I knocked on the door while mentally preparing my speech.
I'm really sorry about last night Mr. Horton. I have no idea what made Jack behave like that and I didn't mean to let go of the leash. Zeke already-
"Who is it?" Faye called out and I groaned inwardly. I thought she'd have left by now. I was about to reply but she beat me to it.
"Daniel?"
Wait, what? My mouth clamped shut and I cocked my head at the door. Why is she expecting Daniel? I should have said 'It's Enny' like a normal person but instead-
"It's his girlfriend."
"What do you want?" I could picture her rolling her eyes with a scowl on her face.
"I'm here to see your dad."
Silence. I knew she was still there but I decided to wait a little. After a while, I began to tap my foot on the ground. The door didn't open. I knocked again, irritation influencing the intensity of each knock which left my knuckles hurting.
"Faye."
She didn't respond. I guess I would apologize to Mr. Horton some other time.
"Bitch," I said as I turned around.
"I heard that," she yelled.
"I said it out loud."
There was a thump on the door followed by a 'fuck you' as I walked away from it.
Why is she expecting Daniel? They don't talk. Did they start talking?
The sound of my phone ringing broke my train of thought. It was Daniel calling. Think of the devil. I hit the accept button and brought it to my ear. I said nothing and he didn't too.
"I'll hang up," I muttered as Faye came to the kitchen window. Her expression was dull, it always was. I think she was born like that.
"I'm sorry."
I could picture him pouting like he always does after doing something wrong. God, his lips. Back to the point.
"That won't fix dad's TV."
He sighed, "I know."
"I don't like you," I blurted.
He came over yesterday and I let him in despite dad's 'No boys in the house' rule. I had laughed at that one for a while because he refused to call Ezra and Zeke boys after he saw them getting manis and pedis, which dad also liked to get by the way. Then Zeke convinced Daniel to ask me for the key to dad's man cave. A key which dad said I wasn't meant to unhand no matter what... but I ended up giving Daniel because puppy eyes. A couple of minutes later, dad's cherished TV gets broken. I didn't ask how because it wouldn't change anything. I remember the look of horror on their faces as I laughed maniacally out of the room. And when I woke up this morning, he and Zeke were nowhere to be found. But Zeke took Jack to the vet... I think.
"He could have run away," Ezra suggested this morning.
I turned to face my house as he chuckled. It was deep, beautiful. What is wrong with me?
"That's too bad because I love you."
I scoffed at his words, though I was melting into a very happy puddle. Nice try, dude.
"Sorry for leaving without telling you, Faye needed my help."
Oh.
"I'm at the station right now but I'll tell you about it when I get back."
I cross the road, "Station?"
"Yeah, I'm here to see mum."
"Oh, okay." His mum, Cassandra, is a detective.
"I love you."
The corner of my mouth twitches as the melting continues, "I love you too."
I hung up and walked into the house, closing the door behind me. The house was quiet. Ezra and Alison were still in their rooms. The scrabble was still scattered on the table from last night's game. The television was on but muted and the clock read 12:47. Zeke should be back by now. Maybe he did run away.
I jogged up the stairs and knocked on Alison's door on the way to my room.
She had been begging me to take her to the amusement park for a week but I constantly refused... till she played the 'You don't care about me' card. As I traded my slides for trainers, she poked her head out of her room.
"We're leaving in five minutes."
She squealed and slammed her door shut.
I should just take her to school instead.
Something suddenly crashes downstairs and my head jerks up. What the hell? I stare blankly into space for some seconds, unable to comprehend anything until my brain finishes turning on.
Oh shit! There's someone in the house. I didn't lock the door. I never lock the door but it's not like Cheer Road is a hotbed for crimes.
I lace my trainers and gently get to my feet. Maybe it's Zeke... I hope it's Zeke. I tiptoe from my room to where the stairs began and hide behind the wall. It felt like I was standing on floorboards that would creak any moment from now, and there were no floorboards. My heart was throbbing in my ears, loud and irregular.
Summoning my courage, I lean to the left and peek at who might be there. At first, I see nothing, then I see her.
Tamara Fuller. Cheer captain and social butterfly. She is so sweet and full of positivity and it makes me sick. She is also the kind of person that picks a lint off your cloth while talking to you.
"What the hell Tamara?" I began to descend the steps to see what she had broken when her head snapped in my direction, letting me see her full face.
What in the world?
There was a big chunk of flesh missing from her left cheek and shoulder that I could see bone. Her right arm hung limply and I could only see her teeth, no lips and there was a lot of red.
I opened my mouth to say something. What? I don't know, but the words became lodged in my throat. Fear became a tangible, living force that crept over me like some hungry beast, immobilizing me and holding me captive.
She suddenly snarled at me and started running up the stairs. That was enough to snap me out of my stupor. I felt the flight responses kick in, increasing my heart rate and flooding me with adrenaline. Nope.
I immediately spun and began bounding up the stairs. I wanted to scream but even words had deserted me. I know I use sarcasm a lot when talking to her but it doesn't warrant this.
As I got to the landing, I felt her wrists wrap around my ankle before she took me down. My fucking life flashed before my eyes. I tried to get back on my feet but she pulled me down again and began crawling up my body. I flipped myself onto my back and kicked my legs out repeatedly to get her off me. It worked, however she retained her vice-like grip on my leg.
"Fucking stop!"
She growled and started to bite my trainer clad foot. Black veins formed an intricate web underneath her pale skin. I kicked her head with my other foot but she didn't even seem fazed.
"I bet your mum gives you all that shit about being a growing teenager!" I landed a solid kick that sent her tumbling down the stairs.
I quickly scrambled to my feet. "Nike, bitch!" I ran to my room and locked the door, pushing my body up against it before pulling my phone out of my pocket which was now adorned with cracks.
Great, great.
I dialed 911 and brought it to my ear. It rang thrice and gave me the busy signal.
"Uh-huh. Nope."
I dialed it again and this time, it didn't even ring.
Oh, fuck me.
I heard feet pounding outside after which something slammed against the door. It shook. The fucking door shook. No fucking way.
"I fucking watch you during practice, you don't even have the fucking power to lift Chloe."
I'm cussing like Ezra. Ezra. Yes, Ezra is in the house. She growled and slammed into the door again. Heart hammering in my chest, I dial Ezra's number. To my relief, he picks up.
"Duuuuuu-" he began to drawl.
"Oh my God, Ezra. Are you deaf? Can't you-"
"Enny, are you okay?" The voice came from outside. Alison.
The phone slips from my hand as I hurriedly unlock the door and pull it open. Alison began to scream as Tamara tried to shove her room's door open. Aw, hell no. I ran towards her, launching myself onto her back and she went batshit crazy.
She shrieked and growled, knocking both of us around in the narrow hallway to get me off of her. I realized that she hasn't said any words, she just made noises.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" I yanked her ponytail back, eliciting a snarl from her.
"Yo, what the fuck?"
Tamara instantly froze and became quiet when Ezra stepped out of his room. She was so still, I thought she had died... on her feet... with me on her back. I gently let go of her hair as I stared at the back of her head.
Ezra stepped forward," What the hell?"
I was about to get down when she suddenly ran towards the stairs, startling me into gripping her arms. I yanked on her hair as a rein when I realized what the bitch was about to do before she threw both of us down.
The wind was knocked out of my lungs as we hit the steps. The world was circling around me and the only thing I could do was close my eyes till my descent stopped.
"Enny!" Ezra called out from the landing as I opened my eyes. He started running down the stairs while Tamara got up and ran out the door. My entire body was hurting and she didn't look like she was in pain.
"Yeah, you better run," I muttered as Ezra got to my side.
The pain was all I could think of. It felt like I'd been repeatedly hit with a shovel. I groaned as my vision became fuzzy while nausea crept from my stomach to my head and the world went black.