Caught Between Worlds (The In-Betweens Book 3)

by Alison L. Perry

  “Mom, you heard what Dad said last night about her family.” My fear grew until it felt like a ball of lead in my stomach. This was terrible. Why had I hit that damn ball so hard and right at her?

  “Yes, I did. But I’m not worrying until there is something to worry about, and right now, we don’t know that.” Her voice was calm, words even and measured. It was her classic “mom voice.” And it worked. A little.

  I took a deep breath and willed myself not to throw up. “Okay, you’re right.”

  She looked a little relieved and pulled me in for a tight hug. “Be careful today, Sadie. Just go about your schedule and go straight to and from school. I don’t want you out and about with everything going on.” She pulled my chin up until I was looking into her eyes. “Do you hear me?”

  I nodded and forced a confident look onto my face. “I’ll be okay, Mom. I promise.”

  She patted my cheek and left, calling back over her shoulder, “I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” I whispered to the suddenly too-quiet room. It was going to be okay. I was going to be okay. I’d promised

  A quick look at the clock reminded me Cam hadn’t texted me back and I would likely be late for school. I grabbed my phone again and tapped out another message, this time a group chat with Harper and Molly.

  Me: Hey guys. I’m really sorry about last night. I was stupid to do all that. Y’all had to be worried. Forgive me?

  M: You’re right, it was stupid and if you ever do something that idiotic again, I’ll kill you myself.

  H: What she means is that we love you and are happy you’re okay. But her point does stand… Don’t do that again, okay?

  M: Don’t water down my words! I’m still very upset with you, Sade.

  Me: Okay, I get it.

  M: Good… now, how are you feeling? Have you talked to Cam? How’s he handling you being a vampire?

  H: Are you coming to school today?

  Me: I’m a little sore. Cam’s not answering my texts. And yes, Harper, I’ll be there.

  Me: Gotta go. Late getting up. See ya later.

  I threw the phone down and rushed into my closet. What did I want to wear? Skirt… no. Dress… no. I sighed. For the thousandth time, I chose jeans and grabbed my favorite pair, the ones with the rips in the knees and pulled them on. Deciding on a black hoodie, I quickly shoved it over my head and searched the floor for my black Dr. Martens. I wanted to look, maybe not mean, but “don’t mess with me.” Or, blend in with the crowd—whatever would make me inconspicuous today. When I was ready, I did a last once-over of my room, scooped up my phone, and threw it into my backpack. I hit the lights as I closed the door and headed downstairs. Harry was sitting on the landing with his tail twitching. I sidestepped him, not in the mood for one of our matches and hit the floor half jogging out to my car.

  CHAPTER TEN

  By the time I got to school, breaking the speed limit the entire way, I’d managed to forget all about my Volleyball Spike of the Year. Unfortunately for me, nobody else had. At least it seemed that way. After I checked into the office to be counted for the day, I skirted through the downstairs corridor toward second-period Biology. My stomach was in knots. Carmen would be there. With Kitty. Oh my God, what was I going to do? Why was this always happening to me? Why? I thought about the human life I never had. I bet I’d be a lot happier and less klutzy if I were a normal kid. My inner dialogue was punctuated by the dirty looks kids were giving me, making me even more wishful for the teenage life I’d been deprived of. It wasn’t fair.

  I barely made it to class on time, sliding into my chair seconds before the bell rang. Mr. Anderson wasn’t in the room yet, so everyone was taking advantage of the freedom and talking. I noticed Kitty was alone and my stomach plummeted. If Golden Girl wasn’t here today, everything would look even worse. I envisioned her returning to school with a huge bandage on her nose. If people coddled her now, imagine what I would go through if she returned with a damaged face. I felt a surge of defiance. This shouldn’t be that big of a deal. People got hit playing sports all the time! Guys got hammered on the football field every day of after-school practice and then slapped each other in celebration. I needed to get a grip. At least my freak athleticism didn’t happen during a game of softball. I cringed at that thought.

  I searched through my bag for a pen but froze when I heard Carmen’s name. A hush fell over the room. My cheeks turned hot as I sensed all eyes land on me. The unfairness of the whole situation swelled into courage and I turned around to look at the room.

  “It was an accident,” I said fiercely.

  “Suuuure it was,” someone drawled from the back. A few people laughed and two jocks sitting near the windows high-fived.

  My face grew hotter. I clenched my fists as I concentrated on squashing my temper and embarrassment. The last thing I needed was to vamp out in class. People would really have something to talk about if that happened. My mind tossed about wildly in search of something to say in defense. But Mr. Anderson walked through the door and everyone shut up.

  “All right, guys, it’s pop quiz time.” Groans and muffled curses filled the room, but I was happy. At least now they could change their focus to that and stop thinking about their precious Carmen.

  He passed out the papers and soon all you could hear was the scribbling of pencils. The quiz was on a unit I knew well, and I was pleased. I finished quickly and walked it back up to Mr. Anderson’s desk. He raised his eyebrows at my speediness but took it silently and immediately started grading. Confidence in a good grade got me back to my seat without shrinking at the few kids who’d stopped writing to watch me.

  I spent the rest of the period worrying about Carmen’s absence and Cam’s silence. He’d been so reassuring last night. Now that he was completely MIA, it was freaking me out. Maybe someone in the living room really had Persuaded him to say he was okay with everything. Who, though? The twins wouldn’t. They weren’t all that invested in me and Cam’s relationship. Nate? Again, no. I barely saw him these days. In fact, I don’t think anybody in my family would have done that. Not because they didn’t want me to be happy, but because they hadn’t even met him until last night. How could they be invested in letting him in on our secret when they knew nothing about him? If I were in their shoes, I probably would have left him to come to his own conclusions and dealt with the aftermath if he decided we were freaks. So, that left Molly and Harper. Hmm.

  Sneaking a hand under the desk, I pulled my phone into my lap and hurriedly tapped out a message to Cam.

  Me: Is everything ok? Getting super worried.

  I hit send and peered at the screen, silently willing him to respond. A few seconds passed with nothing. I huffed out a quiet breath and closed my eyes. What was going on? The buzz of the “silent notification” against my skin forced a startled yelp out of me. He had finally answered!

  My surprise had caught everyone’s attention in the quiet room. All heads swiveled toward me. I shifted, using the movement to slide my phone under my butt so I was sitting on it.

  “Did you need something, Sadie?” Mr. Anderson asked.

  “Umm… no. I’m sorry. I just… ah… no sir,” I finished weakly.

  He didn’t push me further and I slumped slightly with relief. My hand itched to uncover my phone and read Cam’s message, but I’d be pushing my luck if I did. With no choice but to wait until the bell rang, I watched the clock, tapping my foot along with the second hand as it ticked away. When the buzzer finally screamed for my freedom, I was the first person out the door. I ducked into a corner by the stairs and pulled out my phone.

  Cam: I’m okay. I was exhausted when I got home last night and overslept this morning. I’m still sluggish. Mom took a look at me and told me stay home today. I miss you.

  Instead of feeling better, I was more worried than before. Something seemed off. He barely even saw his mother since she worked a night shift at a grocery store in the next town over. And from what I’d gathered so far, she wasn
’t a super hands-on mom. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but it was almost like he was speaking in code.

  I shook my head, exasperated at myself. Speaking in code? What was I thinking? It was late when everything wrapped up last night. He probably was tired. I couldn’t blame him for staying at home today. I probably should have, too. I was thinking crazy.

  Me: I’m happy that’s all it is. I thought… well, after last night and what I told you… you know, I thought maybe it was too much.

  Cam: Sadie, stop that. I’m fine. With everything, okay?

  ***

  I was relieved when the final bell rang and I could escape. News of my Volleyball Spike of the Year had already made the rounds to the entire school. More whispers haunted me as I rushed through the hallways toward freedom. My cheeks burned with embarrassment and anger blooming like a time-lapsed flower. I wished Harper or Cam could be there to help buffer me from their looks, but Harper was staying after school to talk to a teacher about something. I was on my own. By the time I pushed through the front doors, I was half jogging, focused on getting to my car and out of there.

  The ugly blue thing sat in its spot, mocking me with its patchwork paint. Anxious to leave so nobody had too much time to look at the eyesore, I hurriedly got in and turned the key. But instead of the now-familiar screech of the engine coming to life, all I heard was clicking. No, no, no, this isn’t happening! I closed my eyes and waited a few seconds before trying again. Click-click-click.

  “Oh, come on!” I pounded the steering wheel, screeching obscenities and making up new ones when I ran out of ideas. For a few minutes, I was lost in a temper tantrum worthy of any three-year-old as I let out the frustrations from my day. I probably looked like a crazed goon to anyone watching, but at the moment, I didn’t care. It felt good to finally release some of the tension that had been building up inside me since the Homecoming game.

  Finally, I drew in a deep breath and held it, counting to ten. It was a trick Harper had shown me. I released it slowly, counting out another ten seconds as I went. After a couple of these, I felt calmer. Hoping for a miracle, I tried the key one more time, only to get the same results.

  “Okay, it’s fine. No big deal. Just call Dad and he’ll fix it,” I said aloud to no one, hoping the brief pep talk would douse the tiny flicker of nerves in my stomach. My phone was in my back pocket and I had to squirm around until my fingers could reach it. I dialed my dad’s number and waited for him to pick up. But instead, it rang through to voice mail. Cursing again, I hung up and tried to think of who else I could call for help. While I was trying to decide between Nate and Molly, Mr. Anderson walked up and rapped on my window. With no power to roll it down, I had to open the door to talk to him.

  “Hi Sadie. I noticed you might be having a little trouble with your car. Do you need any help?”

  I doubted he could do anything about it, but it would seem rude if I turned him down. “It won’t start. All it does is click.”

  “Ah. That sounds like it could either be the battery or starter. Why don’t I pull my car over here and we’ll see if jumping it works?”

  I had no idea what any of that meant, but since it sounded like he knew what he was talking about, I quickly agreed. “That would be great, Mr. Anderson. My dad isn’t answering his phone and Cam is home sick today. I appreciate your help.”

  “It’s no problem. I can’t have you stranded in the parking lot all afternoon.” He smiled and I caught my breath at how much he looked like Kade. Or, rather, how much Kade looked like him. Despite knowing they were family, the resemblance still took me by surprise sometimes. “I’ll be right back,” he said before loping off toward the teachers’ parking lot.

  “I’ll be here.” While waiting, I wondered if this could be sabotage. Was someone waiting to catch me alone? “Stop that!” I scolded my inner voice.

  Needing something to do to quiet my mind, I shot Mom a quick text letting her know I’d be late and to not worry. Then, I decided to text Cam.

  Me: Hey, stud. how ya feeling?

  Cam: Stud?

  Me: Okay, Silly. How’s that?

  Cam: LOL. Better, I guess.

  Cam: How was your afternoon?

  Me: I don’t want to talk about it. On top of everything, my car won’t start.

  Cam: What? I’ll be up there in a few minutes.

  Me: No! Mr. Anderson is helping me.

  Cam: Um, what? Mr. Anderson?

  Me: Yeah, that’s what I thought, too. But I guess he knows what he’s talking about.

  Cam: If you’re sure…

  Me: I’ll holler if he can’t help.

  Cam: Okay, promise?

  Me: Promise.

  I looked up when I heard a car approaching and watched as Mr. Anderson pulled his rusty, yellow VW Bug into the spot next to me. When he climbed out, I wondered how he could comfortably fit inside that thing. He was at least six foot. I stifled a giggle when I saw that the roof of the car barely came up to his chest. What made him choose such a tiny car?

  He dug around in his back seat for a minute before finally producing a pair of cables with clamps on the ends.

  “Pop your hood.”

  “Okay.” I looked around for the release handle and finally found it hidden low near the emergency brake pedal. I clicked it open. “Should I get out?” I asked, unsure of the protocol in this situation.

  “No, stay in there while I hook these up. I’ll need you to try and start the car in a second.”

  I waited while he lifted his back seat and attached one end of the cables to the battery underneath. He then took the other end and attached one clamp to my battery and one to the edge of the metal frame. When he seemed satisfied that they were on tightly, he folded himself back into his driver’s seat and started his engine. He let it idle for a few minutes and got back out.

  “Okay, try to crank it.”

  Holding my breath, I turned the key. Click-click-click.

  “Dang it!” Forgetting I wasn’t alone for a second, I pounded the steering wheel again.

  “Unfortunately, that’s not a good sign. If it were the battery, we should have been able to jump it. I’m willing to bet you have a bad starter.”

  Starter? “What does that mean, exactly?”

  “It’s what basically starts the car. When you turn the key, it sends a small electrical current to the starter motor, which is what ultimately makes the engine start.”

  I felt dumb. “Yeah, that makes sense. Starter. Starts the car. Guess that was a stupid question, huh?”

  A teacheresque look crossed his face. “There is no such thing as a stupid question. If you haven’t been around cars, there’s no way you’d know that.”

  Somehow feeling reprimanded but reassured, I sighed. “So, it’s not going anywhere today.”

  “Now, I didn’t say that.” He had a gleam in his eye and a jolt of hope surged through me.

  “What, are you going to do some magic?” I asked teasingly.

  “Maybe not magic per se, but I can definitely get you and your car home.”

  “I’m all for that.”

  “I keep a toolbox in my car. It should have everything I need.” As he talked, he rummaged around in his back seat again, finally pulling out a somewhat large red, metal box. He disappeared with it underneath my hood, followed by muffled words as he talked to himself. Seeing nothing to do until he was finished, I dug out my History textbook and started my homework reading. The afternoon was turning quite chilly, the wind blowing a steady breeze through my open door. I huddled into my jacket as I tried to focus on my assignment.

  About fifteen minutes later, my throat ached. I looked at my watch, confirming it had been a solid eight hours since I’d had any blood. As I thought about its rusty tanginess, the sharp edge of my fangs popped down and grazed my lower lip. I had blood capsules with me, but the thought of a pill didn’t sound as satisfying as the real thing. Vein shadows slithered across the backs of my hands. The desire for blood was new, exciting,
and terrifying. Suddenly, I could hear Mr. Anderson’s heartbeat as clearly as if I were wearing headphones. I closed my eyes, imagining the slight saltiness of his skin mixed with the sharp pleasure of that first drink. My hands clenched into fists as I fought the urge to jump out of the car and rip into his defenseless neck.

  The rattle of my engine surging to life distracted me. He’d done it! Excitement and relief washed the murderous thoughts from my mind. As if coming out of a fog, I couldn’t believe I’d even imagined purposely biting someone.

  His smiling face emerged from behind the hood. He crooked a finger at me and I obediently scrambled out of my seat and joined him.

  “I had to finagle it, and it’s only a temporary solution, but it’ll work for now. Let me show you what to do until you get it repaired.” I nodded along, paying close attention as he pointed to some wires taped near what I guessed was the battery. “You’ll have to put your key in and turn it like normal. But then, you’ll need to touch these two wires right here,” he pointed to a spot on the black box, “and that will start the engine.” Did he not know that disasters followed me everywhere? I just hoped I didn’t take anyone out when I tried to start my car again.

  “Um, is that safe?” Not that I wanted to question him when he’d taken the time to help, but wires and batteries and electrical currents all sounded a little iffy to me.

  “Yes. Trust me. Just don’t touch anything else and it will be fine.”

  I was still doubtful but didn’t want him to know. “Okay. I can do that.”

  “All righty, you’re all set.” He dropped the hood and it clanged shut, making me jump.