Dark One- The Khiara Banning Series Book 1

Eleven

Author's note: I aplogise in advance for continuity errors, I'm now just uploading as I write!

As soon as I get home, Dad grills me about my new job (and about Cael) over dinner, but eventually he gives in and lets me go upstairs once he realizes that I’m not about to give away too much about my new relationship. Pug runs ahead of me and jumps up onto my bed as I enter my room and I sit down next to him then pat him on the head. Pug growls playfully as he wags his little tail, all cheerful and ready to play.

“Do you wanna take a walk?” I ask, as I suddenly hop up off the bed. “I think somebody wants to take a walk!” He growls and jumps up and down in place, confirming that yes, he definitely wants a walk.

Walking backwards towards my door I gesture with my hands for Pug to follow, and he complies with full gusto practically flying off the bed and landing right in front of me. “Good boy, Puggles.”

He barks in response.

As we walk down the stairs - more like I stumble down the stairs as Pug tries to trip me- my phone vibrates from my back pocket and Cara’s ringtone echoes through the halls. Sighing, I pull out my phone.

“To what do I owe this phone call?”

She puffs out an overdramatic breath which sounds rather irritating over the phone. “I just wanted to call you to, you know, talk. But now that you mention it I do have something to ask you. I have to study this weekend at the library and I wanted to know if you were down to come. You could, you know, read and whatever while I plod through my Science textbook.”

A smile tugs at my lips as Pug stares up at me adorably. “I’ll come, yeah. What time do you want to meet up?”

“Pick me up for, shall we say noon? My car has been doing weird things lately.”

“That means the rest of the week I have to drive you to school, doesn’t it? You realize I have to get to work in that thing, don’t you?”

Cara squeaks loudly in my ear, “I know. I’m sorry. But yay! Thank you.”

“Listen,” I say, “I have to get going. I’m taking Pug for a walk and his legs are crossed. Plus, it’s getting late. See you tomorrow, honeybun.”

“See you tomorrow!” She crows happily.

~*~

The next weekend as I wait outside Cara’s house in my old, beat up, yellow Rabbit, snacking on a granola bar as she locks her door, my phone vibrates from my bag with a text. It’s from Damien.

Cara told me you guys were headed to the library. Care for one more in your party?

Instead of answering I just roll my eyes and put my phone back in my bag. I think about how this week has been pretty great, working for Cael is awesome, and we’ve already hung out at his house after work twice to watch a TV. As I’m doing that Cara gets into the car and says, “I’m ready to study. I can do this. If I’ve been studying for that math test, this should be a piece of cake, right?”

Chuckling, I back out of the driveway and onto the road. “Totally, you can do this; it’s just science. Science is essentially math right?” From my peripheral I can see Cara nod but she remains silent.

Ten minutes later, we’re at the library and I’m curled up in a comfy chair reading a random horror book and Cara sits across from me at a study table, muttering to herself as she flips through her textbook.

I must fall asleep, because an hour later I wake up to the sound of my book slapping against the floor.

“Drop something?” asks a familiar voice. I look up to see Victoria holding my book out to me, her face rather neutral. She’s added blonde steaks to her black hair and I can’t help but notice that it looks really good on her, and as I take my book I say so.