Spark of Knowledge Page 4

  “Of course,” I tell her, turning back to the mirror and focusing on French braiding my hair. In the reflection, I see her stand up and moves toward me, her hand falling on my shoulder. Thankfully my shield holds up and I can handle her touch without flinching. “Have a nice day, Mom.”

  “Thank you, Emilienne,” she smiles and squeezes my shoulder, before stepping away and leaving the room. I finish braiding my hair and quickly apply my makeup. Heading downstairs, I grab the pill bottle from the counter and toss it in my bag. I’ll figure out what to do about them later.

  I think I’ll go with something a little different today. Looking through the entry closet, I grab a long black velvet coat with lace up sides and ruffled cuffs, instead of my usual jacket. While not incredibly practical, it compliments my dress. With that settled, I head out to face another day.

  ∞

  Sebastian catches me in the parking lot and insists on escorting me to class. I can’t believe he beat me here. His blush and refusal to meet my eyes when he asked how I’m feeling today, makes it clear Mom isn’t the only one that’s not comfortable discussing certain topics. But I let him off the hook since it’s not something guys have to deal with.

  Art class passes quickly, with only a brief interruption when the teacher stops by to make sure I know that my project is still due on Friday with the rest of the class. I nod my understanding and go back to work on my poorly executed drawing of a three dimensional room. It’s pretty awful; clearly my artistic skills are lacking. A career in fine art is definitely not in my future. Sneaking a peek at Sebastian’s work, I’m impressed. He’s done an amazing job capturing the details of the upper level of the library, right down to our table.

  When the bell rings, I give him a quick hug before making a brief stop at a vending machine to grab another bottle of water, then head to Chorus. I was hoping to make it through the day without any cramping, but apparently I’m not that lucky. Cracking open the bottle, I wash down a couple Advil and hope they kick in before it gets worse.

  I remembered to check the bulletin board in the music room first thing. Thank God I wasn’t chosen as a conductor or soloist. I wouldn’t know how to conduct and I really didn’t want a solo. While most of the girls are still ignoring me, I have a feeling getting singled out for a solo would get their attention. Just not in a good way.

  We end up running through the first song for the Winter Concert under the supervision of the student conductor, one of the guys from the back row. He’s short with dark haired and easy smile, I’m sure he introduced himself… but... names. It’s clear this isn’t his first time as conductor. Mr. Morison does one run through of the song on the piano, and then disappears for the rest of class.

  When the bell rings, a rush of calm energy and a hand on arm stop me from immediately leaving. I turned to find the Rock Star, Samil (Ha! I finally remembered his name!) standing behind me. His hazel eyes pull me in, leaving me slightly breathless. How had I not realized he was so close?

  “Are you feeling better today?” Samil asked, his velvet voice sliding over me. There was something beneath his question; like he wasn’t quite sure he believed the explanation Sebastian gave for my absence. Flashing him a smile, I move towards the door, letting him fall into step beside me.

  “Much better, thanks,” I tell him. “Being a girl is tough. We should come with warning labels.” I wink, refusing to be embarrassed about something as normal as cramps, but trying not to cross into the realm of TMI. The last thing I want to do is make him uncomfortable by oversharing. His laughter surprised me, and I glance over to catch his eye.

  “Don’t I know it,” he says under his breath, giving me one of those rare smiles. “I thought perhaps we’d scared you off.”

  “Oh no, you won’t be rid of me that easily,” I laugh, letting my hand rest on his arm. “I’ve a million more questions for you; I’m just waiting for the right time and place.” I try to push my sincerity through the connection, and allow him to feel the truth in my words. The energy crackles along my skin, jumping from me to Samil, leaving my hand tingling in its wake. I’ve never tried to push my energy outward before. My focus has always been on keeping others out, not creating a connection with them. His step falters for a second, and he shoots me a cryptic look. He’d felt something from my attempt, I’m sure of it. It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask what it was like on his side, when he slows to a stop. Glancing around, I realize we’ve reached the main building.

  “And this is where we must part,” Samil says. He gives me an appraising look, before nodding to himself. “I’ll see you at lunch, Em.” He heads off in the opposite direction and I can’t help staring after him. Damn, it should be a sin to look that good in a pair of jeans. The warning bell brings me back to my senses and I rush to make it to my next class on time.

  When I push through the door, Jared’s sitting at my desk. He and Clayton have their heads together, deep in conversation. Terrific. I glance over at Mr. Christy, but he’s focused on a stack of papers on his desk. Should I say something? Ugh, no that will just make it worse. I duck my head and hurry towards the back of the room, just as the bell rings.

  The guys break apart at the sound and Jared unfolds himself from my seat. Of course, instead of getting out of the way, he waits for me in the aisle. With a smirk, he offers me my thermos. Grabbing it, I squeeze past, trying not to shiver as his icy energy hits me.

  “We were wondering if you’d chickened out already,” Jared whispers as I slid into my chair. Shaking my head, I stick my tongue out at him. “Careful, Pixie. Some might take that as an invitation.”

  I roll my eyes and focus on digging my notebook out of my bag. God, he’s so irritating with his pushing and pulling. I’m tempted to grab his ponytail and give it a good hard yank, but that wouldn’t accomplish anything. A small part of me wants to know why he act the way he does. What is he hiding underneath all that attitude? But the sensible part says it’s too soon. There is too much history between me and the guys that I still don’t know or understand.

  Instead of responding, I ignore him and turn to Clayton with a bright smile. “Hi, Clay! What did I miss yesterday?”

  “Not much,” he whispers, “we’re supposed to create an outline and the first three chapters of a science fiction novel. It’s due Friday.” He grins at me and I give him another smile. Opening my notebook to a clean page, I create a basic outline template. The weight of Clayton’s hand on my arm, his protective energy rolling over me, brings my attention back to him.

  “We missed you yesterday, Trouble,” he says leaning in closer. “I was worried. You should have texted us.” I feel the heat rush to my cheeks. Damn it. It hadn’t occurred to me to say something in the group text. If Sebastian hadn’t reached out… Well, I probably would have fallen back to sleep without talking to any of them.

  “Sorry,” I say quietly. “Yesterday was a bad day for me. I wasn’t really thinking and spent the majority of the day asleep. I’ll try to remember in the future though.” He gives me that brilliant smile of his, causing my heart to skip a beat.

  “No problem, Trouble, just don’t forget again,” he winks and leans back, his lips still curled into a smile as he focuses on his paper. I breathe out a soft sigh and concentrate on the assignment.

  By the time the bell rings, I’m satisfied with the progress I’ve made. My last paper had come back with the note, ‘Show, don’t tell’ in red ink. By using what I know about the “incident” as a jumping off point, I started a Sci-Fi story about an alien abduction. I think I hit the right balance. Leaning over to grab my bag, I take my time putting away my notebook, still mulling over the direction of my story.

  “It’s about time,” Jared’s impatience cuts through me, and I jump in surprise. Looking up, I find him leaning against his desk, his arms folded across his chest. His full lips curled into his trademark smirk. It’s not fair that he manages to look sexy even when smirking. I swear to God, if he’s not careful his face is going to freeze th
at way. It seems like his default expression as it is.

  “I didn’t ask you to wait for me,” I huff, grabbing my bag and standing. I move forward, intending to slip past him, but he shifts so he’s blocking me in, his hands resting on the desks to either side of the aisle.

  “You didn’t,” he acknowledges, his icy energy crackling around him in a swirling mist of blues. I can’t help but notice the familiar hints of red are back. I wish I knew what that meant. I should have spent my time researching yesterday, instead of sleeping all day.

  “But I thought we should talk.” He steps back, offering me his hand. I hesitate a moment, blinking till the colors fade away. With a sigh, I take it, expecting to be assaulted by his emotions, but once again there is nothing but that cold void I’d felt on Sunday.

  I follow him from the room, expecting him to lead me to the courtyard. Instead, he steers us in the opposite direction. Guiding me out a side door, he turns toward the athletic fields. Skirting the parking lot, we head down to the empty football field. When we reach the bleachers, he stops and stares off in the distance.

  Ok… this is odd. Taking a quick look around, it becomes clear that no one else is out here. They must be holding P.E. in the gym today. I think he’s forgotten he’s holding my hand still, but I don’t know how to bring it up without making this more awkward than it already is. I grab a seat and wait for him to tell me what he wanted to talk about. After waiting for what feels like forever, I give up.

  “Soooo…” I finally break the silence. “What are we talking about today? More history lessons?”

  “No, not today,” Jared replies shortly.

  “Well?” I press, exasperated. “What are we here talk about then? The weather? The state of the universe? Who’s going to the Super Bowl?” He lets out a surprised laugh and turns to face me. His ocean blue eyes rake over my face, and he runs his free hand over his hair.

  “Why are you here Emily?” he finally blurts out. I frown in confusion, frozen in place as he drops my hand and paces back and forth.

  “Seriously, what are you after? Cause if you’re planning you to just cut and run again, save us all some trouble and do it now…” Jared stops moving and spins around, pinning me with his gaze. His emotions crash over me; betrayal, confusion, fear, anger, hurt, hope, and something else I don’t understand, all tangled and warped together. Tears prickle in my eyes from the painful feelings, and I look away in an attempt to keep them at bay.

  “I’m here because this is where my Mom decided we should move after… after the “incident”.” I whisper, my voice wavering. “I’m not after anything Jared. I’m really not. If you can’t forgive me for not staying in touch… If you don’t want to be friends…. I understand, I really do. You don’t know me anymore. And I don’t remember you. But I’d like to get to know you, all of you… I want this second chance…”

  “When you didn’t come to school yesterday… When you didn’t contact us…” Jared groans, looking at the sky. “Ian and I wondered if you’d left again… We started thinking that maybe everything you said was a lie… That you came here looking for information… And now that you had it… You’d disappear again…”

  “Oh God, no,” I gasp, jumping to my feet and closing the distance between us. Grabbing his hands, I hold them tightly until he finally looks me in the eye. I drop my shield and push my energy at Jared, the same way I did with Samil earlier. “That wasn’t it at all. I’m so, so sorry. I was in a lot of physical pain yesterday. It never occurred to me that anyone would miss me. I’m not used to having friends, Jared. I haven’t had any since I woke up in the hospital. I don’t remember what having a friend is like… And… Well… I don’t Know how to be a friend. But I want to learn. I want us to be friends. All of us. Please?”

  I can hear warning bell in the distance, but I ignore it. Right now I need to focus on Jared. After a long silence, he nods.

  “Alright…” he says slowly. “But you need to remember that trust takes time to rebuild. Just because we forgive you, doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten. .” I nod quickly, relief flooding through me. “And you need to keep in touch. We lost you once already…”

  “I get it, I really do,” I tell him, releasing his hands. I step closer and wrap my arms around his waist and hugging him tightly. After a moment, Jared slips his arms around me and returns the hug. “Now that I know, I’ll send so many random messages, it will drive you crazy.” He laughs, the final bell ringing in the background.

  “Oh damn. I’ve made us late to class,” Jared says, his familiar smirk back in place. I can’t help but laugh. Stepping out of his arms, I turn and walk quickly back towards the main building. Jared easily keeps pace beside me. Damn him and his long legs.

  “You also made me miss lunch, and after Sami specifically said he’d see me there,” I scold, pulling out my phone.

  “Don’t worry, Pixie. I sent a text for both of us, and Clayton promised to make sure they all knew you were with me.”

  I glance over at him suspiciously and load up the group text. Sure enough there’s a message from Jared saying he was stealing me away for lunch. I send a quick message of my own, promising to see them in study hall, before shoving my phone back in my bag. He stops at the music building, and I stop as well.

  “So… We’re good now, Right?” I ask, wanting confirmation.

  “We’re good Pixie. Just remember, no more disappearing.”

  “Got it!” I flash him a smile, before taking off.

  Friday, September 4th

  ∞

  Things settle down over the next couple days, and I make sure to send lots of random stupid text messages to the group chat.

  Hell, it gives me something to do while Mom drives me to school. She is insisting on dropping me off and picking me up today.

  Me: Help! I’m being forced to get a ride to school from my mom. I feel like a 5 year old!

  Angel Sebastian: LoL you should have said something yesterday, I’d have given you a ride.

  Me:  I didn’t know about her ebil plan yesterday or I would have

  Rock Star Samil: Why did you need a ride?

  Me: Dr appt on the mainland this afternoon, she didn’t trust me to make it home from school and still make the ferry.

  Tank Clayton: Dang, sorry Trouble.

  ∞

  Me: Off to my appt now, see ya’ll later!

  Nerd Ian: Why Dr?

  Me: Girlie Stuff again

  Nerd Ian: Have fun!

  Angel Sebastian: Don’t fall off the ferry LoL

  Tank Clayton: Good luck

  Vampire Jared: Let us know when you get back

  Me: On the ferry now. You tired of all my messages yet?

  Tank Clayton: Nope

  Vampire Jared: LoL

  ∞

  Me: Dr offices are so boring. The cost of the visit should go down for every minute the Dr is late.

  Angel Sebastian: Nice try Sprite!

  Me: For the record, being a girl sucks. Heading back now

  Vampire Jared: Umm Sorry? At least it’s over

  Angel Sebastian: Hey what’s the plan for the big birthday weekend????

  Nerd Ian: The Treasure Hunt will be ready for Sunday. Other than that, more research

  Tank Clayton: Working Saturday morning, but I’m good for Sunday

  Rock Star Samil: Let’s get together Saturday evening to celebrate

  Vampire Jared: Works for me, we’ll have chips and dip

  Tank Clayton: I’m in, I’ll be there after 5pm. I’ve got dessert covered

  Nerd Ian: Sounds good, do we want to grill or just snack?

  Rock Star Samil: Lets grill, I’ll come by early with something

  Angel Sebastian: I’ll bring Sprite.

  Me: ….

  Me: Umm ok? FYI I’m not a food group :O

  Vampire Jared: hehehe

  Angel Sebastian: :P

  Rock Star Samil: LoL

  Angel Sebastian: Fine, I’ll bring Sprite and soda! see ya t
omorrow.

  ∞

  Me: Made it home. I think I’ve had all the fun I can handle for one day. Calling it a night. See ya tomorrow.

  Vampire Jared: night

  Nerd Ian: Night Emmy

  Angel Sebastian: See ya soon

  Rock Star Samil: Good night

  Tank Clayton: sleep well Trouble

  Saturday, September 5th

  (Samil’s Birthday)

  “Mom, I’m going out with Sebastian.” I call downstairs.

  “That’s nice, Emilienne. I’ll be at the Country Club for a dinner tonight. Make sure you take your keys.” Mom yells back.

  I waste the rest of the afternoon reading a paranormal romance book. I make it halfway through before losing my patience and tossing it aside. Why would a girl want to be with someone that treats her like crap…? Hot werewolf or not, a jerk is a jerk. I mean, I can understand that it happens in real life sometimes. Maybe you don’t realize the guy is a jerk till later on... Hell that could be what happened with the Sleazebag I was engaged to before the “incident”. Maybe the old Emilienne didn’t feel emotions and energy leaking from other people to warn her off. But when it comes to reading fiction, I want my heroes to be good guys, not asshats.

  After a quick shower, I grab a pair of skinny jeans and my Evil Queen tee shirt. Pulling my hair up in a ponytail, I debate whether or not I should wear makeup. Since I’m not sure if we’re just hanging out or taking Samil somewhere special, I stick with mascara, eyeliner and lipstick.

  The doorbell rings just as I finish lacing up my Docs. I throw on my faux motorcycle jacket and head out.

  “Hi Mrs. Langmore.” Sebastian’s cheerful tone caries up the stairs. “Is Emily here?”

  “Emilienne!” Mom yells as I come up behind her.

  “I’m right here Mom, no need to yell.” I roll my eyes.

  “Oh perfect, I need to be going. Take care of your guest and lock the door when you leave.” She says, grabbing her coat from the closet. Sebastian steps to the side and holds the door for her. “Don’t bother waiting up for me, Emilienne.” I shake my head as she disappears down the porch stairs. Sebastian moves back to the doorway, eyes wide.