Aftermath (12 page)

Luke took a step back.
“I’ll do what I want, Ana.”

I looked at Hayden, who
up until then had been giving us space and allowing me to explain.
“Hayden?” I pleaded for him to help. That was a mistake.

“Hayden? What the
hell can Hayden do? Have you ever thought that maybe you can’t
change the future? Ever thought that you’re just dreaming it before
it happens? That you can’t actually do anything about it?”

Tears started to form
in my eyes, but I refused to wipe them away, refused to show him that
he hurt me. The one person that had trusted me, believed in me, now
doubted me.

“You’re just saying
that. You believe in me. What about the jogger? We saved him.”

“Believed. Past
tense. And what about the jogger? We didn’t actually see that he
made out alive.”

I felt the air leave my
lungs. “You’re just trying to hurt me. You don’t mean it.” I
had to take every ounce of dignity and strength I had left to keep
myself from crying and running away. I fought hard my instinct to
run, I would not do that again.

“Oh, like what, the
way you hurt me?”

“That’s enough,
Luke.” Hayden stepped between us. “Just listen…”

“I don’t have to do
anything! You are not in control of me. You can’t keep me from the
ball, even though I know that’s what you’d like,
Hayden
.
Anything to eliminate the competition, right? No. I’m going to the
ball. And I’m going with the only person I want to go with:
Stephanie.”

“Luke, please listen.
I’m trying to help. Not only for Mr. Christian’s sake, but for
yours. I care about you. “ Luke’s lips parted and I could see him
easing up. Then I spoke, “You’re my friend.”

“I don’t want to be
your damn friend!” Luke looked right at me, rage in his beautiful
hazel eyes. The tension was building up and I didn’t know if I
could take it anymore. Before I could decide what to do next, he
turned and stomped out toward the garage. Seconds seemed to trickle
by as I heard the engine roar and tires screeching away.

I felt Hayden's warm
embrace as he pulled me back against his strong chest. I melted in
his arms, signaling something only he could understand.

“It’s not true,
Ana. You can change the future. You can help people.”

“I hope so.” My
exhale was laced with doubt.

Hayden told me to go
to school and not to worry. His parents were coming to town and this
whole thing would be sorted through. This was one of the hardest
things I had to do yet: continue to carry out my normal activities
like nothing had happened and nothing would happen. I was relieved
that Mr. and Mrs. Boudreaux would be coming. I knew Elizabeth had
probably missed her boys like crazy; I just wished their visit was
under different circumstances. It was about an eleven hour drive from
Tampa, which would bring them in late at night. If they chose to fly,
there would be a good chance they would be there after school. I
wished it were the weekend. I thought about asking Zack to cover for
me or calling in sick to Mr. Christian, but I didn’t know which
option I dreaded more. So, now I would just have to put up with this
nagging feeling all through school and work. Worse, I would have to
face Christian. Would that be even possible after seeing him murdered
in my dream? No, I told myself. That wouldn’t happen. Hayden
wouldn’t allow it, I wouldn’t allow it. Even if Luke wouldn’t
listen to his parents, there would be some other way. But who could
really say no to Elizabeth? Or not follow Christopher’s orders?
There was a reason I'd had that dream, I kept telling myself. That
reason was to save Christian.

I stared out the window
as Hayden drove us to school. Luke definitely wouldn’t be there
today. I wondered where he was going all this time? I was conflicted
by the thought, wanting him to come back and hoping he wouldn’t so
there would be no opportunity with Christian. If he left— if he
split for good— how would that work? How would they Hunt? What if
he didn’t Hunt? The thought scared me. Would everyone be destroyed?
Luke claimed he loved me. Would I be destroyed? What bothered me the
most was that he
had
claimed he loved me, how then could he
just change his mind? Would he just leave me like that? Dang it, why
did that bother me? He must have been foolish to think I was actually
‘the One.’ If he could never stop loving me, how was it he could
so easily flirt with Stephanie? No, he didn't even know what love
was. If you were in love you wouldn’t—no, couldn’t, think of
being with anyone else. Right? Nausea overcame me and I felt myself
longing for something else to fill my thoughts.

“What’s wrong with
you today?” Nikki caught up to me at some point during the day as I
sauntered down the hall to another class.

“What isn’t wrong
with me?” My lips slightly pouted.

“Oh quit the
self-pity party. What’s going on?”

“You want the good
news or bad news first? Wait, never mind. There is no good news.”

“Woe is me, woe is
me. C’mon! The parade is in two days, the Ball in three, and rumor
has it you’re the next Queen!” She sung the word queen.

“Yay.” The word
lacked any tone or emotion.

“Very funny. How is
it that you can go through so much, not even Katrina got you down and
now something—oh no, it’s not Hayden is it?”

I looked at her
angrily. “No, never.” I wasn’t really angry with her, I was
embarrassed with myself. What got me down wasn’t Hayden, it was
Luke. And that I would never admit.

“Ok fine. Geez—
touchy, touchy. Change of subject. There must be
some
good
news.”

I shrugged,
unconvincingly. “I know what dress I’m going to wear to the
ball.”

Nikki cheered.

“I just haven’t
found it yet.”

Her cheering halted.
“Then how do you know what it looks—oh.” The realizations
dawned on her. “Ohhh.” She drew out. “I see. Well, no worries.
We’ll go to the mall, find the mystery dress and then hang out at
Marie’s after.”

“Can’t, I have to
work after school again.”

“Okay, so we’ll go
after work. You can meet us there.”

“Can’t again,
Hayden’s parents are...” I stopped myself, remembering I hadn’t
told her that Hayden and Luke lived alone. “I have plans with
them,” I concluded.

“Fine. No time for
your two best friends anymore. You have a rich and beautiful new
family that loves you. I understand. But I don’t think Marie will.
She seemed pretty insistent about having us over tonight. I think
it’s important.” Her head dropped to the side and she tried her
best to play the sad puppy dog. I knew she was playing me but I
couldn’t help but feel sorry. “Marie needs us,” Nikki added,
and that did it for me. I wanted to be there for them.

Christopher and
Elizabeth might not even be home by then if they drove. “Fine. I’ll
meet you at Marie’s after work, okay?”

Nikki clapped her hands
together, her somber expression immediately forgotten.

“Geez, I just agreed
to hang out, not end world hunger.”

Luke wasn’t at
school the rest of the day, like I suspected, and Hayden left after
lunch hour to go pick up his parents from the airport. Of course they
flew in. It was silly of me to think they would drive. Christopher
was close to two hundred years old and probably had more money than
God, although he would never show it. And this was an urgent matter;
they wouldn’t take their time by driving. But I had already given
my word to Nikki that I would be going to Marie’s and I was
starting to really look forward to it even though that meant I would
have to wait until late tonight to help them sort out this Luke
problem.

I was lucky to be able
to get out of work early, vowing I would be doing some serious boat
inspections tomorrow to make up for it. I got to Marie’s house
around dinner time. I thought about bringing food but figured we
could just order in if they were hungry. Personally, I didn’t think
I could stomach anything. The anxiousness just to get there was
enough to fill my stomach.

Marie lived with her
parents and grandma in the garden district, about twenty minutes from
me, although I couldn’t recall actually meeting her grandmother. We
had hung out a few times in the past year but had only gotten close
over the past few months. I suspect I was to blame for that. It took
a whole lot of changes for me to realize just what good friends I
had. I had transferred to Ecole my sophomore year when the cliques
had already formed. I had felt like, and wanted to be, the odd one
out. Funny how quickly things change.

I had always admired
Marie’s house. Who wouldn’t want an apartment in the French
Quarter? But it was the history that intrigued me. I knew that this
building was probably as old as Hayden. I laughed to myself at my
attempt at humor.

I passed through the
courtyard; the overhead light flickered twice before going out with
creepy timing. I found myself running up the stairs to her front
door. Her house had a cottage feel, a scaled-down version of a
centuries-old bourgeois Creole interior. The furniture was romantic
and beautiful, the mahogany furniture you’d expect to find in a
place rich of French influences. Hadn’t I learned my lessons from
beautiful houses? You could not deny the beauty of the history behind
them but sometimes that history was dark. And something you should
stay far away from.

I was relieved when
Nikki answered the door almost immediately after my first knock.

“It’s just Ana!”
Nikki called into the warm apartment behind her then let the door
swing open so I could enter.

“Sorry to disappoint
you.” I shrugged off my jacket, hanging it on a hook on the wall of
the foyer.

“Oh sorry, Ana! I
just thought you were the pizza guy. You know how I get when I’m
hungry.”

The corners of my mouth
curled down briefly out of regret. I should have brought takeout.

“Once I get a little
slice of heaven from Louisiana Pizza Kitchen, I’ll be fine,”
Nikki vowed.

“Where’s Marie?”
I looked around the living room noticing she wasn’t with us yet.

“Oh, she’s in the
bedroom setting up.”

“Setting up?”

“Yeah go in there,
I’m just going to grab some chips and I’ll be right in.”

“’kay,” I replied
over my shoulder as I found my way to her room from memory.

“Hi!” Marie said
with an excitement and nervousness as I hesitantly pushed her bedroom
door open. Candles were scattered in places, flickering the only
light across the room.

“What’s going on?”
I concluded that everyone was acting strangely.

“Nothing. Why do you
ask? Come sit down.” Her words spilled out quickly, nervously.

My eyebrows were still
raised as I dropped my bag to the floor and sat down on the edge of
her bed.

“I just wanted you
guys to be here for something. Don’t look at me like that, it’s
not a big deal. Okay, so it might be but don’t worry.”

I sat staring at Marie,
trying to decipher her emotions. Nikki ran into the room and leaped
onto the bed, nearly catapulting me off.

“Want some?” She
held out a bag of chips; the smell of dill pickles assaulted my
nostrils.

I shook my head and
then turned my attention back to Marie.

“What is it that you
wanted us to be here for?” I asked her gently.

Nikki popped a chip in,
crunching loudly. “Show her,” Nikki said around a mouthful of
chips.

Marie drew her lower
lip into her mouth.

“Marie…” I
warned. The anticipation was killing me.

“It’s nothing
much,” she spoke coolly as she disappeared into her gracious
walk-in closet. A second later, she came out backwards, bent over and
pulling something across the carpet. A box? When she turned it, it
came into view. It must have been heavy if Marie was dragging it and
it was most certainly not made of cardboard.

“A chest?” I was
incredulously noting how solid it looked. And how old.

Nikki wiped off her
hands and came to kneel beside us on the floor.

We waited for Marie to
explain. Clearly Nikki already knew what was going on by her relaxed
attitude. I was tense; my muscles locked, waiting for the other shoe
to drop. It was sad that I was starting to always expect the worst,
waiting for something bad to happen.

Marie ran her hands
over the wood, feeling the grooves of the design that appeared
intricately and delicately carved in. Suddenly, I felt everything was
about to change. As she fiddled with the lock on the front of her
small chest, I felt something was wrong. Marie spoke before I could
express any of my concern.

“As you know, it is
my eighteenth birthday in a few days. My granny gave me this chest.
It has been in our family for generations. Why she gave it to
me
,
who knows. I asked her why she hadn’t given it to my mother to
keep. My mom has always liked old things; I mean she did save every
drawing I’d made since pre-school. But she only said it wasn’t
needed until now.” Marie inhaled and exhaled sharply then
continued.