Common Ground (The Common Ground Trilogy Book 1) (28 page)

“Right, and maybe I’ll become class president,” I joked. “She hasn’t spoken to me all week Hope. What makes you think this next class will be any different?”

“I dunno,” she shrugged. “But it is the holiday season Zoe. People are always in a better mood around the holidays. You guys are going home together on Wednesday right?”

I nodded.

“Well maybe she’ll just forgive and forget in the spirit of Thanksgiving?”

“Not likely,” I replied. “She’s pretty mad. Besides, Liam is coming with us too, remember? It’s going to be an awful trip, I know it.”

“Cheer up,” she encouraged. “Look at the positives at least. It’s Friday! That always makes me happy.”

Hope’s optimistic attitude was a huge shift from her normal, self conscious demeanor. Her loyalty was endearing and it helped. My friendships were changing and loyalty was becoming my new favorite characteristic in people. I smiled feebly while we continued on.

“So, I haven’t seen Steph around much lately either. You guys fighting too?” I joked.

“No,” she sighed. “She spends all of her time with Damien now. It’s actually pretty disgusting. He really freaks me out and he’s such a jerk. How did you ever make it through just one date with him?”

“You’re guess is as good as mine,” I laughed. “Are they really spending that much time together? She was pretty excited about it when she told me last week, but I thought maybe it was just a fling.”

Hope shook her head. “Believe me when I tell you, they are going strong. Let’s just say I hear it all the time…”

A cold shiver ran down my spine and disgusting images started popping up in my head. Envisioning Steph and Damien together was almost as bad as picturing Annie and Liam together.

“I guess opposites attract then huh? He’s gross, she’s beautiful. In a weird, twisted way, it makes sense.”

“Sure, easy for you to say. You don’t have to see him constantly. He’s so disgusting and rude; I don’t know what she sees in him.”

“True, I feel bad for you on that. I know exactly how it feels to be around a guy that ruins everything. At least Annie being gone keeps Liam away for me.”

“Maybe you and I should live together next semester, that would be much better for everyone I think,” she smiled hopefully.

The thought of not living with Annie was too painful to think about. I still held out hope that she would eventually see the light and come back. My only realistic shot was having Liam screw it up in the end, which wasn’t so far-fetched. It was a matter of patience and perseverance, two skills I was quickly mastering.

“Yeah, maybe,” I laughed uneasily.

We walked on for another few minutes before we went our separate ways. When I walked into Perspectives, Annie still hadn’t arrived. I took a seat close to the front and began taking my supplies out. Right before class started, Annie came sauntering in and took a seat in the far back corner, as far away from me as possible.

Professor Franklin lectured for an hour straight, which was his customary method of teaching. Every time I looked over at Annie, her eyes were squarely focused on Professor Franklin and she was halfheartedly scribbling notes while he spoke. Spending more time studying Annie than taking notes made class drag on slower than normal. Once it was over, and students started scurrying out the door, Professor Franklin surprisingly called me over.

“Zoe, do you have a moment?” he asked while filing papers away in his briefcase.

“Um, sure,” I said nervously, rising from my desk.

My eyes glanced over at Annie who was packing up her bag alone, when a sudden urge to talk to her came over me. Biting my lip, I exchanged glances between Annie and Professor Franklin, not sure what to do. He normally never spoke to students at the end of class so it had to be important. Annie threw her bag over her shoulder and started walking to the door. Realizing that there wasn’t going to be a better time to speak to her until Thanksgiving, I took a brief step towards her. But Professor Franklin had taken off his glasses and motioned for me to come to the front.

“This won’t take long,” he said.

I begrudgingly walked over to the front table and waited for him to speak again.

“I wanted to speak with you about your recent work in class,” he started.

My stomach dropped instantly and my eyes widened in fear while all thoughts of Annie vanished. I’d never been held after class for my work before. I felt nervous, not sure what to expect.

“Oh, don’t worry, you’re not in trouble!” he backpedaled. “I just wanted to say how impressive your work has been this semester, especially the last few weeks. You’ve been quite active in class discussions; you write exceptional papers and have a strong knowledge of religious topics. I’ve never seen a student with such natural ability!”

“Um, thanks,” I said, calming down a bit.

“Now, the Religious Studies department is in need of a reliable tutor for next semester. I’ve been speaking with some of your other professors and there seems to be a general consensus regarding your aptitude.  After conferring with the rest of my department, we’d like to gauge your interest in being our tutor. Normally, we don’t offer such jobs to freshmen, but your work has been so outstanding recently that we feel you could easily handle it,” he said proudly.

Annie walked by at that moment and our eyes met for a brief second. She studied the scene in front of her and continued on her way. My gaze remained on her for an extra few seconds until Professor Franklin gave a subtle cough. Refocusing back, the reality of something normal happening for a change caught me off guard.

“Wow,” I breathed. “All of my professors said good things?”

“Indeed they did,” he smiled, “especially Professor Woodward. He was the person to actually recommend you for the position. He would have offered it you himself, but he had to leave campus early for the holiday and wanted to make sure we signed you up before anyone else could get you!”

My thoughts shifted directly to Professor Woodward, wondering where exactly he went. It didn’t seem like him to leave before vacation started. I stared blankly ahead, trying to sift through the possibilities.

“The department will pay you of course,” Professor Franklin interjected. “And it only requires three hours a week. You’ll provide three, one hour tutoring sessions during the week at night. That way, you won’t have to give up much of your free time and should still be able to maintain your current academic status.”

Even though money wasn’t a huge deal to me, making a few extra bucks didn’t sound like a bad idea. The Johnsons treated me like a daughter with everything, including money. But, my parents left enough money for me to survive on my own in case something happened. I wasn’t rich, but it was sufficient enough to survive. The combination of money and having a normal job away from the insanity that was my life sounded too good to pass up.

“Sure, I’d be happy to do it,” I said happily.

“Great!” he exclaimed victoriously, picking up his briefcase. “We’ll work out all the details at the beginning of next semester.”

“Thank you Professor,” I said.

I turned on my heels and left the room, my spirits gradually rising for the first time in weeks.

Campus was almost deserted as I walked towards the library that evening. The late autumn sun was setting slowly along the horizon, illuminating the campus with tranquil colors. A swift, cool breeze flowed through campus, causing me to shudder slightly. Professor Franklin’s job offer had emblazed within me a newfound desire to study. Having extra responsibilities was the perfect way to maintain a seemingly normal life.

When I finally reached the library and entered, it was even more abandoned than campus. Still wanting a sense of privacy, I headed back past the periodicals and computer stations to a small table that was nicely settled in a peaceful corner. My backpack made a resounding thud when it hit the ground before my hands reached into it and pulled out the main culprit. Professor Woodward’s book shined beautifully under the glaring library lights. Finding my most recent bookmark, I opened it up and flipped to Chapter 19: Angels, Demons and the Human Connection.

It was surreal, reading about a world that I knew existed, but many others didn’t. I’d refocused my reading ever since Professor Woodward divulged the secret, and it all felt dreamlike. How much of what was written down in his book was real? Was I supposed to discover more of it on my own?

The stuffy library started to impose its will on me while my eyes reread the same sentence about guardian angels, rogue demons and their supposed battle for the souls of mankind. It had only been a handful of minutes, but my eyes slowly began to droop closed.

When they opened, the warm, stagnant library had been supplanted by a very familiar place. I let out a muffled scream when my room at the Johnsons’ house appeared below my floating body. My eyes scanned the familiar room that lied beneath me. The light yellow walls and old fashioned hardwood floors were in their normal, pristine condition. Our old fashioned, cream colored shutters were closed shut, giving the room a secure and private feel. Two beds were situated on opposite ends of the bedroom, and it was then I realized why the shutters were closed. My gaze rested upon the most disturbing scene in my life, and every dirty word that was being spoken filled my ears unwillingly.

“Are you ready?” Liam said passionately to Annie while he kissed her neck.

She was lying flat on her bed and he was positioned over her, with her legs stretched out in between his.  Her hands were running through his thick, dark curls and her face displayed pure ecstasy.

“Mmm...Hmm,” Annie groaned.

I tried to turn my head away and close my eyes but to no avail. I was frozen on the spot and couldn’t do anything to block the disgusting display.

“Just relax,” he whispered when his hands started to travel under her shirt. In one quick movement, it was pulled off and thrown to the floor, revealing Annie’s athletically toned frame. She continued to lie there, completely at his will, wearing nothing but a skimpy black set of underwear.

“I’m yours,” Annie moaned, nibbling his ear sensually.

With all of my effort, I tried desperately to move my head, close my eyes and even yell out, but nothing happened. If I really did time travel again, it was not the same experience. It was similar to my normal dreams and I was a hopeless victim. The entire scene was getting worse by the second. It wasn’t until Annie finally pulled Liam’s shirt off that my feelings shifted. A strong desire overcame me while Liam’s perfectly toned muscles glowed under the bright light. Seeing his immaculate physique sent a sensual quiver through my body.

“Lie back,” he breathed heavily again, sending Annie into lustful convulsions.

Liam’s kisses started working their way down from Annie’s lips. Her neck, chest and stomach were all recipients of his gentle romantic touch. When he started tracing his lips around her waist, he stopped suddenly.

“Wha- what’s wrong?” Annie panted.

Liam sat there in shock and stared at Annie with a ghostly pale face. His eyes were wide with terror.

“What is it?” Annie said again, sounding worried.

“I… I’ve gotta go,” Liam stuttered. 

He jumped out of bed and threw his shirt over his head, ignoring Annie completely.

“Wait, please! I don’t understand” Annie cried as tears began to flow rapidly down her cheeks.

While I looked at Annie crying in betrayed agony, my blood started to boil. My anger was stronger than any time before in my life. Seeing her so vulnerable and weak brought an unknown pain to my heart. In that moment, all I wanted to do was jump down and attack him, but my body remained frozen.

Conjuring up all of my energy and concentration, I tried to break from my frozen prison to console Annie. Tears were flowing rapidly down her cheeks when Liam pulled the door open and left in a flash. Right before she left to chase after him, a single, muffled word started emanating from her lips.

“Zoe,” she said between sniffs.

My heart broke into more pieces with each new cry. There was my best friend, calling out for me and I was incapable of helping.

“Zoe,” she cried again.

She finally stood up and ran out the door after him, shouting his name.

“Zoe,” a different voice called again, this time from a distance.

Without warning, our bedroom in Seattle zoomed out of focus and my body started moving at what felt like the speed of light. Everything sped by in such a blur that there was no sense of falling or flying. Then, as though my body had been pulled from a blender, my eyes shot open and I could feel a pair of soft hands carefully brushing me awake.

“Zoe, wake up,” the familiar and very soothing voice called again.

I slowly lifted my head while my eyes came into focus. A dark, blurry figure was standing over me, still rustling me cautiously.

“What’s going on?” I whimpered.

At that moment, my eyes came into focus and a very concerned face was staring back at me. Simi had found me.

Chapter 13: Thanksgiving

“Simi? What are you doing here?” I said groggily.

Her calming hand released my shoulder and she walked around the table and sat across from me. A look of mild doubt covered her face. I wasn’t sure how she had found me but her presence had somehow made me feel better after such an infuriating dream.

“I was upstairs studying and about to leave when I heard someone yelling. When I came down to check, you were sitting here thrashing all over the place,” she said with a look of concern. “Are you okay?”

“If only you knew the half of it,” I sighed, regaining my bearings. “What was I yelling about?”

Her eyes darted away from me in an instant and she looked hesitant.

“Come on Simi, what was it?” I pressed.

After a long sigh, she finally looked back at me. “Most of it was a lot of nonsense. But when I found you, you started mumbling Annie’s name. It took me a few seconds just to snap you out of it.”

The disturbing images from the dream flashed before my eyes at the mention of Annie’s name. I couldn’t think of anything else.

“Oh,” I mumbled, feeling somewhat disappointed. “That’s all I said?”

Simi nodded, still looking apprehensive. “What’s going on with the two of you? I never heard how your time together went a few weeks ago. I’m guessing from your dream that it didn’t go so well?”

I took a deep breath and started to look around, not sure if I was ready to tell Simi everything. The library was still desolate and nighttime had fallen outside. I gazed steadily out the window while an eerie sensation overtook me. Even though it was dark outside, I got the strangest feeling that a pair of invisible eyes was watching the two of us.

“It’s complicated,” I resigned.

Simi’s eyes narrowed. “I think I can handle it.”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” I chuckled uneasily.

A brief smile appeared on her face. “I’ve heard some pretty crazy things, why don’t you start from the beginning?”

I proceeded to tell her everything that had happened that night, up until the part when we got mugged. It was hard enough for me to accept and believe, let alone tell someone who would probably think I was crazy. The happy memories from that night had been overtaken by all of the insanity that ensued afterwards.

Simi looked confused when I finished. “It sounds like things went well. What’s the problem?”

Even though Simi’s presence had calmed me, I continued to resist. I still couldn’t bring myself to tell her about my ability to survive gunshot wounds and Liam’s skill at memory alteration. It still sounded too crazy for me to believe.

“You’re hiding something.”

Was it that obvious? I tried with all my might to avoid discussing it, but her persistence started to get a tad annoying.

“Alright, I’ll tell you but I guarantee you’ll think I’m crazy,” I surrendered.

With a victorious smile, she leaned back in her chair and waited for the next part of the story.

Retelling the story wasn’t an easy experience, especially knowing the lasting affects it had on Annie. While I talked, Simi sat across from me, listening without interruption. Surprisingly, when I retold the part about getting shot, there wasn’t a change in her expression. She continued to sit there calmly, taking in every word I said.

It wasn’t until I told her what Liam had done to Annie when she showed her first signs of concern. How she didn’t freak out when I told her about getting shot but did when I mentioned Liam erasing memories was beyond me. There was something unsettling about her behavior, which made me feel even worse. Was there nobody normal left in my life?

“This is very important Zoe,” she said sternly, leaning forward in her chair. “I need you to tell me exactly what’s happened with Annie since that night.”

“Honestly, I haven’t seen her much. The only time we really talked was about a week ago. She didn’t remember a single thing that happened, but that wasn’t the worst of it. Her memory wasn’t just gone, it had been replaced. All she kept saying was that she showed up for our date on time and I was gone. When she walked back to Beta house, she said that you and I were sitting in the Pit, having dinner together. She thinks I abandoned her.”

Simi gazed out the window and drew a deep breath. “This isn’t good. I kept warning him to stay away but he wouldn’t listen. Zoe, I need you to listen to me very carefully.”

I couldn’t tell what was freaking me out more; the fact that Simi wasn’t put off from what had happened, or that she actually seemed to understand it all. With each passing moment of silence, I got a funny feeling inside while Simi stared deeply into my eyes.

“I know Professor Woodward has talked to you,” she said urgently. “He’s had me watching you the past few days, ever since he told you about Common Ground. I know this isn’t easy to accept at first, I was in the same boat and struggled with it too. But, this is all real and there is something bad coming, I can feel it. Everything goes deeper than you could possibly imagine and Liam is just the beginning. This will not be easy to hear, but Annie is at the heart of it all. The longer Liam stays around her, the worse off she’ll be. We’ve been trying to warn him for the past few months, but he’s obsessed with her and won’t listen. There isn’t much else we can do, so we’re going to need your help. He’s going with you guys to Seattle for Thanksgiving, right?”

My jaw was agape and I stared at her in shock. I couldn’t find anything to say. The one person I felt most comfortable around, and trusted, had apparently been a part of it all from the very beginning.

“Zoe, you still with me?” she said, waving a hand in front of my blank face. “You have to follow me on this, it’s important.”

“How could you not tell me?” I finally gasped. “All this time you knew and kept it from me?”

“This isn’t the time for that Zoe,” she retorted quickly. “I promise to explain it all later, but right now, you need to hear me.”

I sat there in silence and looked away from Simi, who took that as a sign to continue. “Good, now listen closely. Remember when I told you Annie is going to need you sooner than later? I think that time is coming soon. You’re going to have to watch over her and make sure she stays safe. We don’t know who to trust right now.”

“Are you telling me that Liam is going to hurt Annie?” I asked, staring back at Simi. “I’ll kill him if he does. I swear on it.”

“We don’t think so, but we’re not sure to be honest,” she said. “That’s why you need to watch out for her on this trip. Can you do that?”

“Of course I can do that!” I snapped, my frustration growing with each passing second. I couldn’t stop it and part of me didn’t want to. “I always watch out for her, all of you should know that by now.”

I grabbed my bag and stormed away from the table without another word. My list of people I could rely on was paper thin. It didn’t matter that she was an angel, or Liam was a demon, all I could think about was Annie and the reality of her being hurt. Simi’s intuition was right, but she didn’t know the extent of it. Something bad was coming, and I knew exactly where and when. 

**************************************

Thanksgiving week came without another incident. Professor Woodward remained gone and cancelled our final two classes before the vacation. It was probably for the best, seeing how angry I was with him and Simi and everyone else who was in on it all. Annie and Liam stayed away too, but our unpleasant vacation started earlier than expected.

“Before you all depart for the holiday,” Professor Franklin said at the end of our last class before the holiday, “I want you to remember that when you get back, finals will only be three weeks out. You survived your midterms, but finals will require a whole new level of hard work. Come back refreshed and ready to focus. Have a Happy Thanksgiving.”

The remaining few students that attended class packed up their bags faster than I’d ever seen. While I started to put my binder away, my eyes glanced towards Annie and noticed she was almost up and out the door, not even giving me a brief glance. For days, I’d be thinking about anything that could give me a good reason to talk to her, and it was then it hit me. Swallowing my pride, I stood up and jolted after her.

“Hey, wait up!” I yelled, chasing her down the stairs. “Annie! Wait!”

“What do you want?” she grumbled, stopping in front of the double entry doors to the building.

The fact she stopped at all was a positive sign, but the nastiness in her response was not what I was in the mood to hear.

“Nice to see you too,” I retaliated. “I wanted to see what your plans were for getting to the airport this afternoon.”

“Our flight leaves at three. Be at the Beta house in an hour or you’ll need to catch a cab,” she said frostily.

“Oh, great! Thanks a lot, you’re a lifesaver,” I exhaled.

Even though spending all afternoon with the two of them was daunting, knowing I had a ride calmed me down a bit. We stood there for a moment while an awkward silence fell between us.

“Is there anything else?” she demanded, tapping her foot.

There was something else, something she wasn’t going to want to hear. Liam had already split us apart so much that any more ill-will towards him would possibly end our friendship. I knew Annie couldn’t know exactly what I’d seen, but she had to be warned somehow.

“Yeah, I’ve been trying to call you,” I started, not sure of a better way to bring it up.

“I know. Thanks to you, I almost had to change my number,” she joked unpleasantly.

“Well, you could have called me back. It was really important Annie,” I shot back.

She seemed uncomfortable. Instead of looking me in the eye, her gaze was plastered towards her shuffling feet.

“What’s the problem?” she asked more coldly than before, still not lifting her head.

I swallowed hard at the bitterness in her voice. A part of me started to reconsider telling her what I knew, solely for the fact that I couldn’t take much more of her hostility. But Simi’s concerned face floated to the forefront of my mind, reminding me of the importance of Annie being on alert.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for Liam to come with us.”

“And why is that?” she demanded, shooting me a fiery look.

“I have a bad feeling Ann. Bringing Liam with us is going to cause a lot of trouble. You’ll just have to trust me on this!” I pleaded.

There was no way I could tell her what I’d seen; the kissing, the touching and the sudden exit were all too disturbing to repeat. It would have been the death of our friendship if I made such outrageous claims without evidence.

“Oh, you’re a piece of work,” Annie mocked. “You were so afraid he was going to hurt me, and what has he done? Nothing! He’s been perfect and all of your warnings and worrying were useless. When are you going to just accept that he isn’t a bad guy? Besides, it was my mom’s idea for him to come, so if you have that big of a problem with it, maybe you shouldn’t come.”

“Wow,” I gasped while my heart shattered into a million pieces. “You’ve been holding that in for a while, haven’t you?”

“Oh get over yourself,” she snapped back.

“Wait a minute!” I roared. “That’s it Annie. I’m tired of being your pincushion! All I’ve ever done is look out for you and be supportive. But, it just seems like no matter what I say or do, you find some reason to yell at me and I’m done with it. So, consider this my final warning. Watch out for Liam, he’s not who you think he is.”

Without realizing it, my body had firmed up and I towered over Annie. All of my anger and frustration had come rushing out at once.  Her face had the same look it did during our last argument.

“I don’t know what’s gotten into you lately, but you’re really starting to freak me out,” she said, slowly backing way. “Liam is perfect and there is nothing to worry about. You’re just being normal, paranoid Zoe. I can take care of myself!”

“Fine. I think I’ll find my own ride to the airport. See you later,” I said, turning on the spot and leaving.

At that point, if Annie wanted to take the gamble, so be it. I’d done my job and now she was on her own. The trip was going to end in a disaster, and I would be ready to catch her when she fell.

**************************************

The travel arrangements turned out to be exactly what I imagined. After a long and expensive cab ride to the airport, I met up with Liam and Annie and instantly felt like a third wheel. Annie didn’t say a single word the entire trip to anyone, but instead kept a firm grip on Liam’s hand. He remained silent too, and played it cool like usual, not noticing any of the awkwardness that floated in the air.

My only solace and escape was the thought of our final destination. If there was one person in the world who would be just as distrusting and watchful of Liam, it was Mark. I felt a twinge of frustration when Marie stepped out of the car to greet us in the pouring rain.

“Oh Annie!” she gushed, pulling Annie into a very wet hug.

“Hi Mom,” Annie mumbled. Marie was so overjoyed that she barely noticed Annie’s lack of enthusiasm in the hug.

“And Zoe, oh it’s so great to see you hon!” she said, giving me the same treatment. The comfort I felt in Marie’s embrace reminded me how happy I truly was to be back in Seattle, despite the downpour.