finished almost all of my homework by the time Sarah got out, and, surprisingly, my mom still hadn't returned with the pizza.

"What are you doing?" Sarah asked, rather rudely. She had one of our pink towels wrapped around her head. I guessed she didn't want to mess up any of our other ones with her dyed hair. She looked good in my pajama's better than I did anyway. That wasn't really saying much. And no, I'm not jealous. I came to terms with my unattractive too thin body a long time ago.

"My homework," I answered. What did she expect me to be doing?

"You're homework?" She repeated, still speaking in that rude tone. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Yeah," I said, unable to keep the hint of snarkyness from my voice.

"Baka! How can you be doing homework at a time like this?" She stormed over to me. If she was speaking in bad Japanese, she had to be feeling a lot better.

She must have been expecting some reply from me, but I just stared at her through my bangs. At last, she let out a sigh and sunk into my bed. "Alright, we need to come up with a plan."

We? I thought best to keep the comment to myself.

"Obviously I can't just move in here. They'll probably track me eventually if I tried."

My hackles rose on that comment. "You can't live here. What about your parents?"

"My parents!" Sarah shouted, springing to her feet again. "What if he goes to my house and… Oh, god!" She grabbed her towel covered head. "And who knows how many other monsters that girl has up her sleeve. The one at the bus was super freaky. I just wish I knew what they wanted with me."

"You could ask them."

"No I can't!"

"You can try talking to the girl," I suggested with a shrug.

"She could be working with him for all I know! No, I bet she is!" Sarah started pacing back and forth across my room.

I watched her progress. She really needed to get some sleep.

"Pizza's here!" Mom announced.

Grateful for the escape, I left the room, Sarah trailing worriedly after me.

"Sorry, it took so long. I had to load up on groceries," Mom said as she dropped the bags of groceries onto the floor.

Pointedly, I helped my mom put everything away. Sarah kept trying to catch my eye. She sighed quite loudly and gestured with her head toward my room. I pretended that I didn't notice her obvious attempts to get my attention.

Pizza.

Ice Cream.

My mom was just beginning to suggest a movie, or help with homework when the doorbell went off. The sun had been down for over an hour, so I couldn't tell exactly who was at the door. It was definitely more than one person though. At least, I thought it was.

Mom frowned, and rose to go answer it.

"Don't!" Sarah shouted, shooting to her feet.

Mom gave her a perplexed look. "It's alright. This neighborhood has a night patrol," she put her hand on the knob.

Sarah slowly backed into the wall, eyes fixed on the door. She was making me nervous.

My mom pulled open the door and blinked, puzzled. She stuck her head through the threshold, looking in both directions. "No one's here."

But there was someone there.