Chapter 27
1564 Words
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Kris
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[Kris]: Get her involved with a program.
Kris text messaged Colla to avoid speaking to Renee through her mind stone. The last thing he wanted Colla to do was to remove his mate from his hands. It took long enough for Alec to persuade Colla into working with her cowl instead! Holding Renee in his hands, even through the mind stone, became everything.
… She needed to stay with him.
However, he’s still not sure how he’ll function for the rest of the day with it… or how to tell Kass she’s not even their species. Details… Kris let his mind wander for a moment. It’s fine, he decided. Kris has her now, he repeated to himself.
It’ll be fine.
[Kris]: Make one up if you have to.
[Kris]: Get her on your side.
[Colla]: I’m working on it!
“I can’t release the mind stone,” Colla informed Renee to which Renee’s shoulders fell as she sighed. “That’s on the wearer.”
“Great. Locked in another place with… them…. Sounds brilliant,” Renee grumbled to herself.
Oh? Kris’ eyebrows shot up with concern. Them? Who even are they?
Did it matter past the fact that he’d kill them for hurting her? No.
[Kris]: Who’s she talking about?
[Colla]: *Shrugs*
“Who?” Colla asked.
“No one,” Renee frowned, unsure of how she heard.
“Four no ones and a supreme dickhead,” Colla clicked her tongue. “Got it.”
“Jason’s not really a dickhead,” Renee crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m part of the problem, but the rest of them? Sometimes I think I was swapped at birth or something.”
“Do humans even do that?” Colla asked.
“Humans?” Renee frowned. “All species do. Except maybe yours. You’re literally born from the earth. You know exactly who you are and what you’re meant for.”
“This is true,” Colla recounted. “But that doesn’t mean we’re not facing our own struggles. Rey, I came out of the ground like this. I’m a smokey quartz. Do you know how many fights that started?”
Renee shook her head.
“Let me just tell you it was a lot. You’d probably die of natural causes if I told you each one,” Colla waved her hands in front of her face as if she was wiping an invisible glass. “The point is I’m worried about you.”
“Why?” Renee questioned. “Up until this point, we’ve maybe said hello to each other like five times.”
“I’ve been overwhelmed too, ya know,” Colla lashed out. “Being a quartz is not all it’s cracked up to be.”
Renee allowed herself to smile.
“What?” Colla asked.
“That is so offensive to your kind,” Renee said half-heartedly.
[Kris]: How knowledgeable is she?
[Colla]: It’s common knowledge.
[Colla]: Maybe you should think about going back to school.
[Kris}: Nope.
[Colla]: Why? Because she’ll know you as a Freshman?
[Colla]: Pity’s not cute.
[Kris]: I don’t know what you’re talking about.
[Colla]: Of course not… but those heart shaped eyes sure did.
[Kris]: …
[Colla]: Your lack of a comeback is reassuring.
[Colla]: Just remember… I can hear everything you say to that stone.
There went his plans for the evening! How was he going to communicate with her now?
“It’s fine. Just like werewolves can bash other werewolves, but not other shifters,” Colla slipped in. “It’s like… just something we can say.”
Renee lifted her eyebrows and nodded.
“You wouldn’t catch me trying it out.”
“But I’d bet there were human things you’d get away with saying that I couldn’t.”
Renee shrugged, “I guess.”
“Anyway,” Colla read Renee. “My Mom’s most of my problem.”
… Keep phishing.
“Everyone else’s lines are intact in a way I can read them for myself, ya know?” Colla added.
… She didn’t know.
“But my Mom is flawless…”
… That one was out of left field. What?
“Like, literally. So when she tells me what to do, I can’t even counter.”
“I know how that feels…” Renee replied.
Shock and horror filled her senses. She just admitted something personal!
“I mean…” Renee tried to correct herself.
“It’s not our fault they act like that, Rey…”
“That’s not it,” Renee countered.
“It’s normal. Well, not what my mom is doing,” Colla spoke over her. “That’s why I’m breaking free.”
… Exactly!
“What?”
“I’ve got a few friends that are done with their tours in high school already,” Colla boasted. “I’m thinking of just slipping in with them instead of returning to my duties.”
Renee uncrossed her arms to worry over her fingernails.
“If you don’t have plans after leaving this hell hole,” Colla trailed, watching Renee slowly shake her head. “You’re welcome to come along.”
“Oh, I can’t…” Renee continued pulling back a cuticle only to put it back against her nail. The pain reminded her of what she really was. “My parents are really strict.”
Kris jotted that note down and circled it.
“I’m actually worried about what my plans are for after swimming season,” she replied.
“You don’t go for spring sports?”
“Not after I sassed off to the replacement coach last year.”
“Wait, you’re the one that got hit in the face?” Colla gasped. “The whole school was talking about it! No one could figure out who it was.”
“Goddess…”
“All good things, ‘cept for the unholy vamps. The faculty was literally capturing them at the site like the buzzards they are.”
“Gross! But yeah. I stopped. Also, other girls can be awful no matter what they are.”
“Well, what about a job then for that time?”
[Kris]: I can give her a job.
[Colla]: You absolutely will not.
[Colla]: That came from my grandmother.
[Colla]: That woman will end you. Be careful.
“There are plenty of places hiring. Or you can work for my friend’s mom, so long as you aren’t freaked out by vampires on a count of having blood,” Colla mentioned.
“What does your friend do?” Renee asked tentatively.
“What doesn’t she do is more the question,” Colla snorted. “But this job is pretty much renovating her mother’s apartment building so that they can rent it out to all types… safely.”
“I don’t know how much I can help with that…”
“Can you learn?” Colla countered.
Renee gave her a hard look.
“Is that a serious question?”
“Yeah.”
“Of course I can learn…” Renee shook her head, exasperated.
“Great! Then it’s settled. After swim team is over, let me know. I’ll introduce you to her and we’ll work something out.”
[Kris]: Is this friend anyone I know?
[Colla]: Maybe? I mean you are older than dirt.
[Kris]: Harsh.
“I’ve got like a month left of the regular season. And if we go to territories, those meets are involved. Usually they go until March.”
“That’s fine,” Colla assured Renee. “This is a huge project. It’ll get you out of your parent’s hair and a little money on the side. Win-win!”
Renee frowned.
“Why are you so interested in helping me?” Renee forced out.
“I like to think that my efforts will help naturalize my life. What coming full circle is for one person, is a straight line to another. It’s me. I’m the straight line.”
Renee chuckled.
“You’re so bad…” she tutted.
“You laughed,” Colla smiled.
“I’m sorry I lashed out at you before,” Renee tried to apologize, but Colla waved her off.
“You had every reason to. I didn’t really explain anything and acted on an impulse,” she replied. “Mostly because of Jason though… What is his deal, Rey? I don’t get his value.”
Renee groaned.
“Can you keep a secret?”
Colla removed her cowl and placed it in her bag.
“Now I can.”
“The school hired him to babysit me…”
“Yeah, everyone knows that. Why do you think my boyfriend’s busting his balls today? Or Davis is so adamant about making him squirm? We all see it…”
“Then why are you asking?” Renee questioned defensively.
“Because that isn’t why…”
“My parents are unkind with me at home and the school is trying to force their way in,” Renee fudged the truth.
“Unkind?” Colla’s tone sent chills through Kris. “You mean being a ball buster like Davis? Or abusive like…”
… Fvck.
Renee stared at Colla, unable to speak.
“Are you abused at home, Rey?” Colla asked in a softer tone.
Renee blinked back her impending worries.
[Kris]: I’m going to mu.rder them.
[Kris]: Whomever is hurting her.
“Rey?”
- Writer
