#26: Jumping the Gun

Warning: The following material may be upsetting to some fans. Please do not send me hate mail.

“Dessy, could we do something normal together? I feel like …”

 

I was drifting in and out as my Angie-Bee spoke.  It was hard to focus on one voice when I could hear every movement in the house.  Angie’s heart pounded in her chest.  Down the hall, Christy sang along to a record that bounced slightly off the track every three or four seconds.  I could hear a sink running below us, as well as Angie’s parents talking.  Ricky sounded angry about something or another.  Jane’s voice was high, as if she was trying to beg or plead with her husband.

 

“…me later today?”

 

I smirked quickly to cover my tracks.

 

“Sure, doll,” I assured her, “Anything for you.”  Though I had no idea what she had just asked.

 

I tried again to focus, but I was distracted by stomping footsteps.  They were definitely on the stairs.

 

“…on my mind.  I don’t know how to ask…”

 

The doorknob rattled.  On instinct, I twisted my body and hid behind the door, leaving Angie standing awkwardly in the middle of her room, only halfway through her sentence.  As the door opened, I misted up towards the ceiling to wait.

 

Standing in the door frame, Ricky glared at Angie, who blinked in confusion.  I remembered suddenly that she had never seen my abilities before.

 

“Where is he?” Rick grumbled.

 

“A- wh-what?”

 

“I heard you,” he scowled.  “I heard the two of you talking.  I know he’s in here.”

 

I hoped with everything I had that he would give up quickly.

 

“Daddy…” Angie sighed.

 

“No ‘Daddy’ this time, Angie.  You were fine the other night.  He did something to you.  Drugs?  Something!”

 

What?

 

The momentary slip of concentration dropped me to the floor.  Literally.

 

Ricky whipped furiously at the thud I made.  I had a fraction of a second to think as he came towards me as fast as his human legs would allow.  I could run for it, which would only delay whatever was going on, or I could fight, which had a whole list of bad consequences that I could never explain.  I blinked in sudden realization that I had a third option.

 

The huge man grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and pushed me into a wall.  I faked a yelp and tugged weakly at his hands in artificial mortality.

 

“WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?” he bellowed at me.

 

I whimpered, “Please, please, Sir, I didn’t do anything.  I swear!”

 

I heard him growl in frustration, but his grip loosened very slightly.  I kept my “scared -to-death” face on, just in case.

 

“Then what happened the other night?” he snarled.

 

“I don’t know,” I confessed.  “What happened?”

 

“Angie fainted after you left.”

 

“Oh, gosh,” I whimpered.  “No, Sir, I didn’t know about that.  She was saying that she was a bit light-headed.  And she’s been in the hospital so much lately…  I told her not to get up.  She was fine when I left, though, Sir.  Just laying down, resting.  I had no idea, Sir…  I had no idea…”

 

The whole time I said this, my thoughts were on my guilt.  I’d had too much, taken too much blood.  I was also hoping that I was not expected to cry, because that was flat out impossible.

 

I felt Ricky release me, and I slid to the floor, eyes shut in relief.  I tried to push the fog out of my mind with deep breaths.  Footsteps coming up the stairs and Ricky’s voice muttering a hesitant apology to Angie attempted to distract me, but I kept taking solid, deep breaths.  I heard Jane in the hall and Ricky leaving to talk to her.  I opened my eyes when I could hear Christy’s record again.

 

Angie-Bee’s face hovered less than a foot away from mine.  Her blue-grey eyes were clouded over with worry and the start of tears.

 

She whimpered, “I’m sorry, Des.  I didn’t know you were so tired from-.”

 

“I’m not,” I declared quietly, “tired.  I’ll be okay, Angie-Bee.  I’ll be okay.”

 

Angie shifted uncomfortably as I sat, stone solid, on her floor.

 

“Dessy…”

 

“I have to go,” I mumbled.

 

Blinking, Angie stammered, “W-wha?  You just got here.”

 

I stood up and glanced down at Angelica quickly.  Then I swept towards the window, stopping to turn back before I jumped.

 

“Don’t look for me.”

 

I misted away before Angelica could respond.

Author's Note

Notes to my co-author:
Yes, I totally just dumped you. Sorry. I'm working on this. Do not, do not, do not write me into the next chapter unless I'm a memory or a delusion. I have things I need to handle.

Notes to my readers:
Tell me if anything seems off. Also, please don't tell me that I'm a miniature Stephanie Meyer. There is NOTHING that would make me madder. I am NOT finished yet!

ENJOY!