My Delinquent Angel

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

The next day I woke to find half a dozen phone calls from my best friend, Selena, asking where I was. I ignored most of them and skipped to the most recent which had been received earlier that morning. Checking the time in the corner of the screen, I almost groaned at the fact it was now 1 in the afternoon.

What happened to U last nite? U missed a killer party!

Her question brought back memories of the night before. The shortcut. The two men. The voice that sounded so familiar yet so alien. For half a second I thought about telling her about it, but I already felt like I was going crazy -  I didn’t need someone else to confirm it ten-fold. The basic idea of someone talking to me in my head should have scared me beyond belief but somehow I’d never felt safer – and that scared me more than the whole ordeal. In the end I decided against telling her anything.

Had a killer hangover. Ready to go out 2nite tho.

Just as I pressed send my door was flung open by Ash.

“Knock much?” I muttered sarcastically but stopped when I realised how distraught Ash looked. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

He walked in slowly and sat down on the edge of my bed with a dazed look. He stared at me blankly for a couple of seconds before talking. “A girl…a girl was killed last night. Near Charlestown Beach Road. A couple of hours ago they found her body.” He choked on the last word and pulled me into a tight bear hug. “Promise me…promise me you won’t go out tonight. I didn’t check on you when I got in last night, I didn’t check you got home safely. I thought the body was yours.”

At first I was too shocked to really listen to what he was saying. His outward display of affection stunned me. I was so used to my jokey but supportive older brother whom I looked up to and would seek for security. I knew he cared about me but seeing him so choked up made me realise he as only human after all.

Then what he’d said sunk in.

Charlestown Beach Road.

That was the road I’d been walking down when I’d had the run in with Vetis and my mysterious telepathic saviour. I must’ve been next. Or maybe I was supposed to be their first victim. The thought of me being so close to death scared me to the point that my body started to shake with fear. Ash must have felt this because his hold on me tightened.

After a while he pulled away so he could look me in the eye. “You’re not going out tonight, okay? Promise me you’re going to stay home.” I started to protest but he covered my mouth with his hand. “I’m working the night shift tonight but Megan’s lending me her car so I don’t have to walk. I want you to stay home, watch TV or something, but just stay home, okay?”

I nodded and he sighed before getting up and walking out the room, the door closed behind him with a soft click.

All the while I still had my fingers crossed behind my back.

Which is how ten hours later I was being crammed into the backseat of some guy’s car on the way to yet another party with Selena.

Yes I’d told Ash I wasn’t leaving but I’d had my fingers crossed so technically I didn’t promise him anything. I understood why he didn’t want me to go out but it was the last party of the week. After tonight there wouldn’t be anymore parties for a while since the person who kept throwing them was going to camp for the rest of the summer.

When we arrived the party was already in full swing with the sound of 3OH!3’s We Are Young pumping through both the indoor and outdoor speakers. I don’t know why the neighbours hadn’t already broken up these parties but I had a funny feeling it was because they’d been invited too. The more the merrier right?