chapter 6
Darrton
“Ill-bred fool!” I shouted into the night. Anger was swarming through my body and my wings took charge. There wasn’t any excuse for not killing her while I had the chance. Why did I tell her anything? Why did I tell her my plans? Why did I threaten to kill Trevor, when it meant nothing to me? You lie.
My body felt frigid in the air. There had to be an underlining reason why I couldn’t kill her. A reason why I wanted to touch her ivory skin. I was so close. Damn! So close to ruining any chance of contacting my brothers. I could fight this attraction. She was merely a child. A child who needed to grow up and mature. A child who was nothing more to me than a place for me to stay until I got better. I flapped my wings higher and felt my side. It was healing now.
I was healing now.
It wouldn’t be long before I could leave.
It wouldn’t be long before I killed her.
It wouldn’t be long before the ritual began.
It wouldn’t be long before there was nothing left of the world but my brothers and I. The Horsemen. The thought made my stomach tighten. That’s why I was chosen, right? I knew it was but it made my body quake and I wasn’t sure why?
Lizzie
“Earth to Lizzie,” Millie said, waving her hand full of Cheez-Its in front of my face.
“Huh?”
Trevor squeezed my hand from under the lunch room table. “You seem a little out of it today. Are you okay?”
“She’s seemed out of it since Monday. It’s Wednesday, Lizzie, time to get better, comrade.”
I faked a smile. “I’m fine, just tired.”
Brett chugged down the rest of his chocolate milk and wiped his milk mustache off. His shaggy blond hair moved when he shook his head. “But we were talking about the game Friday while you were in some other world. Do you want to go with Millie and meet up for the tailgate afterwards?”
I nodded. “Of course, that should be fun.”
Not that I didn’t think it would be fun to spend time with all of them, but I couldn’t stop thinking about Darrton. I hadn’t seen him since Sunday. He had been eating the food I set out, but I never saw him. It made my stomach feel sick. Where was he? Was he off killing someone? The entire situation was making my head hurt but just knowing he was roaming around scared me. What scared me more was that his “brothers” had to have his presence to perform this ritual. What if his brothers come here?
“Also,” Millie said. “I was thinking it might be time for a movie night. My parents are going loco about my room so maybe we could do it at your house?”
I choked on my Kool-Aid. “My house? I’m sorry, have you met my family?”
Millie rolled her eyes. “Your dad is never there, your mom doesn’t care, and Samantha...well we can handle that little wench.”
I sighed and covered my face. “I can ask my mom tonight.”
Brett nudged Millie and she gave him I’m-getting-to-it glare. “Um how about you call her now and ask?”
“You want to do it tonight? Why?”
She shrugged. “I have a Spanish test coming back tomorrow that I failed. If we wait until Thursday, they will say no. But by Friday they will have forgotten so I can go to the game. Just call her, Lizzie.”
Trevor glanced around and put his hand on mine to stop me from pulling out my phone. “Mrs. Ought’s at two o’clock. Maybe go to the bathroom?”
I looked over my shoulder. Mrs. Ought was patrolling the cafeteria. “Okay, guys, you owe me.”
“Oh, comrade, you know we love you.”
“You better,” I mumbled under my breath as I walked toward the bathroom.
There was no one in the bathroom. I checked like three times, looking under the stalls.
I dialed my mom’s number. “Hey, Mom.”
“Hey, Lizzie. Is everything all right? I’m kind of getting groceries right now. Did you start your period again and forget a tampon?”
I groaned. “No, Mom. I had another question. Do you think it would be okay for Millie, Trevor, Brett, and me to have a movie date tonight at the house?”
She giggled into the phone. “Of course, Lizzie. Why wouldn’t it be? Oh! I can make some of those asparagus cookies you guys liked so much last time.”
Gag me. “Uh, maybe some chocolate chip ones instead? Millie is allergic.” A little lie won’t hurt.
“Damn and I know you and your sister liked those so much. I’ll just make some of those, too!” she said.
I rolled my eyes. “Okay, Mom. I have to go. I’m in the bathroom talking to you. See you when I get home.”
“Bye, bye, hon.”
Whew. Thank God, that’s over.
“Bravo, Lizzie.”
Oh shit.
I turned around and glanced at Rachel. She was standing near the doorway. She was tapping her high-heeled toe on the floor and clapping her hands. “Got a date with Trevor tonight, huh?”
I slid my phone into my pocket and shrugged. “What’s it to you?”
She smiled and took a step toward me. “Trevor doesn’t belong with someone like you. He is just confused. Don’t get your feelings hurt when he comes back to me, crawling on his knees.”
“Okay, Rachel, when he does, I’ll even let you say ‘I told you so.’”
She gritted her teeth and pushed her platinum hair from her shoulder. “Listen here, you little bitch. You keep thinking that he won’t leave, and you’ll be crying in a few weeks when he comes back.”
I rolled my eyes. “Okay, Rachel. Have an awesome day,” I said, walking past her.
She pushed her shoulder into mine, walked toward the stall, and slammed the door.
Freak.
Millie was feeding Brett Cheez-Its when I got back. “Oh, hey what did she say?”
I sighed. “Just pretend to be allergic to asparagus cookies.”
She threw her head back and laughed. “That a girl, comrade.”
“He is not too old for me!” Samantha shouted at Millie.
I banged my head up against the wall mirror in my room. Samantha was red-faced and had her hands clenched around a Justin Beiber CD.
Millie smiled. “He is, Samantha. He is so too old for you and would never even think about dating you.”
Samantha stomped her foot. “Take it back!” she screamed.
Millie crossed her arms and shook her head. “Nope.”
Samantha ran over to my bed and snatched Millie’s cell. “Well, let’s see how Brett would like to find out that you’re in love with a guy named Jake!”
Millie’s face turned serious. “I don’t know a Jake.”
Samantha smiled. “But he won’t know that,” she said, dangling Millie’s cell in front of her.
“Give it back, you little brat.”
Millie chased Samantha around my room for a while before I stood up, grabbed the cell phone, and kicked Samantha in the butt, out the door, and shut it behind her. “How old are you?” I asked.
Millie snatched her cell. “She is the devil, Lizzie.”
I nodded. “I know, but just cut it out.”
Millie rolled her eyes. “You’ve been so grouchy lately.”
I sighed. I have been. The truth was I was worried to death. It was Wednesday night and still no sign of Darrton. Where could he be? There is still war breaking out in Israel and it was only getting worse. This is real.
“Are you okay? Is there something you want to talk about?”
I looked over at Millie. She was sitting on my bed, her black hair in long curls. She looked so honest. I wanted nothing more than to get down on my knees and tell her. To tell my best friend what was going on. To tell my best friend that Death, one of the Four Horsemen was living in our tree house. But I couldn’t.
“No, I’m just tired and sick of school.”
Millie nodded. “Are you pms-ing?”
I sighed. “Yes, that’s part of it.”
Millie nodded. “It’s okay. We all go through it.”
I nodded and pulled on my necklace. “Yea we all go through it.” At seven, there was a knock on the door. Nerves were roaming all over my body, and I couldn’t seem to keep my feet still. “Come on, comrade,” Millie said and pulled me down the stairs.
Mom was already opening the door. Trevor stood on the other side of it. He shook my mom’s hand. “Nice to see you again, Mrs. Lawrence.”
“Oh nice to see you, too, Trevor. Come on in. Oh hey, Brett! How are you?”
Brett bent down and kissed my mom’s hand. She giggled and let him in. Millie rolled her eyes and elbowed him.
“So, what are you kids watching tonight?”
I looked over toward the TV and Samantha was sitting on the couch, watching Justin Beiber’s new movie. “Samantha, get up. We are watching movies in here.”
She sighed and stretched out, hogging the entire couch. “I was here first.”
“Mom?” I asked.
Mom narrowed her eyes and pointed toward the stairs. “Up to your room, Samantha, now and don’t start.”
Sam stood up abruptly and stomped up the stairs. Millie snickered under her breath.
“Okay guys,” Mom said. “I’m going over to Sally’s. It’s book club night.”
“You’re leaving?” I asked, panicked.
“Yes, sweetie, just keep an eye on Samantha. I’ll be back later tonight. Both batches of cookies are on the stove for you guys.”
Millie coughed as if it was her cue. “Oh thanks for making the chocolate chip, too. I’m deathly allergic to asparagus.”
“No problem, dear.” She grabbed her keys and walked out of the door.
Millie laughed. “You so have the best Mom ever.”
Millie grabbed Brett and pulled him to the couch. She grabbed the remote and turned the channel. I felt as if I couldn’t move. She left us? I sighed. “What are we watching tonight, ladies and gentlemen?”
“How about, Just go with it?” Millie asked.
Brett snorted. “That’s a chick flick.”
Millie pouted out her lip. “Please,” she mumbled into his ear.
“Okay,” he said, pulling her closer to him. “You guys going to sit down?”
Trevor grabbed my hand and pulled me along to the love seat next to the couch. Trevor sat down first, placing his arm on the back of the couch. Millie winked at me and nodded her head.
I sat down beside him and he pulled me closer. The movie started and my nerves were all over the place. Why am I so nervous? I’ve dated him before. He was just a boy. Trevor placed his hand on my shoulder and pulled me as close as I could get, without being on top of him.
Brett, not wanting to watch the movie in the first place, couldn’t keep his hands off of Millie. She would swat at them but before long she and Brett were lying down, cuddled up and whispering in each other’s ear. “Who else thinks this movie is lame?” Brett asked.
Trevor laughed and raised his hand. “I do.”
Millie elbowed Brett. “I like it. Don’t you, Lizzie?”
I smiled. “I do. I really like it.”
Brett snorted. “You two always team up on me. I’m glad Trevor is here to even out the score a little bit.”
Trevor leaned up and fist pumped Brett. “Oh yeah, bro. We got this.”
Millie and I laughed and she lay back down.
The movie was almost over when Trevor leaned close to my ear and whispered, “Lizzie, you want to go get a cookie with me?”
Alone? A heat was rising up in me. It had been so long since I had been alone with him. “Um, sure.”
Trevor rose and I ran my gaze over him. His white button-down shirt was opened two buttons down on the top. I noticed how tight his chest looked underneath it. There was a smirk on his lips and his blue eyes were so intense on me. Millie and Brett were too enthralled with each other that they didn’t even notice. He offered me his hand and led me to the kitchen.
The cookies were on the stove with aluminum foil covering them. “I’m guessing you want the chocolate chip?” I asked, looking back and smiling at him.
He was leaning back on the cabinet, a crooked smile on his face. “I don’t want a cookie, Lizzie.”
A shiver ran down my spine. I furrowed my brows. “Then what do you want?”
He smiled and leaned forward. His thumb brushed against my bottom lip. “I want to kiss you again.”
My breath caught in my throat. His fingers slid down my side cupping my hip. His lips touched mine, and I let myself melt inside. I don’t know what it was about the kitchen but it seemed we were drawn to make-out in there. Trevor pulled me against him, while he leaned back against the cabinet. He dug his fingers into my back and slid them up the back of my shirt. When he pulled back from me he moaned. Moaned.
“I’ve missed this,” he said, his mouth brushing my lips.
“Me, too.”
He kissed me again, this time deeper. Trevor turned me around and his lips trailed down my neck. I opened my eyes when I heard something from outside. Darrton was standing in the window, his eyebrow cocked.
Embarrassed, I pushed against Trevor. “Excuse me, Darrton is outside.”
Trevor groaned and pulled me to him. “Just leave him out there. He can wait a minute.”
“It won’t take one minute.” I didn’t give Trevor a chance to stop me. I went out the back door.
Darrton was leaning up against the back of the house. He had an apple and was nonchalantly eating it.
“Where the hell have you been?” I asked.
“Isn’t that Trevor, the one that I told you was bad news?”
I rolled my eyes. “I asked first, where have you been? Killing people?”
Darrton rolled his eyes. “Foolish girl. You think I would tell you if I were? And you wonder why I don’t think you are very bright.”
I clenched my fist. “Darrton, you can’t just come and go. Someone is going to see you coming in and out of our tree house.”
He pushed off of the house, tossing the remains of the apple out into the yard and stood in front of me. “I know how to be sneaky and hide and so does your boyfriend.”
“What do you have against him?”
He shrugged. “Don’t listen to me. I really couldn’t care less. I was just trying to help you out since you’ve helped me out.” Darrton turned on his heels and walked toward the tree house.
“Are you staying? Will you be here when I get done?”
He turned and looked at me. “Probably not. Don’t worry about me, Lizzie. I can take care of myself. The problem is that you can’t.”
“Darrton, come back down here! Right now!”
He didn’t answer and he didn’t come back down.
“Ugh!” I yelled and ran back into the house. Trevor was standing there his arms crossed over his chest.
“Are you okay? You look mad.”
I shook my head. “Darrton. He just...” I trailed off not really sure what to say.
“If it’s Darrton, then I understand completely.” Trevor laughed. “Now, where were we?” He pulled me in and just as his lips brushed mine Millie and Brett walked in.
“Oh! Are we interrupting?” Millie teased.
I pulled away, my face burning, and glared at Millie.
“We came to get some cookies.”
I smiled and grabbed both plates. We all walked into the living room. We sat down and passed out the cookies. “So, I can’t wait for the concert,” Millie said.
Trevor looked over and smiled at me. “I can’t either. It’s going to be fun.” He squeezed my leg and it sent a warm sensation over me.
Millie moved her eyebrows up and down and took a big bite of her cookie. I tried not to let myself blush but I could feel the burn across my cheeks.
“It’s going to be kick-ass, dude,” Brett said. “Just like that party you missed the other night, Lizzie.”
I blushed as Trevor looked out of the corner of his eye at me. We had almost kissed that night. “Next time Aaron has a party, you have to come no matter what,” he whispered.
I nodded and smiled. Millie’s cell phone made me jump. She rolled her eyes. “It’s my mom.”
Trevor sighed and glanced over at me. “So I had fun tonight. I really did.”
“I really did, too.”
I could hear Millie talking to her mother, and Brett laughing, but I couldn’t take my eyes off of Trevor. He leaned in and brushed his lips against mine, his hand running along my neck.
I pulled back when Millie said, “I hate to be the bummer but my mom is freaking out. She said the movie should have been over ten minutes ago. The weird part is that the movie was over exactly ten minutes ago. I swear she has an alien in my brain.”
I laughed. “Well, are you leaving?”
Millie nodded. “Yea, sorry, Trevor, we have to go. I hate to cut your smooching short and all.”
Brett pulled Millie out of the room. “Leave them alone, Millie.” He gave us a thumbs-up over their shoulder.
When I looked back at Trevor he was staring at me. “I had fun tonight really, Lizzie. I hope that we can do it again soon.”
“Me, too,” I whispered, my face turning red.
Trevor pushed my honey-colored hair away from my face and softly kissed my lips again. I’ll see you tomorrow at school, all right?”
I smiled, weak-kneed. “Okay.”
I watched as Trevor walked out of the kitchen.
“Bye, Lizzie,” Millie yelled before shutting the door.
I was a little light-headed when Samantha walked into the kitchen. “About freaking time!” she said, then turned around and went to the living room.
Whatever.
I took my time before I went out to the tree house. I showered, did a little homework, and finally decided to go out. Mom was in bed. Dad had called and said he wouldn’t be home until late. Samantha was dancing and singing in her room, so I didn’t have to really sneak out.
When I climbed the staircase no one was there. It aggravated me. He was just coming and going as he pleased. I wasn’t sure why that bothered me, but I knew it did. He was always gone. Damn Horseman.