Chapter 2
The next morning, I walked into the hallway outside my new room and realized it was decorated. There were pictures on the walls and a table with purple vase.
“Ugh,” I groaned and continued down the stairs.
Mom was in the kitchen hanging up yet another picture when I walked in.
“Hey,” I yawned, going toward the pantry. “Do we have food?” Mom ignored me and started hammering.
Whatever. She could be a bitch if she wanted to.
I found Pop-Tarts that I gladly ate while watching mom bounce around the kitchen, unpacking boxes.
“Why are you just standing there, Kyra? Either get out of my way and go be productive—like doing your room—or…whatever.” Mom sneered, pulling her red curls into a pony-tail. I rolled my eyes, tossed the wrapper, then sauntered out.
Well, what to do? I didn’t want to unpack my room, but…I guess the sooner it was over with, the better. I ended up unpacking all of my boxes, except one I never really planned on doing anything more with than shoving in the back of my closet, where dad couldn’t find it. By the time I was done, it was dark outside and I could smell the spices of spaghetti coming from downstairs.
My stomach growled furiously, making me anxious. It reminded me that I hadn’t eaten more than breakfast all day.
“Food, food, food.” I muttered, wishing that food was not a necessity.
I skipped down the stairs, unsurprised to see the entire house was almost an exact replica of our old house; no box in sight.
Mom was just making herself a bowl of noodles as I walked in.
“Get your own food.” She grumbled, sitting at the table.
I shrugged, did as instructed, then headed for the door.
“No. At the table.” Mom ordered.
I groaned. “Why? I don’t want to.”
She glared at me. “I don’t care what you want. Do not speak to me like that, got it? I am your mother, now sit,” She took a deep breath. “at the table.”
I swallowed my insults and swung the chair back forcefully, sitting with heated anger rolling off of me.
You’re my mother? You do not deserve even that title! You haven’t been my mom for a long time now.
“Fine,” I snapped, my appetite quickly receding. I twirled some noodles onto my fork, but the fork just kept looking like a weapon to me, and it was dredging up some bad memories. Flickers of my past were flashing behind my eyelids every time I blinked, and soon the light kitchen and my stupid mom were dimly known, the memory almost overwhelming me.
“Do it, Kyra.” He whipered, so soothing.
“N-no! I can’t Alex!” I whispered urgently.
Alex growled. “You will.” And then he was gone, his footsteps around the corner of the alley I was trapped in.
Why had he left me alone? I was staring at the face of a rapist, two feet from me, and Alex had left me, alone, scared, vulnerable, and defenseless—almost.
I looked down at the gun in my palm, so out of place. I had never ever carried a weapon. But Alex had handed this one to me, and then left. I gulped.
“So pretty, even if you are only thirteen.” The rapist crooned, smiling creepily, holding his own gun lightly, like he was used to its weight.
I was not.
“I think maybe I’ll have to thank Alex for giving you to me. If your worth it.” The rapist raised his gun slightly.
I slid my finger into the slot and clumsily held it in front of the trigger, trying to hold it steady in my shaking sweaty hand. I had no clue why Alex had done this to me. I told him I couldn’t do more than steal, I mean, my dad’s a cop! But he insisted. And now I was going to die.
Unless…unless I used this weapon.
“Will you come with me willingly?” the rapist asked, stepping closer. Point-blank range.
Revulsion rose and made my shaky voice quiver. “No!”
The rapist—well known on the local news stations—shook his head. “Okay, then.” He raised his gun, pointing it at my abdomen. He wanted me alive, but since I wasn’t giving in, he’d have to weaken me.
My heart was racing, my pulse storming through my veins, and I found myself raising my gun also, but to his face. I needed to survive. I didn’t want to die. Tears slid down my face, and my hand was shaking so bad I knew I would probably miss.
Miss! I’d never considered killing someone before, but this was for my life. Still, I didn’t think I could pull that trigger.
“Oh, sweetheart,” he said scathingly. “No,”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
“You won’t do it, because I want you.”
And then the sound of a gunshot blasted my eardrums and racked through my brain. Oh, no. Pain was all I could feel…pain….
“Kyra! Oh, shit!” Alex’s voice was far away. He’d left me to…to die…
“Kyra? Kyra?”
“Kyra, what the hell are you doing?! Listen to me!” I heard mom scream.
I jumped and opened my eyes, blinking a few times. What…? Mom’s angry face was only a foot or so away from me, glaring across the table.
Oh.
I looked down at my untouched spaghetti and almost threw up. I hadn’t thought about that night since it happened. As if to enhance it, the place where my scar was on my stomach throbbed. I took a deep breath and shook my head. Why were my memory’s suddenly springing on me? First Jay, now this…. It was not good. I shoved the memory back and locked it into the back of my mind, where it belonged.
“Kyra? What the hell?” Mom demanded. “You need to eat.”
I shoved away from the table and ignored her. What I needed was to see Alex. I dumped my dinner in the trash can and turned to my mom.
“I want to go out.” I said, my tone controlled.
Mom snorted, disbelief plain on her face. “Oh? Your not going to. Your going to stay home. Your dad should be home soon.”
I smothered a snarl. “And? What does that matter anymore? Huh? Dad is never around! We had to freaking move because of his work! That’s all that matters to him!”
I clenched my fists and watched her face morph into someone I hadn’t seen since seventh grade. The year I met Alex. The year she stopped treating me like she loved me, and more like she couldn’t stand me.
“Honey,” she said, slightly grudgingly. She totally contradicted her job. She was a therapist. All, “Calm is good,” but she sooo didn’t follow that. “Your father does care about us—you. He just loves his job, too. But we’re still a family. You should stay home.”
This time I did snarl. “So your worried about family traditions? I cannot fucking believe you. I’m leaving soon.” And with that I stormed back up to my new room.
“Your such a brat!” Mom screamed from outside my locked door. She was back to herself now. “You know that, right? No one likes you. Not even Alex. God knows why that boy hangs around with you.”
Anger pulsed through me. Everything I saw around my room looked like a weapon. Something I could use to harm her. But I wouldn’t, I knew.
“You want to know why, mom? Really? Do you really want to know?” I screamed back.
I dashed into my closet and quickly began to change my clothes. I squirmed into tiny black shorts and a black tank-top and pulled out my backpack.
“Hmm. What would you say if I said yes? Would you be honest?” she asked, more calm.
I debated. “Yes, I would.”
She sighed. “Okay, tell me. Why would Alex hang out with a bitch like you?”
Remember, this was my mom.
“Because the sex is—”
“Never mind! Ugh! Slut,” she spit. I heard her footsteps echo down the hall, into her room.
Ugh! I was so beyond caring about what she thought now. She was someone I couldn’t be bothered with.
“Knife,” I murmured, pulling out the long blade from the only unpacked box at the back of my closet. I slid it into my backpack, pulled on my Converse, then swung open my window. I didn’t want to open my door.
The night was chilly with the coming fall, and the breeze was soothing to my heated skin as I jumped out my window, landing on the ground, two-stories below.
“Ah,”
I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Alex’s cell.
“ ’Lo?” he answered groggily.
“Hey,” I said slowly.
“Kyra! Hey, hon.” His tone was more eager now.
“I need to get away from my bitch of a mother.” I strode to my jeep and jumped in, starting the engine roughly.
Alex chuckled. “Sweet. Come on over. We’ll find something.”
I sighed, knowing relief was just minutes away.
“Thanks,”
“No prob. That’s why I chose you, all those years ago. I knew you’d be worth it.”
“Huh?” I asked, distracted. His words had reminded me of the unwelcome memory’s.
“I chose you. I chose you because I knew you had potential. I knew that you’d be the one to call me, three—almost four—years later, wanting to do something in the middle of the night.” He explained.
I snorted. “Sure, sure. I’ll see you.” And I hung up.
Slightly relieved and a little scared, a pulled out of my driveway and headed to Alex’s.
It was time to party.
♥♥♥♥♥
Later that night, when I returned home by climbing up the tree by my window, I immediately ran to my bed and crashed, exhausted.
“Alex?” I whispered, too silent. He wouldn’t hear me.
“Yeah?” he whispered back, just as quiet. A miracle; he did hear.
“Are we…” I took a deep breath. “Will we be arrested?” My voice was choked. The pain in my stomach was tremendous. How was I going to explain to my dad that I’d been shot? Or my mom for that matter?
Alex laughed. Laughed! I didn’t open my eyes though. It hurt too much.
“No, honey. We won’t. I told you, this is all for training.”
“Training?” I asked.
“Yes Kyra,” he said, taking my hand. It was warm in mine. I smiled slightly. Alex was still here. He hadn’t let me die. “I know you’ll be something special. I can feel it. Maybe your nobody now, but in a couple years, when your like, sixteen, you’ll be fantastic.”
His words were odd. I couldn’t make sense of them. Me fantastic? I was a skittish kid with no life. I didn’t think so.
“Sure,” I agreed, fading away. The pain was becoming too much. I heard sirens and knew they were coming for me. Alex had called after we’d walked two miles from where I was shot.
“Fantastic…” I mumbled. “Just great. I’ll be…I’ll be…pretty.”
Alex laughed again. “Sure! I bet you’ll be hot.”
I snorted. “Yeah, that’s…no. Not me.”
“Kyra, you said you couldn’t use a weapon either, but…” Alex trailed off, his voice losing volume as I blacked out.
I bolted awake. What the hell? My head was still foggy from sleep and I couldn’t make sense of my unfamiliar room for a second.
“Oh…” I yawned, looking around. New house. Riiiight.
I shook my head and stretched. I couldn’t believe I’d had that dream. Why was my subconscious beating me with the memory of that night? Sheesh.
With a laugh, I realized Alex had been right about me. I was fantastic now. And hot. He’d gotten what he wanted. He always did. But the fact that he’d been so right was a little annoying.
I rolled out of bed and strode to my bathroom. I really needed a shower. I slipped off my clothes and looked in the mirror. I was pleased, at least, by what I saw. Most girls were either super self-conscious or super stuck-up. I would probably count for stuck-up, because I knew I was hot, but I didn’t go around bragging about it. I just used it when I felt like it.
I had long auburn red hair that waved down my back with many layers. My bangs were growing out, so they were swept to the side, hanging just below my right eye. My cheekbones were high, holding a small nose and wide cinnamon colored eyes. My bottom lip was fuller than the top, but it associated well with my face. My lip-ring was an added bonus.
I wasn’t extremely skinny, actually a little thick. But it was a good thick, muscle.
As I was about to turn away from the mirror and turn on the shower, I noticed the four long purple lines winding around my upper right arm. They throbbed absently as I imagined Alex’s hand fitting there. I shrugged and turned on the hot water so it was scalding.
It’s not like it was the first time I had a bruise because of him.
The shower was awesome. It calmed my raw nerves and helped me brush of the dream. Once I was out, I dressed lightly and paused next to my bed.
Downstairs, I heard mom open the door and start talking. It was too muffled to understand. Since she answered, I assumed dad was at work already. Silently, I slipped down the hallway and leaned over the railing.
“Alex,” Mom said. I could only see the back of her head.
“Mrs. Brandson,” Alex mimicked her tone.
“What brings you here?” she asked, tilting her head. Oh, my God. She had to be kidding.
Alex smiled and his gaze went directly to where I was, hiding behind the railing. I didn’t move, but I was a little freaked. How had he known I was there?
“Oh, you know, Kyra.” he said to my mom, dropping his eyes back to her.
Mom laughed. “Oh,”
Time to intervene.
I walked down the stairs and glared at Alex behind mom’s back. He should have told me he was coming first.
“Alex?” I asked darkly, shrugging past my mom and coming closer to him. Mom jumped and lost her smile.
“Hey, just talkin’ with your mom here.” He said, reaching for my hand. I drew my arms up around me and folded them across my chest.
“Great. Let’s go upstairs. I haven’t shown you my room yet.”
Apparently, Alex wasn’t the only one who caught the double meaning of my words. Mom snickered. “I’ll be in the living room. Leave your door open.”
I froze. She was supposed to go grocery shopping. And…she couldn’t be serious. that had never been a rule at our old house. Why now? I instantly regretted baiting her yesterday.
Even Alex’s face darkened.
“Why?” I demanded, glaring at her. “I never had to do that before, so I’m not doing that now.” She couldn’t make me. I wouldn’t let her. She didn’t act like my mom, so she didn’t get to boss me around like one. Her own fault.
“Excuse me? I am your mother! You will—”
“Yeah, right. Bye! Be back later!” I snapped, stopping her ‘mom’ speech before it began. I knew she’d talk to my dad about it. I’d probably be ‘grounded’. Ha ha. Sure.
I dragged Alex behind me and slammed the door in my mom’s protesting face.
Alex laughed. “Man—I love you so much, Kyra. That attitude,” He nodded at my house then at me. “is what makes you so damn awesome.”
I unlocked my Jeep and rolled my eyes as we got in.
“So. Where to?” Alex asked as I pulled onto the street.
I thought about it.
“Well, not your place ’cause it’s a shithole and your brother always tries to hit on me, so…” I trailed off and turned a corner.
I drove aimlessly, flicking ashes out of my window and chewing my lip, tasting the silver from my lip-ring.
“Isn’t that your new school?” Alex asked, pointing ahead.
I looked up at the huge school. Nine buildings, including the two gyms—not the new one being built. It looked like a rich kid school, for snotty skanks and stuck-up assholes.
Tomorrow was gonna suck.
“Yes, unfortunately. Why?”
Alex had his I’m-thinking-of-something-that-could-get-us-in-trouble face on.
“What? Alex…” I shook his arm roughly.
He glared at me. “Shut-up! I’m thinking.”
I shrugged and kept driving straight. He was quiet for about three minutes, then he grinned wide.
“You want to make an impression? Before you get there? Turn into that Wal-Mart up ahead.” His voice was excited.
I threw my cigarette out the window then did as instructed. I parked the car, then turned to him.
“All right. What are we doing?”
“How ’bout spray painting the school? Like graffiti?”
I grinned back at him. “You are such a genius. Yes!”
I pulled my keys out of the ignition and headed out, Alex trailing behind me.
“Got your I.D?” I asked as we entered the store.
Some kid was screaming bloody murder in the clothes section while his mom was screaming at him to stop. I clenched my fists.
“Shit! No! What’re we going to do? I’d just take ’em but those things are locked behind some glass.” Alex spit at an old man glaring at us and tripped a little girl as we passed so she tumbled into a pile of rose bushes.
Thorns hurt, I knew.
I bit my lip, torn. I wanted to laugh as she burst into tears, because it looked so funny, but at the same time that poor girl didn’t deserve that. I settled on glaring at Alex. He just shrugged.
We rounded a corner and watched an old man in his late forties unlock the spray paint section and hand a woman two purple cans.
I looked at the man and suddenly had an idea.
“Have faith in me, Alex.” I whispered and nodded to the open door swinging behind the man as he talked with the woman.
Alex raised both eyebrows and grinned.
I cut through another aisle beside the one the man was in and rounded to the end of that aisle, watching as the man said bye to the woman. Before he turned to see Alex taking a few cans, I let out the best “Help me” scream I’d ever made.
The man paused what he was doing, looked down the aisle and saw me, then ran at me.
I gripped my ankle and let fake tears slide down my cheeks.
“What is it? Your foot? Oh, no! Did you fall?” the man—Will, according to his nametag—said kindly, leaning down to help me.
“Yeah. I’m such a klutz.” I whimpered, my voice weak and unthreatening.
Alex took the two cans of black paint he had in his hands and walked to the aisle across the way. There, he set the cans behind a box on the middle shelf, then turned and watched me.
Will, the man leaning down to help me, looked like a tired old dad that worked too many hours for not enough pay. I almost felt bad.
Almost.
“Do you nee—”
I cut him off. “Shut-up. I’m fine.” I stood up and wiped the fake tears off my face, regaining my normal voice. I looked down at Will pityingly. “Get a better job, dude. You look like shit.” Then I sauntered off towards Alex, who grabbed the paint and led me to the check out lines.
I raised an eyebrow. He shrugged.
“Too big to steal.” Then he grinned. “Good job.” He winked.
“Oscar worthy performance, right?” I asked, taking the cans and standing in line. Usually, they never actually gave you the paint unless they already asked for your I.D so I wasn’t worried.
“Yes,”
We were next in line so I set the cans down and leaned against the stand of candy.
“C’mon Em, just choose one. I can’t pay for both.” A deep voice in front of us said.
I peeked over to see a guy, maybe seventeen, with jet-black hair, facing a girl about the same age with blond hair cut in a bob, and a pug face. I couldn’t see the guy’s face because his back was to me.
“Why? Sla-ade!” she whined, breaking his name into two syllables.
His hands clenched and he turned to look back at us in apology.
My body went cold as a feeling I’d never felt before passed through me like an electric current.
His eyes were the most beautiful shade of gray I’d ever seen. His face was all sharp features, that, taken apart would be awful, but thrown together were gorgeous.
The guy, Slade, turned back to the girl. Since they didn’t resemble each other, I assumed it was his girlfriend.
“Pick one, or none.” He growled.
I stepped away from the candy to see what she was complaining about. I almost slapped the chick. It was nailpolish.
Oh, my God you stupid bitch! Just pick one! Who really gives a fuck?
Alex snickered behind me. “Jeez. Stupid bitch.”
I laughed.
Slade turned back to us. “I am so sorry.” His voice was rough.
I liked it.
I looked him in the eye. “You don’t need to apologize.”
The cashier grimaced. She looked just as mad as I felt.
“Fine! Fine! I’ll get none since some people—” The girl pointed a glare at me. “—are rude. I am your girlfriend Slade. Defend me.” she ordered, then stomped off like a pouting five year old.
Slade sighed, mumbled something I didn’t hear, paid for everything but neither nailpolish then walked off after her.
“Sheesh,” Alex snorted.
“I know!” I agreed, handing the cashier a ten. She bagged our cans with no problem then went on to the next people in line.
That was easy.
Alex followed me back out the my Jeep laughing about the little excitement in the store all the way to my car.
Then it hit me.
“Wait—what are we gonna paint?” I asked.
Alex stopped, then grinned. “Wait till we get there.”
I couldn’t resist the evil grin on his face. I grinned back, only half paying attention, because I could see Slade down the street, and that cold feeling passed through me again.
