Rise of Midnight Read online

  As everyone else pulled out their wallets to pay, I wondered if I really was losing my mind.

  Chapter 2

  Only Human

  I rushed home after dinner. It was close to 7:00 PM when I walked in the door and headed upstairs to get ready.

  “What time will you be back, Autumn?” Mom asked. “I hope not too late.”

  Her voice rose from the staircase as I flipped on the bathroom lights. It was a question she asked any night I got ready to leave the house. She took our curfew pretty seriously.

  “Ams?” Dad called from downstairs.

  My mom’s name was Amy, but my dad always shortened it. He had a nickname for everyone.

  “Hold on, Mark!” she called back. “What time did you say, Autumn?”

  “Before midnight,” I called from the bathroom.

  “What time is he picking you up?” she kept probing.

  “Any minute now,” I said while hastily applying a little more makeup.

  The smoky-eye look has always been hard for me to get right. It's easy to overdo, and I didn’t want to look like I was getting ready to go trick-or-treating. I usually wasn’t so particular about my looks, but this night was an exception. I was getting ready to go on my very first date.

  Yep. My very first date. I probably would have been on one a little sooner, only it was forbidden by my dad. He’d sat me down for a long talk before allowing me to go tonight. He was an RDC, a drill instructor in the Navy, at Naval Station Great Lakes near North Chicago, and he intentionally scared off any potential boyfriends with a hard stare and his extensive knife collection. “Every man has a right to protect himself,” is what he always said after my mom would make a comment about the number of knives a person shouldn’t legally be allowed to have in one household. My older sister Jericho got away with dating because she was good at hiding it.

  After finishing my makeup and throwing on an outfit, I gave myself a once-over. A cute pair of faded jeans, a creamy off-the-shoulder sweater and a pair of white stilettos seemed an adorable match. All I needed was a coat.

  Intuition should have told me Jericho would throw her two cents in. I caught her eyeing me from her bedroom doorway. Though the darkness of the hallway engulfed her tall, slender frame, I could see her judging olive green eyes in the mirror. She stepped into the light.

  “You’re not going to wear that tonight, are you?” she asked. “It’s a little chilly out. You might as well wear a sign that says ‘ravish me’.”

  She grinned. I rolled my eyes. I knew she was trying to mess with me. She rested against the doorframe, her hair swept back into a familiar bun on top of her head.

  Jericho, critical and intense as I knew her to be, believed she ranked over my brothers and me on the family food chain. At nineteen, she was a year ahead of me in school, a senior. She should have been a freshman in college, but she’d repeated the first grade for being a troublemaker. And that reputation didn't end for her in grade school. In high school, she got suspended on several occasions for fighting. In fact, last year a guy whistled at her in the hall between classes, she flipped him off, he called her a name, and at the end of it all, she broke his nose along with her hand. To me, Jericho had a backbone of steel, but that never stopped me from snapping back at her when she found some way to bash me.

  “Give me a break, Jericho,” I answered back. “There’s nothing wrong with what I’m wearing.”

  “Autumn, don’t look at me like that,” she ordered, staring through narrowed eyes. “I’m only telling you this for your own good.”

  That was always the remark that followed after she insulted me in some indirect manner.

  She leaned into the doorway to study my reflection. “Wait, are you wearing contacts or something?”

  “No,” I grumbled and swiped my hair over my blue eye.

  “Hmm. Must have been a shadow. Have you told Jacoby where you’re going?”

  “Not yet,” I said as I scowled at her.

  Jacoby and Jericho were fraternal twins, each reaching five-foot-ten, a far cry from my incredible five-two. They had the same hair and eyes, too. But just because my brother and sister looked a lot alike didn’t mean they were. Jacoby had a laid back, easygoing personality while Jericho could come off uptight and high maintenance. I was always thankful for Jacoby’s presence. He was more mature, the peacekeeper of the three of us. If it weren’t for him, Jericho and I would’ve torn each other apart limb by limb.

  Sammy, my two-year-old brother, wasn’t old enough to get tangled up with the three of us. He came as a surprise to my parents. They weren’t exactly expecting another kid when my mom found out she was pregnant again. After all, they’d already raised three kids. My mom was terrified of becoming a new mother at forty-three. But all of the stress and worries appeared to vanish the second she got to hold little newborn Sammy in her arms and look into his aqua-colored eyes for the first time.

  In his diapers, Sammy raced over the floor behind Jericho. His little bare feet pounded across the carpet as he tried to escape bedtime and my mom. I always thought of my mom as a lioness, relentlessly chasing her rebellious cub Sammy across the plains of Africa. That kid’s energy supply could be endless, and my poor Mom was visibly worn out by him most nights.

  “Well, you better go tell him. I know Jacoby doesn’t want to miss out on his little sister’s first date,” Jericho mocked me.

  “Go to bed, Jericho,” I murmured. “Don’t you have to be on campus in the morning? Wait, never mind. You’re still stuck in high school another year.”

  She laughed and started for her room. “Nice try, but tomorrow’s Sunday. Go put on a different top. That one’s too flattering on you. I don’t want this guy staring at my little sister with nasty thoughts in his head all night.”

  “How is this too flattering?” I asked with no reply.

  I swiped my phone off the sink, slapped the light switch and left the bathroom. On my way to Jacoby’s room, I scooped up the elusive Sammy. He’d learned to crawl up the steps frighteningly fast. I held him out to my mom who marched upstairs in hot pursuit.

  “Say goodnight to your big sister, Sammy,” Mom cooed in her baby-talk voice as she took the fussy towheaded boy from my arms.

  “I swear he gets heavier every day,” I told her.

  “I know,” she said and smiled proudly, setting Sammy on her hip. “Growing like a weed. Are you sure you don’t want any of the dinner your dad cooked?”

  “No, thanks. I already ate,” I reminded her.

  “Oh, okay. Where did you say you were going?” she asked.

  “To see a movie. Remember?”

  “A movie, huh? That’s kind of serious for a first date, isn’t it?” she teased.

  “Mom. Are you serious?” I tried to pet Bandit who darted across my feet, dodging me and whimpering. “Something really is wrong with that dog,” I said to myself.

  When Mom took Sammy downstairs, Bandit following, I knocked on Jacoby’s door directly across the hall.

  “Come in!” he called. “Alright, man. See you in a few.”

  Jacoby tapped his phone screen as I entered. This was his first year of college, and his room told the story. His hamper went unused, and all around lay clothes from days before. A bookbag sat in one corner, its contents—pencils, notebooks and so on—spread across the floor as if he’d been interrupted while searching for something.

  “Where are you going all dressed up?” he asked and raked his hand through his sandy blonde hair that he kept as messy as his room.

  “On a date with this guy, Devron,” I replied bashfully.

  “Devron? You mean Devron the Devil?” he asked with concern in his voice. “Oops, sorry. That’s just what all the girls at school used to call him.”

  “You know him?” I asked in shock. “And they for real used to call him that? I thought that was just a joke.”

  “No, no joke. I know of him,” Jacoby clarified. “He was sorta popular with the senior girls last year. Just be c
areful. Don’t act too interested tonight, okay? Act like you do this all the time.”

  “Yeah, but I don’t,” I reminded him.

  “I know. I just don’t want you to let this guy sweep you off your feet. He’s nothing special. Have fun and don’t take it seriously. And call me if you need anything,” he added pointing to his cell phone. “Frank’s picking me up for a get-together tonight, but I’ll keep it nearby just in case I have to come beat Devron’s—”

  “Jacoby, I’ll be okay,” I reassured him.

  He crossed his arms over his forest green hoodie. “If you say so,” he said and grabbed his jacket. “I need to call a few others and see if they want to hang out tonight.”

  “Have fun, but not too much,” I warned.

  “Will do.”

  “Oh! I need to give this back to you,” I remembered, pulling his pocketknife from my jeans.

  He shot me a questioning look. “What are you doing with that?”

  “I thought I heard something downstairs while everyone was at grandma’s late last night, but it turned out to be nothing.”

  “Why don’t you hold on to it?” he suggested. “I can get another one from Dad.”

  Like I’ll ever need it, I thought as I dropped the knife in my purse.

  The doorbell rang. I jumped. Bandit barked.

  “Little girl!” Dad called from the living room.

  That was Dad’s nickname for me. He said he couldn’t make a good nickname out of “Autumn”, so that was his substitute.

  “I think your boyfriend is here!” Mom called.

  “Mom, he’s not my boyfriend!” I yelped.

  “Better not be yet,” Dad called back.

  I galloped down the stairs like an eager child. Mom let Devron in. My eyes met his. We smiled at one another. My stomach overflowed with butterflies.

  “What movie are you guys going to?” Dad asked and scratched his buzzed head.

  He stood from the couch with perfect attention to greet Devron who took a step back, probably at the sight of my dad’s intimidating stature. They shook hands firmly as Devron explained that he couldn’t remember the name of the movie but recited the plot as if he’d already seen it.

  “Don’t be out too late. I know it’s Saturday and everything, but we still have church in the morning,” Mom reminded me in a whisper while handing me my winter coat.

  “Okay,” I replied and slipped into it.

  I hated that thing. Too big for me, the coat made me look like a perfectly round ball of cotton. I promised myself next winter I’d buy one I liked better.

  “You kids have fun,” Dad said and patted me on top of the head like he used to when I was a kid. He side-eyed Devron. “Bring her straight home after the movie, please.”

  “I will,” Devron said as my mom hugged me tightly.

  “Bye!” I waved.

  Devron and I walked outside. My eyes instantly found their way to my neighbors’ roofs. I hoped to find the lurking figures there. I’d know for certain I wasn’t going crazy if I saw them again. I sighed from the sight of the vacant rooftops. The night sky shone clear, the stars visible all across the horizon. The chilled air blew but not unbearably. Spring hid just around the corner, and I was ready for it. Chicago’s winters were brutal even for me, someone who’d lived there all my life. Plus, I was tired of lugging around that huge, puffy coat.

  “You look good,” Devron admitted boldly.

  I blushed as we neared his car. “Thanks. So do you,” I replied.

  He opened the passenger side door of his wine-colored coupe and we were off the moment he jumped in the driver’s seat.

  “I wanted to talk to you about something,” he said when we pulled out of the neighborhood.

  “Yeah? About what?” I asked.

  “I definitely took my time asking you out,” he explained. “We’ve been sitting next to each other in Math class for six months. I just wanted to be sure.”

  “Be sure of what?” I wondered aloud. My hand played with the ends of my hair on its own.

  Stop fidgeting! I scolded myself, forcing my hands to sit still in my lap.

  “I know I don’t know you that well, but I can tell we have a lot in common. We’re going to get to know each other even better in the next few weeks, so I was wondering...do I have your permission to call you my girlfriend tonight?” he asked.

  I could feel myself light up, and I tried to make myself appear more collected. But something felt off.

  Wait, already? I thought.

  He hardly knew anything about me. The date had hardly even started, and he was ready to ask me to be his girlfriend. What was the rush? But then, I told myself to loosen up.

  “Oh, of course,” I said coolly. “I’d like that.”

  He didn’t act surprised, almost like he knew I wouldn’t object. “I hope you don’t mind, but I invited a few of my friends along,” he said after a beat.

  “Um, yeah. Sure. That’s fine, I guess,” I replied, unsure. I pictured a group of rowdy guys meeting us at the theater.

  “Great,” he replied and turned up the music.

  This left little room for conversation as we drove downtown. When we got to the theater, Devron parked around the corner of the building. He pulled his phone from his jacket and started dialing after he turned the radio back down.

  “Hey, I think we’re early,” he said into his phone. “Yeah, we’ll just wait in the car until you guys get here. See you soon.”

  He put the phone away. I started feeling a little awkward in the prolonged silence. Without warning, he unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned over me. I froze. His hand glided across my hips and unbuckled my seat belt. My heart raced, but not in a good way. He guided his arm across the back of my seat and moved himself into me. He pressed his lips hard against mine. It was my first kiss, and the moment would have been perfect, except…

  The kiss grew aggressive as he ran his hand across my shirt to feel my form. I tensed. He tried to lift my shirt. I jerked away.

  “Whoa, Devron,” I said, but he reeled me into another rough kiss and unzipped my coat.

  I shoved him. His back hit the steering wheel. The car horn sounded. He jumped at my surge of panic and stared furiously after me.

  “What the hell?” he retorted. “Am I not allowed to touch my girlfriend?”

  “That’s what this is about," I confirmed. “That’s not happening.”

  “Seriously, Autumn?” he groaned as he leaned back against his seat. “What’s your problem?”

  “Devron, I don’t know what you expect. I hardly know you.”

  “Look, I like you. I mean, I really like you. You just agreed to be my girlfriend. I thought that we—” His cell phone rang. “Hello?” he answered, his voice noticeably higher than before. “Yeah, we’re walking up right now.”

  He hung up and hastily got out of the car, slamming the door. Feeling sick to my stomach, I took my time getting out as he headed for the box office without looking back. I zipped my coat back up while feeling unexpectedly protected and comfortable in it now. I took out my phone.

  Can you please come get me?

  I’d never sent a text so fast in my life, and I hoped Jacoby would see it soon.

  Devron and three couples met up just past the ticket booth. I could hear Devron introduce everyone as I approached, but when he looked to the last of them, he froze.

  “Oh, uh. So sorry,” he stammered oddly to the girl. “I haven’t met you before.”

  A strange look flashed across the girl’s face as she eyed Devron, and the way he stared back at her was just as obvious, trance-like. I felt uncomfortable just watching them. The girl made eye contact with the guy who I figured was her boyfriend. As if she’d been waiting for him to react, he put his arm around her. She extended her hand with her manicured fingernails to shake Devron’s hand.

  “I’m Raquel,” she said softly. “Nice to meet you.”

  She took Devron’s hand and held it. Her boyfriend pulled her away as sh
e smirked. Devron didn’t take his eyes off her even after she let him go. Her gaze fell in my direction when I reached the group. Her smile abruptly faded. Her eyes grew wide as the other couple walked to the ticket booth. The stare grew long, making me feel even more out of place. Her choppy auburn hair blew across her face. She didn’t even blink. I wanted to run behind a wall where her eyes couldn’t penetrate. I broke out in a cold sweat. Confused, I hurried past the girl named Raquel toward the entrance in step with everyone else. Raquel’s heels clicked loudly just behind me. The smell of freshly popped popcorn hit me right in the face when one of the guys swung the door open. My mouth watered. All the way through the corridor, Devron didn’t let Raquel out of his sight, and Raquel didn’t let me out of hers.

  My phone rang. I hung back and answered it as the group went to the concession stand.

  “What did he do?” Jacoby asked, his voice a relief to hear.

  “I just want to get out of here,” I said lowly.

  “I worried that guy might be a loser. Where are you?” he asked.

  “At the theater closest to our house,” I answered.

  “Okay, I’ll be there soon. Is he still there?”

  “Yeah. But we’re with a group, so I’ll be fine until you get here.”

  “Stay inside until I get there,” he ordered.

  “I’d planned on it. Thank you.”

  I hung up and tailed the group through the lobby. The next thirty minutes felt like an eternity while waiting for Jacoby to arrive. Devron made it a point to hold the door for only Raquel in the theater hallway. She ignored his presence as she passed through. While we filed into the seats, Devron jumped ahead of everyone to sit beside her, leaving me sitting on the end by one of the guys I didn’t know. It was like Raquel had cast a spell on him.

  Throughout the previews, I could still feel her harsh stare with every move I made. This made it impossible to concentrate. During the opening scene, Devron and the other guys kept talking. When one of the girls noticeably asked with her eyes what was going on, I heard her boyfriend snicker and whisper to her, “We’ve already seen this movie. It’s not that good.”