Chapter Six

Six as promised

Chapter 6

The instant his tires screeched along the road my body tensed, tightening around him. I squeezed my eyes shut and pressed myself into his back, praying that I would live to see tomorrow. My fingers held the damp material of his shirt so tight I was sure my knuckles were white. I could feel him laugh and I wanted to hit him, but didn't dare let go of his shirt, which made him laugh harder. We rounded a corner and I heard the tires squeal. My heart-rate sped up and I clutched Stitch tighter. The bike skidded, seeming like it would tip over. I screamed, but the sound was was muffled by the helmet I wore. The rain stung my skin as we ripped down the street. I wondered how Stitch was dealing with it without a helmet; it hurt me, and I had something, someone to protect me. We started losing speed and Stitch Took a sharp turn, the engine revving dangerously, making me scream again.

Stitch suddenly turned onto a backroad and pulled up to an apartment building and parked. He sat up, nearly knocking me backward and dismounted. I still clung tightly to his shirt, and he seemed amused by this, turning to look at me, his bright green eyes sparkling against his pale rain-soaked skin. He smiled, glancing down at my fingers still locked onto his shirt and placed his hands on top of mine. For a brief moment my vision failed me and I was sucked back into the world of dreams. It was Stitch before me, his hands on mine just like now, but instead of helping me off a bike, he helped me down from a carriage, dressed in a nice tailcoat, and I in a Victorian style gown. Just as soon as the images appeared, they vanished and I found myself looking into Stitch's eyes. They were worried, if not slightly suspicious. I shook my head, and stepped off the bike, releasing him from my hold. He then turned and walked to stand under the awning in front of the building. I shook my head, raising my hands and asking with my body, “What the heck are you doing?” He just smirked, and motioned for me to join him. Rolling my eyes I took off the helmet and hooked it on the handlebars and dashed under the cover.

“This sure as heck doesn't look like the school.” I growled, rubbing my arms in a futile attempt to warm myself. I was starting to wish I had left with Kitty, and hadn't worn a white shirt.

He chuckled. “No, its certainly not the school,” he said smugly.

I rounded on him, “No duh Sherlock! Now why aren't we at the school? Are you kidnapping me?”

He seemed more amused than before. “No, love, if I were kidnapping you, your arms would be tied behind your back and you would have a gag in your mouth and I would be laughing and carrying you over my shoulder back to my castle.”

I scoffed, folding my arms over my chest and turning away from him. “What happened back at the park, Stitch? Who was that guy?”

I peeked at him from the corner of my eye, watching for his reaction. It was slight, but it was there. His eyes darkened for a moment. He shifted his weight to his other leg and sighed.

“No one, don't worry about him.” he said quickly.

“That's not what it looked like. How many 'no ones' get reactions like that from perfect strangers?” I turned back to face him, drawing closer. “Who is he?”

He glared down at me, “No one you need to worry about. That's it.”

“Right, I'm sure! Why won't you tell me? Do you have some deep dark secret about your past? Fallout with a friend? Kill a man?”

His eyes turned dark, and cold. I shrunk away from him, frightened by his sudden change in demeanor. “Why do you always ask so many questions? Isn't my answer sufficient enough for you Laela? My past and my enemies are mine to deal with, if it would please you to leave me alone, I would appreciate it.”

“I'm sure the blond would tell me about it.” I whispered, turning away again.

That hit the spot. “Stay away from him. He's vile and rude, and would throw you under a train if you didn't do exactly what he wanted.” Stitch snapped. I stepped away. “Yes, I saw the way you looked at him, and I know that look.”

I blushed. “Y-you never even looked at me! And so what? Are you jealous that the look wasn't directed at you? Need one more fangirl to add to your ever growing list of casualties?”

He laughed” Oh-ho-ho I looked at you, love, and there was no mistaking that awestruck lovesick puppy look! He's not worth your time.”

“Oh?” That was it, one more straw and I would be walking back to the school. “And you are?”

He didn't say anything in response, just looked at me and smirked.

That curled my toes. “What's that look supposed to mean?”

“Whatever you want it to mean, Laela.”

I raised my hand to slap him, but something held me back. Instead I ended up shrieking and stamping my foot on the ground like a child. I promptly folded my arms back across my chest and turned away from him, glaring at the buildings down the street. The rain didn't look like it would let up soon, so I began to weigh my options. I could walk back to the school, but walking back could end in my getting more lost than I started, or I could wait here with Stitch until the rain stopped.

“Why aren't we going back to the school?” I muttered.

“The roads are too slick. My bike can't get any tread.” He replied.

“So we're just going to stand out here and freeze?”

He stepped closer, putting his arms around me. “I can keep you warm.”

I shrugged out of his hold and laughed. “So that's the kind of fighter you are? You'll spit venom and then clean it up with a display of kindness? I don't think so! I'll keep myself warm thank you!”

He stepped away from me again. “Suit yourself.” he said, and then rang a buzzer on the wall. “Chandler, let me up.”

I turned to face him, shocked that we had been standing here fighting when he could have gotten us inside twenty minutes ago.

A voice came over the PA. “Whose me?” it asked.

“Stitch, you idiot? Were you expecting someone?”

“Not you, but come on up.”

The door clicked open. Stitch stepped inside and I made a move to follow, but he closed the door and smiled from behind the glass.

“I offered to keep you warm, but you wouldn't have it.”

He left me standing there, glaring after him as he moved to the elevator. He waved and disappeared inside. Growling I turned back to the call box. I scanned the names, not really paying any heed to the apartment numbers. There were three Chandlers on the list. Process of elimination...starting now. I pressed the button for Chandler Lyon, and waited.

“Hello?” He didn't sound the same.

“Oh, hi, I think I may have gotten the wrong Chandler. Unless you know a Stitch Mazzigati.” I said quietly.

There was a long pause. “No, can't say I do. Sorry.”

“Thanks anyway,”

I looked back at the call box. Next.

I pressed the button and waited. “Hello?” AH-HAH! GOTCHA!

“Hi, is Stitch up there yet?” I asked.

“Uh, no, not yet, why? Who are you?”

“I'm Laela, the girl he left standing in the rain outside the building. Could you please let me in? I'm really cold out here.”

I heard Stitch walk through the door. “Chandler what are you doing?” he asked.

“You left a girl outside to freeze in the rain? Some gentleman you are.” Chandler scolded.

I smiled. “Could you let me up? Thanks.”

I heard the door click open. “There ya go, miss.”

Stitch came over the PA next. “You're gonna regret that...”

“If I get up there and to the right room, you'll tell me who the blond is?”

“Yes, but good luck.”

He stopped talking and I walked through the door and staight to the attendant at the desk. “Hi, I was wondering if you could tell me what apartment number I could find a Chandler Hartwicke in.” I asked politely.

“You Laela Price?” he replied.

“Nope, my name is Sammy Lorien. I'm Chandler's friend from America... we had spotty reception when he gave me his room number... so if you could be a dear.”

“They said you would use a fake name, so they described you. I'm not supposed to help you up to his room.”

I glared. “You have got to be kidding me.”

“Sorry,”

So this is the game he wants to play, fine. I walked to the elevator and pressed a random number and rode it up, walked down the hall to a random room and knocked on the door. An elderly gentleman answered, smiling up at me.

“Good afternoon sir, I'm a little lost. Do you know a boy named Chandler Hartwicke?” I asked.

“Oh, Chandler... yes. He's actually right down the hall. Seventeen B.” he replied, pointing out the way.

I nodded a thank you and walked down the hall and found 17 B. I was good. That, or Fate favored me for that brief and shining moment. Taking a deep breath I knocked on the door. Quicker than I thought it would have, the door swung open, revealing an older boy with dark hair and square glasses, and a rather sour looking Stitch.

“Name, now.” I ordered.

Life Sucks, and then you Die.

Your day kind of crumbles when you open an email from a college regarding their decision for admission, and you have so much hope for the insides of the email, and when you click the link to read their decision, and they've rejected you. Yeah, that's my day right now. I just got an email from BYU and I've been rejected. I'm working on a scholarship for their creative writing program, but if I've been rejected, what's the point of trying? Aren't most of them based on admission? I feel like crying, but I'm in the middle of class, so that's not really an option.

I felt so good about this scholarship, and I believed I really had a chance, but now I'm not so certain. Should I keep going and submit it, even though there's like 1 in a million chance that this could change things. So I ask you fellow followers, what do I do? Do I keep pursuing this scholarship and hope it changes things? Or do I give up now before I have more reason to cry my guts out. My mom said I should still apply for the scholarship, but I don't know if I want to have more reason for disappointment. Then she gets angry at me because I didn't have someone review my application to BYU but I had my dad look over it. Okay, so now that we've established that Alex sucks.... okay not really, but her day sucks, what do we do? OOOOH I know, she can show you this brilliant logo she created in Commercial Art class.

 This is the front part of the shirt. We were designing them for Skills USA, obviously.
This is the back of the shirt. We were supposed to design them for the Utah team, I really liked my design, but it didn't win. I can show you what one did though.

This was done by my besties Rachel and Mike. It's pretty cool right? 

Anyway, beyond that, I'll probably have a post with chapter six later. Depending on how long I'm at this social for Miss Orem. Oh yeah, did I mention I'm competing for Miss Orem? Yep,  you all should come... when it gets to that point.

Tagged...

So Erin tagged me in her post, so I had to write this. Enjoy

1. Tell us about your favorite writ­ing project/universe that you’ve worked with and why.
Hmmm My favorite universe I've created. Well.... the only universe i've really created is the one in my novel. It's so much fun to write there because i'm a big fantasy fan, and all the things there are so much fun, and the people you run into are well.... interesting.

2. How many char­ac­ters do you have? Do you pre­fer males or females?
Like Erin said, I've got too many to count. I make up a ton and a half just to fill in my plot holes, most of them are brought up once, or are sorta "extras" if you will. I don't have a preference really.... but I think my characters tend to be pretty even because I like pairing them up. I do like creating extremely attractive men though too.

3. How do you come up with names for char­ac­ters (and for places if you’re writ­ing about fic­tional places)?
I use name generators and common names i've heard around, or if my friends have cool names I write them. As for places, I just kinda come up with something. Most of the time my plots are grounded in a futuristic place of an already existing world.

 4. Tell us about one of your first stories/characters!
Well.... I've had a lot of stories, but I think the first one that really had any hold was a story that I wrote with Nikki a long time ago. It was of our wonderful vampires Kathyrne and Alikzander. They've gotten face lifts, but they've been neglected. Maybe I'll bring them up again, but I doubt our vampires will be resurrected.

5. By age, who is your youngest char­ac­ter? Old­est? How about “youngest” and “old­est” in terms of when you cre­ated them?
Youngest character.... hmmm. Okay youngest character that really matters is Kaeli from my novel. She's sixteen. Oldest character.... UH It's one of my elves. I think Uruviel is the oldest. She's like... wait... nope she is the oldest. Barely. Uruviel is 460 and Seili is like 430. Wow, that's strange. Seili and Kaeli are totally a couple. See the age difference here? Hahaa. "Youngest" I don't think I have any in particular, but Aeros acts like a two year old a lot. He's easily procoked and he's envious of flowers because Terra pays more attention to them then to him sometimes. "Oldest" Chonus who is literally the oldest too, but you don't really hear about him. He's Father Time.

6. Where are you most com­fort­able writ­ing? At what time of day? Com­puter or good ol’ pen and paper?
Anywhere really. I don't have a preference. I do however write mostly with pen and paper! I used to have a huge phobia of putting my stuff on the computer because I thought someone would be able to take them and steal my ideas. That's not helping because I've been posting my stuff but I've gotten over that.

7. Do you lis­ten to music while you write? What kind? Are there any songs you like to relate/apply to your char­ac­ters?
Well, I've been known to listen to music while I write, but sometimes its nice to just write in silence.As with my last post sometimes I just youtube stuff. Whatever comes up. No particular soundtrack... It's just whatever comes up.

8. What’s your favorite genre to write? To read?
FANTASY and romance. I'm a sap for a good love story. I'm a hopeless romantic.

9. How do you get ideas for your char­ac­ters? Describe the process of cre­at­ing them.
Ideas for characters come from people around me, my friends, people I see in the workplace, and just well around. Some of them come from dreams. When I create them their personality comes first, then coupling with that is their appearance. Sometimes I'll give them a name first but most of the time their name comes last. If not close to it. I role play for my characters, so if you ever see me talking to myself, I'm probably not talking to myself, but I'm playing out a scene that I'm writing, or trying to write.

10. What are some really weird sit­u­a­tions your char­ac­ters have been in? Every­thing from seri­ous canon scenes to meme ques­tions counts!
Well... There is this one scene from a story I'm writing, which only Nikki has seen. It involves Alex Day, who has been seducing the Shaian General for information and she's coming for her last "information session" and what does she find but her husband whom she had no idea was even on Shai, has replaced the General and who does she meet? Yep. Quinn. He recognizes her so it gets pretty embarassing for them. I've got a bunch of others, but they take too long to write.

11. Who is your favorite char­ac­ter to write? Least favorite?
Favorite character to write would by far have to be Stitch. He's just so well... alluring. He's funny and sarcastic and can be really cute when he wants to be. I like writing my own "perfect stranger" in Stitch. Mhy blond, which I won't give you a name for yet, that comes later. He's fun to write as well. But I can't give anything away by telling you what he's like. My least favorite to write would probably be Taj or Foxburr even though they have a few good runs. Mostly they're just hard to write because they are crazy.

12. In what story did you feel you did the best job of world­-build­ing? Any side-notes on it you’d like to share?
The Glade, that's really the only world I've created and I think I did rather well there, but there are a few things that I should tweak. Like... probably keeping the names of all the forests and their locations straight. It's kinda a pain considering that most of the world there is a forest.

13. What’s your favorite cul­ture to write, fic­tional or not?
The Kyurions. They're my go to alien race. They are from a planet called Kyuri and you've met two of their most talented and gifted individuals. Terra and Aeros. They're two of the six that were chosen to go to distant planets to teach the people of those planets the knowledge that the Kyurions have.

14. How do you map out loca­tions, if needed? Do you have any to show us?
I don't do very well with that. I tend to stick to places that I've been or seen, or just keeping things based in the USA. Other than that, I just write, and then after that I have to do extensive cross checks to keep my mapping striaght. That's one thing I need to get better at.

15. Mid­way ques­tion! Tell us about a writer you admire, whether pro­fes­sional or not!
UHM Richard Castle. Yes, he exists. But I can't say that I have a favorite writer. I have favorite books. I love Old Magic by Marianne Curley. It's an amazing book. If you haven't read it, I suggest you do.

16. Do you write roman­tic rela­tion­ships? How do you do with those, and how “far” are you will­ing to go in your writ­ing? ;)
MMMMM romances. I love writing romances. As for how far I'm willing to go... pretty far. Not to the point of writing it all, but implying it. I don't write sex scenes because I don't want to.

17. Favorite pro­tag­o­nist and why!
Favorite protagonist. Crap. I don't know. I really like all of them but I really love writing Larkin. She makes me sad but she gives me so much hope! She grows so much during her horrific ordeal and gives me a reason to look at things differently and really appreciate what i have.

18. Favorite antag­o­nist and why!
Taj. Oh my gosh he's ridiculously strange. He's got a weird mind set, and so he's fun to write. My other favorite so far is my Blond. Erin knows who he is, but he's fun to write because he is the perfect man. It's almost like Valentine. But Valentine is like... well I don't know how to describe him very well, but if you haven't read the mortal instrument series, I suggest you do. Valentine is the percect villain.

20. What are your favorite char­ac­ter inter­ac­tions to write?
I like writing tender moments and action scenes!! Anything that makes me feel pumped or tense. Oh my gosh I just love writing!  I like to write anything I can feel. So, since I'm single and a hopeless romantic, I write sappy love stories most of the time.

21. Do any of your char­ac­ters have chil­dren? How well do you write them?
No, most of my charcters are really too young for kids. They do have parents and younger siblings that I write for. I've never written a character with children. I should try that.

22. Tell us about one scene between your char­ac­ters that you’ve never writ­ten or told any­one about before! Seri­ous or not.
Erin requested something 'intense and awesome' so here we go. I've decided to give you an exerpt from Branded. Enjoy.

The breeze was light, tickling the back of Larkin's neck, making her turn to check behind her for the millionth time that day. On days like this she and her friends were at their most paranoid. Something bad always happens when the set up is so perfect... She and the boys had stopped off in the park to plan their next move, and for Arden to find them a new ride. It was always risky to lift a car from a public place like this, but Arden was a pro. Killswitch told us the neighborhood we stopped off at had a history of having cars stolen, so people reported the theft but the police didn't try to hard to find the cars.

"Try and find us something that gets good mileage please," Killswitch remarked as Arden slunk off toward the edges of the park.

Larkin and the others sat on a bench and began to strategize. They hadn't made it very far from home at this point but they needed to get to Chicago, and soon. When they ran into DinNoni after having allegedly released him from prison, he told them their questions would be answered in Chicago by a man named Sam Connoly. Killswitch estimated that it should take them about a week which included car changes and walking time. Alexander said they would also have to stop for food, which meant they would have to get money some how.

"We can't make any withdrawals from our bank accounts because the government will be watching those." Killswitch said, pulling a roadmap from his backpack and laying it out on his knees. He started tracing some roads, most likely backroads with a few major highways thrown inbeetween as needed. "So how do you propose we get some cash?"

Larkin stopped to think for a moment. "Well, we're already wanted criminals, and Arden's got magic fingers, so I'm sure he could lift a few wallets here and there, or we could set up a scam and write those stupid 'Homeless, anything helps' signs. But there's the risk of someone recognizing one of us and tipping off the police." she said, and Alexander agreed.

"We've got some cash left from the last car, but we're going to need money fast." Alexander commented, glancing around the park to make sure no one recognized them. It had become habit to do checks like that.

Larkin stood from off the bench and began to scan the park as well when from the corner of her vision she saw a swarm of dark figures approach them. Her body tensed and she snatched up all the maps from Killswitch and took off. "Run!" she shouted over her shoulder as the dark figures began to pick up speed. Without questioning anything the other two boys tore away from the bench and across the park. If Arden hadn't lifted a car by now they would have to pick one up at a later time, or drag people out of their vehicle at a stop light. From the street Larkin saw a dark SUV speeding down the road exactly parallel from them, and she panicked. They needed cover somewhere. But where? Families and couples all over the park were scrambling away running to their cars and screaming. They were screaming? Why? We were the ones being chased!

I darted to the right, not sure if the boys were following, but hoping they were. I heard Arden screaming at me from the road and spotted him next to a blue Sedan jumping up and down. I made a beeline for the car, hoping and praying harder than I ever had before that I could make it to the car and now get shot. I heard footsteps behind me and picked up speed. When I reached the car I dove into the passenger side and not a second later Killswitch and Alexander dove in and Arden peeled out before the doors were closed. He tore down the street, paying no regard to street signs or traffic laws. We had all agreed that Arden was our go to driver for situations like this because he played far too many video games and watched way too many movies.

"Get us out of here" Killswitch screamed from the back seat.

"I'm workin on it!" Arden growled jerking the steering wheel severely to the right. Larkin hit the door and yelped.

She could see the black SUV closing in on them; there was a man hanging out the window, a huge gun aimed for their tires.

"Gun!" Larkin yelled, "Step on it!"

The glass from the back window shattered and Alexander hit the floor.

23. How long does it usu­ally take you to com­plete an entire story—from plan­ning to writ­ing to post­ing (if you post your work)?
Depends on how long it is. With my novel it took me two years and that's just the rough draft. I'm working on further drafts. So it could take a lot longer than that.

24. How will­ing are you to kill your char­ac­ters if the plot so demands it? What’s the most inter­est­ing way you’ve killed some­one?
Yes. I've killed a few characters. I got writers block so I killed Kiki in my novel. She dies because of magic... Uh. Alex... okay so technically I didn't kill her, but I wrote her death. She killed herself in a sense but she gets speared through the back with a venomous spear and dies slowly and painfully. I cried a lot...

25. Do any of your char­ac­ters have pets? Tell us about them.
Yes, Primula has a pet, his name is Fai. He's like this dragon lizard fluffy thing. See him Here. Uh, Foxburr has a pet who has been handed down through the generations from his father (they live for like ever), it's a freakishly large dragon named Riplakish. I stole that name from the Book of Mormon. Cool right? Beyond that, I don't think anyone has a pet. If they do, I forgot about them. Well okay so in a dream I had about Perfect Strangers Laela has a dog named Cworky.

26. Let’s talk art! Do you draw your char­ac­ters? Do oth­ers draw them? Pick one of your OCs and post your favorite pic­ture of him!
I do draw them!! All the time I also draw Erin's characters, I love drawing Alessia and Rath, this one is my favorite one... Here it is. I draw a lot more but I don't really wanna post them. If you wanna see more, feel free to poke around using that link there.

27. Along sim­i­lar lines, do appear­ances play a big role in your sto­ries? Tell us about them, or if not, how you go about design­ing your char­ac­ters.
Well lets see do appearances play a role in designing my characters. DUH. Take Stitch for example. He's tall dark and handsome, and then there's blond man. He's like the epitomy of angels everywhere, but.... oooh I feel like i've given too much away. Enough about blondie.

28. Have you ever writ­ten a char­ac­ter with phys­i­cal or men­tal dis­abil­i­ties? Describe them, and if there’s noth­ing major to speak of, tell us a few smaller ones.
Larkin has some major handicaps. She's very afraid of men and because of that she also doesn't believe in herself at all, and at times her fear of men is so intense that she passes out.

29. How often do you think about writ­ing? Ever come across some­thing in real life that reminds you of your story/characters?
All the stinking time. You don't even understand how much I think about writing. Like I said before I role play situations between my characters a lot. That's where a lot of my scenes come from. My random role play moments. Yep. I've had situations that play out in reality where I'm all "OMG MY CHARACTERS WOULD HAVE DONE THE SAME THING!!" needless to say I laugh out loud in quiet rooms because I thought of a funny situation to write.

30. Final ques­tion! Tag some­one! And tell us what you like about that per­son as a writer and/or about one of his/her characters!
Dear Nikki, fill this out. ;] And Shannon, I would love to read about your process. Anyone else, feel free!

Preference

Well, last night was preference for my school and I had a blast! I went with my friend's boyfriend (wierd I know, but oh well) and we had tons of fun! For the day date, which I still don't understand why people feel compelled to have them, we played board games. We borrowed the game that I'm addicted to, and need to get for myself before I graduate, Betrayal at the House on the Hil. It's an amazing game. We all had so much fun. My date was the traitor, but we beat him. Barely. All the boys had died (or were the traitor) so the girls kicked some serious trash. For dinner we went to Julie's house and had a home cooked meal. Her little brother made the most amazing chicken! It tasted sooooo good! Then we went to the dance and had a blast! Even if it felt like the floor was going to cave. UH.... I'm still debating whether or not I want to do Miss Orem or not, so tell me what you think. Like honestly guys. And beyond that, I wrote chapter five. Okay, so I listened to the same two songs over and over while writing the last.... well better half of this chapter. It's pretty intense if you listen to the music that I did, so I will tell you what I listened to, and give you cues in the chapter as to when the music is to be played. Sound good?? OKay!! I hope you like this chapter, and remember last post where I mentioned some of my 'other' characters? Well, here one is. Hope you like him hahahahahahahahhah.

The songs are as follows:

1. Main Theme (Speed) by Mark Mancina

2. The Rescue (number two on the Speed sountrack.) by Mark Mancina

Chapter 5

I didn't dare look at him. I wasn't sure if I could handle it. I had tried to avoid him as best I could after each dream. It was strange facing him even though they were just that. Dreams. I felt him sit down beside me, and instantly my heart screamed out for me to sit closer, to cuddle into his side, to be close to him, but my mind said no. My mind screamed louder. Screamed for me to stay away from him. I wasn't sure which voice to listen to. Kitty was watching me from beneath her bangs, watching for a tell. She waited to see how I would react before she did anything herself.

Stitch looked at the pair of us and smirked. “Did I interrupt a private moment?” he asked, smiling slyly as I had seen him do in my dreams. My heart fluttered for a moment and when he looked at me I feared he had heard it. “Please, do continue then.”

“Tonight,” I said simply, glancing at Kitty who nodded in agreement.

Stitch chuckled, “Ah, secret girl meetings. The joys they bring to a man's life. You know this is why we don't understand you, right?”

Kitty chuckled, the apprehension leaving her almost immediately. “Oh? Do elaborate, if you please.”

“The cryptic answers, the girl code, all things we men are unfamiliar with, even it seems in marriage, and the one girl you wish you could understand seems to be the hardest one to decipher.” he had turned to look at me while he said these words, and my face turned a light shade of pink.

I opened my mouth to say something, but my phone buzzed loudly against my thigh in my pocket and I yelped instead, earning a laugh from the two of them. With a glare I extracted my phone from my pocket and glanced at the caller ID. Tony. I smiled, and flipped the phone open.

“Hey darling, I'm with some friends right now, can I give you a call back later?” I said.

“Oh, uh...... yeah, sure. It's nothing.” he said sounding rather upset.

“What is it Tony, what's up?”

“You're busy, don't worry about it. I'll call you tomorrow.”

I had funny feeling come over me like Tony was hiding something, but I decided not to push it. Instead I sighed and said, “Okay, love you Tony.”

“Love you too, Laela.”

With another sigh I snapped the phone shut and looked back at Kitty and Stitch. “Sorry about that.”

Stitch raised an eyebrow, “Trouble on the home-front?”

I shook my head quickly and stretched my arms above my head, my shirt raising enough to expose the skin above my pants.

“Nice tattoo,” Kitty giggled.

Suddenly self-conscious I yanked my shirt back down, my face turning bright red once again. “Um thanks...”

Stitch leaned closer, “What is it of? Tribal ink? Tony's name? Barbed wire?” he teased.

I scowled, “No, not barbed wire or Tony's name, but tribal ink, yes. What of, that shall remain secret unless you can guess.”

He smiled, accepting the challenge and stared deeply into my eyes. I began to feel uncomfortable and vulnerable under his stare. I was suddenly taken back to that field I had visited so many times in my dreams, walking with him, his eyes lingering on me, a soft smile on his face just before he kissed me, and then, he chuckled, pulling me back to reality.

“I think I've got it.” He said, a confident smirk in his lips.

“Oh you do?” I challenged.

“It's a butterfly.” My breath hitched in my throat and he smiled. “Nailed it. Now let's see it.”

I scowled, but I had said if he could figure it out, I would let them see, and so I lifted my shirt high enough that the purple and black tribal butterfly on my stomach could be clearly seen. I thought back to the day I asked my mother if I could get a tattoo. She told me it was stupid, that I'd have to live with it forever, but supported me and signed all the papers. She was relieved when she found out I wasn't tattooing Tony's name on my back like a tramp stamp, but still didn't completely agree with the idea. She helped me design the butterfly, putting in all her efforts to make me happy. It hurt, but I told her I wanted it and the pain wasn't too terrible. Everyone loved it, even Tony who is so completely anti-tattoo. Keltie went and got herself a tattoo months later. Stitch's eyes lingered on the tattoo, and he looked as if he wanted to reach out and touch my skin, but held himself back.

“That's beautiful,” Kitty commented. “When did you get it?”

Putting my shirt down I answered, “When I was sixteen.”

She nodded, but didn't say a word. Stitch however did.

“Your parents let you do that?” he sounded shocked.

I pulled my eyebrows together. “Yes, they did, why is that so hard to believe?”

He shook his head and muttered something like “they've never been that lenient before...” (cue song number one) I wanted to ask what he meant when the sky became suddenly dark. Kitty and I turned our gazes to the sky, watching as dark storm clouds rushed in from no where. Thunder rumbled and lightning cracked, illuminating the suddenly black sky. The wind picked up and Kitty shouted something over the noises, but her voice was lost in the thunder.

 Stitch hadn't moved since the sky changed, but sat with his eyes fixed on something in the distance. His scowl was as dark as the sky above him; his body was rigid and tense with anger. He clenched his hands into tight fists and began to rise slowly. The weather seemed almost to respond to his movement, the wind picking up speed and rain began to fall from the clouds. Kitty took hold of my arm and yelled that we needed to leave but my feet stayed rooted on the spot. Kitty kept tugging, but I couldn't move. I now saw what Stitch did, and for some reason I felt compelled to stay by his side.

From the other side of the park approached a boy not too much older than Stitch, but age meant nothing. Their physical appearances couldn't be more opposite. This boy had hair the color of sunlight, skin that seemed to shine on its own and piercing blue eyes. His walk was confident, but not arrogant, and his posture was perfect the way he held his head high and kept his body at its full length. He had a smirk on his lips, like he knew something. He stood within a hundred yards of us and Stitch stepped in front of me, blocking me with his body.

“Go back to that hole you climbed out of,” he shouted, his body shaking slightly.

I moved around Stitch's side to get a better look at the boy. He smiled at me, nodding his head slightly to acknowledge me. I felt myself blush and Kitty tugged again. “Come on, we need to get out of this rain!” she shouted.

I had almost forgotten about the rain which had soaked us clean through. We were the only ones left in the park, the four of us, sopping wet, and the two of them having some sort of standoff. Kitty tugged a few more times and realized her attempts were futile, and ran off without me to seek shelter. The blond took a step closer to us, and Stitch seemed to tense again. I could sense something was amiss, but didn't understand what. Why was Stitch so bothered by this boy? Old rivalry perhaps? The blond took a long look at me, drinking me in, and Stitch moved in front of me again. His back was close enough to me that I had to take a step backward to avoid touching him. Even from behind I could feel his glare and the air around us had become thick with tension. The storm raged over head, and the rain came down harder than ever. (cue song number two)

“I told you to get the hell out of here and back to that hole you crawled out of.” Stitch growled.

The blond laughed. “Always the kind one, bravo.” he chuckled, the smirk returning to his lips. “And so polite in front of a lady,”

Stitch growled again, and the weather responded. The thunder grew louder and the lightning seemed to grow more intense. The wind shrieked, and my damp hair clung to my face. My shirt seemed to grow heavier with the rain, and I knew if I stayed out much longer I would get sick, but I couldn't leave Stitch here with the blond boy. Something would go wrong if I did, I knew it. He could get hurt and I felt this unexplainable urge to protect him. I reached forward and took hold of his arm, which was surprisingly warm in contrast to the freezing rain. He looked down at me for an instant, his eyes softening and growing cold once more.

“Stitch, please, don't do anything stupid.” I begged him, “Let's just go back to the dorms.” I pulled lightly on his arm, hoping to pull him away, but he stayed firmly planted on the spot.

“Run along home, Stitch,” he snickered, “I'll have what you want most in no time.”

Lightning ripped across the sky again and the blond turned on his heel, heading back in the direction he came. I moved around the front of Stitch, looking up at him. He watched the blond leave, disdain in his expression. I pressed my hands against his chest and pushed him slightly, but his arms locked around me, pulling me against his wet body. For a moment I wanted to fight his hold, but stopped and enjoyed his closeness. Something about the encounter with the blond had made me feel...off. Stitch's hand slid down my back and rested on my waist before he put his arm around my shoulder and turned to walk the opposite way of the boy. When we reached the edge of the park he released me and stepped up to a sleek black bullet bike and mounted. He glanced back at me, offering a helmet. Cautiously I took it, slipping it over my head and mounting behind him.

“Hold on tight princess,” he said, and I could hear the smirk in his voice as I snaked my arms around his waist and he tore out of the parking stall.

I Am Number Four

First of all, let me say this:

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Pettyfer,

Thank you for giving birth to such an amazingly attractive boy. Thank you for letting the world watch him on countless movie screens throughout the world and, thank you for well.... making him.

Love,

Your son's fan Alex.

Here's his picture for good measure:

I saw I Am Number Four today, and, whilst the book is simply splended *note to all those who have read the book and aspire to see the movie. Go simply for the movie. Not the book because you will be thuroughly disappointed.* Alex Pettyfer is a great actor, and he's really attractive. I squealed a little when he came on the screen. Yep, every time he was shirtless... which was quite a few times, I squealed. Though I do have to say that movie definitely left a scar. I was disturbed a few times with the graphicness of some of the er... deaths. They were a little more graphic than needed that was for sure. It made me wonder what this world is coming to. I mean there were children in that theater! Now, it is rated PG-13 and for good reason, obviously, but still, that was a little uneeded in my opinion. Like I said earlier, the book and the movie are polar oposites. While the movie is great, and Six fit all my mental descriptions and apparently not Nikki's hahahha, the book is like eighty thousand times better. That's what happens with all movies though. Oh well, about half way through I told Nikki to screw thinking about the book and that we would both just watch the movie. It ended well.... mostly. We are however still scarred.

Updates on the blog, yes, it got a facelift inspired by Erin's revamp of her blog. I also learned through reading hers that there is such a thing as pages. I've added one for Perfect Strangers. I'll update there, but the posts will also come here. That way if you want to read it, it is all in one place for your convenience. UH the text for some reason is being a bum and wont get bigger. I'm working on that, but for now, you'll just have to deal with it. UHHHHHHH story updates. I'm kinda at a standstill with everything. Darn school. I'll work as I'm inspired though, so I'm apologizing in advance. Love you all, but school comes first. I'm out of things to talk about. Except Alex Pettyfer, I could talk about his good looks forever. I've based a few of my characters off of him, none of them you have met yet though. Maybe eventually you will meet him. Anyway, toodloo!

Just because I can.

I love Castle

Love the show, love the characters, love the witty banter and comical moments, especially love the writer. Love Jameson Rook, love Nikki Heat, LOOOOOOVE Roach (Raley and Ochoa) and omg I love the books!!!!! I laugh out loud at least four times while I read, in mostly silent areas, such as seminary, at well... some parts are slightly inapropriate but I love them anway!!!!!! I highly reccomend you all read Heat Wave and Naked Heat. Greatest books ever, and if you haven't watched the show Castle REPENT! Begin now but start at the beginning!!! If you just picked up now, you wouldn't understand the complex relationships between the characters.

Moving on. I wrote you the fourth chapter of Perfect Strangers. Enjoy.

Two hours later I found myself in a cafe with Kitty talking about my schedule. She insisted that she look it over while she showed me the town. We had first and sixth period each day. They had eight period days in this school. I didn't know if I could survive that. My school was broken into two days: Day 1 and Day 2 with four classes each day. I had gotten into a schedule of my own, but now I would have to completely redesign it to fit in homework for every single day. Kitty assured me it wouldn't be too awful, and I didn't have Mr. Croissure, which was apparently a huge relief. After we had ordered a coffee Kitty snatched me up and began parading me around town, showing me all her favorite places. There was a park near the school where students loved to hang out after school to do their work. When I asked Kitty what was so special about a park she blushed so deeply her face looked like a cherry.

“Come on,” I prodded, speeding up to walk backward in front of her. “Tell me what it is.”

She buried her face in her shoulder. “It's nothing, really.” she lied.

I raised my eyebrow at her, giving her the eye. “Kitty, I know you're not telling me the truth. It's written plainly in the blush on your cheeks. C'mon, cough it up. It was Jay wasn't it? This has to do with him!”

Her face, if it were possible, seemed to grow steadily more red. “N-no!”

I smiled, satisfied and turned around, walking in front of her. I knew if I acted smug enough she would come clean.

“O-okay, so this is where Jay told me... well he... this is where Jay and I first met and where we came after the movie. He kissed me and told me he wanted me to be his girlfriend.”

I spun around on one heel. “I knew you were dating!!”

She looked at the ground. “Y-yes, we are... don't tell anyone though. I don't know if I want this public yet.”

I nodded; I knew how that was. For a while my relationship with Tony was in the same boat. I didn't want it public, but Tony did. He was polite and cared enough to wait until I felt right about our relationship. I sighed, thinking of Tony made me homesick. I longed to feel his arms around me again, and hear him whisper in my ear. He always made me smile, whispering ridiculous nothings in my ear and telling me ridiculous jokes. The more I thought of Tony though, the more thoughts of Stitch crept in to the edges of my mind and lingered in the shadows. I was reminded of the kiss in my dream, and my lips felt warm. The pendant around my neck shuddered again and I nearly screamed. Kitty could see my distress and put a hand on my shoulder.

“Hey, Laela, are you okay?” she asked.

“Um...” what did I say? Was I okay? No.... I needed to tell someone about these crazy dreams. I looked her square in the eye. “Kitty, there's something I need to tell you, and you can't call me crazy or laugh okay?”

She pulled her thin eyebrows together, staring at me skeptically. “Okay, I promise.”

I dragged her to a tree and sat down beneath the branches. There weren't many people in the park at the moment but I whispered anyway.

“I've been having these weird dreams since I got here.” I whispered.

“About...?” she raised one eyebrow, clearly leery of where this conversation was headed.

“Stitch.” Her jaw hit the grass. “I know, I know. It's weird for me too. I hardly know him...”

“What are these dreams about? Are you two... you know?”

My face flushed. “N-NO! I mean, no, not... well okay, so the first dream was strange.... I was running through this forest and I knew I needed to find someone, but I didn't know who. I was dressed in a medieval type dress and I felt like someone was going to die if I didn't make it to them. When I cleared the trees I was standing in a field and there was someone on the other side. I couldn't be sure, the sun was down and there was lightning, but I knew I had found this person. Then I started yelling at this person and it got weird. I had magic, and there were two people. One of them was Stitch. He was scared. I... he called me Laelais and I called him Everard.” I sounded completely delusional telling all this to her, but she listened as I recounted all the dreams in extreme detail.

When I had finished she leaned back on her hands and stared at the sky. “What do you think it all means? I mean... Stitch did give you a necklace exactly like the one you had, maybe you just dreamt that up but I don't know. You didn't know him hardly at all and it's sort of strange having dreams like that about a boy you don't know.” she sighed, laying back. “You described them all like... you had lived them.”

I nodded absently. It was true. Each dream had felt more real than the last. They were becoming increasingly more real as the days went on, and Stitch seemed to be paying more attention to me as well. All of it was unnerving. What did this mean?

“You don't think... I know this sounds completely crazy, but you know.... what if it was real? What if every one hundred years I died and was reincarnated? Why else would I have these dreams, and why would they be triggered as soon as I met Stitch?”

“You sound completely off your rocker there darling, but I think it's plausible. Many people believe in reincarnation, but magic? That's a different story.”

My heart sunk. She thought I was crazy. I sounded crazy. I had almost convinced myself I was crazy when I suddenly heard his voice.

“You ladies mind if I join you?” he asked, his shadow falling over my back, blocking out the warmth of the sun.

A chill ran up my spine and I found myself sitting straighter, my eyes locked on Kitty as she sat up. She squinted up at him, an awkward smile on her face.

“Sure thing, Stitch.”

No clever Title

I don't have any clever titles, I'm running out of them. UHM I don't know what to say really except Austin, there is more than one anonymous commenter. UHM spam? Yes, I just spammed Aisha's deviant account while she was checking her laundry, along with the other 245 viewers on her livestream. That's how special we are. We love her that much. UHM I've said UHM four times now. Anyway, I'm working on my valentines day picture idea *wink wink erin* based off of Erin's short story... and here it is! And because of Erin i randomly started singing Still Alive during lunch.....

Anyway here's a random story for ya. It's missing a title..... anyway Erin, you still need to finish season four.
Story coming.....
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Now.

The bitter wind burned her cheeks, the rain searing her wind washed skin. Her hair had fallen out of the pins leaving her black curls plastered on her back and bare shoulders. Her scarlet gown had darkened with the rain, leaving ugly blood red patches saturated with water against her skin. She felt the chill of the elements in her bones, but would not move from her spot. She would stand there all day if she had to. She knotted her hands around the ruffles in her skirt, her grey eyes locked on the canyon mouth a ways off from the village.

That was where they would see them after all these years.

The other women of the village stood with her, anxiously watching the canyon below them. They had put on their best dresses to welcome their husbands home from war, and now stood still as death on the hillside, their hands clasped in silent prayer at their breasts dotting the hill like the angelic statues of a cemetery. Worry lined every feature of the women’s faces, but in their eyes the light of hope sparkled brightly. Breaking form Arainne bent over, picking up the lantern at her feet and holding it at her side. The sun was beginning to set, and the men had yet to arrive. Her chest ached and her heart squeezed. What if they had all been lost?
But no. In the distance Arainne spotted them in the canyon and she cried out joyfully to the other women.

"They come!" she cried, "The men, they come!" She lifted the lantern out before her, pointing to the canyon mouth.

An excited stir filled the crowd of women who pressed closer around Arainne, watching the men grow closer. Anxiously Arainne searched the company of men for her husband. Her heart beat in her chest like the ceaseless beating of a humming bird’s wings. There! She spotted her husband’s snow white mare among the men and a rush of warmth filled her. She waved the lantern through the air, signaling the men. Upon seeing the light, their gait increased rapidly, the sounds of thundering hooves stampeded toward them.
As men passed Arainne to embrace their wives, she watched as the white mare trotted up the hill pulling a wooden cart behind it. Marek, her sister’s husband approached her, his face ashen and downcast. Mournfully he handed her the reins of the horse. Taking them in her hand, Arainne glanced back at the cart and in it found the still figure of her husband, Daniel. The lantern slipped from her fingers, shattering at her feet.

"Why, Daniel?! Why!" she shouted to the sky, "You could have taken any man, but why my Daniel!"

Above her thunder rolled and lightning cracked. She was alone.

Questions Arise

So, yes, I've had some questions, I'm going to address them in this post. Hopefully....

Dear Shannon,

 I've read your comments. Thanks I'm glad you love my stuff! My novel isn't online, nor will it be because I'm not planning on putting that here. It's all hand written though. I will however put all, well, most of my stuff here. Some of it is too dark for even me. It's a horrid memory I wish not to revisit. I'm glad to hear that Erin talks about me. I hope to keep you coming back for more, and hopefully spark your juices again.

Dear Cynthia,

Why don't I write about my life? Well, I hardly have anything that doesn't seem trivial to talk about. I suppose I could bore you to death with my talk of who won the superbowl, PACKERS BY THE WAY, or what I did in school, but to me, reality isnt' fun. I like to live in a world where I make my own uh.... well so much for being a writer if I can't even find a word for that. Oh well.

Dear Anonymous(es),

I wish I knew who you were. Signing with a nickname doesn't help me. Telling me you think we've had a conversation similar to that of my characters doesn't help me..... Please, tell me who you are. Thanks that would be great. Love you.

Dear David Bowie,

I watched Band Slam and I couldn't help but to write that.

Dear Erin,

I love you, and all your work. Keep it up.

If any of you have any further questions that you should like answered, please comment below. Now, as Cynthia pointed out, I don't write much about my life. It's usually a blurb and then a story. I wish to continue this trend.......... Now.


This was another one of those Images assignments we did in creative writing. It's again about Branded, enjoy. It's kinda short...... ish. I mean I'm not sure what you guys consider short, but this is what I do. anyway, moving on. enjoy.

Trapped.

They had been trapped in the dark labyrinth of subway tunnels under the city for hours. The outside gates had all been locked and bolted, and their shouts stopped dead at the tunnel’s end. It had been a trap. Killswitch warned them not to go, but Jaycee had promised information about Zendla. She had the information when Larkin had met her in the café three hours before, and Larkin trusted her. She had followed Larkin’s instructions to the point. Come alone. Wear a red button up shirt. Wear a ball cap on her head. Wear her bag on her right side, and keep her left hand in her pocket. Jaycee had done all these things, and Larkin had seen the information, but their meeting fell to pieces when the local police barged through the doors. Someone had recognized Larkin and called the police. Jaycee shouted out a meeting place in the tunnels, and Larkin sent Sam before them to search it out. With no word from Sam, she and Alexander entered the subway tunnel, hoping to find him within, but when she and Alexander arrived, the lights died and the screeching started. No one heard them scream.

Larkin’s breathing was heavy and uneven, her heartbeat even more so. The tunnels were black as pitch and cold as death as they raced through the passageways. She couldn’t hear Alexander’s footsteps behind her; the horrid screeching sounds that echoed through the tunnel blocked out all sound. The screeching bit into her mind, making it impossible for her to think clearly, which she needed so desperately to do if she wanted to escape with her life. Too many people could be lurking in these dark corridors waiting to kill them—to silence them. Larkin and her friends had become part of something so incredibly dangerous they had become the target for both sides.

Blindly she reached behind her, hoping to find Alexander behind her. Feeling the soft material of Alexander’s cotton shirt and his warm body beneath it made her smile. A drop of relief touched her heart knowing he was still with her. They slowed their pace, inching carefully through the darkness, letting their hands guide them along the walls. The screeching grew louder like the grinding wheels of a monstrous train lurching to a stop on the tracks. With a scream Larkin threw her hands over her ears, clamping her palms against the side of her head, a tear running down her cheek.

"Make it stop!" she wailed, pressing her hands harder against her temples. "Please!!"

And suddenly, with one final low hum the noises stopped, leaving the tunnels void of sounds.

Alexander put a hand on Larkin’s shoulder. "Larkin, it stopped." He whispered, "It’s over."

"No…" hissed a sinister voice over the scratchy PA, the ominous word reverberating on the walls around them. "It’s only just begun."

Larkin took a step forward, stopping when she heard a splash beneath her foot. The lights flashed on, blinding her and Alexander, blazing through the tunnels. Blinking to adjust Larkin looked at her foot and screamed, stumbling backward into Alexander’s arms.

Lying on the ground before her were the bodies of Jaycee and Sam thrown together in a pool of their blood.

Dear World,

To echo the words of my dear friend Jasmine. Dear Fergie, No. Sincerely, Everyone. Agreed. She should not be allowed to sing live. She's awful. The whole band isn't much better. Background dancers were better. And way to go Slash for ignoring Fergie when she was all up in your business like a skank. True form. True form indeed. I'm all for the Greenbay Packers. We're taking bets as to the score of the game. So far, my dad is losing. He's going for the Steelers. They're having a bad game. I don't even usually watch football, but I will watch the Superbowl. Only for the commercials and to win bets, which I seem to be good at. Anyway, hahahhhahhahahahah so the other night I was at Erins and we were playing our favorite game, and Amber had turned traitor, so she was Death. We had to play her in chess. The goal was to beat chess in a game, and we would win. It was harder than we thought, but we won! So I drew this picture:

And onward to the story update!!! This is the rest of chapter three for Perfect Strangers. Yep. This is awesome. I hope. Love it.

Chapter Three part Two

I walked down the hall in a huff and entered my room. I slammed the doors behind me as I made my way to my room. I yanked off my shoes and chucked them across the room and shed my sweater and pants, putting on a cozy pair of sweats and one of Tony's t-shirts. I didn't even bother pulling the covers back and just pulled my fleece blanket out of my suitcase and fell onto my bed. With a grumble I closed my eyes and willed myself to sleep.

I was back in the immense field, but this time it was different. The sun shone overhead, blazing down on the world; the birds sang cheerfully in the forest and tiny animals scurried through the grasses. I wore a dress of violet with a heavy skirt. The bodice clung to my body, accentuating my curves. The dark skirt flowed gracefully as I walked. Where I was going I wasn't quite sure, but it was like some force was pulling me toward it yet again. It was a familiar pull, like I had experienced it before, and then I came upon a cleared patch of grasses, and I stopped. In the center of the circle stood a tall young man with dark hair that fell past his shoulders. It had a slight wave to it, but there was something familiar about him beyond his hair. It was the way he stood. Proud, and slightly arrogant, sure of himself for certain, but mysterious. My heart fluttered in my chest, and as if he could sense my excitement he turned around.

Shocking emerald eyes locked onto mine. He smiled, a smile I knew all too well. This was Stitch. He wore a thin white cotton shirt that seemed almost transparent in the sun. His shirt was half tucked into a pair of brown leather pants. His boots were made of a darker leather, and engulfed the bottom of his pant legs, keeping them tight against his leg. He spread his arms out wide, smiling once again. I smiled, felt my cheeks flush, and then before I could think, I rushed into his arms. Why was I doing this? It was almost as if I had no choice, and then, I spoke.

“I thought you wouldn't come, Everard.” I said.

He chuckled, closing his arms around me. “Silly girl. You know I shall always come when you call, no matter how far away.” he replied, “But tell me, Laelais, why have you summoned me? Is something wrong?”

My gut squirmed uncomfortably. There was something wrong, but I didn't know what it was, but my dream self seemed to. “Its... oh it's that wretched man again! Everard he claims that he and I are to wed! He speaks madness. My heart could never belong to such a monster as he.”

Stitch paused, thinking for a moment. I looked up at him, staring deeply into those pools of green beneath his dark hair. The silence between us made me nervous. I buried my head against his warm chest, hoping he would speak soon.

“Tis true that your heart could never belong to someone as vile as him, it is far too kind. But I wonder then, who could your heart belong to? If not he, a warlock of such high stature, then who? A commoner, perhaps? Or a noble knight of the King?” his smile was teasing, willing me to answer his questions.

I stared blankly at him. How was I supposed to answer that question? I took a deep breath, trapping the air in my throat. I didn't want to tell him the answer. What if... what if he left me? He watched me, waiting patiently for an answer; he never pushed for an answer, and what was one thing that I loved about him. Slowly I hissed the breath through my teeth.

“A commoner, yes. But not an ordinary man.” I said, hoping that the answer was enough.

He smiled, “What, no name? How cryptic of you.” his smile grew, his eyes narrowing slyly.

I stepped away from him, hiding the flush in my cheeks. I started to walk across the field. I quickened my pace, reaching the middle of the field and he appeared at my side, walking in time with me. He watched me, silently, like he always did. He never pressed me for an answer in anything, just waited for me to tell him in my own time.

I glanced up at him. He had always been taller than me. Even when we were children. “You and he know each other better than you think.” I told him.

He raised an eyebrow, his green eyes twinkling. “Oh we do?” he replied, then stepped in front of me, placing his hands on my shoulders and looking me straight in the eye. “It doesn't matter to me who your heart belongs to, but know that my heart belongs to you. Forever.”

He leaned forward and his lips met mine. My body flooded with warmth. He pulled away and smiled.

***

I woke, the moon shining through the curtains of my window onto my face, and immediately raised my fingers to my lips. They felt warm, like the kiss had been real. It all felt real. The feel of the grass on my ankles, the rustle of the skirts against my hips. The breeze on my cheeks. The heat of Stitch's touch. I glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand. 2:45. There was a note next to the clock. I used my cell as a flashlight and read: Hey, American Beauty. Breakfast is at seven. I'd be happy if you would accompany me. You were asleep when I came by, but I will be back at seven tomorrow morning. Sweet dreams.- Cam. Cam? Really... this kid wasn't going to give up. I was flattered, but flustered. I had a boyfriend that I loved very much. What didn't they understand about that? With a sigh I dropped the note and rolled over, burying my face in my pillow and drifted back to sleep.

Next thing I know there's a knock on my door, pulling me from a dream that I didn't want to leave. I was with Tony again, it was our first date. The knocking didn't stop. Then I heard Kitty's voice from behind the door. She was yelling something at me, but I really didn't care. I rolled over and glanced at the clock. 7:10. Great. My blanket was around my feet, and my shirt was bunched up around my chest leaving my stomach exposed. The door slammed open.

“Are you alive in here?!” Kitty complained. “Laela, Cam and Jay are here. Come on! It's time for breakfast.”

I could hear Cam's voice from the entry. He was talking to Jay. With another sigh I raised my arm and mumbled “Jusa sec,” and rolled onto the floor. When I was awake enough I stood and found a sweatshirt and threw it on, pulling my slippers on and exited. My hair probably looked like a whirlwind had taken it victim.

Cam looked at me with a smile. “Good morning beautiful,” he said.

I rolled my eyes. “There is nothing beautiful about this...” I pointed at my hair.

Jay laughed. “Bed head suits you.” he said, slinging an arm around Kitty's waist.

I sniffed a chuckle and we left for the dining hall. Breakfast passed silently on my part. While the others conversed, my mind wandered to my family, probably all still in bed. Hopefully. I couldn't be sure about Kyler. It was a weekend, and he, like me, was a partier. I chuckled to myself, picturing Kyler crawling through his window to sleep about now. While I entertained this thought, I suddenly felt like I was being watched. I looked up and found Cam staring straight through me. I turned, looking over my shoulder and saw Stitch, sitting with several girls, watching me. I shivered, and then noticed what he was looking at. My neck. I glanced down. He couldn't see anything. Then I felt something against my skin pulse. I grabbed the sweatshirt, and felt the butterfly pendant beneath it.

What? When did I put this on? I glanced back at Stitch, who was smiling like he knew something that could change the fate of the world. I made a mental note to find out why later.