Beheaded In Biology by Kennedy Harkins (debian ebook reader .txt) đ
- Author: Kennedy Harkins
Book online «Beheaded In Biology by Kennedy Harkins (debian ebook reader .txt) đ». Author Kennedy Harkins
And it was a him. With flawlessly pale skin, the lightest of blue eyes, and soft brown hair, he was the most gorgeous boy Iâd ever seen.
âHow do you know my name?â
âIâve been watching you for some time now.â
I frowned. There was something wrong there. Something about this should bother me, shouldnât it? I shook off the feeling as soon as it came.
He came closer, his hand reached out to grab mine. His flesh was cool, and sent shivers up my spine. He glanced up from my arm and my eyes widened in horror.
Red. His eyes are red. Was my only thought before his teeth sunk into my forearm.
_____
âGabi.â I heard my name and my head snapped towards the bushes the noise had come from. I breathed a sigh of relief to see Kara emerging from them, but it was cut off halfway through. She seemed...different. Her eyes a little too bright. Her voice a little too relaxed.
Shaking it off as my usual paranoia, âWe need to go. Now.â I tried to keep my tone light, but fear colored it.
âYeah, youâre right. Sorry.â
And this time, we actually made it to the car.
_____
âNay! Wait up,â I called down the busy hall at a tall retreating figure.
We met at his locker. There was still a few minutes left until the first bell. After last night, my creep-o-meter was way into the red. I wasnât sure if I was ready to tell him about it, but his presence would probably make me feel better.
âWhere were you last night? Kole and I tried to call you. There was a Batman marathon on...â He must have seen something in my face, because he trailed off and stared intently at me. âHey, are you alright, Gab?â
I didnât know whether to cry or laugh. Of course, he would know as soon as he saw me that something was bugging me. Of course, he would see that I was terrified that something had happened to Kara out in those woods. Of course, he would.
He just knows me too well.
âYeah, Iâm fine. Just sorry I missed Batman,â The lie fell lamely from my mouth. His eyes narrowed, and he opened his mouth to reply- or more likely to call BS- when the bell rang.
Saved by the bell.
âGotta go. Donât wanna be late for class!â My perkiness sounded false even to my ears. Wincing, I pulled him into a hug when it looked like he was going to say more. His scent was crisp like fall, and familiar. Nayâs arms closed around me hesitantly, like he really didnât want to drop the subject. I allowed myself a few extra seconds of comfort.
Pulling away, I put on my âbig-girl pantsâ and after giving Nay a half-assed smile, I headed off to Pre-Calc to face Kara.
I could feel Nathanâs eyes boring into the back of my head as I hustled down the hallway. Oh, this was so coming back to bite me in butt. God, forbid he ever let anything go. Would it be too lame to eat lunch in the Bio room?
Juli was already settled with her band of merry idiots in the back of the Pre-Calc classroom when I walked in. She spared me her usual disdainful glare, before getting back to gossiping. I plastered a big grin on my face and waved at her like the freak she thought I was.
Sitting in the same seat as yesterday, I ruffled through my binder for my homework. A cold hand landed on my shoulder, jumping to my feet, my textbook crashed to the ground.
Kara. It was just Kara. Only Kara didnât look like Kara. There were huge circles under her eyes, she was pale, and while yesterday sheâd been full of life and hope, today she looked... dead.
âSorry, Gabi. Didnât mean to scare you.â She looked at me mournfully. âLook about last night-â
I held up a hand that I hoped wasnât shaking, âAlready forgotten. Letâs just...never mention it again.â I tried to give her a grin, so that the last part would come out light hearted, but Iâm pretty sure I fell short.
In truth, I wasnât scared of Kara. For all her freaky behavior last night, sheâs still just a kid. Like me. Nothing to be afraid of.
It was the weird vibe I was getting of her that had me quaking in my boots.
Just because youâre paranoid, doesnât mean theyâre not out to get you.
Turning back towards the front of the room, I watched Kara out of my peripheral vision. She sat down, got out her book, and watched the teacher intently. Hell, she even took notes. Everything should have seemed normal, proving to me that I was just being the same old conspiracy freak Iâd always been. She did the exact same thing yesterday. Iâd even found it endearing that she tried so hard in math.
Math. Of all things.
Today? Not so much. Although all her actions almost exactly mirrored yesterdayâs Kara. Present Kara was... off. There was something too bright in her eyes, her movements a little too restless.
The more I watched her, the more tense I became. By the end of the period I was a tightly wound coil, only one breath away from springing from my chair and sprinting all the way home. Screaming the whole way.
So not helpful.
After what felt like an eternity, the bell rang. It sounded like a beautiful song, announcing I was free from this torture. I grabbed my stuff and hauled some major ass out of the room. Kara was probably looking at me funny, hell; everyone was probably thinking Iâd lost my marbles. Maybe I had.
_____
âGabi! Wait up!â Nay called my name down the crowded hallway, as I hightailed away from gym, my last class of the day. I didnât turn around, for fear of meeting eyes with a certain creeper, but I did slow down so he could reach me.
Kara sat with us again at lunch today, and much to my dismay, Nay and Kole didnât seem to sense anything wrong with her. I, on the other hand, got more paranoid with every second I spent with her. I kept imagining that as the minutes passed she got paler, and blinked less.
God, I need professional help.
Feeling a familiar presence at my side, I turned to Nathan, and decided to put the whole Kara thing from my mind. At least for the time being. It wouldnât do anyone any good to give myself a panic attack.
âWhereâs the fire, Gab?â He asked.
I rolled my eyes, âYouâre just slow. No football tonight?â
âNope, Coach had a family emergency. What are we doing?â
âWell...we can hang out at my house, if you donât mind my Grandmaâs friends. Sheâs having her monthly sĂ©ance.â I shuddered at the thought of spending the night alone with the âMystics of Albanyâ. No doubt, theyâd have me eat a live chicken or some nonsense.
âIs that my only option?â His expression of distaste mirrored mine.
âWe could go to the Pallor. Itâs closed tonight, so it should be deserted.â I suggested.
The full name is Frannyâs Magic Pallor, started by my million-times great grandmother during the founding days of Albany. The fact that itâs still standing, and still does relatively good business, is a testament to how messed up this town is. Granted, a lot of the people that frequent the place do so only because of the stellar coffee. Most of them havenât even seen the âbackroomâ of the place, where Gran keeps all the really freaky stuff.
Nay grinned, âI bet Kole will love that idea.â He nodded behind me, and a second later, the third Stooge appeared at my shoulder. âHey, Kole, wanna go to the Pallor tonight?â
âPerfect! I have an exam in Programing tomorrow. One of your Grandmaâs magic books is bound to have a spell thatâll tell me whatâs on it.â We started towards the parking lot; the hallway was almost empty by that point.
âOr, you could study, you know, like a normal person.â I said.
âWhereâs the fun in that?â Kole and Nay asked in unison.
âOh, thereâs no fun to be had, but at least no one gets blown up, or set on fire.â
____
Stepping out of Nathanâs SUV, I took in Frannyâs Magic Pallor, and all its glory. It was squished in between the mini-mart and Guns nâ Ammo, both surrounded stores where new editions compared to the Pallor. It was technically three floors, but the cellar was really just for storage or in case of nuclear attack. The faded brick had moss growing in patches all over the building, making it look even more ancient. The windows on the ground floor showed the coffee shop in the front room, a collection of mismatched chairs, tables, and a barista bar. The second story windows, however, had thick purple curtains obscuring the inside from view. Thatâs where Nana keeps her gadgets, and book collection.
Removing a broken brick from the outside wall, I removed a spare key from its hiding place and unlocked the thick, wooden front door. The scent of coffee grounds and pastries hit me like a wall of yummy goodness. Gran and Madame Losada, her longtime friend and helper, make everything themselves from scratch themselves, though they always imply witchcraft has a hand in it.
I try not to roll my eyes at them. Iâm usually not successful.
âAh, smell like home.â Kole sighs, breathing in the mouthwatering aroma. And he was right, this was home. Ever since we were kids, helping Gran bake the cookies, serve the customers, or hanging out in the attic.
âIâll grab the grub, meet you guys upstairs.â Nathan hurried off towards the sweets.
Kole and I raced past Grandmaâs office, where she does psychic readings, and up the stairs to the attic. The whole place was littered with old fashions oak bookshelves, stuffed with novels of every kind, though mostly magic related, and other miscellaneous mystical items. The walls and carpet, not that you could see it through all the brightly colored rugs, were a deep shade of red thatâd faded over time. There were cute little overstuffed couches under each of the windows, a single rocking chair sat in one of the corners, and a rickety table in the middle of the room, surrounded by four magenta colored chairs.
âSo, which one do you think has the spell Iâm looking for?â Kole mused, glancing at the bookshelves.
I pulled a thick faded volume from the shelf nearest me. The cover said âSaphireâs Guide to Everyday Housewife Spellsâ, and had a picture of a woman cooking breakfast. Hands Free. Flipping it open, I went to the table of contents.
I. He says he doesnât like your cooking?
II. Chores taking up too much of your day?
III. Want to know what heâs really thinking?
Smiling, I closed the book. Thatâs probably not what Koleâs looking for. âFound something!â He exclaimed from across the room. He was holding an old wood colored novel, with intricate engravings on the cover.
âWhat is it?â
Holding a finger to the text, he said, âNot much. Just some stuff about âdanger on the horizonâ and being one step ahead of the game.â
âSounds perfect,â Nay said from the top of the stairs. He had a plate of goodies in one hand, and three cups on top of a travel sized thermos in the other. âWhat supplies do you need?â
âItâs fairly simple: some paper, holy water, and blood.â
âOh, is that all?â I laughed, but truth be told, that was simple for a spell. âDoes it say what kind of blood?â
He paused, looking over the
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