Disparate - Book 1

Chapter 11

Kellie

My contacts sting my eyes, probably because I've slept and cried with them on all night. Sleeping with contacts was always a problem. I was too scared to take them off, in case someone barged in while I was sleeping. But I got used to it, my contacts are my way of survival.

I wish I didn't have to worry about it though. Lucky Casper doesn't have to wear them.

Casper was already awake when I woke up, his eyes staring up at the sky. I toss a water bottle right on his stomach and he winces. Crap. I forgot he's probably hurting there, and well, everywhere.

"Sorry," I say, but he ignores me and thanks me for the water. He sits up and faces me, crossing his legs as he takes a big drink of water.

"I have breakfast-" I dig through my big bag, trying to find the granola bars. I packed a lot of food, but I have a feeling this could be a long journey, and we need to save up. I must've put it all on the bottom of my piled bag, because I'm arm deep, trying to find it. Casper's attention turns to me, and he looks at me, smiling a bit as I struggle to reach. His eyes move down to an item that has fallen out.

"Dammit." I mumble. A lot of things are falling out, but my mascara rolls, all the way to Casper. It stops at his shoe, and he picks it up and laughs a little.

"Mascara? Really?" He says, holding it and looking at me.

"It's the last one I have," I reach over and snatch it from him. "Besides, how do you know what this is? You can borrow it if you forgot yours." I sneer, but he never drops his smile.

"I have a sister. She was young but still used this stuff. Believe it or not, I'm aware of girl things."

I smile. "Oh, well, then you must know what these are-" I reach in the bag and take out a few tampons, throwing them at him. He swats them away, looking down at them disgusted. I can't help but laugh as he kicks them back at me. I never understood why guys thought they were so gross, the ones still in the package. They always see a clean tampon, or even a wrapper of one, and freak out like it's a spider or something. Or they laugh like it's the funniest thing they've ever seen. I'll never understand boys minds.

"Found them-" I pull out the granola bars, but I'm distracted by the shadows on the ground. Birds. Their wings still, soaring past us. I look up at them, and see the vultures going by, back to where we were walking from. There's a pit in my stomach; I feel like throwing up and killing those vultures at the same time. They fly past us all the way back to Willow. I shut my eyes tight, but I don't see blackness, I see the vultures plucking away at Willow; eating her flesh, her eyes, all the way so only bones remain. I open my eyes in that instant, and chills run through my body. Casper watches me, and knows about the vultures and my thoughts.

"They didn't like the tampon joke either," he says. He knows what the birds are doing, but he truly is trying his best to make me feel better. I know he's mad at me, of course he would be. I would be mad too if he killed someone I knew. But Casper is confusing, and maybe I should start appreciating that.

I toss him the granola bar, and we eat while we walk. He eats his in two bites, while I still have half left.

"Skipped dinner yesterday," he says, "and lunch."

No wonder why he's so thin, he never eats. He's very slim, his shirt too big and his collarbone prominent. I've been spoiled, this last home I got the jackpot with food. I never went hungry. I feel more guilty now. He probably couldn't eat dinner because he was too busy getting beat up for me.