Be Careful Who You Trust Chapter 5.2

“I am done with your shit! You think you can just hit me and use me but I am not your punching bag! I am me. Your daughter! Get your head out of your ass and realize that as soon as I can, I’m outta here! You says the Bordens are bad? Take a good look in the mirror you asshole!” I screamed in his ear even though my head was throbbing with every word. Mom was standing further away from me, whimpering like I was some stranger here to murder them.

I’m the dramatic one?

I let go of his arm and booked it out of the house, quickly grabbing my sweater lying on the stand by the door. I didn’t know where I was going to go. I was definitely not going to Jen or Austin. Nathan was probably sleeping and I didn’t want to talk to James about this.

I just kept running. I didn’t take notice where I was going or if my parents decided to follow me. I just ran. Eventually, I ran out of breath completely and my head couldn’t take how rapid my heartbeat was. My world was already spinning so the steady throb of my heart in my ears really wasn’t helping the situation.

Now that I stopped, I looked around to see where exactly my feet had brought me. The park was just a block away so I made my way for it. Sitting on the swings - probably crying - sounded about my speed right now. Between lack of sleep and crazy emotions, crying was the best option for me. A good way to relieve just how angry I was. That anger would turn to sadness and that sadness would turn to depression.

This really was a lousy week.

Not to mention I most likely have an even bigger punishment than before. You know, attacking my Dad would probably add a whole shitload of work onto my already busy schedule. I didn’t regret it though. I have been his little toy for long enough.

I heard somewhere that a teenager can legally leave the house at sixteen. I would have to look that up because I am one hundred percent done with my parents shit.

Mom wasn’t physically abusive like my Dad but she sure had a knack for making me feel like dirt. Especially since I’m homeschooled. She always finds a way to remind me that I got kicked out of school for low grades. She always blamed that on me even though it was her fault. No matter how much homework I had or how much studying I needed to do, she would find something else for me. She made me take off so many days because she was “too sick” to clean the house.

About seven years ago Mom had some kidney stones and had to have them removed surgically. I’ve researched it a million times and that surgery makes you feel better, not worse. I talked to her doctors and they told me it was a clean, easy surgery. Long story short, Mom always found a way to make my life pure hell. She even spread rumors about Nathan and me once. That was her way of telling me she didn’t approve of him. Real mature of her.

I walked slowly down the sidewalk towards the park. I felt a little uneasy walking on my own. The sun may have been out but it wasn’t completely daylight yet which left deep shadows everywhere. I didn’t know if the whole “vampire burn in the sun” thing was real but somehow I felt like it was. Something about nighttime seemed to fit their profile.

Yes, that is one thing that’s true about us. Zander popped in my head. Weirdly, I felt comforted that I wasn’t alone. I didn’t seem to remember that he was a vampire who promised me my own blood. Funny how a lonely teenage girl forgets about a guy’s flaws.

You mean I actually know something about you? That’s surprising. I wasn’t sure if thinking it would let him hear me but I gave it a shot.

You know several things about me. You just don’t know if they’re true or not.

Apparently just thinking is like talking to him. I hoped he couldn’t hear my thoughts without me wanting him to. That would be embarrassing and totally creepy.

Like what? I was interested in what I supposedly knew about him.

Well, to start, we can’t walk in daylight or else we burn. If we stay out long enough, we’ll turn to dust just like if we are stabbed with a wooden stake. It is also true that we can’t enter anyone’s house without being invited but you only have to invite us in once. After that, we can enter at will.

The feeling of him speaking in my head was weird. It felt a little like a head rush but not quite so unbalancing. My vision would blur for a split second and then go back to normal. It was actually kind of annoying.

I walked into the park and made my way to the swings. I sat down and made myself comfortable before asking him a question.

So, how are we able to communicate like this? I asked. I dreaded the answer because the last time he went on something about being my soulmate.

How or why? How, I have no idea. Why, is another thing entirely.

Ok, fine. Why are we able to communicate in a creepy, telepathic way?

I could feel him grinning. From what I got from this guy, he loved being incredibly annoying in serious situations. I suppose it did lighten the mood I was in but it was still irritating.

I waited for an answer. He was taking his sweet time replying to me. I wondered what he was going to say.

Finally, he decided to answer me.

Well, as I said before. We are technically “soulmates.” Before you get all huffy about it, let me tell you something. There is more than one soulmate out there for us. Sometimes people meet a soulmate at the wrong time in their life. Much against many people’s belief, your soulmate and life partner are quite different. A soulmate is a person that has potential to being your life partner but isn’t necessarily “the one.” In my case, we definitely met at the wrong time. I mean, about two hundred years too late.

Two hundred years old? That’s how old he is? Holy shit. I had the hots for someone who was old enough to be my great-great-great grandpa. How wrong was that? I mean, I was freaking out when I thought he was in his mid-twenties. I think I just found the true definition of a sugar daddy.

So basically what you’re telling me is that I’m going to be connected to you for my whole life? I’ve never heard of being telepathic before. Are you trying to tell me that every human’s love is fake?

He scoffed.

No. Only vampires can be connected to someone else. Basically how it’s supposed to work is that I find a soulmate that I really like and can see myself in the future with and then change her into a vampire. That way we can have eternity together.

I wasn’t sure what to think of that.

That’s kind of romantic in a creepy, sadistic way. You aren’t gonna do anything to me, right? I’m too annoying and girly…right? You know, I think I’ve used the word creepy more in the past twelve hours than I have in my whole life.

He chuckled, I haven’t decided.

What!? Obviously, just decide NO!

He didn’t answer and I could feel panic rise in my throat again. I really didn’t want to be a vampire. I wasn’t the perfect human but I was pretty sure being me would be better than some blood sucking atrocity. I would even take living with my parents over that. Maybe.

The fact that he wasn’t answering made me uneasy. Where was he now? Was he in that old building or was he stalking around? I wish I could just find someone who would explain things to me without having to be all mysterious and annoying.

I pulled out my iPhone with its ironic vampire case. It was of Damon from “The Vampire Diaries” TV show. If only I had known that my Damon fantasies would come true with a real vampire. Since when did that become a normal thing to think about? A real vampire, I mean.

I scoffed and rolled my eyes as I scrolled through my list of music. Stuffing my headphones in, I passed all sorts of genres. I sat there listening to literally every genre out there.

Too many emotions raged for me to pick what kind of music I wanted to listen to. I had already listened love songs, pop, country, rock, metal and even a bit of rap. I didn’t care too much for rap but there was the occasional song out there that really spoke to me. So far, they all were making me angry. Love songs made me think of Nathan which made me think of how much my parents hate him; country songs made me think of Jennifer and Austin; and pop songs made think of so many other things that angered me that my head felt like exploding.

Angry music seemed like the best option.

I started scrolling down my music again until I found the perfect song. This one was called, “Erase My Scars” by Evans Blue. Sure, it kind of sounds like a love song but it can really get me head banging. There is nothing lovey dovey about it. My favorite part was coming up, when the background singer comes in really strong with his hoarse, livid voice screaming “Break!” The drums go nuts at that part too.

I started to sing as I sat there sitting on the swings. Soon enough, the heavy music kicked in and I couldn’t take sitting still anymore. I jumped off of the swing and started walking again. My pace was a lot faster than it was before when I was just coming up to the park. I could feel my blood begin to pound faster and faster though my heart, urging me to speed up.

Eventually, I ignored my tired legs and set off at a jog. The music was blaring in my ears and the sun was beginning to warm me up. I had to take my sweater off as I ran block after block away from my house. I didn’t know when I should go back. Knowing my parents, they would make up some story about how I attacked Dad and then spread rumors that I was out all night with a young man. Well, I guess the latter one is true but they would totally switch up the story.

I pondered the possibility of charging Dad with abuse but like every other time it came to mind, I dismissed it. I may hate him but he was still my Dad and for some reason I could never understand, I still loved him. I would just have to suck it up and deal with it for a couple more years.

I glanced down at my watch. It had already been two and a half hours since I left. I sighed and made myself turn around. If I stayed out too long, it would only make the situation worse. They were probably out looking for me anyways so I hoped that I could sneak in before they got back. In reality, they were probably sitting on the couch discussing what to do with me.

That wasn’t a comforting thought.

Long before I wanted to be, I found myself on the front step of my house. I took a deep breath and opened the door, silently cursing how noisy it was. Slipping in, I made sure not to hit the stand right beside the door. All I needed was to make a mess for them to scream at me for.

“Katie?” It was Mom. She sounded off. Her voice was weak and I’ve learned over the years how to tell she was scared. I sighed deeply and made my way back into the living room, preparing myself for a big, dramatic talk. To my surprise, my nose was filled with a familiar, coppery smell.

No. A strong surge of bile formed in my throat.

With a new sense of urgency, I ran into the living room. What I saw was what I feared, only a whole lot worse. I looked around in shock. Every piece of furniture was torn and tipped on its side. The lamps had been knocked off their stands and glass was shattered everywhere. Dad’s limp body was laying in the corner, blood staining his clothes and the carpet around him. Mom was sitting on the couch with what looked like a knife sticking out of her stomach. Blood was steadily flowing out of the wound.

I rushed over to her, whimpering, “Mom!? Oh my gosh! What happened? Don’t tell me! I need to get an ambulance!”

I stood up and ran over to the phone. Why I didn’t get my cell in pocket, I didn’t know. I was just too overwhelmed to think properly. I quickly dialed 911 and could barely talk straight to tell them what my address was. I hung up the phone with them reassuring me that they would be here within five minutes.

I silently thanked God that the hospital was literally five minutes away from where I lived. If it didn’t, I’m not sure Mom would make it.

I ran back to Mom, who stubbornly wouldn’t take my order not to talk, “Katie, I’m sorry about today,” she gasped for breath but when she regained it, she continued, her hands trembling, “Please, don’t remember us like this. When we’re gone, think of us when we had our good times.”

She shuddered in a spasm of pain and I couldn’t stop myself from crying.

“Mom, you’re not going to die. I can’t live alone! I’m sixteen for heaven’s sake, you can’t leave me!”

My body was shaking as I held her weak hand in my own. She was about to say something when the ambulance guys burst in the front door. I scrambled to my feet to avoid getting trampled and gave their space to work with her. They put an oxygen mask on her immediately and carefully lifted her up onto the stretcher. Why they had white sheets, I didn’t know. It wasn’t like they were going to stay that nice.

One of the men that had gone over to Dad, said, “Male is deceased,” he glanced my way and turned to talk to the guy beside him, “Get her out of here. She doesn’t need this.”

I didn’t fight as he came over to me and ushered me out the door. Mom was already out of the house and being loaded into the ambulance. My eyes stuck to her like glue. She glanced my way and gave me a weak smile before she disappeared into the back of the ambulance.

The blue and red lights flashed on top of the vehicle and the piercing wail of the siren became distant as they drove away.

“Come this way ma’am.”

The man pulled me towards the second ambulance, which they loaded my Dad in. He opened the front door for me and gave me his arm to use to get in. I felt so weak. My body was trembling and I couldn’t stop the tears. Dad was dead. Mom was in critical condition. What if she didn’t make it? Where would I go? I had no idea what was in their will, if they ever got around to making one, and I didn’t want to be an orphan.

Once the man was in the driver’s seat, he asked me, “Do you have anywhere you can go until we know more about your Mom? I don’t think it would be a good idea for you to wait in the hospital.”

Between sobs, I answered him, “Yeah, do you know the Bordens?”

He nodded his head and putting a comforting hand on my arm he said, “Yes, I know them. I’ll get you there. Don’t worry.”

Don’t worry? How could I not worry? My Dad was dead and Mom was dying.

The drive there seemed like an eternity. The silence stretched on and I couldn’t shake the fact that my Dad’s dead body was just beyond the wall behind me. How had my life shattered in such a short amount of time?