Chapter 11: Back to School…

The next week was much of the same for Warren. He'd get Verity's assignments, then head to her house after school. He'd sit and help her with her homework until she'd desperately want to kiss him, then she'd pin him down to the bed again and they'd make out until either a) he had to leave for work, or b) it was time for dinner.

The voices never returned while Verity was locked away at home, and she never saw Speed or anyone else out of that crowd while she was there, so she and Warren determined they were the ones trying to keep them apart. Verity came back to school on the Monday of Homecoming week. Warren wrapped his arm around her waist while he walked her to her locker.

"So, do you want to go to the dance on Friday?" He leaned against the locker next to hers, taking in her appearance. She was back to regular, old Verity; she had on a jean skirt and a long-sleeved v-neck tee shirt with some ankle boots. Her hair was loose around her shoulders.

Verity smiled at him. "You asking me to Homecoming?"

"Well, I wasn't going to…I just assumed couples went together. But I thought I'd make sure you wanted to go before I got tickets or anything."

Verity looked thoughtful for a moment, mirroring his pose on her own locker. "I think I might have a dress I can wear…"

Warren kissed her softly. "Then it's a date. See you soon."

As they parted, Warren forgot something and turned around. "Verity?"

"Hmm?" She looked like she was in a daze.

He smiled at her, brushing some hair from in front of her face. "Remember, steer clear of Speed and the rest of them. And tell me if the voices come back." He rested his hand on her cheek. "I love you, you know."

"I won't go near them, and I promise to let you know if the voices come back." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "I know you love me. I love you too." Then she walked away.

Warren had to wait until gym to see her again, and when he got there, he was trembling with anticipation. His body was going through withdrawals, thanks to spending all his spare time with her during the weekend. He scanned the gym after changing, looking for her. She was in her usual corner, looking as she had at the beginning of the school year. She was all alone, a frown of concentration on her face. When she saw Warren, she perked up and waved enthusiastically. He grinned back and walked over to her.

"Hey, sexy," she purred, snuggling into him as he sat down. Apparently he wasn't the only one experiencing withdrawal. "What took you so long?"

Warren chuckled deep in his throat, still amazed at how difficult it was for him to control his emotions with her around. "I had to change."

Verity wore a mischievous grin. "Maybe I should have hidden in the locker room so I could have seen you sooner."

Warren didn't miss the double meaning; for the last few days, he'd been the one to break up their make-out sessions when they were teetering on the point of no return. He knew any other guy would have jumped for the chance to have sex with the pretty brunette, but he wasn't ready to jump that far. He wanted it to be right, not just because of hormones. He just sighed in frustration and looked at her. "Verity," his voice spoke a warning.

Now it was her turn to sigh in frustration. "I know, I know. You want it to be as close to perfect as it can. And I appreciate that you're being so sweet and chivalrous about it. But, Warren, I can't help it if I ache for you to touch me. I can't help it if just the sight of you makes me want to rip off all your clothes. I can't help it if you can turn me on with just a look." She leaned towards him, her mouth centimeters from his ear. "I can't help how much I want you."

Her voice sent shivers down his spine. He knew exactly what she was feeling, but he couldn't help but think that their first time should be a symbol of their love and not their hormones getting the best of them. He'd explained it a few times and Verity knew what he was saying, but he understood her too: they couldn't help it. He wondered if any other couple felt that kind of magnetic attraction to each other, the burning desire he and Verity tried desperately to control. Somehow, he couldn't see Will and Layla feeling like that. And he couldn't decide if that meant he and Verity were the ones really in love and Will and Layla were going through a phase, or if his two friends were the ones in love and he and his girlfriend were just a phase.

Verity pulled away slightly, fighting her feelings. "Are you working tonight, or coming over to study?"

Warren intertwined her fingers with his. "Working. But my dinner break is at eight-thirty, if you want to stop by."

Verity visibly brightened. "That sounds like fun. I haven't had Chinese in a long time."

Warren kissed her cheek. "It's a date then."

They sat and watched Save the Citizen in silence. Verity refused to play after that fateful day, and Warren was no longer one of the reigning champions, so they got to sit together and talk the entire period. Besides heated kisses and caresses, Warren and Verity did a lot of talking: about their lives before Sky High and about their families, about their dreams and plans for the future. They felt comfortable with each other and that was huge for Warren. He knew his relationship with Freeze Girl had been nothing like this; it was awkward and short, very much like most high school relationships were. With Verity, it seemed so much more real, open, and adult. He could see himself settling down with her, having kids, maybe a dog. The thought of that kind of commitment used to terrify him, and in a way, it still did because they were so young, but it didn't scare him to think his future would include her.

"I've been thinking a lot about that day," Verity murmured, bringing him from his thoughts.

"And?"

"And I remember bumping into Speed on my way down to the arena."

Warren's eyebrows went up. "Really?"

"Yeah. I didn't think anything of it, at the time, but he bumped into me, then grabbed a hold of my wrist to steady me. He apologized and said he was sorry."

"Anything else?"

"Yeah, I found this charm on my charm bracelet I usually wear." She showed Warren a plastic baggie. Inside, there sat a small skull and crossbones charm with red eyes. "And another thing."

"Hmm?" Warren took the baggie from her and inspected the charm. "What?"

"I started hearing the voices again when I took it off my bracelet this morning, but they stopped as soon as I put it in this bag."

"How often did you have that bracelet on when you heard the voices?" Warren had a funny feeling about this charm.

"Oh, only every time I wore it. I put it on in the mornings when I get on the bus and take it off before bed." Verity looked into his eyes. "And I remembered something else too." She waited until she had Warren's undivided attention. "One of the voices told me something about Royal Pain."