Leaving the Mactire’s was a quiet affair, at first. Sarina was fuming at Susan, and she wasn’t up for a lot of talking. Not after avoiding Nate’s cousins. Octopus arms must be a family trait. I couldn’t help but grin at the memory of Saoirse trying to help Sarina undress.
“What are you grinning at?” Kamron whispered in my ear.
“I was just remembering Saoirse trying to help Sarina strip. Rina wasn’t appreciative,” I whispered back.
Kamron chuckled. “I imagine she wasn’t. At least not after the bombshell we got at dinner.”
“I’m assuming you warned Ray that he’s in deep shit?” I snuggled closer to Kamron. We were in the very
I could have danced with Kamron for hours. He was such a great dancer, and Saoirse was a decent DJ. We made it through four or five songs before I signaled I needed a drink, and we went looking for Nate. He was still at his makeshift bar, and was smiling and flirting. He’d put out a tip jar since we’d last talked with him. “Nate!” I shouted over the crowd to get his attention. Kamron was behind me holding my hand. “Rose! Water or mocktail?” he asked. “Water, please,” I said, holding up two fingers. He nodded and grabbed two water bottles for us. “Having fun?” he asked. “Saoirse’s a great DJ,” Kamron answered. We both leaned on the counter a
The news about Sue knowing our secret, and the fact she’s been secretly dating Ray, was huge. Not that her knowing, or them dating is something that Mom and Dad would care about, if they were told about it. Since they weren’t told, they’re annoyed. I swear, they were up half the night thinking up ways to torture Ray. It’s going to be hilarious when the lovebirds come home for summer. History reminded me that Jeremy was still having a rough go. We’d hung out over the last weekend, and I managed to annoy him enough that he told me what was going on with him. His parents are splitting, and his mom is planning on moving a few towns away. If he went with her, he’d only see his dad on weekends. He’s not a big fan of his dad. His dad is one of those macho guys who expects his son to be into sports and girls. When Jer’s older broth
I was going to find my sister, kill the guy in bed with her, kill the person who took the picture, and then kill Simon. I shouldn’t have trusted him to keep Kimi close. Who would kidnap my sister anyway? She hasn’t hurt anyone! What would someone gain from that? After scenting everyone who was leaving the party, and not smelling my sister, Nate, Saoirse, and I shifted in Nate’s room. He’d opened his window, since his house was only one story, and the three of us used that as an exit so Simon wouldn’t get suspicious. I led the way into the yard, and followed from where I found Kimi’s scent earlier. We were fortunate the kidnappers walked where they were going. If they had used a car, we would have been in serious trouble. We almost lost her trail a few times, but between the three of us, we were able to pick it up again. Nat
Kimia was completely out of it. All I could do on the way to the hospital was stroke her hair from her face, and try to soothe her. “How much longer before we get to the hospital?” I asked.“Another twenty minutes,” Mrs. Graycort said grimly. We ended up sitting in silence for that time listening to Kimia’s occasional moans.When we finally got to the emergency entrance, Nate and Kamron helped Kimia get out of the van, and Kamron carried her in his arms through the doors. The rest of us followed him and his mom as they went to the receptionist.“What’s the emergency?” The guy behind the desk w
Everything was dark, but I could still hear sounds. There was a beeping, and my mother was there along with Rina. I just couldn’t move. They were talking to someone. Kam? Rose? No. Nate. Why is my mom talking to Nate? Where was I?Okay, I needed to think. I couldn’t move, my family and Nate were around me, and the last thing I remembered was what? Argh. My brain was not working. I could feel myself slipping away and back into where? I’d been floating. I remember the feel of vines. No, not vines. I really needed to open my eyes.“When do they think she’ll wake up?” Rose. Rose was here.“She could wake up anytime, but they said that rest and fluids would help her the best,” my mom answered. So I was asleep. Ish. Well, I was
The ride home was quiet. I don’t think any of us knew what to say. Nate was up front with Rina while I was in the back with Rose nodding off on my shoulder. I knew I was exhausted. Seeing Kimi open her eyes and swear at everyone was a massive relief. I knew she’d be okay after that. My anger had gone down to a simmer, and I just didn’t want to think about it for a while.“She’s going to need a lot of unconditional love, and no egg shells,” Nate’s voice filtered from the front.“How do you know so much about this?” I asked him. It was weird. Just being a bartender wasn’t enough to give someone that kind of empathy.“I just know people who had similar experiences, and I saw them deal with it,” Nate went si
“We’re back!” It was after lunch when Mr. and Mrs. Graycort brought Kimia home. They came to our house because they knew we were anxious about seeing Kimia looking alright. Mrs. Graycort gave my mom a hug. “Thank you so much for taking the kids in a pinch, Harold and Georgia.”I practically tackled Kimia when I saw her. “Can’t breathe,” she gasped.“We are always available to help, Lus,” Mom said hugging Mrs. Graycort.Dad gripped Mr. Graycort’s shoulder. “You are family. Mi casa, es su casa.”“Coffee?” Mom asked.“Please!” Mr. and Mrs. Graycort answered.&n
I got a text from Kimi to meet her in the main office. I was a bit confused as to why she’d be there. It wasn’t till I opened the door to the office, and saw my sister and my girlfriend in their gym clothes that it clicked. The evil bitch is in their gym class. Fuck.“What happened?” I asked them.“Rose punched Kirsten,” Kimi whispered. I looked over at Rose, and she was angry. Angrier than I had ever seen her before. I could almost feel the hostility radiating off of her. It was kind of sexy.“Seriously?” I asked in awe.Rose glared at me. “The bitch had a video, and she was showing it to her bitchy friends.” Just like that, my hardon went soft. 
“Fuck,” I swore as Ray kicked my ass at Mario Kart. Ray chuckled with both hands in the air. “Suck it, pup! I finally won for the first time since you were ten!”I tossed the controller and ran my hands over my face. Game nights at the frat house and losing to my brother were the least of my worries. Rose had been officially charged with manslaughter, and bailed out until her trial in a few weeks. At the advice of her lawyer, Rose and her mom signed a temporary lease at another apartment complex. Something about not sleeping with the victim’s family.“You are off your game, bro,” one of my frat brother’s slurred. “Nobody beats Kamron the Machine.”Ray bumped my shoulder. “He’s right. You’re stressing more than usual.”“Maybe because Rose has been avoiding me,” I sighed. Garrett, a sophomore, shook his head. “You must be reading too much into it. That girl is head over heels for you. She’s probably just overwhelmed with her trial and shit.”I shook my head. “I’ve known her my whole l
“Come on back, and we’ll have you give us a urine sample, then Rina will draw some blood samples to make sure your baby is okay,” Deb’s voice filtered through the office to my station. It’d been a little busier this month, but that was to be expected a few weeks after Spring Break. Lots of little surprises.“R-rina?” a familiar voice stammered. “Rina works here?” Elli and Deb rounded the corner to my space, and I had the sample cup ready with the alcohol wipes.“I sure do, Ellie,” I replied. “Congratulations. The bathroom is right through that door, and I’ll be here ready to draw your samples when you’re done.” I pointed to the door of the restroom where our expecting mothers give their samples every time they come in.Deb looked between us. “You two know each other?” I shrugged. “Small school, and we spent Spring Break together in Mexico.”Elli was pale and shaking a little as she grabbed the cup she was supposed to pee into, then made a b-line for the bathroom. Deb leaned over to m
“Now, Kimi,” Dr. Mayfeld started on our bi-monthly telesessino, “have you and Nate talked about finding a couples therapist to help the two of you transition into parenthood?”I shook my head. “Not yet. We will, but between school and my cousin’s demise, we haven’t exactly made it a priority.”“I understand,” she nodded. “I hate to say it, but you and your friends have gone through one hell of a year. Are you sure you aren’t cursed?”I laughed. “If I believed in curses, I might think that too. I mean, it is possible that Kirsten cursed us when she went to prison.”“Seriously,” she calmed down, but still smiled, &ldq
My parents knocked on our apartment door a few hours after we’d come home from the station. I really appreciated Kimi telling off Kam for me. It was the weirdest feeling. I was almost out of my body for most of the afternoon. It was a little surreal. I also both wanted to be hugged and cuddled, but I also wanted to be left alone.I kept thinking that it was my fault a person was dead. Yes, Matty was a horrible person who attacked me, but I didn’t want him dead! Call me optimistic, but I hoped for him to pay for his crimes, then come out a better person who had learned to respect others.I’d spent most of my time in my room, and barely registered when my mom walked in and sat on my bed. “Oh, my sweet Rose,” she sighed and pushed my curls out of my face. “I am so sorry you have to go thro
“Shit hit the fan, and I’m at my sister’s for a few days,” I explained to Elli over the phone.“I can’t believe all that has happened,” Elli replied. “Is Rose okay?”I sunk into my sister’s couch and sighed. “I honestly don’t know. They hadn’t returned by the time I cleared out. I hope her parents don’t find my room disgusting.”“Why wouldn’t they just get a hotel?” Elli asked.The question confused me. “I’m sure they could, but their daughter just killed a guy in self defense. She kinda needs all her family around her now.” Then a thought occurred to me. “Were you thinking about
“I want to see my fiance. I need to know she’s okay,” I shouted at the officer at the front desk of the police station.Kimi put a hand on my shoulder. “Kam, calm down. They have to go through the hoops. Besides, Officer West sounded like someone who is fair.”I spun to face my sister. “My fiance and your best friend is back there by herself, probably scared to death, and the only people available to her are people in our uncle’s pocket. I’m not going to calm down until I know she’s safe!”“Kam, you making a scene isn’t going to get her out here faster,” Nate tried to reason. He turned to the officer. “Is there someone who can come out and tell us what happened?”
Blake finally managed to push the door to the men’s room open. He broke the lock in the process, but the screaming he heard terrified him. He regretted not being faster when he observed the scene.A man was lying under a broken urinal with eye wide open, and unfocused. His jaw was slack, and a shocking amount of blood was pooled under his head. He looked back out into the hall, and grabbed a random student. “Call 911, and get someone here, now!”The student glanced into the bathroom. “Holy shit!”Blake carefully walked around the body to the woman shuddering in a ball against the wall of the open stall. “Hey,” he said gently. “Are you okay?” He reached a hand to her shoulder, and she flinched.
“Welcome back, everyone,” Professor Anderson greeted the class when she walked into the room. “I hope everyone had a fun, safe spring break? I see we’re still missing a few people. Hopefully they return before the next class. In the meantime, please go to the class webpage.”I already had it up, so I just scanned the page looking for what I expected her to click. I found it under the assessments tab. “I would hope you all are intelligent enough to find what I’d like you to do today, but in case you’re hung over, or not up to your best mental state, find the assessments tab, and click on the test titled, ‘Post Spring Break Quiz.’“The password is capital ‘I’ underscore, paid, underscore, too, with two ‘o’s, underscore, much, underscor
The apartment in Gayl was becoming more and more like home to me. Walking through the apartment door Sunday before school started felt like a weight was lifting off my shoulders. Granted, Kimi and I still needed to finish the nursery for our little girl, and we still had school, but we were happiest here. At least I was, anyway.I guess Kimi wasn’t as happy. She waddled into our room, and fell onto the bed on her back. “Ugh,” she grunted, “would you be offended if I said I miss the bed in Boston?”I chuckled. “Not at all. It was a damn comfortable bed..”“Much bigger than this full size one,” she said and rolled over so she could sit up. “I swear if this little girl gets much bigger, we’ll need a bigger bed.&r