Chapter 2
Thomas woke at 6 am with a slight groan to his alarm clock. The dreaded day had arrived. It wasn't fear of not being accepted in the new school. It was the great urge to avoid any chance of meeting Scott or any of his friends but sadly universe worked the opposite way of the way you wanted it. The more you wanted something, the more the universe denied it.
He had found a nice trail in forest near his new home which he could use for jogging since canceling the membership had quite emptied his account for paying the fee of breaking the contract. Until he could find a part time job he was forced to trail the forest and use it for his exercises. At these times he missed Roger and his home gym even more. At the thought he flinched.
He changed in comfortable shorts and sleeveless shirt and pulled out his mp3 player. Quickly, he got downstairs, ignoring his mother's feeble attempts to make a morning conversation with him. He wanted to forgive her but at the moment he couldn't. Opened wounds were still fresh so to speak and he needed time. His mother noticed that too and didn't protest. She understood why it was a blow below the belt to her own son. His dad? Thomas was dead-set not to forgive him ever.
He disappeared behind house and found the trail, although he had to remember exactly where he had found it. As he had memorized the nature footprints he had marked on his way, it was relatively fast he had begun his jogging, mp3 blasting music. He focused on his breathing and leg movement, letting the music drown out his other thoughts.
As he looked to his left he slightly jumped.
- 'Jesus, you scared the crap out of me!' Thomas exclaimed, pulling his headphones out. It was Chris Argent, Allison's father.
- 'You know, it's dangerous to be out in the woods, even in daytime.' Chris said, meaningfully.
- 'I think I can handle myself.' Thomas said, feeling slightly annoyed. Maybe Chris noticed maybe not the undercurrent in Thomas' voice, but he didn't care nonetheless.
- 'Are you sure about that?'
- 'Yeah.' Now Thomas was really annoyed. He just wanted to have his morning jog. He put his headphones back in his ears and giving one hard look to Chris he resumed his jog. Chris didn't stop Thomas and just looked as he disappeared deeper in woods, staying on trail. Neither Thomas nor Chris noticed there were set of red glowing eyes watching both of them but Chris was the one who heard the strange howling and he knew it was sign for things to unfold.
Hours later Thomas was on his way to school on his bike, which gladly was brought here from San Francisco without much argument from their parents, even though his father had mentioned he should sell it. That made Thomas even angrier as he had been the one to buy it in the first place not his father. So the movers brought it by truck while Thomas had flown in, already would be awaiting it.
He parked in school's parking lot, where there was another guy with a bike.
- 'Nice ride.' The boy commented. Thomas gave curt nod and appraised the boy's ride.
- 'Same goes for yours.' He said. The boy smirked from pride, evidently. Feed your ego. Just go ahead.
- 'The name's Jonathan.' Boy introduced himself and extended his arm for handshake.
- 'Thomas.' He extended his own and they shook hands. As he touched other guy's arm, something weird happened in his stomach area. He felt as if some electrical spark hit his insides. Quickly, he withdrew his own hand and tried very hard not to blush. Jonathan was slightly brown toned with short fuzzy dark hair. He flashed a smile. Thomas gave a small one in return.
- 'New around here?' Jonathan asked.
- 'Yeah, moved here just about week ago.' Thomas nodded
- 'That must've sucked.'
- 'You have no idea.'
- 'What year?'
- 'Senior.' Thomas rolled his eyes. Jonathan gave a low whistle and laughed. He clapped on Thomas' shoulder.
- 'Well, it's not so bad here, except for the death toll increase in last years.' Jonathan commented.
- 'Would you believe if I said thatwas the reason why I didn't want to move here?' Thomas asked, briefly.
- 'Any sane person should be afraid but I guess you had no choice?'
- 'Parents.'
- 'You have to love them!' For a brief second there was silence as they both made faces to the evident sarcasm in Jonathan's voice and both laughed briefly.
- 'Couldn't have said better myself.' Thomas commented.
- 'Thanks. Well, I guess see you in class T.' Jonathan said and left. Thomas was left slightly confused. Was Jonathan senior also? Before he could ask, Jonathan was gone.
After short introduction by principal's assistant, Thomas sat at the back of the class, trying not to raise any unwanted stares towards him and yet part of class even managed to crane their necks backwards while teacher went on with class topic. Thomas lowered his head and began reading on the subject while listened to teacher. He tried hard to ignore the stares and yet a hand-written note found its way on his table.
Hey, new kid!
Thomas snorted. Term kidkind of did not apply to him. But he was game. He scribbled under the sentence:
Hey yourself, whoever you are.
He passed the note back to girl who had passed the note to him and watched as she passed it to someone else, lowering his gaze again. It didn't take time to feel the same note landing back on his table. He opened it.
Look to your left and few seats ahead.
Thomas raised his head and looked in the inclined direction. Jonathan was looking at him and smiling and gave a slight wave.
- 'MISTER Trent, would you be so kind and pay attention to work?' Teacher noticed Jonathan's behavior and before Thomas was spotted he quickly took the note and crumpled it, putting it in his jeans pocket and went back to reading.
- 'Sorry teach, won't happen again.' Jonathan said. He had husky-sort-of voice and Thomas noticed that. He's straight. He has to be straight. PLEASE be straight!
First day passed without any obstacles so to say and Thomas was getting ready to leave school. He was at his locker, putting the books in he didn't need for his tonight homework and glad he had to leave school with a noticeable less heavier school bag than he had arrived, since he did not what classes he had to take.
- 'So, a cute guy like you walks in our classroom and our class' gay guy already takes notice.' A girl had walked up to him. Thomas looked at her, confused.
- 'What are you talking about?' He asked, slightly frowning.
- 'You know Jonathan, right? He's gay.' She chuckled. Thomas blushed. Fuck!
- 'I um, I errr, didn't know.' Thomas blurted, hiding his face in locker, pretending to be looking for something.
- 'You know, it's fine if you are gay. No one cares here.' She said. Thomas blushed even darker shade but didn't say anything. Was it that evident he himself liked boys?
- 'I'm sorry, who are you again?' Thomas asked, trying to get the conversation on different topic.
- 'Lydia. Lydia Martin.' She said and smiled. Thomas froze. That name rang a bell. A very, very heavy bell.
- 'You… I have to go.' Thomas said in flat tone and closed his locker, locking it. He began walking when suddenly-
- 'If you will go down the path you have chosen you will end up dead.' Lydia said, suddenly. Thomas spun around, sharply.
- 'I'm sorry?' Thomas' eyes narrowed.
- 'If you keep going down the pathway you have chosen, you will end up dead, like… like… someone close to you. I can't put a finger on it but there is something familiar about the aura you carry, like I have felt it somewhere…' Lydia kept going. Thomas opened his mouth to say something but stopped. It was useless. He knew about Lydia's freak powers but to have experienced them himself, was full-blown experience he didn't want. He once again turned around and feeling insecurity building within himself, left the school as fast as he could.