nightrunners

iii.

The storm carried into the early evening and by nightfall the rain outside had slowed to a drizzle. Cassiopeia laid across her bed with a pile of books strewn around her. She had dimmed the lighting in her room by keeping a small, dusty bedside lamp on and a few candles. As much as she loved the privacy of the attic, being up there during a storm created an unsettling feeling. The candles casted dancing shadows on her barren walls and the lamp would flicker every so often. The wind was powerful tonight, the shutters would violently bang against the house and the moan of the wind echoed throughout the attic.

As she turned the page of a thriller she was currently reading, a loud bang hit her window. Startled, she looked over in the direction of the noise and grabbed the nearest blunt object, a pen. She approached the window steadily and jumped as another bang hit her window. However, this time the bang was accompanied by a groaning voice, "Fuck."

Immediately she walked over and opened the window, coming face to face with JJ.

She left out a sigh of relief, "You know my front door exists, right?"

JJ shooed her off and she moved to the side so he could get through.

"I didn't want your grandma seeing me," He said, landing face first on the floor.

She let out a small laugh and helped him up, "She may not see you but she can definitely hear you."

JJ sat on her bed and took off his soaked hoodie, he ruffled up his unkempt blonde hair and looked at her, "So?"

She raised an eyebrow, "Yes?"

"Why'd you disappear the other night?"

She exhaled slowly, "I really don't know, I just felt like I couldn't breathe."

He studied her expression, "You could've told me."

"You were," She said slowly, remembering the girls' playfully touching him, "busy."

"With what?" He stood up and moved closer to her, "I needed you to be there."

"I know, I know," She groaned and fell back onto her bed, "Can we not talk about this?"

"Cassiopeia," He said in a slight sing song voice, "we have to, you wandered off into the wrong territory."

"This town is split still, seriously?" She looked over at him.

"Yes, and for good reason, you think we need any more Kooks walking around telling us we belong six feet in the ground?"

She shrugged and he continued, "Rafe is dangerous."

"I didn't know who he was."

"Well, now you do. He's unstable, manipulative and powerful, and he saw you as a threat."

She laughed loudly and JJ frowned, "'I'm serious, he's fucked up in the head."

"He seems pretty good to me."

"Look," JJ suddenly scooted over to her, "I told your mom that I would watch out for you this summer, I hate to tell you but your grandma is not all with it either."

She uneasily ran a hand through her hair and studied JJ's urgent eyes.

"Rafe has a history, he won't hesitate to get rid of something that's in his way."

"He just seems like a douchebag."

"Cassiopeia."

"Okay, okay," She murmured, "I won't wander off."

JJ half smiled and touched her arm gently, "You know I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened to you."

She nodded, "It wasn't on purpose. You just seemed busy."