“I agree,” Remmie hesitates before adding, “I think we should bring her into our group. We should feed her too, she seems to be like us, so having a fourth to feed from would help us as well.”
“Do you think we’d be safe doing that?” I ask, when they both stare at me confused, I add, “Her bond seems to work differently from ours.”
“Let’s play it by ear, see how she handles being around us for a few days, then we’ll experiment with her a bit.” Trust Remmie to find an excuse to turn someone as fascinating as Areyna into a science experiment.
I spend most of the night tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Something feels off but I can’t figure out what it is. By the time my alarm goes off in the morning, I’m so tired I can barely think straight. I stumble around my room, getting dressed, while kicking my toes on the dresser, banging my knee on the side of my oak bed, tripping over the far too large faux fur rug on my bedroom floor and somehow getting myself tangled in the power cables for my flatscreen TV before finally heading out the door.
My drive to school isn’t much better, my poor Cadillac suffered two scratches and a dent in the bumper from all the near misses. Something is seriously wrong with me today and it’s not until I’m walking towards the main doors at school that I get a tiny clue as to what it could be.
Areyna’s dark hair blows gently in the breeze as she crosses the car park, she’s wearing jeans that show off her sexy curves, a shirt that is practically plastered to her chest and a leather jacket that looks suspiciously like Remmie’s. That’s when I notice the traitor right behind her, his hand on her lower back, a flirty smile on his face as he leans closer to Areyna’s ear talking in a voice so quiet even my heightened senses can’t hear.
I’ve felt everything from anger to embarrassment, but this is the first time I’m actually jealous of my friend. Somehow he got the girl. It’s the only explanation for what I’m seeing right now. Remmie, the geek who just doesn’t get social cues,got the girl!My girl. The one I’ve become obsessed with for the last few days.Remmiegotthe girl?
“Am I seeing what I think I am?” It’s a testament to how distracted I am right now, Derrin’s words make me jump and spin to face him, my fists up in the guard position. “You’re dropping your left again.” Rolling my eyes, I turn back to face this impossible scenario. The two of them are less than five feet away now, close enough to hear what they’re saying but not close enough for them to have noticed us yet.
“…dragons because they can fly, breathe fire and are so big no one in their right mind would mess with them.” Areyna’s smiling up at Remmie, her eyes full of a warmth I’ve never seen before.
“If the myths are to be believed then dragons weren’t all that tough, humans took them down. I vote goblins or gnomes, so small and unobtrusive, you’d never see it coming.”
Areyna’s laugh eases something inside me, I step out from behind the car and ask, “What are you talking about?”
“Which mythical creature would win in a war.” It’s Remmie who answers, despite my directing the question to Areyna. I narrow my eyes at him, trying to give him the hint that this is not cool behaviour.Stealing my girl is not acceptable behaviour at all.Typical Remmie, he just frowns at me before going right back to what he was doing. “What about between a Gorgon and a demi god, cause I never under-.”
As he continues to regale her with his version of flirting, she slips her hand into mine right there in the middle of the crowded hallway. I’m so shocked it takes me a few seconds to realise what all the noise is….
Areyna
"All students please report to the main hall. This is not a drill. All students please report to the main hall." I jump at the disembodied voice coming over the speakers above us. An alarm bell rings out, followed by the message again. It continues to repeat, over and over. Someone screams.
Panic breaks out among the crowd.
Another scream.
Someone shoves me from behind, breaking my hold on Torren's hand. I reach out as I'm pushed past Derrin, but he's facing the other way and doesn't see me. I smell blood and skid to a stop; another person shoves me from behind and I hit the ground. Someone steps on my hand, another person knees my face as I try to get back up. More screams ring out. My own panic at being trampled over-rides the smell of blood filling the air. I scramble on hands and knees, trying to get away from the pounding feet.
My hand hits the bottom of a wall and I finally get to my feet. People rush past me, but I can't see any of the guys. A single tear slips down my cheek as I spot someone being trampled, whoever it is isn't moving anymore. The crowd begins to thin out and I slip in behind the stragglers, pausing to check the girl on the ground for a pulse. It's there, but it's weak. Not caring if anyone sees me, I lift her up in my arms and carry her behind everyone else. I can smell her blood, but instead of feeling bloodlust, all I'm feeling is anger.
How can people be so heartless? Why would they run, leaving her like that?
I carry the small girl into the hall behind everyone else and spot a teacher. It's the same one who droned on about mathematics earlier this morning. I run right up to her and bump her arm with my elbow. "Can you help her? She got hurt out in the hall."
"Shit, bring her this way."
I blink at the teacher swearing, whatever is going on must be bad if even the teachers are flustered. I scan the crowd, trying to find the guys, I still can't see any of them. "Excuse me, Miss, do you know what all this is about?" I ask as I follow the teacher out of the main hall. The girl in my arms stirs, but otherwise doesn't wake up.
"I suppose everyone will know soon enough anyway. A couple of students were found in one of the second-floor classrooms. They're dead."
Geez, don't sugar coat it.If I were any other student I'd be bawling my eyes out at this news. But I'm not anyone else, I'm me. "Were the police called?" I ask as we walk into the school's office. Without students and staff in here, the place looks abandoned and creepy. I follow her through to the sickbay area, three beds are bordered off by curtains.
"Yes, but you needn't worry about that right now." She motions for me to put the girl down on the closest bed. The moment the girl is down, the teacher grabs my arm. "I had hoped to get one of those stupid boys but then you came along, just begging me to choose you instead."
"What are you talking about?" I ask pulling my arm from her grip.
"I know what you all think of me, and every other teacher here. Did you think we would all just keep putting up with your crap? Do you kids really think you can abuse us, torment us, and get away with it?" I blink and she produces a blade from somewhere. I'm not sure what to do. On one hand, I need to diffuse this situation, I can't let this moron get away with hurting people, but on the other hand, Jason and Richard would be furious if I exposed myself.
The teacher waves the blade around in a menacing fashion, it's not scary in the least, but I pretend to be afraid. "W-why are you d-doing th-this?" I stutter.
"For years we've all put up with your crap. Yelling at us, calling us names behind our backs, us teachers are nothing but a joke to you brats..." She keeps ranting but I tune her out, I only asked her the stupid question to keep her talking.