After the Show (Chapter)

         “I’ll see you at home.” I hugged Caleb again and made my way back to the dressing room. Eager to get home, I quickly slipped off the stupid spiked heels and threw them in my bag, grabbed my things off the mirror, and stepped out the back stage door into the icy, wet night.

         Man, was it cold. I wrapped my trench coat tighter around my body and pulled my hat down in attempt to block the rain from pelting me in the face. I couldn’t help, but giggle. Just one hour ago I was on stage having the time of my life, and there I was, alone in a back alley fighting off rain drops and desperately seeking a cab.  But I’d be home soon enough, dry and warm. The thought made me pick up the pace as I headed out of the alley toward 34th street.

         “Hey!” Someone called from behind. Probably some drunk idiot. It had to be after eleven, anyways. I kept my head down, and walked a little faster.

         “Where do you think you’re going?” Another voice called. This one was closer. My stomach sank at the sudden realization of the danger I was in. I stole a quick glance back. Three black shapes advanced forward in the darkness.

         I broke into an all out sprint then, hoping to God I’d make it to 34th street before tonight got anymore eventful. But one of the men was already too close behind. He grabbed a fist full of my jacket, taking me down. The mesh from my nylons tore open as my knees skidded against the pavement.  I thrashed violently out of the man’s grasp, kicking him straight in the gut in the process. He stammered falling backward. I scrambled to my feet, desperately trying to reach the streetlights, but the other two men were right there, pushing me down again. They were big, strong, and I couldn’t make out their words to each other as they snickered and breathed heavily. Their faces were a blur in midst of my struggle and the rain.

         It was too dark, too wet, and too cold to assess the situation. The only thing my mind could process was to scream and to kick. A large hand quickly clamped over my mouth as I squirmed helpless on the pavement. Someone ripped off my jacket. The buttons flew everywhere. My first instinct was to punch the closest thing with a pulse, but I soon realized my arms were pinned down.

         I was totally and completely trapped, and I there was no way I could possibly make it out of there. It was so dark, and I felt the rain seeping into my dress.

         And then I felt something else.

         Hands. Hands everywhere; in my hair, on my lips, my face, my dress. They tore at the thin material. No, no, this couldn’t be happening. This can’t happen. Not now, not here.

         With my free hand I searched the pavement. A rock? A shard of glass? A gun? I didn’t know what I was searching for, but I needed something, anything, that would help me. I felt it then, my shoe, small, slender…and sharp. Without thinking I stabbed the heel into the neck of the man ferociously grabbing my hair. He yelped in pain, a strange gurgling sound, and fell off of me. Blood spewed onto my face and neck. The other two stopped what they were doing, stunned for a brief moment.

         I scrambled to my feet, but so did my two attackers. I kicked one of them—the short one—right between the legs and watched as he fell back down to the ground. The other charged forward, his fist meeting my face in an action that made my vision blur for the tiniest second. I didn’t fall, though. I couldn’t. I had to stay on my feet. I had to get to the street….

         The short man had recovered. He sauntered forward, murmuring something to his partner. I wasn’t going to win this fight. Who was I? A petite seventeen year old. I was no match for two large thugs. I screamed out of frustration, out of fright, out of anger, and swung the sharp heel inches from the tall one’s face. He dodged it quickly.

         A blind rage roared under my skin. Who were these men? Do they really think they could get away with this? No. They wouldn’t. They wouldn’t do this to me or anyone else. I felt the anger boiling inside of me. I swung at the attacker again. Just as my hand met his face, a piercing white light flew from my fingertips lighting up the entire alley. Both men howled, then fell, lifeless, to the ground.

         I ran as fast as humanly possible, under the streetlights, and out toward the city shopping center. They couldn’t hurt me here. I glanced behind me. The sidewalk was empty. I couldn’t see anyone for blocks. I stopped outside a bookstore and caught my breath under the awning.

         What had just happened? What did I do? I stopped both of them—both of the men—with my bare hands. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. I’m not capable of… it couldn’t be…. My head reeled as it searched for understanding. I’d never felt so confused—so abused—in my entire life. Both my phone and wallet were gone, and my dress was still in tatters. I was barefoot, cold, wet, and quite frankly, a little pissed off, and I wanted nothing more than to be home, safe and dry.

         The adrenaline left my body, and I slumped forward, forcing my feet to move ahead. The rain fell harder, but I didn’t care. I was too exhausted, too confused. My mind felt numb as I walked the sixteen blocks all the way home.

         It was late, but all of the lights were still on. Caleb was probably sitting on pins and needles, and rightfully so this time. I sluggishly made my way up the steps and tapped on the front door with as much force as possible. Caleb answered. He looked like he was about to ground me, but he stopped himself short. Terror, shock, and worry all danced across his features.

         He pulled me inside. “Kara, what happened? Are you hurt? Who did this do you?” He lightly brushed his fingers against my cheek right where I was hit. It stung. I ignored it, and tried to find words as I let the warm house erase my goose bumps. I wanted to tell him that I was fine, that it was no big deal, but the truth was I’d never felt so scared or violated in my entire life.

         Caleb was so safe, so warm, and the fear quickly left my heart. I fell into his chest. Exhausted. Defeated.

         “Oh, Kara.” he patted my hair. “What happened, sweetie?”

         I let the images fill my mind; the pavement, the three men, their hands, their lips…. I shuddered, and held onto Caleb even tighter. I was going to lose it, but a new image fell into place; my hand and the piercing white light.

         “They were there,” I tried to explain to Caleb through the shaking. “The men. And, and then I touched them. My hand. The bright light… it, it saved me, but I can’t… I’m not like you… I, I….” I knew what I wanted to say, but my thoughts and speech wrestled with each other through all of the commotion.

         Caleb pulled some towels from the linen closet and led me over to the sofa, the worry lines still dominating his features.

         “What’s going on?” Nathan’s voice surprised us both. “Kara?”

         “She’s—I don’t know,” Caleb turned to face him, gently wiping my scrapes with a soft cloth. “She’s out of it,”

         I was frustrated. My brain refused to tell my lips to move. Instead, I sat there like a helpless, wet child, trembling on the couch while Nathan and Caleb had to watch—confused—and just as helpless.

         “Oh god,” Nathan started as he entered the room. “What’s going on? Who the hell did this to you?” He was furious. His hands balled into fists and he glanced out the curtains, as if my attackers were waiting on the front lawn.

         “We’d know if they were close,” Caleb muttered to his brother.

         Nathan huffed then kneeled by my side. His face softened as he laid his eyes on me. If only my body would stop shaking, I could reassure them I wasn’t hurt—I could explain what happened.

         Nathan held my quivering hand in his. “Kara, you’re okay now. You’re safe.” I could only nod in response, but my body refused to calm. Nathan closed his eyes and bowed his head, still holding my hand.

         Caleb wiped the blood from my neck. “Oh, Kara,” he said again, and tears began to fall onto his cheeks. He worked hard to keep his voice steady. His eyes examined my tattered dress, my scraped knees, the bruises beginning to form….

         Suddenly I didn’t want him or Nathan to put the pieces together….

         The shaking began to cease, and numbness took over instead. My breathing slowed and my body temperature returned to normal.

         Nathan’s head shot up then. “You did that all by yourself?” he asked, stunned.

         He’d been gazing into my mind; he knew everything.

         “I don’t know,” I whispered. Nathan brushed the hair from my face sympathetically.

         My head still spun. It hurt and it was starting to make my vision fuzzy. Caleb said something to me, but the sound was muffled, like he was underwater. I felt my eyes roll into the back of my head, and then I fell into unconsciousness.

***

         When I woke up I was in my bed. The shades were pulled down, but just a little light escaped through the cracks. Caleb sat on my desk chair, next to me. He looked more exhausted than I felt. I wondered if he’d been awake all this time. My head throbbed. I shut my eyes again before Caleb realized I was awake. The door creaked open then, but I was too tired to look.

         “Well?” Caleb whispered. There was a pause. “That bad?” He responded to some signal I couldn’t see.

         “They’re dead, Caleb,” Nathan said under his breath, quietly entering the room.

         “It just doesn’t make any sense. There’s nothing in the histories—“

         “Exactly. There’s no history of an incident like this, but nowhere does it say it’s not possible,” Nathan retorted. There was a long pause before he spoke again. “This should have never happened,”

         “I know.”

         “I should have waited for her; I should have taken her home….”

         “Stop it,” Caleb snapped. “What’s done is done. You know how guilty Kara is going to feel. We have to focus on right now,”

         “You’re right.”

         There was another long pause again, and for a while it sounded like I was the only one breathing. I waited.

         “Did you call Nicholas?” Nathan finally asked.

         Nicholas. I hadn’t thought about explaining this to him. I didn’t want to….

         “No. I figured we should wait for Kara to wake up. I’d hate to see her so stressed right now,”

         “You’re right,” Nathan said again. The silence resumed.

         I laid there—listening to the sound of my breathing—as Nathan and Caleb must have sat like statues. I wished none of this had ever happened. I was hurting everybody, and I had no plan as how to reassure them. What would I tell Nicholas? I couldn’t keep this a secret from him—he’d see the bruises. He would blame himself, just as Nathan and Caleb had, and there was nothing I could do about that.

         And what about my escape? I prayed to God Nathan wasn’t talking about the men in the alley when he first came into the room. Now I was a freak and a murderer? I couldn’t have that on my conscience. It was unbelievable. Was it really possible for someone’s life to be taken by my very hands? I was disgusted with myself. What was I turning into? A monster?

         No, certainly not. I was the same person. Those men were attacking me, and I defended myself in the only way I could. I didn’t mean it; didn’t do anything with the intent of killing them. Although the thought still made my stomach flip, I forced myself to believe it wasn’t my fault. They came at me. What else was I supposed to do?

         My mind wandered, swirling my thoughts into one big subconscious mess. The scene played over and over again; saying goodbye to Caleb, the rain, the back alley, the three dark shapes, and the cold. Feeling powerless, feeling their hands, their hot breath….

         I woke up with a jolt in a movement that set my joints on fire. If I hadn’t felt anything last night, it was there now.

         I sat upright, leaning against my pillows, and stretched my aching limbs.

         “How are you feeling?” a familiar voice asked from the darkness. I must have slept through the entire day.

         “Nicholas?”

         “Hey, Baby.” Nicholas came over and sat on my bed. I reached over and turned the light on.

         I could only imagine how I must have looked, tired and bruised. Nicholas tried to compose himself, but I could see through it.

         “What are you doing here?” I asked a little confused.

         “You weren’t answering your phone.” He stroked my hair. “I was worried, so I came here.”

         “Oh.” Was all I could manage to say.

         “Nathan told me what happened,” he said quietly.

         My stomach dropped and I felt my face get hot. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. I knew Nicholas was going to find out eventually, I just wished it wasn’t right then.

         He held up my hand. “I told you you were strong,” he smiled, easing away the tension that was creeping its way into our conversation.

         “I know. Weird, right? I’m not sure how I did it.”

         “I am,” he simply replied.

         I rolled my eyes. “Oh, really?”

         Nicholas nodded and pointed to my heart. “It’s all right there. I can feel it.”

         I instinctively put my hand to my chest. Maybe he was right; maybe I wasn’t some freak of nature. My mood brightened a little.

         “I should get up,” I said suddenly. I couldn’t stay in bed while everyone around me wallowed in unnecessary guilt. It was time to sew back together what the previous night had ripped apart.

         “You should rest,” Nicholas insisted.

         “I was in a fight, Nick, not a plane crash. I think I’ve got it,” I laughed, but stopped short once I realized I was alone. I sighed. I’d get them to loosen up eventually.

I stood. I was a achy, sore, but nothing I couldn’t manage. I just wanted to get out of this gross dress and wash my hair. Maybe this heavy mood would lighten if I didn’t look like a zombie. I turned to Nicholas. “Could you go tell Nathan and Caleb I’m not dead? I need to shower.”

         “Sure,” he sighed. Nicholas put his forehead to mine; our fingers intertwined. “I’m glad you’re okay,” he whispered.

         Nicholas left, and I lolled into the bathroom.

         Wow. No wonder everyone looked at me like they wanted to cry.

         My hair was frizzy from the rain, sticking out in every direction, big and wild. My make-up smeared deep black rings under my eyes and onto my cheeks. It contrasted oddly with the large purplish-blue bruises coving the entire right side of my face.

         And my dress! My dream dress…. Most of the sequins were gone and one of my straps was ripped off completely. The seam on the side was torn from my knee to my thigh, turning ‘elegant and classy’ into plain ‘trashy’ There was dried blood matted on the front. Ew. There was no salvaging this dress. I grimaced.

         I took a ridiculously long shower, letting the hot water release the knots in my back. I scrubbed every inch of me—cleansing myself of that awful night—and then when I was done, I scrubbed again. Washing off the dirt means washing off the past. Tomorrow was going to be a new day.

         And it was.

         No one dared to talk about what happened. I wasn’t sure how that made me feel. Regardless, it still left one annoying—and very large—elephant in the room. But I needed answers, and if that meant bringing up such a sore subject, so be it. It happened to me, after all. Clearly, I was fine. Not to mention taking down three grown men with my bare hands made me feel a little badass. Even if I was unsure about the ‘how’ part, it was still cool.

         I sighed as I listened to the symphony of forks against plates and crickets outside play for over ten minutes. It seemed like no one else noticed.

         “Guys,” I blurted interrupting the music. Nathan and Caleb both lifted their heads in synchronization. They always looked so similar when they did that.

         “What is it?” asked Nathan.

         “Are you okay?” interjected Caleb.

         I slapped my hand to my face and sighed again. “Yes, I’m fine.”

         “Then what’s the matter?” Caleb asked again.

         “There has to be something wrong in order for me to talk to you?”

         “Well, no. It’s just—,”

         I cut him off. “It’s just things are heavy around here and I don’t like it.” Nathan and Caleb both looked down. “Exactly.” I set my plate aside, suddenly full.

         “Look,” I said firmly. “I’m over it. I got over it a long time ago, and you guys should too. I’m not going to ignore that by some divine intervention, I’m unharmed. Therefore, I refuse to mope. I’m alive and feeling better than I have in a long time, so you both can stop sulking. I don’t want to dwell on the past like it’s a bad thing. What I did… well, I want to know how I did it, and why it happened. Is that too much to ask?”

         They both stared at each other before Caleb spoke.

         “We don’t know, Kara.”

         I’m not sure why it surprised me that Caleb simply wouldn’t know. Since I was six years old, there had never been a question Caleb couldn’t answer, and of course, when I needed guidance the most, those around me were at a loss. I sat at the table, suddenly full, and stared in front of me.

         “But,” Nathan began, sensing my shift in mood. “That doesn’t mean we’re completely clueless.”

         “What do you mean?” I asked.

         “Let’s say by some crazy shift in the balance of the world, you have the same abilities Caleb and I have. We can still explore them—see what you’re capable of—without needing to know where these abilities came from.”

         “Okay,” I began. “There’s no way I’m like you two. I don’t even know if I could do it again, let alone if I want to do it again. I almost killed them. I didn’t even know what I was doing and I almost killed them.” The thought left a bad taste in my mouth. I hated myself for what I did—for what I could do—and there was no way I would ever try to replicate that moment again.

         “They deserved more than that,” Nathan said, his tone suddenly turning dark. A ring of red flashed around his eyes. I shivered.

         “Easy…” Caleb warned.

Nathan loosened his grip on the table and blinked twice, composing himself. He looked up at me and studied my face. I suddenly felt self-conscious. I didn’t need a mirror to tell me how awful the entire right side of my face looked. I let my hair fall in front of my eyes. “Sorry,” he said a little flustered. “I think I’m going to go into town. There’s some stuff I’ve been meaning to pick up.”

And with that, Nathan rose from the table, and left the room. I flinched as the front door slammed closed. Nathan had always had trouble controlling his rage, especially when he experienced his Becoming, or at least that’s what I’ve heard from Caleb’s stories. The two had always joked about it, but I knew Nathan’s temper issues were serious. Caleb said Becoming only magnifies the emotions already present. It took Nathan almost two years before he was finally able to fully control himself. Only, sometimes he couldn’t help it.

“He’ll come around.” Caleb smiled. “Don’t worry; we’ll talk in the morning.” He stood and began clearing the table. I rose to help. “I’ve got it tonight. Nick is here.”

“What are you--?”

The doorbell rang.

“Good one, Caleb.”

         He chuckled and brought the dishes to the sink. I made my way to the door and answered. Sure enough, Nicholas stood in the doorway tall and as bright as ever. He smiled and held up the morning’s newspaper. “Did you see this?”

         I ushered him inside and grabbed it from his hands. “What is it?”

         “Front page! Look!” He pointed wildly.

         “I don’t understand what you could be so excited abou—oh my god.” I stopped midsentence. Oh, this wasn’t just any article. Plastered of the front page read the headline: SILENT SPRINGS PREPATORY STUDENT SHOCKS AUDIENCE WITH OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE And underneath? A picture of me in a pretty black dress singing on the Silent Springs Prep stage. I felt my face immediately get hot. Humoring Mr. Castwell and performing live for a benefit was one thing, but the newspaper? How many people would see it? People were going to think I was some crazy talented opera star when that was obviously not the case. I didn’t think anything would come of the performance. This was definitely worst case scenario. “I can’t believe this….” I made my way to the sofa and plopped down, wincing some as I remembered my body hadn’t fully recovered.

         “I can!” exclaimed Nicholas. “You did so well. You really deserve all the recognition you receive and more.” He gently placed his fingers over mind and squeezed tightly.

         “This is embarrassing! I don’t want my face all over town!” I put my hand to my face. “Mr. Castwell is never going to leave me alone now.” I groaned.

         “What’s all the fuss about?” Caleb entered the living room wiping his hands dry on a dishtowel.

         “You didn’t grab the paper this morning?” Nicholas questioned, as if everyone should have heard the news by now.

         “No, I forgot.” Caleb replied. “What is it?” He stepped forward and reached for the article. I handed it over and buried my face in my hands. “Kara Patterson, aged 17, wowed audiences this past Friday with a surprisingly impressive vocal performance on the world renowned Silent Springs Preparatory stage,” he mused.

         “Gee, thanks.” I rolled my eyes.

         Caleb ignored me and continued, the smile slowly growing on his face. “The teen sang a stunning Italian aria Il Flor Di Loto shocking even the toughest of critics. ‘I didn’t believe Mr. Castwell when he told me Kara had never been classically trained,’ says Henri Wadsworth of the New York University Music Department. ‘My good friend, Headmaster Florence, invited me to the benefit this weekend. He told me to prepare for a good show, but I wasn’t expecting anything like this.’ The benefit, sponsored by the Silent Springs music program, is held every year on March 14th, and is designed to raise money for AIDS research. Students and faculty alike perform for audiences of up to thirteen-hundred. ‘I’d pay double to see that girl sing again,’ proclaims one spectator. ‘Just lovely,’ raves another. Perhaps the proudest of all crowd members is Robert Castwell, Patterson’s choir director. ‘She originally wasn’t going to perform, but after I heard her voice that first day in class, I knew she had to be on that stage.’

         “’Unfortunately, Patterson was unavailable for comment after the concert, but she was spotted smiling and laughing with friends and family shortly after the performance. The next musical event at Silent Springs Preparatory is the 47th Annual Silent Springs Showcase where the town’s top performers compete for a chance to win ten-thousand dollars. The public all agree, with the help of Kara Patterson, Silent Springs will not stay so silent.” Caleb ended and smiled so bright, it hurt my eyes. “This is amazing, Kara. I’m so proud of you.”

         Although I was embarrassed, Caleb’s words struck me hard. My heart filled my chest. He said I had made him proud. My own father had never uttered those words, but here was Caleb, beaming because of my accomplishments. After my mom died and my dad left, I had always felt so lost, and even when they were still present. My father was a drunk, and my mother was losing her mind. I’d never had my report cards pinned to the refrigerator, or someone to stand up and clap at my fifth grade graduation. I had never felt special enough to deserve credit of any kind, but God knows I wanted it. With my mother too sick to notice my accomplishments, I worked hard to please my dad. I earned my gold stars and came in first at the science fair, but I might as well have never tried. My father simply did not care about me.

         And it was there—on the sofa between Nicholas and an embarrassing newspaper article—that I had an epiphany: Caleb Danford was more of a father to me than Michael Patterson would ever be.

         If my life were a movie, I would tell Caleb this, stand up and hug him, and thank him for all he’s done for me… but that would be too mushy, and my life is not a movie, so instead I just said, “Thanks, Caleb.”

         Later that night, Nicholas and I went for a drive. Not anywhere in particular; just to talk. The night sky was clear and open. Thousands of silver stars plastered themselves across the blank canvas. I stared at the trees whizzing past the window. They looked like silhouettes under the moon. Nicholas sighed, breaking me from my trance. “I’m worried about you.”

         “What?”

         “I’m worried,” he repeated. “I can tell this is bothering you.”

         I turned my gaze back to the window. “I just don’t know what to think, that’s all.”

         “What did Nathan and Caleb say?”

         “They don’t know any more than I do.”

         “Oh.” Was all Nicholas could manage to say. It was silent for a few moments before Nicholas pulled his car into the parking lot of the forest preserve. He shut off the engine and turned to me, lightly brushing his cool fingers over my cheekbone. I shivered under his touch. I couldn’t remember the last time we were together like this. I studied his eyes as they studied mine, his brows knitted together in worry. “Does it hurt?”

         “A little,” I whispered. He tucked my hair behind my ear, exposing the deep purple splotches.

         “What was it like?” he asked, his emerald eyes boring into mine. My heart fluttered.

         “Hm?”

         Nicholas took hold of my hand, turning my palm face up. He lightly traced the lines with his fingers. “What did it feel like?”

         “Like… I don’t know,” I searched for the words. “It was like I was out of control, but I knew what was happening. And I remember feeling cold, then hot, and then cold again.” It sounded stupid when I said it aloud, but Nicholas seemed fascinated.

         “Did you feel in through your spine, too? And in your fingertips?” he asked more excited now.

         “Yes! I felt it everywhere, and it was really bright.” Now I was excited. Could someone really understand what I was talking about?

         “Incredible,” he breathed, sitting back in his seat.

         “Is that what it feels like for you?”

         Nicholas smiled—a gorgeous, white smile—and touched his fingertips to the window shield. The color of his eyes flashed a brilliant blue as frost slowly crystallized across the entire surface. It was beautiful; the white ice sprouted like flowers weaving their way around each other in intricate patterns. Frost covered the window, painting it white. “Yeah,” he answered. “That’s exactly what it’s like.”

         I studied the glass, holding my palm against the frost. Could it be possible to do something like this myself? Of course, Nicholas specialized in water. Anyone with abilities could, but the person usually chose the facet they wanted to manipulate best. Specializing in more than one facet was rare, as it takes a tremendous amount of energy. Essentially everyone had the same facets, but the intensity of the facet depends of the specialization. For instance, Nicholas wouldn’t be able to pick through my brain like Nathan could.

         Nicholas was silent as he studied my every move. I imagined summoning up the power—my very own facet—just as I had in the alley.

         And just like that, I felt it.

         The tingling started in my toes and rose quickly, filling my chest. My fingers were hot against the glass and I watched with amazement as frost slowly dissipated. The ice crystals retracted themselves, weaving back around each other revealing the outline of the forest against the night sky.

         “That did not just happen.” I turned toward Nicholas, as if I needed confirmation. My head reeled.

         “Yes, it did,” he breathed. “It really did. Kara, do you know what this means?”

         My stomach tightened; with fear, with anticipation, with nervousness, excitement. “I think so.” I swallowed.

         “You’re the first female to ever Become.” His words held more weight to them than I would have liked. The committee was going to have a field day. I kept picturing them locking me in some cold dungeon somewhere, prodding me with pins and needles. I shivered as I let my mind wander. “You’re going to do great things.” Nicholas said softly, his speech ridding me of my fears. I admired the way his lips turned up at the corners; how his shone a soft green. He held his palm to my cheek. His scent was intoxicating. It filled the space between us. Nicholas leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine.

         And all it took was one kiss for my ill feelings to wash away. The kiss was slow at first, but then built up intensity; eager and sweet. I let my head swim with the thought of Nicholas’ hand in my hair and the coolness of his breath. My mind spun, and stars flitted across my vision. I was a little light headed and woozy, and the car suddenly seemed very small…. Nicholas pulled away.

         “Are you okay?”

         “Yeah,” I breathed.

         Nicholas put the back of his hand to my forehead. “You’re burning up.”

         “It’s just a headache.”

         He pulled a bottle of aspirin out of the glove box. “Take these,” he ordered.

         I complied, letting the tiny white pills slide down my throat with ease. I sat back with my eyes closed, waiting for the pain to subside. Nicholas started the car, and pulled back onto the road. The motion made me nauseous. All I wanted was to spend time with Nicholas, but it seemed something always found a way of coming between us. I sank down deeper into the seat.

         “Any better?” Nicholas asked, his speech soft.

         “Kind of,” I lied. The pain was starting to burn behind my eyelids. If Nicholas was onto me, he didn’t show it. We were silent for the remainder of the car ride. I closed my eyes again and let my mind drift, ignoring the awful headache. The bump of the driveway shook me awake.

         “That was fast,” I yawned and rubbed my eyes. The headache was still there, but it wasn’t any worse. That was good, I guess.

         I wobbled as Nicholas helped me to the front door. “Will you be okay?”

         “Yes. I think I just need to sleep it off,” I tried to focus on his face, but my vision refused to stand still. I opted for the floor instead.

         “Good night, Kara.” He kissed me on the forehead, and I made my way inside. Both Nathan and Caleb must have gone to bed, as the house was quiet and still. I stumbled up the stairs and fell onto my sheets, face down, not bothering to change my clothes. But as unpredictable as my body was, I had no trouble falling asleep.