disclaimer: once again, i don't own the dark guardian series by rachel hawthorne and once again, i really, really wish i did!
this is my story and i love you for looking at it (:
-special thanks to the people who reviewed my last two chapters, you helped me pump out a third because i was getting a little dejected nobody was reading it-if i could hug you people, believe me i would!-
Chapter 3:
It was official. Worst first day of school ever. On the bright side, the ceiling looked to be newly washed. Oh who was I kidding? If you're reading this, you know no way in hell there was a possible bright side. Except for maybe my face, which at this point, had to be as bright as a fucking Christmas tree.
I heard the silence. It was audible silence. Shitfuckdamnitalltohell. I slowly, slowly sat myself up. How did I manage to land on my back? I kept my eyes downcast. In no way, shape, or form did I want to see his expression. Oh god. I had made a complete idiot of myself in front of Lucas Wilde. The main star in my dreams for the last month. Kill me now. Please.
I sucked in a deep breath, counted to five, and let it out. I finished sitting up and raised my gaze to Mrs. Jones, of course, it was hard to keep it there. Lucas was directly next to her. Lucas, Lucas Wilde. Fuck. I raked my eyes over him. He looked...worried. And delicious.
While his hair was still a kaleidoscope of colors (black, white, silver, some chunks of brown-I had always wondered if he dyed it, but never gathered the courage to ask) it was obvious he had cut it. Instead of swinging around his shoulders, it was still longish, but cropped to give it a more groomed appeal. Like me, he was wearing his classic look. A black tee-shirt, cargo shorts, and worn converse combination. I looked over his face, his gorgeous, gorgeous face, and his eyes met mine. Silver on green. My heart sped up of it's own accord and my skin broke out in goose flesh. Weird, I remember having the same reaction to him last year.
If it was any consolation, Lucas seemed to be looking me over almost as I much as I was him. I tried to be nonchalant. It was hard though; not every day was I checked out by a class A-stud muffin! Wait, except...why did Lucas look so tall? Why did everyone look so tall?
My eyes widened and I realized, horrified, that I was still sitting on the floor. Oh. My. God. My blush came back full force and I quickly jumped up. Mrs. Jones immediantely rushed over to fawn after me.
"Oh dear, Kayla, what happened? Are you all right? Do you need to go to the nurse?"
I opened my mouth to reply a curt no, but the poor woman rushed on, "Do you want me to take you? Oh, gosh, I can't take you! Lucas! Lucas! Take her to the nurse. Kayla? Kayla?"
Jeez, Mrs. Jones was one more sentence away from a heart attack. She inhaled and opened her mouth again to continue her frantic drabble, but I jumped in.
"No, really! I'm fine, see?" I slowly started walking down the aisle back to my seat.
"Kayla, please, that was a nasty spill. Lucas!" She screeched, "Lucas get over here, take her to the nurse." No, no, please! Not this, anything but this. In complete desperation, I grabbed her hand.
"Mrs. Jones, really. I. Am. Fine." I let my stare bore into hers. During girlscout training in the second grade, I had learned that you had to establish a full eye contact bond with the hysterical person, to help them cope and be calmed by your trustworthy face. I tried to do that now. "I. Am. Fine."
Please, I silently begged her, please just let me go sit back down. I saw her waver, I really did! Then, like a ball and chain sentencing me to a horrible life sentence, she replied "Kayla, I'm sorry, but it's school regulation that I send you to the nurse." She waved Lucas over. "Lucas will take you, ok? Alright."
I felt like I swallowed my heart. But, I knew there was no chance Mrs. Jones would recant. It was absolute. I would have to allow Lucas to escort me to a nurse which I didn't need, all because I had seen him, and basically nose dived out of my chair. Let's hope we don't come across any stairs, then. I thought dryly.
Mrs. Jones all but shoved us both out of her room and my fate was sealed with the sharp click of the door. My body was fully aware of Lucas standing next to me. It was almost electric, our energies twining. I felt relaxed, yet energized. Weird, weird, weird! I sucked in some air and tried to get my brain thinking again.
What do I say? Should I say anything? What if HE says something? What if he doesn't say anything? What if he doesn't even remember me! Should I-
"Hey."
I froze. Should I, what? Say something idiot!
"Hi." I managed to croak.
Lucas smirked, like he was sharing a private joke, and continued, "I don't really know where the nurse's is." He gestured around, "All these halls look the same, so, you take the lead?"
There was no way I was going to the nurse. I just had to convince him of that. Speaking of which, why would Mrs. Jones bother to send Lucas out? He's brand new! I wanted to ask, I just wasn't sure how to voice it.
"I'm a TA. You know, teaching assistant? I was going to be a sophomore in college, but this job came up, and I guess I couldn't say no."
Whoa, mind reader, much? Reply! Godammit reply you dummy! Say something interesting!
"Oh, that's...cool." Cool? Cool? That's all you can say? Well, we're screwed! Maybe not, Lucas obviously thought my reply was interesting, because his smirk turned to a full fledged grin.
He clapped his hands together, making me jump and interrupting my though process, and said, "So, the nurse? Where is it?"
Well, it was now or never. Do or die. Cook or be cooked. "Listen, I really, truly, do not need to go to the nurse. Mrs. Jones just overreacted. I'm fine!" Please, please, please say ok. Please, .
"Ok, sure." My eyes snapped open. Well, that was easy. Is he messing with me? "Nah, I'm serious. But we can't exactly go back into her class. Want to just walk? You could show me around?"
"Yes!" This was fantastic. No nurse, and Lucas, all to myself. All to myself? Oh crap! What would I say? If I had any hope Lucas recognized me, it was gone. He would have said something by now. But still, I had no know. I closed my eyes, and to my horror, blurt it out.
"Do you remember me?" Oh god, why did I say that? What is wrong with me?
"What?" Lucas seemed taken aback, and who can blame him? I shouldn't have said it.
"Never mind, just uh, forget it." I said in complete dejection. I was forgettable. He had made such a huge impression on me, yet I was just lost in the crowd.
"No! Kayla, please, it wasn't that I don't remember you, I was worried you wouldn't remember me."
My eyes snapped open. "What?" Was it true, or did he just say that to make me feel better...?
"Kayla!" He sounded exasperated. "Of course it's true! When I first saw you it was like a punch to the gut." A punch to the gut? Was that supposed to make me feel good?
"What a crap thing to say!" I blurt out. Good for you! Show that...jerk! But Lucas wasn't a jerk. In fact, he almost looked mad at himself.
"Oh god, don't take that the wrong way. It was a good thing. Kayla, it just came wrong."
Normally, I would be opposed to making amends with someone who basically told me the first time they laid eyes on me, it was like a "punch to the gut" but Lucas looked so, so desperate for me to forgive him. Plus, he truly did look sorry.
What else could I do but reply, "Uhm, it's ok. Let's just go and forget it. I'll show you around." As much as I liked talking to Lucas, I wanted to stray to a more neutral ground. Lucas looked at me, I mean really looked at me (which he had never done over the summer) as if deciding what to say.
"Ok, where to first?"
"How about the library? It's up a floor and down the hall." And my favorite place I added silently. Call me nerdy, but I loved to read. There's something about escaping your real life, even for 300 pages, that's always had an interest for me. For those 300 pages, I can be whoever, whatever, not just boring Kayla Madison, junior.
We walked to the library in uncomfortable silence. Lucas walked almost silently, like a panther, which made my lumberjack walking all the more louder. He didn't comment on it, not that I expected him too, but ever once and a while, when I was secretly looking him over from the corner of my eye, he'd get these small smiles on his face; like he was having a private joke. I didn't get it. What was he thinking? It didn't help that, once again, my body was behaving strangely to Lucas. Both my arms were tingling like crazy and begging me to touch him. To reach out and run my fingers through his medley of hair colors, to grasp onto his biceps (which were framed perfectly by his snug shirt) and hold on tight, to never release him. To sink my lips against his, to hold them there forever. I looked away from Lucas and the sensation retreated, but not by much. What was happening? Was I having some kind of allergic reaction to him?
Lucas burst out laughing, making me jump about three feet in the air.
"What?" I exclaimed. Had I missed something? Lucas either couldn't or wouldn't respond, as he was doubled over trying to compose himself. Was he laughing at me?
He became somber and grabbed my hand, "Kayla, I swear I'm not laughing at you. It was just...laughable. This awkward silence between us. I mean, we're friends...aren't we?" He added, undoubtedly seeing my expression.
Were we friends? I wasn't so sure. When I was visiting the National Forest, I would have loved nothing more then to be friends with Lucas. He was always so mysterious and the things I felt for him were intense. But now I was just really confused. Lucas ran so hot and cold. What are you doing? My brain screamed at me, Lucas, Lucas fucking Wilde just asked if we were friends and you're contemplating an answer? Yes! Yes! SAY YES! I grudgingly admitted my brain did have a point. Nothings changed, really. My feelings were still intense toward him, and he did seem to be nice, a little strange, but nice. And he remembered me!
"Yeah, Lucas, we're friends." It was the first time I had said his name, and it sent a thrill down my spine.
"Good." He sent me a small smile and my face flared up. I turned away and ushered him into the library.
And just like that, I was friends with Lucas Wilde. Listening to my heart beat erratically, I wondered if we could both survive this new found friendship.
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