“So now you're accusing me of lying?” Jess asked.
“I'm not accusing you of anything, I'm just saying Miranda told me she told you.” she shrugged. “Maybe you didn't hear her, or you misunderstood what she said, or...”
“Or she never said anything.”
“Jess, can we just drop it?” I asked.
“Fine. I'm going out, I won't be back until late.”
“Where are you going?”
“First I'm going to talk to Miranda to find out which one of them is lying.” she said. She pointed at Marissa. “You better hope it was her.”
“Hey!” I stepped in front of her. “Just back off, okay?”
“Brynne, you deserve so much better than this little...”
“I don't understand why you're mad at me.” Marissa said.
“You...” Jess said. She sighed. “Brynne, I'll be back later so we can start searching for the vampires.”
We sat in the living room, music playing on the television, and tried to talk. Except there wasn't a lot to talk about. My brain kind of just went blank, to top it all off.
“So, um,” I said, and couldn't think of anything to follow it up with.
“What have you been up to in my absence?” she asked me.
“Nothing much.”
“I'm sorry. We were there, and my grandma is just really not doing well. And when she saw me she said it made her feel better. I'm her only granddaughter, and she kept saying she was going to die if we didn't stick around, that she needed our support. I mean she was being over-dramatic, obviously, but you should have seen her, Brynne.”
“I...”
“We couldn't leave her like that.”
“I understand.”
“I feel bad for not calling.”
“Oh, you have company.” Celeste said. She was just coming in the door. “Oh, it's you.” she snarled at Marissa.
“Hi!” Marissa said happily.
“Would you like me to help her to the door, Brynne?”
“Why would I want that?” I asked.
“Because she ignored you for a week, maybe? I don't know.”
“That was just a misunderstanding.” I explained.
“And I apologized.” Marissa added.
“Oh.” Celeste said. A frown covered her whole face and her shoulders slumped. “I just thought we,” she looked at the floor. “I mean you...” She glanced up at me. “I mean after Saturday night...”
“What happened Saturday night?” Marissa asked.
“Nothing.” I told her.
“No,” Celeste said. She raised her head and stomped toward her room. “Nothing happened at all!”
Has everyone in my life gone completely insane? I mean what was that about? She's mad at me because I have a girlfriend? Well tough luck, Celeste, you didn't want the position when you were offered it. Good grief, she doesn't want me and she doesn't want me to be with anyone else. How stupid.
“Anyway, let's go do something.” Marissa said. “Want to go to the mall?”
“Um, we need to talk about...”
“About us? I know I screwed up. I said I did! I don't know why you keep coming back to it. I mean really, Brynne, are you always going to be like this? Trying to make me feel bad and remind me of every little thing that goes wrong? 'Cause if so then maybe we...”
“No!” I guess I shouldn't have brought it up again. “Let's go to the mall, you're right.”
“There's a new store opening where the Sears used to be. We should check it out.”
“Sure, sounds like fun.” I said. I have no idea where the Sears used to be.
Okay, shopping is always fun. I mean hey, what girl doesn't like to shop? But the really nice part was just walking around holding Marissa's hand all day. I just feel like it's right. Maybe she's not going to be as special to me as Teresa was, but I feel some kind of connection. There's something there, some... I don't know, unseen force. It's nice.
That evening, after Marissa had given me a nice goodbye hug and went home, Jess and I went out searching for our vampire. It seems like such a waste of our time, though. Even Marissa thinks so.
“What about Celeste?” Jess asked me.
“Hm?”
We hadn't been talking for a while, so she tossed this at me out of nowhere. Was there something she is referring to that I just can't think of?
“You kissed her.” she reminded me.
“That was, um, a mistake.” Clearly.
“Brynne, you like her.” she pointed out. “And she likes you.”
“I have a girlfriend.”
“Who you just started seeing and who didn't call for like a week! Come on! Dump the bitch and...”
I swung my hand to slap her but stopped myself just before making contact. I can't believe I almost did that! The look on her face tells me she can't believe it either.
“I...” I cover my mouth with my hand. “I'm sorry. But you shouldn't talk about Marissa like that.”
“Wow.” She said. “Really Brynne? What is going on with you?”
“Nothing is going on with me!” I shouted. “You're the one who is acting like a jerk.”
“Whatever. I don't even want to be around you right now.” She said, stomping away.
Well Jess, the feeling is mutual! She has been a pain in the neck since I met Marissa. I don't know what she has against her. I mean she even set us up!
It's okay, they just don't understand how I feel. I don't even understand how I feel. Sometimes even I doubt it, so I know can't understand yet. But it's so different now.
I walked around for another hour before heading toward the apartment. It was really depressing being alone, and I was busy thinking about how I can stay friends with someone when they hate my girlfriend so much.
“Hey,” I heard a male voice say. “Aren't you a little young to be out by yourself so late?”
“Uh,” I swiveled and there was nobody there.
“Over here.” he said from behind me. But when I turned he wasn't there, either. “Or right here.” he said into my ear.
This time when I turned he was there. Six-six dark complexion, thin frame, and glowing red eyes.
“What are you?” I mumbled. My heart was racing.
“Asks the vampire.” he said, laughing.
“I'm not a...”
“Your friend said to tell you she'll make sure Jenna gets the same treatment you do.” he said.
The next thing I know I'm on the ground, facing up at this monster. My chest hurt where he had hit me, and my eyes were filling with tears. He was growing. Like... not taller, just way more muscular. I'm not sure what he is. How is this possible?
I rolled away from him, scrambling to my feet, but he was there in front of me again and took a swing at me, sending me hurling into a tree, and breaking my left arm in the process.
Then there was a blade. A very big blade. Why does everyone try to slice and dice me?
I tried to run, but he caught me and sliced down my back. And then he was on top of me. I got a couple of good shots in with my right arm, and managed to knee him in the groin, but he didn't even slow down. He swatted at me, clawing at my face and body, shredding my skin almost all the way to the bone in several places.
I saw Jess. Then the creature bit me and I passed out.
Wednesday, June 4
I woke up in my bed at the apartment. Marissa was sitting next to me, Jess and Celeste were standing at the foot of the bed.
“How are you feeling, honey?” Jess asked. She squeezed my foot gently.
“What happened?” I asked. Ugh, my throat hurts.
“You were attacked by something.” A man said. I turned and saw that he was sitting on Jessica's bed. “We're not sure what yet.”
“What was it, Brynne?” Jess asked.
“You saw it.” I mumbled. “It was hideous, it...”
“I didn't see it at all.” she said. “I shouldn't have left you alon
e. I'm so sorry, honey.”
“It was... you had to have seen it when you saved me.”
“Brynne, I found you alone and bleeding just before sunrise. A few more minutes and it would have been really bad.”
“Being attacked by that... that furry, gross thing wasn't bad?” I asked. “And it bit me after I saw you, it was way before sunrise.”
“I think you're confused.” she said.
“What did it look like?” Marissa asked.
“Um...” I focused on her. “I... I mean... if I were going to say what it looked like, I'd say kind of like a really gross and mean version of a... um... I mean...” I looked over at Celeste. “A werewolf.”
“Not likely.” she said. “They don't exist.”
“Kind of like vampires?” Marissa asked.
“Hey, non-vampires, if you please.” Jess told her, bringing up what has become sort of a running gag at this point. Maybe I shouldn't be so sensitive about being called a vampire, I don't know.
“Can you describe the attack?” the man asked.
“Who is this?” I asked Celeste.
“Buddy. He's from the agency.”
Buddy? I'm seriously supposed to give a detailed account to someone named Buddy? Sounds all professional and all, doesn't it?
“He took me by surprise. And he was fast! He'd say something, and by the time I turned toward him he would be in a different place.”
“Interesting.” was Buddy's comment.
“And then he hit and slashed and broke my arm, cut me deep and... um...” I must look a mess. My face is probably still shredded. I'm probably hideous. I hope I heal okay. “And he said my friend, um,” I focused in on Jessica. “My friend said to tell me she'd give Jenna the same treatment I was getting.”
Jess didn't flinch, and she didn't seem surprised. That is so weird. What friend would want me hurt like that? And who all...
“Who is Jenna?” the man asked. I didn't answer, I just kept looking at Jess.
“Her favorite doll.” Jess told him.
“Ah,”
There were more questions and answers, but none seemed important. My friend said the same thing would happen to my favorite doll. There are only a handful of people who know how much that doll means to me. And I saw Jess there way before she claims to have been there.
Okay, wait, there is no way Jessica had anything to do with this. That is a ludicrous thought! Laughable, even. Someone just happened to know. Maybe they were spying on us or something.
“You need your rest.” Jess told me. “Time to go, Marissa.”
“But I want to stay with...”
“We are not having this conversation today.” Jess stated.
“It's okay,” I told Marissa. “I'm just going to go to sleep anyway.”
And I did. And I think I woke about fifteen times from nightmares about being attacked by that thing. And in most of them Jessica was there, watching it all go on and doing nothing to stop him.
Saturday June 7
“More blood?” Jess asked.
“Have you had any yet?”
“No, but I'm not really hungry.” she said. She sat on the edge of my bed. “Besides, you really need it so you can get better.”
“I'm feeling pretty good now.” I told her.
“You're still weak.”
“I'm like maybe ninety percent, though. I'm good. Go ahead and drink it.”
“That's okay, I'll just put it in the refrigerator for you for later.”
I got out of bed against Jessica's protests and I showered and dressed. I'm sick of laying in bed, and we need to catch whatever that thing was. Even if the idea of coming face to face with that again scares the living poo out of me.
“So, uh,” I said, getting Celeste's attention at the kitchen table. “Any word from anyone with the VI about how we can defeat these werewolf thingies?”
“Brynne,” she said, sighing and laying her iPad aside. “Werewolves do not exist. I've told you this a hundred...”
“Well whatever it was then.”
“No. Nobody has ever heard of anything remotely like what you described.”
“So maybe werewolves do exist and they've just never heard of them.” I pointed out.
“Doubtful.” she snapped. She glared at me. “Whatever you think you saw,”
“Think!?” I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “Okay, well, you may think I'm crazy,”
“I don't think you're...”
“Whatever. I know what I saw, and you aren't going to convince me otherwise.”
“Fine.”
I sat down and played a game on my phone while I calmed down. I guess it is good to have a phone. I never really needed one before, but I never really thought of using it for games and for reading. I have all my favorite books right in my hands. Why didn't I have one of these things years ago?
“Any news on Roderick?” I asked.
“They still haven't taken him down. They know where he's at, and they're keeping an eye on him, but they are waiting to have more agents in place before they make a move. Just in case.”
“So they just let him keep killing?” And how many agents do they need in order to kill him?
“He hasn't killed any more children recently.” she said.
“Well that's good.”
“Definitely.”
I hope they don't mess this up. Plus, he could be wiping out whole villages and they just not know. He might be sneaking past them or something. He has to know they are following him.
“I'm thinking of going out to hunt for the vampires tonight.” I said.
“You sure you're up to it?”
“Yeah, I feel pretty good.”
“Brynne, why don't you just give it one more night before you do that?” she said with concern. “Please.”
“I just want this over.”
“Couldn't you spend the night doing something around here so you can regain your strength a little more?” she asked.
“I don't really have anything to do. Just sitting here is killing me.”
“Maybe you could go do something with Marissa.” she said. It kind of looks like it hurt to say. She hates Marissa so much.
“She's busy tonight with her sister.”
“Oh.” She picked up her iPad and stared at the screen. “Well maybe we could go to a movie, then?”
“You don't have to babysit me.”
“There's a foreign film I really want to see, but I hate going alone. I mean... ya know, if you can stand to read the subtitles, then I'd like you to come along.”
“Um...” Her and Jess really aren't going to let me go out hunting anyway, I guess. Not without a fight. “I guess.”
“Good. You can go out and do your thing tomorrow night.”
I invited Jess along, but she wanted to stay home for the evening. Celeste and I ate at Hardees before going to the theater. The movie was all in French, and there were several times where the subtitles flashed by so quickly that I missed what was said. Everything was dreary and gloomy and it was very depressing.
“That was such a romantic movie.” Celeste said as we walked from the theater.
“Eh,” I said. I cannot believe she liked that so much.
“That one girl reminded me so much of Marissa.” she said, laughing. “Sorry.”
“The backstabbing girl who betrayed her best friend?” I asked. “Wow, nice of you to compare her to my girlfriend.”
“Sorry.” she repeated. She grabbed my arm and turned me toward her. “No, I'm not sorry. Brynne, why are you with her? She's a jerk.”
“I like her.”
“But she's the complete opposite of you! You're sweet and you care about people, and she's a rude jerk who cares about nobody but herself.”
“Hey!”
“Well I'm sorry, but it's true.”
“You just don't know her.” I said.
“Are you so blinded by
her act that you can't see how fake she is?”
“She's not, she's...”
“She is!” Celeste insisted.
“It isn't your business.”
“What if I want to make it my business?” she asked. She backed away from me. “What if I just needed some time to think, that I just wasn't quite ready before?”
Before when she said I was a child? When she rejected me? When she pushed me away when I kissed her?
“I'm with Marissa now.” I mumbled.
I headed up the street, not waiting for Celeste. But, sadly, she was my ride home and I wasn't ready to walk the distance alone. Not with that thing out there. So I had to wait for her to unlock the car and drive me home.
“So, um, now I'm not just a kid?” I asked. This is embarrassing. “Now you're interested?”
“You were never just a kid to me, Brynne.”
“But now you're interested?”
“It really doesn't matter, does it?” she asked. “You're with Marissa.”
“But if I wasn't?”
Betrayal: Book 2 of the Non-Vampire Series Page 11