Rell and The Rose

Ch. 11, The Girl in the Kitchen

Bastien

Every part of my body hurt. All I wanted to do was forget the night had ever happened.

Carter was missing, and another student, a freshman I'd never met. I pushed away the horrible, nagging thoughts about what might have happened to him. What might have happened to all of them.

Moonlight cut through the forest limbs, and even though I could have, I didn't walk quietly. There was something about the silence in the trees that bothered me. Dasan and Clara would both be asleep by now, and my father was gone on another one of his seemingly endless business trips; I wasn't going to wake anyone. In fact, I wanted to scream and break something, just to see if anyone would care.

My father was part of the reason I'd dated Cat for so long, even when I knew things weren't right between us. It was nice to have at least an adoptive family, to have someone who actually cared if I came home. Dasan was visiting, for now, but even Dasan came and went with no explanation. He said it was "old age calling to him". But I knew the truth.

Everyone left eventually.

I jumped over a log, wincing a bit as blood trickled down my side. I wiped it up before it could stain my jeans, smearing it instead across my abdomen. Dasan had insisted I train all summer, and even if I was stronger than I'd ever been, I couldn't go out for the team. Yet another reason it was better that my father wasn't here. He was much harder to lie to than Dasan and Clara, because he was such an accomplished liar himself. We'll celebrate your birthday next week. I'll be home for Christmas. Promise, I'll make it to your next game. It barely even stung anymore.

One less person to pretend for. One less person I had to wonder if they were safe.

I jumped the small yard fence, the sudden moonlight and expense of short grass opening up before me. The kitchen was dark, which I was thankful for, as it meant no one would interrupt me. For a moment I considered going to the gym and pummeling out my frustrations, or taking a swim, but then a cool breeze sprung up across the grass, and goosebumps pimpled my flesh. I suddenly wanted nothing more than to crawl into my bed and never wake up. Maybe I could convince Dasan I was too sick to go to school tomorrow. I smiled when I thought of how I'd be treated to stories of how he'd walked five miles to school every day, surviving coyotes and brigands on the way, through hail the size of golfballs and blistering heat.

No, I'd definitely be going to Shadowglen High.

And the school would be rife with rumours. I wondered how long till they included me.

I slid open the glassdoor and reached over, meaning to flick on the light for the kitchen, when I realized there was another dark form in the kitchen.

The form moved forward and a blind panic filled me. No! It couldn't be! I flicked the switch and the kitchen exploded with light.

And I was suddenly even more confused.

"What the hell!? Who are you—GET OUT!"

I held up my fists, for one wild moment preparing myself to fight, when I realized it was a girl who stood before. She was tall, with wild blonde hair, dark eyebrows over large perspective eyes, and undeniably beautiful. But the oddest thing about her was the way she stood, a wide but steady stance, confident, yet assertive, as if she were defending this place. As if I were the intruder.

"Who are you?" she said, so confidently, that I recovered, anger replacing shock.

"I live here! Who the hell are you!?"

"Oh. I thought you were an intruder." She paused. Then as if an afterthought added. "I apologize." Only she didn't seem sorry at all. In fact, the way her eyes traveled over my body, lingering on the wound, she seemed curious. I might have blushed if not for the fact I was pissed.