The Wanderers Beginning: The Wanderers, Reborn, & Unforgiven (25 page)

  
              “Dean?” Josie called out as we walked through the door. She got up off the bed to give him a hug.

  
              “Hey JoJo,” he said, returning the hug.

  
              “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  
              “I'm here to protect you, my ladies,” Dean said, pretending to pull out a fake sword, making Josie laugh.

  
              “I guess your mom heard,” she replied. “I'm surprised she didn't hire bodyguards.”

  
              I slumped my shoulders, knowing that was still a possibility and probably should not be ruled out yet. I was lucky she only sent Dean, for now at least.

  
              “So, what's the plan for tonight?” Dean asked, making himself comfortable on my bed. He lay with his hands behind his head and ankles crossed.

  
              “First thing is finding you a place to sleep.”

  
              “Your bed will do,” he said, picking a piece of lint off of my comforter.

  
              “Then where am I supposed to sleep?” 

  
              “You like to rough it. You can sleep on the floor,” he suggested.

  
              “If anyone's sleeping on the floor it's you,” I told him.

  
              “No worries. I'm pretty sure I'll find a place to sleep tonight,” he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a handful of notes with girls phone numbers on them. I swiped all the papers from him and ripped them into tiny pieces. “What the hell Ella? Talk about a buzz kill,” he groaned, crossing his arms over his chest.

  
              “You are not going to come here and take advantage of some poor girl. You can sleep in my bed. I'll share with Josie.”

  
              “Or I can share with Josie,” Dean said, throwing a smile to Josie.

  
              Josie stood up from the bed and leaned in closely to Dean. “Dean, I wouldn't sleep with you if you were the last guy on earth.” He shrugged not caring the least bit. “Ella could always stay with Tristan,” she said with a smirk. “Then no one would have to share.”

  
              “You dating that guy?” Dean asked, getting ready to bust out what I'm sure would be some big brother lecture.

  
              “No and no one's going anywhere. Josie and I will share. Dean you can have my bed. It's only one night I think we can deal.” I looked back and forth between them and they nodded in agreement.

  
              “Now that's settled, let's get some grub. I'm starving,” Dean whined. I agreed when my stomach started to complain at the lack of fulfillment.

  
              Just as we were about to head out, Tristan came barging into our room. “Evening, so what's on the agenda for tonight?”

  
              “Dinner than rest,” I exhaled.

  
              “Your brother came all this way and you're not even going to take him out? That's not very hospitable of you,” Tristan said.

  
              “Well, unlike some of us, I like my sleep,” I replied, holding back a yawn.

  
              “Okay, than what's for dinner?” Tristan asked, taking a seat on Josie's bed. Making it clear he wasn't going to leave anytime soon.

  
              “We're going out to eat,” I sighed.

  
              “Great, I'm in the mood for Chinese,” Tristan said, inviting himself along.

  
                            I looked to Josie for some help, but she just shrugged her shoulders. I thought maybe Dean might protest, but he was too busy with his blackberry. I doubt he even noticed Tristan was here.

  
              I sighed, not seeing a way out of this, and agreed to let Tristan tag along. “Fine, but no Chinese.”

  
              “I'll drive,” Dean said on the way out.

  
              “Dean, your car only fits two people.”

  
              “Then how do you suggest we get there?”

  
              “I do have a car you know,” I said, flashing the lights on my SUV.

  
              “I'm still driving though.” I threw him the keys and hopped in the back with Josie.

             
We went to one of the local restaurants a couple blocks away. They had a huge menu to choose from so everyone was happy. “This seems like a boring town. What do you guys do for fun around here?” Dean complained.

  
              “Not all of us are all about partying Dean. Some of us are actually here to get an education.”

  
              “Seriously Ella, you need to lighten up,” he said.

  
              “I know of some places we could go tonight,” Tristan chimed in catching Dean's interest.

  
              “Would these places have naked ladies and good booze?”

  
              “That could be arranged,” Tristan said, flashing a wicked smile.

  
              “I like your style,” Dean said.

  
              “Well you can count me out.”

  
              “Me too,” said Josie.

  
              “You ready?” Tristan asked Dean.  “It's just a few blocks away. We can walk from here.”

  
              “How you guys going to get home?” I asked.

  
              “We'll take a cab,” Dean said, throwing some money on the table for dinner.

  
              Tristan gave me a wink on the way out. “Catch ya later.”

  
              “Should I be worried about those two hanging out together?” I asked Josie, concerned. One of them was bad enough, but the combination of them could be catastrophic.

  
              “How much trouble could they get into?” Josie declared.

Chapter
thirteen

I received a phone call from Dean sometime around one in the morning. “Ella,” Dean slurred. “We have a bit of a problem,” he said, hiccupping between words. “We've seemed to have run out of money.”

  
              “I'll be there shortly,” I said groggily, dragging myself out of bed. I didn't even want to know how it was possible for them to run out of money.

  
              I picked them up outside one of the downtown bars. They were so hammered they were stumbling everywhere. On the way back they kept singing some god awful song so loud that I couldn't even drown them out with the radio.

  
              Dean and Tristan leaned on each other for balance as they walked into my dorm while Dean still clutched a bottle of whiskey. Where he got it I have no idea. I didn't want to know. Josie had decided at the last minute to spend the night with the guy she was seeing, so I was stuck with drunk and drunker – lucky me.

  
              Dean collapsed on my bed and Tristan sat on Josie's pulling me down with him. He put his arm around me and leaned in real close to whisper, “C'mon love, let's go back to my room and have some fun. I have the perfect little French maid outfit for you.”

             
I took his arm and threw it off of me. “Tristan you're drunk,” I said annoyed.

  
              “That's when I'm at my best,” he replied.

  
              He tried kissing my cheek, but instead, he just ended up slobbering all over it. “Tristan!” I yelled, pushing him away from me.

  
              “Unhand my sister,” Dean sang as he fell off the bed laughing. I got up to help him before he hurt himself. I never should have left these two alone. Dean took another swig from the bottle and then handed it to Tristan. I ripped it from his mouth and dumped the remaining out the window. They both yelled at me for wasting good booze.

  
              “I think you two had enough,” I growled. Why did I get stuck babysitting these two?

  
              Tristan stood behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, nestling his chin between my neck and shoulder. “Ella...spend the night with me.”

  
              His breath reeked so badly of booze I thought I might get sick. “For the last time, NO!” I said forcefully, pulling his arms off of me.

  
              “Don't waste your time. You'll need the jaws of life to pry her legs open,” Dean chuckled. I glared at him. My temper rising. I walked over and kicked him in the shin, hard. “Damn it Ella,” Dean whined, rubbing his leg.

             
“I forgot she kicks,” Dean said to Tristan, still rubbing his leg.

             
“No worries I got the perfect cure for that,” Tristan said to Dean, slapping him on the shoulder. They headed to Tristan's room where he had an endless supply of the best liquors.

  
              I had enough. I wasn't going to spend the night listening to their lewd and rude comments. I grabbed my sweatshirt and left the room.

             
I wasn't sure where I was going. I just walked aimlessly. I ended up outside in front of the dorms. I stood there for a while, my eyes closed, taking in the cool September weather. “Ella?” George called, shining his flashlight at me.

  
              I shielded my eyes from the bright light. “Oh, hey George.”

  
              “What are you doing out here this late?” he asked in his fatherly tone.

  
              “I just needed some air.”

  
              “It's not safe for you to be out here by yourself. Why don't you just head on back inside before you catch a cold?” I had to laugh. George was always watching out for us. His kids were all grown up with kids of their own. He told me once he enjoyed his job. I wouldn't doubt for a second that it wasn’t true.

   
              “What are you doing out here?” I asked. He rarely ever left his post at the front desk.

  
              “Just making my rounds, making sure everything is as it should be,” he said, placing his flashlight back on his belt. “I'll be heading back inside myself in a minute. So you go on now. Get inside where it's warm.” He started to shoo me away with his hands.

  
              “Goodnight George.” I waved goodbye and he nodded, tilting his hat.

  
              On my way back inside I decided to stop and get some coffee for Dean and Tristan. I was hoping this might sober them up some, but doubtful. Right now anything was worth a shot. I pressed number two on the coffee machine and rubbed my hands over my arms vigorously trying to warm myself up while the coffee cups filled. I decided to get a hot chocolate for myself to help get rid of the chill.

  
              While I waited for the machine to finish, I walked over to the small table by the wall that held all the lids, sugar, and cream packets. I stuffed some sugar and cream in my pockets and grabbed the lids and stirrers. When I turned around I felt a cool breeze rush by me. I took a step back and looked around thinking maybe someone came in and it was a draft from the door.

  
              But I saw nothing, no one.

  
              I shrugged it off and took a step forward. I felt the same chilling rush behind me now.

  
              I spun around quickly.

  
              Nothing.

  
              “Ella, get a grip,” I told myself. I walked back over to the coffee machine and placed the lids on the cups when I got a sickening feeling in my stomach. A cold wind rustled the hair on my shoulder. I felt an icy, cool, chill brush across my neck and all the way down my spine. It was like someone or something was standing directly behind me and it was their icy breath that tickled my skin.

  
              I froze, frightened.

  
              Nowhere to move, I just stood there and closed my eyes, praying this was just all my imagination. Suddenly I felt someone grab me and I jumped, dropping the coffee. When I turned around, no one was there.

  
              Great, I thought, you're losing your mind. I grabbed some napkins from the table and mopped up the spilled coffee. I threw the dirty tissues in the trash and that's when all the lights went out.

  
              “Oh come on,” I said, putting my hands on my hips.

  
              I heard a whooshing sound down the hall to my right.

  
              I turned and squinted in the darkness. “Hello? George?” I called out.

  
              I felt another icy cold blast fly by me, then again, and again. I spun in circles, chasing darkness, wondering what the hell was happening.

  
              I knew someone was there, I could feel their presence. But I was blinded by the pitch black. “Hello? Who's there?” I called out into the nothingness.

  
              I was starting to panic. This is usually the part in the horror film right before the killer takes his victim. “Relax Ella, just relax. This is not some cheesy horror film come to life. Get a grip,” I said out loud to myself. I turned back to my right where I first heard the noise, searching for something, anything.

  
              I took a step forward and that's when I saw them.

  
              The eyes.

  
              I knew them all too well. I had seen them over and over again in my dreams. They glowed bright gold and were slowly getting bigger, making their way towards me.

  
              I gasped and ran in the opposite direction. I found my way to the stairwell and had enough light from the emergency flood lights to find my way up the steps. I ran as fast as I could, not bothering to look back. I knew he was there and if I took one second to stop and look, I'd be dead.

     
              I threw open the emergency door on my floor and continued to run. The stairwell was on the opposite end of my hall, which now seemed like a mile away.

  
              I was panting, finding it hard to breathe, but I couldn't slow down. I wouldn't risk it. I came around the corner of my hall and ran smack into someone.

  
              They grabbed my arms.

  
              I screamed, frightened.

  
              I struggled to free myself. “Let go of me!”

  
              “Ella, it's me, Jack.”

  
              “Jack? What the hell are you doing?” I asked, shaking.

  
              “Ella!” Dean yelled from down the hall, voice panicked. The lights came back on and I looked around and at Jack who was still tightly gripping my arms.

  
              Dean and Tristan came running down the hall.

  
              Tristan took one look at Jack holding my arms and the scared expression on my face and reacted on instinct. He threw Jack up against the wall, hand around his throat.

  
              “Ella, are you okay?” Dean asked, holding my shoulders like he felt the need to hold me up. I paid no attention to Dean. I was concerned about Tristan killing Jack.

  
              Jack had his hands on Tristan's arm trying to loosen his grip on his throat. “Tristan stop!” I yelled.

  
              His eyes were dark. He clenched his jaw and gripped tighter around Jack's neck.

  
              Jack was gasping for air.

  
              “He was trying to hurt you,” Tristan said through gritted teeth.

  
              I stood in front of him and looked deep into his eyes. I could see every emotion from pain, to fear, to anger, and desperation. “Tristan, look at me. No he wasn't. Now. Let. Go.” I watched him struggle with the decision. It was like watching him fight himself battling the good and evil that resided inside him.

  
              I could see his mood start shift and I knew I was reaching him when Dean placed a hand on Tristan's shoulder spooking him. Tristan threw his arm back defensively, but Dean was quicker. Dean grabbed his arm, twisted it behind his back, and threw him up against the opposite wall. It happened so fast if I would have blinked I would have missed it.

  
              I just stared at Dean, not believing what I just saw. The speed, the brute strength he all of a sudden possessed, and power. I know they say adrenaline can cause you to do things you would never be able to do, but this was way different. This was instinct, and definitely something I never thought Dean was capable of.

  
              I snapped out of it when I heard Jack wheezing on the floor. “Jack are you okay?” I asked in a rush.

  
              He couldn't talk. He was still trying to catch his breath. Instead he just nodded at me and I helped him up off the floor. Dean let go of Tristan and gave him a warning look to stay put. Tristan turned to me, his eyes filled with regret for what he had done. “Ella...I,” he began.

  
              “Just leave,” I said, not bothering to look at him.

  
              “But...”

  
              “Go!” I snapped.

  
              Tristan dropped his head ashamed and sulked on the way back to his room. It was hard for me to watch him, but I forced myself to focus my attention on Jack. “Jack is there anything I can do?”

  
              He shook his head no while Dean helped him back to his room as I stood there helpless.

  
              Dean and I didn't say another word to each other. We just silently walked back to my room. He crawled into Josie's bed and I crawled into mine. I pulled the covers up over my head wishing that this whole thing never happened. Just as I closed my eyes and was about to fall asleep, Dean said, “Ella?”

  
              “Yeah?”

  
              “Are you okay?”

  
              “I'm fine Dean. Go to sleep.”

  
              “No, I mean, are you okay? Really okay?”

  
              I let out a long, deep breath. “I will be.”

  
              He didn't say anything else. He didn't ask what really happened tonight and I didn't ask him about the incredible way he stopped Tristan. Sometimes there are things you just don't want to know.