6: Who Can Get Mad At A Silent Smiling Girl Flicking You Off?

ASHTON

Ms. Winston hollering my number jolts me awake and I can’t help but to groan in protest.

The sun is barely peeking out from behind left over storm clouds. It’s too early to be awake, let alone functional. I quickly slip into my mediocre hand-me-downs, glancing at the pile of still soggy, mud crusted clothes in the corner of the room. Ugh. Just thinking about touching them has my mood crashing to rock bottom.

I’m the last one to meet Winston at the bottom of the stairs, seeing as I was wandering the woods rekilling Number 6 in the middle of the night, I’m not too quick on my feet. Not to mention I had to wash myself up before I faced the curious eyes. Addison briefly glances at me before Winston draws all of our attention with a sharp clearing of her throat.

I can only imagine what she wants with the three of us. I wouldn’t be surprised if Addison and I were in trouble, I’m kinda already in trouble and may have inadvertently got Addison in trouble too, but in trouble with Gina, the sweetest and most normal girl at the Manor is throwing me off.

Ms. Winston stares at us in silence for a few seconds. Those cold blue eyes meeting each of ours. Addison’s quirked curiosity, Gina’s frightful gaze and my annoyed glare, which she hovers on the longest. Please don’t bring up last night, please don’t bring up last night.

“You three will be going to town today. Here is the list,” She hands the piece of paper to Addison, “and the money,” she then proceeds to hand the money to Gina, “the items are not discretionary, they are all necessary. Do I make myself clear?”

Out of the corner of my eye I see Gina and Addison nod in acceptance, but there’s no stopping my sour mood from spilling out, “No. I thought I was banned from town after my wandering off.” I want to say that I demand to be punished for last night, but I bite my lip keeping the words trapped not acknowledging I misbehaved and knowing all too well that this is indeed my punishment.

“I agree, you shouldn’t be allowed to go to town, but Addison is insisting you accompany her and Gina. I can’t imagine why.” I hear her unsaid words. Why would Addison want a reckless firecracker with her in a very vulnerable position. A public place.

“Me too.” I mutter under my breath. I catch Addison twitch and if I wasn’t untouchable, I’m positive she would’ve swatted me.

Winston looks at me, she contemplates something but I’m not quite sure what. She moves her eyes over onto Gina and Addison not even giving me an inkling on what she’s worried about. It couldn’t possibly be my well being. “Do be back well before dinner...or else I’ll add cooking said dinner to your chores.”

“Go right ahead,” I shout into the room, “I would rather cook, clean this pigsty of a house, wash and fold everyone’s laundry, maybe get a headstart and dig the next grave than have to go to town.”

Her face turns red, but I can see the slack jaws of Addison and Gina, so I know it isn’t just Winson that I shook. Once again, I have overstepped. When Winston finally talks her lips are in a firm unmoving line. “I think you’ve done enough in the graveyard. Do as you’re told, Nineteen and be on your best behavior. It’s not just your wellbeing at stake.”

Her words hit me harder than they should. There are things out there, things that are searching for me and now I have two other people to look after. Two very oblivious girls that have no idea what they could be walking into if the wrong people find me today. Not that Winston cares too much because she’s still forcing me to go.

“Fine.” I huff and take off to the front door leaving Addison and Gina behind.

I’m already out the front gate by the time they join me. As Addison comes up alongside me I mumble, “I hope you grabbed the baskets before you left.” She slams said basket into my gut. “Thanks.” I grunt out.

The trek to the bus stop from the manor is long and tiresome. She could at least get a vehicle or a van for us to get transported around in. More embarrassing the better when it comes to Mysteria, but here we are walking for what seems like miles before reaching town.

“How does she know about you and the graveyard?” Addison hisses beside me.

“She caught me coming back in.” As I say the words she cringes. “Honestly, she doesn’t seem any angrier than usual.”

Her eyes bug out at me for such stupid words. She isn’t used to Winston’s scorn yet. You would think that after how many years at the manor she would learn that Winston isn’t a punisher or a fighter. Then again, Addison hasn’t done anything to receive Winston cold glare.

“What?” I shrug. “Although, if she would actually let go and show some physical anger I would get some juicy details.” I smile just thinking about it. “A flash of some deep dark secret of hers that I could torment her with.”

Gina’s voice startles me, “and you would be capable of torment?”

I either forgot she was with us or I got so excited about Winston slipping up and slapping me that my voice got louder than the whisper I had been talking to Addison with about getting caught.

She continues, “I know you two don’t get along, but...I don’t see you being hateful, Ashton.” Gina’s small voice quivers as she speaks the words, probably silently hoping she’s right and I don’t come and attack her.

“I’ve done worse...much worse and at my mother’s request no doubt.”

Gina’s lips smack apart to question me, but I hear the whisper of Addison’s voice tell her no. Even if she asked I wouldn’t tell. I’m not one to openly discuss all the horrid things I’ve done before I nearly died and killed my mother right along with me. That was the line in the sand for her. When her life became in danger, she was through with me. If only I knew that years ago.

My feet are sore and tired by the time we stumble out into more populated streets. Gina already lags behind. Having never gone to town she’s already surprised by what it takes to get there. It’s been months since I’ve made this trek and it takes a toll on me not to huff and puff as well.

But the trek is the least of our concerns.

When I see the bus stop come into view my sore feet become cured and I feel mysteriously lighter. But one problem is only swapped for another. There’s a reason why I prefer the manor. People.

We reach the stop a mere five minutes before the bus is to arrive. There’s a handful of others there. A couple whose arms are intertwined, three teenagers who are more interested in their phones than anything else, a girl who clutches her tote bag and lastly a guy in black sweatshirt with the hood pulled up over his face staring intently at the sidewalk. Add to that three orphaned Mysteria girls and you have a lovely bunch of nobodies.

Everyone rushes up when the bus finally arrives and I hang back. Addison and Gina stay at my side and let everyone else board first. My feet stumble on the last step as a pair of eyes meet mine. He leers over the half wall barrier at me sensing the familiarity between the two of us. It has my heart erratically beating and my lungs searing. There’s only two types of people that look familiar to me. Those my mother had forced me to con or those my father spent his life hunting down who ultimately are now hunting me down. Demons.

“Ladies.” The man says as we shuffle past him. His dark, almost black eyes burn into me. He’s definitely a demon. Shit.

Gina and Addison play nice and smile back with simple hellos. I ignore him as the feeling of his eyes and the illusion of everyone else’s eyes on me cause my skin to crawl. A soft chant repeats in my head. Be on your best behavior. Play nice. Keep to yourself. It’s not just your wellbeing at stake.

I pry my eyes away from him and fixate my glare on Addison and Gina. “So, shall we split up so we can be done faster?” I might need to get rid of an unwanted addition to our trio, because there’s no way I’m leading him back to the manor.

“No.” Gina squeals as her eyes dart around the bus. “I’d rather not.” She says in a hushed aggressive whisper.

“I’d rather you not leave us as either, considering she’s never been to town and I might need your...bargaining skills.” She flashes me a smile.

“There’s no bargaining at a Farmers Market,” I grumble. “There are, however, too many people who think they’re amazing individuals for eating things that grew out of the ground. Too conscientious for their own good, but totally oblivious to more important things.”

My eyes scan the demon. He’s pretending to not pay attention to our conversation but he is. Even though his eyes are staring at his feet, his ears are perked.

I catch Addison’s eyes scan over the individuals in the bus, the demon she thinks is just a man. No doubt checking to see if I’ve caught any of their attention. I chance a glance too. The couple is making out, the teenagers have their faces still buried in their phones, the girl with the tote bag is reading and the guy in the black sweatshirt peers at me under the edge of his hood. One out of seven is nothing.

And who cares about the rest of them when the real threat is sitting not even two feet away from us. Gina doesn’t have experience with them. Addison has only heard about them from me. But I had been running from them with my mother for months before she ditched me.

It pains me to admit, but Winston’s done a pretty good job at hiding me. Except for when she makes me do stuff like this.

Gina swipes Winston's list from Addison and starts to read it in hopes of bringing the subject back to something more tangible. I can tell she’s nervous as she mumbles off the list. Her jitter that makes her leg bounce all the tips of her toes says she’s hoping that with Addison’s responsibility and my determination to get this over with will make things go smoothly. That we'll be home within no time. With no incidents.

I can’t guarantee that though.

It doesn’t take long for the bus to pull into downtown Fallen Oaks. Since we were last to enter the bus, we’re first to exit.

The demon bids us farewell, “have a nice time, ladies.” His words are directed at Addison and Gina, but then his eyes slide to me. “You should smile more, beautiful.”

I flash him a smile, but it's the most condescending, forced smile I can muster. My teeth bite down on my tongue to keep my words locked away, because if I said what I wanted to say, I would get us all in trouble. But that fear doesn’t stop me from flashing him my middle finger clearly telling him what I’m thinking without using my words. Who can get mad at a silent smiling girl flicking you off?

I can’t deny the relief I get from getting off that bus. But I did just provoke a demon and out in the open, in the heart of the town there’s not just one demon on a bus, there’s several hiding in plain sight.