Chapter two
I take a deep breath and step out of the bathroom. I catch my reflection in the mirror and study it. Maybe Sarah was half right. I'm not a total disaster. But I think I'm a little too skinny. My hip bones stick out too much for my own liking. My hair is boring; a light brown/dark blonde colour, that falls in waves if I leave it down.
My skin is pale and dusted with freckles, especially around my nose. But they're not heavy freckles, just small light spots that go unnoticed, unless you look close enough.
My eyes are my best feature though. Green. Very green. They're framed by long eyelashes and I guess they're what attract the attention I've gotten from boys all my life. Who knows? I sure as hell don't.
I turn away from the mirror and pick up my bag and head for the door. I open it and Kirra comes down the corridor, looking like she hadn't slept at all last night. Which she probably didn't. Last night, she had stormed out, looking really angry, muttering things about how she was going to kill Aaron. Apparently, he'd cheated on her.
"How'd it go with Aaron last night?" I ask as she pushes me out of her way with a grunt. I shrug and close the door behind me and head over to my first class, English with a teacher called Mr. Pennyworth.
"Alright, settle down, everyone." Mr. Pennyworth announces. I choose a seat near the door, next to a boy who looks to be a bit of a pretty boy, but good looking non-the-less. I swear, this school is infested with good looking boys.
The boy turns to me with a friendly smile on his face. "I'm Chase Collins." He introduces. "I hear you came from Australia." My skin crawls. How the hell did he know that? Was it already around the school?
"Yeah, I'm Cassia Delvin. How'd you hear that?" I ask curiously, though I'm just filled with anxiety inside.
"This school gossips. Mostly the girls who hate you because you're the only one who could resist Aaron Abbot." He laughs and I smile uneasily. Bugger. I was supposed to just blend in easily and go unnoticed here.
"Great. Only my third day and everyone already hates me." I shake my head in disbelief.
He laughs and raises an eyebrow. "Not everyone hates you. Just the female population that want Aaron Abbot." He comforts and I feel a little better. "Be seriously, how do you do it? Even I'm finding it hard to ignore his… charm." He laughs quietly and I join in.
I roll my eyes. "Just think of how small he is, and you'll be fine." I grin.
Mr. Pennyworth begins droning on about some author and I feel eyes on me as I attempt to listen, which only results in aimless doodling. I look around and find a pair of blue eyes staring at me intently. I know who he is from the fingerless gloves on his hands. The driver from two nights ago. You know the one that doesn't like me.
I raise an eyebrow, though I'm blushing slightly, and he raises one back, still staring. I turn back around to face the front and notice Chase giving me a questioning look. I shrug and look at Mr. Pennyworth again, my doodling already going.
"Yeah! Dreamcatcher was the SHIT!" Someone yells and I turn around to see the blonde driver. He's smirking and glances my way. I look back at Mr. Pennyworth, who is looking at the driver.
"Thank you, Mr. Garwin. Indeed, Dreamcatcher was a good film. Now…" I listen as he starts up again with his lecture and this time, I'm taking notes and ignoring the stare of a certain Mr. whatever-his-first-name-is Garwin.
Collision. Collision. Collision.
"Hey, Cassia, wait up." Chase calls, catching up to me. It's now lunch time and I'm heading outside to eat. "You sure walk fast." He says, grinning. I shoot him a smile. "What's your hurry, anyway?" he asks curiously.
I shrug. "Just wanted to get out of the class room." I say coolly.
"Ah, I see." He says, stroking his chin. "So, feel like getting some lunch?" he asks. I nod with a smile, though it's a little forced. Chase smiles and leads the way to the cafeteria.
As we enter, I feel like I'm being watched, but ignore it, hoping ho ever it is will get the hint, because I can't see Driver Garwin. I wait for Chase to get his lunch in the line and I feel a hand on my shoulder.
I jump a little and spin around to face Aaron. Before he can say anything, I interrupt in a cold tone. "I don't know where Kirra is." I tell me, facing him defiantly.
He smiles. "I wasn't looking for Kirra. We broke up, anyway. I was just wondering if you'd like to sit with me today?" He thinks he's charming but I really don't like the look he's giving me.
"I'm sorry, I can't." I tell him.
He smiles tightly. "Why not?" His grip on my shoulder tightens.
"Look," I begin, pulling away from his hand and crossing my arms. "I'm going to sit with my other friend today." I look over and Chase isn't there anymore. Instead, he's chatting with Kate and Sarah. "Maybe another time."
Aaron laughs. "Well, it doesn't look like you'll be sitting with him, now." He says, pointing over to Chase's retreating figure along with the two girls who go and sit with the boys from the car two nights ago. "So, why don't you just come with me –" He's interrupted by a hand on his shoulder.
It's a hand covered in fingerless gloves. "Aaron, she obviously doesn't want to sit with you today, so why don't you just let it go and kind some other chick to chat up?" Garwin drawls, raising his eyebrows in challenge toward Aaron.
Aaron glares at him and looks at me. "I'll see you around." He says coolly, before stalking off.
I let out a breath of relief and turn to thank Garwin. "Thanks –"
"Don't mention it, Cassia." He says before walking off. I frown.
Then I roll my eyes. Boys. I walk outside and find a tree to sit under, before I pull out my IPod and put my ear phones in. I pull out my lunch and spend the forty minutes listening to my music and munching on a sandwich.
The bell rings and I realise I've got a double period of science. Joy. If there's one thing I shouldn't attempt, it's science. I always, without fail, hurt myself in some way. It makes me angry, too.
I walk to the room that's labelled Science Lab 6 in big capital letters. There's already a crowd gathered outside and the teacher is late by at least ten minutes. When she arrives, everyone rushes into the classroom and I'm the last one to enter.
The last seat left is located next to a familiar dark face. Kate. I sit next to her and she smiles at me warmly. "Are you any good a science?" She asks.
I shake my head. "In this class, I'm accident prone to the extreme." I roll my eyes. "It's ridiculous." She laughs and Mrs. Alden begins the lecture, thankfully with no practical tasks. I'd hate to think what might have happened if we had been given an experiment.
Two hours later, the class finishes and I'm allowed to taste fresh air again. I sigh in relief as I cross the miniature forest to get to my dorm. However, it isn't long lived relief, because I'm kicked out as soon as I open the door.
"Fuck off!" She yells at me, puffy-eyed and tear stained. I guess the break-up didn't go as coolly as I had thought. Bleugh.
I shake my head and back out slowly. "Christ." I say once the door is closed and I'm leaning up against the wall. I drop my bag on the ground and pull my iPod out again. I only put one ear phone in this time, giving myself a little bit of hearing for the things going on around me.
Half an hour and two attempts to get into my room later, I'm sitting on the ground outside, still, sending a text message to my dad.
Yeah, it was okay. Not the best, Dad. But oh well. Love you, Cass xo
I sigh and put my phone on my lap, hoping to hell that someone will call me and I'll be magically rescued. Unfortunately for me, it's impossible.
I flick the song over to a slow acoustic song by the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. Guardian Angel. It's a sweet song and I close my eyes to listen to the lyrics. However, I'm so engrossed in the song that I don't hear the approaching footsteps or see the hand that hovers over my phone.
He snatches it off my lap and I look up alarmed as the fingerless gloves hold it, his face looking at me, smirking.
"Hey, I didn't know you were roomed with Kirra." He snickers.
"Yes, now can I please have my phone back?" I say, looking up at him as he leans on the wall above me.
"I don't know." He says slowly. It buzzes. "Oh look, a message. From dearest daddy. 'love you too, Cass. Sorry that I had to take you away. But we couldn't risk your life anymore.' Hug, kiss, hug, kiss." He finished. He looked down at me. "Risk your life, eh?"
"Can I please have my phone?" I ask stubbornly avoiding the subject.
"Tell me what happened to your wrist and I will." He smirks. My eyes go wide. "Yes, I remembered. Are you going to tell me or do I get to keep your phone?"
"It's nothing. Just a cut. From climbing a fence, okay?" I try, annoyed that he was being so infuriating. "Please just give it back." I stand up, holding out my hand.
He begins walking slowly and I follow him, grabbing my bag. "I don't think that's really what happened, Cassia. I think you're lying." He looks at me with an eyebrow raised. "But hey, it's your choice. My phone now." He smirks his annoying smirk. I swear it's all he does.
"Look, whatever your name is –"
"Reid. It's Reid." He interrupts.
"Look, Reid, there's a reason I lied and you're not about to hear the truth from me, so can I please have my phone back?" I say stubbornly.
He laughs. "You think it's that easy? You either gotta tell me the truth, or I get your nice new phone. Who knows what I might say to daddy." He said, holding the phone in one hand, while looking at me.
I scowl. "You wouldn't." I say dangerously. He nods, going to put it in his pocket. "Fine, I'll tell you, but you won't believe me anyway." I say, knowing he won't. He nods eagerly. "The truth is that I have magical powers and a demon tracked me down. The only way to get my powers, by the way, is by cutting my skin in an X mark at three major pressure points." I explain and he stops dead in his tracks, staring at me intently,
Oh god, he believes me! I start laughing to try and get him off my case and his shoulders relax a little.
He sighs. "Fine, you can have it back. But I will find out the truth, Cassia." He throws me my phone casually and I catch it easily.
"Why do you even want to know?" I ask as he walks away.
He turns around to face me, walking backwards, a smoke already in his fingers. "You're fascinating." He calls back with a smirk and turns as he goes around the corner.