Page 25 of Surge

"It's your car."

I pushed past her and she jogged behind me as I speed-walked to the parking lot. I came to a stop at the gate, seeing the crowd surrounding my car with their phones out. As if knowing I had arrived, the crowd parted as I walked toward them.

"I feel sorry for her."

"All the dolphins are dying."

"I heard a whale washed up on shore this morning."

"Her family are murderers."

The words assaulted my ears and I bit down on the flesh just below the inside of my lip. My eyes stung as I held back the tears that wanted to escape. I unlocked my car and slid inside.

Fuck them.

Even as I revved the engine, students continued to block my car that was now smeared with some kind of red substance that looked like blood. That wouldn't have bothered me.

The word murderer written across the white hood did, though.

I laid on my horn and they finally moved out of the way as I slowly backed up. By some miracle, I made it out of the parking lot without hitting anyone. If I had seen the Tritons, I would have run them down.

Too embarrassed to go to a carwash, I headed home and pulled to a stop in the driveway. I put my head on my steering wheel and turned off my car.

This was only the beginning.

* * *

I checkedevery single window and door in the entire house after washing my car and calling to cancel my dance lesson. I only had four lessons left on my account before I needed to pay for more. The thought saddened me, but I was more concerned if the power was about to be turned off.

I locked myself in my bedroom since the security system was no longer functioning thanks to my mother not paying the bill since June. I had even removed all of the little metal keys on top of all the door frames.

I opened my nightstand drawer and stared at the gun I had moved from my mom's room. I had no clue how to use it, but I felt safer with it next to me.

YouTube showed all I needed to do was flip the safety, aim, and fire. I could at least use it as a threat. It was easier said than done, but it would have to do.

I sat at my desk and opened my laptop. The pill I had taken from Jax's backpack sat in a baggie and I examined it again. There was a trident symbol engraved into it. There were no pharmaceuticals on the market with such a marking, but there was an illegal drug that was a different color with the same symbol.

I slammed the screen shut in frustration and picked up my phone. I had refused to look at it after the strawberry jam that had been dumped on my car. I was sure social media was in a frenzy over it.

I pulled open my texts and my breath sped up. I wanted to throw my phone out the window, but I needed to be proactive and try to stop whatever they were going to do next.

Jax: It's only just begun. You know what you need to do.

Me: Get a restraining order?

Jax: What for?

Me: How'd you get in my house?

Jax: I wasn't in your house.

He was definitely smart and wasn't about to admit in writing he broke in. I set my phone down and changed into an oversized t-shirt before crawling into bed. I stared at the chain of texts and bit my lip.

Me: I know your secret.

The message was read, but he didn't reply.

Good. Let him sweat a little.

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