“Yes you did.”
Lexi skimmed through the news article. It was basically just an obituary that had made the front page. The article didn’t give much away about what had happened to the girl, who was named Jessica Connelly. The police currently have no suspects and are investigating.
Lexi glanced at the girl’s photo. She had long, plainly-styled blonde hair and an enticing smile. She was pretty, but in a boring sort of way; Lexi could tell she didn’t try too hard. Lexi was always envious of the girls who were comfortable with the way they looked without makeup.
As she read the article, Lexi found out that Jessica had had straight A’s and B’s since the 6th grade, had been involved with a bunch of community service work before she died, and was also a cheerleader and part of the Yearbook committee. Her school, Huntington High, had already set up a cheerleading scholarship in her honor.
When she set the paper back down, her aunt and uncle were looking at her expectantly. Lexi realized that she must have been tuning them out. Not wanting to let them think they had won, but also not having a clue of what they had just said to her, Lexi settled on glaring back at them.
“We understand, sweetheart. You were upset about Austin’s death and crying out for attention. But you didn’t have to pretend that you were attacked,” her aunt said tenderly, taking a sip of her creamer-filled coffee.
“I was attacked! You can even ask Gabe. He helped me!”
“We don’t want you speaking to or even mentioning Gabe anymore. He’s a bad influence on you. Ever since you met him, you’ve been acting different.”
“How would you know if I’m acting different? You don’t even know me! We haven’t spoken in years! We’re complete and total strangers to each other.” Lexi wanted to make them feel guilty for not believing that she wasn’t making the attack up, so she said, “My mother just died, I think I should be allowed to act a little different.”
“He’s still bad news,” her uncle said quietly. “And as long as you’re living in this house, you’re not to see him anymore.”
“I think you would be better off not mentioning her either, Lexi. We lost her too. There’s no use in crying over spilt milk. Throwing a pity party for yourself won’t bring her back.”
Throwing the newspaper back at Violet, Lexi stomped her way back up to her room and slammed the door closed. She sobbed and the tears flowed freely down her face. She thought of the one person that made her feel safe in this town: Gabe. But she had been forbidden to see him. Somehow, that made him all the more appealing.
Picking up Austin’s journal that had been lying on the floor since the night before, Lexi flipped to the second page. In his chicken scratch handwriting, Austin had written: I hate living here. I feel trapped, with nowhere to go. No one understands how miserable I really am. They don’t care how I feel. All they care about is their perfect little niece…I’ll always come in second place, next to her.
Lexi’s jaw dropped and her eyes flew to the beginning of his last sentence so she could re-read it. He couldn’t be talking about her…could he? Lexi had been convinced that Eileen, Austin, and Tommy had forgotten about her, just like her and her mom had tried (but failed) to forget about them. Lexi knew that Tommy’s sister, Gloria, only had two sons. She remembered her mom saying that Gloria had always wanted a daughter, but it just hadn’t happened. As far as Lexi knew, Gloria was Tommy’s only sibling. What other niece could Austin’s journal possibly be referring to?
Sighing, Lexi put the journal down. She felt sorry for Austin. She completely understood how he felt. Her aunt and uncle were total control freaks. Maybe her aunt and uncle had forbidden him to see Mary-Kate and that’s why Dan had felt the need to lie to her about them dating; he could have just been covering up for him. As much as she didn’t like Dan right now, she wanted to think that he had been a good friend to Austin. Maybe Dan was still trying to cover for him, not realizing that the lies he was telling may actually be damaging the police’s attempt to figure out what had happened to Austin.
Grabbing her duffel bag from across the room, Lexi stuffed the journal inside, afraid that her aunt might recognize it if she left it out in the open. She would go back to reading it later, when she could focus better.
Locking her bedroom door, Lexi crossed over to her window peered out of it. Right beneath the window box was a lattice. It would be tricky, but it was her only chance to get some fresh air without running into Violet and Tommy. She held onto the side of the window and shakily pulled herself out of her room. Good thing she wasn’t afraid of heights, Lexi thought to herself sarcastically and slowly built up her nerve to climb down.
Once she reached the first story, she peeked into the kitchen window, trying to keep as much of her body behind the lattice and out of their sight as she could. Violet and Tommy were sitting at the table, gulping down glasses of red wine. Judging from the near-empty bottle, it looked as though they had each drank a glass already. No wonder Austin was such an alcoholic, Lexi thought to herself. Her aunt and uncle were getting drunk in the middle of the day! As a line of crimson red liquid dribbled down Aunt Violet’s chin, her eyes narrowed and she got up and started to stride over to the window.
Lexi hurried to climb back up before Violet could see her. She was trying to go faster than her flip flop covered feet would allow her.
“Ow!” Lexi groaned as she found herself quickly falling, scraping her hands on the splintering wooden lattice.
As she reached the ground, she felt two strong hands firmly grasp her and help her hold her balance. Thinking she’d been caught, Lexi’s stomach clenched.
Turning around, she realized that it was only Gabe. She found it ironic that he was always there when she needed rescuing. It was as if he had been waiting for her. She felt her heart speed up.
“Are you okay?” He asked, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist.
“No,” she whispered, resting her chin against his shoulder. “My mom died last night. We had a huge fight and I told her that I hated her…But I didn’t mean it.”
“I know. I heard. I’m so sorry.”
“Me too,” Lexi said. Tears were now streaking her mascara down her cheeks. Vainly, she tried to wipe them away before they had the chance to dry. “I’m so mad at myself!” Lexi sobbed into Gabe’s chest.
Gabe shushed her and held her while she cried it out.
When she felt as though she was unable to cry any more, Lexi pulled away and looked up at him.
Gabe brushed her matted hair away from her forehead. “I think she knows you didn’t mean it.”
“I hope so. I had a dream about her last night. It felt so real.”
“Maybe it was, Lexi.”
Lexi laughed sarcastically. “Don’t be stupid. I’ve never seen a ghost before.”
“Just because you can’t see something, doesn’t mean it’s gone for good.”
“I’m sorry, I guess I get bitchy when I’m upset. My aunt and uncle completely changed after my mom died. Now they’re telling me that I should forget about my mom like she never existed. I’m not even allowed to talk about her anymore. And…I’m not allowed to see you anymore.”
“I thought that was coming. Tommy’s been hinting that I should stay away from you.”
“Then why haven’t you?”
“I can’t stay away.” Gabe caressed her cheeks with his ice cold hand, tilting her chin, and pressing his smooth lips against hers. Staring back into his icy blue eyes, she felt a wave of tranquility pass over her. “Unless you really want me to,” he added.
She giggled. “No, I don’t want you to. I’m just mad that they won’t let me see you. I know they don’t like you, but it’s not fair. I wish I didn’t have to live here.”
“Could you find somewhere else to live?” Gabe asked.
“I want to try to find my dad,” Lexi said, realizing that the words had just slipped out. She had never really thought about finding her dad. Of course, Lexi always had the childhood dream of reuniting
with her father one day; the same dream that other people abandoned by their parents during childhood were bound to have, but she never thought that she would act on it. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to remember what he looked like. She didn’t even have a picture of him.
To find her dad, she needed a computer. Hers wouldn’t get here until later that week, with the rest of her belongings. Violet and Tommy were planning to go to her house tomorrow to meet with a lawyer about her mom’s estate, as well as sort through her and her mom’s stuff and bring back Lexi’s things. She couldn’t bring herself to go; the idea of going back into the house where she had so many memories of her mom would only make it harder to cope with her mom’s death. Not only that, but she also needed a break from her aunt and uncle. She was still upset that they had refused to hold a memorial service for her mom. She knew that funerals could be expensive, but her mom was Violet’s sister. How could she just go on acting like nothing happened and she had never existed?
Gabe sat on the hammock, pulling Lexi down beside him and staring at her intensely. “You don’t know where your dad is?”
She shook her head. “He disappeared when I was a kid. No one in my family has heard from him since.”
“I remember,” Gabe mumbled, looking down at his feet.
“You do?” Lexi was shocked. She only had a few memories of her father. How could Gabe, who she didn’t even remember, be able to recall memories of her dad? “What else do you remember?”
“I…not much. I don’t know if I should tell you. You’re mad at your aunt and uncle right now. I don’t want to make things worse.”
“Tell me,” she said, gripping his thigh. It was as if he was withholding a memory from her – a memory that she wished she had.
“Well, when your dad disappeared…Tommy came over to the house. He told my mom that we shouldn’t let Violet or your mom know if we heard from your dad. Apparently, he didn’t want anyone to put him back into contact with your family.”
“I wish I knew what even happened,” Lexi said. “It’s like...one day he was outside playing soccer with me and Austin, and the next day he was gone. I don’t really know why he left.”
“Maybe you can get your aunt and uncle to tell you one day. We thought…I mean, maybe your dad doesn’t know that you don’t know how to get in touch with him.” Gabe kicked up dirt with his sneaker and then glanced at his watch. “I should really get going. It’s almost dinner time and my mom’s going to be wondering where I am. Soon, Violet and Tommy are going to be looking out the window too. And since you’re not allowed to see me anymore…”
Lexi pushed herself onto her feet and intertwined her fingers with his. She gave him a long peck on his lips. “Your hands are always freezing. Are you sick?”
“No, I’m fine. I just have low blood pressure.” He gave her another peck on her lips and started to leave. Turning around, he asked, “Hey, Lexi?”
“Yeah?”
“If you need anything, I’m always right across the street.”
She smiled. “I know. I am, too.” Her smile fell from her face when she remembered Violet and Tommy. “But make sure my aunt and uncle aren’t home first,” she added.
Turning to go inside, Lexi decided that she didn’t care what Violet had said about Gabe being a manwhore. Lexi knew it wasn’t true. It couldn’t be.
*
Later that night, Lexi sat at the kitchen table, quietly playing with her peas. She decided that she wasn’t going to speak to Violet or Tommy and, so far, neither of them had said a word to her.
Lexi didn’t have an appetite and she was still fighting against the tears that were threatening to pour out of her eyes. As she dumped her food into the stainless steel trashcan in the kitchen, the doorbell rang. Wondering who it was, Lexi went back into the dining room and listened as her aunt answered the door.
“Thank you for stopping by! I’m sure she’ll be thrilled that you’re here.”
Lexi was disappointed when she heard Dan’s familiar voice say, “Violet, things didn’t go like we planned and I’m sorry for that.” She had been hoping that her aunt had decided to put her differences with Gabe aside and invited him over to cheer her up. But, no, of course it was Dan who was here and not Gabe.
“You should be sorry,” Violet replied, closing the front door. “Luckily, we will have other opportunities for you to fix your mistake.”
Lexi rolled her eyes. Her aunt’s attempt at matchmaking was really starting to grate on her nerves. She wasn’t allowed to see Gabe, but her aunt was encouraging her to date the guy who had ditched her? Did her aunt not notice that Dan wasn’t really into her as much as she had told her he was?
Rounding the corner to sneak off to her bedroom, Lexi nearly collided with Violet.
“Lexi, Dan is here to see you. I’ll leave you two alone so you can talk.” Walking past her, Violet quietly hissed, “Be nice.”
Wrinkling her nose, Lexi realized she had no choice but to talk to him. Taking a spot on the living room couch, she crossed her arms, an attempt at creating a barrier between herself and Dan, who sat down next to her. She glared at the floor, avoiding his gaze.
“Why are you here?” Lexi asked, fully aware that Violet was listening to them from the kitchen.
“I wanted to see how you were doing. Vi told me your mom died.”
“Well, obviously, Vi didn’t tell you that I don’t want to see you,” Lexi sarcastically replied.
“Lexi, I looked all over for you at the carnival that night. I couldn’t find you.”
“I don’t think you looked very hard. Gabe was able to find me.”
“Before or after he attacked the girl that was in the newspaper?”
Lexi’s heart stopped. “What do you mean he attacked the girl in the newspaper? He was with me.”
“I saw him attack her. Believe me or don’t if you want, but I know what I saw.”
“I think it’s really pathetic that you’re making up lies so that I will like you and not Gabe. He helped me that night when someone attacked me. That’s more than I can say about you.”
“Oh, come on, Lex. I saw you hit your head. No one attacked you.”
“You saw me hit my head,” she thought out loud, “which isn’t even what happened. But you weren’t able to find me? If you saw me hit my head, why did you just leave me there instead of bringing me home or taking me to the hospital?”
“I just...um, I –” Dan stuttered.
“Exactly what I thought. Because you know I didn’t hit my head. My aunt and uncle probably just told you that I did.” Lexi could feel her anger boiling to the surface.
He nodded. “Whatever happened that night, I’m sorry. I still really like you, Lexi. Please give me another chance.”
“I can’t. Sorry, but I don’t trust you anymore,” Lexi said, standing up. “You should probably go now.” Lexi tried to calm herself down on the walk back to her room. Once she was in her room, she pulled the door closed, leaving it a crack open so she could listen in on her aunt and Dan. They were whispering, but she couldn’t make out what they were saying. It was probably just another one of Violet’s ploys to get them together. Little did they know, it wasn’t going to happen.
*
The morning sun radiated against Lexi’s skin as she walked to her destination. With no internet access at Aunt Violet’s, she had to find a computer. It had been easy to sneak out of the house without her aunt knowing. Since she was off from teaching for the summer, she generally didn’t meander out of bed until ten or eleven o’clock.
Gabe had given Lexi an idea that she hadn’t already considered. It seemed like it could be one of her only ways to get out of Briar Creek – and, more importantly, out of her aunt’s house. Lexi had to find her dad, someway, somehow.
Searching for him seemed like it was going to be difficult. After all, he had managed to remain hidden all of these years, which made Lexi think that he wanted to hide. She also wondered if he would even let her live with him if sh
e did find him. He was the one who had chosen to leave. Even though she never understood what had happened, Lexi was pretty sure that her mom hadn’t kicked her dad out. Her dad was the one who had abandoned them.
The library at Briar Creek College was, by far, the smallest library that Lexi had ever been to. Scanning the room for an empty computer, she spotted one towards the back wall.
Sitting down, Lexi turned on the computer and waited for it to load. The person sitting next to her cleared his throat. Glancing at him for the first time, Lexi noticed that he was cute – really cute, actually. His short, brown hair was slicked back, and he was wearing a red and white striped shirt that complimented his olive skin. Trying to guess how old he was, Lexi decided that he must be a college junior or senior.
When the computer finished loading, Lexi opened a window. She searched “Benjamin “Hunter.” As she expected, there were many, many people with the name Benjamin Hunter, ranging from photographers to artists. To narrow down her search results, she typed “Benjamin Hunter in Pennsylvania.”
Checking the first few websites, Lexi did not seem to find any matches. Once she reached the second page of results, a blog caught her attention. Opening it, she found that the blog owner had set all blog posts to private. To read the posts, she would have to become his friend. The photo in the upper left-hand corner made her breath catch in her throat.
It was him.
Lexi hadn’t seen her dad since she was six and, considering that there were no pictures of him around their house, one could argue that she wouldn’t have known him if she saw him in line at a grocery store or a at coffee shop. But she was one hundred percent certain that the face staring back to her belonged to her dad. His blue, smiling eyes and pointy nose were the same way Lexi remembered them, but he had grown a salt and pepper goatee since the last time she had seen him.
The Briar Creek Vampires 01 - Kiss of Death Page 8