“We’ve got your back, whatever happens. Especially if it involves hot gargoyle chicks. Do you think they intermingle?” Aaiden wiggles his eyebrows at me. I laugh.
“I feel like a terrible friend. I didn’t even really remember you guys. I mean, I remember some things, it’s just that whole time is...” I don’t finish. My mother was the greatest person I ever knew aside from Aunt Irene, and it’s still too sad to think about before she was gone, so I try not to.
“Don’t worry about it. We know you went through a lot. Losing your mom, I can’t even imagine.” Fiona rubs my arm.
“Thanks, both of you. Hopefully Blythe feels the same way.”
“I’ll make her.” Fiona slams her fist into her other hand.
“Aww, this feels like a group hug moment!” Aaiden throws his arms out. “Because it’s not a real moment until Fiona threatens violence.”
Fiona and I both shake our heads and leave the room.
“Aww, come on, ladies!” he yells, still in my room.
After a quick shower—at which time, I had to bribe Aaiden with food so he would stop asking about food—we reached Blythe’s. My shower was short, but thankfully quiet. I got a chance to mull over the information overload in my head. Thinking about my Uncle Eugene, did my mother know about zoanas and gargoyles? I know Aunt Irene didn’t, she’s terrible at keeping secrets and she’s from my dad’s side anyway. Did my dad know? I have magic, have I always had it? Is that why he left? Did my mom have it? What am I supposed to do with it? What are gargoyles? How can my friends be okay with this? I know I wouldn’t be if I were them. None of this feels real. I need to see the gargoyles again and find out everything. Hopefully without them knocking me out against my will and taking me home.
This is all so insane, but it’s happening. A constant reminder of which comes from Aaiden when he keeps talking about the hot gargoyle girls. He’s a little obsessed. Fiona is psyching herself up to break down Blythe’s door if she doesn’t answer. According to Aaiden, the girls have fought before when Blythe kissed one of Fiona’s boyfriends and she hid just like this, but they got through it. So hopefully Blythe can get through being attacked by zombies. Hopefully we all can.
Fiona runs out of Aaiden’s truck while he’s still driving up Blythe’s driveway. She bounds onto the two-story white farmhouse’s porch and immediately rings Blythe’s doorbell and pounds on the door simultaneously.
“Eh, maybe she should cool it; what if Blythe’s dad is home?” I ask Aaiden.
“He’s not, his car isn’t here,” he tells me as we walk up.
“Blythe! I know you’re in there; I can see your shadow moving!” Fiona yells through the double front doors which have long glass windows in them covered by sheer curtains.
“Go away!” Blythe’s squeaky voice responds. Just from those two words, I can tell she’s been crying.
“Blythe, open this door right now! I’m coming in one way or another!” Fiona hollers back.
“I want to be alone!” Her voice is shrill. A wave of guilt hits me.
“Blythe, come on. We just want to check on you,” Aaiden says.
“Maybe we should just leave her be,” I whisper.
“No, we won’t. She was there just like us. We all survived and we aren’t cowering LIKE LITTLE BABIES!” Fiona screams the last part for Blythe’s benefit.
A shadow moves right behind the door. “I’m not a baby!”
“Then stop acting like one!” Fiona yells back, but I put my arm up to stop her from banging on the door again.
“Hey Blythe, it’s uh, me Violet,” I say to the shadow. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry. I know last night was scary. We were all terrified, but I know it’s my fault somehow. And I understand if you never want to see me again,” I continue. Fiona scoffs, but I hold a hand up to her. “If you could just let Fiona in, I’ll go. I’ll have Aaiden take me home and you’ll never have to see me again if you don’t want to. I’m sorry I caused all of this.” I mean every word.
A lock unhinges from the door. Then another. The knob twists and Blythe’s puffy face peeks at us through the doorway. She sniffles. “It’s not your...I’m not upset with you, Violet,” she tells me. I notice she didn’t finish saying it’s not my fault.
She opens the door wide and lets us all in.
Aaiden leads the way into her living room. There is a coffee table covered with numerous open books, a box of crackers, and a bunch of tissues. The largest book isn’t in English.
“What is all of this?” Fiona asks poking the largest book.
“That,” Blythe picks up and swipes away from her, “is the Torah. In case you forgot, I’m Jewish.”
“Pfft,” Aaiden snorts, “We didn’t forget.” He looks around guiltily.
Blythe sighs in a very un-Blythe way. “I was doing research. I noticed a lot about the...zombies last night and I thought this could help.”
“How?” I ask. My family hasn’t ever been one for religion. I have been to church a few times; Irene thought it would help after I went to live with her. It did, just not enough to stick to me going. Too many people there.
“Well, I don’t know about you, but to me they all looked the same. Exactly the same. I have a grandfather buried in that cemetery, and he doesn’t look like anyone else buried there. But his grave was disturbed too. So, I thought maybe they came from farther down.”
“Like the sewers?” Aaiden asks eyeing the box of crackers.
“Farther.”
“She’s talking about hell, dum-dum.” Fiona smacks her head at Aaiden’s question.
“Ooooh,” he says.
“Yeah, you’re lucky we love you for more than just your brains, bro,” Fiona tells him.
“Did you find anything?” I ask Blythe.
“No,” she shrugs, “I could ask my dad I guess, but...”
“Let’s not involve any of the parents,” Aaiden says.
“Yeah,” I say. Although a thought crosses my mind - what would Aunt Irene say? Can I keep this from her? I shake my head; I’ll deal with those thoughts later. “Maybe we are looking in the wrong book,” I offer.
“Right!” Fiona jumps. “The book we really need is Violet’s book.” She turns to me. “So where is it?”
“I...I don’t know. The gargoyles put me to sleep right after I said I’d meet them tonight; they must have it.”
“Meet them?” Blythe asks.
“Yeah, they wanted me to meet them at my uncle’s house tonight. Alone, though.”
“Hmm.” Fiona puts her hand on her chin.
“Are you going to?” Blythe asks me. “You’re not afraid?”
“There’s nothing to be afraid of!” Fiona yells.
“Maybe, but you don’t know that for sure!” Blythe yells back with exactly the same inflection.
“Of all the ridiculous...” Aaiden sighs. “You two need to kiss and make up. We don’t know how dangerous this is, but we can all agree it’s intriguing. And I happen to agree with Fiona; this happened for a reason. I listened to everything they said last night, and you know what I remembered?”