Chapter 20

Chapter 20: The way it’s going to be

 

 

 

When I got to James house I parked my bike in full view, so that he would know that I was there.  I opened the door and sat at the kitchen table and waited.  I knew that the house was being watched and that he would be home within twenty to thirty minutes.  I heard his truck slide to a stop in the driveway, the truck door slamming shut a few seconds later.  The front door flew open and James looked at me with relief, anger, frustration, agony and joy all at once.

“Where have you been!” he demanded “I’ve been worried sick, no one was able to find you, it was like you fell off the face of the planet, do you know what you put me through, what you put Alex through and Lizzy” he bellowed at me. 

“I’ll drop off the face of the planet again if you don’t calm down.” I retorted and took a deep breath.

“I missed you too.” I said gently.  He sat down at the table gruffly glowering at me.

“Now that I have thought things through, this is how it’s going to be.” I said in a confident tone.  “I want to know everything, and I mean everything.  I overheard Will, Lizzy and Alex arguing so I’ve managed to piece a few things together but when it comes to my father and his goon’s getting as close as they have, YOU had better tell me.  I’m not a child and I won’t be treated as one.  As for what Alex and Lizzy have gone through, well their old enough to realize that someone like me needs some space to figure things out.  As for what I put you through, I’m sorry but I was in no state at the time to be around you or them for that matter I could have hurt you quite easily and it was in the best interests of everyone for me to remove myself to protect you the ones I love so dearly.” I stated in a tone that exuded authority.  James sat quietly for a moment as he took in what I had to say.  I knew that he was processing a lot of information and trying to decide what he was going to do about it.

Finally he said “where did the bike come from?”

 I laughed “I always have contingency plans set up in case of an emergency James.  I’ve been on the run a lot.  It’s in my best interest to be able to escape quickly without you or anyone else for that matter to be able to follow, although Alex sure gave me a run for my money.  It’s only when I stop moving that I have to worry or when I take money out of the bank or make a phone call.  That’s when someone could trace my movements if you knew what names I went by.  There are a few that you know but many more that you don’t.  I have enough money on me to disappear for a couple of months before I would need to get more cash and by then I would have established a new identity.” I said matter of factly.

He whistled. 

“Then why did you come back?” he asked confused but relieved.

“Because I love you and Alex and Lizzy, I won’t be separated from any of you, I’m ready to fight for that.  I don’t know if any of you will forgive me for leaving but I had good reason and you know it.  I don’t like being lied to and ALL of you have done that.  Now I understand why you said what you said the day of the Christmas party.  One perfect memory can make all the difference in the world.  That memory helped me to decide what I wanted, what I knew had to be. I will not fight for my freedom, I am willing to die for it.” I stated.

“Well I guess you’ve made up your mind.” James looked at me with wise eyes.

“The question is, are you going to support my decision and keep me in the loop or should I pack my bags and destroy all traces of my existence here?” I asked.

“I will support your decision, I don’t think I could handle not knowing where you are or if your safe.” he said quietly.

I smiled warmly “Thank you but what about Alex and Lizzy, were do they stand?”

“Alex has been an absolute mess.  George called me as soon as you pulled in, I told him not to tell the twins or the others until we could talk.” he said.

“Can he hear me?” I asked.

“Yes, they have very good hearing” he laughed dryly.

I relaxed and reached out with my mind.  I hadn’t tried to find anyone before but I could sort of feel that George was sitting in a tall pine tree almost completely hidden from view, I smiled.  My second sight and mental capabilities were working together in an interesting fashion.  I would have to experiment with it more later. I turned and looked directly at the tree he was in.

             “George would you please come in to the house, hiding in the tree won’t solve the issues at hand and I would rather speak to you openly” I said.

James looked at me with an awed expression.  A few seconds later George was at the kitchen table.

“How did you do that?” he demanded.

I just smiled. 

He waited.

I sighed. “I can do more than any of you realize.  I’m just starting to figure out how to manipulate both my abilities at the same time.  And I have a feeling that if I wanted you to do something I could make you, but I can’t seem to figure out how to do that yet.  That may be the part that I get when I turn eighteen but I’m not sure.  This gift is more complex than I can discuss right now.”

“I see.  Do you want me to inform the twins and the other’s that your back?” he asked.

“How long before the shift change” I asked.

“A couple of hours” he replied.

“Ok, then they can wait.  I need to get some answers from you first and I want honesty please” I said almost glaring at him.

“Ok” he said flatly.

“You’re a vampire correct?”

“Yes”

“And Stephan, Max and Katie are also full vampires correct?”

“Yes”

“The others are half vampire and half human?”

“Right”

I contemplated for a few moments and I nodded to myself.  The truth was on the table and that’s all that mattered.

“What is Max’s and Katie’s position on all of this?” I asked.

“They want you to be free but all the research that we’ve done in regards to one like you states that a claim must be made by someone.  For good or bad you will be claimed and when that claim happens there is nothing any of us can do” he said sadly.

“I see. What of Alex and Lizzy then?” I looked at him with piercing eyes.

“They love you.  We all do.  They are willing to do whatever it takes to make you safe” he replied.

“Even make the claim?” I asked.

“That I don’t know.  Lizzy would if she had to but I don’t think Alex would let her.  He loves his sister but he wants you to be free to make your own decisions.  He doesn’t want you to be controlled by himself or his sister” he looked down at his hands with a sad look on his face, he almost looked anguished.

I looked at George and James thoughtfully.  “How close is he to finding me?” I kept my expression blank not wanting my fear to show.

“They got into town about seven or eight days ago we managed to lure them away but I’m sure they’ll be back, it’s only a matter of time.” George said slowly.

“Okay.  It’s what May fifth right?  That means there’s only a few weeks of school left.  Is it safe to finish off the school year?” I asked a plan forming in my head James and George both saw that I was up to something.

“It should be safe. Why?” asked James eyeing me with concern.

“If they haven’t found me by the end of the school year, then I think we should let them know where I am.” I replied looking from James to George.  James looked furiously at me and George looked at me with disbelief.

“Are you out of your mind?  Anna we’re trying to protect you from them not give you to them.”  James bellowed.

“Anna be reasonable, if they find you they’ll do everything to take you away.” George looked grave as he spoke.  I could see that they were both concerned for me but I needed them to hear me, to listen to me just for a few seconds.

“Here me out, if they haven’t figured out where I am by the end of June then we leave hints as to where I am.  That way we can get them to do and go where we want them too.  We could ambush them.”

“She’s crazy” George said. “But she does have a point, why hide when you can draw them out”

“We need to think about this, it has to be a group decision.  Alex will flip when he hears this.  You have no idea what he’s been like since you took off.” George said shaking his head.

“What has he done exactly?” I looked at George concerned.

“I shouldn’t say, he’ll be pissed, he’s been miserable to everyone, and he tried to follow you but the rain washed out your scent.  None of us could follow you.  He’s been pacing for a week and getting moodier all the time.  He’s going to blast you when he sees you, ya know.” he shook his head.  “If you think his reaction at the Halloween party was bad....”

“You’re editing, I can tell but I also understand.  Thank you for telling me what you could.  What about Lizzy how angry is she?” I asked.

“She is more angry with herself.  She, Will and Alex messed up big discussing you at school.  She feels very guilty about that, that she forced you to leave.  None of them have spoken to each other since that afternoon.” he said matter a factly.

“I see” I looked at my hands deciding what to do next. 

“Call Lizzy, tell her to come over.  Don’t say that I’m back.  Tell her whatever you want.  I need to deal with them one at a time.” I said.

            Lizzy arrived about half an hour later.  When she came in the door she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw me.  Her mouth fell open as she looked at the three of us seated at the table.  It felt like an eternity since I had seen her.  There was nothing but relief washing over me as she stared into my eyes.

“Hello, Lizzy” I said as I stood up from the table and walked slowly to her.  She just stared at me on the verge of tears, not something easy to do, to a half immortal being. 

“I’m ok Lizzy.  I just needed time to process everything.  I understand that you were trying to protect me and that you were worried about me.  I think of you as my sister as well and yes I love you like a sister too.  Please don’t beat yourself up about me leaving.  It’s what I’m used to doing.  When I get scared I run, that’s my nature but once I’ve made a decision I face things head on.  Please don’t be angry.  I’m sorry I worried you” I put my arms around the beautiful girl and hugged her lightly.  She hugged me fiercely back. 

“Don’t you ever leave me like that again you silly insolent brat.” she cried. 

“Well I’m glad to see you too.” I chuckled.

She looked at me and then to George and James. “Does he know she’s back yet” she asked with fear in her voice.

“No” I replied.

“He’ll never forgive us for keeping this from him.  He’s been insane with worry. We have to tell him.” she pleaded.

“George would you ask him to go to the clearing, don’t tell him why just tell him to meet you there.  I’ll deal with that meeting in private if you don’t mind.” I looked at all of them with a hard expression on my face.                                                                           

“Are you sure you want to do that one alone.  He’s a lot stronger than you think Anna.” George said.

“I can handle it, besides I guess I can’t deny my feelings anymore.  He needs to know how I feel, just as I need to know how he feels.  It’s not the same hearing it second hand.” I looked meaningfully at Lizzy and George. 

“Lizzy I have one question, well several really but only one I want you to answer right now.” I said.

“Shoot” she replied.

“You and your brother communicate directly don’t you, it’s a two way thing isn’t it?” she looked surprised when I said this.

“How did you know that, most people don’t pick up on that at all” she was taken aback.

I smiled “you said something once and I happened to remember it while I was away deliberating what I was going to do.  Oh are you really 125 years old?”  She nodded sheepishly.

“Damn you look good, I’m so jealous.” I teased.  She giggled happily.  It looked like things were good between me and Lizzy.  Now it was time to fix things between me and Alex.

“George can you get him there in an hour it’ll take me that long to get there.” I asked.

“I can get you there in less than 10 minutes if I run you there and I could get him there in half an hour so you have time to figure out what you’re going to say” George replied.

I nodded. “Let’s get this over with.  I want things fixed.” I smiled.

 

 

To Be Continued June 5th

Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Decisions

Looking out the window thinking about everything that I had heard yesterday was overwhelming.  My father was in Huntsville, he had found me once again and I didn’t know what to do.  My head was reeling with so much information that I just didn’t know where to start.  I didn’t want to think about my father so I guess I should sort through everything else that I heard them talking about.

Vampires now there’s a concept, what on earth is going on, I mean really, vampires!  How is that possible?  They are just made up fictional characters right?  They are just scary creatures of our subconscious, like the monster under the bed or in the closet.  They are just figments of the imagination.  Okay, what did I honestly know about the Foxworth’s and Worthington’s.   Well, they were all exceptionally beautiful, smart and talented.  They seemed so much older than they appeared and they knew things that no ordinary seventeen or eighteen year old student would or should know.  Alex moved so fast yesterday that it freaked me out and their eyes were so vibrant, no ordinary human had eyes like that and the scent that always surrounded them and seem to sooth everyone’s nerves.  It was like they could somehow control the people around them.  I wasn’t sure how I knew this, I just did.  Things seemed to be falling into place and if they were vampires it would explain a lot.  If I remembered right Will said that they were a hundred and twenty five years old and Alex said that Will was older than he was.  I can’t even fathom being alive that long.  Damn they looked good for their age.  I wish I could look like a super model when I was thirty let alone a hundred.  Well the one thing I did know was that none of them had ever hurt me so they couldn’t be all that bad and Lizzy said that they were protecting me.  James has known their secret all along.   That’s why he was never worried about me going out with Lizzy or the others.  He encouraged my friendship with them and he told me that things would work out.  He also told me that when he was with me my protectors were off duty.  That meant that I was always with someone who could protect me or help me escape.  I sat in awe of his brilliance, have my protectors befriend me without my knowledge of who they truly were so that I could have a false sense of freedom.  I suddenly felt like a total fool and a caged animal. My father had found me once again.  For the first time in my life I truly believed that I would never escape my fate.  Tears streamed down my cheeks and then my stomach growled.  Great I had been looking out the window most of the day thinking not realizing that I hadn’t had anything to eat.  Well the only conclusions I had come to was that everyone was protecting me even if they had lied to me.  I went to the store across the street and grabbed a few things that I could eat and then had a shower and went to bed.

Wow my nightmares were relentless but I had come to terms with the fact that I was being protected by immortal beings and if the stories were right they fed on blood.  That gave me the creeps but I guess I would have to live with it. I guess I didn’t care that I was being protected by a group of vampires it was kind of neat really.  Like the character Michael in the movie Underworld being protected by Selene, how poetic is that considering I dressed up as her for Halloween.  Only as far as I knew I wasn’t going to become a vampire or a lycan I was still human, just with abilities that you read about in comic books or watched on TV or movies. 

So now I had to decide what I would do about the knowledge that Alex loved me.  It wasn’t something that I understood.  I mean he was so out of my league or at least I thought he was.  I knew that he teased me all the time and Lizzy had said that he wanted me to be his girlfriend but love was something I hadn’t expected.  Could I possibly be in love with Alex?  The thought made my heart quicken, I never really thought about love before.  I had always hoped that I would meet the man with the green eyes again and the funny thing is Alex is that man.  Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that he was my protector and the more I thought about it the more I realized that I was in love with him and not just a little.  I had dreamed about Alex every night since I saw him at the school.  I couldn’t deny it any longer, I couldn’t live without him.  Every fiber in my being knew that he was the only one that I could ever be with.  He made me smile and I had never felt safe, really safe, with anyone but him not even James made me feel that safe.  So I guess that meant I needed to make a decision about going back to James or stay on the road and keep running.  If I stayed on the road I could easily go anywhere.  I had enough money on me to last about three months and I could probably stretch it out to last a bit longer if I needed to but did I really want to keep running?  That was the big question wasn’t it.

I popped another cheesy into my mouth and started pacing the room.  I just didn’t know what to do so I flopped on the bed yet again and tried to get some sleep. 

Day five cooped up in this stupid hotel room and I still hadn’t made up my mind about what I was going to do.  I felt like such a coward and a wimp I mean could I really go back and be with Alex and have my happily ever after?  I just didn’t know.  It would mean that I would have to face my father, not something that I really wanted to do.  If I wanted to be free I would have to stop running, was I ready for that?  Well I had some really cool abilities that I had pretty good control over and I was a great street runner and martial artist so I knew I could defend myself, heck I’d done it before I could easily do it again.  Well I guess I knew my answer.  I wanted to go back and be with the people I loved but I was still angry with James so I needed to work that out before I did anything else. 

James had been wonderful to me since I arrived that was true but he had also lied.  I hated being lied to. It was one thing to be protected it was another when someone you thought you could trust was being deceitful.  Well one thing was for sure if I go back, James would have to be forth right and honest with me from now on.  I would not allow him to keep me in the dark especially when it came to my father.  I had been taking care of myself for a long time and I knew that I could handle whatever situation came my way.  I would deal with each problem as it came but I needed to trust the people around me.  It wasn’t something that I was used to doing but I had trusted them and James.  I knew they were just trying to keep me from being scared but they couldn’t protect me from everything.  I paced the room for hours making one small decision at a time.  I would go home to James and confront him and the others, they would either accept my rules or I would disappear for good.  I was willing to fight for my freedom if it meant that I could stay in Huntsville and make it my home with Alex and the others.  What really startled me was that I was actually willing to die for it.  I would rather die than be separated from any of them ever again.  I loved James as if he were my father and Lizzy and Cassy as if they were my sisters and I even loved Will and all his teasing ways.  Alex was more important to me than anything else in the world and I knew that I couldn’t be separated from him ever again.  There had to be a way of breaking this dreadful curse and if I was going to find a way, I need help.  So there’s my answer.  I would return to James and fight for my freedom.  The only problem was it was too late in the day to ride home so I would have to stay one more night in this retched room.

The next morning I checked out of the roadside inn and headed south.  I knew that I had to go home I had to face James and then the others.  They couldn’t keep me in the dark anymore I wouldn’t allow it.  If they wanted me to stay they would have to keep me in the loop from now on.  I was very good at hiding, James new that now.  What I didn’t know was if he would agree to my terms and there was only one way to find out and that was a face to face conversation.  And so I raced home to face him.  I didn’t like hurting him and I knew that he was worried.  I stopped just outside of Huntsville to fill up my gas tank.  I put my cell phone back together and turned it on I had messages of course and I listened to each one.  James had called everyday pleading for me to at least call to let him know that I was ok.  There were several from Lizzy, Alex, Will and Cassy as well.  I had given them a world of heart ache and worry, I knew I was in for a blasting, I had been gone for a week with no explanations or communication.  Well that was just too bad for them.  I wasn’t a child and I wouldn’t let them coddle me or make me feel bad.  If I stayed it would have to be all or nothing.

Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Betrayal

                       

Winter was over and the snow had almost all melted away.  Spring was just around the corner as April was almost upon us.  I had been back to school for a few weeks and things have been going well.  Alex, Lizzy, Cassy, Will and I were inseparable, we were always together lately and I loved it.  The only problem was that there seemed to be something strange going on with this family and I felt that I should have figured it out by now.  I mean honestly, I’ve been here since September and I still couldn’t put my finger on it!  The twins are the best and I loved them dearly but they would do odd things every now and then, as would the other members of their family.  It wasn’t any one thing that I could pinpoint, I just had a feeling that I was out of the loop. For instance, it was weird when Alex or Lizzy would help me with my homework - it was like they were actually teachers.  They knew things that no ordinary seventeen or eighteen year old student should know and I swear that the twins communicated with each other without speaking. They would get a vacant look in their eyes when they thought that I wasn’t paying attention and the others seemed to be slightly guarded whenever I was around.  Not that they didn’t like having me there.  I always felt welcome and cared for, but, there was definitely something different about this family and I knew I could figure it out eventually.  Even James seemed to be in on the secret.  My thoughts whirled round and round as I stared out the living room window mesmerized by the rain softly splattering against the pane. James and I had just finished supper and I drifted into another world as my thoughts carried me off.

“Anna,” James said quietly

“Yes,” I replied, coming out of my reverie.

“What is that you’re fiddling with?” he inquired. “I always see you playing with your necklace every time you stare off into space.”

“Oh! I hadn’t realized I was playing with it.  It’s a ring that someone gave me for luck. It helps me think,” I replied smiling.

“May I see it?” he inquired, “It looks familiar.”

“Sure.” I replied as I lifted the chain and ring over my head and handed it to him.

“Do you know who it belongs to?” I asked curiously as he studied the ring.

“It reminds me of a family ring that a group of my friends wear,” he mused as he turned the ring over and gently caressed the stone before handing it back to me.

“Really?” I asked, “Who?” But the phone rang and he never answered my question.

            I started thinking again.  Who wore a ring that I knew personally?  I sat and stared out the window contemplating while the shadows lengthened and night came making the rain drops glisten on the glass of the window.  The darkness outside seemed to swallow me whole as I thought of Lizzy’s family.  Will wore a ring on his right hand and so did Max and Stephan.  I hadn’t noticed if George wore one and I knew that Alex didn’t but I could always check tomorrow at school to be sure.  As for my ring, I knew every detail and every contour. It was a large gold ring with an intricate design molded into it.  On the left side were two crossed swords, while on the right side of the ring had a star and crescent moon and the stone in the center was a gorgeous star sapphire.  It was too big for any of my fingers, so I had hung it on a gold chain and ever since the beautiful man with the green eyes and wavy blond hair had given it to me, I had always worn it around my neck. It made me feel connected to him somehow.

Funny, I hadn’t thought about him in years.  How strange was it that I could still remember his eyes and hair shimmering like gold in the sun light when he gave me the ring just before I entered Stacy’s apartment building.  I even remembered the scent of jasmine and vanilla that surrounded me when he stood close to me.  Actually, now that I think about, Alex had that same smell. I first noticed it in November when he protected and comforted me after the break in, and I also remember smelling it when he was helping me with physics.  I wondered why I hadn’t noticed or made the connection earlier but it certainly couldn’t have been Alex who was with me that day, after all he was only a year older than I was.  I shook my head as I headed for bed. There was just no way that he could be the same person it just wasn’t possible.

            The next day at school we were sitting at our usual table in the cafeteria. I took the opportunity to stare at Will’s ring.  The only difference I could see between the one I wore around my neck and his was the stone in the centre was a star ruby.

“Anna, what’s wrong?” Lizzy asked.

“Oh! Nothing” I exclaimed, jerking out of my musings “I was just looking at Will’s ring.”

“That’s our family crest, all the guys have a ring and we have necklaces or bracelets,” Lizzy replied.

“I see.  But I’ve never seen Alex wear a ring,” I commented trying to be nonchalant.

“Oh, he hasn’t worn his in years,” Lizzy replied as I nodded and started wondering if there really was a connection between the ring around my neck and Alex.

“Well, I have to get to class!  See you next period.” Lizzy smiled as she got up to leave.

 I didn’t feel like going to the library as was my custom.  I wanted to think and try to remember that day when I first met the man who gave me this ring.  So I wondered over to my favorite thinking tree, and once I climbed up and was nestled into my favorite nook I closed my eyes and began to dredge up the painful memories from the day I ran from my father; the same day my mother had been murdered.

I was ten years old again and I could almost smell that bus station.

I had asked the ticket agent for a ticket to New York. 

The woman gave me a strange look, taking in my pale face and the

 small knapsack I carried and asked who I was going with and

how old I was.  That was when the blond man who had been behind me in

line smiled at the woman and told her that I was his sister and we were

going to visit our aunt in New York.  He told her that I had wanted to buy

my own ticket.  His voice was smooth and warm and as he spoke she got a

dreamy look on her face. She smiled sweetly at him and handed me my

ticket.

                        We sat in the hard plastic chairs waiting for the bus and when it

arrived he  sat next to me. I found myself strongly comforted by his presence. 

Even though I had just met him I was not concerned about my safety because

I knew he would look after me.  We spoke about different things during

the long ride to New York.    I would wake every morning of our bus

ride curled up on the seat with my head resting in his lap.  The day we

 arrived in New York he took me straight to Stacy’s apartment.

            When we got out of the cab he smiled softly at me as he knelt down and

took his ring off.  He placed the ring in my hand, curling my fingers to

protect it in my small fist.  As he covered my fist with his hand he told me

that it would bring me luck and that one day he would return to ask for

 it back.  I glanced into his eyes which sparkled like emeralds in the afternoon

 sunlight and I could swear that he almost glowed with a heavenly aura him.

 As I stared at his ethereal beauty he smiled and told me not to worry because I

 was protected by angels.

As I recalled this memory I was shocked that he reminded me so much of Alex.  But that was impossible! Alex would have only been eleven. I felt very confused and slightly disoriented as I heard a familiar voice call:

“Hey Anna you’re going to be late for history!” I was immediately jerked out of my reverie which startled me so much that I lost my balance and fell off the branch.  I only had time to register a blur of movement before I landed safely in a pair of very strong arms.  I gasped and looked up into a pair of very amused emerald green eyes as my heart beat wildly.

“You’re such a klutz,” Alex grinned down at me.

The sun made his eyes and hair gleam as my shocked brain registered that it was him. It wasn’t possible but it was.  I began to struggle wanting out of his arms as fast as possible. My heart raced and I stared at him in confusion as he placed me back on my feet.

“Anna, what’s wrong?” Alex asked teasingly. “I only caught you when you fell.  It’s no big deal.”

“I-I have to go.” I stammered as I turned and ran towards the school.  I yanked open the door and bolted up the stairs to my locker but before I rounded the corner I stopped short. I could hear Lizzy and Will talking quietly to each other so I kept silent and out of their sight.

“Lizzy, you know her power is growing.  She was the one who burst that bottle in class,” Will said.

“You can’t prove that Will.  She’s my best friend and I won’t let you or anyone else ruin my friendship with her.  We have to protect Anna and I’ll do everything in my power to make sure she stays safe.” Lizzy replied with conviction.

“Lizzy, get real” Will countered. “I know that you and Alex love her, but the reality is that her father is here and how long do you honestly think we can keep that information from her?  She’s going to find out sooner or later and you and I both know that Alex won’t claim her, even to save her life.  He loves her, and has been protecting her since she arrived, but he still isn’t sure how she feels about him.  Especially, since she’s always running away from him.”

“Will, I get that, but it’s her decision when it comes to Alex. Besides, James told us to keep our mouths shut about ourselves and her father.  It’s his decision.  He doesn’t want to scare her with the knowledge that we are half vampire and that full vampires have been protecting her for years.  She doesn’t even know that much about James.  Actually, not even Max knows what James is all about,” Lizzy said.

“Lizzy come off it! James isn’t that hard to figure out.  The issue is we don’t know how dangerous Anna really is,” Will said.

“Anna isn’t dangerous! How dare you say that about her!  You know she is in control of herself.” Lizzy scowled.

“That’s true you know,” Alex said as he joined the two of them casually draping his arm around Lizzy’s shoulders. 

“She’s always on guard and she barely lets her defenses down even around us.”

“And just what do you think she’ll do when she finds out that her dad was seen in town this morning.” Will asked annoyed.

“I don’t know, but I can guarantee she won’t freak out and use her abilities. I know she can handle the news but we aren’t the ones who are supposed to tell her.  Only James can do that,” Alex said shaking his head. “All we can do is watch over her and make sure she’s safe.”

“Alex, James can’t protect her from our secret.  She already suspects something and she has for months.  What do you honestly think she’ll do when she realizes what we are?  She’ll freak out and it won’t matter whether you’re in love with her or not!” Will said in an annoyed voice.

Alex sighed and replied, “You know I want to tell her everything but James said no.  Remember he’s gotten us out of a lot of trouble so I won’t go against his wishes even if I think they are wrong.  Our duty is to protect her and I’ll do that with my life if I must.” He glared at them challenging Lizzy and Will to disagree with him.

“Alex, for a guy who is a hundred and twenty five years old you’re being a bit melodramatic.” Will said rolling his eyes.

“Just because you’re older than I am doesn’t mean you can act like my older brother or tell me how to act or feel.” Alex seemed to growl at him.

I couldn’t listen to anymore, my heart was racing I felt so confused.  I needed to think, I needed to move, he was here and I couldn’t be found not ever.  I put my hand in my backpack to see if my keys were there.  Thank god, I grabbed them and quickly went down the stairs and headed outside.  I couldn’t take my car they would be looking for me soon so I went to plan A: RUN.  That’s exactly what I did.  I ran all the way to the storage shed where my motorcycle was stored.  As I changed my clothes my cell phone beeped I had a new text message.

‘U’r late.’ Lizzy had sent the message.

‘U lied 2 me, I’m out’ I replied and then pulled on my leather jacket.

‘What r u talking about?’ she sent.

‘I heard everything in the hall, u’v all betrayed me.’ I wrote back and then stuffed the phone in my riding bags.

I pushed the bike out of the storage locker and then locked the door.  I started the engine and as I pulled on my helmet I heard Alex call my name.  I revved the engine and pealed out of the parking lot.  What I didn’t expect was when I looked into the side mirror I could see Alex running behind me and he was gaining on me.  I couldn’t believe it, he was yelling for me to stop.  This was really freaking me out so I gunned it and wiped around the next corner and drove straight into the trees at full throttle, I weaved in and out of the trees and then straight down the snowmobile trail.  That’s when it started to rain and thank goodness it did, the rain would wash way my trail and my scent.  It would make it almost impossible for him to follow me. If the stories were true about vampires having heightened senses of smell, sight and hearing, O.M.G. what am I thinking????

I decided to head north since I had lost Alex.  Damn he was fast I had never seen anything like it.  What pissed me off was that James had known their secret and didn’t think he could trust me with it and he hadn’t told me that my father was in town.  How dare he keep me in the dark about something so important, I mean really how stupid and weak does he think I am.  I’m in control of my powers at least most of the time anyway.  I haven’t lost control in awhile and I was much better at moving things around.  The people I trusted and cared about had betrayed me, they didn’t trust me, which meant that I was a liability.  Well I wouldn’t worry them anymore I would disappear then they could get on with their lives.  I knew I was being irrational but I was too angry and I needed to put distance between me and the problem and as the miles and kilometers whizzed by my anger slowly dissipated.  I realized I needed to find a place to stay, I decided to stop at a roadside diner to get something to eat.  I stared out the window lost in thought.  How was I going to figure out what to do?  Could I trust any of them again, they had broken my heart and all I could think about at that moment was how disappointed I was in myself for not realizing that I was with my dream guy, the one I had fantasized about for months after he gave me his ring when I was ten.  I pulled on my chain and looked at the ring that I had cherished for years.  Tears started to well up in my eyes as I looked out the window.

“Don’t worry honey it can’t be all that bad.” Said the waitress as she placed the bill on the table and looked at me knowingly.

“I was betrayed by all the people I trusted.” I replied.

“Well, are you sure you were betrayed or do you only think you were.  Sometimes people do things to protect us and we just don’t understand it.” She said as she walked away.

I looked out the window for a few more minutes and then paid my bill and headed north once again. I finally stopped in a small town called Porcupine, there was a small hotel off the road that I decided to stay at because I wanted to hide my bike.  Not many people were crazy enough to ride a motorcycle this early in the spring season. 

I was so tired from the drive and my emotional turmoil that all I wanted to do was sleep. Then my phone rang, it startled me and hadn’t realized that I had left it on.  |It was in my travel bags.  I dug it out and looked at the name on the screen and my heart ached, it was James.  I went through my missed call list and was surprised to see that James had called every fifteen minutes for the past six hours and Alex, Lizzy, Will, Cassy and Max had all called regularly as well trying to get me to answer the phone.  When I check my message log I had twenty seven messages.  I shook my head in disbelief as I stared at my phone.  I realized that it had GPS tracking so I promptly took out the battery and put the phone back in my bag.  I didn’t want to listen to anything they had to say right now.  I needed to think about everything that I had heard and make up my own damn mind about what I was going to do.  I paced the floor for an hour not coming to a decision so I promptly flopped on the bed and stared at the ceiling until I finally fell asleep.

Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Sick

 

Christmas was quiet.  We exchanged gifts in the morning and watched old movies all day.  The next couple of days were filled with training sessions of all different kinds.  We worked mostly on my mental talent of moving objects.  By the end of the third day I had more control than ever.  I could lift things and move them about the room without breaking anything.  I guess I would get stronger every month and my control would get better with practise.  I didn’t want to hurt anyone.  I meditated as much as possible to stay calm and even tempered.  I lost my temper one day while doing home work and all the dishes on the counter that I happened to be looking at exploded into hundreds of pieces, it took me an hour to clean up the mess and I had to explain to James why we only had 3 plates and 4 glasses left.

My double date with Lizzy, Will and Alex was tomorrow.  I was really looking forward to it. I went to bed early, we were planning on going skiing and then to dinner and a movie.  Lizzy and I had talked every day since Christmas about it.  It was hard to believe that the year was almost over. 

I woke up in the morning feeling retched.  I was nauseated and I couldn’t swallow.  It felt like someone had taken sandpaper to my throat.  I had never felt anything like this, I felt so weak as I got out of bed and went to find James but he had gone to the office already.  I looked at my beyond pale face in horror.  I was sick, and not just a little.  I was really sick, I needed to go to the doctor’s.  I searched for my cell phone so I could call James.

“James” I croaked into the phone.

“Anna, are you ok? You sound awful” he said.

“Need doctor” I barked hoarsely.

“I’ll be home in 10 minutes, I’ll call Lizzy for you to let her know that you’re sick” he said.

“Thanks” I choked out.  I put my cell phone on the kitchen table and went to get dressed.  The next thing I remembered was James carrying me to the car.

“Anna, Anna honey, it’ll be ok.  We’re on our way to the hospital, you’re gonna be ok” his voice was thick with worry.  I felt so incoherent as we drove to the hospital.  I was in and out of consciousness.  I could feel James putting a hand on my forehead checking my temperature and mumbling to himself.

I woke up on a stretcher in the emergency department at the local area hospital.  The nurse came in to hang a small bag on an IV pole.  I realized that I had an IV in my left hand and that a one litre bag of normal saline was infusing.

“Your awake, you gave your godfather quite a scare.” said the nurse.

“Where?” I tried to say.

“Don’t talk honey we think you might have strep throat or mono.  Your godfather found you collapsed on the floor in your room.  It was a good thing you managed to call him to let him know that you weren’t feeling good.” the nurse said with a slight smile.

I nodded.

“I’ll go get him” she smiled.

A few minutes went by and James came in with Lizzy and Alex.  They all looked so worried so I tried to smile reassuringly. 

“I’m glad to see you awake, I thought you were...” James said anxiously.

“I’ll be ok.” I managed to choke out.

“Wow you sound awful, I guess you’re going to be out of commission for a while.” Lizzy said.

I looked at the twins and smiled apologetically.

“Sorry” I crocked and sighed.

“Don’t worry Anna, just get better, Lizzy and I will get your homework from school for you and we can tutor you at home if you need it.” Alex tried to sound light hearted but I could see he was just as worried as James.

I nodded and closed my eyes for a second.  I was so tired it felt like it took everything in me to open my eyes again.

“We had better go, she looks exhausted.”Alex said to James and then turned to smile at me.

“I’ll check on you later” he smiled.

“Don’t worry Anna, we got you covered at school, I’ll check in later too” Lizzy said quietly as she left the room with Alex.

A few hours later I was released from the hospital with a serious case of Mononucleosis.  I would be out of commission for at least six weeks and possibly longer.  I slept most of the time.  It took everything in me to get out of bed and go to the washroom in the beginning.  James wouldn’t let anyone visit until I could handle staying awake for at least four hours and that was over two weeks later.  Finally on the third Saturday in January Lizzy and Alex came over to help me with my homework.  I was on the couch covered in blankets and surrounded by pillows with my books strewn across the coffee table when they arrived.  James let them in.

“If she starts getting tired you’ll have to go.” he ordered.  Lizzy and Alex nodded in agreement as they came in.

“Hi” I whispered and smiled to them.

“You’re looking better, you’ll be at school in no time” Lizzy beamed at me.  I nodded hopefully. We started with English homework.  It took us an hour and a half to get through everything.  I had gotten the books we need to read on tape so I was able to answer all the questions on the assignments that the teacher had sent home for me.  Physics was another story, we got through the first two chapters and I started to fall asleep. 

“Anna we’ve been at this for hours, we should let you rest” Alex said with concern.

“I’m ok” I whispered “let’s just take a break, I don’t want you to go yet”

He smiled at me, Lizzy took my hand, “are you sure, we could come back tomorrow for a bit”

I looked at them “promise?” I whispered.  They laughed at my sad expression.  I hadn’t seen anyone in weeks and it was a nice change.

“One of us will stop by every day after school for an hour or so, so you don’t go insane” Lizzy promised.  I smiled weakly as my eyes started to close on their own. 

“We’ll see you tomorrow” I felt a large warm hand on my shoulder.  I nodded slowly. I didn’t hear them leave I was asleep before they had time to get their coats on.  I heard a dream like conversation between Alex and James.

“How is she really?” Alex asked.

“She’s getting stronger, but I have to make sure everything is put away while she sleeps” James replied.

“It’s getting stronger then?” Alex questioned.

“Yes, and I’m worried, she screams in her sleep sometimes, like she’s being chased or seeing something that she’s scared of.  I feel so helpless.”

“Don’t underestimate her James, Cassy said she will be amazing, things are going to get ruff for another month or so but it’ll settle down, most of her abilities have already surfaced, she may develop one or two more things but it depends on how strong her mind is.  She’s been through so much already” Lizzy said.

“I’ll be watching, I think the meditation exercises that George and Stephan suggested are really helping her.” James said.

“Do you want us to stay” Alex asked.

“No, she still doesn’t know about you and your family’s involvement in this whole thing and I want to keep it that way as long as possible.”  I didn’t hear anything else after that.  It was like listening to a conversation on the radio with the volume really low.   I woke up a few hours later, dazed and foggy.  I saw all my books neatly piled on the floor by the couch and a glass of water on the coffee table.  It took a few seconds to clear my head “James” I called. 

“I’m down here kid”

“Where did they go?” I asked.  He laughed

“They left a few hours ago, you fell asleep on them.  Lizzy said she would be back tomorrow to help you finish physics and try to get through some of the history assignment that Ms. Johns sent home for you to do.” he replied.

“Ok.  I think I’m going to head to bed, I hate being so tired all the time.” I complained.

He chuckled quietly as he came up the stairs. “Do you want anything to eat?” 

“Um, no but can I have a glass of juice.” I asked as I walked into the bathroom.  When I returned to the kitchen James had a glass of juice and some dry toast waiting for me.  I smiled in thanks.

 

By the end of the sixth week at home I was itching to go back to school.  I didn’t want to be cooped up in the house anymore I wanted to get back into a routine.  James didn’t hover as much now that I was feeling better and Lizzy and Alex were by almost every day with homework.  Lizzy kept me up to date with all the school gossip, apparently Jeff got suspended for picking a fight with Alex and Christine and Joel were now dating and Mr. Chang was upset that I wasn’t around to play the harp for him after school.  Will was planning a big white water rafting trip for June and Max and Katie were planning another benefit dinner for late April.  I hated not knowing what was going on, even if it was trivial. We were working on English when I asked her about the fight. 

I looked at Lizzy questioningly. “Why did Jeff and Alex get into a fight?”

“Well apparently Will was teasing Alex about coming here so much, Jeff was not too happy about that.  I think he has a crush on you and he confronted Alex, demanding to know if the two of you were dating.  Alex wouldn’t give him an answer, he tried to just walk away and Jeff threw a punch or two.  Alex defended himself but he has a black eye at the moment so he didn’t want to come over and have to explain what had happened.  I’m sure he’ll kill me when he finds out that I told you.” she said.

“Why didn’t he say anything?” I asked my heart starting to beat faster while butterflies were starting to make themselves known in my stomach as I waited anxiously for the answer because Alex and I had gotten pretty close over the past few weeks.

“That’s easy, he wants you to be his girlfriend but he knows how you feel, so he’s being your friend, the only thing you’ll allow him to be.” she said quietly.

“I want that to, but I just can’t” I was almost ready to cry.  I could feel the tears welling in my eyes.  I looked down as the tears welled over.

“It’ll work out Anna.” she said as she placed a hand on my shoulder.

“I hope your right.” I smiled weakly at her.