Nineteen

 

 

 

“So who was the person who saved you?” I asked as he walked me back to my house. In the Reverie it was daylight but we were all alone and the temperature was perfect. I marveled that I had the best dates with Eli, though we never actually went anywhere.

“Hmm?” he asked distractedly.

“You said someone saved you from the tree that day. Who was it?”

“Oh. No one. We’ll save that part of the story for another night, ok?”

“Ok,” I answered. “So…the carnival is tomorrow night.” I produced a pout that would put Shirley Temple to shame. He laughed loudly and shook his head as he sat on my porch steps and pulled me into his lap.

“You’re very good at that.”

“At what?”

“Pouting,” he said pointedly.

“Oh. Well, yeah.”

“I would be here if I could. You know that.”

“I know. I’ll just go by my lonesome.”

“No, you will not Miss Hopkins. You are on house arrest until I get back,” he ordered sternly.

“Eli, I can’t just sit at home. This is the last time I’ll get to go. I’ll go with the Pastor and his family.”

“Oh, they go to the carnival too? That should be fine then. Just stay with them at all times.”

“What are you so worried about? Didn’t Enoch and Angelina follow you out of town?”

“Yeah, they did. I just don’t want to take any chances. I don’t want you alone.”

“Is there something you’re not telling me?”

“CB,” he chided. “Don’t worry so much, love.” I gulped at that word and then took a deep breath. He slid his hand up my spine and back down again as I stared at him. “It’s my job to worry.”

“I thought I saw someone following me today,” I said but his hand stopped moving on my back and I regretted bringing it up. “Something…I don’t know. It may be nothing but I could’ve sworn I saw something white moving and following me in the bushes.”

“Well, more reason to be extra careful. Please, Clara.”

“Sure,” I said and was a little confused at how he didn’t flip out about it.

“I better go and let you sleep.”

“Where are you?”

“I’m not going to say, just in case. But not too far. I couldn’t go very far from you.”

“Aha. Will I see you tomorrow night? When I get back from the carnival?”

“Yep, I’ll be right here waiting . Be careful.”

“I will. You too.”

He leaned down and kissed me, his fingers circling my wrist lovingly. His thumb rubbed my skin as his mouth moved and took mine deliciously. He then lifted me from his lap and with one final kiss to the top of my head, he turned to go.

He stopped to call over his shoulder.

“Have fun tomorrow night, why don’t you?”

“I’ll try,” I shot back. “My boyfriend’s out of town so it kind of sucks.”

He smirked and waved as he said, “Bye, Clara Belle. See you soon.”

“Bye.”

Then I opened my eyes to the plaster ceiling above my bed. After a few minutes of sulking, I fell asleep.

 

~ ~ ~

 

The next school day was pretty much the same, minus the lunchroom Tate scene. I talked to the Pastor and he said they were going to the carnival and I was welcome to tag along. He was surprised I wasn’t going with my friends. I said I was looking for a quiet night out.

On the way to the carnival as we walked, I could have sworn I saw that white thing again in the bushes as we passed. I looked closer but never saw anything and it would have been suspicious to go check, so I let it go. Reluctantly.

The Sweet Grass Carnival was in full swing when we arrived. The Ferris Wheel was the main attraction as always, with the line all the way back to the funnel cakes. I followed them around for a while before needing a break from the begging for more cotton candy. I went and got myself a diet soda and leaned against the side of the booth as I sipped it.

“Hey, Hopkins.”

I turned to see Ariel and Patrick sidling up to me. It was dark by now and the pavement under our feet looked as black as dark water under the dim lights of the booths and rides.

“Hey! What are you guys doing?”

“Waiting for the Ferris Wheel to open up a little,” Patrick explained. “They really should bring two. It’s ridiculous.”

“Yeah,” I answered, “I know. I didn’t get to ride at all last year.”

“Well, come with us. Where’s Eli?” he asked looking around for him.

“He’s not here.”

“Trouble in paradise?”

“Nah. He just had some things to do out of town,” I said quietly and decided to change the subject. “So, does Mrs. May have a booth? I could chow down on some sweet potato fries right now.”

“Yeah she does,” Ariel said and looped her arm through mine, “and they’re just as good as last year.”

Patrick flanked my other side and we laughed at some mimes who were horribly impersonating a cheerleading squad. I guess that was the point. Then we passed Mike, Dee and Sarah. The dance must have been over already.

Mike was throwing rings onto glass milk bottle necks and cursing every time he missed one…which was every time. Dee and Sarah saw us and I knew an altercation was inevitable. I sipped my soda and looked away but that only made it worse.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Dee yelled and slammed down her drink. “Really, Clara? You’re taking this whole revenge thing a little too far I think.”

“Excuse me?” I said, removing my arms from Pat and Ariel’s and made my way to stand in front of her. “Revenge?”

“We all get it, ok? You want revenge for what happened so you’re trying to embarrass us all by hanging out with freaks to diss us.”

“And what exactly was it that happened, Deidre?”

“You and Tate. That doesn’t have anything to do with the rest of us. We were your friends,” she said too softly and slowly for effect.

I laughed. Actually laughed. Patrick smirked in an ah-man-you’re-gonna-piss-her-off-so-bad way. Ariel just watched with a curious expression.

“Are you joking or are you really that delusional?” She started to speak but noticed my eyes then. She squinted and leaned in a little. “Contacts,” I muttered to her.

“So now you changed your eyes color too,” she mused to herself. “Where’s Eli?” she asked her voice sweet. “Did he get tired of you already?”

“He didn’t want to run into you,” I said and smirked to goad her. It worked as she then took to yelling instead of sweet talk.

“You’re ruining your senior year! It’s not like we’re Juniors and you can just make it all better next year. You’re tanking your reputation!”

“Are you for real right now?” My voice was shrill and confused.

“Of course I’m serious. Do you think your parents would be proud of you right now?” she asked and though all the breath left my body as if she punched me in the gut, I still saw her show coming into play. She twirled a lock of hair between her fingers and scratched the toe of her shoe on the pavement as Mike and Sarah stood behind her, watching as always. “All this; missing school, worrying the Pastor and his family with your erratic behavior, and this unfortunate business with poor Tate. He needed you, Clara. He’s hurting right now and you just threw him away because he made a few mistakes. We’re all just human, but that apparently isn’t good enough for you.”

I felt my eyes pop out but I held it together. Mostly.

“After everything you did to me, you think I’m going to fall for that act?”

She looked back at Sarah and they shared a sympathetic glance at my expense. Then she looked back to me and said, “Deflection of responsibility is one of the steps of denial, I’m pretty sure.”

“Yeah, but you skipped a few,” I spouted back sarcastically. “Tate was my business and it was my decision how to handle it, not yours. Just because you screwed him behind my back doesn’t mean that you had a say in our relationship.”

Sarah’s eyes went wide for a second. Mike just laughed. He loved conflict and goading, no matter where it was directed.

“Why don’t you just go public with that, Clara!” she yelled and then took a small step forward, visibly calming. “Besides, it’s your boyfriend’s responsibility to be faithful to you. I didn’t make him cheat, I was just the means. He used me too, you know.”

“And now you want my sympathy?”

“I miss you. We used to be friends.”

“Before you slept with my boyfriend! No, scratch that. Way before that did you stop being my friend. I can’t even remember when the last time you were actually my friend was. Probably in seventh grade, before you got your boobs.” Patrick and Mike burst out laughing as Dee gasped and covered her chest in instinct. “But then you became a royal witch. You think you can do whatever you want to whoever you want and it’s all ok just because you are who you are and your purpose is the only one that matters. That doesn’t make you special, it makes you a terrorist.”

She began to boil, I could see it, and the others had long since stopped laughing. I was hitting a nerve now, and I wasn’t about to stop.

“And yes, it was Tate’s responsibility to not cheat on me. But it was your responsibility to be my friend the way you say you are. And friends don’t sleep with each other’s boyfriends and friends don’t pour chili on the heads of guys that our friends have secret crushes on.”

Sarah’s mouth opened but she kept silent as she glanced at Patrick and flushed bright enough to see in the dark. I glanced at him to apologize bringing up the chili thing but he was looking at Sarah with a little smile. OK… moving on.

“You were never my friend. Stop being a pretender, Deidre. You’re a nasty witch, just own it. Let’s go,” I told Pat and Ariel, who had stayed strangely silent the whole time.

Patrick waved to Sarah who pressed her lips to stop a smile and waved her fingers discreetly at him before turning to a fuming Dee. She marched towards us.

“You don’t get to walk off like that! I haven’t had my say yet!”

“I’m done with it.”

“But Tate will be here soon. He was supposed to meet us. Don’t you want to see him or are you too guilt ridden to see the hurt you put on his face?”

I turned, rolling my eyes, and as if fate was playing a lead role in the Broadway production that was the night so far, Tate was there already. He was standing against the spinning paint booth and he wasn’t alone. Megan was grinding against him in a way that should be private and not seen with eyes that could sizzle into oblivion for it. He wasn’t exactly fighting her off, given by the hands on her butt and the way his lips were giving her neck a massive hickey that would be impossible to cover up the next day.

Deidre saw at the same time I did and yelled at him.

“Tate!”

He jerked his attention towards us and pushed Megan off, who straightened up and tried to appear normal as she flounced towards Dee.

“Dee-“ he started but then saw me and he really did look guilty. It was ridiculous. He wanted me back but couldn’t stop making out with the school easies! “Clara,” he sighed. “I didn’t think I’d see you here.”

I chuckled and glanced back at Dee.

“Oh, yeah, he’s really hurting. And he’s all yours.”

I looped my arms through Pat and Ariel’s once again and kept walking amid their yells and fighting behind us.

“Good work, Hopkins,” Patrick praised. “Nicely done.”

“Yeah, seriously,” Ariel agreed. “That was better than watching the Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

I laughed, though I had no idea what she was talking about, and took another sip of my soda but almost choked on it when I saw someone in front of us that I hadn’t expected.

“Clara,” Mara sang. I stared in silent disbelief. Eli’s sister was still here? Why? “Hi, there.”

“What are you still doing here?” I asked and came forward a little to stand in front of Pat and Ariel. It was weird how I had become some kind of protector for them. “Why aren’t you with the tramp?” I sneered and she slapped the soda from my hand to the pavement. “Hey!”

“I suggest your friends run along and play unless you want them to join us.” She gave a cursory glance to Ariel but lingered on Pat. “Mm. He’s pretty yummy.”

I turned to them as I said, “Go ahead and get in line for the Ferris Wheel, why don’t you? I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Are you ok here?” Pat asked.

“Yeah, just an old…friend. I’ll be done in no time.”

He nodded and they walked away as I turned back to her.

“Does Angelina know you’re still here?”

“Stupid feeler. You have no idea how big this is. This is not about some age old squabble between my brother and Angelina. This is about this,” she said and grabbed my wrist, but very gently. I saw our wrists were connected by the string. “You’re bound to him and you sealed both of your fates.”

“He left,” I said steadily, proud of my composure. “He spent the night with Angelina. I told him to go away and he did.”

“Wow. You really think we’re stupid don’t you? Surely Elijah can’t be this stupid too. He had to know the Horde didn’t leave.”

“They didn’t?” I said and couldn’t hide my fear any longer. The proof was when her lips opened and her tongue snaked out to lick them. ”Why not?”

“Because they knew he was lying. And now here’s the proof.”

“You’re going to turn us into the Horde?” I asked and racked my brain for a plan.

“I won’t have to.” She grabbed my sleeve and turned me to face the back of the building we were next to. There stood Hatch. “Not only are they here, but I’m one of them,” she whispered into my ear from behind.

“You work for the Horde to kill your own kind. Charming,” I said and let the sarcasm wash over me to keep away the shivers of fright.

“Clara, I presume,” Hatch said.