The Awakening: A Witch-Vampire Romance: Feel the Heat.

by Anastasha Renee

  Devon remains quiet for once. He is too engrossed in watching Jaxx’s jean clad bum as he saunters away from us.

  As we stroll back toward the building where our last class of the day is held, I give them a recount of what happened at the chapel the day before. When we reach the hall where my locker is housed, I notice there is a crowd of gawkers surrounding it. I fight my way through and see that someone had used a black marker to write something across it.

  WATCH IT CINDER-ELLA OR YOU MIGHT GET SHANKED WHEN YOU AREN’T LOOKING! KISSES!

  “What the fawk?” Yup, Devon about summed it up.

  Jessa turns to me with a slack look on her face. “I bet you twenty dollars this was Psycho Queen’s handy work. Or one of her bitch squad.”

  I look away from the locker door long enough to glance at the crowd surrounding us. I doubt anyone saw anything. Even if they did, no one would dare say anything against Sabrina or her friends. Everyone knows what happens when you step over that line.

  The warning bell rings and the crowd starts thinning. Jessa runs to get the Janitor while I go to the office to report my vandalized door to the administration. Not that it would do any good, even if Sabrina got caught with the marker in her hand. Her mother is President of the Board of Education.

  The rest of the day passes in a blur. I can’t seem to get the vandalized door out of my head. Not to mention the weird light that radiated out of my hand when I touched Jaxx. Thoughts of all that had occurred swirl around in my head like a cyclone. I barely grunt or pay any attention in any of my afternoon classes. I did notice that I don’t have any more classes with Jaxx or Sabrina.

  Before I know it, the last bell of the day is ringing. Thank you. The first day of indentured hell is over.

  Chapter 2.

  I meet Jessa at her car. She is circling it like a drug dog on a mission.

  “Jessa, what on earth are you doing,” I ask her with confusion lacing my voice. I am sure it is stamped all over my face as well.

  Devon skips up as I am asking her. “What do you think she is doing? She’s trying to make sure the bitch hasn’t cut anything that’s going to send you all hurling into a tree or oncoming traffic on the way home,” he explains to me in a soothing voice as if I am a small child. Ass!

  “Oh.” This is the only thing I can think to say, and now that they’ve said something about it, I am starting to stress about it as well.

  With the way Jessa drives, yeah, you get my point.

  Devon hops up on the rusted hood of Jessa’s civic and offers to give us a ride home.

  “Uh, yeah. Riding home with your mommy, while she tries in vain to plan you and Ella’s wedding? No thanks,” Jessa says with a snark to her tone.

  I turn and give Devon a sympathetic look. “I thought she would have set her sight on something or at least someone else when you busted out of the closet this summer.”

  Devon’s face twists into a scowl. “She and my dad are still in denial. They keep whining about never having grandchildren, like I even want to worry about that stuff yet. I’m just now starting senior year. Ugh!”

  “No shit,” Jessa replies while she tries to shimmy under her car.

  Sabrina and her group of clones saunter by and laugh. “Don’t worry Jessa. I wouldn’t touch that death trap with your severed arm.” They cackle as they stroll away.

  By the time Jessa starts to head toward my house, I know I am going to be in for a fight as soon as I walk through the front door. If I am not promptly home from school by three thirty PM my mother flips her shit. So I ask her if she wanted to go to Candies, which is a local ice cream parlor in our town. The longer I put off that confrontation the better.

  We arrive at Candies at the speed of light. Jessa really needs to enroll in Driver’s Ed stat. The place is pretty deserted, but it is still a good way to kill time before I have to be subjected to the parentals.

  Jessa and I have been coming here for years. We push through the door and the bell attached to the top jingles, marking our arrival. The girl at the counter looks up and smiles at us, thinking, correctly, that we are potential customers. The smile quickly falls from her face when she sees who we are.

  Devon had gotten us kicked out a couple of weeks earlier when he pulled a drunk and dragged us in there, after we had left a party one of the priss squad had been throwing. He puked all over a booth after consuming massive amounts of Chocolate Crunch Ice Cream. It looks like the girl still holds a grudge. Hell, I would to, I think.

  We saunter to the counter and order our usual fare. Vanilla and chocolate swirl in a waffle cone for me and a plain one scoop of strawberry in a cup for Jessa. The girl continues to glare while she fixes our order.

  “Damn, she could freeze Hell with the look she’s shooting us,” Jessa whispers to me.

  “Yeah, well, you would scowl too if you had to clean up some stranger’s puke right before closing,” I laugh.

  “I would so do more than scowl. I would ban our asses. She’s obviously a lot nicer than me.”

  We sit at our usual booth, which is thankfully clean. Jessa regales me with all the gossip she heard throughout the day. By the time we finish with our treats, the sun has begun to set and I know way too much about other people’s business. We decide to leave before it gets too much later. There is no way I want to piss my mother off any more than she is already going to be. Her wrath is legendary within our group. Jessa and Devon have been on the wrong end of her evil eye more than once.

  When Jessa and I pull up in my drive, she offers to come in with me to face my parents or even to let me stay at her house for the night. I know that I have to get it over with sooner rather than later though. I tell Jessa goodnight and open the door to get out.

  “Ella, you have my number. If you need anything at all, call me. I mean that, girly. I can be here in ten minutes tops,” Jessa turns to me with concern in her voice.

  “Thanks, sweets, but I’m sure it will be fine. You never know, maybe they’ll finally kick me out and I can be free of them. Here’s hoping,” I say sarcastically. They will never let me go. With a wave, I head for the front door.

  When I open the door, the first thing I notice is that my mother is sitting in the front room in the dark, with all the lights turned off.

  “Where’s Dad,” I ask her as I hang up my messenger bag on the hook by the door. She just continues to stare off into space like I’m not even here. Just then my father walks into the room, his face like stone, showing no emotion whatsoever.

  “Mom? Is everything okay,” I ask her with trepidation lacing my voice.

  Then she snaps.

  “Okay?! Okay?! You call fornicating with that new boy at the high school where everyone can see, okay,” she yells, spittle flying from her mouth.

  “Mother what are you talking about? I didn’t do anything with anyone at lunch today,” I cry out.

  “Mrs. Gardener’s daughter called this afternoon-” I just look at her blankly.

  That’s how much she gets out before I space. Her voice is drowned out by the thoughts screaming in my head. What had Sabrina told my mom? Why was she out to get me? What did I do to draw her wrath?

  SLAP!

  I feel the sting of my mother’s hand on my cheek.

  “Are you high as well as a harlot now? Didn’t you hear anything that I have said?” The spite in her voice rends into a spot deep down that always wished that she would love me.

  “Momma I don’t know what’s going on, but I didn’t do anything. Sabrina has it in for me. She has singled me out, but I swear on everything that I didn’t do anything wrong,” I try and plea with her.

  She keeps ranting like I hadn’t even spoken.

  “I don’t know why I let your father talk me into taking you in. I told him you were the spawn of Satan. The glowing eyes and making things move when you’re upset! You were just a baby and you were already damned,” she continues to scream.

  “What are you saying? You’re my parents! What do you mean you h
ad to take me in? That dad made you,” I exclaim in utter confusion. But I feel anger swell within me as well. No matter what I do, it will never be good enough.

  Nothing will. I will always be inadequate to her.

  “You are no child of mine! You never have been and I want you gone! I can’t stand to even look at you! You are an ugly soul, a terrible, terrible mistake! Leave! Now,” she screams the last two words at me.

  Then she stumbles back as if I have struck or pushed her. I can feel that my eyes are doing that glowing thing again. I close my eyes and shake my head, trying to calm my anger so that they will stop.

  My mother makes the sign for the Christian cross at me. “Daughter of Satan,” she screams with spittle flying out of her mouth.

  The only mother I have ever know runs across the front room, not even looking at me in the face. She grabs my messenger bag off of the coat rack, opens the front door, and tosses it to the front walk.

  I just walk by her prone form not even looking to see if there is any sadness within her eyes at seeing me leave. I know there will be only a look of relief waiting for me within her eyes.

  I leave the only home I have ever known with tears streaming down my red cheeks. The tears sting the visible hand mark on my right cheek. When I get out the front door, I grab my bag, sling it over my shoulder, and start to walk. It is much worse than the normal walk of shame. This is something else altogether. I fish my phone out of my bag and dial Jessa, but she doesn’t pick up. So I leave a message. She is probably in the shower or something. I try Devon, but no luck on that front either. His mom must have taken his phone, since it was turned off. Devon has a really strict family life since he outted himself. I’m not close to anyone else and I barely have any family since my parents alienated everyone.

  I decide to try my Uncle Dan. He is my mother’s brother and the total opposite of everything my family is. He is what most people would call a hippy, or as I like to call him, a free spirit. I ring him and he picks up on the third ring.

  “Hey Ella girl. Why are you calling so late? How are your parents,” he asks with a surprised tone.

  Just the sound of his voice makes me want to bawl like a toddler. I am not a big weepy person. Outward emotions weren’t popular in my home growing up.

  “Uncle Dan, I don’t want to bother you, but can you please come and pick me up,” I cry, unable to control the sobs bubbling up in my throat.

  “Mom, I mean Barbra, kicked me out. She said she wasn’t my mom and that she hasn’t ever wanted me,” I start to sob even harder over the line.

  “Wait, wait! What? Don’t cry, sweetie. I’ll be right there, I promise! Just sit tight! Don’t move and keep your phone on you at all times. Find somewhere on your street that’s lit up,” he rushes out urgently. With that he hangs up the phone.

  I stroll about a half a mile down my road and find a spot to sit in the grass under a street lamp. If only my mother could see me now, she would probably accuse me of hooking it. Little does she know, I have always respected her wishes when it came to sex before marriage. I have never even been out on a real date! So it is no surprise that I still have my V card. The boys at school have even taken to calling me the Ice Princess, as frigid as they come, because I don’t get passed around like half the girls at my school. I basically wear a chastity belt and my mother still calls me a whore! Go figure.

  I idly start pulling my fingers through the overly long, damp grass to keep myself busy, trying to keep my mind off of this night, trying to forget, just for a blessed second. My hand catches on something cool to the touch. I pull it out of the grass and it appears to be some sort of necklace. I dust it off and hold it up to the light. It is brilliant. Large pieces of jade stones are woven together with silver in a chandelier pattern. In between the over-large, jade stones there are moonstones woven in as well. I turn it in the light and touch one of the pieces of jade. A green light illuminates from my hand, snaking its way to the necklace. Then it seems to sparkle all on its own.

  Then I seem to be sucked into a waking dream. A woman lying on top of a feather white bed rubbing her stomach with tears in her eyes. There is such sadness in her face that it sucks the breath from my lungs just to see it. She whispers something to the baby inside her stomach. A promise maybe? I can’t hear anything she is saying but then she looks up as if she is meeting my eyes. They are mirrors of my own. But her eyes aren’t happy or sad. No, the eyes that mirror my own are full of hate.

  Okay what the hell was that? This night can’t get any worse. Now I am going crazy.

  Sucking in a deep breath, I glance up and notice a sleek black car coming quickly down the road. It seems to be slowing to a stop right in front of me. I stow the necklace in my bag and brace for whatever the stranger wants. The tinted black driver’s side window rolls down slowly. They probably think I’m sitting here waiting for a John. Wouldn’t Mommy be proud now? I think with a silent laugh.

  “Hello, little raven,” Jaxx calls out to my utter surprise as he steps out of the car. “What are you doing out all alone this late at night?” Jaxx shakes his head at me as if I am demented for putting my safety at risk.

  I’m sure he can tell that I have been crying. I flush even more than I probably already am out of embarrassment.

  “Nothing, Thor. I mean, Jaxx.”

  Can this get anymore mortifying? I think.

  “Thor,” he asks, quirking a brow.

  “It’s nothing. Just something the girls at school were calling you before they knew your name. With you looking like a Nordic god and all, it seemed to fit.” I cringe…

  SHIT! Did I just spew that?

  Jaxx chuckles. “You still haven’t answered my question. Why are you out here so late?”

  “It’s really none of your concern. So you can get back in your car and drive on.” I try to put some command into my tone, but fail miserably.

  I think I hear him mutter. “It’s more my business than you know.” Jaxx clears his throat, trying to hide that he was just muttering to himself. “Do you mind if I sit with you for a while then? Or at least until you decide to go home? This really isn’t safe,” he states the obvious once again.

  “Sure. You can do what you want, but my uncle is on his way to get me, so I won’t be here long. You really don’t have to wait.” But inwardly I sigh with relief. It does feel safer being with someone slightly familiar.

  “Why do we keep running into each other,” I ask him, just to fill the silence.

  “I don’t really know…” he shakes his head as if he is baffled by it as much as I am.

  Jaxx sits down beside me, not really doing anything, just enjoying the company. I am just starting to relax when he has to go and ask something that I would rather ignore.

  “Who drew that vile shit all over your locker this afternoon,” he seemingly innocently inquires.

  “I’ll give you two guesses. Besides, it doesn’t really matter. We can’t do anything about it anyhow. She has the whole damn town wrapped around her little finger.”

  “Sabrina,” he mutters out.

  “You are one for one. Good job.” I smile at him to lessen my sarcasm.

  “I still don’t understand why she was targeting you. I mean yeah, you’re beautiful-”

  “Wait! Hold up. You think I’m beautiful,” I ask in astonishment. I am really blushing now. Ugh.

  “You own a mirror, pretty eyes. You have to know that you are exquisite, but that still doesn’t explain why you.” He again shakes his head as if he just can’t understand the idea of someone being so cruel.

  I am thinking to myself that it is all about him. That if he hadn’t sat my table I wouldn’t even be on Sabrina’s radar, but I keep mute. It isn’t his fault and I don’t want him thinking that I blame him or worse, him blaming himself.

  Jaxx reaches for my hand and we link our fingers at the same moment Uncle Dan pulls alongside Jaxx’s car. I jump like I was just shocked by a live wire.

  “Ells, honey, is that you,” U
ncle Dan calls as he is getting out of his car.

  “Yeah, Dan it’s me. My friend Jaxx was driving by and was worried about me, so he stopped to keep me company,” I call back as Uncle Dan makes his way over to us.

  Jaxx rises to his full height and towers over my uncle. My uncle is on the short side with a shaved head and a face full of facial hair. He definitely got the looks on my mother’s side of the family. He might not be much taller than me, but he is striking all the same. He is still in shape, even though he is in his late thirties.

  Jaxx extends his hand and introduces himself to my uncle. “Nice to meet you, I’m Jaxx.” His tone is all formal now that my uncle is on the scene.

  Dan frowns, but is polite and shakes his hand. “Only a friend,” he asks with a laugh coating his voice, still looking at me.

  I can see him smiling to himself even in the gloom. Ugh! Is everyone on a mission to make me blush today? Myself included it seems.

  “Well kiddo, let’s get you loaded up. We have a lot of things to discuss it seems.” Understatement of the year.

  I turn to Jaxx to thank him for keeping me company, but he is already striding quickly to his car. Tires squeal as he hauls ass down the road. I wonder what crawled up his ass. I stand and stretch the kinks out of my joints. I am stiff from sitting on the cool ground for so long. I walk with Dan to his old, cherry red BMW and get into the passenger seat.

  “Buckle the belt, Ells,” Uncle Dan’s voice isn’t teasing anymore.

  We turn around and start heading toward my parents’ house.

  “Uncle Dan what are we doing,” I cry out.

  I am starting to freak out. I can’t go back there, to that woman. She hates me. I can’t stand to look at her face again while she is spewing vile things at me. I curl into the corner of my uncle’s car and start to cry.

  “Relax, Ells. I’m just going to run in and get some of your things for school tomorrow. I would just take you shopping or give you money so you can go on your own, but it’s kind of late for that. You have to have something more than what you’ve got with you for school tomorrow, yes?” He tries to make his voice soothing but nothing in the world could calm me right now.