They Had Lights in Their Eyes

Two

'Two Worlds Should Never Collide'

Cassie pulled up to her new home in a dazzled daze. Her body was tingling with a sensation she could not describe. It buzzed up and down her arms, and tickled her torso in swirling motions. It was like an electric jolt, sparked by something so much more organic. After meeting Adam Conant, Cassie felt free. Free of something she'd never be able to define; and even if she could, she wouldn't. There was something magical about the unknown, and Adam embraced and radiated that mysteriousness with a fiery passion. She wondered if he even knew how alluring he was. He was the color black: deep, endless, and cold—yet he was the lightest of blacks Cassie had ever seen. It was like there was a war going on within Adam: a good versus evil type deal. She wanted so badly to know which side was winning the battle, and she wanted to test just how far each side could be stretched. Adam Conant was an open book, begging to be read. But he was a very rare volume to a series long since lost, so his pages were banned from being turned. Cassie yearned to stroke the cobwebs away, to read the words covered by years of dust and simplistic hiding.

Was it strange that she felt such a connection to a boy she barely knew? Usually, she'd never even get as far as to say that she had a connection with anyone of the male gender. Cassie had never been a fan of the whole love at first sight mumbo jumbo or the destiny theory which was just a bunch of hocus pocus. Somehow with Adam though, it felt different. It was as if she had no choice but to fall for him—it was literally impossible for her not to. Everything about the sweet diner boy enthralled her. He was something so spectacular; she actually felt the urge to bow down at his presence.

She was falling hard for Adam, and that terrified the hell out of Cassie. She wasn't about to be the easy and overly naïve girl who wore her heart so willingly on her sleeve. Gripping the wheel tightly once more, she opened her car door, and began walking towards the house.

By now it was six, and Jane was probably wondering where she had wandered off to. The sleepiness she felt at the Boat House Grill still plagued her, but she wouldn't allow her mind to rest. Cassie wanted to memorize Adam's face: every piece of hair that drifted from the masses, any eyelash that hung down slightly over his magnificent eyes.

Opening the front door, she greeted, "I'm home. Sorry I'm so late." Her voice was oddly quiet. She didn't know if it was because she thought her grandmother would be sleeping, or simply because she didn't feel like this was home yet. Either reason, Cassie heard her grandma clearing her throat in some room.

"I'm in the living room, Cassie," Jane's voice swayed in the cool air, "it's two doors down from where you are." Cassie walked by the room that lead to the kitchen, and then looked into the next one. She found Jane Blake sitting comfily on the deep brown couch, draped in an emerald blanket.

"Hey," she said with a slight wave, "sorry it took me so long to get back. I promise I'll call next time." She wrapped her arms around her torso, and seated herself down lithely on the rocking chair to the left of the couch.

"As long as you're in by eleven on weekends and ten on weekdays, and abiding the law, I have no trouble with you being out." Jane smiled, and Cassie gave a nod of 'thank you'. "So, where did you end up going?" The woman wrapped her blanket tighter around her arms, and leaned closer to Cassie.

"I went to the Boat House. You were right, people are really sweet here." Cassie tried to hide her gleaming smile. She couldn't remember the last time she had smiled so happily.

"You met someone didn't you? A certain… male someone." Jane gave a wink to her granddaughter.

"Am I really that obvious?" Cassie laid her head heavily on the headrest behind her, laughing at her own stupidity.

"No, I've just lived though the teenage faze. I know when a girl's met someone they like. So who is this special someone?" Jane Blake was just too hip for words. For someone probably pushing seventy-five, she was really lucid and up to date.

"Fine," Cassie sighed in return, "his name's Adam. He works at the grill." She breathed momentarily, before continuing her excited rant. "He's amazing, grandma, seriously. I like—can't even describe it. It's like he knows me. Does that sound really insane?" Cassie brought her legs up to her chest, and wrapped her arms around her knees.

"Adam," Jane replied blandly. "Adam Conant?" She crossed her T sharply, as if the name was a bitter hassle to say. Cassie's breathing became constricted… had she done something wrong?

"Yeah, that's the guy. Um, why do you seem… mad?" She began to tap her fingers nervously on her legs, forced to watch as her grandmother's eyes morphed into a hateful navy.

"I am not mad," Jane replied in stiff defense, "I just don't know if spending time with him is such a smart idea." The blanket scrunched tighter in her grasp.

"Is he bad?"

"That's a very broad question, Cassie," Jane replied. Cassie breathed in shakily.

"Well, does he do drugs? Drink? Is he violent?" She hoped the answer was no to every question.

"No, none of those—that I know of. Let me put it like this: our families have had some… incidents over the years, and I'd just appreciate it if you'd keep your socializing with him to a minimum." Cassie tried not to glare at her grandmother's words. "I know you might not understand it, but please, for me?"

"Uh, well, yeah, okay. Is it alright if I go upstairs? I'm kind of tired…" No, Cassie was not alright with it. She would see Adam again, even if she had to sneak behind Jane's back to do so. That determination unnerved Cassie. She hated going against what was expected of her; it always put an odd taste in her mouth. But this time, it seemed worth it to rebel. Well, she prayed that it was.

"Sure, sweetheart, sleep tight. And if you have trouble falling asleep, Amelia always used to count the stars." Jane smiled, and Cassie tried her best to return it.

"Right," she replied simply, and then made her way up to her room.

Cassie walked into Chance Harbor High School, more terrified than she'd ever expected. Everyone seemed so secure and in control, that Cassie stood out sorely to everyone else. Pulling her backpack up higher on her shoulder, she tried to look as calm as possible. Looking down at the piece of paper she had printed out, she found her locker. Fingering the lock, she gazed around the area. To her blissful surprise, Adam came into her sight. He spun his locker combination with such an elegant ease, that Cassie shuddered.

She kept her eye on him, hoping that he'd turn around soon. It wasn't like she mined gazing at the strong muscles in his back and shoulders, though. His long gray sweater accentuated the molded perfection artistically, and the dark jeans flattered his firm form. After Adam slammed his locker shut with a sharp flick of the wrist, he turned around, making eye contact with Cassie. He gave her a distant smile. A mere curve of the lips so conflicted, it was if god was pulling the skin up, while the devil was forcing it down. Adam didn't seem tortured, but Cassie could certainly see a mixed set of emotions swimming timidly in his blue eyes.

She supplied him with a small wave, and he did an arc with two fingers in reply. Cassie bit her lip, and dropped her gaze to her locker. Glancing at the sheet, she inputted the numbers. Tugging on the device, it wouldn't budge. Adam gazed at her with a smirk, before walking over to her.

He looked at the thing Cassie was still tugging at, and laughed. "You can never count on state issued locks." Adam leaned against the locker next to hers, crossing his arms and ankles.

"Looks like it," she replied with a sigh, dropping the lock. She turned, and looked at Adam. "So, where is uh, Mrs. Wesley's room?" Cassie showed the schedule sheet to Adam.

"Oh, you can just follow me. I have her first period too." Adam gave her a smile, before looking over Cassie's shoulder and to the lock. "Try your combo again," he mildly requested.

"Okay," she responded hesitantly, somewhere between a question and a submission. To her surprise when she pulled down on it, the lock came loose. She gave a wondered smile. Putting her light jacket in the locker, she then slammed it shut.

"See? Second time's a charm." Adam continued to look at Cassie intently, and she met his gaze.

"It's the third time that's the charm, actually," Cassie corrected with a laugh.

"Well, not in this case," Adam replied. She couldn't argue with him there. He glanced at the clock sitting on the wall opposite them, and sighed. "First period calls," he drawled. "Follow me?"

Cassie nodded in reply. She wondered why they didn't have homeroom at Chance Harbor, but she decided not to inquire. Arms crossed protectively, she followed Adam towards first period Chemistry.

"Alright, guys, so today is all about the perfect amount. Using the ingredients and formula on your desk, make the concoction bubble. Now, I don't want any aspiring alchemists to become bold, alright? Stick to the directions, and everything will be fine." Everyone nodded at Mrs. Wesley, then looked down to their formulas. Cassie gazed at Adam, who was partners with a very striking brunette. She looked as if she was class president, homecoming queen, and lacrosse captain all rolled into one. Cassie saw the way Adam gazed at the girl, and she found herself in heated jealousy.

Adam poured in the sodium lazily, sighing as he did. Chemistry was a subject he was blessed in, so all the intermediate actions bored him beyond words. Adam and Diana both looked to the concoction in the flask, when the bubbling got to a greater intensity. The two could feel the heat radiating from the glass. The boiling grew even harsher, until it burst into a full-out flame, shattering the delicate flask.

Diana shrieked when the glass sprawled all over the table, and Adam took a quick step back. Mrs. Wesley looked to the lab partners with a dry look.

"Can we go to the bathroom to dry off and get paper towels?" Diana asked, and the teacher nodded in silence. Taking hold of Adam's arm, she dragged him from the room, and into the abandoned hallway.

"What the hell was that?" She questioned him harshly. Adam rolled his eyes in return.

"What do you mean?" Adam leaned against the wall.

"The amount of chemicals that we put in shouldn't—didn't, cause that fire." Diana shook her head.

"You think I did something?" Adam raised an eyebrow.

"None of us can create fire, Adam. You were never able to either. How were you able to conjure that?" Diana sounded utterly horrified, and took a subconscious step back from Adam.

"I don't know, Diana! I guess I just did! Fire isn't an evil spell. I don't know what's got you so worked up." In all honesty, Adam was slightly nervous about how he was able to summon fire. He'd tried for years to do so, but had never had any luck. Maybe a spark here or there, but nothing to the extent that he just had done.

"Yeah, maybe it's not, but it's only the dark ones who invoke it."

"Diana, you're way too worked up about this. It was just a mistake; I probably won't be able to even do it again. So please, just relax, get dried, and we'll forget this happened, okay?" Adam looked at his recent ex-girlfriend with a monotone glance, before walking past her and down the hall.

Adam Conant had to admit that he felt bleaker than usual—maybe even eviler, if he thought about it. He had no idea why he was able to summon fire, or why he was so heartless about it all. He certainly wasn't himself today. Maybe, hopefully, tomorrow would be better. It would have to be…

So a really short chapter, I'm sorry. I'm still trying to figure out the roadmap with this story, and needed sort of a filler chapter to jumpstart that. I promise next chapter will be a legitimate one (I'm approximating each chapter around five thousand words). Again, I'm really in need of ideas, so please tell me anything you may have in mind.

Your thoughts are much appreciated.