“Oh yeah? Then how the heck does someone always end up hurt or dead?! First it was that kid in Arizona and now—”
“Get out!” I couldn’t take anymore. He would never understand and I didn’t want to hear anything else. It’s over, had been enough for me. “Just, get out!”
This stopped his yelling, but now he glowered worse than before. His face down to his torso was puffed up like a blow fish.
“You can’t tell me who to love,” I said, holding tears back. They came anyway. “I don’t tell you who to love. I didn’t tell you to not love mom. Don’t tell me who I can and can’t love.”
Dad’s blow fish posture deflated. We stared for another minute, then he spun on his heel and left without a word. It was an understatement to say he slammed the door behind him.
I quickly grabbed some tissue from my bedside drawer. The salty tears stuck to my cheeks like wax. Jumping up from the bed, I retrieved my cell, praying when I opened it there would be a text message from Hayden. As I opened the slider, my Pegasus screensaver appeared. There were no new messages. No missed calls… so I quickly tapped in his number and sent a text.
Where are you? I blacked out. Are you ok? Plz call me.
Falling back into my pillows, I waited anxiously, nails digging into my palms. A full thirty minutes passed and he still hadn’t text back. What if they got him? I thought. What if FADE got him? Or the cops? I closed my eyes, unable to bare such ideas. What if they hurt him? Not that much could harm him if he went silver. He would be indestructible.
Then I thought of the first night he told me about the fey, how the Bavellas Court sent spies out to make sure no faeries were running around in plain sight. If they saw him, if they knew what happened today… would they try to kill him?
I couldn’t sit still anymore. Sitting up, I caught a glimpse of the clock. It was five after seven. Changing into soft shorts and an Ed Hardy tee, I grabbed my flip-flops and was out of the house before Dad could blink. Ripping out of the driveway in the Mitsubishi, I saw him slide the curtains aside in the living room. His face was hollow, pale as paper.
But I didn’t have time to worry for dad. He was safe. Not the one in danger.
With minimal speeding, I made it to the apartments. There were no cops around that I could see, no flashing lights or yellow tape. They’d either been here already, or they hadn’t been here at all.
But there was no Silverado here, either, and this really whacked out my nerves.
Parking in my usual spot in the back lot, I jogged for the stairs. My heart hammered against my ribcage, blood racing through my veins. Lea will be here, I thought as I hit the first steps. Or maybe Drake. They’ll tell me where Hayden went.
I stopped on the third floor. My system buzzed, like I had a bad sugar rush. Lifting my hand to the door, I knocked. No answer. I knocked again. “Drake?” I called this time. Maybe they thought I was the cops. “Lea! Are you guys there?”
It was then that I noticed I didn’t hear anyone inside. There were no voices, no echoes of the television, no clanging of alcohol bottles.
A mist clouded my brain, making it hard to think again. “Hayden?” I touched the doorknob. “Hayden, if you’re there I—”
The door pushed open as I leaned against it. Their apartment was… unlocked? Proceeding with caution, I peeked through the crack.
“No!” I raced inside.
The sight was a blow to the head. The apartment was deserted. Everything was gone, like no one had ever lived here, like it was just an empty complex still on the housing market. The furniture, the television, the books on the fireplace, all of it.
Gone.
No, no, no. Entering the kitchen, I looked to see if there were any empty Kahlúa bottles Lea might’ve left behind, but there weren’t. The kitchen was stripped clean for once. I checked cabinets, drawers, even the dishwasher. All pots, pans, and silverware had vanished. I checked the fridge. Not even an empty beer can.
A white mattress and box spring was really all that remained of Drake’s room. A desk and chair sat in one corner, but there was nothing on top or inside it. I checked the bathroom afterwards, and when I found the same results I knew it was time to check the last.
I waited to throw up my heart as I stood in Hayden’s shell of a room. Band posters removed from the walls, CD shelves dissolved. Like Drake, the only evidence that he ever existed here was a mattress.
I sat on the edge of it, trying to catch my breath. We had sat on this mattress not that long ago. Sprawled out side by side, this was where he told me of the faerie portal, where he’d spoken of music and books… where he’d held my hand and kissed my fingers…
I had to get out of here.
My once comforting memories of the boys’ apartment made this place eerie, like the ideal apartment for a ghost town. These were the kinds of things people had nightmares about, the things that made the brokenhearted crazy.
Returning to the night, I closed the front door behind me, vowing to not return until the boys did. As I looked towards the parking lot, however, beyond the brush to the street, I knew…
They weren’t planning on coming back.
I was wiping tears and mascara from my face when my arm hairs pricked. Someone was watching me.
I eyed the sidewalk. There was no one on the street or in the lot this time of evening. No one was coming up the stairs, exiting their car. In fact, the closest person was across the lot on the other side of the main road walking their dog.
Then out of my peripheral vision I realized the door across the hall was cracked open. I shifted my head and let out a tiny scream.
One black eye peered through the door’s gap. “They aren’t coming back, if that’s what you’re wondering.” It was one of the dark faeries from the street, the one who resembled the orcs out of Lord of the Rings, the one who’d teased Hayden.
I flattened against the opposite wall. “What do you want?” I snapped. “And good Lord, how long have you been standing there?”
“I heard you calling for them,” he answered. “They left a couple hours ago.”
“Did… did all three of them leave?”
“Yup.”
I took a breath. My lungs were trying to close up again. “Do you know where they went?”
His eye narrowed. “Is it true that FADE is in the city?”
How does he know that? “Yes. They are.”
He made a growling noise that resembled that of a tiger. “You shouldn’t be here,” he warned. “If FADE knows you’re connected to the fey, they’ll capture or kill you too.”
“Why are you helping me?” I blurted. “Why aren’t you trying to attack me? You don’t even like Hayden.”
He bared his pointed teeth. “I don’t like him. But I wouldn’t dare attack you… you’re under the eye of the Shadow King. Playing with you is practically playing with the Grim Reaper, and I would like to see the next few centuries, thank you.”
Shadow King. My muscles tightened. Oh, crap. “You mean Adrian?”
The faerie flinched. “I wouldn’t take his name so lightly, mortal.”
“Is that who you’re talking about?” I demanded.
“You’d better get out of here.” His black eye flickered to the side. “Without your little boyfriend to protect you, you’re an open target.”
I opened my mouth but the faerie closed the door. The locked clicked on the other side as his words replayed in my head. You’re under the eye of the Shadow King. I trotted down the steps. Shadow King.
I ran to my car, checking numerous times over my shoulder to make sure no new figures were in view or following. The second I was inside I locked the doors and checked the backseat. You always see those movies where the girls don’t check the backseat, and that’s exactly where the bad guy is hiding. Luckily, my backseat was bad guy free.
Pulling out onto the road, I drove slower than usual. My sight kept blurring by the oncoming tears, making it hard to drive and wipe eyes at the same time. At the first
stoplight, I dug my phone out. Once again, my heart tore at the sight of a blank screen. He hadn’t called or text back. So I sent another.
I went to the apartments. You’re gone. I’m scared. If you’re ok, plz text me. I need you.
Ten minutes later, I came up on the turn off that would take me off the highway, lead me to Johnson Avenue. My finger lingered on the handle for my turn signal, but I passed the exit last minute. I didn’t want to go home. It was one of the last places I wanted to be. Changing lanes, I took a different road that departed from mainstream traffic. I drove down a winding street past a tiny park, then into the housing development off seventh.
I pulled into the driveway, thankful to see only the silver Volkswagen. Ripping the keys from the ignition, I crossed the pavement and rang the doorbell, looking towards the sky. I prayed she was home alone.
Footsteps padded along inside. The knob turned and the door opened. “Rose!” Chanel stood in her pajamas and puffy slippers, eyes wide. “Oh my, what happened?”
“Nelly,” I sniffled, my voice all high-pitched. Before I could get another word out, my purse slumped to the ground and I curled my arms around her.
“Oh, Rosie.” She squeezed me as the waterworks spilled over. “What happened?”
“He’s gone, Nelly,” I sobbed into her shoulder. “He’s gone and it’s all my fault.”
“Ok, ok.” One arm still around me, she bent to pick up my purse. “Come on. Let’s get you some pajamas and a pint of ice cream. No, wait… better make that a tub of ice cream.”
22) Heartache
“S
o he just… disappeared?” Chanel laid against her bed pillows in awe. I sat beside her, shoveling a huge gob of brownie ice cream into my mouth. “Yeah. The whole place is empty.”
“Wow.” She stared at the plasma screen TV, but wasn’t really watching. “I just… I can’t believe he threw Derek through the window. Do you know how much strength it would take for that?”
I licked my spoon. Not if your skin’s made of silver. “I guess.”
“He wouldn’t just take off for good. I mean, I bet if he’s hiding from the cops, he didn’t purposely mean to leave you behind.”
I shrugged, afraid to open my mouth and endure another sob-attack. He seemed permanently gone to me, though more than anything I wanted to believe in her words, believe he was coming back even once.
“He really likes you.” Chanel stretched across the velvet comforter, smiling. “That day he showed up with the roses, I knew he was there to pick you up. No guy ever did that for me.”
“There’ll be one someday, Nelly,” I sighed. It was sort of petty, but I was not in the mood to talk about her issues… or sweet gestures like being brought roses.
“I don’t know. I keep choosing the crappy ones. I wish I had your brains.” She smirked before adding, “And that I had someone gorgeous like Hayden coming after me. Ack, I’m so jealous.”
“Don’t be jealous.” I set my empty bowl on the bedside table next to my pile of tear-soaked tissues, thinking of my divorced parents, of my deceased sister. “Jealousy is a waste of time and energy and it only makes us feel bad about ourselves.”
She nodded, picking at her eyelashes. Flakes of mascara came off on her fingertips. “I know this is an awful time to bring this up… but when is your mom’s wedding?”
“Aw, shit,” I cursed, smacking my forehead. “It’s Friday. Damn, I haven’t even done the pre-excuse stuff yet.” I growled loudly. “Ugh! Why? Why do humans have to suffer so much agony to be alive?!”
“The fates like challenging us.” She giggled. “And some challenges are harder than others, but just remember: the greater challenge, the greater reward.”
I flopped face-first into one of her pillows. “Is not fair,” I whined.
Her fingers stroked my hair. “Hang in there, Rosie,” she whispered. “Maybe you’ll see him again. He didn’t stay away from you last time.”
I lifted one eye from the pillow. “Nelly?”
“What, honey?”
“… I think I love him.”
She stopped petting me and sat back. For a second her face was blank, like I was talking gibberish, then suddenly her lips pulled up into a Cheshire cat grin. “Really?”
I nodded. “My heart feels like it’s gonna blow a fuse every time I see him. He always makes me smile. I dream of him a lot, both during the day and while I’m asleep. I hate being away from his side… I’ve never felt like this before.”
Chanel covered her mouth, giggling hysterically. “Oh my gosh! You are in love with him!” She started singing, “Rosie and Hayden, sitting in a tree, K-I-SS—”
“Stop it,” I moaned, hitting her with a throw pillow. There was a hole in one side where feathers spewed out, twirling in the air. “I don’t want to hear you talk about kissing. I should be kissing him! Right now! My plans to make us official were completely ruined.”
“Ohhh.” She stopped bouncing around, eyes wide. “Oh crap, I forgot about that! You said something about that at lunch.”
“Yeah.” I rolled onto my back and threw a glance at my purse propped against her purple closet door. “You want to do me a favor?”
“More ice cream?”
“No—… Ok, yeah, but will you go over there and… check my cell?” The sentence was almost physically painful to say. Part of me was dying to check it again, part of me said throw it out the window so I’d stop thinking about it.
“Oh. Yeah, sure.” Chanel threw her legs to the floor and shuffled over.
I dropped my arm over my face, waiting. There was nothing waiting for me on that phone, I knew, yet I still held my breath as Chanel flipped it open. Her acrylic nails tapped a button.
“Your dad called,” she reported blandly. “But no Hayden. I’m sorry, Rose.”
My adrenaline surged. I let the dark thoughts creep in. “You don’t think they got him, do you? You don’t think he’s sitting in jail right now.”
She crinkled her nose. “Nah. I bet he’s fine. Hayden’s a tough kid.” She jumped belly-first onto the mattress. “If they’re all gone from the apartment, chances are they all escaped together.”
The dark faerie who’d been spying on me came to mind. Yup, he’d said when I asked about the boys leaving. If he’d told the truth, then Chanel was right: it was their plan to leave LA all at one time. “Can I check my Myspace?” I turned towards the computer, itching to move all of a sudden.
“You know you don’t have to ask me.” She was back on her feet, grabbing my bowl. “I’m going to go refill on the brownie thunder. By the way? We’re going to be so fat after this.” She laughed.
Slugging off the bed, I went to the desk between the windows. As the internet opened up, I became aware of the fragment of hope lingering in my head. Maybe they left me some kind of note. There were so many people on things like Twitter, Facebook, Myspace. Plus, Hayden had a pretty common name. There were a lot of O’Conners and Haydens out there… It would be hard for someone who was hunting them to find them online. It was the only place they could really slip me a clue.
My pulse quickened as I signed in. My arms turned to lead as I saw there were new messages waiting. “Don’t get excited.” I shut my eyes. “Don’t get excited, Rose. It’s not from him. It’s not from him.” I opened one eye, clicking the link.
Defeat flooded my system. New message from Cheyenne. “Oh boy, Rose,” I groaned, pushing my hair back. There was a new message from mom, too. I would get to that later. New message from Ashley. She could wait. It probably wasn’t important. New message from—
I gasped, nearly jumping off my chair.
New message from King of Kahlúa!
“Ohhh—Chanel!”
“What?!” She came stumbling into the room, two bowls of fresh ice cream in her hands, a spoon hanging from her mouth.
“I—yeeee—” I couldn’t speak. I jabbed a twitching finger at the screen.
“Crap and crimany.” She dropped the bowls on her be
dside table, sprinting across the leopard rug. She removed the spoon from her mouth and stuck her head over my shoulder. “Who’s that? That’s not—”
“It’s Hayden’s roommate!”
“O-M-G! Well, what are you waiting for? Open it!”
I grabbed the mouse, but found my finger wouldn’t press down. I jerked my hand away. “No, I can’t!”
“What? Why not?!”
“What if it’s bad news?”
“Oh for—let me do it!”
“No!” I snatched her hand as she reached for the mouse. “Maybe I don’t want to know!”
“Jeez, Rose, what are you saying?” She pulled against my grip, index finger aimed at the left clicker. “Get a grip this is Hayden we’re talking about! You could find out what happened after he escaped the high school!”
“But what if—” My hold slipped. Her finger jammed the button so fast her joints popped. With a squeak, I slammed my hands over my face as the message appeared. “I can’t look! You read it first!”
She was quiet, muttering as she read. “Oh. Don’t worry,” she said dryly. “It’s not that informative.”
I peeked through my fingers. White dominated the message screen, a tiny note scribbled in the box.
Rose,
Leaving LA. Update when can.
L
My jaw dropped the same time my hands fell to my lap. “What kind of message is that?”
“It’s not. It’s a lame excuse for one.” Chanel sounded just as offended.
“He didn’t even specify whether or not Hayden’s ok! He didn’t even tell me what they were planning or if he was coming back to see me!” I yanked on my hair until I had a headache. How could they do this to me?! “Grrr! Get me off of here. Sign me out!”
She logged me out. “Clear.”
“Ugh!” I left the chair, stomping to my waiting bowl. Picking it up, I dropped to the bed and started downloading brownie and chocolate chips into my system all over again. “I hate this! I hate Lea right now! He couldn’t have been a little more specific? Would it have killed him to at least tell me whether or not Hayden was with them?!”
A Taste of Silver Page 28