by Lee, S. G.
Along the way, victims that managed to escape with just a bite were flooding the hospitals. Doctors, nurses, and family members were next to feel the agonizing pain of a predator’s teeth ripping flesh, muscle, and tendons from their bodies.
***
“Emma! Where do you think you’re going?” Dr. Wexley bellowed. He hadn’t seen his daughter in days.
“Dad, I told you! I’m going to Tiffany’s to practice.”
“Not tonight! We are having dinner as a family and you are part of this family.” He tried to sound firm like his military colleagues but Emma rolled her eyes.
She was sick of explaining every move she made. He never does this to Matt. “C’mon. This is a really big week. My first football game is Friday night and Saturday is our competition. I only have two days and I really need to be ready, Daddy. We can have dinner anytime.”
Not waiting for an answer, Emma slipped out the front door and into the car. Matt was used to seeing his sister get her way but, from the look on his father’s face, it was clear Emma was skating on thin ice. Dr. Wexley threw down his napkin and sighed.
“I’m worried about her. She’s always out with these new friends and we never see her anymore. You know, they say that’s a sign of drug use. Matt, do you think Emma could be on drugs?”
Both Matt and Jillian dropped their forks and stared at him with looks of utter disbelief.
“Nah, I’m pretty sure she’s not taking drugs, Dad,” Matt tried hard not to laugh. “But maybe we should get her some. She’d probably benefit from some Prozac or Xanax. Heck, maybe we should skip those and go straight to Lithium.”
“Matthew! Your sister does not need Lithium. Why would you say such a thing?” Alan exclaimed.
“I’m sorry, I was just joking.”
“Do you think she’s depressed? Could it be a cry for help?”
“How should I know? She hasn’t talked to me in weeks,” Matt mumbled.
“Maybe we should have some kind of an intervention. Isn’t that what people do, Jillian?”
“Oh, Alan, she’s just a typical teenage girl. You’ve been listening to those PTA worrywarts again, haven’t you? They’d have you believe every teenager in America is either on drugs or about to commit suicide. And you two should be ashamed of yourselves! Nothing she does ever pleases either of you. When she stayed home, doing her homework, you said she should be out with other girls. Now that she has friends, she must be on drugs. Thank goodness she has me. At least someone in this house is on her side … someone she can trust.”
Jillian smiled; the dig at Matt hit its mark. His teeth clenched as he glared hatefully at his father’s wife. He refused to consider the woman his stepmother. Alan, however, looked at Jillian with newfound respect for having forged a bond with Emma. Relieved that his wife had control of the situation, Alan went back to his dinner. Matt, on the other hand, was disgusted and left the table.
Tiffany Thomas, captain of the Lincoln High Grizzlies Cheer Squad, observed her team with pride. She’d drilled them until they knew their routines inside and out.
“Okay, consider tonight our dress rehearsal for tomorrow’s competition and let’s blow them away! Ready?”
Emma took a last glance in the mirror and despised the reflection she saw. Her fake smile was painted on, but her eyes were hollow. More like insipid. Uneasiness gnawed in the pit of her stomach as she followed the others to the field.
In a show of support, Jillian dragged Alan to the game to watch Emma cheer and Matt play. Emma caught sight of them sitting in the packed stands. A few rows up from them, she noticed Evan sitting next to a pretty blonde. They appeared to be deep in conversation. On the girl’s other side sat Lucy, smiling and waving to Emma. Kill me now. I can’t believe Evan is here.
***
“Look! There she is. Emma!” Lucy stood, waving wildly. Evan wondered why he was torturing himself. He hated Emma’s new look but watching her perform like a puppet was unbearable. If it wasn’t for Rachael’s company, he was sure he’d lose his mind.
“Who’s the new girl with Evan?” Tiffany whispered in Emma’s ear.
“Who cares?” But she did care. Emma wanted nothing more than to charge up there and gouge the girl’s pretty blue eyes right out of her skull.
At the same time, Evan was trying his best to avoid looking in Emma’s direction and failing miserably.
“Evan, I never thought you, of all people, would fall for the cheerleader type,” Rachael teased.
“Don’t be ridiculous, I haven’t fallen for a cheerleader.”
“Please! You haven’t taken your eyes off her for one second. No wonder Lucy is my favorite cousin!” Rachael laughed and hugged Lucy tightly.
Emma looked up just in time to see Lucy in Rachael’s arms. Guess she’s his new girlfriend. Didn’t waste any time, did he?
All through the game, Jake noticed Emma’s obvious distraction. Between their disappointing loss and Emma’s yearning glances at her ex, he was livid. Emma had unknowingly offered herself up as the perfect scapegoat for Jake to unload his anger. He was deliberately the last one out of the locker room because he knew Emma would be stuck waiting all alone outside.
Most of the parking lot had emptied when he finally stormed out. Emma dutifully scurried to his side and tried to offer some encouragement despite the bitter loss.
“Get away from me. I saw you. The whole freaking game you were watching him. Every time I turn around you’re near him or talking to him or watching him and I’m sick of it. You want Stone so bad then go be with him. Oh yeah, that’s right, now that the cash flow ended he doesn’t want you!”
Still furious, he shoved her away and stalked to his car. Emma stood there with her mouth hanging open, wondering what to do. Her dad and Jillian had already left. Her teammates had already gone home and, since Jake had driven her there, she didn’t have a ride.
Whatever. I’ve walked home before, she reasoned. Yet, in the darkness, the walk seemed insurmountable. Recent news stories about strange disappearances and attacks by flu-addled psychos didn’t make the idea seem any more appealing. Every shadow seemed to be leering at her as she strolled down the street. Misty fog hovered in the air, making the dimly lit street look like a scene from a horror movie.
This is where the monsters leap out of the shadows, rabid animals lurch from the bushes, or serial killers converge on stupid girls walking home alone in the dark, she played out in her mind. She held her breath and said a silent prayer when she noticed headlights behind her. This time it wasn’t just her imagination; the car behind her slowed down.
Emma stepped aside into the grass and hoped the car would pass by her. The idling engine groaned as the driver hit the gas. For a moment, Emma thought they were going to drive off but the car cut over in front of her. Terrified, Emma wondered if she could outrun the driver and anyone else in the car.
She was about to bolt when a familiar voice called out from the driver’s side window,
“Emma? C’mon, get in. I’ll give you a ride.”
Christy, her lab partner, leaned over and opened the passenger-side door. Just like in horror movies, this is where the lead character gets lulled into a false sense of security then Wham! hacked to bits. Emma cursed herself for being foolish and letting her imagination get the best of her. Relief washed over her as she clambered into the car.
Still rattled from her mind’s trickery, she smiled at Christy. “Thanks for picking me up. It’s kind of a long walk home.”
“You really shouldn’t be walking home alone, especially in the dark,” Christy’s voice took on a motherly tone. “Don’t you watch the news? Wow, I just sounded like my mom for a sec. Sorry about that. Hey, are you okay? Jake was being a real jerk back there.”
“Oh yeah, no big deal.”
“Really? You’re tougher than me. I’d be bawling my eyes out while scarfing down a whole pint of Ben and Jerry’s. Speaking of … wanna stop at Wawa and get some ice cream? You’d have to promise not to tell
Tiffany though. She’d totally flip out!”
“Sounds good to me!” For the first time in weeks, Emma smiled her first real smile.
As Jake cruised through the drive-thru, he chuckled to himself. By tomorrow she’ll be eating out of my hand.
He called up his wingmen to go blow off some steam. They drove around aimlessly while passing a flask back and forth. Near the park, he spotted the outline of three shadowy figures. As his headlights illuminated the pedestrians, Jake was positive one of them was Evan. Not knowing or caring who the two girls were, Jake pulled over and put the car in park. Confusion registered on the blank faces of his inebriated friends.
“It’s Stone. Let’s get him!”
Flanked by Evan and Rachael, Lucy chattered away about her upcoming party, unaware they were being watched. Three hulking figures staggered toward them and Evan knew there was going to be trouble.
“Rachael, take Lucy and run back to the house. NOW!”
Frightened, Rachael grabbed Lucy’s hand and took off running.
“Well, well, what have we here?” Jake’s sing-song voice slurred slightly. “Looks like a soldier boy who doesn’t follow orders very well. What part of ‘stay away from Emma’ did you not understand?”
The animosity between them had reached its boiling point and a fight was inevitable. Evan relished the thought of unleashing his anger on Jake.
“Take your best shot then, Jake.”
Jake stepped forward, pulling off his jacket. As Evan did the same, Jake’s pals charged him. Evan dodged the first punch and used the momentum to connect his fist with the other guy’s face. Cartilage crunched under his knuckles, unleashing a gush of blood from his attacker’s nose. The other wingman pounded Evan in the back of his head and knocked him to the ground.
Evan tried to protect his head as fists and feet rained down from above. At Jake’s command the other two hauled Evan to his feet, securing his arms behind his back in a vice-like grip.
“Hold him up,” Jake ordered.
“Three against one, huh? Be a man and fight me yourself, chickenshit!”
Jake’s knuckles smashed into Evan’s cheekbone releasing a stream of blood down his face. The next fist landed in his gut. A flurry of fists pounded into Evan’s body as the assault continued. With a final knee to the groin, Evan was thrown to the ground like a bloody rag. Having seen it once in a movie, Jake kicked Evan over onto his back then spit on him.
“Stay away from Emma or next time I won’t go easy on you.”
As Jake and his friends strutted back to the car he said, “I think I’ll call Emma now and let her apologize to me.”
The next morning, Emma rushed to get ready. Carrying an armload of brightly wrapped packages to her car, she double-checked the time. She’d calculated just enough time to drop off Lucy’s presents and still arrive on time to catch the bus to their competition. During the entire drive, conflicting emotions battled in her heart. The part of her that wished she was still with Evan and hoped Whitney had been lying wanted to go to Lucy’s party. The side indebted to Jillian for rescuing her hated Evan for what he’d done to her. Pulling into the driveway at the Stone residence, Emma hoped Lucy would be the one to answer the door. Instead, it was Evan who yanked the door open. “What do you want? Come to gloat?”
Surprised by his brusque tone, Emma had completely missed the last part about gloating.
“Can I see Lucy?”
“Probably. You drove here so I doubt you have a visual impairment.” Evan did not try to mask his annoyance as he argued semantics.
“May I please see Lucy?” Emma tried again as politely as she could muster.
“She doesn’t want to see you.”
Hearing Emma’s voice, Lucy sprinted out and nearly tackled Emma with a hug.
“Really? Doesn’t want to see me, huh?” Emma countered.
“Emma, you’re early!” Lucy squealed. “My party’s at two.”
“I know, Lucy, but I wanted to give you your presents just in case I don’t make it back in time. C’mon, they’re in the car.”
Taking Lucy’s hand, Emma walked to the car and retrieved the packages. She could feel Evan’s glare burning into the back of her head. Emma couldn’t understand why Evan seemed more hostile than usual and she wondered about the huge, purplish bruise on his cheek. She did not remember seeing it before. She hoped it had something to do with his new girlfriend though. While Lucy chirped happily about her party, a plan began to hatch in Emma’s mind.
“Can I open my presents now?” Lucy asked.
Emma was about to say yes, but Evan’s glare silenced her. “Maybe you should check with your mom.”
Leaving the wrapped packages in the driveway, Lucy ran off to find her mom. Meanwhile, Emma contemplated her plan.
I could go to the competition but pretend to sprain my ankle during warm-ups. Even with a trip to Urgent Care I should make it back for Lucy’s party. Even better, I can get out of cheerleading for good. I’ll just tell them the doctor said I’d need surgery.
It was a perfect exit strategy. She could quietly leave the team and maybe things would go back to normal. Emma hoped Kate could help her figure out how to mend the damage between her and Matt. Finally, there was a light at the end of the tunnel but, as the song goes, it was just a freight train coming her way. Waiting until Lucy was out of earshot, Evan turned on Emma.
“You have a lot of nerve coming here.”
Convinced Emma knew about Jake’s attack, he was furious. If Jillian could stop him from being at their house, then he would do the same to Emma. He refused to let her put Lucy in danger again.
“Lucy was terrified—not that you care—and then you show up here and try to bribe her with presents. My mom doesn’t want someone like you anywhere near Lucy, so do us all a favor and get lost!”
Evan had expected Emma to fight back against such obvious lies, but his words had cut her deeply. Emma saw her plans fizzle and she realized she had no way out. Evan made it clear that Kate despised her as much as he did. Tears poured down her cheeks as she turned and ran to her car. Tires squealing, Emma peeled out from the driveway and floored the gas pedal when she hit the street. Kate and Lucy arrived at the door just in time to see Emma speed off.
“What happened? Where did Emma go?” Lucy whined.
“Evan, is Emma okay? She was driving a bit recklessly, don’t you think?” Kate’s voice was thick with concern.
Evan shrugged. He wasn’t about to admit that he’d chased Emma away out of spite. His mom would have been horrified if she’d heard the lies Evan told. Lucy’s eyes welled with tears as she and Kate went back into the house. Overwhelmed with anger and guilt, Evan punched the hood of his car.
“Wow! That could not have gone any worse,” Rachael observed as she exited the garage.
“Yeah, thanks Captain Obvious.”
“Just what did you hope to accomplish? I mean, all night you were whining about how much you miss her and how much you love her. Emma this and Emma that. Then, when you finally have her here without ‘Mr. Roid Rage’ to get in your way, you treat her like dirt. My God, no wonder she wants nothing to do with you. To tell you the truth, I feel bad for her. Not to mention your mom’s gonna flip when she finds out that you told Emma she wasn’t welcome here anymore. And you broke Lucy’s heart on her birthday.”
Rachael noticed a bow that had fallen off of one of Lucy’s gifts. Picking it up, she tossed it to Evan.
“You might as well have stuck this on the top of Emma’s head because you’ve practically gift wrapped her for Super Jock.”
“Okay, Miss-know-it-all, what do I do now?”
“Go after her, you idiot! Come on, I’ll drive. You look like you’re about to fall over.”
***
Rachael raced toward the Wexley home, hoping to help her hot-headed cousin get his life back together. They could see Emma’s car weaving all over the before finally reaching her destination. Both Evan and Rachael cringed when she sideswiped th
e mailbox pulling into her driveway.
Emma could barely see the road through her tears. After clipping the mailbox, she put her head down on the steering wheel and sobbed. By the time Evan and Rachael caught up to her, she was falling into Jake’s waiting arms.
Taking pity on her cousin, Rachael stopped herself from saying, I told you so. Instead, they waited until ‘Super-jock’ and Emma left before knocking on the door. Evan hated to admit it but the beating he’d taken had left him stiff and sore; he needed Matt’s help to set up for Lucy’s party.
Matt was outraged when he learned what had happened the night before. He decided it was time to have a talk with Emma and ask her how she could not see that her new boyfriend was a colossal jerk.
While Evan was busy greeting relatives, Rachael took the opportunity to divulge a few other tidbits in confidence. Only after Matt swore not to breathe a word did she reveal Evan’s true heartache over everything that had happened.
“C’mon, everyone, it’s time for Lucy to blow out her candles,” Kate called out cheerfully to them just as Rachael finished her tale. Evan was certain that as Lucy closed her eyes to make a wish she was wishing for their dad to come home soon.
Matt stayed to help clean up after the party and, as an added bonus, got to spend more time with Rachael. Her personality reminded him of Emma … the old Emma, before Jillian dug her claws in and messed everything up. Just then, Matt realized how much he missed his twin. Inadvertently, he changed the subject and the topic of conversation moved to Emma. The general grumbling about her lousy choice in a boyfriend was unanimous. Hoping to cheer her brooding cousin, Rachael suggested inviting Emma to join them.
“She had a cheer competition,” Matt replied and Evan rolled his eyes. “After that, I think she was going to Tyler’s party.”
“Wait! That’s tonight? Matt, you should probably get over there. Jake said something last night about the party. It was something about how he was tired of putting up with our crap and instead of putting up, Emma was gonna put out.” Evan grimaced and added, “apparently he thinks he’s witty.”
