Tied

The day had been really shitty.

The kissing, on the other hand, was really, really, really amazing.

In truth, I felt a bit guilty for making out with Raven in the midst of Zhenia’s predicament, but it was a release for both of us. All the stress and all the worries of the past few days were swallowed when her lips met mine. For a few precious moments, we could forget about how our souls were being hunted down by something none of us understood or could protect ourselves from. And for those few precious moments, life was perfect.

But alas, we had to pull away at some point, and then everything came rushing back.

“I think I like Moo Shu pork now.” I grinned at Raven, hand still resting blissfully on the back of her neck.

She laughed and yanked me closer so that our foreheads were touching. “General Tso’s chicken really isn’t so bad either.”

We remained in that position for another minute, trying to savor the last seconds of peace. I hated to end it so soon, but with the shadows closing in around us, we needed to figure something out. “We should call Aurore and make sure she’s alright.”

“Yeah.” Raven sighed and reluctantly pulled away. “I’ll use my phone.”

Aurore answered on the first ring. Her voice was hoarse, and I couldn’t help but wince at the open pain. “Hey guys.”

“Hey.” Raven spoke slowly, voice low and comforting like she was talking to a wounded animal. Aurore and Zhenia had always been incredibly close. I couldn’t imagine how hard this was for her. “How are you doing?”

She laughed bitterly. “Not great to be honest. But it could be worse. He could be dead. We could all be dead. That would kind of suck.”

“It would.” Raven agreed. “We can come to the hospital again tomorrow. If you need anything, just let us know. We’re here for you.”

“Thanks.” Her voice was thick. “Oh, uh, by the way, something really weird happened last night. I mean, I know everything that’s happened to us is beyond weird, but this is even weirder. I was sitting in my room and I just got this strong urge to paint. When I did, it was like… my hand was moving without me telling it to. It just knew what to do. And when it finished, it was the four of us, and this dark shadow thing was around Zhenia. I didn’t know what it meant then, but I think it was a warning or something.”

“That’s…” Raven searched for the right word. “I don’t even know what to say, other than that’s really freaking creepy. But maybe it’s a good thing. If someone is sending us warnings, then they could be on our side.”

“Should we go see the psychic again?” I asked, leaning towards the phone and therefore into Raven’s personal space. She smiled at me and interlaced our fingers.

“Yes.” Aurore sounded relieved at the suggestion of something, anything, to do. “We can meet there at 10 in the morning. The earlier, the better. Maybe she can give us some explanation for Zhenia’s state, or even a way to fix it.”

“Do you think it could happen to the rest of us?” I wondered out loud.

“I don’t know.” She sighed into the receiver. “Maybe. Just… be careful, guys. I don’t think I could handle losing you too.”

“We will.” Raven and I both promised. With a hurried farewell, she hung up, leaving us in a comfortable silence. It was almost nine, and though I had texted Carlos to tell him what was going on, my dad was probably wondering where I was.

“Do you think I could stay here tonight?” Raven’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head at the question, and I quickly clarified. “Like, in the guest bedroom. None of us should be alone tonight.”

“Yeah, of course.” She smiled. “You can stay as long as you like. I can drive you back to your house to get anything you need for the night.”

“That would be great.” I tightened my hold on her hand, and she didn’t let go, not even when she was driving. I couldn’t find the motivation to mention that it was a safety hazard. My father was waiting in the kitchen when we arrived, hands clutching the countertop. He smiled, but there was something a bit off about it, like his heart wasn’t in it.

“How’s Zhenia?” he asked, eyes flitting between Raven and I.

I shrugged. “Stable, but they can’t figure out what’s going on. It seems like he just slipped into a coma for no apparent reason. We’re going back to the hospital tomorrow morning as soon as visiting hours start. Can I stay with Raven tonight?”

He hesitated, switching to Spanish. “Can I speak to you in private?”

Raven glanced at me, unsure. I nodded in reassurance. “Sure.”

He led me into our living room. He kept staring out of the corner of his eye at me, like he was looking for some kind of change. “Carlos told me something rather concerning earlier. He said he’s been hearing rumors that- that you’re a lesbian, and you and Raven are together.”

My heart started beating out of my chest. I had no idea how those rumors had gotten started, but I figured it had something to do with asshole Chad. Dad was still watching, waiting for a reply. I took a deep breath. “Are you looking for a denial? Because I’m sorry Papa, but you won’t get one.”

He exhaled sharply, hands quivering by his side. “You’re telling me that all of this is true?”

“Almost.” I amended. “I’m not a lesbian. I’m bisexual.”

Dad turned his back on me, still trembling. “We’ll get you help. This is just- this is just a phase.”

“No, it isn’t. This isn’t something you can fix. It isn’t something you need to fix. I like Raven. I really, really like her, the same way I’ve liked boys before. It’s just the way my heart works.”

“I think you need to leave.” He said, and his voice came out sharp and emotionless.

“Okay.” I struggled to sound unaffected. “I’m going to pack my stuff, and then I’m going to leave.” He didn’t say anything, just stood there, facing the wall. I walked out, forcing myself not to look back. Raven was still waiting in the kitchen. “You can wait in the car. I’ll be there in a second.” She nodded and left, looking back at me the whole time.

I ran upstairs to my room, shoving clothes and random personal items in my old suitcase. It didn’t take as long as I expected to deconstruct my entire life. Soon I was dragging a stuffed suitcase down the stairs, breathing hard and holding back tears. Carlos followed me, trying to utter out some kind of apology. “Don’t. This is your fault.” I warned him, and he surprisingly complied. Without another word he took my suitcase and helped me carry everything out to Raven’s car.

The ride back to her house was silent. She asked what had happened a couple times, but I couldn’t answer, and she didn’t push. Only when we got in the door did I allow myself to break down. With the threat of more dreams and more pain, she held me late into the night as I cried for the loss of everything I had known.