Gothic Grapes: Say What? (Installment Six)
Title: Say What? (Installment Six)
Verse/Characters: Gothic Grapes/ Gwen (POV) & Shawna
Prompt: Table B, Prompt 31: Interest (from
originalfic100)
Word Count: 1050
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: References past domestic violence and child abuse.
Summary: Shawna just won't leave Gwen alone.
Really, of all of the jerky things to do, sending me back to school on my second day in town was high on the list. Also on it, I thought, was the fact that nobody had bothered to take the time off of work to drive me there on my first day.
Grimacing, I re-adjusted my messenger bag as I walked, trying to ignore the stab of pain in my collarbone. It was still healing, even though my system was usually pretty quick about these things. The iron in me had made things so sluggish, and so I'd just gotten out of the cast a few days ago.
A bush branch swung out at my face, making me yelp and duck.
“I figured it out, you know.”
I damn near jumped out of my skin. It was still dark outside, and the street lamps didn’t show Shawna until she’d already freaked me out. She moved from where she was standing in the bushes at the end of the driveway and smiled that same predatory smile that I remembered.
My muscles tensed, remembering her chasing me two nights ago. “Go away,” I said. Taking a deep breath, I pushed past her.
Of course, Shawna was once again dressed in something totally weather inappropriate. This time it was a green skirt with a white tank, despite the frost that clung to everything. “You’re parents were two different species.”
I couldn’t help myself. I paused and turned to stare at her. “Excuse you?”
“I think it was the human part that confused me. It almost seemed to muck up your Fae scent. Still, I figured it out eventually. Not my best, but not my worst, either.” She was still talking, but my blood had run cold and I couldn't pick out any more words.
No, there was no way she could know. It wasn’t like I went around with a neon sign; humans weren’t supposed to know about us.
Unless... ”You’re Fae?” It came out as a desperate gasp. I was surprised that Aunt Elena hadn’t mentioned anything about having more of our kind so close. Then again, she’d been in and out in a flash, so maybe she’d just forgotten about it. I added it to my list of things to be bitter about. “Why didn’t you just say so earlier?”
She was still a jerk. But if she was like me, then maybe she was a breath of fresh air in this place. I hadn’t realized I’d stopped walking until she passed me and spun around in a circle, laughing, her green skirt flowing out around her. She tipped her head back and held her arms out as she turned.
When she faced me again, she snapped her head down, laughter dropping away. A smile was barely visible on her lips. “Fae? Me? Hardly.”
“What?” My stomach dropped. Had she been toying with me? Was this another game? Had I played right into her hand? Gods, I hated this girl.
“You’re wrong. Try again.” She stepped closer into my face, her lips curling and eyes sharpening as she reached out. I flinched back, but Shawna touched my nose, anyways. Her fingers were ice cold. “Think harder.”
I shook my head. “It’s my first day of school, I’ve got to go.” But I didn’t try to walk away. My eyes watched her fingers as they reached down to her shirt’s hemline and pulled her tank top up a few inches.
“Pay attention." On her stomach were large, raised scars. They were in slightly ragged lines, fairly evenly spaced, like she’d been attacked by a baby Freddy Krueger.
“I was fourteen.” She smiled, but her eyes were far away. “They don’t think I’ll live to see twenty four.”
There was definitely something I was missing. “Sorry?” All of a sudden this had gotten way too heavy for me. Shawna needed to learn some stranger etiquette, stat. Still, the scars were interesting. I bit back my urge to reach out and touch them. ”What happened?”
Her eyes narrowed, and she stared at me for a few seconds. I stood my ground and raised an eyebrow back. “Look, if you don’t want to tell me, fine. But then get out of my way. I don’t want to be late for my first day of school.”
That was a lie. I totally did. Sitting around in school with a bunch of humans all around me, knowing that if they knew about me they would hate me, be afraid of me, want to kill me, wasn't my dream afternoon. But standing here with yet another human didn’t seem much better, even if she did seem to have some idea about my kind. After all, knowing about Mom and me hadn't exactly helped Dad to come around.
“Skip school with me, and I’ll tell you all about what happened, and more.” She closed the few remaining inches between us, until her breath clouded against my face. I swallowed, but didn’t take a step back. I wouldn’t let her think she won, especially after my freak-out with her the other night. Even if all of my senses were screaming, and all I could think about was Dad advancing on me the night he’d killed mom, I didn’t move.
At least, I didn’t until her fingers came up to touch the back of my head.
“Stop it. Just leave me alone!” Even though I hadn't meant it, I’d shouted. She dropped her hand and watched me for a few seconds, then nodded.
“Alright,” she said. “If you want." Her voice was strangely even. “But if you're still curious, make sure to ask your Aunts about the Pack that lives next door.”
I struggled with my sudden bout of anxiety, wanting to ask her just what she meant. But by the time I'd calmed down enough to talk she was already darting into the yard of a stranger’s house. I watched her until she disappeared behind some white fencing, steeled my nerves, and then turned back towards the road.
It was a long walk to school, and I didn’t have time to think about what sort of mind games she was playing. Even if I was curious about the mysterious Pack, and just how she knew that the Fae were real.
This entry was originally posted at Dreamwidth. It has
comments there. Please comment there using OpenID or a DW account.
Verse/Characters: Gothic Grapes/ Gwen (POV) & Shawna
Prompt: Table B, Prompt 31: Interest (from
originalfic100)
Word Count: 1050
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: References past domestic violence and child abuse.
Summary: Shawna just won't leave Gwen alone.
Really, of all of the jerky things to do, sending me back to school on my second day in town was high on the list. Also on it, I thought, was the fact that nobody had bothered to take the time off of work to drive me there on my first day.
Grimacing, I re-adjusted my messenger bag as I walked, trying to ignore the stab of pain in my collarbone. It was still healing, even though my system was usually pretty quick about these things. The iron in me had made things so sluggish, and so I'd just gotten out of the cast a few days ago.
A bush branch swung out at my face, making me yelp and duck.
“I figured it out, you know.”
I damn near jumped out of my skin. It was still dark outside, and the street lamps didn’t show Shawna until she’d already freaked me out. She moved from where she was standing in the bushes at the end of the driveway and smiled that same predatory smile that I remembered.
My muscles tensed, remembering her chasing me two nights ago. “Go away,” I said. Taking a deep breath, I pushed past her.
Of course, Shawna was once again dressed in something totally weather inappropriate. This time it was a green skirt with a white tank, despite the frost that clung to everything. “You’re parents were two different species.”
I couldn’t help myself. I paused and turned to stare at her. “Excuse you?”
“I think it was the human part that confused me. It almost seemed to muck up your Fae scent. Still, I figured it out eventually. Not my best, but not my worst, either.” She was still talking, but my blood had run cold and I couldn't pick out any more words.
No, there was no way she could know. It wasn’t like I went around with a neon sign; humans weren’t supposed to know about us.
Unless... ”You’re Fae?” It came out as a desperate gasp. I was surprised that Aunt Elena hadn’t mentioned anything about having more of our kind so close. Then again, she’d been in and out in a flash, so maybe she’d just forgotten about it. I added it to my list of things to be bitter about. “Why didn’t you just say so earlier?”
She was still a jerk. But if she was like me, then maybe she was a breath of fresh air in this place. I hadn’t realized I’d stopped walking until she passed me and spun around in a circle, laughing, her green skirt flowing out around her. She tipped her head back and held her arms out as she turned.
When she faced me again, she snapped her head down, laughter dropping away. A smile was barely visible on her lips. “Fae? Me? Hardly.”
“What?” My stomach dropped. Had she been toying with me? Was this another game? Had I played right into her hand? Gods, I hated this girl.
“You’re wrong. Try again.” She stepped closer into my face, her lips curling and eyes sharpening as she reached out. I flinched back, but Shawna touched my nose, anyways. Her fingers were ice cold. “Think harder.”
I shook my head. “It’s my first day of school, I’ve got to go.” But I didn’t try to walk away. My eyes watched her fingers as they reached down to her shirt’s hemline and pulled her tank top up a few inches.
“Pay attention." On her stomach were large, raised scars. They were in slightly ragged lines, fairly evenly spaced, like she’d been attacked by a baby Freddy Krueger.
“I was fourteen.” She smiled, but her eyes were far away. “They don’t think I’ll live to see twenty four.”
There was definitely something I was missing. “Sorry?” All of a sudden this had gotten way too heavy for me. Shawna needed to learn some stranger etiquette, stat. Still, the scars were interesting. I bit back my urge to reach out and touch them. ”What happened?”
Her eyes narrowed, and she stared at me for a few seconds. I stood my ground and raised an eyebrow back. “Look, if you don’t want to tell me, fine. But then get out of my way. I don’t want to be late for my first day of school.”
That was a lie. I totally did. Sitting around in school with a bunch of humans all around me, knowing that if they knew about me they would hate me, be afraid of me, want to kill me, wasn't my dream afternoon. But standing here with yet another human didn’t seem much better, even if she did seem to have some idea about my kind. After all, knowing about Mom and me hadn't exactly helped Dad to come around.
“Skip school with me, and I’ll tell you all about what happened, and more.” She closed the few remaining inches between us, until her breath clouded against my face. I swallowed, but didn’t take a step back. I wouldn’t let her think she won, especially after my freak-out with her the other night. Even if all of my senses were screaming, and all I could think about was Dad advancing on me the night he’d killed mom, I didn’t move.
At least, I didn’t until her fingers came up to touch the back of my head.
“Stop it. Just leave me alone!” Even though I hadn't meant it, I’d shouted. She dropped her hand and watched me for a few seconds, then nodded.
“Alright,” she said. “If you want." Her voice was strangely even. “But if you're still curious, make sure to ask your Aunts about the Pack that lives next door.”
I struggled with my sudden bout of anxiety, wanting to ask her just what she meant. But by the time I'd calmed down enough to talk she was already darting into the yard of a stranger’s house. I watched her until she disappeared behind some white fencing, steeled my nerves, and then turned back towards the road.
It was a long walk to school, and I didn’t have time to think about what sort of mind games she was playing. Even if I was curious about the mysterious Pack, and just how she knew that the Fae were real.
This entry was originally posted at Dreamwidth. It has
comments there. Please comment there using OpenID or a DW account.