by Willow Rose
Jayden smiled back, then leaned over and kissed her cheek. He went to the kitchen and then got a text from Ruelle.
ON MY WAY.
Jayden groaned. He hadn't even started his homework yet. He had forgotten they had planned to hang out. He rushed up the stairs and pulled out his books. Halfway through his algebra, the doorbell rang and, a second later, Ruelle was standing in his room looking spectacular. Jayden forgot all about homework, walked to her, and grabbed her in his arms. He kissed her deeply, then carried her to his bed, where they made out. Her kisses grew aggressive and demanding, and soon she was on top of him, almost growling.
"I want you," she whispered between kisses.
"I want you too. So badly. But…we can't," he said, moaning.
She stopped and pulled away. "What are you talking about?"
"We're getting married when we turn eighteen, remember? After we turn…"
That made Ruelle laugh out loud. Jayden hadn't heard a laugh quite like it come out of her before. It was a little frightening.
"You're such a goody-two-shoes, you know?"
He sat up. "What do you mean?"
"Always going by the rules. Never making one single mistake. Did you always draw inside the lines in preschool as well, huh?"
He wrinkled his forehead. "What's going on with you?"
She sighed. "I don't know. I guess I’m just tired of being the good girl, you know?" she rose from the bed and corrected her shirt. She stood by the window a few seconds, then turned her head like an owl and looked at him mischievously.
"Maybe I’m not a good girl. Have you ever thought about that?"
Jayden chuckled, a little surprised and uncomfortable with all this. Where was it coming from so suddenly?
"I guess I don't know you well enough to know about that," he said.
She grimaced like she was mocking him, repeating his words to him.
"Guess I don't know you well enough to know about that."
She stopped with a deep sigh. Then, like she just remembered something, she turned around, grabbed her jacket, and without even looking at him, she said, "I'm bored," then left, slamming the door behind her.
Chapter Thirty-Six
"Goody-two-shoes? She actually said that?"
I stared at Jayden. He gave me a sad look. We were sitting in the cafeteria the next day when he told us about his afternoon with Ruelle, asking for our advice.
"I mean, who even says that anymore?" I asked.
He shrugged. Our eyes met across the table. "So, am I?"
"What do you mean?"
"Am I someone who always follows the rules, someone boring?"
I was baffled, to say the least. I had never seen Jayden question himself like this. If this was what Ruelle was doing to him, then it wasn't a good relationship for him.
"Of course not," I said. "You didn't exactly follow our parents' rules when dating me."
"Robyn has a point," Jazmine said.
"She sounds like a spoiled brat to me," Amy said. "If she can't see how great you are, then you two shouldn't be together. Just sayin'."
I nodded, thinking Takes one to know one, but didn't say anything out loud. "Amy is right."
"Of course you'd say that," Jazmine said.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.
Jazmine gave me a face. "You know what I mean."
I was about to argue when there was some commotion going on at the other end of the cafeteria where Kipp was hanging out with all the cheerleaders. Several of the girls were crying.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"One of the cheerleaders, Alyssa, is missing," Amy said. "Kipp told me last night. She went for a walk with her dog two nights ago and never came home."
"My dad told me they're getting a search group together for later today," Jayden said.
"Why did they wait so long?” I asked.
He shrugged. "Usually, a girl her age returns after twenty-four hours or so. They believed she might have just run away or something. But now that she hasn't come home, they're getting worried."
I turned my head to look at Jazmine.
She threw out her arms. "Hey, don't look at me. My mom is in prison."
"Of course. I didn't mean to…"
I returned to my food.
"She'll probably show up later," Amy said with a snort.
I remembered that Amy and Alyssa used to be very close friends when we were younger, and I detected slight worry in her voice.
"Yeah, she probably just hooked up with some guy," Jazmine said with a chuckle. "Or got bored with small-town life and ran away. She'll be back when she runs out of money. It happens all the time. Right?"
I swallowed my bite of pizza, then nodded, my eyes constantly glaring toward the cheerleaders' table.
"Right."
Chapter Thirty-Seven
My mom came home that afternoon. I had barely finished my homework and was helping Veronika do hers when the police car drove up outside our house, and Jayden's dad stepped out. I watched from the window and saw him walk to the back and open the door for her. The first thing I saw was her high heels, then her long slim legs and, seconds later, her entire pale being was standing on the sidewalk. It looked like she thanked Ben before she rushed toward our house, her long coat fluttering behind her in the wind. My heart dropped when I heard the front door open. I was happy that she had been released, I really was, but I still feared her and feared what type of mood she was coming home in.
I grabbed Veronika's hand, and we ran downstairs to see her and my dad in a long embrace. It made me happy to see them like that. Even though it was hard for my mother to show affection, deep down, I knew she loved us.
"Robyn," she said and held out her hands after letting go of my dad. "Come here."
I walked to her and hugged her. Her cold body left me with chills running down my spine, but I still kept hugging her. I didn't like who she was or what she was, but she was still my mother.
"Let me look at you," she said and held my face between her hands. Then she looked confused, her eyes narrowing. "Did you get shorter? You seem smaller somehow."
I chuckled. Yup, that was my mother all right. She had always wanted me to get as tall as her or maybe even taller, but it had simply never happened, much to her regret. Our doctor said I wasn't going to grow much more, so it probably never would.
"Same size as always," I said. "Nothing new there."
She smiled. "Ah. Well." She grabbed my cheeks and pulled them. "Now, what have you been eating while I was gone?" She sniffed the air. "What's that? Do I smell…pizza?"
The way she said it made it sound like we had been doing something illegal, which we probably had in her eyes. It was just as bad at least.
My dad looked embarrassed. "It's been a lot…here…without you around."
My mom smiled from ear to ear. "Good thing I’m back then."
"It's good to have you back," I said.
"We have a lot to thank Caleb for," my dad said. I felt like he gave me a look like he knew what Caleb and I had talked about, and I blushed. I hadn't said yes to the date yet, but I had a feeling I was going to have to. I guessed it was a cheap price to pay for getting my family back.
"So, what happened? Did they drop the charges?" I asked.
My dad shook his head. "Not yet, but they're working on it. But at least Caleb got her out. So far, so good, right?"
My mom nodded with a sigh. "Yes, so far, so good."
She looked worried for a few seconds, and I wondered if she was thinking about the charges. Then she seemed to shake it and clasped her hands.
"All right. Who's up for a smoothie? Robyn? Kale or Brussels sprouts?"
Chapter Thirty-Eight
As suspected, I was soon confronted by Caleb and his desire to cash in for helping my mom out. He came to our door, dressed in a suit, and told my parents he was there to take me out.
They both turned to look at me like I was betraying them.
"Is thi
s true? Robyn?"
"I…I…he didn't tell me it was tonight." I shot him an accusatory look.
Caleb laughed. "Well, it is. Now scootch on upstairs and get ready while I talk business with your folks. But hurry. We have reservations for six o'clock. Go on. Shush. Scootch."
I gave him an angry look. He annoyed me so much I could explode. Why did he just show up like this when I hadn't even said yes to going out with him? Did he just assume that I was going to?
I rushed up the stairs and into my room, about to burst into tears. I didn't want to do this. I didn't want to be forced on a date with someone I disliked as much as I did him. But he had also threatened me. I wanted him to help my mother and get this over with. I didn't want my mother to risk going to jail for something my friends and I had done. He had held up his end of the deal so far. My mom was home. But it wasn't over yet. I had to do this, not just for my mom and my family, but for all of us.
"Wear the red dress," Veronika said.
I gasped in surprise. I hadn't seen her sitting on my bed. I didn't even know she was in my room.
"He'll like that," she said. "Red is his favorite color."
I sighed and walked to the closet and opened it. I pulled out the red dress. "How do you know that?"
"He'll tell you when you go downstairs. I’ve heard it before."
"All right," I said and cleared my throat. I put on make-up, then the dress, and looked at myself in the mirror. I wasn't trying hard enough. I forced a smile, then put on lip-gloss and put my hair up in a bun so you couldn't see it was greasy from a long day in school. I really should take a shower, but there wasn't time. Besides, I didn't expect him to come very close to me, at least not close enough to smell me. I put on some perfume just in case.
"This is the best I can do with this short amount of time," I said with a sigh. I wasn't sad that I didn't look my best. I wasn't even trying. I didn't want to look my best for this guy. Since he was forcing me on a date, this was all he was going to get.
Veronika looked at me, then grabbed my hand. She had a worried look on her face.
"He's the one with the evil eyes, isn't he?" I asked
She nodded with a deep exhale.
"Thought so," I said and grabbed my purse.
I kissed Veronika on the forehead, reminded her to lock the door once I had left, so none of my vampire family got tempted, then left. I walked out to the stairs and found Caleb in the hallway discussing something with my dad. When I walked down, he looked up, his eyes gleaming.
"A red dress," he exclaimed and grabbed my hand. "My favorite color. How did you know?"
"I have my ways," I said.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
The police came to Amy's door early in the evening. Amy stared out the window and watched them ring the doorbell, then—when that didn't seem to do the trick, they knocked. There were no spider-men with them, which was a good sign.
She decided to open the door, sweat springing from her forehead. The dead spider was still in her trash can.
"Amy Miller?"
She swallowed, then nodded. "Yes. Can I help you, Officer?"
He sighed. Amy's heart throbbed loudly in her chest. Had they come because of the spider? Was Melanie wrong? Was it illegal after all to kill it? Maybe there was a difference between ordinary spiders and tarantulas? Had the police come to arrest her?
Nonsense. Stop it, Amy. You're letting your paranoia spin out of control.
"I hope so." He paused and glanced at the officer next to him, then back at Amy. "We're searching for Alyssa Heckler. Her parents told us you two were best friends. Do you have any idea where she might be?"
Amy froze. Alyssa Heckler. There was a name she had hoped she didn't have to hear again. At least not on her own doorstep. Amy had loved Alyssa, and they had been such good friends when they were younger until she decided to ditch her for the cheerleading squad with Britney in front. Amy had been so crushed when she suddenly started to ignore her in school; she had wished so many bad things would happen to her. Now, she feared her wish might have come true.
"I'm sorry," Amy said. "We haven't been close for the past three years."
"I see," the officer said with a sad expression. "So, you wouldn't know anything of her whereabouts?"
Amy exhaled. She had heard about Alyssa's disappearance in school and, to be honest, it disturbed her. Alyssa wasn't the type to run off or do stupid things. Except if those girls had put her up to it, of course. At first, Amy had thought it had to be them, but they had all seemed so upset in school it was hard to believe they were involved in any way. Maybe they were just acting?
"I am sorry, Officer. I don't. Have you tried the cheerleaders at school? She usually hangs with them."
He nodded. "Yes, we’ve been through all her friends. She was last seen walking her dog right around midnight over by the lake. A runner saw her."
"And the dog?"
He shook his head. "Haven't found that either."
Amy wrinkled her forehead. "That's odd. I mean, if you were going to run away from home, I hardly think you'd bring your dog, right?"
"That's what bothers me too," he said and put his cap back on.
"What about her phone? Have you tracked it?"
He shook his head. "Yes. It was found in a trash can by the park."
Amy's heart dropped as she remembered Natalie Jamieson's body when they pulled it out of the lake.
"Anyway, we should get back to our search, got a long night ahead of us," the officer said. "If you see anything or hear from her, please let us know."
Amy swallowed, then nodded. She felt like she was about to choke up. "I will, Officer."
Chapter Forty
He took me to a bar. Yes, you heard right, a bar. And not an ordinary one. No, this was one of those where you walk into an alley, then knock on some dark door and give them a password when they open it before they let you in. He ordered wine, but I knew what it really was. I had a soda, and soon the waitress, who was dressed in a tank top with the words I SUCK written on it, brought us a batch of greasy chicken wings.
"So…this is a place you come often?" I asked, biting into a wing.
He laughed. "Don't you like it?"
I looked around and spotted two guys at the bar, then two others playing pool with some very lightly dressed women at the other end. It wasn't my idea of a nice place, and I was very overdressed for it. I should have worn jeans and some tank top with a statement on it to fit in.
I shrugged. "Not really."
He laughed again. "At least you're honest."
Caleb finished his glass, then yelled at the waitress to bring him more. He had a drop of blood on his chin. It made me shudder. I found him very repulsive, even though he was handsome. There was just something about him I couldn't stand. I couldn't wait for the date to be over, so I could get back to my life. Hopefully, he would stick to his end of the bargain and make sure my mom stayed out of prison. I wasn't sure I trusted that he would.
I finished the chicken wings. They weren't half bad, I had to admit. Caleb gave me a satisfied look. His fangs were poking out slightly behind his deep red lips.
"You liked those wings, though, didn't ya'?"
I shrugged. "They were okay."
"For a tiny person, you sure know how to eat. I like that. You want more?"
"Do they have a burger?"
His smile widened. "Sure."
He ordered me a burger.
"You're not eating?" I asked.
He shook his head. "I don't care much for human food. I'll stick with my…wine."
"At least Duncan eats with me," I mumbled.
Somehow, that brought out something inside of him. Caleb stopped smiling, leaned over, and stared at me.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing."
He growled under his breath and leaned back, calming himself down. I studied him. My burger arrived, and I sunk my teeth into it. It wasn't as good as Sophie's, but it worked. I ate fast since I figur
ed the faster I was done, the faster I would get to go home.
"What's with you two anyway?" I asked after a few bites. "With you and Duncan?"
Caleb's smile returned. "What on earth do you mean? Duncan is my friend."
I chuckled. "Yeah, right. Is that why you took his girlfriend out on a date?"
He grew more serious. His eyes narrowed. It annoyed me that I found him so attractive.
"Well, we've known each other for a long time. I’m just teasing him a little, that's all. He's like a brother to me. You know how brothers can get."
I did, but I didn't buy it. It wasn't just friendly teasing or brotherly joking around. There was something else to this, something deeper than what they were telling me and somehow, I had ended up in the middle of it. I didn't get to think about it for very long before the door to the bar was kicked open and in came six men, swaying along on long skinny legs.
Chapter Forty-One
The woman behind the bar counter dropped the glass she was wiping dry, and it shattered on the floor. Her face soon changed; her claws and fangs grew out, and she hissed at the spider-men.
The long-legged men entered, pointing their vacuum-like machine things at everyone present. The man in front had a smirk on his round face. The bartender moved faster than the wind and attacked him, but he reached out one of his long arms just in time to grab her by the neck.
"Tsk, tsk," he muttered to the hissing, snapping vampire dangling from his grip. "You really don't want to do that."
While holding her in his outstretched grip, he lifted the vacuum cleaner in his other hand, turned it on, and sucked out her soul. Her piercing screams made the hairs stand up on my neck. The body then fell to the ground, deflated.
Caleb grabbed my hand. "We need to go."
We got up and rushed toward the exit, but one of the spider-men ran across the ceiling and reached the exit before us and blocked our way. Behind us, I could hear more vacuum cleaners being turned on. The sound was followed by more bone-piercing screams.