Redheads are Soulless

by Redheads are Soulless (epub)

  First he caught me a few basic chords: G, C, D, and E minor. I played with those for about an hour. At that point, my fingers were red and throbbing from holding the strings down.

  Jason pulled my fingers to his mouth and kissed them gently. I heard a grunt from behind me. I turned around to see Robbie standing there staring at us.

  “You two are sickening,” he said sarcastically. He grabbed the guitar that I leaned against the amp and started playing it. I was amazed.

  His fingers moved gracefully up and down the neck as he played. I had never heard anybody play so well or fast.

  “How long have you played?” I asked Robbie once he put down the guitar.

  He shrugged his shoulders. “A while,” was his answer. “I taught Jason how to play.”

  I looked over at Jason, who looked annoyed.

  Robbie continued talking. “But he’s still not as good. I can teach you right,” his voice sounded seductive, and I had a feeling the guitar wasn’t the only thing Robbie wanted to teach me… Somehow, I didn’t think I would mind learning what he wanted to teach me.

  Twelve

  Why did you wait?

  Pretty much everything had become a competition for Robbie and Jason. It was kind of ridiculous. They stayed up until midnight playing guitar, but they were really just trying to show off their talent. I gave up around 9 and went to bed, but even with a pillow over my head it was impossible to sleep.

  The next morning, Robbie cooked me breakfast. And don’t get me wrong, it’s really sweet and romantic, but at the same time it was annoying to be fought over like a puppy.

  I was also aggravated because that day at school, Adrianne was a no show. I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something up with her. I knew it was silly. If something was up with her, Robbie and Jason would have noticed. But I guess they have been preoccupied, so maybe my suspicions were right.

  Also, I hadn’t heard from my mom since Monday. When I tried calling the phone number she gave me, I never got an answer. There was no voicemail to leave a message. I didn’t know if she was ok, or if she was just too busy with her new boyfriend to try and talk to me. I really just wanted to hear her voice.

  I couldn’t stop thinking about the earth shattering kiss I had with Robbie. I knew I shouldn’t ponder on it any longer, but I couldn’t help it. I wanted to kiss his lips again, to feel his body pressed against mine… It’s dangerous. Robbie is the bad brother.

  On Friday night, Jason crashed early, so I snuck out of the room again to talk to Robbie. I knew it was wrong, but I didn’t care… I told myself I wanted to know more about the hortribues, but really, I just wanted to hang out with him alone.

  I walked into his room, without knocking. He was lying on his bed, looking at the door. I almost wondered if he was expecting me. He smiled at me, and suddenly my knees felt weak.

  Don’t let him affect you, I reminded myself.

  “Hey,” he greeted me.

  “Hi,” I said back shyly. “So listen, I need to talk to you.”

  He patted the empty space on the bed beside him. I knew I shouldn’t, but I went and sat down beside him.

  I cleared my throat nervously. “Can you tell me more about the hortribues?”

  “Why do you want to know so badly?”

  Good question. “Well, I,” I stuttered. “Don’t you think I should know about them? You know, in case they decide to make an appearance?”

  He sighed in defeat. He knew I was right. I should at least know about them just in case. “Hortribues are vile, Sof. They’re the worst kind of monster.”

  The thought gave me chills.

  “I’m serious, if you ever see one your best bet is to just run. You can’t fight them off, and you can’t outsmart them. They will rip you apart and eat you for breakfast,” he answered honestly.

  “How many are there?” I asked.

  “As far as I know, there is only one left. They too were killed off in the war.”

  “So if they’re so much smarter and stronger, then how were they killed so easily?”

  “I never said they were easily killed, only that they were killed,” he explained. “When the war started there were a hundred of them, and thousands of roggeras and quartheras.”

  “So you, Jason, my dad and this one hortribue were the only ones left?”

  He shrugged. “I have my suspicious that some of the other roggeras and quartheras ran off when they saw the number of lost lives, but as far as I know, we’re the only ones left.”

  “Can you explain to me the curse that my father put on you?”

  I felt Robbie’s body stiffen when I mentioned it. I instantly regretted asking once the words left my mouth. “I can’t tell you right now.”

  “Do you still have to kill me?”

  He looked at me for a moment before he answered, and gently caressed my arm with his finger. “I could never kill you,” he answered softly.

  I ran my fingers through his short, messy hair. I noticed a change in his breathing.

  “You drive me crazy, Sof,” he said breathlessly.

  “Crazy in a good way, or bad way,” I asked smiling.

  “You tell me,” he pulled my face close to his and kissed me gently. He backed away much too soon. “I have wanted to kiss you again for so long.”

  “Then why did you wait?” I flirted back.

  “You really should choose Jason. He’s so much better for you.” Robbie kissed me again, only this time he didn’t pull back so soon, but once he did, I let him hold me in his arms.

  I wondered how it would feel for him to hold me every night. It felt so right to be here with him.

  Robbie sang to me as I drifted off to sleep.

  …

  “What are you doing?” I heard a voice yelling. It was out of place. I was happy, and warm… Why was this voice so angry and cold?

  “Calm down,” another voice said. This voice was angelic. I couldn’t help but smile.

  “Calm down,” the angry voice repeated. “I woke up, and I couldn’t find her. Why is she in here with you?”

  I knew I should open my eyes. I should try to figure out what was going on, but I was so comfortable.

  Just five more minutes, I told myself.

  “She came in here herself,” the angel spoke. “I wasn’t going to tell her to leave again.”

  “Whatever,” the angry voice yelled. “I’ll see you later.”

  Suddenly a loud noise woke me from my slumber. I realized it was Jason slamming the door to Robbie’s bedroom.

  “You’re awake,” Robbie smiled. “So what do you want to do today?”

  I looked at him for a moment, and then covered my head with the blanket. I suddenly wasn’t feeling like being awake anymore. I knew that I must have hurt Jason’s feelings, and that is the last thing I wanted to do.

  “He’ll forgive you,” I heard Robbie speak softly.

  “How do you know?” I asked, not removing the cover from my face.

  “Are you kidding? He’s in love with you. He couldn’t stay mad at you, even if he wanted to.”

  I moved the covers down from my face. “What am I supposed to do?”

  “For now, just get ready. We are going to do something fun today.” He got up from the bed, and I watched his shirtless back. His muscles were moving as he walked. “Give him time to cool off.”

  I nodded in agreement. No matter what, he did need time to cool off. He seemed pretty pissed at me. I slowly got up from the warmth of the bed and went to get a quick shower.

  “Want me to join you?” Robbie flirted as I made my way into the bathroom.

  I glared at him. “No,” I said, but I was really thinking yes. Good thing he didn’t know what I was thinking.

  He winked at me and said, “Let me know if you change your mind,” before walking away.

  As he walked away, I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t stop the smile that slowly spread across my lips. I silently chastised myself for thinking of Robbie like that.
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  After getting ready, Robbie informed me that he was taking me on a date. I couldn’t hide the shocked look on my face.

  “I’m capable of being sweet,” he defended himself.

  “I didn’t say you weren’t capable, I’m just shocked,” I admitted. “I always thought you were the bad one.”

  He got a very serious look on his face. “Oh, I am the bad one. It’s probably not a good idea for you to be around me, but I just can’t help myself.”

  “Where do you think Jason is?” I asked. “Do you think he’s ok?”

  “He’ll be fine. In fact, I’m pretty sure he will be watching us today. He was just hurt. Give him a little time, and he will be just as annoying as ever.”

  My heart felt heavier at his words. “I don’t want to hurt Jason.”

  “I know,” he smiled. “By the way, I was wrong about you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “When I called you soulless… If any of us has a soul, it’s you.”

  Unsure of what to say, I just said, “Thank you.”

  I followed Robbie out to his car. He opened the door for me before getting in himself. We drove for a few minutes in silence.

  “Why are you wearing flip flops?” Robbie asked breaking the silence.

  I looked down at my feet for a moment, suddenly feeling self conscious about my toes. “It is fifty degrees,” I shrugged. “Why not wear flip flops?”

  “Regardless of the temperature, it is January,” he shook his head.

  I was used to wearing flip flops in the winter, but that was mainly because my mom couldn’t afford to buy me winter shoes. Before meeting Jason, the only tennis shoes I owned had a huge hole in the sole.

  When I thought of my mom, I couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sadness. I wondered how she was doing, and if Steve was treating her well. I just wished she would call me.

  Suddenly, an idea hit me. “Do you mind if we make a pit stop?”

  “Sure,” he said. “Where to?”

  I pulled the paper my mom gave me out of my purse and gave him the address. When we got there, I unbuckled my seatbelt and turned to him. “Give me like ten minutes,” I pleaded.

  “I’ll be waiting,” he smiled back.

  The house was actually nice. It was a 2 stories and it reminded me of my grandparent’s house. It was white with red shutters, and a red door.

  Nervously, I walked up to the front and rang the doorbell. I counted to 20 before I rang it again. I waited for a few more seconds. My heart sank as I realized nobody was going to answer. When I turned to walk away, I heard the door open.

  “Sofie!” my mom called to me cheerfully. “Come in! I have great news.”

  I followed my mom inside the home. The inside was just as nice as the outside. It had antique hard wood floors. The first thing I saw when I walked in was a huge chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Directly in front of me was a staircase that led up to a nice-looking balcony. To my right was the kitchen, and to my left was a sitting area. I followed my mom to the left.

  Inside the sitting area, there was a large white leather sectional. I took a seat, and my mom sat in a close by recliner.

  “What do ya think?” she asked.

  “It’s very nice,” I complimented the house. Maybe my mom did do the right thing by moving in here. “So you had news for me?”

  She smiled wider. “Yes! Sofie, I sold the house!”

  “Wow, already,” I tried to get excited with her, but I couldn’t. This place was nice, but they had only dated a couple of weeks – surely she wanted a back-up plan.

  “Yes! Also, there is one more thing…” she held up her left hand. On her finger was a huge diamond ring that surely cost more than her entire year’s salary. “I’m engaged.”

  I mentally had to tell myself to shut my mouth. “Mom, don’t you think it’s a little too soon to get married?”

  “Well we aren’t getting married tomorrow,” she laughed. “We were thinkin’ in about 6 months from now, in the summer. A July weddin’ sounds nice, and it’ll be right before you leave for college.”

  In my mind, a July wedding sounded horrible. Summer in Alabama is very hot and humid, and I’d hate to spend my honeymoon every year in the miserable heat, but of course I kept this information to myself. “That’s great, Mom! Congratulations.” I tried hard to sound cheerful. I was sure that I failed, but thankfully she didn’t notice.

  “I want you to be my maid of honor,” she beamed with pride.

  My mom went on to tell me about her wedding plans. She wanted a red and black wedding… She said it would be elegant. I agreed with her.

  She planned for me to wear a short red gown, while the bridesmaids wore black, and I have to admit it did sound nice. She also asked me to go dress shopping with her in about a month or so, I agreed. Who knows, maybe this is exactly what my mom needs.

  After a few more minutes of talking, I left. I was mostly pleased with the visit, and was glad that she seemed genuinely happy. I hoped for her and Steve to have a long and happy life together. Even after everything she has put me through, she still deserves a shot at happiness – everybody does… even me.

  “I want to know everything about you,” Robbie said as soon as I got into the car.

  “What do you mean?” I asked laughing. “How can you know everything?”

  “Well, we’ve got eternity, right? So let’s start now…” He looked at me for a moment, then back at the road. “What is your favorite food?”

  I laughed. “Ice cream.”

  He shook his head. “No, your favorite food can’t be ice cream. If I asked you what your favorite dessert is, ice cream would be an appropriate answer.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I didn’t know you were going to be so technical,” I paused, trying to think exactly what my favorite food is. “Am I allowed to say pickles?”

  “Pickles are a great start, but it’s not exactly the answer I was looking for.”

  “Fine – cheeseburgers, I love cheeseburgers,” I answered smiling. “With extra pickles.”

  “Now we are getting somewhere,” he smiled.

  “What’s with the 20 questions?”

  He ignored me. “Do you like roller coasters?”

  “I love them.”

  “Awesome, you are going to love where I’m taking you today.”

  I looked at him suspiciously. “Where are you taking me?”

  “It’s a surprise, but I promise you will love it.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest, and attempted to pout. “How do you know I will love it?”

  “You’ll see,” he smiled, and my heart accelerated right along with the car.

  Thirteen

  Zombie Land

  We talked the whole way there... Wherever there was… I was suspicious after we had been in the car for about an hour, but I didn’t ask. I would let Robbie surprise me. He continued asking me a ton of questions: favorite band, favorite movie, most embarrassing moment (which I eventually answered after he begged)... I began wondering how many questions one person could think of, but he never stopped asking.

  About 2 hours into the trip, we crossed the state line into Florida. “Are you kidnapping me?” I finally asked.

  He laughed. “I’m asking the questions.”

  “Are we almost there?”

  “Yes,” he answered.

  “And where might there be?”

  He again ignored the question, and continued asking me more questions. I played along with his game and answered them all.

  Finally, after 2 and a half hours of being in the car, we pulled into a gas station. He reached behind my seat and handed me my purple converse and a pair of socks. “Put these on,” he instructed. “You won’t want to wear flip flops today.”

  I did as he said while he pumped gas into the car. I was starting to get really anxious to see where we were going.

  After I put on my shoes, I got out of the car to stretch my legs. I was amazed at the change in the temp
erature from Alabama to Florida. I pulled off my hoodie and put it in the car. I had the urge to put my flip flops back on – this is flip flop weather.

  After paying for the gas, Robbie and I got back in the car and took off again.

  “It’s so nice outside,” I commented.

  “Yep, it’s eighty-five degrees.”

  “So why are we in Pensacola?”

  He laughed. “You really don’t like surprises, do you?”

  I shook my head. “Not really. I mean surprises are great, but when I know I’m getting a surprise the anticipation kills me.”

  Finally, Robbie turned to the right. Once we pulled in, a huge sign said, “Zombie Land – home of the country’s tallest coaster.” The sign was surrounded by green grass and red and yellow tulips. I couldn’t help but laugh.

  “A theme park,” I smiled. “So this is why you asked if I like roller coasters.”

  After paying to park, we ended up going to parking lot 2 which was fairly close to the front. The park was pretty empty, but probably normal for a Sunday afternoon in January.

  “What do you think?” Robbie asked as we walked in through the gates of the park.

  I looked around before speaking. Everything looked old, and abandoned – like you would expect to see in a zombie movie. All the workers had on stage make up, and ratty clothes to make them look like zombies. “I love it,” I answered honestly.

  The first thing we did was ride the Zombinator, which was a coaster. It shot us out at 70MPH; it was definitely a thrilling ride. As soon as we were done, we rode it 2 more times before we decided to move on.

  Next, we rode the country’s tallest coaster, Bite. I have never been scared of heights before, but when I looked down from the top, I felt a little queasy. It was fun, none the less.

  After riding a few more coasters, we decided it was time to eat. We ate at a place called Brains. Robbie assured me that there were no actual brains served. Once we ordered our food, I sat at a table while Robbie waited for our food. When I looked up, I noticed a pale blonde girl sitting at a nearby table. A feeling of absolute terror washed over me as I realized it was Adrianne.