Caleb's hand hurt, and it wasn't the one that hurt this morning.
After class he had escaped to his car and drove down a random street just to stop his car where no one was looking and check his hand. The left was as he left it: old. But his right hand, intact this morning, was bright red and throbbing, the blue veins pulsing under his skin and causing him horrible pain.
He stepped out of his car and covered it in snow. The pain subsided for a moment, only to return in full force when he took it from the ice. He swore and shoved it roughly back into the snow.
He sat on the edge of the road for a while, thinking about his ascension and his hands. His right hand didn't make any sense, he hadn't used all day and he shouldn't age without using, those were the rules. So what was wrong with his right hand?
He stared off into the distant trees.
He didn't want to age so soon. He wanted a family, a descendant, someone to keep the covenant alive. He wanted to be able to marry Sarah and have a son and raise him and be young and happy. He deserved it more than anyone else.
He made a fist with his hand under the snow. He was going to find a way to stop this aging, no matter what.
After class, before going out to meet Fae, Tyler began a quest to find Maddie Sparrow, who's name he had never heard before but who had troubled him a lot recently. He checked each hallway, each classroom and every lounge before giving up. He walked down the hall, moping, checking his watch when he spotted a head of blonde hair.
"Maddie! Hey!" The head didn't turn around, so he ran up to her. "Look, I'm real sorry for what I-"
"Hey Tyler." Sarah Said with a smile. "Looking for someone."
"Hey Sarah. Sorry, from the back you look like someone."
"Who?" She eyed him curiously. "A girl you like?"
"Not really, just someone I'm looking for. Maddie Sparrow."
"She went to the park, I think. Check that big oak tree in the middle of the square, she usually sits there."
He thanked Sarah and walked briskly towards the square in the middle of campus, without asking what a teenage girl would be doing in a deserted park in the middle of one of the coldest winters in history.
The outside met his expectations: cold and lonesome. No one was in the park except a few smokers enjoying a quick cigarette and the blonde girl sitting at the base of the tree, all wrapped up and reading a book.
Tyler shivered, he wasn't wearing a coat. He jogged towards her.
"Maddie!" She looked up, saw him, and her eyes widened. He stopped close to her. "Look, I'm really sorry for whatever I did to you in chemistry today, I didn't mean it I swear and if there is any way I can make it up to you…"
"Arent you cold?" She stated flatly.
He was. But he didn't notice it at the moment. He was busy noticing the odd light grey color of her eyes and the paleness of her skin, her curly blonde hair (very different than Sarah's) and her single blue jewel earrings.
"Yeah. A little. But that's not the point. I want to apologize for-"
"Apology accepted." She said with a small smile. She was still looking at him curiously, although the fear and surprise had disappeared.
"Um… thanks." Tyler said, slightly lost. After a moment of silence he stuck out his hand. "Tyler Sims." He said in a very professional voice.
"Madeline Sparrow." She shook his hand.
"Um, Madeline." He called her by her full name now that he knew what it was. "If you don't mind my asking, why were you so scared this morning."
She blinked.
"I wasn't scared, more like startled. The frog was pretty gross once dissected."
It was a bad lie, they both knew it. Tyler had seen her single handedly dissect her frog in half he time he did. Madeline hoped that if he realized she had lied Tyler wouldn't insist on getting the truth out of her.
"Oh, ok then." He was really feeling the cold now, he was shivering very visibly. "Did you just arrive at Spencer?"
"No, I've been here for three years." She said with another smile. She looked at his shivering hands. "You are cold."
"I am not."
"Here." She handed him a pair of gloves from her coat pocket. "At least try not to get frostbite unless necessary."
"But your h-hands?"
She raised her two hands gloved in dark leather and waved gently. Tyler accepted the gloves gratefully and slipped them on his hands. Almost instantly he felt warmer.
"Have you actually been here for three years?"
"Yup." She said. "I just don't mingle, I guess. Except with a few people…" Her voice trailed off as she watched one of the girls that was smoking earlier on approach. Her hips were swaying gracefully as she walked and occasionally exhaled a cloud of smoke, every few breaths a ring. As she approached Tyler could see that she was breathtaking, with long dark brown hair that was at least mid-back and icy cold blue eyes that gave her a penetrating gaze.
"Mads," she said between two clouds of smoke. "I'm hungry. Lets go grab some grub." She looked over at Tyler and frowned. "Who's he?"
"Tyler Sims." Maddie said. "A friend. Sortof."
"Nice, nice." The girl said. "So you up for grabbin' some food with us Tyler?"
"I," He checked his watch. "Actually have to go meet a friend soon." He looked up at the girl. "Sorry."
"Hmm… I'm sure you are." She said coldly.
"Friend? Who?" Maddie asked.
"Well, not a friend perse, more like an acquaintance… its actually why I'm here, she wanted to know how I scared you so bad."
"Scared? Her?" The brunette looked quizzically at the frail blonde.
"Well, no. Startled." Maddie said. "Who is it?"
"Fae Renfield."
Maddie frowned, her light eyes settling into a puzzled expression.
"Don't go." She said simply. "You'll regret it." Tyler was startled at her cold and blatant answer.
"I wasn't planning on staying long. She's kind of annoying to tell you the truth."
Maddie looked at him mournfully, then stood up delicately.
"C'mon Anastasia, lets get some dinner. Bye Tyler." She waved lightly and left.
I'm really getting into this story, ive been writing some of it almost constantly, so the updates might be quick. Please review some more, i really appreciate it :)
