Part 3
It had to be there! It just had to be! Erica thumbed through her backpack for a fourth time but to no avail.
Where was it? She had taken her diary out her bag, but had foolishly left her Thought book in her bag. It was kind of like a diary, but not quite. It was still extremely personal.
She dreaded to think what could have happened to it. If someone had found it...
People could be reading it and laughing at her. How would she ever make friends?
"Bad day?"
She found herself pleased to be running into Celeste on the way to the cafeteria. "I lost another notebook this morning. It's kind of important."
Celeste shrugged. "I only saw the one I gave you. It'll turn up. Try Lost and Found at the end of the day."
Erica didn't say anything. She didn't want to wait until the end of the day. She wanted that notebook *now*.
"Well, come and meet some people, that'll cheer you up."
Erica managed a weak smile as Celeste led her over to a table already crowded with people. Everyone was so polite and friendly Erica felt extremely embarrassed about not being able to make conversation.
" - she had a run in with Scarlet Blackthorn this morning."
Erica tuned in on Celeste's sentence. So the mysterious Goth girl had a name.
"Talk about a bad way to start a new school," a dark haired boy named Cole snorted.
"That bad?" Erica asked, a pit starting to grow in her stomach. Oh no, if that girl had found her notebook...
"Just ignore her," a ginger-haired girl named Triana said dismissively. "She's a pain in the ass, but she only has power when she knows people are scared of her."
Erica opened her mouth when a guy approached the table. Everyone fell silent. Erica tried not to stare. He was dressed in baggy jeans and a T-shirt with the emblem of some obscure heavy-metal band. His hair was a mass of black dread-locks hanging almost to his waist.
"What do you want?" Celeste asked finally, her voice harsh.
"We're looking for an Erica Hamilton," the boy said.
Erica frowned, waving a hand. "That's me. Who are you?"
"Caleb. My friend has something that belongs to you and he wants to give it back."
Erica stood up, nervous. Her notebook?
"Maybe one of us should go with you," Celeste said, glaring at Caleb.
"She's a big girl, I think she can handle herself." Caleb said dryly. He smiled at Erica, making her insides go all warm.
"Okay," she said, and left with Caleb. She wondered why his friend hadn't come to give her the notebook himself.
Caleb led her out the cafeteria to a classroom on the second floor. A small group of people were sat there. A boy with long pale blond hair, black lipsticked-lips, eyes yellow as a hawk's. A girl with orangey-red hair, a pale face as white as orchids, glimmering violet eyes. And a third boy with a differentness about him to the rest. He was tall, even sitting down, dressed in black from head to toe, even his dark skin and black eyes seemed to match. His hair was tied back in a neat ponytail, a shimmering blue-black. The only colourful thing about him was his green eyes, blazing like emeralds.
"You're Erica?" the cat-eyed boy asked.
Erica nodded wordlessly.
"I'm Dathan, that's Ridge, that's Ara." He pointed to each. He held out a hand to her. Not knowing what she was doing Erica found herself drawn to Dathan, taking his hand. He smiled at her, and handed her her notebook as if it had appeared out of magic.
Erica took the book. "T-thanks," she whispered.
"I must also apologise for Scarlet's behaviour this morning," Dathan went on. "She's been through a rough time recently, but that's no excuse for her attitude."
"It's okay, I forgive her." What was *happening* to her? She had never been so...*enthralled* with a boy on first meeting before. It seemed like Dathan had some sort of control over her. Get what he wanted out of her.
"Let me make it up to you by taking you out tonight. I'll come and get you at eight."
Erica nodded. "Okay."
Dathan smiled and sat down again. "Caleb, take her back to the cafeteria."
Caleb did as he was told. Erica followed meekly. She saw the others exchange glances. "What happened?" Cole demanded.
Erica held up the notebook. I lost this this morning." She sighed dreamily. "Dathan found it for me." She barely noticed the shocked glances and mutterings. She didn't care. She had a date.
* * *
It had to be there! It just had to be! Erica thumbed through her backpack for a fourth time but to no avail.
Where was it? She had taken her diary out her bag, but had foolishly left her Thought book in her bag. It was kind of like a diary, but not quite. It was still extremely personal.
She dreaded to think what could have happened to it. If someone had found it...
People could be reading it and laughing at her. How would she ever make friends?
"Bad day?"
She found herself pleased to be running into Celeste on the way to the cafeteria. "I lost another notebook this morning. It's kind of important."
Celeste shrugged. "I only saw the one I gave you. It'll turn up. Try Lost and Found at the end of the day."
Erica didn't say anything. She didn't want to wait until the end of the day. She wanted that notebook *now*.
"Well, come and meet some people, that'll cheer you up."
Erica managed a weak smile as Celeste led her over to a table already crowded with people. Everyone was so polite and friendly Erica felt extremely embarrassed about not being able to make conversation.
" - she had a run in with Scarlet Blackthorn this morning."
Erica tuned in on Celeste's sentence. So the mysterious Goth girl had a name.
"Talk about a bad way to start a new school," a dark haired boy named Cole snorted.
"That bad?" Erica asked, a pit starting to grow in her stomach. Oh no, if that girl had found her notebook...
"Just ignore her," a ginger-haired girl named Triana said dismissively. "She's a pain in the ass, but she only has power when she knows people are scared of her."
Erica opened her mouth when a guy approached the table. Everyone fell silent. Erica tried not to stare. He was dressed in baggy jeans and a T-shirt with the emblem of some obscure heavy-metal band. His hair was a mass of black dread-locks hanging almost to his waist.
"What do you want?" Celeste asked finally, her voice harsh.
"We're looking for an Erica Hamilton," the boy said.
Erica frowned, waving a hand. "That's me. Who are you?"
"Caleb. My friend has something that belongs to you and he wants to give it back."
Erica stood up, nervous. Her notebook?
"Maybe one of us should go with you," Celeste said, glaring at Caleb.
"She's a big girl, I think she can handle herself." Caleb said dryly. He smiled at Erica, making her insides go all warm.
"Okay," she said, and left with Caleb. She wondered why his friend hadn't come to give her the notebook himself.
Caleb led her out the cafeteria to a classroom on the second floor. A small group of people were sat there. A boy with long pale blond hair, black lipsticked-lips, eyes yellow as a hawk's. A girl with orangey-red hair, a pale face as white as orchids, glimmering violet eyes. And a third boy with a differentness about him to the rest. He was tall, even sitting down, dressed in black from head to toe, even his dark skin and black eyes seemed to match. His hair was tied back in a neat ponytail, a shimmering blue-black. The only colourful thing about him was his green eyes, blazing like emeralds.
"You're Erica?" the cat-eyed boy asked.
Erica nodded wordlessly.
"I'm Dathan, that's Ridge, that's Ara." He pointed to each. He held out a hand to her. Not knowing what she was doing Erica found herself drawn to Dathan, taking his hand. He smiled at her, and handed her her notebook as if it had appeared out of magic.
Erica took the book. "T-thanks," she whispered.
"I must also apologise for Scarlet's behaviour this morning," Dathan went on. "She's been through a rough time recently, but that's no excuse for her attitude."
"It's okay, I forgive her." What was *happening* to her? She had never been so...*enthralled* with a boy on first meeting before. It seemed like Dathan had some sort of control over her. Get what he wanted out of her.
"Let me make it up to you by taking you out tonight. I'll come and get you at eight."
Erica nodded. "Okay."
Dathan smiled and sat down again. "Caleb, take her back to the cafeteria."
Caleb did as he was told. Erica followed meekly. She saw the others exchange glances. "What happened?" Cole demanded.
Erica held up the notebook. I lost this this morning." She sighed dreamily. "Dathan found it for me." She barely noticed the shocked glances and mutterings. She didn't care. She had a date.
* * *