Uprising: A Collide Novel Part 26

"Awww. Lillian. I'm so happy for her."

"Me too. Now. Enough about other Keeper's love lives. I'm so tired from working the garden I can barely think. Tell me about your day. What did you and Lily bug do?" I asked with my eyes closed as I put my arm around her and pulled her into my side.

"Well, not much to tell if I can't talk about that. Lillian and I chatted endlessly about it the past few days. She feels like she's betraying Michael."

"I'm sure Michael would want her to move on and be happy."

"That's what I said."

"Well, aren't you smart," I said and touched the end of her nose with my finger.

"Yeah." She grinned.

"And Lily?"

"Lily took her nap and did her school work with Marissa. She's really loving it and doing so good. Then she did her lessons with Miguel and Kay later on. She ate two huge bowls of macaroni and cheese. I had to pull her from the trough, like somebody else I know," she said grinning and poked my ribs.

Marissa and Lana had taken teacher roles and schooled Lily, Calvin and Franklin for a few hours during the day.

"Hey. It's hard work taking care of you girls. I need my strength. It wouldn't be a problem if you weren't such a good cook."

"Hmmm...you know, it-"

I didn't get to find out what 'it' was because I heard a crash. A very large crash and breaking gla.s.s clinking on the tile floor. Then a scream.

"Stay put," I told Sherry firmly as I got up.

I and many other Keepers blurred into the hallway where the commotion was coming from.

Polly was standing in the bathroom, her arm still extended towards Susan. The vanity mirror above the sink was shattered. Shards of dingy reflective gla.s.s all over the tile floor around Susan's feet and the sink bowl. A hard plastic black case laid on the floor as well. It was, I suspect, the culprit of being the thrown object.

Piper was standing in the hall as well, observing, nothing more. Susan was yelling and now that all was quiet, we could her what she was saying.

"You're crazy! Crazy! Get out of here!" Susan screeched and backed away from Polly until her back hit the wall by the sink.

"You're crazy!" Polly shouted. "You think you can just use my razor without asking?"

"Polly, why would I take your razor? I have my own. You're crazy! That's just a little too unsanitary for my taste anyway. Now if you'll excuse me young lady, I'm trying to shower. Leave."

"I'm not going anyway until you give me my razor, hag."

"I will do no such thing. This is mine. Now get out!"

"Ladies," Jeff broke in harshly. "What in the worlds is going on here?"

They both started yelling at the same time.

"She stole my-"

"She threw it at me-"

"Why would I lie-"

"It's so gross-"

"She just barged in-"

"Ok! Ok! Ok! Enough!" Jeff yelled and threw up his hands to draw attention. "I think we can-"

"Now hold on," someone interrupted Jeff.

Piper.

"We can't have people just taking things and it being alright to do so," she continued.

"I never said it was Piper," Jeff retorted and motioned for them to follow him. "Let's get away from all this gla.s.s."

Piper, Polly, Susan, him and I went to the kitchen.

"Now. It's not ok to take things that aren't yours but it's also not ok to throw things at other people, let alone break things," Jeff explained, looking between the two.

Everyone still looked to Jeff to be whatever form of mediator/leader/instigator/level-headed one that we needed him for at the time being. Right now, it seemed to be all four.

"If she hadn't stolen the razor, I wouldn't have throw the makeup case," Polly insisted.

"Even if I had stolen it, it still doesn't warrant breaking a mirror just by my head, let alone throwing things at me," Susan claimed.

"That sounds like an admission to me," Polly said crossing her arms in triumphant to which Susan gasped but Jeff cut them both off before they could continue.

"Alright! No more. Ladies. We haven't had any trouble or drama between the members of the group until you two and I'm not about to have it now."

"That's not true," Piper chimed almost happily. "From what I hear, Sherry had caused her own set of problems."

"Piper. I'm gonna stop you right there," Jeff said holding up his hand. "Don't. Sherry has been through plenty and none of it was her fault."

"Well, I'd say leading men on and then complaining when they act on it is causing plenty-"

I snapped.

"Don't say another word about Sherry!" I yelled and Jeff gabbed my arm.

I realized I had taken a step towards her though I'm not sure what I had planned to do.

"Merrick. My goodness. So defensive," she said and even smiled smugly.

"You don't know what you're talking about," I growled.

"Don't I? She flirted with that poor man, then he kissed her and she cries rape? What is more to know? Like I said, she's causing problems that weren't necessary."

"Enough, Piper!" Jeff yelled.

"It's still true, Merrick. Nothing has changed. She'll never be good for you. Humans and our kind don't mix that way. You deserve better than this mundane life that's been chosen for you by that little-."

"Get over it, Piper. There will never be anything different for me. I chose my own fate and am plenty happy with the results. It's none of your business. End of discussion," I said with as much conviction I could throw out.

I didn't want to embarra.s.s her. Even after all she's said I still didn't want to call her out for her interest in me in front of everyone but that was what was next on my tongue if she didn't shut up. Plus, she has to know that she's referring to Jeff now as well. Marissa is still human even though she's a Muse.

"I dare say this is far from the end, Merrick, if I have anything to say about it," Piper said flipping her hair sideways as she c.o.c.ked her head in flippancy.

Before I could retaliate I saw something beyond Piper's shoulder in the doorway to the kitchen.

Sherry.

She heard everything and stood there, leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed looking pensive. Pensive and hurt.

"We are done here," I said enunciating each word and pulling my arm free from Jeff.

"We'll see," Piper countered and I heard Jeff start in on her behind me.

"Piper, you have no idea what you're talking about. Just be quiet. I won't have all this hostility. Polly. You broke the mirror, I suggest you go clean the mess," he continued but I blocked him out.

"Sherry-"

"It's ok, Merrick. There's no law that says everyone has to like me, right?" Sherry said and smiled weakly but I could see how much she hated it.

"Come on." I grabbed her hand and began to pull her with me. "Don't worry about her. She's just..."

"Jealous? I can tell. I have to say, I've never seen such a, uh...unlikable Keeper before."

"Me either. I remember thinking that about her before. She's definitely one of a kind. And not in a good way."

"How can she act like that? I thought ya'll were all made to be civil and easy going."

"Free will, honey. We can choose, just like you can. She would never have had to deal with rejection or adversity had we not come here. This is where we are...tested, so to speak. This is where we'll see how we choose to react to situations. For whatever reason, even from the beginning, she chose to act..." I trailed off searching for a word that wouldn't be offensive to Sherry's ears.

"Crazy?" she suggested and smiled up at me.

"That's a good word for it."

"I feel sorry for her," she said softly and I rolled me eyes at her but couldn't help smiling too.

Sherry always reacts this way. Always forgiving, always worrisome, faithful and understanding. It wouldn't be so bad if it didn't always make it that Sherry was the one that has to be so self sacrificing.

"Let's go take a nap. Then I'll make you forget all about it," I suggested in a low voice and pulled her to me, nipping her chin which she loves.

"I already have," she said laughing. "You are really good at that, you know. Making me feel better, no matter what."

"Well, good then. In that case, wanna see what Danny and Celeste are up to? I need to speak with him about some things anyway."

"Sure. Marissa already came and got Lily for her cla.s.ses so, we're free."

Danny?

"In the second room!" Danny called out his location in response to me asking him in his mind. Cain and Lillian who were sitting facing each other on the couch looked up curiously at the sudden burst of information but returned to their conversation and inched closer as Lillian smiled and laughed at whatever Cain was saying.

Before we went further I turned back to Piper and saw that yes, she was watching with a decided determination in her set jaw, so I decided she needed a little convincing. I will protect Sherry from anyone, even another Keeper, even from the petty thoughts of a Keeper trapped in a body she can't control the chemical emotions for.

I looked back down at Sherry and smiled at her, then tipped her head back bringing my mouth to hers, wrapping my arms around her. I closed my eyes but could feel Piper's hateful gaze on us.

With every pa.s.sing second Sherry was getting more breathless. Clinging, with my s.h.i.+rt bunched in her fist like she always does. I heard her whimper so I decided I best end it. I released her with another soft kiss and she gazed at me and bit her lip in cute glazed-over confusion and pa.s.sion. But then she smiled up at me and I couldn't help but feel loved and wanted. The best thing in the universe. It's still a little crazy that all this is mine.

I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and pulled her to me to kiss her forehead as we walked towards Danny. Her pet.i.te cool arm around my waist the only thing keeping me on the ground.

This Life Is More Than Just A Read Through

Chapter 11 - Sherry.

We found Danny and Celeste in the second room, where Danny said they were. The second room, as we called it, was the old bedroom of Phillip. The man who originally let us stay here and kept this huge room all to himself though we were all packed in the rest of them like sardines. Not to mention, he's the one who almost raped me, had Jeff not come to my rescue.

"Hey sis. What's up? You ok? You look a little, I don't know, red?"

Merrick and I looked at each other and laughed a little, smiling knowingly.

"It's nothing. What are you guys doing in here?"

They were both sitting on the little hideous pink loveseat on the wall. Celeste's legs were in Danny's lap. Normally they sit in the commons room in the corner on the floor.

"Oh, nothing," Celeste answered, looking at the ends of a few strands of hair and grimacing. "It's just getting so crowded in there. Dang it! Look at my hair! Split ends everywhere."

"Well, it's a good thing that it's so crowded, Celeste," Danny said, trying to hide a smile at Celeste's obvious misfortune.

"I know. I know," she said letting the hair go and looking back up to him. "It's just crowded that's all. I'm glad they're here, though. Don't get me wrong."

We weren't the only ones in the second room but we were spread out enough to not be on top of each other. We had taken down most of Phillips decorations, if you want to call them that. His posters of questionable taste were burned or buried along with the other trash. The lamps, stereo and fan, ect., stayed.