Page 26 of Switching Graves

“You didn’t have to do this. It’syourbirthday. I’m supposed to serve you a meal.”

Keeping her attention trained on scooping a mountain of her famous sweet potato casserole onto a plate, she shrugs. “It’s easier this way. Fewer eyes on us.”

Fewer chances of people getting spooked or spitting in our food. It’s hard, loving the town’s social pariah.

We keep the conversation casual for the rest of the visit, never delving deeper than the small talk we’ve grown accustomed to using. She knows better, having been married to a man who couldn’t tell her anything about what he did when he stepped away.

This is the side effect of being in the Syndicate: a complete lack of personal connection. Not if you aren’t willing to have it ripped away in the blink of an eye. My father made that mistake and was punished handsomely. I refuse to repeat the cycle.

The Whitlock curse will end with me.

By the time I sing her happy birthday and we share a piece of her favorite cake as she opens the diamond tennis bracelet I picked for her, the sun has set. We kiss each other goodbye and she makes me promise to stop by more often, to which I lie and agree. It’s the same tradition we follow each year, knowing nothing will change so long as I remain in the Syndicate.

The streets are much less busy than they were earlier and I hardly run into anyone as I head back toward Ravenshurst, just in time to receive my new kill assignment.

11

Sonny

My first night in my new dorm is spent dialing Poppy’s phone every hour until she answers to confirm she’s still alive and well. I try to occupy myself with small tasks to pass the time. It's a fruitless attempt, considering it takes almost nothing to unpack the measly amount of clothes I bought to fit in better here or organize my sparse pantry with the groceries I grabbed from the university store. Attempting to watch any TV makes me more anxious, and I can only study my class schedule so many times.

I keep imagining every horrible scenario.

She doesn’t answer until ten, when I’m preparing myself for a sleepless night of trying to get ahold of her.

“I’m settled in and safe. It’s amazing here, Sonny. Everyone is so laid back and they all take care of one another. It’s like a whole new world,” she gushes when I answer the phone and immediately begin to chastise her for making me worry.

“You could have called me sooner,” I grumble into the phone, lying back on my pillow to take a full breath for the first time since I got here. “I’ve been worried sick.”

“Sorry,” she says awkwardly. “There was just so much to do. My mom called me, too. She wants to know how my first day at Ravenshurst has been. Got anything I can tell her?”

“Oh, I’m sure she does,” I gripe, rolling my eyes toward the ceiling. I explain to Poppy all the ways her mother embarrassed me today, thanks to her stubbornness over not letting them drop her off the way they thought they should. She doesn’t even attempt to hide her amusement as I complain.

“Welcome to the life of Poppy Ellery,” she laughs.

“I don’t remember her ever being this spiteful.”

She clicks her tongue. “It’s gotten worse since I’ve grown a backbone.”

“I wasn’t aware you didn’t have one before.” I sigh, thinking back to all the times Poppy gave someone hell for crossing her.

“Have you made any friends despite my mother’s attempt to ostracize you?”

“There are a few people who seem pretty cool. It’s so weird here, like I’ve stepped into a different world. The students are all related, and the town is just . . . odd.”

“That’s what I’ve heard. It’s all sisters and brothers and cousins.”

I don’t even want to think about it anymore. Instead of offering any more, I change the subject altogether. “Tell me about your group. Who are these people?”

One of the scariest parts about not being able to get ahold of her today was that I had no clue who she was meant to be traveling with. Any time I asked before we left, she would skirt around the subject and distract me. If something had happened to her and I was the only one who knew her true whereabouts, she would have been screwed. We both would have.

“There’s not much to tell. There’s ten of us and we’re from all over. Most are around my age.”

“How wonderfully vague,” I deadpan.

“They aren’t going to kill me, if that’s what you think. Stop worrying, it’s all going to be great.”

“Yeah, yeah, you keep saying that.” I sigh, twirling my hand in the air. “I suppose we’ll see how true that ends up being.”

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