"You're new, aren't you?" I looked up to see a dazzling smile, and gasped in horror. This face had made only one appearance in my dreams, and it wasn't a positive one. It all came back to me in flashes, as i looked at his dazzling smile.
I remember his body, slowly swinging where feet shouldn't be. The smell of stale alcohol and oil; water dripping in the distance; a fraying rope; two dark brown loafers with little tassels; a face turned blue and a neck impossibly bent; a missing 'lady-killer' smile; an awful stillness, except for the swinging. Back and forth, back and forth. I couldn't scream, only gasp and sob. Until two strong arms wrapped around me.
"You're new," he repeated.
"Yes." I answered as i regained my voice and recovered from the shock. "Cassie Blake."
"I'm Jeffery Lovejoy."
"Oh." Back and forth, back and forth.
"Center on the basketball team, also Captain."
"Oh." Like a pendulum.
"Are you interested in basketball? Maybe we could talk about it sometime." I'm the reason he dies.
"No thanks. I'm not interested." he looked confused.
"In basketball? It's actually pretty cool if you give it a chance, it's-"
"No, i mean, I'm not interested-In you." Now he seemed in shock at my rejection, but he didn't have time to focus on it as a shadow landed on the table. I glanced up for a moment before turning back to my doodling.
There she was, the tall, voluptuous, and beautiful, Faye Chamberlain. She was absolutely striking with her pale skin and dark mane. Her golden eyes landed on me for only a millisecond, before she turned her gaze on Jeffery.
"Hello, Jeffery." She spoke in a husky and vibrant voice.
"Faye. Hi." He answered back in a tense and unethusiastic tone. While they spoke, i thought about how odd it was that everyone feared the club, feared the coven. Sure, they could probably kill the entire population of New Salem in one quick spell, but there were much worse things out there. The things that go bump in the night were no longer just a nightmare. They were as real as witches, which as it turns out, are pretty real.
"You." i zoned back in, just as Faye had ended her conversation (more like torment-ation) with Jeffery, and turned her sights on me. "You're from Crowhaven road."
"Yes." I answered with a quirked eyebrow. She narrowed her eyes at me for a moment, as though she was inspecting me, before she spoke.
"Interesting..." was all she said.
"Very." Was my only answered, and then i turned back to my doodle. She stood there for a moment, most likely still inspecting me, even though the man i assumed was Mr. Humphries had walked in. After a few minutes of her waiting for me to look up, and me ignoring what i knew she wanted, she walked away to take a seat in the very back.
We were told to write spontaneously, about our dreams.
Hmmm... all of my dreams were of the future. Though, i had a feeling this poem would not so much be for me, as it would for Faye, i knew i should write of my dreams anyway. Maybe it could be a clue for the club once they figured out who i was. So i took my pen to the clean sheet of paper, and scribbled out the lines bouncing around in my head.
Soon enough, the time was up, and Mr. Humphries was asking for volunteers. The only student to raise their hand was none other than-
"Faye Chamberlain." the teachers voice hesitantly called out. And she made her way up to the front of the class with only a slip of paper in hand.
"This is my poem. It's about fire." I listened carefully as Faye's lazy voice spoke the lines she had written, and I watched as the crisp white sheet went up in flames. She waved the blazes in front of Jeffery, then tossed them into the wastebasket next to the teacher.
Soon enough, the class was dismissed and i followed the other students out of the room.
In the hall, i saw two more from the club, racing passed the lockers and their peers on roller blades. They were identical, sporting blonde hair and a turquoise color for their eyes. I managed to dodge them as they came whizzing passed me, without getting knocked over or forced into any uncomfortable positions.
The Henderson Brothers, Chris and Doug, there in the flesh. Creating chaos as they went, like thunder and lightning, just as i knew they would. I smiled at the thought, but it immediately faded as i set a mental reminder to go and seek them out before lunch. Then i quickly made my way to the third floor for math class.
Too soon did lunch time roll around, and I found myself waiting outside the glass wall next to the cafeteria entrance. I was waiting for the twins to show up so I could deliver my vague warning, though it would only make them cautious and confused, and i could get on with more important things.
Just as i was ready to give up, they strolled up, bellowing and laughing at some unknown joke, though it seemed to die down as soon as they saw me blocking their path.
Both pairs of eyebrows rose, as if expecting that to be enough for me to move.
"This will only take a second." I said, keeping my voice even. Their moves were in sync as they both crossed their arms across their chests. "I just have to warn you,"
"About?" They both asked simultaneously, a hint of humor in their voices, as though they didn't believe me.
"Your sister. You should be careful, and if i were you, i'd keep her away from the circle."
This was the first time i'd seen them have different expressions. Chris's face was masked in confusion, where Dougs jaw had dropped open in shock. Apperantly I'd knocked them off their identical wave length, because even their words were different (though still similar).
"What do you know about the the circle?" Chris queried at the same time Doug asked, "What do you know about Kori."
Though their questions were different, i could answer them both with the same one-worded response, "Enough."
They seemed to take that into account of their thoughts, and said nothing until i began to walk away.
"Wait, who are you?" Chris asked me while his brother still stood silent.
"Cassie, Cassie Blake." I answered. "Now if you'll excuse me, i have other things to attend to."
Then i left the two confused boys there, and walked towards my next mission: Saving Sally Waltman.
