Give In To Me: A Beastly Love Story
Chapter 3: Ugly inside becomes Ugly outside
Kendra was wrong, she almost believed that Kyle had changed, but alas he was still as ugly as before, but she had noticed something, he kept looking around, as if he was searching for someone. She didn't want to think Anastasia had come to see him, but she had noticed a change in her best friend. She left the party soon after she set her curse upon Kyle. She watched him stumble and hurry home, thinking he just ate something bad or had too many lights on him, not knowing that he was about to change forever.
"Best embrace the suck…" her words still echoed in his head, his vision was blurring more and more with each step he took up his stairs to his bedroom. Anastasia was forgotten at the moment, his mind was trying to figure out what was happening to him. He left his own party, left his friends, and it was completely and totally Kendra's fault, he hated that stupid bitch.
He tripped over his door frame and onto the balcony, hoping the cool air would help him back to his senses, but he didn't notice he wasn't alone. He turned and took a deep breath, but when his eyes opened, they were staring at Kendra, she was wearing a pale white dress, and her pale hair was blowing around her in waves, but she wasn't beautiful, she was creepy.
Anastasia was tired of just sitting at home, she wanted to take a walk, take in some cool air, it was a nice night out. She folded her jacket over her arms, in case it became cold. She locked the store up, then set out in no personal direction, just walking. She found herself humming an old fairy tale lullaby that her mother used to sing her to sleep with.
"No…take it back!" her ears heard from above her and she knew the voice, but not in that tone. This tone was frightened, pregnant with worry and she was curious as to why the voice had that tone. The tone she normally heard with that voice was one of pride, careless and vain. She looked up and saw someone backed against the railing, it was a guy, although she couldn't see his face.
She wanted to make sure the owner of the voice was alright, after all, she was drawn to him for an unknown reason. The guy ran forward and she noticed she was uptown, this is where Kyle must live, but who was the guy. She continued to stand there, just staring up at the balcony where his voice was, but another guy took his place.
Kyle's face and body became disgusting, large scars, no hair, he was ugly. He looked once again at the large tree tattoo on his arm. "Until next spring." her voice echoed in his head over and over. He was stuck like this forever unless he found someone to love him in this form, which was impossible, you would have to be blind.
He was sitting on the condo bed, staring at his computer screen, no new messages from his friends, he had disappeared and none of them even cared. His father was at work, he had taken him to a plastic surgeon, hoping to get his face fixed, but nothing. Kyle noticed an older message from Anastasia and he sighed, rolling onto his back.
She hated him because he was ugly on the inside, what would she think of his outside look as well? The thought of Anastasia made him think of Kendra, which he thought ideas of how to make her take back his stupid curse. He decided to see what she was doing, so he quickly clicked her profile and saw she wasn't online, but her last status was that she was tired and worried about a distant friend, but stuck at work.
Kyle decided he couldn't just stay here and hide, he had to get out of the house, or he would die of insanity. He got his bike and left Zola, taking off down the streets, heading straight for her shop.
Anastasia had her hand propped up, holding her head, watching Tyler try to get the courage to ask Kendra out. He was just about to chicken out again, but Anastasia took their fate into her own hands. "Kendra, Tyler wants to take you out tomorrow night, to that fancy restaurant by the river." she said simply and turned the page of the magazine she was looking at.
"Anna!" they called, then both blushed a turnip red and then glanced at each other. She sighed and looked up at them. "Come on, stop fooling yourselves. Tyler, you like Kendra. Kendra, you like Tyler. So go out." she saw Kendra smirk a bit, then turned away. "Tomorrow night then?" Tyler said and she nodded. "You too Anna." "Oh hell no, I will not become a third wheel." she exclaimed and looked at the door to see people just walking by.
"Listen, you two go find something to do. I want to get caught up on some paperwork." She said and they both glanced at her, she never said anything like that when they were around. "Sorry, Brooke is coming back tonight and if I don't have the paperwork done, she will take over and I will not let that happen." they understood of course, she loved her friends because they understood her so well.
They said their goodbye's, then Anastasia was alone in the store, the clicking of the clock starting to get on her nerves. She sighed and pulled out the folder holding the paperwork she had to do before tonight. She started reading about new requirements for the store, she would have to hire someone, a stocker to be exact.
"I don't want to." she muttered to herself under her breath and heard the bell jingle, signaling her that someone was there. She glanced up and saw a hooded figure facing the wall, as if he was looking at something. "Hello, how may I help you today?" she asked, closing the folder and putting them under the shelf, this guy seemed strange, after all, no normal person would come in a store hiding their face.
Kyle couldn't believe how he found himself in her store, he was so stupid for coming here. Now she was waiting for him to answer her question, and he probably didn't look good hiding his face and not speaking. "I'm fine." he mumbled and he heard her getting up, she must think he's about to rob her shop. "Are you sure?" she was close now, behind him, probably narrowed eyed and crossing her arms.
He knew he would have to get out soon, before she saw him, she would run away from him and he didn't want that. "Sir?" her hand touched his shoulder and he jerked away, but his hood fell off, showing his markings and scars. "Don't look!" he said and pulled his hood back on quickly, but it was over and done, she seen him.
Anastasia couldn't believe what she had just seen, his head was bald, but covered with scars and tattoos. She glimpsed his face, he looked horrified at her seeing him. "Sir?" she asked in a small voice, feeling like she just crossed a line. He wasn't here to try to rob her, but only wanted to hide his features. "Just leave me alone." he muttered and she walked over to him, then gently touched his sleeve.
"Can I see?" she asked and he sighed, then pushed his hood off, showing her his full face and damage. His eyes were what surprised her, they were so different, almost as if the beauty that he lacks in features had went to his eyes. "Wow." she said, then suddenly curiosity got the best of her and she pushed his sleeve back to see a tattoo of a beautiful tree with white roses on it. She couldn't help but trace them, they were unique.
Kyle watched her closely, waiting for her to run, but she didn't, instead she traced the tree on his arm, then looked up at him. "Who are you?" she asked and then he stepped away from her, pulling his hood back up. "Hunter." "I'm Anastasia. Were you born like this?" "No, bad car wreck a few years ago." he lied, just making it up as he went, hoping she would believe him.
"I'm sorry to hear that, Hunter, but is there anything I can help you with?" "Can you do magic?" he asked and she smiled, then laughed, it was music to his ears. "You're funny, but to answer your question, no I can't." he smiled, she was better when friendly. "I should go." he said without thinking and then regretted it.
She looked sad and hurt, like he didn't want to be around her. "I'm sorry, I just have to meet my father after work." "You work?" "No, he does." "Oh…want a job?" "Excuse me?" She sighed and pointed to a help wanted sign sitting on the counter. "I have a new rule and have to hire someone. I'm not sure why because no one ever comes in here, but I need a stocker and would like a person I can get along with."
He debated, she was offering him a chance to get to know her, but also a chance to get caught and exposed by Kendra. "I'll have to let you know, I'm home schooled." "That's fine, it'll be weekends and nights. What's your number?" she took out a pen and held out her hand. He quickly wrote down the apartment house number and his 'Name'. "Alright, I'll give you a call sometime within this week." he nodded and left the store quickly.