by Mary Ting
The smell of food overpowered me when I stepped into the dining hall. I had come after lunch hours so it wasn’t crowded. A group of guys entered behind me, giving me icy chills. I wondered if they were vultures, but knowing there were humans around, I thought I was safe…I hoped.
Ignoring them, I went to grab a tray. Not having much choice since lunch was almost over, the only thing left was spaghetti.
“Spaghetti with meat sauce,” I requested. “And a bottle of water, please.”
The girl looked at me with a stoic expression, longer than what would be normal. I began to wonder if I had something on my face. After I was served, I paid and looked for a place to sit.
I went to a corner table where I could see every inch of the room, and sat down to eat. My favorite part of the cafeteria was that the walls were glass instead of concrete. I could see the dark clouds and the sun peeping out, just to give warmth to the land. The sun shone where I sat, and for some reason, it gave me reassurance that everything was going to be all right. However, that feeling didn’t last very long.
As I ate my lunch, I glanced around. Group by group, people were leaving. Feeling sharp, spiky tingles crawling along my back worried me.
Thinking I was being paranoid, I took out my phone. Mason had texted me a minute ago. I’m fine, I texted, but I was hesitant to push the send button. As I was wavering on my decision, a warning bell kept ringing in my head. I observed more guys entering. They all had a similar build, and they all held the same serious expression. Their heads were twisting, their eyes searching, and they were determined to find whomever they were searching for.
I glanced down, trying not to make eye contact, but it was impossible when all I could hear were footsteps approaching faster. Sure enough, when I lifted my head, they were coming toward me. I sucked in my breath as panic struck me hard, realizing I had made a mistake by picking the corner of the room; now I only had one direction to run. But I couldn’t move; there were too many of them.
There was no doubt what they were when I saw lights flickering in the palms of their hands. What was I going to do now? The only thing that gave me hope was knowing Mason was on his way. It was a good thing I’d gone with my gut feeling and didn’t press the send button.
Already feeling the warmth inside me, my hands started to tingle. I could feel the heat…brewing, growing. The vultures were within reach, but they didn’t shoot. In fact, they halted as if they were frozen in place. Their hate-filled, killer eyes shifted, now focusing behind me. Whomever, or whatever was on the other side of the glass had made them stop, I was assuming.
I knew better than to look, but I was so curious that I couldn’t help myself. I quickly turned to see if I could spot anything paranormal, but there was no one. Of course, there was no one. What was I thinking? When I turned back to the vultures, they were gone. It had only been a split second, but that was all the time they needed to disappear.
With a heavy, relieved sigh, I sat down and observed the empty cafeteria. Even the workers were gone. Perhaps they went to the back room to clean up. Lunch hour was over, after all. Before I forgot, I sent Mason a message that I was fine. I was lying, though. My frenzied heart was finally slowing down, but it would take a while to become steady again.
There were many questions that ran through my mind. Why didn’t these vultures smell like the other ones? Who had sent them? Were they there to kill me or capture me? It happened in the middle of the day, in front of humans, though there weren’t many in the cafeteria, but the wall was glass. Either they were being careless, wanting to seize the opportunity when they saw me alone, or they didn’t care.
Sitting there, all I could do was stare at the half-eaten spaghetti as water pooled in my eyes. I didn’t want to cry, but I also didn’t realize how scared I was until it was over. When I saw a shadow looming over me, I snapped my head up in alert. My heart steadied quickly when I was rewarded with the smile I missed so much.
“Mason,” I cried. I got up so fast that my chair dropped to the floor. Wrapping every part of my body over his, I squeezed him tightly and let it all out.
I waited a few minutes for Sky to text me back. That was all I could handle. For some strange reason, I had a dreadful feeling and I couldn’t shake it. Without a second to lose, we were there. It didn’t take much convincing; Nick and Everett came with me.
Looking at the cell tracker, I knew exactly where she was located. When we got to campus, we had to slow down because of how fast we were walking. I knew we were almost there. When I turned the corner, I almost bumped into a body. Not just one, but several of them. Nick and Everett almost got knocked over, too.
“Sorry. Excuse me,” I said quickly without making eye contact.
“Watch it,” I heard Everett growl. That was when I glanced over.
They were exchanging dirty looks with each other.
“Let’s go,” I heard another voice say behind me, so I turned to see who it belonged to. Unfortunately, his back was toward me, walking away. It was Ian; there was no doubt in my mind. The guys that followed behind him had the same body structure and the same stoic look. Since they didn’t smell like vultures, I assumed they weren’t, but what was Ian doing hanging out with a group of guys that looked like gangsters? I had my suspicions of Ian, and seeing this only confirmed them.
“Let’s go,” I said to my brothers. Their eyes were still boring into the guys’ backs as they walked away.
“Something is not right with them,” Nick said, grimacing. “They don’t smell like vultures, yet they kind of look the same. Creepy, ugly humans.”
“Like they were bred or made,” Everett added.
“Can we discuss this later? I need to get to Sky.” With a nod, they followed.
After another turn around the structure, which was made of glass, I could see her. Her back was to me and she was fine. It looked like she was eating. Knowing Sky was safe, I released a heavy sigh and my heart reached a steadier beat.
“See? She’s fine.” Nick placed his arm around my shoulder, smiling.
“Yeah,” I said under my breath, but I couldn’t shake this dreadful feeling. It had gotten worse when I saw Ian and those guys.
“What are you going to do, stand here and stare at her all day?” Nick chuckled.
Little did he know that if I could, I would. I could watch her do nothing all day.
“We’re kind of doing that, you know,” Everett said. “The three of us. Standing here. Staring right at her. So I’m going to break this up. Mason, since you don’t need me, I’ll get going.”
“Yeah, me, too.” Nick patted my back, then smacked me harder to get my feet moving. “Looked like you needed a little push.”
“Thanks,” I mumbled sarcastically.
Nick let out a pleased chuckle. “Any time. What are brothers for, if not to annoy the heck out of each other?” Turning to Everett, he asked, “Want to race?”
That was the last thing he said. They disappeared before I could even blink. “No powers. No using powers in front of humans,” I heaved under my breath. It was nearly impossible for them to hear my comment, but I jerked when Nick slightly bumped into me.
“I know you thought I couldn’t hear what you said, but I was listening,” he whispered in my ear. After squeezing me tightly with an affectionate grunt, he was out of my sight again.
Shaking my head at Nick’s humor, I let out a light chuckle and entered the cafeteria. What I saw in front of me tore my heart into pieces. She looked so lost and scared. What could possibly have happened to make her this way? I felt like crap. What kind of boyfriend was I? I should have come sooner. At that moment, anger rose inside me and I wanted to punch the person that did this to her. However, I had to remain calm. I didn’t want to light up in front of humans, though it looked as though there was no one here. Strange.
As I approached her, my eyes were glued to her. She was so deep in thought that she didn’t hear my footsteps. Her eyes popped up in fright and stared at me. She
must have thought I was someone to be afraid of. When she realized it was me, she gave me that smile I would die for. Then tears poured down her cheeks, those soft cheeks that never should be drenched with them.
Sky practically jumped on me, wrapping her arms around me tightly. I felt her pain, I felt her grief, like I had been hit by lightning, and I wanted to take it away if I could. Her body shook as she sobbed, and all I could do at that moment was hold her, to let her know that I was there for her.
Her tears seemed endless as she continued to cry. Finally when she was ready, she told me what happened. With each word, my anger grew, my muscles tensed, and I felt the light within me ready to burst. It was mostly out of my own guilt. I should have been here sooner, was the only thing that repeated in my mind. I felt sick to my stomach that she’d had to endure it by herself, even though nothing had happened to her. Again, I couldn’t shake the feeling I’d gotten when I ran into Ian. There was something not right with him and his group of friends.
A second ago, there was sun. Now, the dark clouds covered the sky. Lightning struck, and the thunder would boom next, but before it could even happen, Sky looked at me. She knew what was happening. She knew I was the cause of this drastic change in the weather.
“I’m okay.” She began to caress my cheeks with her delicate hands. Then she pressed her lips to mine.
Her kiss was all I needed. It was my state of calmness, my wholeness. It was what made the sun shine again. Not only did I feel the peace again, I felt the warm sun shining directly upon us. I knew everything was fine…for now. I didn’t care what anyone thought as I made out with my girl. All I cared was that Sky needed this…needed me. There was no doubt that I needed her. We completed each other.
Everything was back to normal, somewhat. The only difference was that Mason texted me more frequently than usual. I didn’t mind after what had happened in the cafeteria. He also told me to stay away from Ian, not because he was jealous, but because he suspected Ian might be up to no good. My choices were limited. Either I drop out for a semester, or I endure Mason’s texts. I agreed on his texts.
“Are you texting him again?” Mom asked from the kitchen, holding a spatula. “You are welcome to ask him over for dinner, you know. You two are acting like teenagers.”
I laughed a little. “I will next time. How about we invite him when Steven isn’t coming over? I would rather you meet him first.” I finished texting Mason to let him know I was fine, then I headed to the dining room to set the table.
“I’ll get the door,” Mom sang, practically running to the door when the bell chimed.
Now who was acting like the teenager? I turned my head when Steven entered, so I could give them a private moment.
“Skylar,” Steven greeted.
I went to shake his hand, but instead he embraced me. My arms were straight down, stiff as anything I could imagine. I guess I was mostly shocked. When he let go, his hand went to my mom’s back as she led the way to the kitchen.
Mom had made my favorite dinner—pot roast. Our dinner conversation was minimal. We mostly talked about the wedding and what Mom was planning. They wanted to have a private wedding ceremony and have a reception that included close family and friends. I was just happy that he didn’t ask me tons of questions this time around. Surprisingly, I laughed and actually enjoyed our conversation.
We were almost done with dinner when suddenly, my stomach churned and my vision started to shift. Acid rose up my throat, and I wanted to vomit. Feeling dizzy, I let my eyes close, but the need to collapse on the floor took over.
“Are you okay, Skylar?” I heard Steven’s voice. It sounded deep and slow at coming.
“Sky…Sky?” My mom held my cheeks with both of her hands, then placed one hand on my forehead.
I was sure the room was swaying and not me, but maybe I was wrong. I didn’t know. All I knew was that I was boiling hot and I had no control over my body. I parted my lips to speak, but not a sound escaped my mouth. Trying to focus on something to help this quietness, I shifted my eyes to the organic berry blast my mom poured for me, but that only made me wanted to throw up.
“Let’s take her to bed,” I heard Steven say.
Steven cradled me in his arms, this I knew for sure. But I couldn’t shake the strange feeling. I felt like my body was still sitting on the chair. It felt as though my mind and body disconnected. My body felt so light, like I could have easily flown away with the breeze.
Steven lay me down on my bed and covered me with a blanket. I shivered like crazy, feeling hot and cold at the same time. This was the third time this had happened. What was wrong with me? Keeping my eyes closed for fear that if I opened them the room would start to spin again, I listened to their conversation.
At first, I wondered if two strangers were with me, but that would have been impossible. It was difficult to follow when their voices sounded so strange, almost foreign. They sounded deep, and each word blended with the next. I couldn’t recognize their voices, but I knew which one was my mom’s by the sound of her concerned tone.
“Do we need to take her to the hospital? Should I call the ambulance?” my mom asked frantically, placing her cold hand over my forehead. The drastic temperature jolted me and made the shuddering worse.
“No. I’m here. I’ll get my medical bag from the car.”
“Okay. Just make my baby better, please.”
“I’ll be right back. Don’t worry, it’s probably the flu.”
Minutes passed.
Something cold was inserted in my mouth. Steven must have been taking my temperature. “She has a high fever, but nothing to be concerned about. I’ll give her a shot of antibiotics. It should help.”
“Thank goodness you came today.”
“It’s always handy to have a doctor in the family.”
Shot? No! But at this point, it didn’t matter what I wanted. I couldn’t move. The sharp sting in my upper arm was a sure sign he had given me an injection. A few seconds later, I felt another sting. I thought perhaps this one was less painful, but who knew? I was on the brink of sleep.
“Give her some time and let her rest. She’ll be good as new.”
“Thank you,” my mom said.
“Anything for you, my love.”
I could imagine him batting his eyes at her and giving her that grin she seemed to melt for. That was the last conversation I heard before I was knocked out.
My eyes slowly fluttered as I tried to recall the events of last night. After I had put the pieces together, the first thing that popped in my mind was Mason. I hadn’t returned his texts for who knew how long. He must be worried about me. Luckily, he knew where I was.
Sliding off my bed wasn’t too bad, but when I planted my feet on the ground, it reminded me how much my body had ached last night. Though it wasn’t as bad, it was still painful. My stiffened muscles made it difficult to move, but I was determined to get to the family room. My cell phone was there and I needed to call Mason.
Walking out of my room like an old lady, I heard voices in the kitchen. As I approached closer with each step, his sweet voice sang in my ear. Mom and Mason were having a nice conversation, both laughing at whatever they were talking about. That produced a smile on my face.
Mason couldn’t see me yet—I was still in the hallway—but I didn’t have to call out his name. He could see me walking toward him now. He gave me the hottest grin that sparked all sorts of tingles in me.
Sky was home with her mom. That was what my text read, and the tracker located her at home. Not that I didn’t believe her, but when I didn’t get a return text from her, I started to get anxious. It was unlike her not to reply. She knew how much I worried about her safety. When I waited as long as I could, I went to her mom’s place.
There was a Mercedes Benz parked on the driveway. I knew it didn’t belong to her mom. Recalling Sky mentioning Steven coming over for dinner, I assumed this car was his. Waiting in the car and having nothing to do, I observed the one-story
structure. From the outside it appeared to be a decent size. There were rose bushes along the entrance to the door, and there were short bushes near a window.
Not wanting to disturb them, I waited and texted Sky again. I waited as long as my nerves could handle. My fingers were itching to text again and my body was ready to bolt inside when I finally got a text.
This is Skylar’s mom. Sky isn’t feeling well. I wanted you to know.
After the text I felt better, but I still worried. I headed home and planned to come back in the late morning.
Night turned to day in the blink of an eye. Not getting much sleep, I drove back to Sky’s. I wasn’t sure what I was about to do was the right thing, but when I still didn’t get a text from her, I knew it was bad. I had to see her. I had to know Sky was okay.
When I rang the doorbell, I was suddenly aware that I was going to meet Sky’s mom for the first time. Nervousness shot though me as I waited. Then it dawned on me that I should have brought flowers or something. Stupid idiot! I wasn’t thinking straight.
The door opened. “Yes, can I help you?” Then, before I could ask, she blinked her eyes to adjust to the sunlight and spoke again. “You must be Mason. I recognize your handsome face. I’m Gina, Skylar’s mom. It’s nice to finally meet you.” She shook my hand and stepped aside. “Come in.”
Sky talked about me to her mom rang in my head, and I couldn’t help the giddy feeling that trickled in my stomach. The first thing I noticed was the dark hardwood floor. The furniture was simple, yet nice. The kitchen area was open to the family room, which gave more of a spacious look. Glancing around, I spotted several picture frames and plants.
Gina looked young for her age. I could tell she took care of her body, too. I didn’t see much of Sky resembling her dad, but after meeting her mom, I knew where Sky got her beauty from…not that her dad was bad looking. They were even the same height. “I got your text,” I said, as I followed behind her. “Thank you for letting me know she was sick. I was worried.”