College

OK, hey guys!! How's life? Mine is great!  I got an email from Southern Virginia University telling me that i had been ACCEPTED!!! I can't tell you how happy I was to get that email! I had a celebration by myself.

Ok beyond that, I have to ask this. Why is it so difficult to ask the boy you like if he has a girlfriend? I struggled all day to ask him. We are great friends so I didn't want to kill the relationship, but I needed to know. It was killing me. Plus I'm super obvious when I like someone. Subtle isn't something I'm good at in that field. Usually.This time I think he knows I like him. GAH! Bah humbug. Anyway, I wrote chapter two of Perfect Strangers. Let me know what you think!!

Chapter 2- Perfect Strangers

I stared after Cam, watching the empty space where his body would have been. My mouth felt dry. My eyes were fixed and my body went rigid. A chill ran down my spine. Something didn't feel right to me; Cam had reacted so strangely, and it was almost as if the necklace had responded to his presence. My fists were pressed against my legs, my arms locked. I needed to go back to my room and call my mom. I wanted out. Too many weird things had happened today. I didn't like it. I was the kind of girl who liked normal. Heck, I didn't even like fantasy anything. Not books. Not movies. Especially not something that was supposed to be real. I stuck to action adventure. Normal. That's it.

“Are you OK, Laela. You look like you've seen a ghost.” Kitty said quietly, putting her hand on my shoulder.

I glanced at her for a moment, and then shook my head, clearing my thoughts. “Yeah, I'm fine... just... tired. I think I'm going to go back to the room and sleep for a little bit before the movie, OK?” I said, smiling and hoping she wouldn't see through my lie.

She watched me for a moment. I could tell she was processing my words, but finally she sighed.

“I'll be up to wake you a half hour before the show,” she said, rolling her emerald eyes toward the ceiling.

With a smile I stood and excused myself, and had to keep myself in control or else I would have bolted right through the door and sprinted up the stairs to my room. When I hit the hallway I suddenly felt lost. What was I thinking? I didn't know how to get back to my room. I was just following Kitty the whole way. Crap. I turned to the right, thinking that if I followed a hallway long enough I should find the foyer. Seemed logical enough. Forty steps down the hall my phone buzzed. I reached into my pocket to grab it, but it slipped through my fingers and went crashing to the floor. Growling I bent down to gather the scattered pieces, and when I had collected them all I stood, nearly bumping noses with Cam. His hot breath bounced off my cheeks, drawing a blush to my skin. I could feel the heat of his body beneath his clothes at his closeness. I swallowed hard.

“Where are you running off to?” he asked, a coy smile on his lips. He didn't move away.

“T-to my room. I'm... going to take a nap before the movie... Jet lag.” I stammered.

I took a step back and moved around him. He didn't make a move to follow, but rather stood where he was, watching me leave from over his shoulder, a calculating smile spreading across his lips. There was something off about the people at this school. I pushed against a door, opening it into the foyer. Yes! I celebrated my discovery by rushing to the elevator. I clicked the button relentlessly until the doors slid open. There was no one inside. With a sigh of relief I stepped inside and put my phone back together and dialed my mom's number. I listened to the dial tone for seven rings before her machine picked up.

“You've reached Danica Price, I'm away from the phone right now, leave me a message.” her voice chirped.

I waited for the beep. “Hey mom, it's me. Just calling to let you know that I made it safely. This school is cyclopean! Did you know dad is paying ten thousand a year to keep me here? I need you to answer this question honestly. Please. Did dad send me here because he doesn't like Tony? Or is it something I did? There's no way he would have just sent me here for educational purposes. Is it something I can atone for? Some of the people here are.... well honest to goodness mom, they are freaking me out. I've only been here for a few hours and I already have enemies, stalkers and creeps. Love you. Call me soon.”

I hung up just as the elevators dinged open at my floor. I stuck my head out of the doors and peeked around the corner, glancing up and down the hallways. No one. Good. I stepped out of the elevator, my foot catching on the door and sending me toppling to the floor. I had never been good with elevators. My mom told me that even when I was little I would have to jump out of an elevator to ensure that I stayed up right. Laying on the ground, my black hair tangled around my face and in my mouth I blew a puff of air and sent my hair flying. Groaning I pulled myself from the ground and trekked down the hall and stuck my key into the electronic lock on the door. The door clicked open and cautiously I stuck my head inside and glanced around. Empty. Thank goodness. I rushed into my room and shut the door, not bothering to kick off my shoes and fell face first onto my bed.

“This whole school is full of creeps.” I mumbled into my pillow. “I hate my life.”

****

I'm stuck in a forest, it's dark and I can't see a thing. I started running, trying to break free of the trees. My legs get tangled in the dress I'm wearing. Why am I wearing this? I keep running, feeling like I need to get out of the forest and find something. No, not something, someone. The urgency tugging on my chest starts to frighten me. Why do I need to find this person? With the way I feel it's almost as if this person is near death. Finally I break away from the trees and into an immense field. On the other side is a man. Lightning flashes, illuminating the scene. My eyes focused on the figure, and suddenly I realized it wasn't just one person, but two. My hands flew to my sides, bunching in tight knots around the thick material.

“Let him go you wretch!” I scream, though I have no idea why.

A laugh echoes around me like it's been amplified on surround sound and a chill runs down my spine.

“Now, now, Miss Lealais, no need to use such harsh language. You know I'll let him go,” the voice said darkly, pausing for a moment. “When you agree to my terms.”

I growled, feeling a strange sort of force prickling at my fingertips. “I would rather die.”

He chuckled. “You wound me, precious. Such ugly words from beautiful lips. If that's truly how you feel, then so be it.”

Suddenly there is someone behind me. His hands lingering on my waist and one clamping tightly around my neck. My body stiffens and my hands suddenly ignite. Flames leap from my hands and meet the man's cloak. He's burning. I take off, sprinting across the field toward the figure standing on the other side. This is the person I'm searching for. It's him. When I reach him, lightning flashes again and I see his face. It's Stitch. He looks weary, but relived to see me.

“Lealais, you shouldn't have come. You know what he wants. Don't do this for me.” He begs, tears forming on the outside edges of his eyes.

“I do this because I love you, Everard. I would never—“ My body suddenly feels insanely hot, like I'm burning from the inside. I can't speak, I can't move.

“Because you rejected me, you shall pay. You will be my queen. Henseforth you shall be known not by Laelais the Compasionate. You shall be known as Laelais, the Pheonix Queen. Every one hundred years you will die and be reborn from the ashes like a true Pheonix.” the dark voice hissed.

With all my will and strength I reached to my neck and yanked my necklace off. It was the butterfly pendant! I put it in Stitch's hand and a tear escaped my eye.

“I'll always belong to you. Time is but an obstacle.”

****

I woke up screaming, my clothes stuck to my body. A sticky layer of sweat covered my body. I was breathing so hard I thought I would pass out. I pressed my hand over my heart. My head was spinning and I had to lay back, closing my eyes or else I would have been out cold.

“What the heck was that?” I asked myself. Even now the dream was fading. I couldn't remember anything but my exchange with Stitch—and who the heck was Everard?

My door creaked open, and I screamed. Kitty screamed in response.

“Jeez! Will you calm down?” she panted, holding her hand over her heart, leaning against my door frame. “I just came to wake you up, but it seems you were already up.”

I sat up slowly, trying to calm my rapidly beating heart. “Sorry, I had a nightmare.” I sighed.

“Oh, well... I'm sorry. Uh, the movie starts in thirty minutes. You might want to shower. You look like you've come from the Amazon.” she wrinkled her nose. “We share the bathroom on this side. The door is right there,” she points to a door on the right side of my room. I had assumed it was a closet. “It connects our rooms too, so you're just lucky that Molly and her cronies aren't on this side of the room.”

I laughed and she left. Padding across the room I poked my head into the bathroom. It was quaint. There was a toilet smashed between the wall and the double sinks. On the other side of the small room was a shower. I stepped into the room and locked both doors and shed my clothes. I turned the nob to hot and stepped in. The warm water felt amazing against my skin. I closed my eyes, soaking the warmth in and suddenly I remembered the agonizing burning sensation I had felt in my dream and my eyes snapped open. THAT NECKLACE! I gave it to Stitch in my dream.... what if... what if... No that's absurd. Crazy child. It couldn't be real. I shake my head and clear my thoughts. What seems like two seconds later Kitty is banging on the door.

“Holy crow, Laela, save some water for the fishes! The movie starts in ten minutes!! Get out!” she yells.

“Sorry!!” I say, cutting off the water flow and stepping out of the shower. I yank a towel off the rack and dry my hair. My hair curls up automatically—a trait I gained from my mother. After I've dried myself off I unlock the doors and rush into my room. Raking through my drawers I yank out a dark purple sweater Tony had given me for my birthday and a pair of skinny jeans. Throwing on my clothes I rushed back to the mirror in the bathroom to fix my makeup, and then wrestled with my hair forever, finally catching it in a decent ponytail. With a sigh I went back to my room and found Kitty tapping her foot impatiently in my doorway. She looked nice, wearing a t-shirt and jeans and a flimsy jacket. I glanced at her and wondered why she was wearing something so... well cold.

“Aren't you going to freeze?” I asked her while pulling on my boots.

She smiled, “Well, the way I see it, if I wear something like this then Jay will have to let me borrow his jacket. I have a plan. Why borrow it when we can share?” she winked at me. “You know that the clothing companies are only trying to play matchmaker, right? Why else would girls jackets be so flimsy?”

I stared at her. She had a point. We stood and walked to the elevator, the doors opening to reveal the person I had no desire to see tonight.

“Ladies,” Stitch purred, gesturing to invite us into the elevator.

Kitty smiled and stepped in. I stood there, looking between him and the floor, weighing my chances of actually making it on without killing myself. Taking a deep breath I lifted my foot and stepped into the elevator and lost my balance. Kitty moved to catch me but Stitch made it faster. His arms locked around my waist, pulling me into his chest. I felt my cheeks flare up and didn't dare look at him. I muttered thank you, and righted myself, standing awkwardly in the corner of the car. Kitty glanced at me and shrugged. We rode in silence, and once we had entered the foyer Kitty spotted Jay and Cam. She waved them over, beaming wildly. When they approached Cam's face paled. He looked as if he were staring right at me, but not seeing me. I glanced over my shoulder; Stitch stood behind me glaring sternly at Cam.

“Too much testosterone...” Kitty muttered and linked arms with Jay. “C'mon guys, the movie isn't going to wait for us.”

I trailed after Kitty and Jay, leaving Cam and Stitch in their standoff. As I left, they moved closer, and Stitch whispered so quietly I had to strain to hear what he said.

“Give up now, you know you'll lose.”