Zadie's Lament
Adults suck!! Always yelling at her, Zadie reflected sourly as she stepped outside.
Renny’s disapproving face followed her out the door in her mind’s eye, but in a moment, another thought bumped it out as neatly as a croquet ball had hit it.
What the heck was Gramma talking about? Whatever it was, Zadie wasn’t in no hurry to find out. Gramma had sounded all too eager for her to get back, but not in a ‘I was so worried about you, hunnychile. Come home’ way, but in that ‘Hey, hurry home, there’s a mess’ way.
Her brisk steps that were meant to get her away from that colorful house of ill-reputed Yankees slowed. If she got home quickly, then she’d be that much closer to having to deal with whatever mess Gramma was obviously passing on to her. Another two steps and she smiled, sliding her hand to her phone. She could call work and have Mark call her in. And that would allow her to see Shane. Her smile got dreamy.
Shane was so amazing. She really didn’t want to take him to the second step of ghoul. He needed to head on to Ole Miss and start his college career despite holding it off to save some money. She looked at the stars in the humid, hazy sky and thought of how poetically he’d describe them to her. Shane was going to be a writer, an English major, and had already written a few pieces for the local Natchez new papers. Trivial pieces, about Natchez and some of the tourist attractions, subjects for the little local circulars that were left in the hotels and bed and breakfasts, but he had been published nonetheless.
Her fingers spasmed as she mentally stroked his long blond hair and remembered his kisses. Ah, Shane was a fine kisser and an even better lover. It would be hard to let him go. She sighed happily and then. . .
Her nose wrinkled with distaste. Rooster would be happy to not have the competition. Not that he’d get luckier just because Shane was gone. She had lost her virginity to Rooster just this past summer just to find out what it what it was before she went off to college. Gramma would just kill her, but she had decided that college was the wrong place to sleep with someone and find yourself in love and totally distracted from studying
She could never fall in love with Rooster; had just dated him in high school because he was the captain of the football team. He had been a perfect choice. He had at least four other bitches to keep him satisfied and now he was usually happy just to have her grope him and feed him. The two times they had done it had been plenty enough for her. She still needed his truck tho’ and his big, dumb ass for moving crap. Ole Miss would be happy to have him back on the football team this fall. He was the winner in this exchange; he got ghoul strength and speed. She just got a strong back and weak mind out of the deal along with some really annoying pawing from the son of a bitch. Rich daddy or not, Rooster could be a pain.
Her shudder thinking about Rooster turned into a worried gasp as she remembered something really, really important. She would need to warn Shane about Professor Pettigrew. Her brow furrowed. Maybe Shane should go out of state. ‘Bama was a good college. Lord, she didn’t want Pettigrew doing something nasty with Shane at Ole Miss. He was the English Dept something or other important. With that thought, she stopped dead in her tracks, her hand going to her mouth in horror.
Lord, she owed Pettigrew another paper. And she had at least a week of DE DVDs she’d borrowed through Pettigrew to watch and take notes on in prep for the fall semester as well as buying books. She pulled out her phone and pulled up the calendar. A few minutes later, she was walking again and smiling. She still had time. Couldn’t let her grades fall. She had been an honors student in high school and her first semesters in college. She wasn’t gonna let that go, vampire or not. She had plans.
The message light on her phone flashed, catching her attention before she could return it to her pocket. Her phone out, she answered two texts from some of her bar girlfriends and one from Caroline. Hell yeah, she was going shopping with her girlfriends Friday night before work. There was a pair of boots she was just dying for. If she could save up the money. She pulled up the picture of the boots on her phone, sighing with desire. She’d make those calf-high, soft leather, brown babies look good. And she knew what jacket she’d be purchasing to go with them. Her bank account balance wandered through her head. Maybe Gramma would advance her some birthday money.
And that reminded her, oh yeah, Gramma waited for her with some problem. She quickened her steps again and then thought better of it. She was probably gonna be yelled at again. Like Renny yelled at her. Like Eliza did. Zadie rolled her eyes. What kind of Amish psycho bitch was she? Couldn’t she have texted Gramma or phoned her? Hello, 21st century and all, please and thank you. And going all medieval S&M on her and threatening final death to her and Gramma wasn’t gonna make her well-disposed to the new Prince. Man, after she’d helped get the bitch her position. It was totally like being a cheerleader again in high school. You just couldn’t trust any of the bitches. Help them out and they’d still turn on you.
Renny included. He just totally hurt her feelings. Hell, more than a little hurt. He ran off after setting her up? Couldn’t watch the shit he had brought her in for? Dude, that was just cold. She had thought he cared for her. But Great-grandma had been right. Couldn’t trust damn Yankeesat all.
Wonder why Irina just sat by and let him totally yell at me? Come to think of it, I thought she had my back too. I really thought she was cool, packing guns and all, with the Law & Order vibe thing. Biyatch! He’s so gotta be doing her too. But I thought she was all over that Marine guy. He’s hot, Renny’s kinda weasely. Helpless to suss it out, she shrugged. Maybe Renny had something she didn’t know about. Maybe Jewish guys were hung or something. Maybe it was the bagel thing. They both were from New York and had that grating Yankee accent. But Renny was kinda interesting. Knew a lot. She kinda looked forward to listening to the rest of Vampire 101.
When she stopped sulking about his betrayal! She had barely enough time to let Cord know about Boone; forget the rest of these fang-bitches. Was she supposed to mass text the whole of Natchezand let them know her business? Huh! Obviously Renny was totally up Eliza’s butt. Hope it is nasty, wrinkly and old. She paused to let some traffic go by and then crossed the street
Thinking of butts, those new jeans she had seen a few weeks ago. Her butt would look totally fine in the new jean styles. With those boots and jacket. When was her birthday again? Did you get a new one for the day you were reborn dead? Yeah, she’d kick Renny’s butt one day for his total setup. That was rude beyond rude. Maybe that could be Cord’s favor to her. Kick Renny’s butt. Cord was so creepy. And mean. She wasn’t a whore. How could he think that she did biker gangs? He was so mean. Drove nice car and bike tho’.
But had crappy taste in music. Stopping to pirouette, she grinned. Adele would be in concert in Texas soon and oh yeah, she needed to download ‘Move’ by Maroon 5. Pity Shane would be at Oxford by then. Wonder if Gramma will let me go to Austin if Caroline and Mason take me? Surely they liked Adele too. She’d have to super-nice to Caroline, even if great-aunt Ceese set the whole train wreck in motion. But she loved Caroline. She was more sister than cousin.
I didn’t mean to hurt you, Caroline, she texted a moment later. I’m so sorry! Can you ever forgive me? I shoulda never told you about your Grandma in that way and that tear thing was just horrible. I’m horrible. You are truly the best of us all. I am a monster.
She was so involved in her text that she almost walked by the Rose. Hitting send, she slid the phone into her pocket and went towards the side gate. Fluffy whined and she petted him fondly before another thought rocketed through her mind. Lab notebook. The regeneration chart she’d been keeping on Boone would have to be updated if what Renny said had been true. The regeneration curve was just gonna be crazy. She was gonna have some serious questions toask the Professor. That will be a delight, she thought to herself. Talking to him was on par with having a root canal. Tsking, she gave Fluffy a final pat and went for the door to see exactly what Gramma had wanted her home for.
It wouldn't be fun. Nobody seemed to understand how busy her life was. She was trying her best to do what all the nitwits wanted and none of them wanted the same damn thing. She opened the door and paused to sigh dramatically at foot of the stairs. Adults just totally sucked sometimes. And with that, she started up to find out what Gramma wanted of her.
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