Awake by Nightfall - Emilia Sherman (i read book txt) 📗

that her family were into automotive things.

“I wish I had this garage.” Gabe said, overlooking the garage. “I am so tired of working on my truck in the parking lot.”

“Hurry up.” I climbed up the front porch steps that led to the door.

“What’s your rush?” Gabe said coming up from behind me.

“I hate being late.” I knocked on the door. We heard the garage door opened. We both turned to see V coming around the corner and smiling.

Veronica was wearing a large t-shirt with pajamas bottoms which were a mess. There was smeared, black handprints all over the front of the pants and the sides. Her hair was up in a messy ponytail. Her face had one black spot on her cheek, and her face glistened with sweat. Veronica smile vanished when she saw Gabe. She looked down at herself and ran back into the garage. We followed in after her.

The garage was a bigger mess than Veronica. Tools were spread out everywhere. Nuts, bolts, screws, and anything in between were scattered. The concrete ground had new and old oil spills splattered in many spots . There were dirty rags piled everywhere. Then there was somebody’s legs sticking out from underneath an old car. The guy rolled out on a trolley when Veronica jumped over him.

“V, what the hell man?!” He shouted angrily.

“Sorry Set, need to do something.” V disappeared into the house.

“Whatever.” He glanced over at us.

This must be V’s older brother. Set and her looked a lot like twins. Well, if he had longer hair and boobs. He also had some black marks all over his face, hands, and clothes. He didn’t seemed to mind, though. His wavy, blonde hair glistened as he got up. He was lean and average height, almost a few inches taller than Veronica. He reached for the closest rag and cleaned his hand to shake Gabe’s.

“Hey, Gabe, didn’t expect to see you here. How’s the truck doing?”

“Trying to find a new exhaust and I might fix the interior.” Gabe shrugged. I just stood there not knowing what to say, since the topic was heading into cars which I have no clue about. “So, you’re in college already?”

“Yeah, business and automotive.” He popped opened the car’s hood, and stared at the car’s engine.

“Must be an easy A, huh.” Gabe stands next to him and stare at the car with him.

“Depends. We are doing basics right now.” Set looked over at me. “You must be Marina. Gabe go with your sis—”

“Cousin.” Gabe and I stated together.

“Why don’t you both go inside and have a drink? I will be there in a sec. Kitchen is just down the hallway.” He went back to inspecting the car.

Once we stepped inside, V was back but this time she had cleaned up with some new clothes. Her face was fresh with no makeup on but she really didn’t need any. Her hair was down and she probably just quickly brushed through it.

“Hey Gabe, I didn’t think you would be here.” She looked at me accusingly.

“Yeah, my mom couldn’t drop off Marina.” He rubbed his neck, uneasily. My eyes darted back and forth between them. “Just let me get some drinks and I will leave you two alone.”

“Let me get the drinks.” Veronica disappeared again through another door. We heard her fumbling through kitchen cabinets.

I stared at Gabe and his guilty face. “Oh my god, you guys are totally crushing on each other.”

“Shut up.” He was actually almost smiling at the thought. But the next instant his smiled vanished. “Even if I was, I can’t date anyone right now.”

“Why not?”

“I am busy worrying about something else.” He said distantly.

I nudged him in the shoulder. “Well, whatever it is, hopefully it will end soon so, you can find love.”

“Trust me you don’t want this thing to end soon.” He said, avoiding my eyes.

I started to wonder maybe that thing was me. Veronica came back with some cans of soda. Gabe left quickly before I could questioned him. I stared at his back before he went into the garage. Veronica handed me a soda and I popped it opened.

“Why didn’t you warn me?” Veronica said staring at the door that led out to the garage.

“I didn’t know you liked him. Or any guys for that matter.”

“Gabriel is like one of those guys that are friends with everyone but aren’t part of any of the groups. He separates himself from the others but isn’t distant. Girls go crazy for him.” She finished softly.

“Are you one of those girls?”

“Let’s get ready for the party.” She announced happily, changing the topic.

~~~~~

“What in the world did you pack?” Veronica asked while going through the backpack Gabriel lent me.

“Stuff.” I said from the bathroom.

I was trying to squeeze my body into a dress that Veronica convinced me to buy. For eighteen bucks, there was no argument. I sucked in my breath to zip the zipper but with no luck. The dress didn’t want to fit me. I was going to have to take this back. I regret no listening to Veronica about trying it out first. I opened the bathroom door and peeked out.

“V, the dress won’t fit.”

Veronica went through some of the bags of stuff that she bought. She pulled out some red cloth and showed it to me. It was a simple, red dress.

“No way. I would grabbed to much attention with anything that bright.”

“Just put it on Marina. It will make some boys actually look at you.” Veronica closed the bathroom door.

“No, it’s feels weird being too exposed.” I said while sliding into it. This dress was more loose and comfortable, but it came over one shoulder exposing my bare body.

“Shut up and just put it on. You will look great.”

“Come help me zip it up then.”

She opened the bathroom door and zipped up the back. She turned me around to look in the mirror.

“The red compliments your skin tone.”

I looked at the image before me. I pushed my hair to the side that showed the bare skin. The dress made my hair looked glossy, almost like a deep, chocolate brown. I hadn’t put any makeup on but my eyes still look the same as ever, brown, just a simple brown. But even though my skin was pale against Veronica, it wasn’t sick looking. It looked healthy, almost glowing.

I glanced at Veronica’s image and saw what she was wearing, and gasped.

“You get to dress in jeans and a tank, and I have to wear this.”

“It’s not just a tank, and some jeans. I am wearing a silky tank, to get a classy look over some distressed jeans so I’m not overdressed. I also am wearing some gladiator sandals, which I also picked you up a pair.”She handed me the shoes, looking satisfied with herself.

“Don’t you think I am a tad overdressed?”

“How do you expect to attract any guys, if you don’t acquire the proper outfit on?” She asked sarcastically. She went to the mirror and pulled out a mascara brush. She fluttered her eyes as she applied.

“I am only there for Travis.”

“Travis?” She gave me a bizarre look. “Didn’t you hear?”

“About what?”

“Travis is at home, resting.” She did air quotes, and went back to her makeup. “He passed out on Wednesday. Maybe too many work outs, I don’t know, but they said they found him outside the lunchroom, unconscious.”

“What?!” I said alerted.

I was with Travis, at lunchtime. Wednesday. I tried to think what could have happened after I left him. I try to go through the memories. He followed me outside. We talked, and I think he flirted a little with me. I left and he was smiling. He also knew my name but he could have picked up from someone else, not weird. But what happened to him, after I left him?

“Marina, don’t worry. It happens sometimes to some of the athletes. They overworked themselves and sometimes have too much pressure. Nothing unusual about it.” She came over to me and played with my hair. “I think we should put your hair up.” She lifted my hair up and started brushing it backwards.

I felt my forehead skin lifting as she pulled my hair together. She was right. I had nothing to worry about. I just have to keep reminding myself this. I wasn’t sneaking out to a party. I was just making a statement. Parties never get dangerous if you keep a clear head. I just have to focus on meeting the right people or hanging out with Veronica until I get bored. One party was never life-threatening. Those were only bars or clubs.

I have no idea what Cassie was worrying about.

~~~~~

The party was all kinds of wrong.

The party was huge. When I say huge, I don’t mean a crowded room where no one can get by huge. Nope this was more of a whole neighborhood party. The party was at one house but it seemed like the neighbors had joined in with the fun. There were crowded people on one street. The music was blasting, you can hear it like a mile away. Also, we were lucky to find parking spot. Veronica parked her car in the beach parking lot.

“This is crazy.” It was a intake of breath kind of moment.

She smiled. “I told you that Travis’s parties were the biggest and always near the beach. This is his cousin’s house.”

“Why would you need an invitation?”

“Because this is a private beach area. You can’t go hang out on the beach without one.”

“How will I get in?”

“You’re my plus one.” She reached the backseat and picked up something. She brought it up to the front seat. It was Gabe’s backpack. “Now, this is our emergency clothes and a safe place to keep our phones.”

“Why our phones?”

“Because at these events, your phone always tends to disappear.”

“Oh yeah.”

“Well, we will just stick our phones in here.” She unzipped the front pocket and a black book fell out of it. I handed her my phone and picked up the book.

I recognized it right away. It was the Fallen book from Gabe’s room. How did it get in my bag? Gabe must have dropped in there by accident. I flipped through the pages and there was a bookmark on one page. I just noticed that the writing in the book was all hand-written, kind of like a journal. On the right page, there was a picture. The guy, in the picture, had sleek, black hair and piercing blue eyes holding a baby. In the baby’s tiny hand, it was holding what look like a black feather. Ah, Gabe’s little fascination has become obsessive, I see. I placed it inside the bag, without a second thought.

“You ready?” I asked V.

“Let’s go.”

Veronica led me to the beach. I was thankful that she bought me some sandals. They were easy to slide off when we came up to the sand. If I was wearing sneakers, I would have got sand everywhere. Veronica stopped to roll her pants up. The sand was still hot from the day. The sun was