The Awakening

Chapter 23

A/N: MATURE SCENE AHEAD. 

"And now let us welcome the new year, full of things that never were."

                        -Rainer Maria Rilke.

I stand in front of my house and look at it critically.

The last time I was in there I was human. Would it feel different somehow? And what about Spencer?

I can hear her typing something on her computer in her room.

I can hear her.

I raise a hand, running it along my pointed ear. She'd know straight away that something has changed. I tried different hair styles, trying to use my hair to cover the ears but it kept peeking out. Short of using a scarf there was no way to hide it.

So I sneak inside jumping over the third, fourth, and eight steps because they creak. I quietly enter my room, remove a scarf from my closet and sneak back out.

Once the scarf has efficiently covered my ears I enter the house making a lot of noise on my way to the kitchen. Then I call out to her for good measure.

"Honey! I'm home!"

A loud clack from the direction of her room greets me. I hope that's not her laptop.

She rushes down the stairs making a whole lot of noise. When she finally appears she looks terrible. Her auburn hair in a disheveled bun. She has on sweatpants and my NYU hoodie.

Her face is set in a glower. She bounds down to me, eyes flashing. She punches me, right on my stomach.

Two weeks ago that hit would have brought tears to my eyes. Spencer shakes out her wrist, wincing a little.

"Ouch. What was that for?"

"What was that for? You've been AWOL for over a week and you're asking me what that was for? Do you know how sick with worry I've been? And what's up with your stomach? You suddenly developed abs? I was sure you had a soft pooch"

I chuckle softly, "A pooch, really?"

"Don't even try to be cute with me. I'm so mad right now I can't even" She spins away from me, her body vibrating.

I sober up.

"I'm sorry, Spence. I should've called you, a lot of things happened and you...it completely slipped my mind that you'd be worried"

She spins towards me eyes shooting fire "I skipped your mind did I? So glad to see how high I rate with you"

Oh crap. I hurt her feelings.

There's no way forward but to tell her the truth.

I need to tell her the truth.

Fear of how she might react weighs me down. I sit on the floor and raise my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around it "I need to tell you something Spencer. Promise me you won't freak out"

She crosses her arms over her chest with an eye roll "You had sex with Robin, yeah no shit Sherlock. You think I can't see you're glowing? That still doesn't mean you shouldn't have called me."

I sigh. There really is no easy or delicate way to say this. I look up and stare directly into her eyes "I'm no longer human. I'm Fae."

She stares at me blankly for a moment. I wait for a reaction and I'm stunned when she bursts out laughing.

"Good one Khloe. Crack jokes so I'll forgive you. I love you so it just might work but I need you to grovel a bit"

She doesn't believe me. I close my eyes tightly and slowly remove the scarf from my hair.