Out of the Dark
Chapter 1
"Emma, you are aware that these books are heavy, aren't you?" I asked my best friend. "Yes Lis, I am and I'm sorry, but I am currently occupied" she said, looking into the mirror attached to her locker door and smoothing on light pink lip-gloss. I rolled my eyes and stood beside her, waiting. When she finally finished I dumped the books into her arms and walked off to my locker.
As soon as I turned around after getting my books I slammed into someone. I fell back and closed my eyes, bracing myself for the crash into the hard tiled floor. It never came though. One sinewy arm wrapped around my waist, pulled me back up into a broad chest, and, I admit it, I squeaked in alarm. "You okay?" a rich husky voice asked. I opened my gray eyes to meet smoky green ones. It was a guy, well Alex if you want to get technical, the Goth boy of our school. "Um, yea, just peachy," I said. He let go of me, took a step back, and ran his long hand back through his shaggy, black hair. "You might want to watch where you're going," he said. I felt a frown crease my brow in indignation and let out a sharp angry breath. "Well if I remember clearly, it was you who was standing right behind me," I huffed. So quickly I couldn't be sure, he shot me a grin and spoke. "I was merely passing behind you. You just turned around without the thought that someone could be there." I let out an involuntary incoherent growl and he grinned again before walking away, dark trench coat fluttering.
Emma walked up behind me then. "Who was that?" she asked. "Alex," I muttered, still angry. She turned to me, surprised. "Really? Wow, I can't believe he spoke to you. The teachers have trouble just getting him to listen, let alone speak." I looked after him. "Yea?" I said nonchalantly. She turned to me then with a mischievous smile. "He must have a thing for you. None of the other girls can get even get him to look at them," she said slyly. I rolled my eyes. "Yea, sure. I'll believe that when the sun implodes and this world spontaneously combusts," I said. "No, really Lisalla. And you've got to admit, he does have those hot Goth boy looks." I snorted and turned to go to class, but Emma's voice stopped me. "If you don't want him I'll gladly take him." she said a flirty tone to her voice. I waved my hand aimlessly. "Yea, sure, go ahead. Make him your boy-toy," I said and walked away to class.
Sadly though I soon found that Alex had somehow transferred to my class. That class just happened to be English and just had to decide that on that day we would be acting out "Twelfth Night" which just so happened to have the most sexual innuendoes.
"Ms. Terra would you and Mr. Verity come act out Act 3, Scene 4?" he asked. I blinked once in surprise and then snorted in disbelief. "You want me to act out this scene...? With him?" I asked. He nodded and Alex looked over at me a smirk on his face. "Is there a problem with that?" he said smugly. I glared at him. "No, of course not." We stood up and went to the front of the room before facing each other. He grinned at me and I grinned back, sickly sweet. "How now Malvolio?" I asked him. He leered at me and spoke. "Sweet lady, ho, ho."
We went on but I stopped when we reached two lines in particular. "Wilt thou go to bed Malvolio?" His chest shook with a silent laugh and he recited his line. "To bed! Aye sweetheart-" Here he lifted his hand and stroked my cheek. "and I'll come to thee."
Right when he said those words, he wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me up against his chest. I let out a startled gasp and looked over at , pushing down on Alex's arm. "Is he allowed to do this?" I asked, a bit breathless. "Whatever makes it more realistic," he said smiling, laugh lines crinkling at the corners of his eyes. I glared up at Alex and let out an angry huff. He shot me a quick half-second grin as I kept pushing down on his arm, brushing his fingers against my side. I went on with my lines though, not wanting to make more of a scene than we already had. But because of the scene, Mr. Melgard made it our homework to memorize that whole Act and then on top of that made Alex and I partners. As soon as we finished I rushed out quickly before anyone could say anything embarrassing.
Emma met me at lunch and smiled when she saw me blushing. "What happened?" she asked. I looked down at my pizza and then looked back up at her. "Alex," I said. She became interested immediately and leaned forward to listen. I told her about the little "Twelfth Night" incident and when I finished she sighed. "You are so lucky. Every girl in this high school would love to have that happen to them. Especially since it was Alex," she said. I rolled my eyes. "Wonderful," I muttered.
Her hazel eyes shifted to someone behind me then and I turned to see Alex walking through the cafeteria doors a self-satisfied smug look on his face."Oh god," I breathed. "Don't look." Emma looked at me like I was crazy. "You don't want him to look at you?" she asked, disbelief coloring her voice. I opened my mouth in surprise. "Um, no. I don't," I said, shaking my head. Her eyes floated to him again and she smiled suddenly. "Here he comes. Act natural." I rolled my eyes. "Yea, what could be more natural than you sitting there smiling like a crazed maniac?" I muttered sarcastically. When Alex reached us he put a hand down beside me, blocking my view of the exit and interrupting my escape plans. "Wonderful acting back there Terra," he started. I looked up at him, raising an eyebrow. "Is that what you came over here for? To tell me how good my acting skills are?" He flashed that blinding white half-second grin that he seemed to have only for me and kept going as if I hadn't spoken. "We can practice at my house because I'm sure your parents wouldn't approve of me," he said. "Are you asking me out on a date?" I asked him sardonically. Half-second 300 kilowatt grin here. "Wouldn't you like that to be true." He said smugly. I felt my lips part in annoyance and then snapped, not wanting to give him any type of satisfaction. "What time?" I asked bluntly. He raised an eyebrow. "I'll pick you up at six." "Oh you'll pick me up huh?" I asked snidely. He shifted some so that his body was curled around me a little. "Of course, what kind of gentleman would I be if I let you drive to my own house alone?" "What kind of gentleman are you anyway?" I muttered under my breath. His eyes lit up in amusement though, telling me he'd heard. Then he just stood there waiting for God-knows-what. "What?" I asked self-consciously when he didn't take his eyes off of me. He smirked. "I need your phone number if I'm gonna pick you up." I smiled sarcastically. "How about you just have Emma call me for you?" I asked sweetly. Then for the first time since the conversation had started, Emma spoke."504-622-7985." She said giving him my number. "Emma!" I groaned. She smiled at me apologetically. "Great. I'll call you. See you later." He said flashing that grin and then walking away.