Everlasting Bond (27 page)

“Yeah, I guess so.” Katrina climbed back into bed and pulled the covers over her.

She laid back against her pillow and stared at the ceiling. Her mind was racing a million different directions. She knew what she saw. There was something out there and as hard as she tried she couldn’t stop thinking about it. It was coming for her. And
she had no one to protect her.

How could you leave me alone?
A tear trickled down her cheek. Anger replaced her fear.
Where the hell is everyone?

Katrina was reaching her breaking point. She had only been told in limited amounts what was happening and that wasn’t enough for her anymore. When Andrew called next she was going to give him an ear full.

Despite what happened the night before, Saturday morning came and went by pretty fast. Katrina kept herself busy. If she didn’t have time to stop and think, then she could get through the day without an emotional meltdown.

Most of the day her and Stacy spent hanging out in town. Morgan Springs had always loved to celebrate fall and this year was no exception. The center of town was transformed into a mini carnival. Many vendors had set up little tents. They strolled by each one checking out souvenirs before moving on to the next.

Katrina had missed girl time with Stacy and that afternoon was one of the best she’d had in awhile. There was no talk of werewolves or the end of the world. Everything was just as simple as it had bee
n before Cole. Katrina was in such a good mood, she even let Stacy do her nails when they got home.

As time for the dance neared, Stacy’s excitement grew harder to contain. She ran into Katrina’s room and grabbed her bag. She tossed the contents of the bag out and gave Katrina a crazy grin.

“Tonight is going to be so much fun.”

“How many costumes did you
bring?” Katrina shook her head.

“Just a couple. I wasn’t sure what I would need.”

Katrina laughed. “Well, I think you packed everything you own.”

“It’s not all just for me.”

“What?”

“I packed a costume for you, too.”

“My costume?”

“Yup. I knew you would forget, so I found the perfect one for you.”

“What is it?”

“You’ll see,” Stacy grinned.

“Stace!”

“I have to go shower, but your costumes somewhere on the bed.” And with that she ran off to the bathroom.

Katrina eyed the garments on her bed suspiciously. She was a little hesitant to see what Stacy picked. After all, it was Stacy she was talking about. She rummaged through the pile and stopped. It was obvious which one was her costume and she was suddenly having second thoughts about going to the dance. Holding up the ears and tail, she couldn’t believe Stacy. She held up the black dress and shook her head.

She sighed to herself. “Let’s see if you fit.” She barely had time to pull up the last strap before she suddenly jumped. A sharp pain throbbed on the bottom of her foot. “Ouch!” She sat on her bed and found a piece of glass sticking out. “Stupid compact!” As she slowly pulled it out, the blood started to seep onto the floor. Watching it drip she cringed. It took her back to the nig
ht she wished she could forget.

Glimpses of her brother’s face as the blood trickled down made her chest ache. Images of his blood-soaked body laying limp in Andrew’s arms sent her stomach turning. Then Cole’s face emerged, turning her sorrow into frustration. The final blow of emotion came with a vengeance, as images of her mother nearly being killed ricocheted around in her head. And she was the only one left to deal with it all.

Tears fell down her cheeks. Katrina quickly wiped her face and stood up. She needed to get it together, but her reflection stopped her. It was hideous. Disgusted, she went to turn when a shiny glare caught her attention.

The amulet dangling around her neck began to smolder a mixture of ocher and crimson. Colors swirled in the stone, disappearing in the center and reappearing around the edges. Moments passed and she couldn’t bring herself to look away. Images began to float around in her head, like a dream. Something was very surreal about the whole scene that began to unfold before her.

Before Katrina knew what happened, she was somewhere else. The familiarity of her room was gone. In its place was a much more dated and elegant place. Looking down she noticed she was wearing an old-fashioned costume. Judging by the surroundings, she was at some sort of party.

Each guest was adorned in his or her finest attire. Every woman had on an elaborate ball gown made from the finest materials. Katrina’s was no exception. It glistened like a diamond underneath the candlelit room. The gold trim accented every delicate feature. The lightly beaded top fit snugly against her like a second skin.

Katrina was lost in her appearance when she was startled by a warm hand grabbing her and leading her towards the dance floor. The stranger’s maple colored eyes glistened with excitement behind his gold trimmed mask, as they met hers. Sauntering onto the luxurious flooring alongside her unknown date, her gown flowed elegantly against her body, showing off every intricate curve. The stranger’s hands caressed along her arm and down her back, as he led her around the room.

“K
at?” Stacy’s voice interrupted.

“Hmm?”

“Want to talk about it?”

“Yeah.” She tried to wipe away the rest of her tears.

Stacy sat down on the bed next to her and grabbed her hand. “Is it your mom?”

“Yes. No. It’s everything.”

“What do you mean everything? Is there something you’re not telling me?”

Me and my big
mouth! Katrina scolded herself.

“Kat?” Stacy pushed.

“I miss him,” Katrina said, realizing how pathetic she sounded.

“Cole?”

Katrina nodded her head. It was all she could do to keep from having an emotional meltdown.

“He’ll be back soon.”

“I know.” Tears flowed down her face.

“That’s not all?”

“It’s my mom and Jake. I hate being alone.”

“I’m sorry.” Stacy wrapped her in a tight hug. “But you’re not alone. I’m here for you, always.”

“Thanks, Stace. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Anytime. And thank you, Kat.”

Katrina looked up, confused. “For what?”

“Letting me drag you places.”

“You would do the same for me.”

“I would. And besides, if you tried to say no, I would drag you kicking and screaming the whole way.” Stacy leaned against Katrina and chuckled. “See, there’s a smile. Now let’s get ready to have some fun.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Katrina wiped her tears. “What are you wearing tonight?”

Stacy gave her a huge grin. “You’re going to love it.” Stacy got up and headed to the bathroom. “I’ll be right back,” she called over her shoulder.

Katrina sat there anxiously waiting to see what crazy costume Stacy had found. She just hoped her costume wasn’t another cat. Themes were kind of Stacy’s thing and it always meant Katrina was in for an interesting surprise.

“Are you coming out anytime soon?” Katrina shouted.

“Ta-da!” Stacy announced, as she jumped into Katrina’s room and posed.

Katrina immediately started laughing hysterically. “Wow! Where did you get the uniform?”

“I borrowed it from Cynthia. What do you think?”

“You’re going to freeze!”

“Besides that? Think Donovan will notice?”

“Oh, he’ll notice and so will the rest of the school.”

“That’s what I was hoping for,” Stacy winked.

“Just make sure he doesn’t smash your pompoms,” Katrina giggled.

“Ha ha! They’re just extra padding for later.”

“I don’t want to know.” Katrina bent down and peered under her bed.

“What are you doing?”

“Looking for my black tennis shoes. They were under here. You haven’t seen them
, have you?”

“Nope. But, you’re not wearing them.”

“Why not? They’re comfortable.”

“Because tonight you’re not a cute little kitten. You’re a sexy cat!” Stacy arched her eyebrows. She hurried over to Katrina’s closet, grabbed a pair of black pumps and held them up. “You’re wearing these.”

“Where did you find those?”

“Buried behind all your other stuff. They’re really cute. Your mom has good taste.”

“Glad somebody thinks so. Next time, I’ll tell her to buy you a pair instead.”

“I’d wear them to bed,” Stacy teased.

“I’m sure you would,” Katrina laughed.

Stacy handed over
the shoes. “Here. Put them on.”

“No way.” Katri
na tried to push her hand away.

“Come on. It’s one night. And they’re not even that high of a heel.”

Katrina reluctantly gave in and took them. “Fine.”

She knew when it was pointless to argue with her. After putting her last foot through, Katrina tried
to stand and it wasn’t pretty.

Everything felt awkward. It felt like the heels made her a good four inches taller. She had to take few moments to adjust to t
he slight difference in height.

“See. You’re doing just fine. Just try to blend your cast in and you’ll look perfect,” Stacy teased. “Oh, that reminds me. I left my pompoms in the bathroom.”

Katrina walked over to her mirror and stared at her reflection. She had to admit it wasn’t too bad. A knock at the front door came a second later.

“He’s here. How do I look?” Stacy asked, a she twirled in a circle to give Katrina t
he full effect of her ensemble.

“Like a big purple mass of cheer destruction,” Katrina grinned.

“Perfect.” Stacy cocked an eyebrow back. Her excitement was growing with another knock. “You almost ready?”

“Yeah. I just need to grab my jac
ket. I’ll meet you down there.”

“Okay!” Stacy shouted back, as she ran down the stairs.

Katrina took one last look at herself to make sure everything that should be covered was. The longer she looked the more the short dress grew on her. While she was admiring herself, the amulet suddenly changed color and grew very hot. This time the pain was unbearable. “Ugh! Not tonight,” she protested.

“Kat! Hurry!” Stacy’s voice interrupted from down stairs.

“I’m coming!” Katrina shouted back.

She grabbed her jacket and stuffed her cell phone in the front pocket. As she made it down the stairs, Stacy was anxiously running through the living room.

“What are you looking for?”

“My purse. Have you seen it?”

“It’s right here.” Katrina pointed to a small table next to the front door.

Stacy ran into the entry way. “We’ll be right there!” she shouted, countering Donovan’s soft knock on the front door. “Tonight will be unforgettable. I promise.”

“I’m sure it will.” Katrina followed behind her and found Donovan pressed against the wood trimmed doorway looking rather anxious himself.

“Hello,” Stacy beamed.

Katrina was beside herself at his clean-cut appearance. He looked like a male model in all black. His snugly fit black t-shirt drew attention to all the right assets and his equally form hugging black jeans accentuated his muscular physique. Donovan’s bad boy appearance was different than his regular school attire. Katrina had never seen him wear any outfit to school that resembled this one.

He took a long look at both of t
hem. “You guys look
different
.”

“Thanks.” Stacy
beamed, as she walked outside.

“Heels, huh?” Donova
n crossed his arms and laughed.

“Of course,” Stacy said, heading over to the car.

“You cold?” Donovan asked, turning to Katrina.

“No.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah,” Katrina answered, having a hard time speaking. She couldn’t explain it, but all of a sudden her body tensed and she felt incredibly nervous. An odd feeling crept up in the pit of her stomach. It was like heavy anticipation. Of what she had no idea. Deciding not let it ruin the evening for her or anyone else, she quickly brushed it off.

“Here, let me get that for you,” Donovan offered, taking her jacket from her.

“Thanks.” Katrina stared at him. “So, what are you supposed to be?”

“Take a wild guess.”

Eyeing him over, Katrina found it eerie how much he reminded her of Cole at that moment. “A vampire?”

“A bit cliché,” he teased, cocking an eyebrow.

“Maybe j
ust a little,” Katrina laughed.

“You two better hurry up or we’re going to be late,” Stacy int
errupted.

Without another word, Katrina followed Stacy to the passenger side. Donovan held the door for both of them and the awkwardness Katrina felt wasn’t easing up. She sat against her seat and watched Donovan climb in.

“Ready?” Donovan asked, revving the car’s loud engine and making his way onto the hard pavement.

“You know it,” Stacy flirted.

Katrina figured Donovan must have had enough of Stacy’s incoherent conversations because most of their trip was drowned out with rock music. It screamed at them the entire way there. Stacy made a couple of feeble attempts to strike up a conversation, but when Donovan never lowered the stereo's volume enough for her to speak, she gave up.

When they pulled into the school, it was flooded with cars and lights. Hoards of teenagers dressed in costumes swarmed the parking lot. Loud music from the gymnasium echoed inside the car. It was chaotic, but S
tacy’s enthusiasm never let up.