"Do you want to say something? Christina?" I heard through my epiphany. Her name was Christina. Chris, Chrissy, Christy.

I gazed at her flawless face, soaking up her bright eyes and long shimmering blonde hair. Her skin was a light tanned shade, apart from her nose, which was sunburned, peeling.

"No, Beatrice, I don't." Her clear voice penetrated my slow-motion world, her pink lips curving around each syllable. I didn't have the courage to think her name, in case I broke the spell.

"Class, I have a meeting at my son's primary school, this is now a free period." I glared at the balding man who had interrupted, awakening me to the bleak reality that I couldn't stare at this angel for the rest of my life.

Then she stood up, moving to the front of the room, almost fluidly.

Gravity had disappeared. I was only connected to the ground by a thousand cords, cords that were tied to her. Christina. And now she was walking away. I felt the string pulling me, entreating me to run after her. And then she was leaning in to a boy. Blonde hair, blue eyes. Handsome, I could see that, was secure enough in my own masculinity to admit it. And he was touching her, stroking her hand, she was whispering conspiratorially. I knew I could hear her, but I couldn't concentrate on the words. And then they ran out of the room together, he was clutching at her protectively. Strings were snapping, thinning to a threadbare consistency.

"'Scuse me." I mumbled, standing up abruptly, upsetting the effortless flow of chatter from Trixie. Beatrice, as I now understood.

"Where are you going?" She snapped, and then calmed her tone into a sugary enticement. "Won't you stay with me?"

"Uh, bathroom." I muttered, pacing up the aisle. I decelerated next to the boy's chair, picking up his scent. I hadn't smelt her yet.

I stalked their fresh trail across a blacktop basketball court, past an oversized library and into the refreshing shade of a generous gym. And there she was.

Whirling to the rhythm of the music filling the building, her limbs sinuously soaring through the space enclosing her lithe body.

I took a deep breath through my nose, locating her fragrance. It smelled wonderful; warm and comforting. And strangely familiar. Then the truth hit me. It was the girl. The one whose ensuite I had been in. The one with the old leech stink in her bedroom. My body started to panic, and I began to shake uncontrollably, struggling to hold my form together.

Calm, I thought to myself soothingly.

The melody climaxed and Christina sank to the floor

melodramatically.

"Nice one Chris!" The boy said, suddenly there, and hugging her. "What did you think, Jacob?" He looked intently at me over her head. Christina twisted in his arms, turning, an expression of bemusement on her stunning face.

"Uh," I began, snatching a breath. "It was great, you were great." I cursed myself for not starting a better conversation. "I liked the sound track."

"Thanks," the boy said. "It took me ages to get it right, but Chrissy's worth it."

I almost boiled over with jealousy at how close he was to her. I looked at them together and wondered if they were related.

"Well you did a good job . . ." I remembered that I didn't know his name yet.

"Caleb. Caleb Brennan."

"And I'm Chrissy Preston."

"Jacob Bl-Simmons." I'd nearly slipped up, calling myself Jacob Black. Unbelievable. I should know better, even if I was disappointed by the different surnames. And then the ball rang.

"Catcha later Chris. You wanna ride today?" Caleb asked her. She pursed her lips, perusing the offer. "No. Tod'll pick me up."

"'Kay. Bye!"

I watched Chrissy retrieve a CD from the boom box in the corner and slip it into a canary-yellow case. "Where are you headed?" she asked casually.

"Um, English, I think."

"Same, who've you got?"

"Castles?"

She smiled, a winning smile, with traces of dimples flashing. "I'll show you the way. You're in my class."

She slung her bag over her shoulder, staggering a little at the momentum and headed towards the warm sunshine streaming through the open door.

I followed eagerly, running the events of the past quarter of an hour through my head. I'd imprinted on a girl who had a boyfriend that she was absolutely in love with. This girl was in two of my classes, a great coincidence with the size of this school.

At some point in the past, a leech had been prowling around in her room. Even though I had estimated it to be three or so years past, it still worried me. Was Chrissy in danger? Had Chrissy been in danger? Could I have met her any earlier and kept her safe?

I flicked my eyes to the left, settling my eyes onto her face, where, if I had my way, they would stay for the rest of my life.