I'm sorry for not uploading for awhile, i really have not excuse! I have also realized that my fics are ridden with typos and misspellings, so please excuse the shoddy work and just enjoy! i know allot of you have been waiting for the chapter so here it is!
The next few weeks were the worst of my life. It was impossible to be with Sky at any time because we couldn't be seen together and be labelled as a couple. And there was my vision about Sky's stabbing – it was killing me not to be at her side every second, to protect her. I could feel her stress, her fear whenever she went out in the dark, or whenever she was left alone. I found myself just checking in on her, mentally, when I was at home. Just to make sure she was OK. Not talking, just...feeling. Rumors were flying at school – there were only so many reasons we would stop going out so suddenly. Did I really hit her? Did she break it off because I did? And then there was the other thing; another obvious reason why a guy would suddenly lose interest in a girl when he was so determined before. I didn't even want to think about it – it made me too angry.
And then there was Nelson. I was getting changed after basketball practice, thinking about Sky (of course) when he stormed in, steam spilling from his nose and ears. He headed straight for me, and I fought off a sigh. I didn't need a magical third eye to see what was going to happen here.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" he boomed, without caring who heard. His eyes were trained on me. I gave him my full attention – Sky had warned me about this - but held arrogantly amused expression on my face.
"I don't know who you think you are, but I'm in the basketball team and getting changed. Goodbye."
"Did you hit her?" he asked in a deadly low voice, and I froze, straightened, and looked him in the eye "Did you hit her, really? What, she didn't want to roll over and submit to the Zed Benedict show?"
"I didn't hit her." I said quietly, not breaking eye contact "She fell."
"I'm supposed to believe that?" he laughed harshly. I saw his fists clench by his sides "A girl like Sky, she doesn't just fall onto a fist and get a black eye. What really happened?"
"You clearly don't know Sky very well." I teased - I knew I was playing with fire, but my distance from Sky was making me reckless, and I was kind of itching for a fight, even it it be just verbal "She has more coordination issues than a newborn colt on a ski slope."
He had looked like he was going to punch me, but after a second he became aware of the whole basketball team rallying around. So he just backed away and walked off. I know he was just looking out for Sky – I would have done the same thing – but he really pissed me off.
"Watch yourself, Benedict." he threatened, taking a step back "I've never had any problems with you before, but Sky has friends. So back off."
"Or what?" I called as he made his retreat - I couldn't help it. He was just asking for it.
"I don't know." Nelson replied honestly, looking for all the world like he was curious about that himself "But Yves is a great musician and an even better guy. I'd hate it beat on his brother."
I snorted, and made jokes with my team-mates as Nelson left, but they were half-hearted and fell flat. I think we all knew that Nelson was serious.
It was the night of Halloween that I had a brain wave. I had been thinking about my 'chat' with Nelson, mulling over how he probably saw me; like some kind of wolf prowling the school, picking off the weak. Little did he know that Sky was strong in ways he couldn't even imagine! I groaned aloud. Sky. She would be out right now, after dark - I had heard all about Tina's planned meetup, with costumes and everything - without me. Flashes of my vision stabbed through me head. I could feel the time was getting closer, and the suspense was killing me. I prowled my room, restless, thinking. What could I do? What could I do? I couldn't go out there - I'd be recognised in an instant. You don't get to be a star sportsman in High school without a certain amount of popularity. And there would be even more people on the streets because it was Halloween and...and...it was...
It was Halloween. Everyone was dressing up, right? Well, tonight I could be with Sky – I just had to wear a mask.
Once the idea was in my head, I knew I was on to a winner.
"Xav! XAV! XavXavXavXavXav....XAV!"
"What?"
"Xav, I need a really big favor."
"No." He replied before I even finished my sentence. He was in the kitchen, cooking up something that smelled hot and Moroccan.
"Please, just listen to me –"
"No."
"I need to see Sky!" I hissed "Please, Xav. I've been good for two months! No one has seen me with her – I've been so careful, all the time." I begged "I just need a costume and a cover. That's all. And you know me; you know Sky – kinda – and you know I'll keep under the radar. Please." He looked at me for awhile then nodded.
"I've got a costume in my room. Don't ask me why, just take it and go." He smiled slightly "Before I change my mind."
You're working on your bike, as you will be all evening. Xav's mind-voice followed me upstairs.
When I saw the costume, I laughed aloud. I wouldn't even need to take my mask off - Sky would know it was me immediately. Grinning, I dressed quickly and, slipping out the window and slipping my bike out the garage, I was in town before Xav's concoction had even finished cooking.
I caught up with the group near Tina's house, slipping into the mass of people unnoticed. Sky looked – strange. She was dressed in a skin-tight black full-body leotard, with gloves and black shoes, with every inch of it painted like a skeleton with pinpoint precision. Her face was covered with a mask painted like a skull, but I knew it was her from the way she walked, light and modest. I felt like this was the moment I had been breathing for for two months. Slipping up to her quickly, I bent down and growled in her ear. She jumped and looked up at me.
"Zed?" she yelped in confusion.
"Ssh. I don't want people to know I'm here. And don't, you know, think to me, in case someone's listening."
"Ah, Wolfman, you are a master of disguise, fooling the bad guys with your cunning." She giggled, and I could sense how glad she was that I was here.
"I blend, don't I? I knew you'd be out after dark, so here I am." I knew she was thinking about her would-be stabber, in the dark and surrounded by strangers and masked people, and hoped my words would reassure her. I wound my hand – er, paw – around her waist and tugged her closer.
"I'm not sure I approve of this costume of yours." I told her strictly "Couldn't you put a cloak on or something?" the leotard, though no skin was allowed to peek out, was revealing in a different way and left very little to the imagination.
"I feel really cold." She admitted "Simon didn't think of this when he made it for me." I handed her my coat and slipped it over her shoulders, almost choking with laughter at her words.
"Your Dad made this? Are we talking about the same guy who wants to lock you away until you're thirty? Has he had a personality change since I last saw him?"
"He's artistic." She explained in a slightly embarrassed voice "He wasn't thinking about how his daughter looks – he was just getting the right shape. He and Sally are at home in identical outfits." I chuckled. I could totally see that.
"So, did you tell your parents you were going out?" she asked.
"No, they still think we need to circle the wagons back home. I'm tinkering with the bike in the garage. Xav's covering for me." Thank you! I sent out a silent thanks to him – not mind-speak, just a feeling of goodwill to the world in general. For the first time in weeks, things were looking up.
"How are they going to react?"
"I can't see – it's hard with family." I said, frowning "There are so many possibilities in a house of savants that I think the future gets fuzzy, like interference on a cellphone. And it's weird: I've noticed that the closer I get to you, the less I see about you."
"Does that mean I could beat you at cards now?" she challenged.
"Probably. But I might not be able to help out with you goal-keeping either, so there's a drawback."
"That's fine by me." she countered with a head shake "It's not nice knowing you see so much all the time. Makes me feel, I dunno, caged by the future."
"Yeah, I prefer it this way." I agreed "Feels more normal." We had just reached Tina's house, but I didn't want the walk to end. When it did, we would go back to ignoring each other, Sky trying not to notice how close I was when we passed each other in the corridor, or me trying not to notice the way her pale hair fluttered around her delicate face when she turned her head. Tina's house was covered with Halloween-themes objects – pumpkins hollowed and carved out into growling faces, lit from inside by lanterns, fake bats, snakes and spiders hanging from everything Tina could attach it to. I could dimly see Tina's Mum answer the door dressed as a witch, long eyelashes and a floor-length black dress with belled sleeves and glittering spider webs around the skirt.
"Let's go in and stay for a while, then slip away," I advised hopefully "I really want to be alone with you for an hour or so. It's killing me having to steal all these moments at school, always worrying someone's going to walk in on us."
"OK, but I can't bail out too early."
"I'll keep away from you in there." I said, trying to hide my displeasure at being so close to her, but so far away "If anyone recognises me beneath the costume, they won't think anything of it. Tina did invite me." We followed the flow of people to the kitchen, where Tina's mum had arranged Halloween-themed snacks; there was a cauldron filled with popcorn and people feeding their blindfolded partners green jelly. I moved away from Sky, but kept an eye on her as she removed her mask, revealing frizzy hair and pink cheeks, and went to join the jelly game, drawing Nelson as her partner. I hung in the background, keeping my costume on even though it was stiflingly hot, and watched as Nelson spilled jelly down Sky's chin and nose on Tina's instructions.
"Yuck. I'm going to need a shower now!" I heard Sky squeal as a gloop of jelly fell onto her neck and slid down under the neck of her costume, and she wriggled to try and catch it before it fell too far.
"Apple bobbing!" roared Tina in response, grinning like a maniac "That should help." At the apple bobbing, Sky only got herself wet and came up with no apples to show for her effort, but she was laughing just like everyone else. I wished I could laugh with her instead of watching like a stalker in the shadows. No one had approached me yet, or even recognised me; a few people had glanced my way, but I was positioned so that it looked like I was waiting for my turn at a game, so no one looked too hard. It was ten thirty when Sky started making her excuses to Tina, who laughed and waved before hauling a very wet, very stunned Nelson to the dance floor. I was waiting for her on the porch.
"Ready?" I asked hopefully. I had been bored all night, and desperate to get Sky alone with me; safe with me.
"Uh-huh. Where are we going?" her eyes shone in the darkness, bluer and more beautiful than anything I had ever seen. My Soulfinder.
"Let's head up to your place." I suggested "There's a coffee bar on Main Street that should be open."
"Is that safe?" she asked tentatively as we started walking slowly.
"Should be. We'll go to one of the booths at the back. As much as I appreciate the value of blending, I don't want to sit with this mask on all night." I tapped my furry jaw, grimacing. Sky held out her skull mask, making an odd face at it.
"Should I put this back on?" she asked "I feel really stupid wearing it."
"You might want to think that people can see who's wearing the skeleton suit even if you don't."
"Good point." She slipped the mask on, then laughed, the sound muffled "This is our second date, right?"
"See, I told you I'd come up with something better." I twisted our fingers together, thick furry hands meeting thin skeleton-bones; it felt like something from a fantasy romance book, and I couldn't help but chuckle. We didn't talk until we reached the coffee bar, enjoying the comfortable silence that can only come from two soulfinders. I understood that she didn't want to talk; she understood that I didn't want to talk. So we just walked together, as if in a dream, in our own little bubble where the delighted screams from trick-or-treaters and parties were muffled and lazy, and the feel of Sky's hand in mine felt more real than the whole of the world.
"What'll you have?" I asked as soon as the back booth become free and Sky had settled into the comfy bench.
"Hot chocolate with all the trimmings." She said immediately, rubbing her hands on her arms to warm them up. With the hot drink in her hands, she seemed happier and she sipped on it regularly, hissing at the heat but still carrying on. I did the same with my black coffee, glancing sceptically at her.
"You don't know what you're missing." She sighed, sucking at her teeth to prolong a patch of melted marshmallow and syrup.
"I think I'm probably getting as much pleasure watching you." I smiled, then sipped my coffee "I know it's a cheap date – sorry about that." I felt the need to apologise, but somehow I didn't think Sky was that kind of girl.
"Yeah, you know me: I'm sitting here calculating how much you spent." She laughed sarcastically "Next time I'm expecting caviar at a five star restaurant." She sipped her hot chocolate again with a contented smile. Suddenly, I felt like all the hours, all the days I had spent apart from her, watching from afar and wishing I could have one minute with her in which I didn't have to worry about savants or my family or other students running in on us – all of that didn't matter. Because I was here with her, now, and she was happy and healthy and that was all that mattered. I sighed; if only a ludicrously decorated hot chocolate and two stupid costumes could fix things every time.
"I can stretch to a burger at a diner if you're hungry." I said instead, knowing she wasn't ready for serious talks yet, and certainly not at this time of night.
"Don't be daft." She snorted, eyes focused on a chocolate-sprinkled half-melted marshmallow that looked particularly tempting "My treat next time." A glance – a mere flick of the eyelashes – up at me "Let's keep this equal." I stroked her hand and, in response, felt the cascade of tingles that shuddered down her spine as if they were my own – or maybe they were? It was becoming so hard to separate her thoughts from mine, her emotions and impulses from mine.
"I don't mind splitting the bill," I said seriously "but I kinda prefer buying for my date. I don't think I'd like it if you paid for me." I admitted.
Sky laughed "You grew up with cave men, right?"
"You've met my dad and my brothers." I offered in way of excuse "I rest my case." We stood, me paying for the date, and started walking down the streets. There were far less people this time – I hadn't realized how long we had spent in the coffee bar. Time flies. . .
I glanced over at Sky. She was staring at the sky, eyes locked on the eerie, snow-capped mountains, the stars, twinkling as if in welcome.
"Makes me feel very small," she said, so quietly I wasn't sure if I was supposed to hear, her eyes not moving from the very tip of the tallest mountain.
"I hate to break it to you, Sky, but you are small." I said quietly back, and laughed when she turned and hit me weakly in the stomach, and feigned injury dramatically.
"Look, I was having a moment here – one of those 'Isn't the universe mind-blowing?' things." She moaned, but a smile played at her lips "Have some respect." I grinned in response.
"It's a challenge when you're wearing a bone suit. Do you realize you're shining in the moonlight? I've never had a date do that before."
"And just who have you dated, Mr Benedict? Tina says your family don't go out with girls from Wrickenridge." She teased back.
"That's true. You're the exception. I dated a few – from Aspen mostly." I squeezed her waist briefly "How about you?" I said, trying to hide my curiosity with playfulness. Did she have a boyfriend in England? Did she have a special someone? Do I have competition? Sky was blushing next to me – was that a good or bad sign? Girls could blush for many reasons.
Why did I start this conversation? "My friends back home did set me up with a boy once. It was a disaster. He was so in love with himself, it wasn't true." I hid my relief in another question:
"So he wanted you for arm candy?"
"What?"
"For image."
"I suppose. Only went out twice before I got fed up. So you see my experience is pretty limited."
"Can't say I'm sorry to hear that." I admitted, then changed the subject "Did you enjoy the party?"
"The games were silly but fun." She said decisively, as if she had thought over and planned her answer in advance.
"I hoped you'd mention them." I said, remembering the jelly Nelson had dropped down her neck "I was particularly intrigued by what happened to that jelly." I leaned forwards and nuzzled her neck with my nose "Hmm. Yep, you definitely didn't get it all off."
"Zed!" she protested, but I could feel her delight, her happiness, and hear her playful laughter.
"Ssh! I'm busy here." I hunted down every last bit of jelly before we had to turn onto her road.
It happened so fast, I didn't even know what happened until it was over. Two boys with axes ran from the mist, yelling and covered in blood. I didn't think, didn't hesitate; I just saw it all, all from my vision – the blood, the yelling: the knives. One yelled something, but it didn't register; all of my internal alarms were going off. As one of the boys started running towards Sky, as if in slow motion, his bag of candy split, scattering sweets all over the pavement, the brightly-coloured wrappers falling steadily, hitting the floor with the sound of booming drums. The knife plunged towards Sky and -
Sky screamed.
I snapped; before I knew it, I had grabbed the boy's wrist and twisted it so that the knife clattered to the floor, then jumped on top of him, pinning him to the ground and wrenching his arms behind his back, immobilising him. Sky was still screaming something, but I couldn't make it out as the second boy jumped on top of me, his fist flying into my jaw. Suddenly, all three of us were rolling in a ball of fake blood and sticky sweets, fists flying and swearing echoing down the streets. Sky carried on screaming, but I was too focused on her would-be-murderers to pay attention to her. You will not kill Sky, you will not kill Sky, you will not kill Sky. . .
Another voice joined the yelling, this time calling for the Police, and Sky carried on yelling from a distance. Simon's voice joined in and suddenly strong hands were pulling us apart, first the smaller one, then the police pulling me and the final axe man apart. I looked around, and just like that everything was normal again. Blue and red sirens flashed, tears streaked Sky's face, her eyes wide, her arms clutching at Simon's arm. She was terrified; and her fear had spurred me on.
I thought she was in danger. I thought. . .
"Who's gunna tell me what this is all about?" sighed the policeman. As the policeman escorted me into the car, I caught a thought from Sky.
Great. Date number two ends in the police station.
I had the sudden feeling that I had let her down in more ways than one.