The Virtuous

Chapter Seven: Pinky promise

The next few days I made it a point of not finding Duncan. I still needed time to process what he was telling me. Angels were real. Demons were out there. Heaven existed, as did hell. It was too much to handle and I knew at some point if my own curiosity hadn't gotten the better of me, Duncan would track me down and tell me everything.

That's why Thursday I spent my entire period between English and Piano in the library, reading up on everything I could possibly find about demons and angels and religion.

A stack of probably twenty books sat around me as I quietly read to myself in the back and most secluded table of the library.

I was flipping through a page all about demon folklore when someone sat down in front of me and I looked up to see Tara. I hadn't heard from her or London really in the last three days; I'd wanted to knock on London's door and the last couple times I even stopped outside, wishing I could figure out how to call out to her and offer my sympathies but then I'd hear her sniffling and sighing and I'd chicken out.

Tara didn't look much better either.

Her green eyes were dull and dark purple shadows were strung under her lashes from sleep-deprivation. She wore no make-up which wasn't normally like her and she let her wild red mane of curls hang around her face almost like a shield. She pushed a few strands out of her eyes and forced a grin at me.

"Studying?"

"Something like that." I muttered and slid a book mark onto the last page I was on before offering her my full attention.

She wrinkled her eyebrows and looked at my stack of books. She carefully picked one up and examined the cover with an amused grin. It was a painted picture of heavy-set baby angels, fluttering through the clouds.

"You got a project or something?"

"Uhm...yeah. English. Nothing that important; I just don't want to fail it." I lied again. It was getting hard for me to keep up with the truth when my mouth spat so many lies. I wasn't even sure why I felt the need to be so dishonest. It wasn't like I'd promised Duncan I wouldn't tell anyone, however I also wasn't ready to advertise that I knew such society shaping information.

Tara nodded at me and ran her hand over her eyes. She was clearly in pain.

"So...you going to Levi's game tomorrow night?" She questioned.

"That's the plan. Are you?"

She shrugged.

"I don't know...I was actually thinking about maybe heading for home for a few days...might do me good to see Sammy." She muttered, mentioning her kid brother.

I nodded, understanding completely. Tara's eyes met mine and I knew what she wanted to ask but her pride would never allow her to. Not even to me, her best friend. I stared back, wondering whether or not I should offer up the information or just let the subject die. I finally chose on my own.

"London's a wreck without you Tara-bear." I murmured her nickname. She looked as though she wanted to grin but something was holding her back.

"It's not easy for me either." She uttered and pulled her hands through her thick red jungle of hair.

"Then why don't you two just fix things? I mean it hasn't even been a week yet, maybe if you two just sat down and talked all this out, things would be better."

Tara shook her head, completely convincing herself and closing me out.

"No way. I'm not giving in. She can't act like a hypocrite over such important stuff and not expect there to be repercussions."