Vex (29 page)

“And you?” The officer gives a lazy nod in my direction.

“Skyla Messenger,” I hesitate, “um, I felt the machine kick up a notch, and the next thing I knew it was speeding up. It all happened so fast. In fact, I’m not really sure what happened…” I let my words hang there. A hard knot damns up my throat.  

“Gage Oliver. We rolled off to the side as soon as we could,” he offers. “I went around and stopped the lift. The operator was passed out at the controls.”

“That was quick thinking.” He makes a note of this. “And you?”

“Natalie Coleman,” she cuts a look in my direction before proceeding. “I know that what happened was a supposed accident but I feel like I owe it to my best friend to tell the whole truth.”

She’s going to spill about the haunted jewelry?  

“Skyla and Kate were at it all week.”

“What?” I spike up in my seat.

“My turn,” she growls. “When I looked up, I saw Skyla laughing at us like she thought it was funny, then she got this look on her face like she was up to something. She pulled back her ski and thrust it right at Kate’s face. I think she was trying to slice her, you know, to be mean, but still. Look what happened.” She reclines in her seat with a ticked off look on her face.

“Liar,” I say, disbelieving. “I have never been anything but friendly with Kate.”

“I have three other witnesses that will vouch for what I’m saying,” Nat continues, “also, she threatened my friend Michelle as we were leaving, saying she would end up dead like Kate if she wasn’t careful.”

“I was warning her,” my fingers fly up to my lips. “Not about that, about something else.” Shit!

The officer doesn’t look amused. In fact, he looks horrifically pissed.

“You’ll have to come back down, give a deposition,” he nods over to me. “If any of this is true, you might want to acquire representation. Whether or not this was malicious needs to be addressed,” he straightens the papers in front of him. “Your parents are outside ready to pick you up.” He scowls at us in turn, as though, we were the exact representation of what’s wrong with this world before gathering his things and leaving.

“How could you say that? You know it’s not true.” I’d reach over and shake her if Holden and Pierce weren’t gloating besides her.

Then I decide to go for it anyway. I lunge over and dig my hands into her shoulders.

“She’s in here, Lizbeth!” It’s Tad. “She’s attacking another one!”

Gage collapses both my arms to my side and plucks me off.

“It’s OK, I’ve got you,” his soothing tone relaxes me and for one delusional moment, I believe things might actually work themselves out.

The three of them clear the room. Holden yells to Tad that he’s got a ride.

I can hear my mother shouting as she makes her way over, and I take one last moment with Gage to melt under the watchful eye of his navy gaze.

“Skyla!” Mom gives a guttural cry. I turn around to face her deep look of concern and Tad with his never-ending scowl of disapproval.

“I didn’t kill anybody. I swear it was an accident.”

“Oh, Hon!” Mom pulls me into a visceral hug. Her hair is sopping wet. Her bathrobe peers out from underneath her coat, letting me know that coming down to the police station to pick up her daughter was the last thing she planned on doing this evening. “Of course, it was an accident. Let’s get you home and cleaned up. It’s been a long, long week. We missed you.”

“What about the dead girl’s parents?” Tad quips. “They’re going to miss her for a little longer than a week.”

I blink, at him disbelieving. He’s right. For the rest of my life, I’ll hold up my achievements and failures to Kate’s death like a measuring rod of morbidity. I’ll think of her when I graduate from high school, college, on my wedding day, the day I give birth to my first child. All of those things I took away from her. I don’t care what Marshall said about death waiting for her. My foot played an integral part of her not being here today or any other day for that matter.

“It really wasn’t my fault,” I plead with him to understand as much as I do myself.

“No, Skyla, it’s never anyone’s fault when someone gets their head severed off,” he snaps, “but mark my words, we’ll have a letter in the mail bright and early Monday morning, asking for the deed to our house. They’re going to clean us out, lock, stock, and barrel, but you go ahead and nestle yourself in the fantasy that it’s not your fault.”

“Is that all you think about—money?”

“No, Skyla, but it’s sure as hell what the rest of the world thinks about,” his tirade continues, “trust you me, once they factor in the funeral cost and the fact they can hold someone else accountable for all the misery they’re going through,” he turns to leave the room then backtracks. “For once I truly wish to God, instead of riding around on some defunct ski lift you kids were locked in a room somewhere mating. At least then the causalities would be kept to a minimum, and the only lives you’d screw up, would be your own.” He storms off down the hall.

Mom drops her head in her hands and groans.

Gage gives a kiss just above my ear and whispers, “Welcome home, Skyla.”

Chapter Forty-Nine

Tiaras and Caskets    

Days bleed by, long grey days that sleep in their own shadow. The sky quivers with light, trembles a baritone, warning every so often. It emancipates us from the sun, stretches out a blanket of darkness until there is no further delineation of day and night, just one long expanse of midnight—the black seascape of the ocean floating as a backdrop. Everything good has disposed itself—gone like Kate in the nebulous reserve.

Chloe is high on life, clear and sharp, even with that Fem infested ring on her finger. She glows in this murky environment, thrives on the rusted scent of earth as it bleeds up through the rain.

The funeral is short—simple, like Kate. The electricity in the church blinks on and off as though the very structure were mourning her loss. Candles are lit up and down the aisles with an explosion of flickering glory surrounding the glossy white casket. Two giant wreaths of flowers lie on either side of her like bookends. One is from her family and the other from mine. Mom and Tad have gone out of their way to pay extreme care to the situation. They’ve catered dinner to the Winston’s home each night this week.  

Kate’s grieving mother could be her twin, twenty years her senior. Nat, Emily, Lexy, Michelle, and Chloe huddle in a circle of tears by her casket as a long procession of people wait to pay their final respects. I don’t know how it’s possible, but they’ve opted to have an open casket.

“You don’t have to do this,” Gage whispers in my ear as we wait our turn to pay respects.

Brielle turns around.

“I think you’re doing the right thing. Just stick to your story that you were good friends,” she winks before Drake pulls her back around.

“She winked at me,” I whisper in disbelief. “It’s like she doesn’t believe me.”

Gage looks past me over at Bree.

“She’s confused. And by the way, her baby bump is showing.”

I catch a glimpse of the frame of her body as she twists into Drake.

“You’re right. I wonder when they’re going to spill the news to Mom and Tad?”

“I don’t know, but when they do, make sure to let me know. I plan on beaming myself over for the big event.”

“Will do,” I say as we fast approach the coffin.

Brielle and Drake go up first. Brielle coos into the casket as though she were talking to a baby.

Gage tugs at my hand, and we stand next to them, close to where Kate’s head lies, her neck wrapped neatly in a scarf.

She looks peaceful, beautiful, with a crystal tiara pressed in her hair. Her makeup done as though she were going to prom. If she were Chloe, she might be, but she’s not. She has no angelic blood whatsoever. She’s simply dead and this kills me.

I press my hand up against the cool satin that lines the inside of the casket, give her a pat goodbye before walking away with Gage.

Chloe walks over unabashed by the fact Gage has his arm around me. She tugs him over to herself like reeling in a fish.

“Natalie is completely insane over the fact you’ve killed her best friend.” Her teeth glisten under the glow of candlelight. “If I were you, I’d watch your back.”

“And if I were
you.
I’d watch your back.” I step away from the two of them, making my way towards the rear of the church.

“Skyla,” Mom hisses, stepping away from a huddle of women. “That was really nice of you to pay your respects.” She pulls me in, sniffling into my hair. “You’re being very brave. I’m so proud. Are you just about ready to go?”

I look back at Gage, his hands safely tucked in his pockets. Chloe says something to Nat and gives an open laugh, but no one seems to notice or care.

I see Marshall on the periphery, speaking with Ms. Richards.

“Um, just one more second. I want to ask Mr. Dudley a quick question about class.”

“Sure, take your time.”

I cross the pews and head over to the other side of the church just as Ms. Richards heads out the door.

“Skyla,” he greets.

“You should be ashamed of yourself,” I hiss. “Do you see all the grief and devastation you’ve caused?”

“If memory serves correct, it was you who gave her the boot, quite literally.”

“Is there any way to undo this?” I’m panicked by the finality of it all.

“No.”

I look back down at Chloe. She’s got her arm up over Gage, and she’s buzzing away with conversation as though this were social hour at Ellis’. I’ll never get rid of Chloe in this world.

“When can we start the faction war?” I ask winded. Just looking at her gets my adrenaline going a million miles an hour.

“The sooner to kill her with?”

“Or I can get you to transfer her to East,” I’m hopeful.

“What fun would that be?”

“I can make it fun.” The words struggle from my lips. I can’t believe I’d be willing to whore myself out to Marshall just to push Chloe back another twenty miles on the island.

He examines me with a renewed interest.

“So you can.”

“You would do this for me?”

“Is it going to change that much for you to have her at East?”

“Yes! I’d get Gage back, and we could drive to school together, spend lunch together—and not have to hide our relationship.”

“What about me?”

“It’s not like I’m exactly cuddling up with you in the halls.”

“True.”

“What’s the price?”

“What does my favorite Celestra have to offer?”

“No wedding.”

“I’ll settle for the wedding night. For now.”

I look over at Gage and purse my lips. This couldn’t get any worse. Marshall said he saw us together in a vision anyway. Is that what he said? I’m so confused I can’t remember.

“Look, I’ll do it. Transfer Chloe to East, and consider it done.” Why do I get the feeling I’ve just made a deal with a rather angelic devil?

His eyes light up with flames all their own. Marshall is intent on making this happen.

“Count the hours. She’ll be gone tomorrow afternoon.”

Chapter Fifty

Some Girls Don’t

In the morning, I rush to get ready for school as the electricity keeps threatening to go out. Of course, if I couldn’t dry my hair, Mom might keep me home, and that wouldn’t be such a bad thing either. With me not there, Marshall evicting Chloe could go a whole lot smoother. Plus it’d be impossible to pin me with the blame.

Mia appears at the bathroom door and gives a courtesy knock as she makes her way inside. I turn off the blow dryer and head into my room to get my clothes ready for the day. I’ve been in a shitty mood ever since I hacked Kate’s head off, so I’m not giving her my full attention.

“What do you want?” I ask, plowing through my drawers, looking for something decent to wear.

“Just wanted to know if you’ll be getting your license anytime soon.”

“Yup. I have a test scheduled for next week, and, yes, I have a car, and yes, I’ll chauffeur you around the island, so you can go now.” I love telling people what they want to hear even if I don’t really mean it. Between Marshall and Mia I’m going to be an expert sociopath if I’m not already. Although, in Marshall’s case, I’m afraid I’ll have to follow through.

“Wow, I didn’t expect you to be so accommodating.”

“Yeah, well, I am. Aren’t you lucky.”

“So are kids giving you a hard time at school?” Her pale eyes widen as though she were genuinely concerned. “You know, about being with your teacher and snapping that girl’s head off on the trip,” she whispers the last part as though she weren’t sure if I were ready to acknowledge what happened.

“No on both counts. It wasn’t my fault. And I swear I liked Kate. I thought we were on our way to being better friends.”

“So did you do it with that teacher yet?”

I glare over at her. I have no idea where this is going, but I’d sure like to throw her out the window before it gets there.

“No, I didn’t do it with my teacher, not with Logan, not with Gage, not with anybody. Not that it’s any of your damn business. What’s the matter? Run out of blackmailing fuel?”

“I don’t need any fuel. You’re already giving me exactly what I want.”

I straighten, examining her for clues.

“I just wanted to welcome you home, Skyla.” She heads towards the door. “That’s what sisters do.”  

***

Downstairs the air is thick with the scent of bacon, albeit of the processed turkey variety, and eggs. Mom has a buffet spread out over the kitchen island, and both Drake and Holden have already consumed half the feast.

“I overheard something yesterday that disturbed me,” Tad starts in low before scanning the room for Mia and Melissa.

I know this involves me. If this in no way involves me, I’m going to stick my tongue in the toaster and turn it on.

“Well?” Mom comes in close, taking a seat at the counter.

“I heard you boys talking about room privileges on the trip, something about each roommate having a night to himself with the guest of his choice.”

I can’t tell whether Tad is lauding them or about to rip them a new one.

“Don’t look at me, it wasn’t my room.” Drake ducks down low before shoveling in more eggs.