Caught in Between

by Alison L. Perry

  “Would you please watch where you’re going! If I didn’t know better, Sadie Anne, I’d swear you were drunk.”

  “Sorry, sorry. I just lost my balance a little.” I strained my eyes to catch a glimpse of Pen and sighed. If it had been her, she was gone again.

  Chapter 18 - Vampire Drama

  When we got home, I carted the shopping bags to my room and dumped them in the corner. I was not thrilled with the idea of wearing a ski jacket to school, but I was also pretty dry on any other ideas to block the sun. I threw myself on the bed and checked my phone. Surprisingly, I didn’t have any missed texts or calls from Kade. His weird behavior lately niggled at the back of my mind. Something was definitely off. I just didn’t know what.

  Deciding to send him a text, I carefully worded it so it didn’t sound like I was being clingy, which was hard considering I needed to talk with him as soon as possible. Since his family was such good friends with the Sergios, I wondered if he knew that one of the other First Families lived in Jefferson. I was eager to tell him about my encounter with Pen and pick his brain about what she had been hinting at. As I waited for his response, I flitted aimlessly around my room, impatience clouding my thoughts. A knock on my door startled me. Before I could say anything, it opened and Nathan took a few steps into my room.

  “Hey, sis. I heard the big news.” He stood there with his hands in his back pockets, rocking back and forth on his heels.

  “Nate, hi. Yeah, I convinced Mom and Dad to let me give it a shot.”

  “Are you sure that’s such a great idea?”

  I sighed before I could stop myself. I was sick of having this conversation. “Yes! I’ve talked it over extensively with Mom and Dad. They’ve pointed out all the terrible things that can happen, but I’m still going to do it, okay?”

  He extended his hands, in the “stop” position. “Hey, okay. No need to get so defensive. As your loving brother, I just wanted to make sure, you know, that you had all the bases covered.”

  I heaved out a breath. “Sorry. Yeah, I guess so. Mom took me shopping earlier to buy me a ski coat, so the sun won’t hurt me. A ski coat, Nathan. Like that’s not going to make me stand out at all.” I shook my head. Nathan looked like he was trying hard not to laugh. “The only other thing I can think of that I still need is transportation. I have no idea how I’m going to get back and forth.”

  “I think Dad may have you covered on that one. I heard him talking to Mom the other day. They were discussing cars, and I heard them mention your name. But you didn’t hear it from me.”

  My heart leaped. My own car! I hadn’t let myself dream about it because I had been positive my parents would say no. But maybe they’d changed their minds. The mere thought of it filled me with excitement. I would be free if I had my own set of wheels.

  “Yeah, sure. My lips are sealed. They’ll never know. But, oh my God!” I squealed and jumped up and down a little. Nathan’s eyes narrowed.

  “Just don’t do that before they tell you.”

  I settled down and gave him a solemn look, but before I could say anything else, my phone rang. I scooped it up and saw Kade’s name.

  “Okay, okay. Got it. Act normal.” I pushed him toward the door. “Now shoo!”

  He gave me a weird look before I shut the door in his face, but I didn’t care. I counted to five, willing myself to sound calm before I answered the phone.

  “Hi, Kade.”

  “Hey. I got your message. Everything okay?” As had been the norm lately, he was straight to the point. The now-familiar panic tried to well up and suffocate me, but I fought it back.

  “Um, yeah. Everything is cool. My mom took me shopping today to get some stuff I’ll need for school.” I paused, waiting for some kind of acknowledgment from him, but none came. Something sparked inside me and I gripped the phone before continuing. “Anyway, while Mom was occupied, I had an interesting encounter. Well, also slightly terrifying.” When he still didn’t say anything, the spark ignited into flames. “Are you even listening? What is going on with you?” Without meaning to, I was shouting into the phone, all the pent-up anxiety about his aloofness spilling out.

  “What do you mean?” I heard the lie in his voice and it made me even madder.

  “Don’t you do that to me, Kade. Don’t you dare. You’ve been acting differently ever since the night in your car when I told you about my plan for Jefferson High. You’ve been more distant, almost as if you don’t care about me anymore. So, don’t try to deny it. That would be insulting.”

  “Sadie, can we please not discuss this now? I only have a few minutes to talk. What happened when you were shopping?”

  I almost hung up on him. He was brushing me off and my pride was urging me to show him I wasn’t going to take it. Except I was desperate to tell somebody about my weird conversation with Pen. I waged a mental battle with myself. My desire for answers about the Firsts won.

  “Fine, I’ll let it go for this conversation. But, we’re going to get to it. Soon.”

  “That’s fine. Now, what happened?”

  Relieved to be finally talking about it, I told him about Pen appearing next to me and recognizing her as a First.

  “You’re saying a member of one of the First Families sat with you in the mall?” He sounded incredulous.

  “Not only that, Kade, but she knew my name. And she went on to start telling me about this group of vampires who aren’t satisfied with the way we’re built and think they can improve us. Like, all vampires. Change us.” I paused to let the significance of that sink in.

  But he refused to react the way I wanted him to. In a neutral tone, he asked, “Did she say anything else?”

  My stomach roiled and I could see the beginning of vein shadows slither across the skin on my arms. Why was he treating this like it was nothing? What had happened to the attentive boy I’d fallen for? The shadows grew darker.

  “You know what? Never mind. It was just a crazy conversation with an old lady. I don’t know why I’m making such a big deal out of it. Look, I hear my mom calling. I’ll talk to you later.” Without waiting for a response, I hung up the phone and threw it across the room. It smacked the wall, leaving a chip in the paint and falling somewhere in the pile of shopping bags I’d left on the floor. Before I could stop them, tears leaked out of my eyes. Kade’s sudden change bewildered me, but I had no idea what to do about it. The only person who knew anything about our relationship was Molly, and I’d be damned if I’d call her. I flung myself across the bed and stared at the ceiling, replaying my conversation with Pen in my head.

  Questions raced through my mind, but there was one thing I was certain about. She had specifically sought me out. There was no doubt she’d been trying to tell me something, and I wondered if she would have finished if my mom hadn’t interrupted us.

  I tried not to care. In a few days, I’d be moving on, living differently. I wanted to embrace human life as much as possible, and part of being successful at it was to distance myself from the vampire drama unfolding around me.

  Pushing Pen, Kade, and Molly from my mind, I took inventory of my closet. Soon, I was busy separating pants and shirts and organizing them so I could easily match outfits. I was about to flip my days and nights, which meant I’d probably have a rough few weeks while I adjusted. Deciding to take all possible precautions, I added shoes into the mix, making sure everything matched and would be easy and quick to find in the mornings. I lost all track of time, happy and content, excitement bubbling through me.

  My thoughts were focused on the future and it felt good.

  Chapter 19 - The Champ

  I was helping Mom fix dinner the next day when Dad came home from work a little earlier than usual. Hope and excitement made my hands shake a little, and I promptly cut my finger with the knife I was using to chop onion.

  “Ow!”

  “What did you do?” Mom asked, glancing over at me. When she saw the streak of red on my finger, she rolled her eyes. “Don’t just stand th
ere. Go run it under some warm water and put a Band-Aid on it. I think there are some in the first aid kit in the junk drawer.”

  I was still in a good mood from yesterday’s closet project and the hope of a new car, so I didn’t take offense at her condescending tone. In fact, I was so amped up, the fact we had a first aid kit on hand in our house hit me as amusing. I started giggling to myself, which prompted another weird look from my mom.

  “What has gotten into you? You’re certainly in a more chipper mood than we’re used to seeing.”

  “I guess I’m just excited about this new adventure. I have hope, Mom. Shouldn’t I be happy about that?”

  She smiled a real smile. “Of course, honey. You absolutely should.” I beamed back at her.

  Dad walked in and saw the smiles. “Well, well. I’m one lucky guy to walk in and see two beautiful ladies looking happy.” Mom flashed him a grin and I flushed at the praise.

  “What’s for dinner?” he asked.

  “Liver and onions,” Mom replied. I gagged a little. As far as people food goes, I was all in. But there were some things even I couldn’t choke down, and liver and onions was one of them.

  “Well, if it’s still going to be awhile before it’s ready, maybe I could steal Sadie away for a bit?” He gave Mom a meaningful look.

  “Dinner will take about another couple of hours, so you have plenty of time.” She returned his look and I took everything in. Excitement fizzed within me, but I tried to keep my expression neutral. Nathan would kill me if I gave away what he’d already told me.

  “Alrighty, then. Sadie? Want to come for a quick drive with me?”

  “Sure, Dad. Let me just get my shoes on.”

  I ran upstairs and threw on the first pair of shoes I saw. Grabbing my purse from the dresser, I raced back downstairs and came to a skidding halt in front of my dad. I was out of breath and nervous he’d figure out what I knew.

  “Sorry”—I gulped a breath—“for that. I stubbed my toe on the stairs and it really hurt.” I peeked at him from the corner of my eye to see if he bought it.

  He was shaking his head but with a smile on his face. “C’mon, let’s go. We don’t want to miss Mom’s liver and onions by getting back too late.”

  Yeah, that’s what I’m really concerned about.

  We walked out the kitchen door and crossed the backyard to the driveway. I’d always coveted my dad’s car. It was an Audi TT, shiny black and all style. I shivered in anticipation of what I was getting. I couldn’t wait.

  We drove to the same part of town that Mom and I had just been to for the ski coat search. But instead of pulling into the parking lot for the underground mall, we drove past it. I rarely visited the outskirts of town, so we were in unfamiliar territory for me. But I wasn’t worried. There were too many happy butterflies in my stomach for that.

  Just when I thought we were actually leaving the city limits, a long, low building came into view. It was nondescript with no doors or windows that I could see. Dad turned in and drove to the far north end. Here, there was what looked to be the main entrance into an office of sorts. The walls were glass and I could see the name of the company hanging on the wall over the front counter. Ottavio Enterprises. The name rang a bell. It was also the name of the bank Kade’s dad worked for.

  Dad parked and shut off the engine. “Let’s go. They’re waiting for us.”

  I climbed out and followed him inside. The smell of engine oil and metal blasted my nose as soon as the door opened. Reassured that I was honest to goodness getting a car, I tried to keep still and look faintly curious. But all I wanted to do was jump up and down while screaming my lungs out.

  A perky blond woman sat behind the counter, typing something on her keyboard with the sharp clicking of nails. She glanced up as we entered and flashed a blinding smile.

  “Good evening! Welcome to Ottavio Enterprises. I’ll be with you in just a moment.”

  I looked around the little room as we waited. It was on the shabby side, in various shades of dirty beige. Since I didn’t know how long we would have to wait, I started to sit down but decided against it when I noticed an assortment of stains dotting the fabric chairs. Ew.

  I continued looking around, taking in the bleak stack of magazines and a couple of plants that looked like they hadn’t been watered in months. Pictures of old cars hung on the walls; some of the snapshots were crooked and nearly all needed a good dusting.

  The more I thought about it, the more one particular thing stood out at me: the chic woman still typing on her computer did not fit in this office. But before I could pursue that thought, she looked up and made eye contact with my dad.

  “I’m so sorry for the delay. I was putting out a fire and it couldn’t wait. My name is Cheryl, and I’m the front office manager. Now, how may I help you?”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Cheryl. We’re here to see Ethan Russell. He’s expecting me.”

  She consulted her computer once more. “Ah, Mr. Criswel?”

  “Yes,” Dad replied.

  “Excellent. He’s in his office. Let me show you the way.” She pushed back from her desk and came around the counter. I gasped slightly when I saw she was in a wheelchair. Hoping she didn’t hear me, I covered my mouth and turned it into a cough.

  “May I get either of you something to drink? Water? Tea? A touch of blood, perhaps?”

  This time I really did cough. Dad glanced at me and turned back to the woman. “No, thank you. We’re fine.”

  “Very well. Follow me, please.” She pushed a button on the arm of her chair and glided toward a heavy oak door at the back of the room. She pushed another button, this time on a small panel attached to the door, and it swung inward.

  “Mr. Russell, Mr. Criswel and his daughter are here to see you.”

  His daughter? How did she know who I was?

  Deciding maybe I was letting the paranoia get to me, I tried to consciously force myself to relax. Between the anticipation of getting a car and the weirdness of the building, my nerves were stretching thin.

  A booming voice drifted out to us. “Michael! Get in here! Good to see you, good to see you.”

  I followed my dad through the door and gasped again. Standing in the middle of the room was the tallest man I’d ever seen. He must have been at least seven foot, if not more. My first thought was curiosity: how come he wasn’t bumping his head on the ceiling? But when I looked closer, I saw that the ceilings were higher in here. The dark wood-paneled walls and scrubby-looking brown carpet made the room seem smaller than it was.

  He and my dad shook hands and shared a few slaps on the back. I stood there, unsure what to do while they had their reunion. Finally, after the normal “how you beens” and “you’re looking goods,” the giant turned to me.

  “And you must be Sadie.” His eyes twinkled, but despite the kindness in his voice, I suddenly got a strange vibe.

  “Um, yes sir. I’m Sadie.”

  He laughed and the suddenness of it startled me. I jumped, turning anxious eyes at Dad. He laid a hand on my shoulder and I could feel my muscles relax a bit. I was safe. He was here.

  “Well, Michael, I’m sure you want to get on with this, huh? Getting on toward suppertime.”

  Dad nodded. “Sure would, Ethan.”

  Mr. Russell addressed the woman. “Cheryl, I’m going to take them on back. It’s been a long day. If you’re finished with cleaning up that little mess from earlier, why don’t you head home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  I’d forgotten she was even there, and when I noticed her again, the odd combination of her size and his together in the same room made me want to giggle. But being the polite Southerner I was raised to be, I held it back.

  “Yes, sir,” she replied. “It’s been taken care of. Good night. Mr. Criswel, Sadie, it was a pleasure meeting you.” The door closed behind her with a quiet click.

  Wait a minute, she knows my name, too? What, was I in some kind of undead yellowpages? How did everyone know who I was? Be
tter question, why did everyone know who I was?

  “All right, guys, follow me.” He opened a door I hadn’t noticed along the back wall behind his desk. We followed him through it and down a long hallway. I noticed out here, he had to keep his head ducked slightly. He walked quickly. I heard clanging and the sounds of heavy machinery behind the walls on each side of us.

  At the end of the hallway, we pushed through a glass door and out into what looked sort of like an airplane hangar. Except instead of airplanes, it was cars. They were lined up in rows, shiny and new, and excitement surged through me. A bright cherry-red convertible beckoned to me, and my fingers itched to run across the perfect paint.

  “Wow,” I said, awe dripping from my voice.

  “What do you think, Sadie?” Mr. Russell asked. “Quite the setup, huh?”

  Still mesmerized by the shininess staring at me, all I could muster was a nod and a breathy, “yes.”

  He laughed, looking delighted at my response. “Well, come this way. It’s right over here.”

  We continued walking down the line of cars, but as we neared the end of it, I began to get confused. We hadn’t stopped to look at any of them.

  Maybe Dad’s just picked it out already.

  With that thought bolstering me, we turned a corner and came to a stop.

  “Here it is!” Mr. Russell looked at Dad, and Dad turned to look at me with a huge smile on his face.

  “Well, Sadie, your mother and I wanted to help make this transition easier, so here you go! I’ve been holding on to this surprise all week. What do you think?”

  I blinked. All I saw was a faded orange-red junker sitting near the hangar doors.

  “What do I think about what?”

  “Your car! We knew you’d need a way to get back and forth from school, so now you have your own set of wheels.”

  I stared at it, while my head tried to catch up to his words. “My car,” I murmured. “This is my car?”

  Dad finally started to pick up on my lack of enthusiasm. “You don’t like it?”