. As did the rest of the day.
As I sat at my usual lunch table with Jonathon, Diana, Mason, and Danny, I scanned the lunchroom relentlessly for any sign of Isaac but there was none. Nor was there any sign of him in my last period class.
When we left class I glanced around the parking lot for Isaac’s bright red smart car but I didn’t see it. Jonathon gave me a puzzled look that I ignored.
Jonathon held the passenger door open for me. I put my hands on my hips and tapped my foot impatiently. “What?” he asked, his marble brow drawing together in perfect confusion.
“I thought this was my car?” I asked trying to sound mad but really trying not to laugh. He bought it.
“I’m sorry, principessa. Here,” he said handing me the keys.
“I was kidding, Jonathon,” I said, laughing now.
“Kidding?” He asked; rolling the foreign word over in his mouth like he tasted something sour.
“Yeah, you know. Joking. Ha ha ha.” I said.
“Oh, you were joking. Now I understand,” he chuckled as I climbed into the car.
We sat in the school traffic for a little while before we finally exited the parking lot. We drove the winding roads and finally arrived at the Pulmer’s mansion on the hill.
“Aren’t you coming?” I asked when it was obvious that he wasn’t getting out of the car.
“No,” he said putting the car into reverse, “I’m going to Luigi’s to pick up some more blood.”
“Oh,” I said and watched him back out of the driveway. I didn’t see Jonathon and his family as vampires so when he talked about things like blood it threw me for a loop.
I strapped my backpack across my shoulders and headed inside. I pulled out my key but it wasn’t necessary, the door was already unlocked. I guess when you live in a house full of vampires locked doors isn’t really necessary.
They should have a sign, Caution we bite.
I didn’t see the others but that didn’t mean anything. I headed up the stairs to my room, closing the door behind me.
I threw my backpack down on the floor. I flopped across the bed and let out a sigh. I rolled over on my side and heard a crunch.
I jumped off the bed like I had been burned.
On my bed was a little piece of white paper. I gasped and picked it up, trying desperately to keep my breathing under control. I held the note in one hand and the other to my heart trying to hold myself together.
The elegant script was Selena’s. This was the first note I had received since the funeral. I read it over again and again. My breathing becoming more labored every time I read it.
I look forward to seeing you again. Soon.
Chapter Five: Meeting
Oh, dear God. Please, not again.
I put my head in my hands and tried to breathe. My chest felt heavy; as if a piece of stone were resting on it.
No, this cannot be happening. No, no, no! Not again!
I realized that I would have to tell Jonathon and the others what was happening so they could be prepared. I should have told him about the other note that I had received on the plane. But I hadn’t. I didn’t want this to be happening again.
I tried desperately to block the images of when Selena kidnapped me but they wouldn’t go away. Selena’s hand reaching for my dad’s head, my dad’s severed head, his head rolling toward me, Jonathon storming into the shack with blue fire sparkling on his hands and arms, Jonathon glorious as an angel fighting the demon Selena to save me, Selena screaming as she burned.
The image of Selena burning haunted me. Underneath the blue fire, purple had shown through, a different kind of purple than the one that sometimes reflected in Jonathon’s fire. She must have faked the burning but her screams had been so real; remembering her shrill scream sent a shiver down my back.
I sat down on the floor, I refused to ever go anywhere near that bed again, and began to control my breathing and thoughts. I had to have a game plan to tell them. I was worried about Jonathon’s reaction. They all assumed Selena was dead but of course I had known better after receiving the note at my dad’s funeral. But Jonathon would be mad that I hadn’t told him back when I received that note and had waited till now. Mad wouldn’t even begin to cover it. He’d be furious. I just couldn’t believe this was happening again. I guess I had thought if I ignored the note I received at the funeral then it would all go away. But of course that was silly thinking. Realizing that Selena had once again been in my room, I jumped up and ran out, smacking into Diana.