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

would not get in the way.

“What’s wrong with him?” came my father’s anxious voice. “What did you do to him?!”

“Louis is the one with the big mouth. He knows about Grandfather.”

“LOUIS!”

“It’s not my fault! He said the M word!” my cousin yelled back.

I breathed heavily, spitting stomach juice into the toilet.

“Reese, honey, can you hear me?” Father asked.

“My stomach hurts,” I complained.

“I’m sorry, son,” Uncle Soren said. I heard a loud thud, and then a smacking noise.

“HE’S MY SON, ASSHOLE! NOT YOURS!”

“I have to see Grandfather,” I panted.

“He’s in his room,” Father said gently.

I ran to his room. Grandfather was in bed, staring at the ceiling.

“Grandfather,” I said. He slowly turned his head toward me. “I’m sorry. Please don’t leave me.”

He smiled weakly. “Forgive me, Reese, for what I’ve done and for what I’m planning. I’m out of options. I’m tired of living. I want to die.”

“Please, don’t,” I begged. “I’m only eighteen. I need you. You helped to raise me and Louis.”

“I did, and I don’t regret it. Leave me now.”

Still feeling sick, I left him. I took a shower to get the blood out of my hair, and then got ready for bed early.

The next day was a school day. School would be weird under the circumstances. Scarlett had not spoken to me since Jordan’s death. Of course, I was glad that Jordan was dead. She was a real problem.

I headed to my first class heavily. I felt unclean, like I hadn’t showered in a while. I still smelled like blood, despite numerous washings and brushings. I was ready for a break. I took my usual seat, and heard snickering. I turned around. Several girls were whispering and giggling.

Did I remember to wear a belt? I checked myself. My ass wasn’t showing, thank the gods, and my hair looked decent. It was so long now that I could tie it back into a small bun, which I’d decided to do that day. I looked okay. My teeth were bright and white, my nose and eyes clean, ears clean, and so on.

Maybe they’re not laughing at me, I told myself. Indeed, they seemed to be laughing, not at me, but at Alex Marks, who was known for wearing the same clothes every day and never showered, wore deodorant, or brushed his teeth. He seemed to have reached a new level of grodyness, as his jacket was covered in white slime.

I rolled my eyes and turned back to my Psychology teacher, who was now starting a lecture on meeting strangers.

“All of you were strangers at one point,” he said. “Now some of you are best friends. Now you know each other, because you have this class and possibly other classes together.”

“We’re going to take an IQ test. Nothing major, just some simple questions, a typical IQ test. There are four levels of IQ. Genius, approaching genius, average, and low. I will grade them accordingly and give you your results later.”

“We all know who’s getting a low IQ,” said Scarlett Hart. She glanced at Alex Marks, who ignored her. I wondered if I should have said something. But I decided to keep quiet and focus on my work.

School dragged by, and at the end of the day, I was exhausted. I went straight to my Ferrari, which was being admired by several guys. I unlocked it and scooched in the front seat, much to their shock. As I drove off, I pondered my life. Was Grandfather really dying? I was still in shock over it.

I was not paying attention, and the other driver was on his cell phone. The resounding crash hurt my ears. I was dizzy, my eyes blurry. I heard voices.

“They just crashed!”

“Call the cops, I think he’s hurt!”

Damn, three crashes in two years. What are the odds? I thought. The other driver was unconscious. I heard sirens. I also heard my uncle’s motorcycle. I looked up, and saw a flash of blond hair. Father was on the motorcycle. He must have seen the crash happen.

“That’s my son!” he cried to the officers. My door opened and a cute bald guy pulled me out.

“Hello? Can you hear me?” he asked. He checked my pulse. “He’s still alive! What’s your name, son?”

“R-Reese,” I choked out.

“That’s my son!”

“He’s your son?”

“Reese, do you know where you are?”

“On the road, heading home from school,” I replied. “I was driving a blue Ferrari. I’m wearing black, and my father is here.”

“Son! Reese!”

“Father…my head hurts…”

“I know, I know. Can you fix him?”

“He needs to go to the emergency room to get stitches for his head.”

What was wrong with my head? I touched my skull, and red and clear fluid came away, My head was literally split open.

I passed out.

Hours later, I woke up in a daze.

“Reese!”

“Quiet, Mordecai. Remember, concussion.”

“He’s my son, Soren. Not yours!”

“I know, I know.”

“My dad’s right, Uncle Mordecai. You should really keep your voice down.”

“Do not tell me what to do, Louis Soren Emerson.”

“Dad?” I squeaked. “Uncle Soren? Louis?”

“And Sarah, and Marina, and Alexander.”

I opened my eyes, then winced as my head split open again. I carefully opened them again, and saw my family, except Grandfather, around my bed. My girlfriend grabbed my hand and held it; her worried eyes full of tears.

“What time is it?”

“Midnight,” she said. “I’ve been here since twilight. I didn’t hear about it until then.”

“I believe you. Where am I?”

“In a hospital,” she answered.

“Have you eaten yet?”

“Don’t worry about me,” she snapped, although I could hear her stomach growling.

“I will get you both some food,” Mother said, looking relieved.

“I’ll go,” Louis offered. “I’ve been here longer.”

“Thank you, Louis.”

I sat up slowly and pulled Sarah into me.

“Ouch,” she said, wincing. “My back, Reese….”

“Still?” I could feel protrusions coming out of her back. “This…when did this happen?”

“Today. Overnight. Over time.”

“I am going to take her to a doctor,” Mother said. “No arguments.”

“See Ethan first,” I said. “He’d be able to tell you if it’s supernatural.”

“You’re more important right now,” Sarah said.

“I’ll be fine,” I said. “I’ve dealt with worse. You are what’s most important right now.”

“Reese, please,” she said, her eyes filling with tears again.

“Oh, baby, I’m sorry,” I said, kissing her tears away. “I love you.”

“I love you, too. Oh!” She grimaced as my fingers brushed one of the protrusions in her back.

“Get Ethan!” I snapped at Father.

“Hold your horses, son,” he said. “Ethan might be asleep. It’s very late- “

“I don’t give a damn! If you don’t get him here right now, I won’t speak to you for a month!”

“Reese Mordecai Emerson, you don’t tell me what to do!”

“It’s fine, really,” Sarah interjected.

“Shush, you,” I told her. “It most certainly is not fine. We need to have your back looked at!”

“Reese, your head- “

“Scratch my head! You’re what’s most important right now. If I have to get Louis to teach you to be selfish, I will!”

“She’s not wrong, though, little buddy,” Louis said, arriving with a container of blood and a Styrofoam box of food for Sarah containing a sandwich and chips. She took her food gratefully, while I took mine. “You got a nasty hit. Eighteen stitches. Pieces of your skull were wedged in your brain.”

“Reese, please,” Sarah begged.

“Baby, I swear I’ll be fine. I’m not concerned about me.”

“You’re both being stupid,” Alexander said, speaking up for the first time. “Reese, you’ve got a bad head, and Sarah, you’ve got a bad back. They’re equally important. Now, you both need to eat and rest. Sarah, I can take you home.”

“I’m not leaving him!”

Alexander snarled, and Sarah hid behind Mother.

“Be nice, Alexander,” Mother warned him. She glared at Father. “This is all your fault.”

“My fault, why is everything always my fault?”

“Because it is,” Mother hissed.

I felt cold all over. Was it really his fault, or was it my fault? Had I somehow begun a change in Sarah?

“What about the other driver?” Sarah asked.

At this, everyone became quiet.

“We’re not sure if he’ll live,” Father finally said. “He was shot while the accident was happening. Thirty-six pieces of glass in his chest, and a bullet in his belly.”

“He was on his cell phone,” I remembered.

“We think he was aiming for you, Reese,” Louis said. “The shooter.” Uncle Soren smacked him upside the head.

“Thanks a lot, big lips,” he sarcasted.

“Aiming for me?” I asked.

Louis nodded. “The guys scoured the scene, and they found an empty shell and traces of gunpowder. They sent it in to the police, but it may take weeks or even months to figure who the shooter is. Unless you know someone with long red hair.”

“Marcus,” I hissed.

“The fairy dude?”

“I saw him hanging out a few times, watching Sarah. He’s fallen in love with her.”

Sarah burst into tears.

“Oh, baby, I’m so sorry,” I said.

“I should just die right now,” she said, hugging herself.

“Don’t say that!” Mother cried.

“It would stop all this ridiculousness. Why do I keep attracting guys? There’s only one I’m interested in, and he’s laying in front of me.”

She began crying harder. She went into the bathroom to hide.

“I’m going to kill him,” threatened Alexander.

“Fowley,” I said.

“What about him?”

“He can control Marcus. Call him!”

“You need your rest,” Alexander told me. “You and the girl both. Give him a sedative.”

“He’s had enough sedatives,” Father argued.

“Call Ethan,” Uncle Soren said. “But first, call the nurse. He needs to sleep. And so does she.” His eyes wandered to the bathroom, where she still was. I growled in warning. He averted his eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day, I woke up around eleven in the morning. Father was the only one still with me, watching me from the chair.

“Where is everyone?” I asked.

“Alexander took Sarah home around five this morning. There’s no point in either of you going to school today, not you with your concussion and late night, and not her with her bad night. Louis went to the school to get your homework. Soren is with Grandfather.”

“How is Grandfather?”

“Doing poorly. He’s worried about you. There are lines around his face that I haven’t seen in a while. Not since Mother died.”

“Where’s Mom?”

“Getting food for you. She’s sweet-talking the nurses into letting you have some more blood.”

“Do they know about my condition?”

“Of course. But it’s not against the law. Vampires are no longer a secret-there’s no point in trying to keep us a secret.”

I felt guilty. Grandfather was dying because of me, and Sarah was going through some sort of supernatural change that she could not control. Tears stung my eyes, a lump formed in my throat. I took a deep breath, and it came out serrated.

“Reese, what’s wrong?”

“Everything’s my fault. Grandfather dying, Sarah being affected.”

“No, hon, it’s not your fault. Hello, Marina.”

Mother came into the room, carrying a container of warm blood. I took it from her and drank it in seconds. Then I got the hiccups.

“How is she?” I asked.

“Sarah? Worried about you,” Mother replied. “She is home now. You will be allowed to go in a day or two.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was allowed to leave after four days. I was full of blood, upon the insistence of Mother and Father, and I had seen precious little of my true soulmate.

Louis was going to speak to Fowley about Marcus.

About a week after I arrived home, I decided to go to Rainbow Alley, which I hadn’t been to since I was sixteen. I drove my GT-R to the building.

A girl was standing on the wheelchair ramp. She pinched my butt as I walked by.

“Hey, cutie,” she quipped.

“Do you frequently touch strangers’ asses?” I asked her. She looked embarrassed.

I entered the room. A curly-haired woman approached me.

“Hello, my name is Cheryl, and I will be your adult support,” she said with a fake smile.

“I’m already legally an adult,” I said.

“Of course you are,” she muttered.

“Hey, Reese!” Ariella was waving at me from a spot on the floor.

“Hello,” I said.

“Reese, this is my girlfriend Cate,” she said, gesturing to the skinny girl with short blond hair next to her. “And this is Amber, Iris, and Lucy.”

“Nice to meet you,” said Amber, who