After

I wake up to the sound of Lil' Wayne rapping about pussy and weed.

I groan and turn over to cover my ears from the excessive cursing when I find myself looking at the two front seats of my mom's car. I briefly wonder why I'm not in my room when I realize that the car is moving. I shoot up into a sitting position and cry when my head hits the ceiling, which causes whoever is driving to chuckle in amusement.

"Whenever Robyn told me about you, I'd always imagine an other-worldly creature that could tell what you were thinking the moment it looked at you. Not some teenage girl that faints out of shock," says the person driving in the front. I feel my lower eyelid twitch slightly at the deep, husky voice.

"You must be William," I tell him nicely. He stops at a red light and turns around to raise one thick eyebrow at me. "What a pleasure to meet you."

"Ha," He snorts. "For someone so skinny, you weigh more than this van. I nearly died getting you back there."

"Well, you could've, you know, left me alone?" I tell him in a pleasant voice.

"Oh, but what kind of gentleman would I be if I left a lovely lady, such as yourself, out cold in an unlocked car where anyone could just take you? Lucky for you, I was nearby and decided that you simply must visit my home. Any friend of Robyn's is a friend of mine."

"Dude, you do know this is considered kidnapping," I tell him, dropping my pleasant voice in order to get the point across.

"Dude, you do know I don't care," He says back in an irritated voice.

It was at that moment that I decided I hated William even more than Charles.



After an hour or so, William stops to make a pit stop. After walking me to the restroom to make sure I don't run away, he re-fuels the mini-van, buys me a Sprite, and allows me to sit shot-gun.

How. Fun.

We've been driving for an hour and I still don't know where we are going. I just keep remembering Robyn's words from her letter to keep me from freaking out and attacking the bastard next to me. They’re going to look for you Amy. You’re going to have to hide after a while. You’ll know when. That’s when he’ll reveal himself to you. Who else could 'he' be other than William? I may love Robyn to death but she was always a bit obvious when she was in love.

Except for the fact she never told me about William.

I look out the window before William notices the look on my face and think about how messed up my life has been for the past few weeks. Robyn committing suicide, meeting Charles, finding the diary, finding out Charles knows about it, and being kidnapped by my best friend's secret boyfriend.

I suddenly miss Robyn. I've always missed her but right now, I feel as though Robyn has just died right now. I still can't believe she's gone and that I have no one to call tonight and tell about being kidnapped by an amazingly handsome boy that I happen to hate and wishing that my life would go back to normal. I feel something build up in my chest and I think I'm about to cry but instead of a sob or tears, a hiccup pops out between my lips.

I catch William's reflection in the mirror, staring at me, and turn around to glare at him. He glares right back but looks away when the light turns green. We're not in the city anymore, we're driving past trees, and I feel panic swell in my stomach.

"Where are we going?" I finally ask him. He keeps his eyes on the road but his eyebrows knit in concentration.

"As far away from Florida as possible," is all I get from him. My head hits my seat and I groan in frustration.

"Why? I know Robyn said that 'They' are going be looking for me but I don't even know who the fuck 'They' is," I complain. "I haven't gotten that far in the diary."

"Well, we thought you had enough time to read all of it. It's not like she wrote a lot," He glances at me out of the corner of his almond-shaped eyes. "Why is it taking you so long?"

"How would you feel if you had to read the reasons why you're best friend killed herself?" He shakes his head in disappointment and my cheeks suddenly feel warm. "What? You expect me to be happy reading all of that shit? I'm sorry that I suddenly have a heart, you know, considering that one of the only people in the world that I love hung herself."

"You're pretty stupid," He responds calmly. "My head can't connect you to the Amy that Robyn described. 'Brave, a genius, calm no matter what'. So when life finally throws you a situation that actually matters, you decide to freak out and make it difficult for me to fulfill Robyn's dying wish. Thank you."

"I hate you."

"The feeling is mutual."

I slump in my seat and stare at the car's ceiling for the next few hours. I occasionally question William, but he's decided to give me the silent treatment, so I read Robyn's diary instead. I re-read some of the passages I read in the library until I come to the most disturbing of them all. I decide to skip 'September 30' all together and continue to read.


November 3, 2009.
Dear Diary,

William isn't human. And neither is his cousin, Charles. But they aren't the same; I don't know how, but they aren't.

I'm not quite sure what they are, but William told me himself that he isn't human. And who am I to argue against him and my gut? He also told me that the voices are bothering me
because I'm not exactly normal. He hasn't told me how but I believe him because the moment he told me that, the voices shut up. After more than eleven years of hearing them, they finally stopped. I'm so happy because now I can finally talk to Amy without being scared that something is going to whisper in my ear about how it wants to butcher her.

And, I don't even know how I could've put off writing this, William told me he loves me.

I can't believe it, but he did. And I'm so happy. We slept in the tree house that night, just looking at the stars. I told my mom I would sleep there that night, which isn't unusual so she let me. I'm so happy, I feel as though my heart could burst. I'm in love, I can talk to my best friend again, and the voices stopped!

-Robyn.

November 8, 2009.

Dear Diary,

I think I'm being stalked. I keep seeing a muscular man with really tan skin and a buzz cut pop out wherever I go everyday. It's a little creepy. I haven't told anyone because I'm hoping he'll go away without a problem.

Let's just see how this plays out.

-Robyn.

November 13, 2009.

William and I went to a party the other day at his parent's house. It was really formal and tense but I had fun. The man is still stalking me, though.

His parents seemed to dislike me for some reason. Charles was just weird, he kept asking about Amy. I just hope William can keep him away from her, he's told me how Charles has been arrested a few times and is a bit of a man-whore.

I asked William a few times about what he was exactly. He wouldn't tell me, just kept saying it wasn't time yet. That I wasn't ready, blah blah blah.

He gave me a locket with a picture of us from the party, though. I just hope he doesn't think this is going to make up for him not answering me.

-Robyn.

"Do you have Robyn's locket, Amy?" William suddenly asks me. I raise an eyebrow at him and nod at him. "Can I have it?"

"No." His head snaps in my direction before focusing on the road again and pulling over next to a big oak tree.

"What do you mean 'no'?" His voices quivers in anger.

"Cheryl told me that Robyn wrote that if anything ever happened to her, I could have the locket," I tell him with no emotion in my voice. "Just because you gave it to her does not mean you get to have it."

"Just give it to me Amelia," His eyes are wide in anger and I can see why Robyn was attracted to him.

"Over my cold, dead body," I hiss at him. "Now tell me, what are you?"

"Your worst nightmare," He responds without a thought. I roll my eyes.

"I know why I hate you, William," I tell him in a neutral voice. "But, why do you hate me?"

"Because you're cold, a bitch, and every other quality in a girl that I hate," He grips the steering wheel. "The only reason I'm even putting up with you and not turning you in to Them is because Robyn told me to protect you. It's because of you that's she dead."

I punch him.

"I am not the reason she died," I hiss. He clutches his slightly bleeding nose and glares at me. "I have not done anything! This whole thing es una locura! How the fuck am I even in this?"

"You are stupid," He snaps his nose back into place with a hiss and wipes the blood on the sleeve of his jacket. Charming. "You are the reason this is all happening. If you weren't even born, Robyn would still be alive."

"Sorry for existing, then."

"Apology accepted."

"Asshole."

"Bitch."

We sit there, glaring at each other for the next couple of minutes before William sighs and slumps into his seat. The radio is off and it's already nighttime. There isn't a car in the road and the moon is a crescent tonight. I sigh before slumping in my own seat and stare at my
lap.

I wonder how my mother is. She's probably freaking out and already called the police. I wonder if anyone even knew I was at the library; I told her I was going to buy food. I doubt anyone else is worried, I haven't talked to anyone for a while. Except for Charles, who knows about the diary...and Robyn knew...and is William's cousin.

And isn't human.

"William,"I whisper in such a pathetic tone that I flinch. "Why is Charles so...interested in me?" Out of the corner of my eye, I see William turn towards me and tilt his head to the left.

"Charles is...interesting," He finally answers. "My mother always told me to stay away from him. But we ended up becoming best friends. He...loves women but he also loves a challenge. Especially when the woman he's interested in is off-limits and extremely powerful. You're dangerous Amy, you're exactly the kind of girl Charles loves."

"Too bad for him that I hate his guts," I snort.

"He's going to make you fall in love with him, you know," William states with a grave look. My eyes look up into his and I laugh for the first time in weeks. William shakes his head and starts the car again while I continue to laugh until my belly aches.



Eventually, William stops at a Holiday Inn. When they ask him his age, he tells them that he's nineteen.

Robyn always loved older men.

As soon as we reach our room, I throw myself in the bed farthest away from the window while William goes to the bathroom. I kick off my sneakers and sit up to take off my sweater. As soon as it's off, I notice the five little holes above my breast that are beginning to form scabs and flinch. I forgot to clean that wound.

I grab my hair and quickly form a messy bun. As soon as I finish that, I throw off all the extra pillows from the bed and finally make my way under the covers. As soon as I'm covered from neck to toe in the thick blankets, I sigh and snuggle into the pillows.

William finally emerges from the bathroom and walks over to the other bed across the room. He turns off all the lights and I hear him get into the bed with a sigh. I shake my head and close my eyes.

When I can practically feel sleep around the corner, however, something sinks into the spot next to me and shakes me awake. I open my eyes in annoyance and sit up to find William sitting with his legs crossed next to me. I raise an eyebrow at him and he scowls in annoyance.

"I want to apologize," He finally tells me. "I've been really rude today and I hope you know that I don't normally act like that."

I blink at him. "Okay?"

His eyebrow twitches in annoyance. "Look, I really am sorry. I've been raised to behave better than I have today, especially to a girl. I was just mad because it's been a hard day."

"Yeah, and it's been just peachy for me. Being kidnapped has always been a kinky dream for me," I retort. He growls.

"Can't you just accept my apology? And I had to kidnap you, you're not safe. Especially since Charles found you first," He grabs the back of my head.

"Wha-"

"Shut up."

Then he kisses me.