The Misadventures of Daria Pigwidgeon (25 page)

Riana’s unique flavor of ability fluffs out in the air around us dancing in wavelike tendrils that seek out for something to sink into. And hers isn’t the only one either. I can feel that of the twin’s reaching out as well. The tendrils reek of fear, hate, and breath sucking need that fills me with a dread I’m not ready for. I have the urge to whip out my memory block and cling to it like a security blanket, but there isn’t time. The distant student body suddenly quickens their pace, sensing the change. The hall will be empty in a matter of minutes. It will so not be good for Riana and the boys to see Chance standing against their abilities like that. If he even can. This is about to go from bad to a whole lot worse.

Dammit.

Mindful of skin touching skin, I skirt around Chance again and place myself front and center. I am now nose to nose with my very pissed of sister. The twins flank her like frightening bodyguards. Ignoring them, I make certain I have all of her attention. I do this by lifting one delicate hand up between us. I wait until she moves her gaze downward, then I wiggle each finger causing tiny sparks to dance upon them.

I smile when she flinches from the fear. “Knock it off Riana. He doesn’t know any better. Just let it go. What do you think huh? Do we have an accord here?”

Her gaze travels back up to meet mine. The fear in her eyes is extremely satisfying to see. It’s not every often I can inflict that on her. But then it was
just
last night that I had her sprawled out on the ground. Her body jerks like I zapped her even though I know I didn’t and she takes a step back. Then another one until she is wedged between my brothers. All three of them look at me as if I grew another head. Maybe I have. Anything is possible. Who knew I could be so threatening? All it took was encroaching on what is mine to do it. Or you know, just Chance. And no, I’m not blushing.

Squeezing my open hand before me closed, the sparks go out like a light switch I flipped. Effectively making me feel totally badass, if only for a moment. I’m not completely confident that I could pull such a thing off again. But whatever, it works for me now. Hands at my sides, I confidently walk up to all three of my siblings. I fix a glare at each of them in turn until all the tendrils fade back into the depths that once they came from.

When it is just them standing before me, I sigh in relief. “Now, what is it you really want? I’m not fooled, just so you know.”

I never get to hear their answer though, because in the next instant the bell signaling the start of the school day alarms down the silent and still hallway. We all flinch like we were struck by some unseen force. Even I release a shaky laugh when they do. All tension seeps out of them in an instant and they are back to appearing all tough and ballsy. The twins hurry off down the hallway without a word each heading to two separate closed doorways, leaving only Riana.

The way she looks at me is a little terrify, like she can’t figure me out. “Because we just got here, I won’t retaliate. But believe me little sister. I won’t be so kind again. Are we clear?”

I start to shake again when she peaks behind me to what can only be Chance standing there. When she glances back to me, her eyes are two pools of darkness. She only wants to hear one response. Nothing else will suffice.

So I agree not knowing if it’s false or not. “Crystal.”

“Good. Save me a seat a lunch would you?”

With a smirk and a wink, she spins away and saunters down the hallway. I don’t relax until she disappears around the corner and is out of my line of sight. My body deflates as my inner Taser fades away and all that is left is just my weak as a falling leaf self. A nap sounds extremely well at the moment. I’m sure I could definitely sleep the day away with no problem. But I can’t. It wouldn’t do any good. Not now anyways. Instead, I turn around to face the music.

Chance’s wide eyes immediately go right to mine. Something inside me breaks at the way his face is a lighter shade of pale. “What. What was…that?”

Taser free, I allow myself to rush up and take his arms in my hands. I give him one good shake causing him to blink. This clears the shock-y fog trying to rise up in him. Some color returns to his face. I’m just surprised that I could shake him at all. He must be pretty bothered. I hate myself for that, because I brought them all here, to him.

“Chance, I am so sorry. I tried to warn you…I did…they can be hard to deal with sometimes. If I thought for a second they would just show up, I would’ve told you sooner. It’s just…dammit…I’m so, so sorry.”

A confused look passes over him right before he shifts us so that he is the one holding my arms. Now I’m the confused one.

His shake is a softer one, more like a breathe escaping over me. “I don’t care about that rabbit. I mean, yes I do, but it’s not important right now. What was that skin crawling feeling that made me want to haul ass out of the hallway? And why did everyone else run off for that matter?”

Huh. Okay then. I tilt my head to the side miming an interested dog. Is he not immune to our abilities then, was yesterday a fluke? Slipping free of his hold, I take a hesitant step back. I give him my best serious face. It falters given the circumstance.

“What
did
you feel exactly?”

His eyes scrunch up in thought. “Honestly, I’m not sure. I just had the worst case of the heebie-jeebies. Chills that ran up and down my spine told me to move it out of here.”

Curious. “And you ignored it then?”

“Yeah, I mean it was touch and go there for a second, but I couldn’t just leave you alone with those douches. Now way in hell would I do that, not even if they
are
related to you. They are right? That was your brothers and sister?”

Weird. “You would be correct, definitely related, but only by blood. And again sorry about that, them, it probably would’ve been better if I was honest about them last night.”

“I see why you wouldn’t want to bring them up. They aren’t right, if you know what I mean. So, uh, was that their ‘power’ I felt before? If it was then… dayem…intense.”

I nod in agreement, yes they are definitely intense, and supposedly on a good day too. I did know what he meant, sadly. It’s pretty bad that I have to apologize for family that I don’t even like or get along with. But it is what it is I guess. I just wish I knew the extent of what is going on. Not only with them either, but Chance. Something isn’t right or maybe a little too right. There is a puzzle piece that is missing and I so need to find it, like yesterday.

Sighing, I stare at my sneakers as if they hold the answers to all of my questions spoken and unspoken alike. I kind of wish they did. A feathered touch grazes my chin and raises it up. Chance lightly maneuvers me so that I am staring right into his eyes. Eyes that seem to save me from myself more often than not, it makes me wonder why I resist him. But then I remember. It’s him that’s been resisting me. It hurts that I can go right back to this when just facing something extreme. I wonder about myself sometimes. I really do.

“Rabbit. We’ll figure this out all right? Don’t look so down.” His voice slips into a hushed whisper. “I don’t know what you did before, but it was pretty damn kickass. I thought the three of them were going to go running down the hall screaming. I’m proud of you.”

He’s proud of me? Water pools at the corner of my wide eyes and the urge to cry is suddenly overwhelming. I’ve never heard those words directed at me before. A rush of something warm fills me. I feel oddly content, at peace. It’s wrong I know, but this is the happiest I’ve been in a while. And all from just one word, huh, well give the boy a prize.

The hand on my chin slides up to cup my cheek in its warm grasp. My face tilts into it as I gaze up at him in starry wonder. I’ve practically barred myself out before him, and he isn’t afraid. He’s more than that, he’s accepting. I’ve needed this for so long. His face moves closer to mine and I let out an anticipatory sigh. Plush lips are a breath away from my own. I feel myself parting them in beckoning, longing to feel their touch. Needing it. Only they never come. Instead, the warning bell sounds up and down the empty hallway indicating that we are beyond late for class. Not to mention that we are still in the school to begin with.

Priorities.

Regretfully, we pull away from one another, both covered in a severe blush. In a rare awkward moment in which Chance is just as embarrassed that I am, we agree to catch up later on. Catch up with demon family stuff, not the other. I can barely let the words come out of my mouth without wanting to faint or laugh hysterically. Hey, I never said I was normal. None the less, we part in the hallway searching out our respective classrooms. Lord only knows if I made it to the right one or not. I have officially checked out.

My
please do not disturb
sign is officially flying free.

Most of my day went by in a haze. Thank freaking goodness for that let me tell you. This is due to the fact that I have no classes with any of the Harris’s or my siblings. So basically, that’s a good thing. I can skate by unnoticed and just try to stay sane. Try being the operative word here. Of course, it would be better if I hadn’t been getting the stink eye from half of the student body whenever I happen to glance around. Clearly the human populace isn’t as oblivious as I once thought.

They must have noticed the weirdness in the hallway. Guess I should have used my memory block after all. I’ll have to keep that in mind. I have the feeling that won’t be the only occurrence of trouble between me and mine. If the past is any indication, sans Chance of course, I should be able to do a wide scale attempt at blocking. It just sucks that I’d have to. My head hurts just thinking about doing it.

Correction. My soul hurts.

Weariness hangs over me like a storm cloud waiting to dump on me. It’s practically choking. At least school work is a great distraction, if only for the moment. I’d prefer to be stuck in a lifetime of school than have to deal with the reality of my problems. What does that even say about me? Nothing good I don’t think. But like most things, even morning classes must come to an end. This leaves room for lunch in the ever populated and overcrowded cafeteria.

My feet shuffle at a snail’s pace as I linger behind my peers, trying my hardest to come up with an alternative destination. I just know I’ll have a run in with one of the Pigwidgeon clan. The joys of a small town high school, we’re immersed at the same time together. Oh joy. It seriously sucks having a photographic memory sometimes. If I was slightly normal I might’ve had to stay after class with questions or something. As it is, I do not, thus the shuffling.

I hover like a weirdo at the entrance. Conversation seeps through the door grating down my back and leaving a cold sweat in its trail. I’m such a coward. Gathering my vacant courage, I push through the doors. In anticlimactic fashion, no one even notices me. Go figure. I make my way over to the food counter to my left, gather the mystery meat of the day, and checkout all without any drama. My shuffle picks up a normal pace as I head for my usual table. So far so good.

Since this isn’t my day, the good vibe doesn’t last. I spot the back of Ashley’s head first. Then the glowing turn face of her friend Jane. They are immersed in conversation with someone. My eyes trail to the source. And right to the smiling face of my sister. Crap. I should have known she’d find my only two friends and park her freaking but their. The shuffle of my feet returns, as does the snail’s pace.

Accepting the unavoidable, I walk up and take a position beside Ashley.

No one even acknowledges me, huh, fine by me. Raina has the girl’s rapt attention over something or other. I pick at the mystery meat with my plastic spork as Jane asks my sister where she is from. She mentions that her completion is far too perfect to be from around here. This makes my sister laugh delicately. Color me shocked at her people skills.

Riana leans over the table and smiles wickedly. I don’t miss the eyes twitch that is directed at me. “You would be right Jane dear. My brothers and I just moved here from sunny Cali. Quite the change. My skin is already screaming in agony with the loss of the constant sun and heat.”

Jane joins Riana in a creepy little high pitched laugh that resembles a pig squealing. It’s then that Ashley notices I am sitting beside her. She’s not laughing. In fact, she is watching me intently. Her eyes glow with fascination and curiosity. It shouldn’t be long now. The resemblance between Riana and I is too similar to ignore the familiarity.

Her eyes flick back to Riana. “Daria is from California too. Maybe you may have run into one another?”

Ha! Have we ever. Give the girl a prize, she is extremely perceptive. The not so subtle play on words doesn’t go unnoticed by me or my sister.

Riana’s head snaps in my direction. “Oh. Daria is it? Hmm…have me met?”

I’d love to smack the smile off of her face. My hand tightens around the spork. It snaps.

Dammit. There goes my mystery meat.

Ashley and Jane’s eyes watch us intently as if we are about to do something interesting. Only Ashley’s expression is one of vague betrayal. She knows, but she doesn’t want to believe it. You and me both chickie.

“Is it true Daria?” Ashley asks me. “Do you two know each other?”

Sighing, I drop the pieces of my spork onto the tray. I turn to her and try to give off my best innocent expression. It doesn’t work. She knows what is coming. But I don’t get the opportunity to be the one to drop the bomb. That courtesy is bestowed on my
beloved
sister.

“Oh I’m sorry ladies. Did I not offer my last name yet?” Riana pauses. “It’s Pigwidgeon.”

You could have heard a pin drop at our table. The shock is pretty palpable. It clears too fast for my liking though.

Ashley’s hurt eyes are wide as she watches me. “Daria…that’s…”

“Isn’t that your last name Daria?” Jane blurts out.

Aren’t you the clever one Jane? Frak me.

“Yes Jane that is my last name.” I search out Ashley’s eyes. “Riana here is my sister. She and our brothers just arrived with our parents recently. Isn’t that wonderful?”