The Hidden: Book of the Hidden by Annalynne Thorne

Author:Annalynne Thorne [Thorne, Annalynne]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: TEM Publishing
Published: 2012-05-01T14:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Less than Nothing

A leather torn suitcase laid open on Vivian's bed the next morning. She threw the few clothes she owned in it unfolded and wrinkled.

"Great packing skills."

Vivian turned around and saw Seth standing at the doorway. There was not a trace of a smile on his face despite the joke he just made. Instead it was concerned, but she ignored it.

"Yeah, I'm thinking of trying out for the Olympics," Vivian said dryly.

"Who's going with you?"

"My sister," she threw worn jeans on top of the pile.

"That's all? Your aunt just died Vivian, I would think you would need more support than that."

Vivian reeled around on her heel. She could feel her cheeks going up in flames. "I don't need anyone else. It's not like for the past six years they've acted like a family."

Seth's concerned expression did not change. "I was thinking I could go with you."

"No."

"Why can't you accept help?" His voice raised.

"It's not about that. I can handle this on my own."

He stepped closely to her, she could feel his breath on her face. "Stop it," he said quietly.

"Stop what?"

"Stop pushing me away."

Vivian stepped back as though he had something contagious. "This is what we do in the Underground. We help humans, and that's what I was doing, helping a human, and come to find out you were bitten. So I still helped you, but you wanted to go back to that world out there," Vivian pointed at a wall indicating to the outside of the Underground. "You wanted to be human. You have a brother you need to take care of. He's human, and he doesn't belong here. He needs to grow up normal. He can't do that here. Why do you keep bringing this up? We have been through this."

Seth went over to her bag picking up a blouse and folding it neatly. "Just thought maybe things changed."

"We're too different," she snatched her blouse out of his hands unfolding it and putting it back in the suitcase.

Shuffling around her clothes pretending to check that she had everything, she heard him retreat back outside the door.

It was much later on when Vivian and Jean said their goodbyes, thanking Akia again for taking over. Vivian was sure that the sun was already starting to sink low in the sky, though there were no windows in the circular room.

She went to make her way to the door when she spotted Seth, and went back to hug him quickly without making eye contact. He opened his mouth as to call her back, but she quickly pushed her sister out the door and followed.

Across the field Vivian pitched the keys to Jean.

"What are these?"

"They're keys, you use them to drive," Vivian said sarcastically.

"I knew that! Why are you handing them to me?"

"I don't feel like driving," and she ended the conversation at that while they threw their bags in the backseat. They didn't bother talking on the way out of town. Vivian kept her eyes on the blur of trees and houses, the wind howling in her ear.

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