Mermaids and Vampires

20: An Interesting Night

~~~~OLIVIA~~~~

The city is different from the forest. It's so hard to find a place to live. Adam was lucky to have scored that abandoned house when he was living here. Three vampires and a girl who don't have money are going to have rotten luck finding a place to stay the night.

"Can't sleep under the stars." I say. "They'll find us."

"Well, Livy, there's no getting a hotel." Auron states.

"Don't call me that, I helped you fill your stomach. You should be nicer to me." I mutter.

"Helped? You hardly did anything this time." He says with a snicker.

"I could have if Adam let me." I hiss.

"You're known around here. No way am I letting you out into the streets. Could you imagine if your parents saw you." He says.

"The house still stinks." I say, a bit of an I told you so.

"No one's the wiser." Adam replies.

We walk up to the car and open our respective doors.

"But really, where're we gonna sleep?" I ask.

"You'll sleep comfortably in here." Adam says, closing his door and sliding the keys in.

I look around.

"There's no room. I couldn't even stretch my legs out" I say.

"Olivia, we don't have any other options." Adam says.

"We'll leave her in here and go to All's club." Charlotte says, eager to make plans.

I look to the boys, hoping for an objection from somebody. I'm feeling like I don't have a lot of clout anymore. Now that they're not even using me to hunt, I'm sort of worthless to them. At least when it was just me and Adam, he needed me. 

"It's off Haulington?" Adam asks.

And that says it all.

She nods, happily.

I've never heard of an "All's club" before. Then again, I've never heard of this town having any clubs.

But maybe it's some underground thing nobody really knows about.

The car turns onto a new road and I catch sight of Charlotte's mean eyes in the rear view. My gut wrenches. She's got a face that really is off-putting.  

It's a long drive down a series of winding, forest roads. There's no sound to fill the cabin of the car, making me feel awkwardly loud even breathing.

 The car rattles as we go over bumpy terrain.

"You sure we're going the right way?" I ask.

Adam chuckles.

He's sure.

A few minutes later the car rolls to a stop in front of a low roofed building. The surrounding parking lot is less than half full. The sun hangs low in the sky, casting an orange glow across the land.

"This is it?" I ask.

"We're too early." Charlotte complains. "The real fun won't start for hours."

Adam's lips purse. "What about a trip to Pete's ledge to watch the sun set?"

"Sure." Auron says.

The car pulls out of the parking lot, leaving behind the run down building.

We soon arrive at a place of breathtaking beauty. The car pulls to the side of the road and we all get out, walking magnetized, towards the sun.

The ground drops off, creating a massive, rugged cliff of dark rocks above the endless ocean.