End of CHAPTER ONE

OKAY, this is the end of the first chapter of my story Perfect Strangers. I hope you all like it. I hope it turns out well......



      The elevator doors dinged open. I closed my eyes, preparing to step into the torture chamber filled with that awful music when I heard a voice that made my eyes snap open.

      "Elevator music isn't that bad, love." Stitch said, a coy smile playing on his lips.

      Kitty and I stepped onto the elevator and I was careful to avoid Stitch's eyes. Kitty smiled up at him, and glanced at me when she noticed his stare. We rode in silence for a time, stopping to gather more people on each floor. Suddenly Kitty spoke.

      "So, why are you so dressed up Stitch?" she asked, giving him a long once over.

      Politely he smiled, gesturing to his tux. "Because I have to drive the Headmaster and his wife to dinner this evening. They're meeting with his parents for an evening on the town."

      "So you're not going to be at dinner tonight then?" I couldn't see Kitty's face but she sounded disappointed.

      "No, but I'll be back in time for the movie."

      The elevator doors opened on the lobby floor and everyone flooded out. I knew there were too many bodies in that elevator to begin with. Stitch made it a crowd. I waited awkwardly while Kitty finished speaking with him, wishing I knew my way to the cafeteria so I could leave them to speak by themselves. They had started whispering something, but I wasn't about to try and listen in. I glanced around, taking in the colors of the school. Bright blood red, a magnificent gold and dark charcoal black. Nice. The colors at Helm High were bland. Purple and white. Boring if you ask me. I fiddled with my hair as I stared up at the ceiling. Suddenly there was a hand on my elbow. I glanced at it and immediately wished that I hadn't.

      "Hope to see you at the movie later, love." He smiled at me, a smile that sent shivers down my spine.

      My skin burned where his fingers made contact. I felt a strange pull as I looked up into those mesmerizing green eyes of his. His smile widened and I had an unexplainable urge to wrap my arms around him and kiss him right there. No! Stop! Laela Price you have a boyfriend that loves you. You don't even know this kid. I yelled at myself. I pulled my arm out of his grip and took a step away from him, holding my arm at my side.

      "Maybe."  I said quickly and turned to leave though I had no idea where I was headed.

      "The cafeteria is the other way, Laela." He said.

      My body did another involuntary shiver when he said my name. The way he said it. So soft, almost a whisper. Like a lover would whisper 'I love you,' as you drifted to sleep in their arms. Careful not to look at him again I turned around and headed the other way, all the while Kitty giggled quietly behind me. She skipped up to me and linked her arm with mine. The way she smiled at me I knew she was bursting to say something. She was polite enough to wait until we had our food and were seated at a monstrous table in a gargantuan room. The food wasn't your ordinary school lunch either. It was a full catered meal. Waiters and everything. Right down to the menus. I ordered Alfredo chicken and a salad with a lemon-aid. Kitty was a little more adventurous and ordered Strozzapreti and a salad.

      "He is so hung on you." she announced suddenly. "You have to come to the movie tonight!"

       My face went red. "No, I'm just gonna stay in my room and--" I started

      "Do what? Call your mom?"

      "Yes, actually. I need to.... check up on her." I was always a terrible liar. I was actually going to call my mom and ask why the heck she let my father send me here.

      "You can call her tomorrow. It's Saturday night! Come on, they only show a campus movie once a week. Tonight they're playing that new Robin Hood with Russel Crowe in it! You can't turn down a movie with such a sexy man as the lead! I know you want to come." She stared at me with her bright green eyes, pleading, battling, and winning.

      I let out an exasperated sigh, "Fine! I'll come... but don't you try and set me up with Stitch. I don't want to be murdered, and I have a boyfriend thank you. I love the one I have."

     "A boyfriend?! Oh man, you're just digging yourself a grave! He's sooooo into you, and if he knows you have a boyfriend, isn't that a reason for him to try harder to get your attention? You're like, the forbidden fruit and he can't resist you."

      I was beginning to think that Kitty was crazy. She couldn't know that Stitch was crazy for me. He wasn't. We had only just met. It was impossible. Suddenly there were more people sitting down at our table with their food. I glanced up and found myself staring into a pair of pale blue eyes. The boy smiled, his blond hair falling over his eyes slightly. 

     "We couldn't stay over there any longer." his eyes never left mine. He smiled, "Hi, I'm Cameron. Most people just call me Cam, and this is my friend Jay. That's not short for anything." he winked.

     "H-hey, I'm Laela." I stammered, my cheeks flushing. Why did British boys have to have such a charming demeanor?

     "Ah, and American. Lovely. Did they kick you out for being beautiful?"

     My face went an even deeper shade of red. "N-no! I mean, I'm not pretty. My dad sent me here to keep me away from my boyfriend, that's all."

     This time it was Jay that spoke. "Not pretty? Are you daft? You're gorgeous darling." he said, smiling across the table at me. He completely contrasted his friend. Jay had dark chocolate brown eyes and dark shaggy hair and perfectly tanned skin. "That's the real reason. Your father had to send you away because America was jealous."

     "Oh enough you two, she's taken." Kitty said, forking a mound of pasta and lifting it to point at them. "She's got a boyfriend and she loves him. End of story."

     Cam made a hurt face, putting his hand on his heart, "I'm so offended, Kitten, I can't believe you would be so blunt. It's not like you."

     "I told you not to call me Kitten, I hate that. My name is Kitty. And don't you have a girlfriend?"

     He shook his head, and then turned to look me right in the eye, "Nope, I'm a free man now, but don't you fret. Everything will work out fine."

     Suddenly something in my pocket vibrated and I squeaked, throwing my hand over the object quickly. With a quick half smile and a laugh I looked down to see what my hand had covered. It wasn't the pocket holding my phone, but the pocket where I had put the butterfly necklace. Putting my hand back over the pocket I looked up to find Jay and Kitty staring at me with puzzled looks on their faces. I smiled again embarrassed and muttered 'phone,' before taking another bite of chicken. They brushed it off and continued eating, making small talk amongst themselves, but Cam on the other hand kept his eyes fixated on my hand covering my pocket. It unnerved me. What was he looking at? Could he tell that my phone was in the other pocket? Suddenly and without warning the necklace vibrated again and Cam stood up.

     "I have to go, I just remembered I needed to check on something in the lab. See you all at the movie tonight," He said quickly, leaving his plate at the table, only half eaten.

     "Well... Cam has certainly lost it." Kitty commented, watching Cam leave the cafeteria and nearly knocking a girl flat on her butt. "What's his problem?"

      "He's been this way since he dumped Courtney this morning. He was acting all weird. Kept saying something about the butterfly. Sounded like a loon." Jay replied.

      My breath hitched in my throat. He said something about the butterfly?! Did he know about the necklace that Stitch had given me? Suddenly I felt a rock drop into the pit of my stomach and my appetite disappeared. Too many coincidences, and I wasn't taking any chances.