I knew I would miss the bus. Somehow, even before I caught a glimpse of the white bus adorned with the school's logo, I had the sinking feeling that I wouldn't make it. In fact, despite the ungodly heat and general pain, I jogged up the hill trying to make sure I didn't miss it. Every step on the sun-bleached asphalt sent stabs of pain from my ankles to my knees, but I was determined to not be late. However, while I was taking a moment to rest, the shuttle sped past me. I watched in horror, realizing that I was most definitely going to be late to class. With a groan, I marched across the parking lot and plopped down in front of the blue and white sign signifying the bus stop. I would be late to class, but it was better than not showing up at all.
As the minutes ticked by, I distracted myself by watching the groundskeeper plant flowers around the flagpole. I never cared for roses, but I found the dark blue color intriguing. Almost black, the roses overshadowed the other flowers, drawing the eye like a moth to flame. How strange. I never knew how beautiful darkness could be…
A sharp pain in my knee caused me to yelp, snapping me from my trance. The culprit paused, looking over his shoulder with distaste. I recognized him as one of my classmate in Algebra, and I couldn't help but glare menacingly. This was the guy who commented on how lazy I was when he learned I was exempt from all Wellness classes. While I didn't expect him to understand what Fibromyalgia was, I did expect him to mind his own damn business, and I made it perfectly clear that I thought so.
"You can't even be bothered to stand. What makes you think anyone will hire someone as lazy as you?"
I scoffed. Did he think this was high school?
Sneering, he knelt, his face inches away from my face.
"You realize how worthless you are, don't you? I could do anything I wanted, and no one would care." He gestured in a circle. "Nobody would blink an eye, even in broad daylight."
Fists clenched, I forced myself to stand. He wasn't wrong if I was going to honest. His family founded the college I went to and, as that family's heir, could get away with almost anything. In fact, there were rumors that he had sexually assaulted a girl in the Fieldhouse locker room and nobody did anything. The girl ended up transferring, and he continued to prowl the campus like nothing had happened.
"Fuck off, Blake."
He chuckled.
"You know, I do like a girl with spunk. It's more fun"
I didn't like the glint in his eyes when he reached for me, and I took a step back, hitting the warm metal of the sign. With a snicker, he grabbed my arm and pulled me towards him. I tried to resist, but his grip was like steel and I struggled helplessly as he kissed me. Biting him had no affect other than a stifled laugh, and I felt tears welling in my eyes. I was going to end up like that nameless girl. Desperate, I pleaded for a savior. To my surprise, my prayers were answered.
A voice called Blake's name, calm but threatening. Blake paused, releasing me long enough to find the source only to be confronted by a tall man in a black suit. Unnaturally pale, the man scowled down at the dark-haired boy before speaking in a dark, melodic voice.
"She isn't yours."
Blake huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Why does it matter? Nobody cares about her. She's just some stupid, lazy brat."
I was too stunned to give an angry retort. This man had the most unnatural eyes I had ever seen. Crimson in color, they were the inhuman eyes of a predator. It reminded me of an animal contemplating whether to hunt a rabbit after eating a large meal. The thought of being someone's prey terrified me, and I remained frozen to the spot as they talked.
"C'mon! I just needed to blow off some steam!" Blake whined. "She would have enjoyed it!"
The man's unnerving gaze caused Blake to roll his eyes and walk off with his hands thrown up in defeat. Cold eyes trained on me as I inched towards the building, and a disapproving look made me stop.
"Um…hi?"
His gaze shifted down, and I followed it to see that my knee was visibly swollen. Sighing, I massaged the tender skin and found it warm to the touch. I must have pulled something in my struggle with Blake. Gloved hands removed mine and gingerly prodded the enflamed skin.
"We need to reduce the swelling," the man mused, "If it gets any worse, there will be damage done."
I waved him away impatiently.
"I'm more than aware, but this is simply how my body works. I'll be fine."
He studied me for a moment before gesturing towards the parking lot.
"Allow me to take you home at the very least."
A flash of white passed behind him, and we watched as the second shuttle disappeared over the hill. Well, so much for school today. Reluctantly, I let the strange man drive me home. It seemed like a waste of gas with how close I lived, but I was honestly in too much pain to care.
While I tried to gather my courage to talk to the man, we pulled into the parking lot next to a U-Haul. A young boy of about thirteen paced near it, glancing at his phone every few seconds. He looked up as the man emerged from his car and scowled.
"Where have you been?"
The man chuckled as he opened my door and helped me to my feet.
"I apologize for the delay, but I had to deal with a small problem."
The boy huffed, sweeping blue-black hair from his eyes. Or rather, eye. Brilliant blue, his single eye glared daggers at the taller man, the other covered by a black eyepatch. He was dressed simply in a black t-shirt and faded jeans, and I could almost believe that he belonged in the poorer part of town. Almost. When the man started to unload the truck, I noticed small symbols on the suitcases that belonged to one of the most expensive designer companies around. Only the elite of the city could afford that specific brand, and I highly doubted that this kid found those brand-new suitcases at a Goodwill. I silently reprimanded myself before walking over to the boy and sticking out my hand.
"Hey, I'm Taylor."
The boy stared at my hand for a moment before hesitantly shaking it.
"Ciel. I just moved here." He motioned to the open door on the top floor. "My apartment's up there."
I cringed inwardly as the man disappeared into the apartment right next to mine. Well, I guess I was doomed to six months of awkwardly trying to avoid the man. It's not like I found him attractive. I simply preferred keeping to myself, and something told me that it would be impossible with him living next to me.
"Why don't I help you move in? It's the least I can do for the ride."
Ciel shrugged.
"It's not necessary. Sebastian is more than capable."
Sebastian, huh? Damn, even his name was unnerving.
"No, no! I insist!"
I picked up one of the boxes with a grin, and started carrying it up the stairs. Sebastian met me halfway, eyeing me with disapproval.
"It would be better if you rested," he said simply.
"Perhaps, but then you would have to do all this by yourself!"
I stepped past him, chills running down my spine as his eyes followed me. He seemed almost offended that I was helping. Maybe he thought I would only slow him down. Determined, I picked up the pace. Sebastian seemed even less pleased when I raced down the stairs to catch up with him. His long legs gave him an easy advantage over me in speed, but I was firm in my resolve to prove to him I was useful. However, my tenacity only seemed to further irritate him. He made it a point of grabbing as much as he could in each trip, then zooming up the stairs while I was still deciding what was within my carry limit. By the time I picked up a box or end table, he would already be back and picking up the next thing. Ciel found the entire spectacle hilarious. He sat on the hood of Sebastian's car smirking as the taller man rushed past him carrying more than should be humanly possible. Eventually, I admitted defeat when the last piece of furniture, a gray couch, almost toppled off the back of the truck on top of me. Sebastian calmly moved me out of the way and hefted the thing onto his back before walking up the stairs with inhuman ease. Satisfied, Ciel hopped down from his perch and gave me a dazzling smile.
"Thank you for your help. Would you like to join me for dinner later? I feel like that's the least I can do."
I shook my head, grimacing from the stabs of pain in my back.
"I'll have to take a rain check. Thank you, though."
I limped up to my apartment, cursing every ache and pain in my body. I did know better than to overdo it, but I refused to let my condition slow me down. All my pride would get me, however, was a night of stiff joints and sore muscles. Maybe a bath would help ease some of my suffering. As I dug for my keys, Sebastian reemerged from the apartment to help Ciel carry the last of the bags in. Our eyes met for a second, and I got the unnerving sense that he was hungry, and I was his choice of prey. Shivering, I quickly unlocked the door, shut it behind me, and relocked it. My heart was pounding as Cosmo, my black and white Mini Border Collie trotted into the kitchen. He wagged his tail, and looked towards his empty food bowl, then back at me. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself before stooping down to pet him. What did I have to worry about? If Sebastian wanted to hurt me, he had his chance when he drove me home.
The rest of the night passed uneventfully. I sat on the couch eating dinner while Cosmo laid next to me. We watched YouTube videos for a few hours before I decided to go to bed. Followed by my fluffy escort, I made sure all the doors were locked and bolted. I turned on the light in my bedroom before switching off the lights in the living room. The door to the spare bedroom and bathroom were shut. Clean dog pads were placed down for the night. Then, with my nightly routine completed, I finally went to bed. Cosmo curled up in the empty spot beside me as he had for the last year. Even with him against my back, tears welled in my eyes. After five years of having someone sleeping next to me, I couldn't bear to sleep alone. The stack of boxes I stared at were a reminder of a life that once was. Turning to face Cosmo, I let a few tears fall before starting the tedious wait to fall asleep.
