We arrived at the mall and went straight to Hal’s Halloween store on the second floor. They were a small business that had started appearing last year and only stayed open during October, but carried a ton of costumes. The store was busier than what I’d expected, but next to Costume Town, I found it no problem.
Chanel and I rooted through the women’s section. I had to talk her out of three extremely sleazy outfits, but after some arguing and compromising she finally came up with an acceptable few.
“What about you, Rose?” she asked, seeing I still wasn’t holding anything. “What are you going to wear for Paul?”
I started blushing. “Um, that’s a good question.” I picked up a green and blue mermaid costume I’d been looking at. “Is this cute?”
She cringed. “Ummm. Yeah, if you were twelve.” She ripped it out of my hands. “No, what you need is something more like… this.” She picked up a blue and white sailor girl outfit.
“Nelly!” I exclaimed. “That is so sleazy!”
“Na-uh! You would look so cute,” she said, holding the costume to my front. “I’ll even buy you the high heels and the pink curly wig!”
“Uh, I don’t think so,” I laughed, stepping away from it. “That thing would barely cover my butt! Try again.”
She scuffed, then displayed a seductive smile. “Paul would like it.”
I blinked, then felt my teeth bite into my lower lip. Reaching out a hand I said, “Gimme.”
She laughed. “Now you get to come try it on with me! I need your opinion on which one of my four I’m choosing anyway.”
I tucked the costume under my arm, hoping I wasn’t going to look like some sea-born stripper. “I’m following you.”
Once in the dressing room, I took the blue and white thing from its bag. Carefully slipping it over my head, I pulled down the bustier and smoothed the pleated skirt. It was nothing like the sailor girl costume I’d worn for trick-ortreating with Rachel when we were six. I’d looked like a pudgy Cabbage Patch Kid while she was a pale, toothless mermaid (she’d lost her first front tooth just days before Halloween).
I faced the dressing room mirror. I was grateful for a slim figure right then. The navy bustier with its white trim and gaudy bow hugged my midsection like a second skin. The skirt wasn’t as bad as I’d expected; it was short enough to be called sexy, but long enough to keep people from using the other four-lettered S word… and Paul probably would like it.
Ah, heck, you’re only a teenager once.
After gathering the wig to match the sailor girl outfit, I waited for Chanel to choose between a seductive queen of hearts ensemble and an eighties flapper dress. In the end, she ditched both for a pinstripe referee girl costume.
We moseyed up the escalator to the food court afterwards, bags in hand. We debated on what our stomachs were really in the mood for, going back and forth between Chinese or coffee with scones. Then we decided on pizza—mostly because the Italian place, Bell’N’Dale, had the shortest line.
“I love pizza,” I confessed while we ate.
“I know. This is seriously my favorite.” She took a big bite of her pepperoni slice.
I smiled, savoring the taste of fresh spinach, white cheese, and steamed mushrooms. I vowed to someday try real true Italian pizza in Italy. If it was good here, it was probably amazing over there.
“I’m so excited now.” Chanel smiled, swinging her feet under the table. “It’s gonna be brilliant.”
“I am… a little bit.” It was mainly the Paul part I was excited for; not the getting stuck in hooker, horn-dog central. “So, how are we getting in exactly? I mean, they aren’t going to arrest us or something if they figure out we’re under twenty one… right?”
“Stop worrying.” She waved a careless hand at me. “Trent’s got it all handled. He goes all the time. They never get caught.”
My gut twisted up with anxiety as I pointed out, “But we’re talking about one of the most scandalous clubs in the area, Chanel. If we get caught, I bet they’ll wig.”
“If we get caught, I get killed.” She glowered, cheeks bulging with half-chewed pizza. “Trust me, I know what’s at stake here. I wouldn’t risk this if I didn’t think we could get away with it.”
I dropped my eyelids. “If Trent was involved, you’d risk it no matter what.”
“Not true.”
“Whatever.” I took another luxurious bite of pizza, distracting myself from the upcoming disaster Halloween may or may not cause. I was sealed into this now. Chanel was right: I might as well stop worrying.
I was zoning when a strange aura came over me. It must’ve been intuition, because I turned around to meet a strange sight.
A few tables behind us, three girls sat silently in the food court. They must’ve been related because they were all tan-skinned with curly black hair. There was no food in front of them; just their hands, which were either folded or fidgeting on the table.
And they were staring. Staring very intently at me without any hesitation or desire to turn away… just like that girl in the woods.
Goose bumps leapt up on my arms and legs. WTF?
I was staring back at them when Chanel leaned sideways and peered over my head. Almost instantly, she straightened back up in her chair. “Oh, my gosh,” she whispered. “Holy cow, Rose! Don’t look now, but there is this super, super gorgeous guy behind you. He’s wearing skinny jeans and a black leather jacket and he is totally checking you out!”
I tore my eyes from the triplets and gave her a weird look. “What? Where?”
“Don’t look,” she ordered. “He’s looking.”
I sat there a second. “Can I look now?”
She peeked. “Mm… ok. Yeah, look quick!”
I turned and glanced back by the coffee stand.
A young man with silky black hair was sipping a hot coffee. His skin was incredibly pale, his fingers long and sort of bony. But while pale and dark-haired wasn’t really “in” on this side of LA, Chanel was right: there was something very attractive about him. In fact, there was so much so, that I momentarily forgot all about my massive crush on Paul.
He couldn’t have been older than twenty one, twenty two max. I was intrigued by his long lashes and his perfectly chiseled face. He would’ve been the infatuation of every chick in the high school if he stepped foot on St. Arthur’s grounds. He could’ve easily been mistaken for a celebrity… and yet, there was something strangely familiar about him. Was it his sharp nose? Or his rounded cheek bones? And then he looked at me and I saw his eyes.
They were silver.
Not grey, silver.
I snapped back around, fear eating at my insides like termites. A dark premonition made my stomach clench with indigestion. My mother’s psychic trait was acting up, whispering fierce warnings.
Setting my pizza down, I took a few gulps of water to calm my nerves.
“Isn’t he hot?” Chanel rambled on, oblivious as usual. “Oh my gosh, I’ve never in my life seen someone like—… Rosie? Rose, hey, you ok? You look really pale all of a sudden.”
“Yeah, um, I don’t feel so good, Nelly.” I brought my hand up to my forehead. “We should… we need to go. I have to get to the shop.”
“I thought you weren’t going to go to the shop today!”
I wasn’t. I stood up with my tray and walked to the garbage, Chanel’s concerned eyes following me. I had just dumped my food and put my tray on the stack when my leg buzzed. I ripped my cell phone out of my jean pocket and gasped.
Hayden’s number was on the screen with a text message attached.
Get out of there. Now.
My fingers shook. Holy crap. I hastily text back:
Where are you?
Returning to the table, Chanel got up to dump her tray and I spared a nervous glance back at the beautiful stranger. I felt my skin crawl. He was gone. Not just that, the triplets had disappeared from their table as well. The chairs were all pushed in and everything, like no one had ever been there.
My phone buzzed again. Not close enough. Get out now.
“Who ya texting?” Chanel peered over my shoulder.
“What? Oh. No one.” I snapped the phone shut before she could see his name
on the screen. “Come on. Let’s go.” Grabbing my bags off the floor, I started to stride away. “Rose! Jeez, what is your issue?!” She trotted after me, heels clacking. “Rose, you’re being really weird. What’s wrong?”
“I’ll tell you in the car.”
We made it to the parking lot without another sighting, but the aura still hadn’t worn off; my body was still on emergency alert like he was near, but his figure was nowhere in view. Key in hand, I jammed it into my door and practically jumped into the driver’s seat.
“Ok, we’re in the car! Now will you tell me what’s going on here?” Chanel wasn’t even buckled as I ripped out of parking. “And crimany! Slow down, are you trying to kill us?”
“That guy. There was something about him.” Wow, that was a legit excuse for yanking her out of the mall so suddenly.
“Something about—Rose, what are you talking about?”
“Just, put some faith in me, alright? I know it sounds utterly ridiculous but work with me!” I took a shaky breath, relaxing my grip on the wheel. “I think… I think he’s dangerous.”
She gaped, mouth hanging open. I ignored her, pulling my phone back out as we came to the first stop light. I sent another text to Hayden.
Meet me at the shop.
By the time we reached her house, Chanel had cooled off a little. She told me goodbye as she got out of the car, but the worried look on her face said: you’re not going crazy on me, are you? It bugged me. In other circumstances, it wouldn’t have… but now it made me wonder.
Was I crazy? Were the people I saw real, or a figment of my imagination? Then I thought of Hayden. If he hadn’t have been warning or texting me, I would’ve been super concerned about my mental health. It was comforting to know someone else was involved in this.
But thoughts of Hayden brought on other creepy feelings. As I stopped at an intersection I closed my eyes for a minute, gathering my thoughts.
How did Hayden know I was in danger?
That question haunted me all the way to the shop, along with many others about that dangerous and beautiful stranger. I couldn’t believe I really was being stalked, but the proof was incontrovertible. The way that stranger looked at me… the way those deep silver eyes had stared.
I marched through the storage room after parking. I about ran to the counter out front, my adrenaline on high as I turned the corner and—
My insides flooded with disappointment.
Joe looked up from his magazine. “Rosie?”
“Uh, hi, Joe.” I leaned against the corner for support. “Um. I’m sorry, this is going to sound weird, but have you seen—”
“Rose.”
I jerked around. Hayden stood at the storage room, holding the door I’d just come out of. “Oh.” I smiled at Joe. “Never mind.”
Hayden walked in front of me as we traveled towards dad’s office.
“Rose!”
I winced. Crap. Greg was calling me, which meant I’d been seen.
The boys were all staring, standing still as a group of gargoyles. They looked between me and Hayden with worry… and loathing. I shot my gaze back forward, head held high. If I looked panicked or afraid, they’d spring like hungry wolves to a deer carcass. I didn’t need that.
Once in dad’s office, Hayden closed the door. I leaned against dad’s desk, taking notice of the fact I was shivering. But for once? I knew it wasn’t because I was shut in a small space with Hayden.
Dad’s eerie employee turned, back against the door. He sighed, massaging his eyelids. “Are you incapable of listening?”
“No,” I answered. “Hayden—”
“Was I unclear when I said you need to be careful?”
“Ok, first of all, I was being careful! You said don’t go anywhere alone, and I wasn’t alone. I was with my friend Chanel,” I retorted. “And secondly, what the hell is going on here? Okay, so I’m being followed. Just how many people are following me?!”
He lifted an eyebrow. “What do you mean how many?”
“I mean, ever since Saturday I’ve been seeing… weird things.” Should I tell him about the girl in the woods? The triplets? Were they apart of this, too? Either way, something beyond weird was going on here. Today made me realize there was more to this than just some sexy slime bag following women around.
Hayden’s expression softened, though there was energy buzzing through his irises—which once again were ruled by silver.
My memory jogged. “The man I saw. He had silver eyes too… just like yours.”
“What are you talking about?” He spoke, and at the same time the color shifted. The blue was dominant once more.
“Your eyes.” I was getting nervous talking about it. “How do they do that?”
“How do they do what?”
“Don’t play with me!” I snapped. “Your eyes keep changing. That’s not normal!”
He chewed his lip. The way he watched me was discomforting. Stepping forward, he took a seat in a chair in front of me. As he looked up he said, “And what colors do you see exactly?”
Ignoring his arrogant tone, I leaned forward and squinting. The silver was gone with the exception of a little line around his pupils. I stared for what felt like hours, but was probably only seconds, willing the silver to come forth from hiding.
But it didn’t. I was defeated. “Blue…”
He snorted. “Exactly.”
“But they weren’t! Just a second ago—when you—well they changed! They were silver!”
“Are you color blind? They have testing for that now.”
“Ugh, no!” I couldn’t believe he was denying it! I couldn’t believe he was teasing me while denying it! “They. Were. Silver! Just like the guy in the mall.”
The flicker of a smile that’d been on his face died. “What happened?” he demanded. “Did he touch you? Did you talk to him?”
“No, Chanel pointed him out and we stared a minute.” I sat down in the chair opposite him, giving up on the silver-blue-eyes subject. The young man’s image came back to mind, his face, his hair. “But he was so unreal. I’ve never seen someone so beautiful. Not like him, at least. It was… It was eerie.”
“Yes. You should feel that way,” he replied, distant.
“Who is he?”
“Someone dangerous.”
“No, who is he? Does he have a name? Derek, Evan… Bob?”
Hayden leaned back with a disgruntled sigh. “I’m not going to tell you his name. The more you know about him, the more he’s going to want to know about you. I’m not putting you in that situation, especially after he came so close to you today.”
My eyes narrowed. “You know, I thought you said he preferred not to be seen.”
“When he’s observing, he prefers not to be seen.” His face darkened. “When he’s hunting… it’s easier for you to see him. I’m actually surprised you resisted so well. Not many do.”
The hairs on my neck frizzed. “When he’s… hunting? What does that mean?”
His gaze went to the carpet. “Your father’s looking for you. We’ll have to pick up this conversation later.” He stood from his chair.
I opened my mouth to speak, but he’d already slid out the door and was gone. Gone, along with all my answers that I didn’t—and may never—get another chance at. Did he really mean what he said about picking up this conversation later?
My intuition said not.
*
The moment I was home, I locked every door and window there was. I sloppily stuffed my bags in the pantry closet, not caring that it’d annoy Dad and his OCD. After a speedy jeans-to-pajamas change, I marched out to the kitchen and raided the cutlery drawer. Drawing out the two biggest steel knives we owned, I trotted to my room and laid them out under the window sill. S
etting them in a line with the points touching, I hoped Hayden hadn’t been making some kind of joke the other day about keeping metal nearby.
13) The Viper And Vixen
Mom left me a message on the house phone that evening. Thanks to the recent stress, I’d forgotten this weekend was hers, that I would be staying at her house. After a brief callback, we agreed that I’d stay Friday night but Friday evening was mine (she had plans with Lyle anyway).
Thursday went by fast. One second I was in first period cooking with Cheyenne, the next I was passing an accident on the freeway, driving to the shop. The previous day’s events hadn’t left my mind, and I was ready to pounce on Hayden when I entered the front doors. I’d pin him down or something, anything to make him finish our conversation that he’d so rudely walked out on.
So one can only imagine how angry I was that he’d called in sick and was no where to be seen.
“Rose?” Dad asked that night at dinner. He lifted his attention from the television while sitting on the couch, nearly done with his ravioli dish. “Are you going to play with your food or are you going to eat it?”
I frowned, sitting at the counter. “I’m not so hungry.”
“What’s wrong?”
Too much. “Nothing.”
He watched me. In hopes of appeasing him, I plopped a pillow in my mouth and swallowed it whole. He narrowed one eye. “Rose, I’ve seen you when it’s nothing. It was nothing when the divorce happened. It was nothing when your mother decided to date that nasty mother fu—”
“Dad, please.” I took my bowl to the sink and dished the remains into the garbage disposal, knowing anymore processed food and I might hurl. “I’m a little wired out, ok? I’ll be fine. Really.”
“… Would it help if I told your mother you were busy this weekend? So you don’t have to go over there?” he asked, tone rounding on bitter. “I can do it, you know.”
I considered that option, then sighed. “No. You know how she gets when she thinks you’re purposely keeping me away from her. I don’t need her driving over here and having a yelling match with you.”
He was quiet again. I put my dishes in the dishwasher and dried my hands before turning to head off to my room.
A Taste of Silver Page 13