Chapter 235
My sister ended up fighting to get me on that plane, in all actuality. Perhaps she felt bad about not believing me, though she had yet to mention anything close to an apology to me. Aaron had also been quick to jump on board, and I don’t think Elliott had to do anything at all. It was my parents who seemed to think it wasn’t a good idea. Ultimately, my sister could be pretty convincing when she wanted to be, and they both insisted on driving me to the airport to meet the plane as it made a quick stop on the way from KC to Philly.
I had an overnight bag packed, but I honestly thought my days in Shenandoah were done. Part of me wished I’d realized my last day in high school had been my last day. Maybe I would’ve said something a little snarkier to Liam or Jessica. I definitely would’ve said more to Wes and Milo—though I knew I’d still be seeing them whenever possible. It was weird to think I may never grab a book out of a locker again or pull my hair aside to get a drink out of the too-warm water fountain near the science lab.
But I was ready.
The plane touched down just as scheduled, and the door popped open, the stairs lowering. My sister, Aaron, Brandon, and Elliott all stepped out. “You ready, lil girl?” my friend called, his leather jacket and dark jeans showing he was ready to get back into the fray.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I replied. I turned to hug my dad and mom, who had tears in her eyes, trying not to let her get me emotional. My sister rushed over to embrace them and assure them I would be fine, and I grabbed Brandon’s hand, following Elliott up into the airplane.
On board, I looked around. This jet was almost too big to land on the runway, I thought, and it was pretty full. Immediately, I was greeted by the people I knew well. Jamie, Hannah, Christian—I wasn’t surprised to see any of them. Meagan, Shane, and Aurora were also there. There were a few faces I didn’t recognize right away and had to be reintroduced. Rusty, the red-headed guy whose name should’ve been easy, and a woman named Sonia. Then, there were two people I’d met in training—Mickey and Ashley. Having spent a lot of time with Ashley when I was in town, I felt a bit of relief not only to have another sort-of friend aboard but to also know that I wasn’t the only one with limited experience, though I assumed she must’ve completed her training to be here, which I had yet to do.
I took a seat in the back of the plane next to Brandon and tried not to look out the window at my parents as the plane taxied back to the runway to prepare for takeoff. His hand in mine was a reassurance, and while I did feel excited, the little girl in me wanted to cry out that I wasn’t ready and run back to my parents’ arms.
“You okay?” Brandon asked me as the plane took off.
“I’m fine,” I replied, resting my head on his shoulder. “Just… not sure I’m ready for all of this. Not sure I’m as ready to be a grownup as I thought.”
“I know the feeling,” he assured me, gently stroking my hair. “When I left to go to KC, I didn’t stop to think about it, I just left. The whole drive, I kept asking myself what I was doing, thinking it was nuts. I didn’t even know how to sew a button on a pair of pants, let alone take care of myself.”
“Yeah, but your situation was a lot different,” I reminded him. “I don’t want to leave my parents; I just have to if I want to get on with my life.”
“True. That doesn’t make it any less scary, though. My mom has done a lot of things wrong in her life, but she’s still my mom.”
I considered his words. It made sense. As much as he probably hated her at times, he must love her, too. It must’ve been hard to walk away knowing how much she needed him. “Well, it’s different now,” I reminded him. “Your dad is with us.”
“He’s more like a brother, I think,” Brandon shrugged. “We’re getting to know each other. He’s a cool guy. It’s not like I ask his permission to do stuff, though, or he bosses me around.”
I gave him a weak smile. “Give it time. He bosses me around constantly.”
Brandon laughed. “Okay, he doesn’t boss me around any more than he does everyone else. My point is, I still feel mostly all alone. So—I get why it would be hard for you to leave your parents.”
“Thanks,” I said. I let out a deep breath. “I do think they’re moving themselves soon, though.” Then, things would be back to normal.
“Yeah, that’ll make it better. And I know you’re not too scared to go to a big city by yourself,” he teased.
I turned and looked at him for a moment before slowly shaking my head. “Cause that worked out so well.”
“This will be different, though. Look around. These people will keep you safe. I’ll keep you safe this time. I have a little bit more of an idea of what I’m doing, and I know what we’re up against.”
“I appreciate that,” I said, snuggling up against him. “But… I’m pretty sure there’s not much that can hurt me now anyway.”
“Let’s not tempt fate,” he warned. “Besides, you’re just here as a consult, right? A tracker? In case we need help finding him?”
“Yep,” I nodded. “Cass the Spy.”
“Cass the secret weapon,” he clarified.
I agreed. Something told me, what the Vampires didn’t know could hurt them.
