The Stone Sisters: Lyssa (The Stones Sisters Book 1) (5 page)

Lyssa finished adding in a generous tip, signed her receipt and they left.
 
Once out into the main part of the mall, Missy and Lexa squealed and led Anna and Lyssa from one place to the next.
 
Soon, however, Lyssa was drawn in by Lexa’s laugh and the fun she was having.
 
She ended up buying herself a few skirts that were just a little shorter than what she usually wore and some nice pale pink shoes.

“You need to wear that stuff for Kyle,” Missy giggled.

“Yeah,” Lexa chimed, “I bet he’d think you were sexy.”

The two of them laughed and Lyss rolled her eyes, “Why would I wear any of this for him?
 
I don’t even like him, he’s too determined!”

Melissa knocked her hip against Lyssa’s, “That’s part of the charm.
 
Seriously, wear those skirts.”

Laughing softly, Lyssa shook her head, “I will, but not for him.”

Anna held out a top and gave Lyssa a shy smile, “This will look good with the black one and the pink heels.”

It was cute, the same pale pink as the heels with a slightly lower neckline than she usually wore, “Um… it might be too flashy for me.”

“I think it’d be pretty,” Anna said softly and looked at Lyssa with calm brown eyes.
 

She’d be pretty if she smiled, Lyssa thought.
 
Smiling at her, she took the shirt with a nod, “Thank you.”

Anna nodded and went back to poking around through the racks.
 
Watching her for a few moments, Lyssa gave a little laugh and headed to the register.
 
As she walked by, she noticed Lexa pondering what to buy.
 
She was close to her monthly limit already.
 
Shaking her head, Lyssa grabbed the clothing from her.

“Hey, I’m trying to…”

“I know what you’re trying to do, let me get these for you Lexx.”

Lyssa headed to the register, but before she could move, Lexa surprise hugged her from behind, clinging tight, “Thank you! You are the bestest sista eva!”

Lyssa laughed and gave Lexa a quick kiss on the cheek, which caused Lexa to instantly back off.
 
Grinning, Lyssa headed for the register and bought the clothing.
 
Behind her, she could hear Missy saying softly, “Wow, she really spoils you.”

Missy didn’t need to know that Lyssa was making up for the fact that they lived their life on the run.
 
She didn’t need to know how much it bothered Lyssa that Lexa couldn’t have a normal life.
 
That neither of them would see their parents again.
  
And, deep down, Lyss knew their deaths were her fault.
 
However, she would never say that aloud.
 

After they dropped off the girls, Lyssa and Lexa drove in silence.
 
Finally, Lexx broke it, “I like them.
 
Well, I like Missy, Anna is a bit of a bitch.”

Rolling her eyes, Lyssa let out a bit of a sigh, “Really? Watch your language.
 
And also, don’t you dare become one of those girls.
 
I like Anna, she just… doesn’t know how to deal with people well.
 
If she hadn’t been friends with Missy so long, I doubt they’d even be friends.
 
Missy seems like a decent person.
 
Some girls drop friends they consider uncool when they get into high school.”

“So we can stay, right?”

Lyssa glanced over before taking a corner fast.
 
Once again, she had checked before they headed home.
 
There wouldn’t be any cops or traffic, “We stay as long as no one suspects anything.
 
And as long as the Hunters don’t come to realize we are here.”

“Will they come again?
 
Will they really find us again?”

Lyssa answered the only way should could, “I don’t know.
 
But if they do, we’ll handle it.
 
It could be a few random ones that are in the area and the group won’t know about it.
 
There is no way of knowing until I get a flash that they know where we are.
 
But I won’t ever let anything bad happen to you, Lexa.
 
I promise you that.”

“You always say that.
 
But what about you, Lyss, what do you want?”

“I just want you to be safe.
 
I just want us to not have to run anymore.
 
But that’s not the case.
 
All because of me.”

Lexa fell silent, what could be said to that after all?

Chapter 5

When
Lexa got to school the next day, Missy came bouncing over and gave her a friendly hug.
 
It was a relief to feel like she belonged in this school.
 
Anna gave her a nod, it wasn’t overly friendly but it was progress.
 
Lyss had told Lexa that she thought Anna was just shy and that maybe she guarded her friendship with Missy because she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to make other friends.
 
Maybe Lyssa’s theory was true.
 
It didn’t matter.
 
No matter how deadpan Anna was, Lexa was determined to be nice so she gave a huge smile and nodded back.

“Lyssa said no way in hell is she going out with Kyle today.
 
Sorry.”

Missy laughed, “Well, I guess I saw that coming.
 
He certainly won’t go with us.” She clutched at her heart, “My dream…my dream!”

Lexa giggled, relieved Melissa wasn’t pissed.
 
Anna said nothing as usual.
 
Lexa was getting used to that, however, so it was a surprise when Anna suddenly initiated a conversation, “So yesterday was fun, did your sister wear any of those new clothes?”

Lexa laughed, “Are you kidding, I think she’s planning on returning them.”

Anna frowned, “That’d be a waste.
 
They really looked good on her.”

“I know but Lyssa is… modest.”

“She give Kyle her number yet?”
 
Missy asked eagerly.

Shaking her head, Lexx sighed, “No.
 
She was seriously dreading her first class today.
 
She doesn’t know how to handle guys at all!”

Missy snickered as they separated from Anna and headed off to class.
 
It was a relatively quiet morning with nothing really going on.
 
When they got to lunch, however, Lyssa’s eyes were huge and her gaze was darting about until she locked onto Lexa.
 
She hurried over, her little lunch cooler in her hand.
 
Kyle walked in a minute later with a smug smile and stepped into the lunch line.
 
His rich brown eyes kept darting over to Lyssa until he was sure where she was sitting.

Lyssa sat down and started to pull out her lunch.
 
Cold chicken from last night, a salad and a piece of chocolate cake all packed in their containers, which fit into her cooler.
 
It wasn’t what she had for lunch that made Missy and Anna’s eyes go wide, it was the amount.
 
Lyssa worked out hard, she also ate a lot.

“I’m officially jealous.
 
I thought Lexa ate a lot.”

Lyssa gave a small smile and tried to engage in conversation, “Yesterday I was starved, I was so glad when we went out after school.”

Anna quietly eyed both sisters before turning back to her own food.
 
She actually had quite a bit herself, just not as much as the sisters did.
 
Meanwhile Lyssa kept watching the empty seat like a hawk.
 
She looked almost terrified of it.

“Um, Lyss… what happened?”

Lyssa just looked to her sister with wide eyes.

“Lyssa!” she demanded.

“He asked me out,” she whispered.

“What?!”

“He. Asked. Me. Out.”

Missy squealed so loudly people from all the surrounding tables looked at her.
 
She was bouncing in her seat, “Tell me you said yes!”

Lyssa’s eyes never left Lexa, “I tried everything I could to say no but, he shot down all my excuses.
 
I…I said yes.”

Melissa let out an extremely loud yelp, which got the monitor to walk over to their table, “Is there something wrong girls?”

“No, sorry Ms. Landers.
 
Just thought I saw a bee.”

With a frown, the brown haired woman of forty or so walked away.
 
Lyssa still hadn’t moved and Lexa was wondering if she was in shock.
 
A girl with bright red hair came by, looking for a seat and Lyssa’s arm shot out.
 
Lexa could see Kyle making his way to their table.

“Do you need a seat?
 
We have an empty seat.
 
You should sit with us.”

The girl looked at Lyssa and was about to refuse.
 
Then Lyssa did something Lexa never thought she’d see her do in front of people.
 
Lyssa used her gift to influence others.
 
Her eyes locked onto the girl, her pupils dilated to twice their normal size and the girl stopped.
 
Her eyes going blank and then she smiled.
 
“I’d love to sit with you.”
 

With that the girl sat down and started eating just at Kyle came over.
 
Lyssa didn’t raise her gaze as she started in on her food.
 
Lexa raised her gaze to Kyle and smiled.

“Well that’s too bad.
 
I’ll just have to find another table.”

Lexa had to give him credit.
 
He smiled.
 
No, he smirked.
 
He knew he had riled Lyssa and he wasn’t going to let this little set back deter him.
 
After all, he had a date with Lyssa.
 
She gave him a secret thumbs up and a smile.
 
Kyle lit up and left for a table with his friends.
 
At least, she assumed they were his friends.

Missy leaned forward, “Out with it.
 
Now!”

That snapped Lyssa out of it and focused on the rest of them.
 
Anna and Missy eyed the red haired girl who ate in silence, not even paying attention to them.
 
Lexa was going to have to get Lyssa to fix that poor girl before they left.

“I was in the library, trying to read.
 
Once again, he tracked me down and sat next to me.
 
Then he just started asking me all these yes and no questions.
 
Well, mostly questions that the answer to was yes.
 
All of a sudden, he asked me if I’d go out with him on Saturday.
 
Before I could stop myself, I said yes.
 
I tried to make an excuse after, but he wouldn’t take no for an answer since I had already said yes.
 
What the hell am I going to do now?”

Melissa laughed heartily, “You are going to go out with him and wear some of your new clothes!”

“If I wear those he’ll get the wrong impression.
 
He’ll think… I don’t care what he thinks, how do I get out of this?!”

Anna and Missy exchanged glances.
 
Lyssa wasn’t acting like a normal human girl.
 
There was no choice. Lexa was going to have to step in.
 
So, she grinned at her sister and put an arm around her.

“Lyssa’s shy,” she called out in a singsong voice, “Lyssa’s shy!”

Lyssa was about to open her mouth to deny when she must have caught the gleam in Lexa’s eyes.
 
Closing her mouth, she nodded, “Maybe a little.
 
I’ve never gone out with anyone before.”

“Maybe we can come over and help you pick out an outfit?”
 
Anna asked softly.
 

Turning her eyes to Anna, Lexa smiled.
 
Maybe she was making progress with her after all.
 
Merrily she replied, “Of course.
 
The four of us should brainstorm tonight!
 
I’ll make us dinner! We can study too.
 
I have this math assignment…”

Lyssa grinned, “Fine, fine.
 
We’ll do that.”

“Don’t you have to ask your parents?”

“They won’t be home tonight until really late, we’re on our own.”
 
The lie rolled off Lexa’s tongue with ease.
 
It was one of the standards the sisters used when dealing with nosy friends.

“Great!
 
We’ll have a party!”
 
Missy grinned, starting to pull out her phone.

“No,” Lyssa said softly but with power in her voice, “No parties.
 
Homework, dinner and you can help me pick out an outfit.
 
That’s it.”

“You’re no fun!”
 
Missy pouted.

“Lyssa’s the responsible one,” Lexa shot her sister an adoring smile.

“One of us has to be.” Lyssa drawled.

Melissa busted out laughing.
 
Anna broke into a small smile.
 
Finally, Lexa thought, she’s loosening up.
 
But, as soon as there gazes met, Anna looked away with a little frown.
 
What was with that girl?
 
Maybe food would work.

“Hey, Anna, what’s your favorite food?”

Anna looked at Lexa and smiled challengingly, “London broil.”

Lexa let the brightest smile she could touch her face as she replied, “I have a great non-traditional recipe for that.
 
Can we go to the store on the way home, Lyssa?”

“Yes, we need some things anyway.
 
And I want ice cream.”

“Yay! Ice cream!”

Missy shook her head, “You two are weird.”

With a smile, Lyssa said, “You have no idea.”

The warning bell rang and everyone rose.
 
When Anna and Missy started for the door, Lexa called out, “You two go ahead.
 
I wanna talk to Lyss for a minute.”

Once they were out of earshot, Lexa turned around, “What do you think of Anna?”

Arching a brow, Lyssa asked, “What do you mean?”

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Lexa continued, “Well she’s weird, isn’t she?
 
I’m serious.
 
She doesn’t like us and I don’t see any reason why.”

“And, you are telling me this because?”

“Look ahead.”

Lyssa frowned and her gaze screamed at Lexa that she was crazy, “Come again?”

“Go on, you know what I mean.
 
Check it out.
 
What if she’s a danger to us?”

Shaking her head in disbelief, Lyssa said softly, “I thought I was the paranoid one.
 
I’m not going to force a seeing on some human just because you don’t like her.
 
What do you think?
 
She’s going to call the tabloids about us?
 
It isn’t as if…”

“Please, Lyss, just check.
 
I have a bad feeling about her.
 
She’s not normal.”