Unraveling Soren by Marisa Maichel (books under 200 pages txt) 📕

“Don’t start with me, Reese Emerson. I’ve had a long morning. First I took a nap, then I ate breakfast, then I ate a spider, then I killed another snake, then I spotted a coyote who looked at me like I was lunch.”

“How did you shake him off?”

“I fluffed myself up to make myself look bigger, and then I growled and hissed and spat. Bloody coward ran away when I started barking like a filthy dog.” I smiled at that. “It’s not funny! I hated myself for pretending to be a disgusting canine! They’re vicious, filthy, and they hunt cats!”

“I’m sorry you were forced to pretend to be a dog, my dear Shadowfang.”

He huffed and twirled around, his tail high and haughty. I turned back to my book and read until bedtime.

CHAPTER SIX – RESULT

The result was, Cella Kent was fired, and Principal Turner was suspended for the way he treated me. Duke said that if only I wasn’t a prince, the principal would have never gotten suspended. If it was him, it would have flown right over their heads.

“It’s not the world against you,” I told him. “It’s that you break all the rules.”

“Amara wears a tank top all the time and she never gets in trouble!”

“She’s not baring her boobs or her belly. She’s within the boundaries.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

The cheerleaders walked around like they owned the place. All of them were required to speak with the superintendent and a counselor to discuss the problems with Ms. Kent. Sarah, as co-captain, was the first to speak to a counselor. And then Trina Smith, and then so on.

Sarah was looking more radiant than ever before. She stood up straighter, her sternum was up, back straight, knees slightly bent. Just like she was in the choir. By now, everyone had heard about her amazing singing voice, and the choir teacher asked her to sing for him. She did, and he was blown away by her soprano. She exchanged one of her classes for Choir, which she took with pride. I was there when she was introduced to the class. I had snuck in.

“Class, I believe you all know Sarah,” said Mr. Roberts. “She’ll be joining us as head soprano.”

I was proud of her, especially during her first chorus by herself. The rest of the girls didn’t hold a candle to her voice. They all looked at her with jealousy, some whispering about her.

“She isn’t even that good.”

“Who does she think she is?”

“What does Mr. Roberts see in her?”

I was glad she could not hear them. Their words would have devastated her.

Her cheerleading continued with therapy and empowerment sessions. A life and cheer coach was brought in to help the girls with their self-confidence and individuality. Sarah liked her, so I liked her.

As we headed into March, I started practicing my own singing and piano more. I was talented. Everyone said so. My bass was smooth, the breaths coming in quietly. Of course, I didn’t need to breathe, but it looked better in front of other people if they saw me breathing. Shadowfang scoffed at me and said that I was useless otherwise. I stuck my tongue out at him and threatened to stop giving him treats for a week. He gave me a fake apology in a too-sweet voice while rolling on his back and stretching out.

Father said I could use my card again. Apparently, Bram had canceled them. Father spoke to the bank, giving them a good lecture, and the employee who authorized the cancelations was fired.

That was another thing on the list to ask the Council about.

I’m floating. I’m on a cloud. The cloud cannot hold my weight. I’m falling now. I’m hurtling toward the ocean. I land on my back in the water. I am pulled underwater by an unseen force. I look down and see a monster, with a hundred tentacles and several hundred eyes. I take in a mouthful of saltwater, my stomach and lungs filling with the disgusting stuff. The tentacles suddenly form several paths. I’m at a fork where they meet. One leads directly to Sarah. She’s huge with child, and next to her is a bunch of little kids. I see a little boy and two girls.

Another path leads to Evan. He’s smiling at me, but there are no kids around him, and the smile doesn’t reach his eyes. The third path leads to me laying on the ground. My chest and stomach are torn open, and I’m dead. The fourth path leads directly to my father, uncle, cousin, and grandfather. I start toward the obvious choice, to Sarah.

Something stops me. I try to move forward, but I can’t. Something is pulling me back. And then I see it. Another shadow behind her. A male. Yet another rival? I could take him. But to my shock, Sarah turns and kisses him.

I’m being pulled away.

“Sarah!” I cry out. “Sarah!” Desperate, I look at the kids. They all look sadly at me.

Father was shaking me.

“Reese! Wake up!”

I fully wake up and grab Father’s hair.

“Sorry,” I said, letting go. “I had a nightmare.”

“I know, baby,” Father said. “Settle down. I’m here now.”

I fell back on the bed, tired. Father watched me, worried.

“Your hair’s getting long again,” he said, fingering a few strands. “Do you want to cut it?”

“No, I like it long.”

The next day was hell on earth. I dazedly went through my classes, exhausted. I sipped some blood from my water bottle. I sat at my usual table with my friends, with my head on the table.

“Reese, dude, don’t take this the wrong way, but I can’t eat when your hair’s in my corn,” Duke said.

“Sorry,” I lied, not moving.

“Is he okay?” he asked the others.

“Clearly not,” Noah replied. “Use what little brains you have, Duke.”

“I’m just tired,” I told them.

“What happened last night?” Mason asked.

“I had a nightmare, and then I couldn’t sleep.”

“Vampires get nightmares?” Duke said stupidly. “Dude, I am so sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’ll survive.”

“Where’s Amara?” I asked, moving my head slightly.

“She’s with Cole,” Noah answered, his voice filled with venom.

“It’s your own fault,” Mason told him. “She liked you, and you were with that redheaded bitch. Serves you right.”

“There’s nothing wrong with Cole, except his brains,” I said.

“Right,” Duke nodded.

“Exactly,” Mason said. “Oh, your girlfriend’s behind you.”

I sat up straight. Sarah laughed and used a napkin to wipe the melted cheese from my hair. People still gawked, despite the fact that we’d been going out over a year. I stood up and swept her up. She squealed as I held her bridal-style. She looked at me and wrapped her arms around my neck. She leaned forward and pecked my lips.

“What do you need?” I asked.

“I had some time before I have to get back to class, and I just wanted to say hi,” she said shyly. “Can you put me down? My back hurts.”

“Of course.” I put her down. Her shirt slid up, revealing her stomach. I noticed a glint of silver. “Did you get a belly button ring?”

“Well, if I’m going to be immortal, I might as well do all the human things now,” she huffed. She showed me her ears. She had a new stud in her left ear. She took her hair tie out and shook her thick curly locks.

“She has such pretty hair,” sighed a girl nearby.

“What does she see in him?”

“Are they still together?”

“Her jeans are way too tight.”

“She got a belly ring!”

Sarah’s wide eyes got even wider, and she looked around.

“It’s strange…I could hear everyone around us for a few seconds.”

Now my eyes widened. “Babe, it probably has something to do with your…transformation.”

“Transformation? You mean my fairy genes? I think I can understand that. But what’s going to happen next?”

“I don’t know, but if your back hurts again, come straight to me, or Mother, or Louis, or Selena. Promise?” I took her hands in mine.

“Promise.” She kissed my knuckles. “I’ve been making a lot of promises lately. I hope I can keep them all.”

And then she turned and left, her gold flats clapping on the linoleum.

CHAPTER SEVEN - SARAH

As I walked back to class, I thought about what had just happened with Reese. My boyfriend was by far one of the best things in my life. I loved him deeply. My long brown hair swished as I walked back to Senior English Lit with Mrs. Caper. I hummed to myself as I took my seat in class. I’d gotten my research done, at least for my book report for Peter Pan by J.M. Barry.

I heard voices again.

“She took her hair down.”

“What took her so long?”

I shook my head and focused on my report. My thoughts turned back to my boyfriend. I opened the school laptop and typed up my resource list.

After school, I got my homework out of my locker and put my needed books and binder into my tote bag. I grabbed my purse and cell phone and touched up my lip gloss. I wrote a note to myself to finish and turn in my book report, then attached it to my locker mirror. I turned the dial. I didn’t have cheerleading tonight due to Coach’s need to see her daughter in the hospital, so I had some free time.

I had to drop off my sister at home, and then I’d have to finish homework.

Sabine was in a bad mood. Apparently, Jeremy, the vampire whom she’d dated, came by, and explained that Reese had scared him off. I’d have to have a talk with him. My sister’s dating life really was none of his business.

Home was vacant of males when we arrived. My sister and I lived with Marina and Alexander Nicolai, Reese’s mother and stepfather. We also lived with my son Cirino, Zie, the housekeeper, Kieran, Alexander’s son, and Kellan, Kieran’s weird albino friend.

Kellan actually lived in the house behind ours, but he stayed over so often, we might as well include him. He and Kieran were kind of a couple, but not really.

I went to my room, and Sabine to hers, and I called Reese.

“Hello?”

“Hey, you. Why did you scare off Jeremy?”

“What? He was bad news! He was with Zeke’s clan!”

“That doesn’t mean they’re all bad. Just stay out of my sister’s dating life.” I hung up, a bit rudely. I could picture Reese glaring at his phone, possibly throwing it at the wall. His temper left much to be desired. I’d come close to breaking up with him a few times. I did break up with him once or twice, and he upset me enough when he said he wasn’t good enough for me and I thought he was breaking up with me.

He had to control his jealousy and his temper if he wanted to keep dating me. But lately, I’d been having strange dreams. I even took a pregnancy test, which was negative. I dreamed that I was pregnant again, this time with Reese’s babies. I smiled as I pictured them. A little black-haired boy with my eyes. A girl with dark hair and her father’s eyes. Another girl, with my curls and features and his coloring. I already picked out a few names. Caitlin Juniper for my first daughter, Joseph for my boy, and Cynthia for my other girl. Maybe Avarice or Love. Yes, I know what avarice means, but I don’t care.

My dad always said that if he and Mom had another girl, they’d name her Avarice. Tears pricked my eyes. I missed my parents. I cried for them every night. Sometimes Marina or Selena would come in and wrap her arms around me. I knew that they did the same for Sabine. I was in the family first, but my sister and I came as a package deal. Sabine would be sixteen this year, and she’d yet to have a bat mitzvah. I knew the real reason why she didn’t want one. She didn’t want to be reminded of