Growing Wildflowers | WLW

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I slam the van into park, push the door open, and step out of the vehicle but my eyes catch my phone sitting on the passenger seat and stop me dead in my tracks. Jamie's in danger. I don't have time to stop Parker from turning that person in the alley. The traffic light above me flashes green and someone honks.

Grinding my teeth, I slide back into the van, switch it into drive and gun it toward Jamie's house. I'm not used to driving yet. Everything feels foreign, but I grab my phone anyway and dial Sophie.

It only rings once. "What's up, girlie?"

"Parker's bonding with someone in an alley behind a bar," I tell her. "I can't stop him. I have to get to Jamie's house."

The line goes quiet for a moment. "You're sure he wasn't just... Draining them?"

I'm nodding even though she can't see me. "I'm sure." I cut across traffic to make the left turn onto the road that connects to Jamie's neighborhood. Someone lays on their horn. "He was about to swap blood."

After a long pause, I continue. "I didn't know if I should..."

"Maybe you saw wrong," Sophie says.

I can hear John from somewhere else in the room. "Do you think he's trying to—"

"Maybe. I don't know," she says quickly, cutting him off. "Where did you see him, Gwen?"

I glance at the GPS but I don't remember the street name. "He was behind a bar. A big building made of brick. Somewhere in Downtown."

Sophie sighs and I know if I were anyone else, she'd chew me out right now for not paying attention, but I'm 'girlie' and where other people earn a scowl or scolding, I earn forgiveness I don't deserve.

"Okay. I'll go look for him. Stay safe out there." She hangs up before I can respond but I don't have time to think about it; don't have time to decide if she's mad at me or not because I can see Jamie's house by the time the call ends and something's not right.

The wrought iron gate is open, but only slightly. It's rocking back and forth in the breeze. It doesn't look like Jamie or her mother left it open intentionally, dragging it back its full length to allow a car into their driveway. No. It's left open like someone didn't care enough to latch it behind them. And as I pull in front of their house, it makes sense. The driveway is full of black Escalades. Leroy is here. Or, his guards are, at least. Jamie's little yellow Beetle doesn't look right here, surrounded by the plain SUVs.

I pull the key from the ignition and slide out of the van.

A neighbor from across the street shouts across to me.

"Mornin'! You visiting the Vanderbilts this early?" The woman's hands are full, one clutching a lunch pale, the other holding a thermos of coffee. There's an overstuffed file tucked in her elbow and her keys dangling from one of her fingers.

I check the time on my phone. 5:30 am. The sky is bright with the rising sun. I bite the inside of my cheek. I'm mortal. I shake off the thought and look at the woman with smudged lipstick again.

"Yes, ma'am. Studying with Jamie," I answer, trying my best at 'innocent school friend' but irritation creeps into my words. This woman doesn't understand that every second is a moment that determines whether Jamie lives or dies.

The woman's eyes narrow. "Interesting."

We stare at each other. She waits for me to say something, but I refuse. My fingers curl into a fist. Come on, lady. I need to go.

Finally, she shrugs. "Well, have a good one."

I give a little wave and turn my back to her before I realize what she was waiting for. Bolton County College is on summer break and even if Jamie and I were taking a summer class together, I don't have a backpack or a single book with me.