Chapter 2

Watch your back….

I ran on the sidewalk at night, running from what I had no idea. All I knew what that it wasn't something I wanted to know. I realized that I was going fast like not just the normal fast, it was almost like if you watched me you would only see a blur. That is when I stopped, checking to make sure it was still all me.

"Hello Kirsten, long time no see…" I looked to my right, where I had heard the sound. Only to realize that it was a shadow that was slowly showing himself…feet, dark shoes…legs, were built but thin…

I woke with a startle…Ugh just my alarm clock, calm down…

I got up and looked at my room to check if everything was still the same…Ok Kirsten, you will get through this day and come home to find everything the exact same way it was. You are normal.

I got to school about 10 minutes late since I had to search for my sketchpad, which ended up being in my desk (no idea how in the world it got there) I went to the front office to get a pass for my first class…Biology, which I actually loved (it beats chemistry right?) On my way to the office Carla ran into me.

"Hey! Where were you? We were supposed to meet up!"

"Sorry Carla but I couldn't find my sketchpad—"

"Yeah well—"

"Miss Anderson, I suggest that you get back to class before I write you up again for skipping…and Kirsten?"

"Um no I came late to school, I was on my way to the office—"

"Then I suggest you go. Now." Mrs. Hilda was the strictest teacher ever, but she never (not once) yelled at me…mostly Carla.

"Ok meet me at lunch—"

"Miss Anderson?" Mrs. Hilda glared at Carla, but I nodded to her, so that she would leave without, yet another, detention. Carla left down the hall, with Mrs. Hilda close behind, only looking back to make sure I had moved. Seeming satisfied, she left me on my own.

I walked to the office and saw that there were 4 people in line already, so I just sat in a chair waiting for the line to move up. I noticed the first person was Jordan, who barely ever came to school, and on the days he did come; he came late. So it was no surprise he was there. But, the other 3 I didn't recognize and I knew basically everyone in our small town. The second in line was a girl, she had black hair that was chopped short, and a dainty, thin body. She wore a pair of worn out jeans and a black t-shirt, topped off with a pair of converse that had neon pink at the edges. The third person in line had really blonde hair, and a slight tan on his body. He wore jeans and a navy blue shirt, with black shoes. But, the fourth person struck me the most, he had dark jeans on and converse, but he wore a leather jacket and had dark brown hair… The thing that struck me about him was that his skin looked absolutely perfect, almost like he was meant to be an Abercrombie model…

Snap out of it Kirsten! Jeez…

I realized that the line still hadn't moved, so I checked who was in charge, oh no Ms. Sully was in charge today, which meant this was going to take the whole mod… great.

Just as Ms. Sully took another phone call, the three "newbie's" as Carla called them, started to take notice of me and the black haired girl smiled. I smiled back, and she walked over to sit in the chair next to me.

"Hi, my name is Allyson." She smiled then raised her eyebrows

"Hey, um, my names Kirsten." She smiled again like she had confirmed that I would talk to her.

"The guys over there are Asher—"She pointed to the blonde one and he must of overheard, because he turned around and smiled.

"And, um, Damon" I wondered why the hesitation, but then he turned a little and I realized why…

He was HOT like not just normal hot, but he was over the roof HOT. His eyes were dark and he had spider-like lashes that complimented them so well.

"Hi" was all he said, but his voice was beautiful… ok stop Kirsten obviously he's not interested…

And I was right, he really didn't seem to like me.

Allyson rolled her eyes and faced me again.

"Sorry, he's not very talkative, but he is nice once you get to know him."

"Are you guy's siblings or what?"

"Oh no, well we are orphans so we were all adopted by the same person, and we just became really close…" Her eyes fluttered to Asher really quickly then back, hoping I wouldn't notice, but I did.

I lifted my eyebrows at her and she blushed.

Just then Ms. Sully came off the phone and wrote Jordan a note, then she looked up at me and Allyson.

"Kirsten, can I see your schedule please?" I walked up and gave her my schedule, while noticing that Damon was watching intently.

Ms. Sully read my schedule and checked it on the computer. I wondered why she was inspecting the whole thing. Then she looked up at me,

"Kirsten, do you think you'd be able to lead these new students to your classes, just for today?"

I was surprised, she must be really busy today to ask a student to do that…

I knew that I had no choice…

"Um, sure Ms. Sully"

"Ok I'll write you a pass…gather your things…"

I walked over to my seat and gathered my stuff as she spoke to the newbie's.

"Now I want you three to come to me after school to get your schedules, but for now just follow Kirsten."

I went to her and grabbed the pass as Allyson came to walk by me, while the boys stayed behind us.

"So, what class do we have?"

"Um, Biology, or what's left of it…" We only had about 15 minutes left of class, but we still walked to the other side of the building…

The bell rang, and I went to the front to gather what I had missed from the first part of class then we walked to homework with Mr. Carter, who was also my history teacher, and was one of the few teachers I actually liked.

"So you seem to like Biology."

"Yeah, well, I realized I liked it better than chemistry…" Allyson seemed to like that answer, and we laughed. We talked all through homeroom, with Asher coming into the conversation a couple of times but mostly Damon kept to himself.

We were on our way to our mod that came right before lunch…art. My favorite class of the day.

"Where are we going?"

"Well, I take art, but you are able to choose between journalism, photography, poetry, band or choir if you don't like art as much as me…" I smiled.

Allyson laughed… "We'll see…"

We got to class and Mr. Wyatt was at the front, he liked to act like he was quiet for the newbie's and then scare them…wait for it.

We sat down at our easels and I grabbed the same paintbrushes I always do and put them in the case at the bottom, then pointed to the brushes for the other three. We all sat down, and I realized that Damon was sitting next to me, on my right, while Allyson was on my left…I'd never really let people see me draw only my grandma and Carla knew I liked it. I guess I'm going to have to bear with it. Mr. Wyatt got up, looking solemn then he splashed some paint, after grabbing some of it from his desk…

"Welcome, new students to art class, I realize that you haven't chosen your elective yet, but I hope you love it as much as we do!"

"Now please take out your assignments!" and he smiled… he was weird, which is why I liked this class. He let you express yourself.

He came to me, and I remembered that it was in my bag, so I bent down to my right and picked up my bag, then took out my sketchpad but it was bundled around a notebook so it fell, and it opened, and I was unhappy. Because not only did it open to the creepy shadow drawing but Damon picked it up and stared at it, then looked at me with so much intentness in them that I felt I was going to faint.

I started shaking but I opened to my beach scene and showed Mr. Wyatt. He smiled and patted me on the back.

"You were always the best student in this class!" I blushed at the compliment and then turned my head down, and to the left because I could feel Damon's eyes on me. I had forgotten that I'd even drawn that in the first place, but then my hands started to shake because the girl I had drawn was Allyson. Why is this happening?

"ok class I want you to paint whatever you want, feel something and let it go, but to the new students, if you don't think you will be taking art, no pressure you don't have to paint if you don't want to but if you just want to for today, that's fine also." "Begin."

Ok, so you drew Allyson before meeting her, maybe not…maybe you just met her a long time ago and forgot…yeah…ok.

I looked at the blank canvas before me, and let my emotions go onto the white space…

"Ok class please put your art in the back to dry then you may pick them up after school." I awakened from my world to see that everyone had left and Allyson was sitting next to me staring at the painting; Damon and Ash sitting on the table behind me in awe. I looked back to what I had painted..And I dropped my brush.

In the painting was the outside of what looked exactly like the coffee house down the street, there was a book upside down on the sidewalk and a hand was reaching for it but that was all you could see of the man, the rest was a shadow. But a glow seemed to be protecting the book and I saw in the corner… was a part of my converse with the charm on it. I stood up, acting as if it were nothing.

"I cannot believe you didn't tell me you're an artist!"

"Allyson-it's nothing, really…"

"Didn't look like nothing to me" said Ash

We walked to the cafeteria and Carla hit me like a wave.

"Oh my God! Hey Kirsten! Who are your new friends?" She elbowed me as if to say "introduce me to the guys NOW!"

"Um this is Allyson, Asher, and Damon. So are you eating with us?" I really didn't think I could handle her for a whole hour of lunch but luckily…

"Hi, and no sorry I have an in-school detention with Ms. Sully…. But next time!" I wondered what else she could have done but I let it go…She walked away and we sat at a table close to the door, and the end.

"Your friends with her?" asked Asher

"Um—well its complicated."

"Let me guess you guys were best friends then she changed but she still uses you and 'says' your friends?" said Allyson.

"Your good." She smiled

"Been there done that, but don't worry, you have new (better) friends now!" I laughed and she said she would go get my lunch for me.

"But you don't know the system"

"Live and learn right? Common Asher, I heard your stomach growl in art, I know you're hungry." We laughed at that and Asher grabbed her and they laughed while they stood in line. But, unfortunately I had forgotten that I was alone with Damon.

"Can I ask you a question?" I was surprised to even hear him speak, so I didn't want to be the one to change that.

"Sure"

"When did you draw that sketch?" I looked up at him and answered, even though I saw something that made me think he knew the answer already.

"Last night after—" I stopped myself before I said too much.

"After what?" His eyes staring intently, as I looked into them. I was surprised to see worry.

"Well it's not that big of a deal, but when I got home yesterday the living room and my room of my apartment was trashed…probably just nothing." He didn't say anything but he looked worried, almost like what I'd said had confirmed his suspicions. I excused myself to the bathroom and let my thoughts overtake me on the way there…

After I came back from the bathroom I realized that they had been talking about something serious, then when I'd came in they started to fake their expressions. This kept occurring until the end of school.

"Hey so Kirsten?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think we could go to your house and wait there until our parents come? We usually have to wait like 2 hours at school that's why…"

"Sure, but today's the day that I have to walk home, since my grandma will be working at the store today. It's kind of a long walk, if you don't mind?"

"No problem." We worked it out that I would go with Allyson to go get our paintings while Ash and Damon went to get their schedules. (I guess Allyson was joining art while Damon was going to be in poetry and Ash was going to be in photography.) I recognized that I didn't have my History book with me so we took a detour to the study hall class.

The door was open, so I just grabbed it, and we went to the art class. That was when the nausea hit.