Silver Lining

Chapter Five

I got dressed before my alarm clock went off. Mom is cooking in the kitchen, still wearing her white bathrobe. I quietly stuffed a cup of Ramen noodles in my bag and almost walk out the door. Until, a bald white man comes out of the hallway, holding a black iPhone. He approaches the kitchen, stopping in front of me.

"It's nice to see you again, Onyx. I'm Niles. Do you remember me?" He says, holding out his hand.

I shake his hand. "Oh. I don't think I've ever seen you."

"We used to be really close 15 years ago. Why don't I jog your memory tonight at dinner?"

Mom laughs. "We would love that. We're going to Friday's at 8 pm."

The last time I saw Niles, he danced with her at a wedding. He saw me, but we didn't talk. I pick up a plate of eggs and hash browns and sat down on the couch. Maybe getting up before the alarm clock could go off isn't such a good idea. I eat the food faster than I would if Niles hasn't sat next to me. After leaving my plate in the kitchen, I walk right out the door. One moment, I'm walking down the steps. Next thing I know, I'm suddenly sitting in Amber's car.

She looks up from her phone. "Are you okay? How'd you sleep last night?"

How fast did I walk to the car? There's no way Amber hadn't noticed me suddenly appearing in here. She starts the car right after she put her phone in the cupholder. When I open my bag, I don't find my phone at all. I glance up at Amber.

"I'm fine. But I only slept for four hours because of a weird dream."

"Wow. That sucks." she mutters.

I can't talk to Orion or find out anything about the party without my phone. We are already on our way to Value Village, so it's too late go back home and get my phone. As Amber drives into the parking lot, I pull a book out of my bag called 'The Following'. I don't even remember having this book at all. Where the hell did it come from? I open the book to the page marked with a gray owl bracelet charm. Amber parks next to the store and flips her phone over.

She taps me on the shoulder. "You'll be okay working around Alicia, right?"

"Yeah. I'll just avoid her a bit. See you later." I respond, getting out of the car.

"Bye. I'll be busy this evening, so Cleo will pick you up."

I close the door and rush into the store through the Donation Station. No one blinks an eye, and there's no sign of Alicia or Sav. Thank God. I'm not ready to be around her yet. I sit down in my cubicle and open the book to the first page of the prologue.

As she walked away, I clenched my fists. The one woman I loved the most left me when I needed her. Duke stared at me with a blank expression. I looked up at the stars and groaned. The leaders told me that nothing could go wrong. I wished I could convince her that this incident wasn't my fault, but she won't listen. What the fuck am I supposed to do now?

"That's rough, man. Let's go inside. The Spits will be proud of you."

We walked through the back door all the way to the all black 'ritual' room. Three guys were standing in front of us, wearing deep red cloaks. When the second guy took his hood off-

Talia smacks the side of my cubicle, making me flinch. The other people in the room didn't seem to notice. I close the book, and look her in the eyes. Whatever she wants to talk about better be important.

She smiles condescendingly. "Don't you have customers to talk to?"

"The phone didn't ring yet. Thanks for asking." I said tonelessly.

She turns around and whispers into the phone. The only thing I could hear is my name. Why she suddenly cares about what I do before calls come in is beyond me.

I hope the book is good if she's staring at it that hard.

The phone on the desk rings before I can tell her to go be judgemental somewhere else. I pick it up quickly. The other end of the line is silent.

I purse my lips. "Welcome to the Value Village call center. How may I help you?"

The other end of the line remains silent. If some prick wants to waste the time I could spend talking to real customers, he can do it to someone else. I hang up the phone.

"If you have anything to say to me, you can say it out loud."

Talia turns around, slamming the phone down on the receiver. "Okay. You act like you're smart when you're fucking clueless. You don't pay enough attention to anything around you. That's right. I said it."

"At least, I mind my own business." I say, scowling.

She rolls her eyes and storms out of the office. She has a lot of nerve, coming at me. I do pay attention to the things around me and she's not even that smart herself. As if talking about me while I'm sitting behind her would ever be a goid idea.

Anyway, I look back down at the book.

When the second guy pulled his mask off, he smiled smugly at me. I wanted to punch that prick in the face, but I knelt on the floor next to Duke instead. It's not like I had a choice.

The other two men pulled their hoods off. The third guy opened a black wooden box on the table. He took out a black triton the size of a pen.

"You can be officially part of the group if we 'test' you in the pit." The first guy said.

Duke elbowed me. "Say something."

"Yes sir. I am ready for the test." I replied, keeping my eyes on the second guy.

The other members spoke about the 'test' being an honor that can be painful. Yet, they never explained what it was, or said the Spits' names. Now that Lia was gone, I can't refuse. She might want me back when she sees how much I've changed. The second guy shared a glance with the other two. The light above us fizzled out, only leaving the candles to light the room.

"You'll have to give us your trust, because you will be given the 'test' with your eyes covered. You and Duke may stand."

When we stood up, they walked from the table to the door. We followed them outside into the darkness. The capability of the Spits to walk through the forest without light had me stunned. We eventually emerged from the trees and stopped at a hill that lead to a large pit.

Wow. This book is intense. The 'test' sounds like the Spits are going to push this guy into the pit. I fold the top of the page and close the book. I look up, and end up locking eyes with Alicia. She steps back, crossing her arms. I don't feel like arguing with her and Sav. Especially not here, in front of so many people. Maybe I should have stayed at home today.

Alright. I have to do this.

She doesn't even open her mouth to say that. That can't be normal. No one even looks away from their computers or puts down their phones. Whatever's going on can't be dealt with here.

"I'm sorry for going off on you like that. Sav admitted he was lying to avoid causing drama." She explains, wrapping her arms around my shoulders.

Talia briefly watches us before turning back around. She's done enough snooping today. I have to turn around, just to avoid her nosey stare.

I squeeze her. "Apology accepted. He'll be fine."

"Okay."

She lets go of me and goes back to her cubicle, with a small smile. There's no sign of Sav in here. Thank God. I don't need him whispering in my ear again. At least, I don't have to avoid Alicia anymore.