All We Know Is Falling: Fall With Me: Volume One (42 page)

We met up again before lunch and scanned the room for her. Again, she had something better to do than have lunch with the people she tried to kill.

“What now?” he asked.

I tiled my head up at the ceiling. “I have to do it.”

“Do what?”

My head went to the left so I could see him. “I have to track her. Which means I need to turn my powers on.”

He tensed. “But it hurts you.”

“A gunshot wound would hurt more. So I don’t really have any options here.”

“Can you be careful?”

“If she’s here, I can find her quick. And since I know her, I have her imprint.”

“What does that mean?”

I tried to find a way to explain it. “Every person is different. Every soul is like a fingerprint. And I know what hers looks like. So I can pick it out of a line up.”

“Sounds useful.”

“It can be. I bet I could find you in a heartbeat.”

He smiled at me in that way that made me a little weak in the knees. I wonder if he knew what he did to me when looked at me. Like I was all that he could see.

I shut my eyes and flipped the switch. I felt the darkness swirling around in my head before I even opened my eyes to see it. Once I did, the colors started overwhelming me.

“What do you see?” Hale asked.

I looked at him and smiled at his colors. Yellow, light blue, pink. “I see a lot in you. You’re very colorful.”

“Colors? What do they mean?”

“They’re all different. There are ‘official’ definitions decided by people who I’m sure don’t know what the Hell they’re talking about. But it’s more than colors. Feelings come with them. I can see your emotions like living things. I see blue and it means you’re kind and warm. You’re loyal. I see yellow. So you’re full of energy and you’re happy with something.”

“I wonder what,” he put his hand around my shoulder and pulled me closer to him. “Is that all you saw?”

“No. I also saw pink. Pink means you’re feeling love. And it’s a really deep pink.” I was sure I was blushing.

He leaned down and his lips went to my ear and my insides started feeling like they were on fire. “What else can you feel?”

I looked over at him and his whole aura changed to a deep, dark red. I was in trouble…

“Um…you changed colors…” I said, feeling my own colors change. “You’re red.”

“What’s red?” he asked in a voice that let me know that he knew full well.

“Kinda obvious,” I said while I tried to hold it together. “But we’re in a room full of people and if you keep talking, this might end with some PDA that I’m not sure I’m okay with.”

He made that sound I loved and I got dizzy for a few seconds. “I’ll take care of you later, Lamb. But I think we have work to do.”

Take care of…that can mean so many things. I think he saw the question in my head because the corner of his mouth turned up. I suppressed a shiver.

“We should go now,” I said in a shaky voice. I started walking as I followed Dottie’s light through the school.

The halls were empty as we walked through them but I still threw up my invisibility so Dottie wouldn’t see me and bolt. Her light was string and I knew she was close by.

We walked down the hall as the light led me down to the teachers break room. I opened the door to find her alone in the room rummaging through one of the lockers. I quietly closed the door and headed for Dottie.

I grabbed her by the shoulder and swung her around as I dropped my shield.

“Where the Hell did you guys come from?” she said with wide eyes.

I smiled. “Surprised? So was I when I found your notebook. I believe we’re long overdue for a conversation that I hope ends in violence.”

She didn’t bother playing dumb. “Okay then. Sit down,” she pointed to the table.

I crossed my arms. “Oh, you think you’re running this thing?”

She sighed. “We’ve got a lot to talk about. I suggest you drop the attitude and just sit down.”

“Dottie,” Hale addressed her with well hidden anger. “Maybe not a good idea to fuck with her. I’ve been told she could kill you quiet easy.”

“I’m aware. I’m actually kind curious on why a Fallen would be dumb enough to waste her endless days in a high school.”

“I’m not a Fallen. But I know what you are.”

She started moving over to the table and she sat down. Hale and I stood next to each other and face her. “I know you’re not an angel. They’re wings are white. So what the Hell are you?”

This should be fun. “I’m an antichrist. Ever heard of us?”

Her mouth dropped open and she stared at me with disbelief. “You’re the Antichrist?”

“An antichrist. There are a lot of us. That apocalypse thing is bullshit. There’s not just one of us and we’re not trying to end the world. But my dad gets pretty pissed when someone other than another antichrist tries to kill one of us. So I suggest you find a good place to hide.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I’m not trying to kill you. And if you’re what you say you are, your father would know that.” She moved on. “Do you all have wings?”

“Just me. And don’t try lying. I saw you with that notebook. It had a whole lot of stalker information in it. Kinda like that scrapbook you made me.”

She looked annoyed. “I didn’t make that scrapbook.”

I snorted. “Lets not pretend that you don’t hate me. I know what you’ve been doing. Why you honed in on Hale the second I wasn’t with him anymore.”

A blonde eyebrow went up. “I never said I didn’t hate you. And I wasn’t trying to hide what I was doing with Hale. I got immense joy out of the look on your face when I touched him.”

I wanted to launch myself at her but Hale caught my wrist before I could. He said, “What were you doing with my brother? We’re you going to hurt him too?” there was murderous intent in his eyes. 

“I needed to get to you somehow,” she smirked. “You were easier than I thought. So desperate for a friend and so broken from the loss of your girl. Childs play,” she rolled her eyes.

“Wow. You’re more of a bitch than I am. And I’m half evil. Impressive,” I laughed. “Maybe we should get back to the lie you were trying to tell about not killing me and drugging my boyfriend.”

“Again, I didn’t try and kill you. I didn’t drug Hale. And I didn’t make that scrapbook. But I was the one who left it for you.”

“How bout the coyote?”

“Not me either.”

“Then who?”

She looked worried for the first time since we showed up. “Someone who hates you more than I do. I was trying to warn you. I want to see you miserable but I never wanted you dead. If you’re dead then you won’t suffer.”

Hale looked like he wanted to go for her throat but be held himself back.

“You’re still not telling me what I want to know,” I pointed out. “I’m losing my patience.”

She stared at the table. “You should have just left when I gave you the chance. As long as he can find you, you’re in danger.”

“Cut the shit, Dorothy. Who’s stalking me? Other than you.”

“I’m not stalking you.” She took a deep breath. “It was only supposed to be small stuff. Harmless, but it would piss you off. Mess with your boyfriend. Maybe spread some rumors. But then he decided that wasn’t enough. He found out what I was doing and it sparked something that I didn’t know was in him. No stopping it now.”

“WHO!?” I shouted, making her jump.

“My dad,” she said. “My dad is trying to kill you.”

Everything that’s happened over the last couple months ran through my head as I decided if I believed her or not. The only problem was that both of them had the chance for every attack. There was no proof of guilt for either.

“What should I believe you?” I asked.

“Believe me or don’t,” she sat back. “It’s your life on the line. Oh,” she held a finger up. “And your whole family, including pretty boy over there. Maybe instead of thinking I’m a liar you can just listen to me and save yourself. You don’t die and my dad doesn’t go to jail for murder. Win, win.”

“Funny that you think he’d make it to prison. My father would destroy him for touching one of his kids. It would be slow and he’d have fun.”

Her face sank as fear crept in. “I don’t want any more people to die. Mom died for nothing. I don’t want to lose the only other family I have because my dad went off the deep end.”

“What do you suggest we do about this?” Hale said, sliding a chair out and taking it.

“Leave. Go somewhere he can’t find you. He’ll lose interest soon and he’ll go back to normal,” her voice had forced hope in it. Like she knew he was a goner. “He was fine…then I came back home and he just…lost it. I don’t know who he is anymore. I don’t wanna be all alone again.”

“I’m not leaving my home and my family cuz some asshole decided to take his grief out on me.” I gripped the back of the empty chair so hard I thought it would crumble under my hands. “Make him stop, or he dies.”

“No. Please,” she stood up. “I can’t make him stop. I’ve been trying and trying but it’s just getting worse. He’s planning something. I don’t know what but I know when.”

My mind went to when she was talking to herself the day before. She wanted me out of the house.

“When?”

Her eyes burned into mine. “Tomorrow night. I heard him talking to himself. Mom,” her lip quivered. “He thinks she’s talking back to him. He’s taking orders from a hallucination. It’s how I found out about this. I heard him. He started rambling about you being a Fallen and I freaked out.

“What ever he has planned, he was going to go to your house. I had planned on inviting you guys and Ethan to a movie but that’s clearly out of the question.”

“Ya think?”

She stepped closer to me but she held her hands out in surrender. “Please don’t kill him. I have nothing without him.”

“He’s off his rocker. And if he tries hurting my family again you bet I’m gonna kill him. What else am I supposed to do?”

She scratched at her wrist as she thought. It was bright red and it looked like scratching at it was her new hobby. “I don’t know. Are you stronger than a topside?”

I laughed. “Little bit.”

“Then you can subdue him?”

“Not if he has a gun again. And why should I do him any favors?”

Her eyes started turning glassy but she fought the tears with everything in her. “It’s not for him. He’d be happy to die for this. It’s for me. Maybe you think you don’t owe me anything, and maybe you really don’t. But I’m asking you anyway. Please don’t kill my dad.” Her voice cracked on the last word and a picture appeared in my mind. I though of my own dad. Franklin. I though about what would have happened to him if he lost Mom and if Dottie and I switched places.

I wouldn’t let my father die.

“You’re considering this?” Hale asked me in pure astonishment. “You need to hide. Keep yourself safe.”

“I’m not running,” I told him.

“Then what are you going to do?”

I couldn’t answer the question because I didn’t know. I never dreamed I’d become a killer at seventeen but I also never thought that someone would be trying to kill me. Maybe a sibling… but not a topside that wanted revenge for something that I technically didn’t do. I was only a little bit responsible. Certainly not enough to deserve death. Or the deaths of my family.

My hands knotted in my hair and I started pacing the room. “Why do I have to make a decision like this on my own? Either I orphan a girl or I risk my life and the life of everyone I love.” I looked to Hale. “What do I do?”

He rubbed his jaw. “How right and wrong to ask me… I know what I would do, but that doesn’t necessarily make it the right decision.”

Code for; he’d kill him.

“Please,” Dottie begged again. “Just give me a chance to fix this.”

I couldn’t decide this right now. And I shouldn’t have to. “I need to go home,” I said to Hale. “Will you come with me?”

“Of course I will.”

Hale started walking to the door with me and Dottie called out for me to wait. When we turned she said, “You’re just gonna leave? What about my dad?”

“Looks like you’ve got about a day before I have to make this decision. I suggest you stop him before he makes it for me. If he goes after any of the people in my life, he dies.”

“He’s not after them, he’s after you,” she said. “You’re the one he’ll try and kill.”

“Then maybe we won’t die after all.”



“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Hadley growled at me. “You can’t think we’re gonna take off so you can try and take this guy on alone.”

“I’m not leaving either,” Mom said with as much anger as my sister had.

I sighed, “Not many options here. If he sees all of us then he’ll come at us with both barrels. If it’s just me then maybe he’ll wanna play first. I can get him then.”

Hale didn’t agree with any of this. If he could have it his way, we’d hide out at his house until this all went away and Dottie fixed it. But I didn’t see her being able to do that. Still, I didn’t want to kill someone. Even if he wanted to kill me. I had a sliver of sympathy for him. But it was dwindling fast.