Awaken Page 2

  “What’s so funny, lover boy?” the guy’s words took me back to that night. I did a double-take Sure as shit, he was the same guy from the night Rue stormed out. I sat the tray of drafts down casually, debating if I should keep my mouth shut, but the anger was still there. Hot and pulsating, waiting to erupt. My emotions won. “The thought of you with that girl. She’d have you on your ass in two seconds,” I said casually.

  “She can have me on my ass as long as she’s riding me on top,” the guy replied with a cocky grin. He barely got the words out before my arm was flying toward his face. CRACK. The sound of my fist slamming into his jaw echoed in my ears. He hit the floor hard and flipped over onto his back, looking up as if seeing me for the first time. My muscles tensed, preparing to fight them all. I was game if they were. I welcomed the challenge. Adrenaline filled my body. My eyes burned with rage. They would pay for my unchecked anger. I’d deal with the ramifications later. I stared down at the guy, egging him to make his move. He scrambled back with fear in his eyes.

  “Sorry about that, man,” he said, holding his jaw with one hand. I cocked my head as if I hadn’t heard him correctly. His buddies did the same. I eyed them to see if one of them would make a move. They did, only it was helping their friend up.

  “Come on, we’re out,” the guy motioned to his group. I took a step back for them to make their exit. My body was still tense, ready to fight. I watched them disappear through the crowd without another word.

  As they exited the bar, I shook my hand out, feeling the anger ebb with it. I took a breath, looking around to see if my uncle had witnessed any of it. Keep it in the ring! he’d growl, referencing my MMA fighting, as he’d grab me by the back of the neck, but seeing my uncle wasn’t doing either, I figured I was safe. The crowded bar had provided me with enough cover.

  The redhead caught my eye as I made my way back to the bar, but I was no longer interested. It was official. Rue had driven me mad. I was sure she’d love to know that.

  Three

  Rue

  I raced back home, feeling invisible eyes upon me. Inside I sprinted up the staircase to the second floor, throwing an apology over my shoulder to Felicity who had started lecturing me below. My response was so rare that it silenced her immediately. It wasn’t until I was tucked away upstairs and five minutes into my scalding shower that I attempted to process what had just happened. The water pounded my back, hitting the half-moon scars that were there. No matter how many years it had been, the skin was still pink and puffy. The tattoo that sprawled across my shoulders hid them from the rest of the world, but I knew they were there. I shook my head, refusing to let the childhood memories come to me because, just maybe, Felicity was right.

  I looked down at my body, my toned legs, stomach, and arms, stopping when I reached my hands. I examined my fingertips and flipped my hand over and then back once more. Everything looked completely normal, but it wasn’t. I wasn’t. Didn’t I already know that? I should have never been able to walk away from that car accident. But tonight had been something entirely different. Something that no amount of rationalizing could explain away.

  I stared hard at my fingertips as if expecting flames to flick out of them once more. It was unnatural, supernatural. My stomach clenched as I realized what that meant for me.

  And what it the hell had attacked me? I fought the images that replayed in my head and lost spectacularly. I could only block my thoughts so much. My breath felt shaky; I had to put my hand on my heart to slow myself and stop the panic attack that I felt building in my chest. Just breathe, I told myself. But my body didn’t listen as my chest tightened in response. The steam of the shower wasn’t helping. I could usually stop the attacks cold, but tonight I couldn’t. I sunk to the bottom of the tub. My knees pulled tight to my chest. The water sprayed down on my legs as I broke down.

  The fear was winning. I needed air.

  I stood on shaky legs and stepped out of the shower. Water puddled on the floor as I stood there, hands on the counter, staring at my opaque reflection in the mirror. A defiant expression greeted me. This panic attack was not going to break me. I held onto that thought, and my reflection, knowing those words were true. The vice that gripped my chest started to release. I took a full exhale and welcomed the return of air to my lungs. Then I spotted it. I used my bare hand to wipe away the steam on the mirror.

  I hadn’t imagined it.

  A streak of white hair ran through my regular dark locks. The contrast was unnerving. I twirled the wet strands with my finger, bringing it closer to my eyes to examine it. Even tugging at a little bit to see it was real. It was. It was as if the strands had been drained of pigment. My hands tore through the rest of my hair, combing it and bringing it before my eyes. I turned a full circle to make sure the rest of it looked normal. Thankfully it was. I fingered the hair once more. “What in the world is going on?” I asked my reflection. My blue eyes stared back at me, swimming in a sea of confusion. I only hoped that I wouldn’t drown before I found the answers.

  As much as my mind had wanted answers, my body wasn’t having any of it. I needed to sleep. I was convinced that it wouldn’t come, or if it did, it would be filled with the terror that stalked my subconscious--the screams, blood, and fear from my childhood. The visions caused my heart to pound in my chest, choked my breath, and suffocated me. But before I could force myself to face reality, my eyelids grew heavy, the world went dark, and I slept.

  My cell phone woke me up in the morning. It was a text from Izzy, my best friend, and unfortunately Drake’s younger cousin. Drake lived with his uncle and two cousins Kate and Izzy in a two-story brownstone next to his uncle’s bar. I hadn’t meant to avoid her, but it was just hard seeing I was trying to separate my mind from my heart, and she lived with the guy that was the cause of it all.

  I read Izzy’s text. It was a picture of Arrow Evans, the lead singer of Ashes. With his ripped body and tattoos, he was a sight. I smiled at the image until he reminded me of another ripped, tattooed guy. Damn Drake. He had to ruin everything.

  A second later Izzy texted a picture of a stopwatch and the words, “Are you excited?!” underneath it. It took my sleep-addled brain a moment to realize what she meant by it. I groaned once I did — the concert. I gave an audible sigh. What was I going to do about it? The three of us, Izzy, Drake, and I had bought a pack of tickets for the Phoenix Rising Tour before “the incident.” Annoyance was quickly replaced with anger as I thought about missing the concert. Ashes was my favorite band. And Arrow Evans? Damn. I did not want to miss him. The more I thought about it, the angrier I became. This was the worst part about breaking up, trying to untangle your life from the other person’s, while still being true to yourself. Before I had been psyched for the concert, and if I was honest with myself, I still was.

  “You know what, screw him!” I said louder than I meant to. I threw my down comforter aside and stepped out of bed. I could care less if Drake was at the same venue as I was. Thousands of people would be there. I wasn’t going to miss it just because of Drake. And we had to come up with a new ride.

  Izzy called my phone a minute later while I was squeezing the life out of the toothpaste tube. Blue and white-streaked goo oozed all over the white countertop.

  “What’s the game plan?” I asked, toothbrush hanging out of my mouth.

  Izzy understood me anyway. “That’s what I want to talk to you about. Promise you’ll still go?”

  “What?” I spat the word out along with a mouthful of suds. This wasn’t going to be good.

  “It’s just my dad won’t let me go unless Drake goes, and you know I love Ashes as much as you. I don’t want to miss this. It’s the first time they’ve come here in like what, three years?” Izzy pleaded, “And who knows when they’re ever going to come back again, if ever! Seriously, don’t make me miss Arrow Evans. I will hate you forever.” We both knew that she wouldn’t hate me, but I didn’t want to have her miss it either.

  “Are you sure your dad w
on’t let you go with just me?”

  “Yeah, right. You know he’s just as overprotective as Felicity. Plus I already asked him that, thinking about you and Drake. But seriously, let’s go with him. Drake can be our ride, and then we’ll ditch him when we get there.”

  I made a stink face. That sounded like a horrible plan. Seriously, I’d rather hitchhike and take my chances with a psychopath.

  “Rue, please.”

  “I don’t want to go with Drake.”

  “But you do still want to go, right? And you’re not going to go alone, are you?”

  I thought about it. No, I wanted Izzy there too. She was the only fun in my life.

  “Rue?”

  “Still thinking.” I stared at the white streak in my hair. Wasn’t I always telling Felicity that I was an adult now? And wasn’t being civil to an ex-boyfriend the adult thing to do? Okay, so granted we were only pretending to be polite to use him for a ride, but it was a start. I exhaled loudly before replying, “Fine, but you need to clear it with Drake first. I’m not going to show up at your house and expect a ride without him knowing about it.” And I sure as hell wasn’t about to text him asking for one. This was already crossing a line—one that I had to be firm with. I could never trust Drake again.

  I hung up with Izzy and looked down at my toothbrush. White-hot fire licked up the handle, turning the bristles black. The melted plastic twisted in my hand. “Son of a—” I dropped the remnants in the sink and turned on the tap. Smoke rose in the air. I flipped on the bathroom fan and opened the side window, hoping the fresh air would take the smell of burnt plastic out with it. I looked back at my hands, what was happening to me?

  Felicity’s voice carried down the hall.

  “Rosalie, are you awake?” I cringed at the use of my legal name. I was never a Rosalie. To me, the name implied a girl who loved dressing up in princess gowns and having tea parties. It was Drake who nicknamed me Rue, as in rue the day that I met you. Pretty sure he meant it as an insult, but I liked it, so I stuck with it. Everyone who knew me now called me Rue, except for Felicity.

  Felicity knocked on my bedroom door. I ducked back into my bathroom and shut the door, quickly turning on the shower. My bedroom door didn’t lock, but the bathroom one did.

  A moment later, Felicity was outside my bathroom door.

  “Rosalie?” her concerned voice carried through the gap under the door. Felicity never left for work without checking on me. The woman had no idea how to loosen the parental leash. I wondered yet again how she’d handle it when I left. I purposely hadn’t shared with her my plans, knowing full well that she’d try and talk me out of them every second she got, and make me feel horrible in the process. Felicity still thought I was attending the local community college in the fall and majoring in finance as she had. Heck, she’d love it if I followed her footsteps right down to her risk assessment office. But that was never my plan—our plan. Drake had wanted the same things as me—to explore the world; taste what life had to offer—or so he said. The liar. So now the global expedition had turned into a solo mission. One that I was ready to embark on.

  “Yeah?” I hollered back.

  “Are you okay? It’s early.”

  It was no secret that I loved my sleep. “I told Caleb I’d pick up first shift this morning,” which wasn’t a total lie. I did have to work, but I wasn’t scheduled to clock in at the coffee shop for another couple of hours.

  “Oh, well didn’t you take a shower last night?”

  “And?” I replied. Nothing got by the woman, which was why I was hiding. She’d see the white streak in my hair and assume I had some fatal disease or neurological problem, which would’ve been easier to explain than the truth.

  “Are you sure you feel okay?” Felicity asked.

  “Yep, just tired. Hopping in now,” I said even though I was fully dressed.

  “Call me after work and don’t drink too much caffeine. It’s not good for you.”

  I tried not to roll my eyes and reminded myself that Felicity was just a natural worrier, but the truth was, her obsessive personality drove me nuts. We were such opposites, and I was tired of being suffocated by her fear. No matter how traumatic my childhood was, I was convinced Felicity was the cause of my anxiety.

  “Rosalie?” Felicity asked again.

  “What?”

  “Call me, okay?”

  “Yes, fine. I will.”

  Felicity stood outside the door for another full minute before finally walking away. I waited another ten minutes before turning the shower off and even then, spent more time in the bathroom than necessary. When I emerged, Felicity had left for work, and I found Mya downstairs. A bowl of chocolate ice cream in front of her.

  “You rebel you,” I joked with my younger sister. Ice cream wasn’t on Felicity’s list of approved breakfast food. I got out my own bowl and spoon.

  Mya looked abash. “I needed a little pick me up.” She motioned to the stack of books next to her.

  “Have you been up all night studying?” I was horrified at the thought.

  With her fuzzy pink slippers and her blue terry bathrobe, Mya looked much younger than the fourteen-year-old girl she was. “Yeah, I’m taking the PSAT tomorrow,” she said with dread in her voice.

  I looked back at her wide-eyed. “Yikes!” Felicity had tried to get me to take college prep exams. I downright refused. “You don’t have to take those tests. You know that, right?”

  “It’s not that. I want to know how I rank. I’m just nervous that I’m going to blow it.”

  “You’re not going to blow it. I have all the confidence in you. Just think of it like any other test, and you’ll do awesome. Trust me.” I gave Mya a level stare. Bless her heart. She still looked uncertain. But I had meant every word I said. Mya was naturally gifted in the brains department. The only thing she lacked was confidence, and I blamed that on our mother. Felicity was an expert at making you fear worse-case scenarios.

  “Why don’t you go upstairs and try to get some sleep? I’ll go ahead and clean up down here.” And by cleaning up, I meant putting Mya’s bowl in the sink. She had already washed the spoon she had used to scoop the ice cream with, and the countertop was spotless.

  “Thanks. I guess I am feeling a bit tired,” she said, standing and stretching.

  “The best thing you can do for yourself right now is to get some shut-eye. Let your brain rest, and you’ll be ready to rock ‘n’ roll tomorrow morning.”

  “I know you’re right. Thanks, Rue.”

  “Absolutely. And be sure to tell me how it goes. I’m working today and tomorrow, but I’ll be home for the afternoon. Maybe we can grab lunch or something?”

  “I can’t. I have my piano lesson.” At that, Mya did roll her eyes. That was our mother through and through. I made a mental note to call Mrs. Crane and cancel Mya’s lesson, and then we would go out to lunch. The kid deserved a break. And what Felicity didn’t know, wouldn’t kill her.

  Four

  Rue

  Thoughts of murder and monsters followed me to work as I clocked in for my morning shift at Brew-ha-ha, the eclectic coffee shop in downtown Windsor. The converted warehouse served as retail outlets for a skate and snowboard shop, record store, pizza joint, and wellness guru. We fit right in on the ground floor. The exposed bricks and scarred, wide-planked floors complemented the low-key vibe.

  I had just searched “Are demons real?” because surely that man who had attacked me was from hell when an older man started yelling at a couple across the room. From his insults, I quickly surmised that the couple, comprised of two men, had just shared a kiss, much to the disgust of the older male witness. Having said his fair share to the men, the older man turned his attention to us.

  “And you allow this here?” he asked, disgust thick in his voice.

  “Allow what exactly?” my boss replied. At six feet tall and full of muscle, Caleb was a force to reckon with.

  “You know damn well what I’m talking about. That
’s the problem with Canada these days. Gays thinking they can go wherever they want to.”

  “They can go wherever they want to,” I said without thinking.

  The older man flicked his hate-filled eyes at me. I held his gaze. This bastard had nothing on the creature that attacked me the night before.

  “You wouldn’t even be here if your parents were queer. Ever think of that?” the man yelled back at the couple.

  “Sir, you need to leave. This is a hate-free zone,” Caleb declared.

  The man eyed Caleb. He was a fool if he thought he could take him in a fight.

  Another co-worker, McKenna, stood up and moved to hold the front door open. I switched my phone to the keypad, ready to dial the police if needed.

  “Bunch of gay lovers, all of you!” The older man shouted.

  “That we are,” McKenna said with the door open. A gust of wind blew her pink hair all about.

  The older man looked around the shop, utterly disgusted with the lot of us, and marched out.

  “Well then, at least he didn’t insult us,” Caleb said to the room with a smile. “Next round’s on me.” Caleb circled his finger in the air, signaling drinks for everyone.

  “Hey, thanks, man.” One of the guys from the couple came up and said.

  Caleb gave a head nod back. “No problem.”

  “People can be such jerks,” I said mostly under my breath, but Caleb heard me.

  “That they can. So, what’s going on with you? You haven’t said two words all morning.” Caleb started lining cups up, and I walked over to help him, reluctantly putting my phone back in my pocket. Searching the internet was the safest way to distract me. I’d already started one dishtowel on fire. Next up I was looking up “spontaneous combustion,” or maybe I needed an exorcism.