Chapter 14

A schoolparty isn't a that big of a deal, Rie finds out. It's really dark, accept for a few flashy discolights, loud music is making the building shiver, and there are kissing couples all over the places. But there is also a bunch of hyperactive people making spastic moves on the dancfloor, trying to go on the beat. Only a few manage to succeed.
,Boys so don't know how to move." Rie yells to Marten. She has to scream on the tops of her lungs to make herself clear. The music is really destroying your ears.
Marten laughs. ,Yeah, I know. We're terrible! That's why we like a music with a loud beat, so we only have to swing our arms around and hop on our legs!"

And Rie smiles and let Marten lead her to the bar, where he buys her a coke. Rie checks the area for Seth, but she can't spot him. Did he even enter the school, or did he stay outside?
,Oh, heavens, look it's Fanny." Marten says, he lets out a sigh.
Rie follows his eyes and sees her too. Fanny is hanging on the arm of her new boyfriend: Alte Dengen. In Rie's eyes he is known as the asshole that once let her trip in the hallway and who let his cigaretash fall on her arm, which hurt like hell. She didn't make herself popular with him when she gave him a kick in the shins as a payback.

,Yeah, looks like somebody is getting laid tonight." She says. Marten frowns as he looks at Rie, but then his eyes go back at Fanny. ,You think?"
,Yeah, is it not because Alte wants it, then it's because she wants to make you jealous." Rie says and she empties her glass in her mouth. She whipes her mouth with the back of her hand.
,Why did you break up with her?"

Now Marten stares at his hands and shrugs with his shoulders. ,I don't know. We had an argument, you know. About you."
,Ow, that's fun, now I am the subject of the Populars. That's cool. I should write that down on my resemé!" Rie says, grinning. But her grin dissapears, when she sees Marten's face.
,I told her I thought you were a nice girl. I thought it wasn't fair that everybody was picking on you and that I found it so cool that you bit back." He says, not looking at Rie or Fanny, but finding his hands a more interesting subject to look at.
,Thank you." Rie says, appreciating Marten didn't follow the crowd when she was honored with the 'freak-title'.

Marten straightnes his back and stares at Fanny again. ,Yeah, I guess. But Fanny didn't like me saying that at all. And she dared me out. She said I would never talk to you, because it would ruin my social status. I said I didn't care shit about that."
,I am beginning to like you." Rie tells him with a monotone voice. She tips the glass out of his fingers and starts to drink his drink. This place is so warm, it's making her thirsty.
,So I started to talk to you, and I liked you. Because you were trying so hard to keep me away from you and stuff. But Fanny got pissed ofcourse. So I made up my mind and I asked you on a date. Fanny was furious when she found out and she broke up with me. I guess I asked for it, but I just hated it that she was bitching over the fact I wanted to know you and be friends with you."

Rie nods, finding his explanation quite understandable. Well, at least the part of the Pissed Off Fanny. But why would he want to be friends with her, when he has all those people hanging around him all day long? That's just stupid!
,Why me?" She asks, her eyes staring directly at him.
,Why you?" Marten repeats and he shrugs his shoulders once again. ,You cought my attention. Suddenly you were standing out because of that rumour and I thought it was a stupid rumour. So I guess I kinda wanted to know who you were."
,Yeah, but you have loads of friends! I am the loner of the school! I'm a teenage dirtbag!" Rie cries out. ,Why would you pick me as a friend when you already have them drooling after you! That doesn't make sense!"

Now Marten smiles again. ,It doesn't?" And he now let his eyes wander back at Fanny, who is almost choking in her new boyfriend's tongue.
,Nah, because it doesn't huh? It doesn't matter if they like me for me, or for my social status right?" His voice chuckles and he shakes his head. ,Don't you think having a friend who likes you for you is much more worth then a bunch of assholes who worship you like you are a famous tvguy? Because I am not a famous tvguy! I'm a normal guy, who's parents just divorced and who's is now hoping his dad will pay money, so he and his mother can pay for the rent?"

A normal girl would have awed in pity and would have patted him on the back or hugged him, but Rie doesn't. She takes the last drink of soda out of Marten's glass look at him.

,Do you think I will emphatise you with that?" She asks. ,I don't give a damn if your parents are divorced or not! Man, it sounds like you are now trying to get my friendship with that story! And that's not what you want either, do you?"

Dumbstruck Marten stares at her and he blinks. ,Ehm… I guess." And he smiles.
Rie smiles back at him. ,But do you think friends are that important?"

Marten nods. ,Yeah, yeah they are. Why do you ask?"
Slamming the glass on a table Rie shrugs her shoulders. ,I think you're better off alone. Nobody can hurt you when you're alone."

,You can't have love without pain." Marten says and he walks towards her, grabs her hands and pulls her along. ,Enough talking before you depress me! Let's have some fun, please!"

,You want me to dance?" Rie cries out, but she can't supress a laughter when Marten swings her on the dancefloor, making her move along on the beat.

It's past midnight when Marten brings Rie back to her house. They are walking next to eachother talking about the night and about school. Rie feels so comfortable with him that she almost has the urge to tell him about Seth, but she stops herself from doing it.

,I will see you monday then!" Marten says, rubbing her head.
,If that's what you want, dude, then do as you please!" Rie says. ,Don't come crying when the Populars start to pick on you!" She looks at him and smiles.
Marten smiles back as they stand still in front of Rie's window. ,I had a great time." Marten says. ,And maybe we do become friends."
,Maybe." Rie says and she feels a little uneasy again. A friend, huh? She never had one before. Well, aside from Seth. But she hasn't seen him the rest of the evening.
Marten gives her another rub over the head and then leaves. Rie watches him walk of the drive way and then cracks her window open and slips into her room. She doesn't bother finding the light, but throws her clothes of in the dark and slips under the covers wearing only her underwear. It's too warm to sleep in pj's.
Happy about the fact that the evening went so smoothly and without any feeling of stress, she listens to the silence around her. And slowly a sad feeling enters her body.
She saw Seth at her school, but now he is gone again! Why did he leave her? She wants him with her so much, it hurts. How come she wants him so badly now?
First she would have loved him to leave, but now she feels so empty without him.
Especially after seeying him today, staring at her with those eyes. Those skyblue eyes who were staring at her so angry.
She makes a fist and hits her pillow. Why didn't he come to her? She would have leaved and come with him if he would have asked her! Well, she would have bitched about it at first, because she doesn't wear the name Rie for nothing. But she would have come along with him!

A touch of a hand on her cheek; a jolt makes her spine make a twitch and she kicks with her legs, turning on her side. In the shadows, but still perfectly clear, is a boy. And she knows him damn well.
,Hey." Rie whispers softly.
She sees Seth blink a couple of times. ,I never really left, you know. I was here every night."

He was here every night? Rie's heart skips a beat.

,You're so rude." She mumbles. ,You never woke me up."
Seth strokes her cheek. ,I was angry, but still I couldn't leave your side for too long."
With a snatch Rie catches ahold of his hand. ,You're so stupid, you know that? I hate you! I don't want you to leave like that again!" And she pulls his hand close to her, resting it in her neck. She stares at him and sees the expression of his face change.
He smiles and bends through his knees, sitting next to her bed, staring back at her.
The fingers of the hand Rie's holding, are stroking her neck gently. And Rie feels the heath in her body rise up. He is making her feel so stupid. Just like Marten did in the beginning.
But now Seth is doing it, and he is doing it much worse.
,Don't leave me anymore, no matter what happens." Rie whispers, finding it hard to let her voice sound normal.
Seth moves closer to her, whiping the hair out of her face with his other hand. ,No matter what happens." He repeats, not a smile on his face, but his eyes give warmth.
His nose touches her and Rie gasps. She can't help it.
She close her eyes. The touch of Seth's nose against hers is making her glow. It's like her body is much better in feeling right now and she's feels like she is going to burst because of it. How can a single touch make her feel like that?
Seth's fingers keep stroking her neck and Rie wishes she was more in controle of her body. She hates not being in control.
But, she thinks as she lets her free hand slip around Seth's neck, pulling his forhead against her's and feeling his cold breath in her face, she hates it more when Seth's gone.
,Seth?"
,Yeah?"
,I promise, I will find out who you really are. I will find your family." Rie whispers. ,Maybe then we can also find a way to change you back to normal."
She opens her eyes again, lets go of Seth's hand and catches ahold of Seth neck with both of her hands now, pulling his head close to her. Seth settles in her neck, stares up at her while laying there. ,You will do that for me?"
Rie hugs his head, while she feels Seth's arms wrap themselves around her body. She takes a deep breath and relaxes. Seth is feeling so cold. It's really like holding a cloud.
,Yeah, I promise. But you better never leave my side again, you annoying perv." She mutters, feeling more like herself when she can bitch about things.
She hears Seth giggle and tighten his grip. And Rie closes her eyes, allowing sleep to come.