Beauty and Beasts

by Willow Rose

  "I don't," Maddie said. "The guy deserved what he got. He was a criminal; that's what my dad says."

  "I heard that too," Britney said.

  "How does your dad know?" another girl asked.

  "He's a lawyer, duh. He knows these things, and he says the police wouldn't kill someone in his driveway unless he was very dangerous."

  "But they said he had a heart attack," the girl said, trying to whisper but not doing a very good job.

  "That's just to protect his family," Maddie said. "But fact was that there were several witnesses who saw him get shot. There is no doubt, the guy had it coming to him."

  Jazmine held onto the table to not burst into anger, but it didn’t help much. The anger didn't go away. It grew and grew inside of her, and she felt like she was going to explode.

  "Remember, they're morons," Adrian whispered to her. "Nothing but high school idiots."

  "I know," she said. "I know they are. Nothing but morons. Nothing but freakin' morons who are never going to amount to anything."

  She closed her eyes and held onto the table, repeating what he had told her, but she couldn't stop it. And she couldn't help herself. She heard Britney scream and opened her eyes.

  "What's happening to your eye!?" Britney said. "What the heck is happening to your eye?"

  "What do you mean?" Maddie asked, fear emerging in her voice. "What are you talking about?"

  "Something is coming out of it!" someone yelled.

  "What? What is coming out of it?" Maddie asked, panicking. "Aw. My eye. It hurts! Help me!"

  Britney shrieked and got up from her seat. "It's moving. What is it? What the heck is it?"

  "I don't know," Maddie said. "Help me, please help me."

  Britney approached her and took a closer look, then screamed again. She pulled back in disgust.

  "Is that…is it a…worm?"

  "It is!" someone else yelled, grasping her face between her hands in terror. "It's a flippin' wiggling worm!"

  "It's crawling out of her eye!"

  As the screams and chaos erupted in the cafeteria, Jazmine took another bite of her sandwich, now smiling for the first time since she got there. Adrian noticed, then laughed.

  "You're bad, girl. Oh, you are bad."

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Amy popped the lid off the painkillers and swallowed two pills. She sat down on a chair, waiting for them to kick in, bending forward, strained in pain. All day long it had been bothering her. She had hardly been able to focus on anything in school.

  She had seen, though, what Jazmine did to Maddie P. Now, Amy had never liked her and her gang much, but still. It was truly terrible what Jazmine had done. The girl had ended up being taken away in an ambulance, screaming in terror. Her friends had been horrified…all of them anxious that they too might be infected with this strange worm.

  No one suspected that Jazmine was behind it. But Amy and Jayden knew. And even though Amy would like to see them suffer as much as anyone, it was still wrong of Jazmine to use her powers like that. Besides, she risked being seen. What if this Mr. Aran who had killed her dad, what if he heard about it? Would he come for her too?

  Amy had a feeling she needed to be very careful. What happened to Jazmine’s father was no joke.

  Something touched her leg and Amy looked down as the pain slowly subsided. It didn't disappear completely anymore, but the pills could take the edge off of it and make it bearable.

  Trying to climb her leg, clinging onto her jeans like his life depended on it, was one of the puppies. The sight made Amy smile and she grabbed him and took him in her lap. Seconds later, six of his brothers and sisters were heading the same way, mounting her legs, using their small claws to get ahead. One fell off and tumbled onto the carpet, landing on its back. Amy chuckled and picked it up in her hand, while two of them reached their destination and crawled into her lap. A few seconds later, she had all eleven puppies crawling in her lap and she couldn't help laughing.

  It felt so good not to be alone, to not come home to an empty house.

  "Where's your mother?" she asked and looked around to see if she could spot Billie Jean, which is what Amy had named her. But she wasn't there. She was probably exhausted from taking care of her little ones all day.

  Amy suddenly felt an urge to cook for them. It felt good to have someone to care for again.

  She put the puppies back on the carpet and went to the kitchen and found the ingredients for meatloaf, thinking that would make them happy. Also, she was in the mood for meatloaf herself. For the first time since Melanie left, she felt like cooking and eating again.

  She made the meatloaf, then put it in the oven. She then went back to the living room where she had placed the cardboard box that Billie Jean slept in with her babies. She could see Billie Jean inside the box and approached her. But the closer she got to her, the more she realized the dog wasn't moving. Panic erupted inside of Amy and she rushed to her, then bent over and started to cry as she realized the dog wasn't breathing. The leg with the wound was badly infected. Flies were circling it.

  "Oh, no, Billie Jean," she cried and leaned over the poor dog. Puppies were crawling on top of her, their small sharp claws piercing her clothes and they were clinging to her like they knew that she was the only mother they had left.

  Amy couldn't stop crying; she felt so helpless, so devastated for the poor puppies all alone in the world now. She petted Billie Jean on the top of her head, caressed her gently, and hadn't even realized that she had cut her finger on the knife in the kitchen while chopping onions. A drop of blood fell from her finger and landed on Billie Jean’s face.

  "Oh, no," Amy said and was about to wipe it away when suddenly something strange happened. The blood sparkled, almost glistened in the light and looked almost green when the small dot of it seemed to grow in size and spread across the dog's head. Amy gasped and pulled back, when Billie Jean suddenly wagged her tail and blinked her eyes, then opened them and looked at Amy.

  Amy gaped at the dog as it stood up, and the wound on its leg vanished before her eyes when the blood reached the area. Seconds later, it was gone. As in completely disappeared.

  Billie Jean stood in front of her, staring at her with those big brown eyes and her long tongue dangling out of the side of her mouth.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Saturday. I had feared this day more than anything. My mom had invited Duncan and his vampire family to dinner, again. I had no idea how to face him, not after what happened. I dreaded it and felt terrified for every minute that passed.

  I had been with Jayden almost every night this week. Around midnight when my parents left and his as well, I had snuck over there to be with him. I was a little more tired when being homeschooled during the day, but it was worth it. It was more than that; it was what kept me going. Knowing I was going to be with him at night kept me sane. It was all I lived for.

  "Wear the black dress tonight," my mom told me. "Black is slimming."

  "I don't want to wear a dress. I don't want to see Duncan, Mom. Can't I just stay in my room? Please?"

  My mom looked like I had told her the moon was made of cheese. "Of course not. You're going to be with the rest of us and you and Duncan are going to be just fine. Whatever it was, I’m sure you played a part in it as well. It usually takes two to tango, right?"

  Oh, my God, the woman is clueless.

  "That's a deal then," she continued. "You'll ask for his forgiveness and everything will be fine. Now chop-cop, hurry up and get dressed. They'll be here in an hour and that face needs some make-up and loads of it."

  "But…"

  My mom was gone. She wasn't going to listen anyway. She didn't care. All she cared about was getting me married off to Duncan so she didn't have to worry about me anymore. Knowing that I had everything in the world, that I was never going to lack anything, made her happy. She didn't get that I would never be happy.

  I sighed and grabbed the dress my mom had hung out for me. I put it on and l
ooked at myself in the mirror. Then I glanced out the window toward Jayden's house. He was meeting Ruelle tonight, the girl he was supposed to marry, and the thought left me anxious.

  What if he falls for her? What if she is everything I’m not?

  I had told Jayden my worry the night before and that had literally made him laugh out loud.

  "Why would I fall for some random girl that my parents brought here because they thought we should marry?"

  I hadn't wanted to tell him why, but I knew. Because I had almost fallen for Duncan. I had liked him; I enjoyed the kiss we shared. For a short minute, I had wondered what my life would be like if I was with him. I had wanted to be with him. I didn't anymore, but I had.

  I put on make-up, trying my hardest to live up to my mother's expectations, wanting to look my best so the bastard could see what he was missing out on, what he had betrayed. I was going to make him want me, to make him miss everything about me, and then show him what he couldn't have, what he was never going to get his hands on. I was going to make him regret what he had done.

  I put the mascara down and looked at myself when I heard a car drive up the street and looked out the window. I spotted a car driving into Jayden's driveway. I held my breath as I saw them step out and gasped loudly when I saw the girl.

  This was going to be the longest night of my life.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Stand up straight, son."

  Jayden's dad looked at him and corrected his tie. Jayden couldn't believe his parents. They were making him wear a tie?

  "Now, remember, a firm handshake when you met the dad," he said.

  "Your dad is right," Jayden's mom said, walking by in her long dress, looking spectacular. "A firm handshake makes a good impression. It lets them know you're strong, you're a leader. Show them you will be able to protect their daughter and lead our pack."

  Jayden felt very uncomfortable in the tie and was sweating in his shirt. He didn't really want to meet with this girl. There was no way this was going to end well for any of them. Jayden was a terrible liar and an even worse actor. They would know immediately that he wasn't interested in the girl. And why should he have to pretend? Wasn't this his life?

  Apparently not.

  "Watch it, dork," his brother said and bumped into him so forcefully Jayden was pushed backward.

  His brother laughed. "He looks like a boy scout or an insurance salesman in those clothes."

  "Logan," their mother said. "Leave your brother alone."

  "He will be your leader someday; don't you ever forget that," their father said.

  That wiped the smirk off Logan's face. He growled. "Like you would ever let me forget."

  Jayden's mother tried to straighten Jayden's tie once again and couldn't get it straight. He pulled away from her and ran to his room to hide till the guests arrived. He pulled his tie a little looser to better be able to breathe, then looked across the street toward Robyn's house with an exhale. This week had been so great. They had been together a lot, and no one had interrupted them or told them they couldn't see one another.

  He could see her through the window as she was putting on makeup, getting ready for her night with Duncan.

  I hate that guy!

  Jayden felt anger rise just from thinking about him. He hated that he couldn't do anything about this, that there was no way he could stop this from happening. He hated that she was going to be with that guy all night while Jayden was trapped here.

  "They're here!" his mother yelled from downstairs.

  Jayden took in a deep breath and glanced toward Robyn's house once again, remembering that this was just one dinner. As soon as midnight struck, they would be together again, and all this would be over. No more Duncan, no more Ruelle. Just him and Robyn.

  "Are you coming? Jayden?" his mother called, and Jayden rushed out the door and down the stairs.

  "How did you manage to mess the tie up again?" his mother groaned and corrected the tie one last time as the car drove up into the driveway. As it came to a stop, Jayden braced himself for a long and boring night that, hopefully, would be over quickly.

  He sure wasn't prepared for what he saw next.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Jayden? This is Ruelle."

  The sound of his mother's voice didn't manage to make him stop gaping. Jayden couldn't help himself. He was one step from drooling. The creature standing in front of him was so gorgeous, he forgot to breathe.

  Ruelle approached him, her thick, curly hair swaying in the wind behind her. Her deep brown eyes lingered on Jayden, and she smiled a smile so magical he was certain it was sparkling in the sunlight. Best of all, she was wearing no makeup whatsoever. She was all natural and she hadn't dressed in some tiny cocktail-party dress. She was wearing jeans and a salmon-colored T-shirt that made her tan stand out. Her hair was light brown but had been lightened by the sun, so it looked almost blonde in parts.

  "Oh, my," her mother said. "I’m afraid we underdressed."

  Jayden stared down at himself and the tie that was still hanging too much to one side.

  His mother chuckled. "It doesn't matter. Underneath, we're all the same, right?"

  Ruelle walked up to Jayden and reached out her hand. "You must be Jayden."

  He swallowed, hard, then shook her hand. Her skin was so soft, almost silky, yet she had a firm grip. She laughed.

  "Don't be scared," she said as she let go of his hand and walked past him. "I don't bite."

  Jayden was sweating heavily and pulled his tie loose, then followed everyone inside. His mom had made appetizers that they shared in the yard, while Jayden's dad threw some steaks on the grill.

  "Looks good," Ruelle's mom, Rochelle said, standing next to Jayden's mother. "We sure do like a good piece of meat." She spoke with an accent that he assumed was French since his parents had told him they originated from France, but now lived close to Shadow Hills.

  The two mothers immediately hit it off and so did the dads, whereas Logan got bored and started to play basketball alone.

  Jayden was sweating everywhere. His palms were clammy, and he wiped sweat off his neck, hoping he wouldn't soak through his shirt. Ruelle sat down in a chair and looked at Jayden like she expected him to grab the chair next to her, and so he did.

  He chuckled nervously and looked at her. "So…you're…"

  She smiled. "I'm what?"

  "Her…you're her," he said, blushing.

  "I sure am," she said.

  "That's…good, I guess…"

  "I usually think so," she said, trying to choke out a laugh.

  You idiot. You're making a fool of yourself. Why are you being like this?

  "So…can I get you anything? Something to drink?" he asked.

  She nodded. "Yes, please."

  "Water…or…?"

  "Do you have a soda?"

  He smiled, relieved that she wasn't one of those health fanatic girls. "Sure."

  Jayden got up and found the cooler next to the grill where the dads were bonding over grill equipment. He grabbed two sodas and returned to her, sitting down and opening his can, wondering what to say next. She was the kind of girl who was so beautiful he was terrified to even speak to her.

  "So…I guess we're supposed to get married, huh?"

  You did not just say that! Idiot!

  Ruelle almost spilled her soda. She looked at him, eyes wide, mouth tight. Uh-oh, maybe she doesn't know? Have her parents not told her?

  Then she laughed out loud. She gave him a look that made his knees grow weak.

  "You're a lot cuter than I expected you to be, do you know that?"

  Chapter Forty

  I was so worried it almost hurt. Of course, I was. I had seen the girl who had exited that car in Jayden's driveway and never in my entire life had I seen anyone more beautiful or more perfect for Jayden. She looked like the female version of him. So, yes, of course, I was beyond anxious for what was going on across the street. Was he falling for her? I couldn't really b
lame him if he was.

  "I’m serious, Camille. You and Doyle should go with us on our next trip to Africa. They say you haven't really been hunting until you’ve done it there. It's absolutely marvelous. The selection of…" Duncan's mom looked in my direction, then continued: "the selection of…prey is completely different than here. So much more spectacular."

  I rolled my eyes and leaned back in my chair. Duncan was sitting across from me, constantly staring at me as he had been all night. I hadn't said a word to him, and I avoided his eyes deliberately, letting him know I didn't want anything to do with him. Anything at all.

  "You really should go, Camille," Duncan said addressed to my mother. "It will change your life."

  "It's killing. How much different can it be?" I said.

  My mom gave me a look. "Robyn."

  "What? Aren't I allowed to be against mass murder?"

  My mom snorted, then looked at Duncan's mother, forcing a smile. "Don't take any notice of her. She's going through something lately."

  "Don't worry about it, Camille. I vividly remember being that age," Delia said. "It's all those hormones and figuring out who you are. It's only natural. It'll pass."

  "I know who I am," I said, looking at my mother. "I know perfectly well what I am and what I don't want to be."

  "Well that's excellent, then," the dad, Kieran, said and lifted his glass. "Let's drink to that."

  They all lifted their glasses. "To Robyn finding herself," my mother said. I could tell she was angry by the tone of her voice. I didn't care. I was angry at her for forcing me to sit there through an entire dinner with these people and with Duncan who had betrayed me.

  "To Robyn," Duncan said and lifted his glass too.

  I gave him a look. I left my glass on the table. I wasn't going to drink with him. I looked away. In the background, my mom had put on some classical music. It sounded like someone pulling a cat's tail. I felt sick to my stomach, sitting there, pretending like everything was all right when all I wanted was to run away, get out of there, and never come back. I hated my parents and all they were, and I loathed their friends even more.