Part 2
Jayden took his seat next to the new girl, usually next to Alisha. The girl had a sort of predatory familiarity about her. It wasn't that he'd seen her before - he'd never seen her in his life.
And he'd seen a lot. Things he couldn't tell anyone about.
The girl glanced up at him, seeing him looking. Recognition flashed on her features as her eyes flanked on the symbol on his t-shirt.
A black iris.
She gave him a stunning smile, lifted her hand a ran her fingers through her hair - before she did he got a clear view of the black iris on her ring.
She was a Night Person. Before he could speak to her the teacher came in and class started. Jayden felt slightly annoyed. The only ones he knew in this town were damned Daybreakers.
He wasn't a Daybreaker himself. He wasn't exactly there sort of person. But since there was nothing else to do and no one else to hang around with, it was all there was.
Plus, he could still be friends with Alisha, without anyone getting suspicious. Alisha didn't know about the Night World, or Circle Daybreak, and he wanted to keep it that way.
So far he was doing okay with that. He knew she was in love with him (even though she thought he didn't know, but he did). He always felt a vague regret that they could never be anything more than friends.
~No. Stop right there!~ He told himself savagely. ~It doesn't just endanger you, it puts her life in danger too. Is that what you want?~
Reality hit hard. It would be death for them both.
And he couldn't do that to Alisha.
He *wouldn't*.
No matter what.
* * *
Alisha frowned, not liking the sparks she could see shooting between Jayden and the new girl. There was an odd expression on his face, almost one of recognition.
The girl was looking at the black iris design on Jayden's t-shirt, then she deliberately ran her fingers through her hair so he could see her ring - a black iris.
Alisha frowned again. What was the deal with black flowers? She knew Elaine wore a dahlia on her necklace. They were symbols of some kind, that much was obvious, of what, was not so clear.
She wasn't jealous, she kept trying to tell herself. She *wasn't*.
Jayden had had girlfriends before. Most of them liked Alisha, but she had always felt a small stab of envy when she saw them. Compared to her, they were all beauty queens.
Why didn't Jayden realise *she* was the one who was perfect for him? She knew him, she liked him, she listened, she cared. All those other girls just wanted him because he was hot.
Class ended shortly, but before she could catch up with Jayden he and the new girl had left the room together. Alisha felt a rush of disappointment.
"It's not the end of the world, you know."
Alisha sighed, glancing over at Elaine. "Shut up."
They headed out the room into the crowded hallway. "There are lots of other gorgeous guys, Alisha," Elaine pointed out, smiling as a couple of basketball players walked past.
Alisha shook her head. "I don't *want* other guys. I want Jayden."
Elaine rolled her eyes. "Get over it."
Alisha didn't say anything. It was easy for Elaine to be so dismissive on the subject. She didn't know Jayden like Alisha did. Elaine didn't understand how much he meant to her.
"Do my a favour, will you?" she asked before turning into her French class. "See what you can find out about that girl for me."
Elaine sighed. "Okay, okay, see you at lunch."
"See you." Alisha headed mechanically to her seat. Maybe nothing would come from Jayden and the new girl.
~Maybe pigs will fly,~ she thought gloomily.
Maybe she should just *talk* to him about how she felt. She had tried to once or twice before, but every time, he had changed the subject quickly.
It became clearer he was hiding something from her.
But what?
* * *
Jayden took his seat next to the new girl, usually next to Alisha. The girl had a sort of predatory familiarity about her. It wasn't that he'd seen her before - he'd never seen her in his life.
And he'd seen a lot. Things he couldn't tell anyone about.
The girl glanced up at him, seeing him looking. Recognition flashed on her features as her eyes flanked on the symbol on his t-shirt.
A black iris.
She gave him a stunning smile, lifted her hand a ran her fingers through her hair - before she did he got a clear view of the black iris on her ring.
She was a Night Person. Before he could speak to her the teacher came in and class started. Jayden felt slightly annoyed. The only ones he knew in this town were damned Daybreakers.
He wasn't a Daybreaker himself. He wasn't exactly there sort of person. But since there was nothing else to do and no one else to hang around with, it was all there was.
Plus, he could still be friends with Alisha, without anyone getting suspicious. Alisha didn't know about the Night World, or Circle Daybreak, and he wanted to keep it that way.
So far he was doing okay with that. He knew she was in love with him (even though she thought he didn't know, but he did). He always felt a vague regret that they could never be anything more than friends.
~No. Stop right there!~ He told himself savagely. ~It doesn't just endanger you, it puts her life in danger too. Is that what you want?~
Reality hit hard. It would be death for them both.
And he couldn't do that to Alisha.
He *wouldn't*.
No matter what.
* * *
Alisha frowned, not liking the sparks she could see shooting between Jayden and the new girl. There was an odd expression on his face, almost one of recognition.
The girl was looking at the black iris design on Jayden's t-shirt, then she deliberately ran her fingers through her hair so he could see her ring - a black iris.
Alisha frowned again. What was the deal with black flowers? She knew Elaine wore a dahlia on her necklace. They were symbols of some kind, that much was obvious, of what, was not so clear.
She wasn't jealous, she kept trying to tell herself. She *wasn't*.
Jayden had had girlfriends before. Most of them liked Alisha, but she had always felt a small stab of envy when she saw them. Compared to her, they were all beauty queens.
Why didn't Jayden realise *she* was the one who was perfect for him? She knew him, she liked him, she listened, she cared. All those other girls just wanted him because he was hot.
Class ended shortly, but before she could catch up with Jayden he and the new girl had left the room together. Alisha felt a rush of disappointment.
"It's not the end of the world, you know."
Alisha sighed, glancing over at Elaine. "Shut up."
They headed out the room into the crowded hallway. "There are lots of other gorgeous guys, Alisha," Elaine pointed out, smiling as a couple of basketball players walked past.
Alisha shook her head. "I don't *want* other guys. I want Jayden."
Elaine rolled her eyes. "Get over it."
Alisha didn't say anything. It was easy for Elaine to be so dismissive on the subject. She didn't know Jayden like Alisha did. Elaine didn't understand how much he meant to her.
"Do my a favour, will you?" she asked before turning into her French class. "See what you can find out about that girl for me."
Elaine sighed. "Okay, okay, see you at lunch."
"See you." Alisha headed mechanically to her seat. Maybe nothing would come from Jayden and the new girl.
~Maybe pigs will fly,~ she thought gloomily.
Maybe she should just *talk* to him about how she felt. She had tried to once or twice before, but every time, he had changed the subject quickly.
It became clearer he was hiding something from her.
But what?
* * *
