Between Lies

by Alison L. Perry

  I leaned against the lockers as Cam dug around for his books. I was giving our presentation today and was nervous. I’d never given an oral report before and I wasn’t sure what to expect. But most of the kids in that class were nice. At least I didn’t have to worry about any of the mean girl squad making comments throughout.

  The first bell rang and we started for class, walking closely beside each other. His hand brushed my wrist and his long fingers intertwined with mine. My breath caught but I didn’t pull away. Holding hands seemed natural and I smiled stupidly. We breezed into the classroom right before Mrs. Moody closed the door and reluctantly let go of each other. I was giddy and suddenly the presentation didn’t worry me anymore. He’d managed to relax me. Distract me. I loved him for it.

  Thirty minutes later I was done. It went well and Mrs. Moody complimented us on our thoroughness. With a huge wave of relief that it was over, I hoped I wouldn’t have to do that again anytime soon. When class was dismissed, Cam reached out a hand and squeezed me.

  “I’m proud of you,” he whispered, his voice doing that melted chocolaty thing again.

  I glowed. “Thank you, but you did most of the work.”

  “That’s why we make a good team.” He grinned at me and I smiled back. “See you at lunch?”

  “Definitely.”

  We parted ways and I headed to the next hour of hell with Angie and Becca. Ever since the day we dissected the frogs, Trina had separated herself from them. She now hung out with a group of girls who were pretty quiet but nice. She had never seemed that comfortable to me when she was with Angie. Now, she looked like she had friends who made her feel good. Knowing how that felt, I was happy for her.

  The rest of the day was quiet. Neither of my archnemeses were a bother, which was a tiny bit disconcerting. It made me wonder if they were up to something, but it wasn’t like I could ask them. I tried not to worry about it. There wasn’t much I could do to prepare for something I had no idea about.

  When the final bell rang, I grabbed my bag and hurried to the parking lot where Cam was waiting for me. Since Bessie, aka “The Deathmobile” as Molly now called it, was out of commission, he’d been driving me to and from school. My dad had insisted on meeting him the first time he came by the house, and despite being nervous about it, things had gone well. Not that I had much experience to compare it to since he’d never known about Kade. But they’d shook hands and Dad kept the embarrassing questions to a minimum. I was pretty pleased about the whole thing.

  “You ready?” He was leaning against his bike, his tall frame outlined by the blue sky behind him. The extreme Texas heat had finally dissipated and the air now held an autumn crispness. It was that time of year when the afternoons grew shorter, so as school let out, the sun was already starting to dim a bit. He was wearing his leather jacket, the hood from his gray sweatshirt hanging out of the collar. He looked so good that for a moment, I couldn’t speak. He watched me as I walked toward him, a knowing grin on his face. Butterflies, the good kind, swarmed in my stomach. How had this happened to me again?

  Just as I reached him, a familiar black Mercedes pulled up and parked behind Cam’s motorcycle. The driver door opened and blond hair flashed in the setting sunlight.

  No!

  Kade strolled around his car, coming to a stop in front of us. Dressed in black slacks with a gray-and-black sweater, he looked older, and I hated to admit it, intimidating. His eyes were shaded by dark-lensed sunglasses, but I knew better than anyone that he was glaring at Cam. I glanced around wildly, desperate to escape, but Cam was already locking in on him.

  Straightening up, he inched closer to me. “Yo, you’re blocking me in. Mind moving?”

  Kade stared straight at him but addressed me instead. “Sadie, I need to talk with you.”

  Now Cam was looking at me. “You know this guy?”

  I ignored the question. “I don’t have time to talk right now.”

  “Make time.”

  Cam stiffened. “The lady says she doesn’t have time.”

  “I don’t care what she said. I need to talk with her.” His tone was ice cold. I, on the other hand, was hot with fury.

  “Kade, go away. We’ll talk later. I’m leaving.”

  “You’re not going anywhere.” And Kade took a step in my direction.

  Everything happened at once. Cam stepped in front of me right as Kade took another step and grabbed for my arm. I jerked away and Cam, his face now red with rage, threw a punch, landing directly on Kade’s jaw. I heard bones crunch as his fist connected. Kade didn’t even flinch, but Cam went down, cradling his fingers with his other hand. I screamed and launched myself at the boy I’d once thought was so perfect. Furious, I used all my newfound strength and hit him with everything I had. He gasped and staggered backward a step, either from pain or surprise, but I didn’t stop. I went at him again, fists flying, all my pent-up frustration, fear, and rage unleashed in a blinding frenzy.

  I heard Cam yell and turned to see him back on his feet, pulling me toward him with his good hand while using his feet to kick Kade’s out from under him. I guess Kade wasn’t expecting it because he went down, landing unceremoniously on the gravelly concrete. He popped back up, his fists balled, when a loud whistle zipped through the air.

  “Hey!” Ms. Kimberly jogged toward us with her silver whistle swinging from the lanyard around her neck. “Break it up. What is wrong with you two?”

  Kade smoothed out his clothing, arranging his face in a pleasant expression. “My apologies, ma’am. It was just a little misunderstanding.” He aimed a dazzling smile at her and she visibly softened and smiled back. I rolled my eyes at his obvious Persuasion and thought briefly about going at him again.

  “Oh, well, I know how those things can happen. But you should leave.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He gave her another smile and she simpered at him. Turning to Cam, he whispered softly. “You got lucky, friend. You’re going to need to take care of that hand.”

  “Yeah, whatever, pal.”

  Kade looked at me as he jingled his keys in his hand. “I’ll catch up with you later.” I didn’t like his tone, but he didn’t wait around for an answer. Getting into his car, the engine purred to life and he was gone.

  Ms. Kimberly shot both of us a warning look but went back inside without handing out any punishment. Cam was still holding his hand gingerly and I reached out to touch it.

  “Are you okay?”

  He grunted but didn’t answer my question. “I’m going to assume that was the boyfriend that’s complicating things.” I hated the way he said it.

  “Yeah.”

  “Great guy.”

  “At one time I thought he was. I’m learning a lot of new stuff about him, though. I’m sorry he showed up here. I’m sorry you got hurt.”

  “Eh, it’s only a hand. I got another one.”

  I sighed at the typical boy answer. “Well, let me take you to the doctor. You’re probably gonna need to get that set. I think you broke it.”

  “Nah. I’ll take you home first. I can handle this.” Helplessness bloomed inside as it became clear he wasn’t going to let me help. But then he looked into my eyes with such concern. Touching my cheek softly, he asked, “Are you okay? I just about lost it when he made a move toward you.”

  I melted. He’d defended me against a vampire, even though he didn’t know it. My mind churned over the fact he never even hesitated. He simply saw me in potential danger and acted. “I’m okay.”

  He chuckled. “You have some pretty sweet moves. For a girl.”

  He was teasing me. I rolled my eyes and lightly punched him in the arm. “Shut up.” But I couldn’t help laughing.

  “C’mon, let me get you home.”

  “Are you okay to drive this thing? With one hand?”

  “Yeah. Believe it or not, I’m more capable than I look.” He tapped me on the nose and motioned for me to get on. I did as I was told, gripping him tightly, in part due to fear of the bike but
also to keep him close.

  Chapter Sixteen

  It was Thursday evening, the day before Homecoming. Harper was at my house, doing a practice run of my makeup.

  “I think we need to do a smoky eye look with a nude lip. It’ll make everything pop against the pink of your dress.”

  “Uh, are you forgetting that I’m going to be wearing a horribly large mum in clashing colors? Nobody is going to even notice the dress. Which sucks because it actually turned out beautiful.”

  “They’ll notice it at the dance. You can’t dance in the mums. Most people take them off for that.”

  “Dance?” My mouth fell open.

  She took a step back and stared at me. “You didn’t know there was a dance?”

  “I mean, I knew, but I kind of forgot.” I stared at her miserably. “I hope Cam knows about it. I hope Cam can dance. I hope I can dance!”

  “You may not have to worry about the dancing part. You know, with his hand…”

  I closed my eyes and sighed. He’d called me the night of the fight after he’d gotten home from the emergency room. His mom had flipped and rushed him up there instead of taking him to their normal doctor. He’d broken three fingers. It could have been much worse, and I was grateful it wasn’t, but I still hated that he’d gotten hurt fighting because of me. And with Kade of all people. He could have been killed if Kade hadn’t been holding back.

  “Yeah, you’re right. It might not even be an issue.”

  “So, have you talked to Kade since he showed up like that?”

  “No. I’ve avoided him. He even showed up here, but since I’m grounded and Dad didn’t know him, he wouldn’t let him in. Thank God. I never thought I’d say that about a grounding.”

  “I guess it does have its silver linings.” I still had my eyes closed since she was busy rubbing creams and brushing shadows all over my lids. A noise caught my attention and I heard Harper stifle a scream.

  “What?” I asked, looking toward the window where the noise had come from. I blinked rapidly, not sure if what I was seeing was real or not.

  There stood Pen. She was dressed in her normal clothes, but it was torn and dirty, hanging in tatters on her tiny body. Instead of her severe bun, her hair floated wildly around her head, bits of grass and twigs stuck in it. There was what looked like dried blood on her hands and, oddly enough, on her bare feet. She looked as if she’d been through a battle. All except her face. Instead of panic or anger or anything, she appeared as calm as always.

  “Pen? What happened to you? Are you okay?”

  “Yes, child, I’m fine.”

  “But you look…” I stopped, suddenly aware of how rude I was being. “I mean, you look like you’ve been in a struggle.”

  “That is because I was. We can talk about that in a bit. Who is your friend?”

  “Oh my gosh!” Embarrassed at my lack of manners, I rushed to make up for it. “Pen, this is my friend, Harper.” I looked at her still-shocked expression and narrowed my eyes a tiny bit in admonishment. Stop staring! “Harper, this is Pen.”

  She shook herself slightly. “I’m pleased to meet you, ma’am.”

  “Just call me Pen, dear. It’s pleasant to meet you, as well.”

  Though she looked like she was in control, I was scared she was going to collapse. “Please, sit down. Can I get you something to drink or… eat?”

  “I do not require anything. But I will sit down, although I cannot stay long. There is much to do and we are running out of time.”

  “Running out of time? For what? Did you get my text?”

  “That is why I am here. It is time to tell you everything I know. And then we must speak to your father.”

  Wait, what? Why would she need to talk to my dad? Confusion swirled through me, but out of respect, I waited for her to go on. Harper and I shared a look and settled on the floor to listen.

  “I assume Harper here is the young lady you mentioned?” I nodded and Pen made a noise at the back of her throat. She examined Harper, taking her time as she looked her up and down and peered into her eyes with a serious expression.

  Before she could get too far into it, I wanted to tell her about the more recent events. I started in. “Pen, there’s something else. Kade… he’s, well he confessed he had dishonest intentions when we met and—”

  “Yes, Sadie, I’m aware of what has transpired. It is time for you to listen now.”

  I lapsed back into silence and waited for her to begin.

  “I had intended to tell you this much sooner, but I’m afraid my family and the other Firsts didn’t agree with my opinions. They ambushed me and have been holding me against my will in my own home.” A hint of bitterness slipped into her voice. “I was only able to escape today, and I am certain it will not take them long to locate me again. So, I must speak quickly.” She sat down and took a few minutes to collect her thoughts. When she began speaking again, she was somber.

  “Many, many years ago, The Nursery started a program without the Firsts’ knowledge or consent. I spoke to you one time about certain factions of the vampire species who are not satisfied with the way we are made. They have sought ways to eliminate all of our weaknesses. Not everyone at The Nursery was aware of this program. But, Sadie, your father was.”

  I reeled back as if I’d been slapped. My father? What does she mean? I opened my mouth to ask, but she held a hand up to silence me. “Let me explain. This program identified a random selection of children to be used in the experiments. This identification process was performed before the vampire families were brought in to choose their new family members. Sadie, your father was a hematologist. He was one of the primary scientists involved with creating a genetically engineered vampire serum made from the blood of two humans who had been identified as superior in appearance, intellect, and physical fitness and the blood of our most advanced vampires. The serum was combined with the blood of the vampire parents and injected into the child. It was hoped the child would then be transformed into a kind of super vampire with only the strengths of both species. However, the process always failed, with surprising and unique outcomes every time. No two children ever seemed to react the same. It was because of this your father was eventually removed from the program and brainwashed to believe the experiments had ceased, although they did not.”

  I was trying to follow what she was saying, but I was still hung up on the fact my father had been involved with this. I looked at Harper, but she was glued to Pen’s face, avidly listening. I tried to do the same, but betrayal was cutting deep into my soul.

  “Sadie, when your parents came in looking to grow their family, you and Harper were both chosen to be injected with the Criswel bloodline and the serum, but without their knowledge. And Harper, they did not, in fact, ever choose you. It was imperative to the program that they never know their blood was used on two children instead of one.” I saw hurt flash across her face, and I reached out to take her hand, squeezing it hard. Pen continued. “After the procedure, you were kept in observation. As it had with all the previous test subjects, it did not work as designed. Sadie, your body rejected the physical traits of your parents, instead taking on more of the resemblance of the human donors. But parts of the vampire blood did take. You got the fangs, sight, and hearing. Enough for you to reasonably pass as a vampire.” Pen reached out to stroke Harper’s dark hair. “You, my child, did take on the Criswel appearance but were far weaker in the vampire traits than Sadie. Therefore, the decision was made to send Sadie on with her parents, and you were returned to the CPS system to await human adoption.” She sat back on the bed. “So, you see. You girls are, in essence, two halves of a whole.”

  I had so many questions, but the first one was the most important to me. “So, my dad didn’t know I was part of this program?”

  “No, he did not. Although, I would think after seeing you reject blood over and over again, he would have suspected. The fact he has not mentioned it to you as a possibility is something I cannot answer.”<
br />
  Harper finally found her voice. “I do have vampire traits, though. I’ve been weakened by the sun and early in my childhood, I discovered that I loved the taste of blood. I just had no way of actually biting anyone. I mean, I’m glad for that,” she hastily added.

  I looked at her, silently asking if we should admit the most recent developments to Pen. She gave a slight nod.

  “Pen, there’s something we should tell you. It seems ever since we’ve become friends, both of our vampire characteristics have become stronger. We were in a car crash a few weeks ago. It was horrible, and I think it was on purpose. But when I had to give Harper blood, I couldn’t get enough of the taste. And she actually popped fangs. Right in front of me. My strength has grown and she is hardly affected by the sun anymore.”

  Pen seemed to think about this, but instead of asking for more details, went another way with her next question. “You say the crash was on purpose?”

  “Yes, we were hit by two cars. And when I came to, they were gone.”

  She nodded solemnly. “Then my information is correct. This is what my family and I disagree on.”

  “What?” Harper and I asked in unison.

  “We have only recently become aware of the program, and the other Firsts have deemed it necessary to shut it down permanently and exterminate all surviving test subjects.” Silence filled the room, the only sound the ticking of my clock.

  “You mean, someone really is trying to kill us?” My voice sounded like a squeaking mouse and the room suddenly felt stifling. My heartbeat pounded a cruel tick-tock in my ears, the sound of a timer counting down to zero. I struggled to breathe, to keep my composure. There wasn’t time to freak out.

  “I’m afraid so. That is why I’ve come to you. Your father is the only one I know of who might still have a list of all the previous subjects and be willing to give it up. I want to warn them, with your help, of the danger they are in. I first approached Isobel Stratha, but she refused to assist me.”