Perfect Strangers

Chapter One

Fourteen excruciating hours on a stuffy plane sitting next to a sweaty sumo and Miss Tour Guide Barbie had nearly driven me to insanity. Her voice was shrill, almost like fingernails biting into a blackboard relentlessly. I had buried myself as deep into my springy chair as I could without suffocating from the heinous odor coming from Super Sumo, and drowned out Barbie’s voice with my Ipod. I barely survived the flight, and as soon as we touched down and were set free, I snatched my backpack out of the cubby and tore out of that terminal like a bat out of Hell. I headed straight for the luggage pickup. Waiting for it to arrive had turned into another sanity killing experience. Grandmas: My new least favorite people.

With a grunt I yanked my huge duffel over my shoulders and dragged my monstrous suitcases behind me, my checkered backpack flopping off and dragging on the floor behind them. With a scowl I made my way to the main doors where my father told me someone from the school would be waiting for me. That’s right; I had been torn from my boyfriend and my best friends, and kicked out of the country to attend Dover Boarding Academy in London, England for my senior year. Normally any girl would flip over the opportunity to live in London, but not me. Not if it meant I would never see my friends again. I had been uprooted for no apparent reason other than the fact that my father hates Tony. He never liked him, and no matter the amount of time I spent trying to change his mind, dad thought Tony was a good for nothing gang-banger. That was wrong on so many levels. Tony wasn’t involved with gangs or anything of the sort; he was just a little rough around the edges, that’s all.

When I made it to the entrance I scanned the crowd for anyone with a sign that said my name, but I found no one.

“Laela Price?” said a cold voice from behind me.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, a chill running down my spine. I knew I shouldn’t turn around, I had seen this exact thing on so many horror movies. When the girl turns around she’s faced with the horrid monster that’s been killing her friends throughout the film, and it finally found her. Don’t turn around, whispered a voice in my head. But, like any other girl in a horror film, I turned around. I found myself face-to-face with the most severe-looking old man I had ever seen. I stumbled back a step from my deep surprise. How did this man know my name? How did he know what I looked like? Was he supposed to be from Dover?

“My name is Mortimer Dover, Headmaster of Dover Academy.” He said in a distorted sort of voice—almost like it had traveled through a cell phone with spotty reception. “Glad that you have arrived safely.”

I stood rooted to the spot with my hands clamped firmly on my suitcases. Something about this man didn’t strike me as… right. I watched him closely, scrutinizing every detail of his expensive tailored suit and his beady black eyes hiding behind a pair of spectacles resting on the bridge of his crooked nose. My cell buzzed suddenly in my pocket making me nearly scream. I reached for it instinctively on the third ring and raised it to my ear.

“Hello?” I said slowly, never taking my eyes from Headmaster Dover.

“Hey hun!” rang my mom’s voice over the crackly speaker phone at home. She wasn’t close to the phone as I could hear dishes clanking around in the sink. She was certainly up early. “How was the flight? Has Headmaster Dover arrived yet?”

“Yeah mom, he’s right here.” I glared at him, and I could have sworn I saw the edges of his cracked old lips curl into a smile. “Listen, I’m gonna have to call you back later, okay?”

She sighed, “Fine,”

I clicked the phone shut as Headmaster Dover approached.

“Would you like help with your bags?” he offered.

“I’m fine, thanks.” I didn’t trust him one bit.

He nodded slightly, beckoning me to follow. Careful to stay a good distance behind him, I followed him to a black town car parked at the front doors. The driver waited by the car, and upon our arrival he opened the trunk and helped me with my bags before quick stepping to the passenger door and held it open for the Headmaster. My insides tightened. Everything I had ever learned about staying away from creepy old people, and not getting into cars with strangers—especially men—was crumbling before me. The driver smiled at me. He was young; my age about, with dark shaggy hair that fell over his forehead covering his sparkling emerald eyes that flashed dangerously beneath his mop. He waved his hand toward the car. Reluctantly I ducked into the car, which smelled heavily of cigar smoke. I pressed myself against the door when it closed, putting as much possible space between the Headmaster and me.

The ride was almost as bad as the flight over. I felt my chest burning, my eyes tearing up and I felt like passing out. If I didn’t get out of this car soon I would die. My hand groped around the dark door for the window controls, but they didn’t exist. Curse you stupid town car for keeping me trapped within this steel cage with a creepy old man and this toxic smoke. Just as I was about to take my chances with the road, the car rolled to a stop and the door swung open, tossing me onto the road. I gasped for the beautiful clean air, lying on the ground heaving for breath, and making a fool of myself, but I didn’t care. My long black hair twisted around my face and neck, sticking to my lips and tickling my nose. It was marvelous, but when I heard the gravel crunch at my feet, I knew the Headmaster had exited the vehicle. I sat up so quickly black shadows crept into the edges of my vision and my head felt empty. He was staring sternly over the top of his glasses and I knew right away what he had labeled me as. Delinquent.  That’s what I had always been to everyone. I never really fit in, so I did things differently, which made me a delinquent. The driver appeared suddenly at my side, his arm around my waist, guiding me upward. I didn’t know whether to be embarrassed, or brush it off, but something about his touch made my skin flare with heat.

“Mr. Mazzigati will take your bags to your room.” The Headmaster said harshly, “Follow me to collect your class schedule and uniform.”

That word was like poison. I hated uniforms. They limited my creative freedom I so cherished at my last school. I watched as the boy— Mazzigati—took my bags into the enormous building we had arrived at before trudging after the Headmaster. We entered a side door, and into a huge office. Three women sat at the desk in front of me, their hair pulled back in tight buns, clicking away at keyboards and answering phones. I cringed away from them; secretaries always creeped me out. The Headmaster turned around, raised his flat palm to my face, halting me in my place and disappeared around the corner. He reappeared carrying a bundle of clothes and a stack of paper. He all but shoved them at me and told me to read the papers—honor code, dress code that sort of thing—and handed me a room key (one of those nifty hotel ones), and directed me to the elevator, told me my floor, and then stomped away.

Quietly I slipped from the office and into the elevator. The door opened and a pair of face suckers jumped apart, the girl fixed her shirt and patted down her hair furiously, looking extremely embarrassed.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt,” I coughed to hide my giggle as the two scrambled to their feet. “But if this is the only elevator, I need it to get to my room.”

Without answering the two dashed from the elevator and into the hallway. I stepped inside, pressed the number four and rolled my eyes when the horrid music reached my ears. Elevator Music: Rejected by All, Loved by None. They should make a song about that, and play that in the elevators. It would certainly keep my attention. The elevator lurched, and I stumbled forward, supporting myself against the doors, but as soon as they slid open all hope was lost as I found the ground rising to meet me. Funny thing is that it never did. I felt a pair of strong hands clamp down on my arms, stopping me before I met the carpet. I had always been a clumsy person, but today was an off day. I blame the jetlag. The hands pulled me to my feet, and I found myself staring into the deep green eyes of Mazzigati, whatever his first name was.

“This is the second time within the hour that you’ve nearly killed yourself toppling out of doors,” he said with a coy smile. His accent was intoxicating and his smile made me shiver. The heat from his touch made my body warm, and I had the strangest urge to wrap myself into his arms and stay there. “Don’t worry, I’ll be there to catch you every time you fall.” He winked.

Was this kid crazy? I didn’t know him, he didn’t know me, so what was he promising here? He sounded like a stalker; an attractive stalker.

“Um… thanks?” I wasn’t sure how to respond to that, and then I suddenly remembered that he had delivered her things to her room. “Oh, which room is mine… um…?” I didn’t know his name. What was I supposed to say?

“Stitch Mazzigati, at your service.” He smiled, “Sixth one down the hall and to your left.”

He stepped around me and into the elevator.

“Thanks,”

What kind of a name was Stitch? With a shake of my head I made my way down the hall and found my room. The door was slightly ajar, so I nudged it open with my foot and stuck my head inside, peeking around each corner and then stood up, walked in and shut the door behind me. The room itself was enormous. I wondered how many girls were living in this room, no scratch that, it wasn’t a room, it was a hotel suite. There was a mini kitchen, and several rooms, the living area had an enormous television sitting smack in the middle of a mahogany entertainment center. How much money was tuition around here?

I reached into my pocket and extracted my cell phone, and dialed my dad’s number. He answered on the fourth ring, but before he could say anything I pounced. “How much fricken money are you paying to keep me here?” I demanded.

He stumbled over his words for a moment before he could formulate a proper sentence. “What dear?” he asked.

“How much money are you paying to keep me here?” I repeated, a sense of urgency edging into my voice. “I want an honest answer.”

“Fifty-four thousand, nine hundred a year.” He replied casually, “Listen honey, I have to go. I have a meeting at seven thirty.”

Of course. “Bye. Love you.”

“Uh huh,” Dial tone.

With another heavy sigh I found my things piled in front of a door. Cautiously I opened it, not sure if it was vacant, but when I saw the barren white walls, I knew it belonged to me. Suddenly the door opened behind me and a few girls entered the room. I turned around and found myself face to face with the red-head from the elevator. Her eyes bugged and she gasped.

“What are you doing in here?” she asked, pointing a finger at me.

“Well, I live here now.” I replied with a smile.

“You’re the new girl?” her face was beet red and she was rubbing her palms against her dark plaid skirt. “You’re our new roommate?”

I nodded.

The other girls didn’t understand the discomfort in their friend’s words, but I understood. They stared at her before flitting into the kitchen and delving into the shelves. The red-head approached me, a severe look on her face.

“Look, I don’t want to make an enemy of you within your first hours here, but if one word about what you saw earlier escapes those shiny lips of yours, you’ll wish you never transferred.” She growled.

Too late, I wanted to say, I already do. “I won’t say a word.”

There was a knock on the door and the girls in the room all scrambled to answer it, fluffing their hair and fixing their clothes before casually, but urgently ripping the door open.

“Is Laela here?” purred a familiar voice.

“Who’s Laela and why do you want to see her?” asked a brunette girl with slinky curls as she stepped forward out of the door. I could almost imagine her pushing herself against whatever male stood there.

“I know she’s here, unless she got lost, in which case I should go find her. I have something of hers.”

Intrigued I pulled the door open wider, revealing the mystery man behind the door. Stitch. He smiled warmly at me, leaning forward so his honey-sweet breath bounced off my cheeks. I felt myself blushing.

“’Ello, love,”

“H-hi, Stitch.” I muttered, “What do you need?”

He reached for my hand without looking away, opened it, and placed something in the center of my palm before closing my hand around it. With one last smile and a wink he left me standing there, blushing like a fool and slightly breathless. I opened my hand and looked down to see what he had placed there. It was a necklace with a golden chain and a beautiful golden pendant where an intricate butterfly was carved. This didn’t belong to me. I had never seen it in my life! What was he thinking? I ran after him, stopping him at the elevator.

“Stitch, this isn’t mine,” I panted, holding the necklace out to him.

“Sure it is,” he smirked.

I stared at him. What was he getting at?

“G’bye love, see you tomorrow.”

He stepped backward into the elevator and pressed a button, then he was gone and I was left with a necklace that didn’t belong to me, and a strange feeling in my stomach.  I stared at the necklace in my hands. There was something about it that seemed... odd. It refracted the light in such a way that the tiny wings looked as if they were beating in slow motion. I stroked the long body of the butterfly with my finger and I swear it shuddered. Not wanting to question my sanity more, I stuffed it into my pocket and headed back down the hall to my room. I needed to unpack and get settled, and call Tony. That was the first thing I needed to do. Hear Tony's voice. Especially after that encounter with Stitch. It made me nervous and I longed to hear a familiar voice.


    Once I entered the room, er suite, I was careful to avoid the seething glares of the other girls. I wondered what was so special about Stitch that made me the instant enemy because he and I were speaking. Sure, he was attractive and all, but if that was the only reason I knew I was going to have a hard time here. Quietly I entered my room and glanced around. I dragged my belongings out of the doorway and into the room. It was larger than my room back home and felt empty. I needed to get my pictures up. First thing I retrieved from my bag were my speakers and my Ipod. I plugged them into the wall and let the sweet sounds of Breaking Benjamin fill my room. Now, don't get me wrong, just because I listen to bands like Breaking Benjamin and Three Days Grace doesn't mean I'm some child that hates the world or my life, because I don't, I just like the uniqueness of their songs. They don't write about girls all the time. They've got a way with expressing other problems in the world and I quite enjoy it. After that I seemed to move exponentially quicker. My room was set up in a few hours and I felt right at home. The last thing I placed on my dresser were pictures of my friends and family back home. I noticed that my father never really was in any of the pictures of our family. Just my mom and my little brother Kyler. Turning away from the dresser I extracted the last picture from my bag. A photo of me and Tony at the Sweetheart's Ball. We had been caught off guard and were cracking up. Him in his tux and me in my burgundy ball gown. We had an amazing time that night, and that picture captured it all.


   I placed the picture on the small nightstand next to my bed and laid down on top of the new downy comforter my mom sent with me. I extracted my phone from my pocket and dialed Tony's number. He picked up on the fourth ring, just like he always did.


     "Hey beautiful," he crooned, his voice made me shiver. "Miss me already?"


     "I missed you the second I stepped onto that plane." I replied, fighting tears as a wave of home-sickness washed over me. "I miss everyone. This place is ridiculous."


    "As in? The people, or the place."


     "Both. This place is costing my father ten grand a year to keep me here, and the room is like a hotel suite. My roommates are... well let's just say I already have a few enemies. I haven't lived here for four hours and people already want my head on a platter. Things were just so much more simple back home in the States." I sighed. "Speaking of the States, how was school yesterday?"


     "Empty without you. Everyone was lost without you. We need our comic relief back. You always made things interesting and without you, math just isn't the same." he said, laughing slightly, "Though I must say that Mr. Torgi isn't missing you too badly."


    I laughed. "Of course he's not. The man was probably celebrating and rejoicing to high heaven that I'm out of his hair. How's Keltie?"


     "She's missing you bad. She wanders around like a lost puppy without you. Even Rush is having a hard time."


     "Rush? Like, big, tough, football player. That Rush?" I found myself wishing I was back in Florida with my friends. You know things are bad when the football players start to miss you.


     "Yeah, the kid looked like he was going to cry. You were doing so much for him, and I was proud of you. He's been clean for three months, and now you're gone. He's afraid he's gonna go back to the booze. He left school in a panic. I think he's chained himself to his bed."


     "Very funny. I'm gonna give him a call. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"


     "'Kay, love you, Laela." he said. "Wish I could kiss ya."


     "Kisses, love you." I hung up and dialed Rush's number quickly. It rang and rang and rang, and just as I was about to hang up, he answered.


     "OH SWEET MOTHER! YOU CALLED!!!" Rush sounded close to tears.


     "Hey, Rush. Tony said you were having a hard time yesterday. Want to talk about it?" I asked; I never tried to act like his psychologist, but sometimes things just came out sounding like that. I think secretly he appreciates it.


     "I'm scared, Laela. I don't know what I'm gonna do now that you're gone." he sighed, "What if I'm at a party and because you're not there, I start drinking again? I don't want to be addicted to the stuff, but I know that if I take another drink, I'll be right back in that hole you pulled me out of."


    "I'll tell you what you do. If you're at a party, and you know there's alcohol there, avoid it. I know you can do it. And if it helps, picture me guarding the drinks with a rifle. I'll shoot you if you try to take a drink. You know how mean I can get with a gun." I heard him mumble 'I know,' on the other end and smiled to myself. "Just think that if you come close, I'll shoot you, and I wont shoot to kill. I'll maim you and cripple you for the rest of your life because that's what alcohol does to you. You've been sober for three months, and you've made so much progress. Listen.... what time is it now?"


     "Noon..." he replied.


     "Okay, that's not going to work. What time do you get done with practice after school?"


     "Around five or so. Usually."


     "Okay, that would make it.... ten here. So everyday after practice I want you to call me. Tell me about your day, just talk. Talk and I'll listen. I'll always be there, even if I'm not there physically."


     "That's really late, Laela. Are you sure you want me calling you that late? I can always call in the morning."


     "That wont work because we're five hours ahead of you guys back in Florida. I'll be fine. You are what matters. Just remember to call, okay?" There was a harsh knock at my door and a muffled voice yelling something at me. "Hang on, Rush," I stepped off my bed and went to the door. When I opened it I nearly got hit in the face by the descending fist. "Geez, don't smash my face. Can I help you?"


     The girl standing there was pale; pale and perfect. Her eyes were bright green, just like Stitch's. Her hair was dark auburn and had a slight curl to it. She smiled, "Sorry, I didn't know if you could hear me over that music." She said kindly, "Dinner's starting. I figured since you are new here I'd take you down there."


     "Oh, uh, sure, just let me get my shoes on. Hang on." I put the phone back to my ear while I pulled my shoes on. "Hey, Rush, I'm going to dinner now, but I promise that we'll talk later. I believe in you. You're strong, and I know what you're capable of."


     "Thanks, Laela. Have a good time. Don't talk to strangers." I could hear the smirk in his voice.


     "Bye Rush," I hung up, laughing to myself.


    I yanked my boots on and stepped out of my room. The girl turned back to face me as  we exited the room.


    "I'm Kitty, and yes, that's my real name. My parents thought it was cute. And you're Laela, the new girl and talk of the room. It seems that Molly's hating you pretty hard here. She's not used to competition."


     "Who's Molly?" I felt stupid, like I should know the answer already. "Is she that red-head?"


     Kitty nodded. "She's laid claim on Stitch, but doesn't seem to see that he's not interested in her. I don't think he ever will be. She's not really his type."


     "He has a type?" Suddenly I wished I hadn't said anything. Kitty was staring at me with a sly smile. It reminded me of a fox. "I mean, Molly's gorgeous, why wouldn't he like her?"


     "She's a witch with a capital 'B'. But you're gorgeous too, and you seem to have his attention. He's got a type," she paused to press the elevator button, "and you definitely fit it. I've seen his sketches. He told me one day when I asked why he always drew girls that looked the same, he leaned in real close and whispered," she leaned in to demonstrate, "'Because she's the perfect girl. Always has been, and always will be.'" She laughed, "Come to think of it, his drawings look a lot like you. Strange coincidence."


     Coincidence... Somehow I just didn't believe that.  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.

Chapter 2

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.”

Chapter 3

Chapter three

The movie was being shown on the back lawn of the school where a large outdoor stage was settled at the bottom of a hill. There was a sound building at the top, and the slope created a semi circle around it. There was a large white screen dropped down, set in place by heavy speakers. Kitty had come down earlier and set up a blanket for everyone, so our spot was already claimed. She and Jay sat down together and I sat on Kitty's right. She paid me little attention as she was so focused on Jay. I didn't mind though. That gave me time to think about the dream I had. What did it mean? It felt so... real. It was almost like I was reliving a memory that had been buried deep within the recesses of my mind for a long time. I was so focused on my own thoughts that I didn't notice Cam sit beside me. The movie started when the sun had set far enough that the light wasn't so bright. I hardly paid any attention to the movie. My mind wandered from place to place. From a distant land I heard Kitty whisper, “Gosh it's so cold out here.” Jay shifted and suddenly I felt lonely. I wished Tony were here to keep me warm. I sighed and leaned back, propping myself up on my hands, but they hardly had time to find the ground before my shoulders touched something.

Startled, I yipped quietly and glanced over my shoulder. Stitch was sitting directly behind me grinning like a hyena. He patted his knees, giving me an invitation to lean back. With a scowl I turned back to the movie. Concentrating on the movie was difficult for me, and so I let the movie pass by me as a blur. After it had ended Kitty started laughing.

“Oh what a wonderful movie! Didn't you just love it, Laela?” she asked, leaning over Jay's leg to look at me.

“Oh! Uh yes, loved it.” I replied.

Stitch snickered from behind me. I glared over my shoulder at him. He smiled innocently, raising his arms at his sides. We stood and gathered our things and I shivered as a breeze rushed through the area. I hugged myself, wishing once again Tony were here to put his arm around me and pull me into his side. As if someone had read my thoughts a blanket was dropped over my shoulders and someone's arm pulled me into their side. I glanced up, finding Cam staring back at me.

I glared, but found the gesture comforting. “You should know that I have boyfriend.” I said, hoping he would drop his arm, but he didn't.

“I'm only trying to keep you warm, love. No harm done.” he said, smiling at me.

I rolled my eyes but kept close. The wind had started to pick up so it was nice to have someone to block out the wind. He rubbed my arm rhythmically humming to himself. He seemed more smug than when I first met him. He tugged me closer as we neared the building as if staking his claim. When we reached the door I noticed a pretty blonde walking in line beside us. Cam was staring at her, a smug grin across his face. The girl was glaring harshly at me. Did I know her? She seemed to know Cam. She seemed to know him well enough that she hated me. I could see it in her eyes.

“Court,” he said shortly, nodding to her with a smile.

She wasn't so polite as to reply with more than a huff as she twitched away, her hips swinging widely as she walked. Her blonde ponytail swayed while she walked, flicking her back.

“Girls. What are we supposed to do with them...?” he sighed, half chuckling.

I looked up at him. “Leave us alone?” We stepped inside and I shrugged the blanket and his arm off my shoulder. “Thanks for the blanket,”

I turned and made my way toward the elevator, leaving Cam standing alone. I reached the elevator, and as I reached forward to press the button, a perfectly tanned arm reached around me and pressed the button. I glanced backward, finding myself face to face once again with Stitch. He smiled.

“Enjoy the movie?” he asked casually.

“Immensely.” I replied, turning back and waiting for the doors to click open. When the doors slid open I stepped inside and turned around, blocking the doorway as Stitch tried to enter. I smirked, “Sorry, this elevator is full.”

He returned my sly grin. “Fiesty. Just like I like em.” he winked at me and the doors slid shut.

I backed against the wall, sliding to the floor. He was a... what was it that Jay had said.... Stitch was a loon. A loon that kept my brain turning and wallowing in his mysteries. When the elevator reached my floor 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.


Chapter Four

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.”

 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...” 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.

“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.

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.

Chapter Seven

The boy with the glasses, whom I assumed was Chandler, glanced back over his shoulder at Stitch questioningly. He was still dripping, standing in a puddle on the tile, his jeans sagging on his hips and his gray shirt clinging to his muscular frame. He ran a hand through his dripping locks, sending water streaming down his arm, and giving his hair a slight wave. His eyes were closed, and he seemed to be trying to escape his promise.

“Name, Stitch.” I prodded, stepping through the door, leaving a dark stain of water on the floor where I had been standing.

Chandler herded me toward the tile where Stitch had been standing and I realized this was his way of keeping his carpets from drowning. He stepped away from us, just staring, and waiting just as I was for the name of this mystery man. With an exaggerated sigh, Stitch opened his eyes and stared at me, stepping forward and towering over me to the point that when I craned my neck to stare into his eyes our noses were mere centimeters from each other. I swallowed hard, feeling my cheeks fill with warmth, and my stomach was filled with butterflies. Why did I always feel this way when he looked at me? I felt his body heat, though we were drenched in freezing rain residue, and saw, from the corner of my eye that his hand seemed to twitch forward as if he wanted to pull me into him, but restrained himself. To cover my blush I narrowed my eyes into a glare as good as I could manage currently, and waited.

“You really want to know his name that badly?” Stitch asked, his breath bouncing off my cheeks. “What would you do if you never found out?”

“I'd ask around. I know Kitty saw him, maybe she knows him.” I replied, “I'm not giving up that easily.”

He smirked. “That's what I've always liked about you.”

I drew my face back slightly. “Why do you say things like that?”

“Like what, love?”

“You're always saying things like we've known each other for years. It's starting to freak me out.”

He stepped closer, so our thighs were flush with each other, and his nose touched mine, his dark damp curls falling onto my cheeks. “It feels like it, doesn't it? That we've known each other for so long? It almost transcends time?”

He was fishing for something. From the back of my mind I remembered the flashes of different lives it seemed with Stitch in different times, but I reminded myself that these were merely dreams, and nothing more. I wanted to admit that I felt that way, but I couldn't. He would win, and that would be it. Suddenly Chandler coughed.

“Sorry to kill the er... private moment you two are having in my kitchen,” he said, “but you're making a miniature English Channel on my tile. We need to stick your clothes in to dry before you two get sick.”

Stitch didn't look at him, but stood straight up and pulled his shirt over his head, exposing the damp flesh of his chest. His torso was lined with rigid muscles, and his abs were clearly defined. My eyes widened, wandering over his exposed chest greedily, wishing I could reach forward and run my fingers along his muscles, feel his skin, kiss his lips... I shook my head, averting my gaze and fiddling awkwardly with the bottom of my shirt. Stitch threw his wet shirt at Chandler and looked at me.

“Want me to help you with that, Laela?” he winked.

My face turned beet red as I turned on my heel, my fists clenched into tight balls, my brow set in a glare. “I can not believe you would say something like that you disgusting thing you!” I raised my arm to strike him, but suddenly my eye found something it hadn't before. On the lest side of his chest was a tattoo. The words were in small script, and I couldn't read them, so I walked forward and absently stared at the mark. Time is but an obstacle. It read. I gasped. “Stitch, when did you get this?”

I could feel him smirk. “I was fifteen.” he said.

“Where did you hear that phrase?” I was tempted to reach forward and trace the letters but I held myself back.

“Around... nothing special. Now, why don't you go change before you catch a cold.”

“I've got some sweats you can wear while you wait.” Chandler offered, showing me to his room.

He yanked out a pair of sweats and a sweatshirt and handed them to me. He took a pair of shorts out for Stitch and left the room. Quickly I stripped, feeling immensely better to have the damp clothes off of m body, and then found I had a dilemma. My underwear was soaked, but there was no way I would go commando around these guys. With the girls, fine, but not them. I could do without a bra, fine, but not panties. I glanced around. What could I do? I quietly rummaged through his drawers, and surprisingly I found a lacy pair of panties tucked away in the corner of his drawer. I poked my head out and beckoned Chandler to come over with my finger. When he arrived he raised his eyebrow.

“Yes?”

“Okay, this is going to sound really weird, but.... okay I hardly know you... but. Oh gosh...” I couldn't find the words to say what I needed to. “My underwear is soaked and I happened to find a pair in your drawers. Mind if I use them until mine are dry?” I felt my stomach knot up in embarrassment.

He smiled and very slyly said, “Oh, not at all. You go right ahead and do that.”

I smiled, nervously, and retreated back into the room. Sicko. I thought to myself. After I had dressed myself I exited the room holding my pile of wet clothes away from me. Stitch sat on the couch, half naked, wearing only a pair of shorts and staring into a television screen. I handed my bundle to Chandler and he disappeared from the room, and walked down the hall. I glanced at Stitch on the couch and suddenly remembered that he had avoided telling me the blond's name. Purposefully I marched toward the TV and turned it off.

“I was watching that, in case you couldn't tell.” he remarked, glaring up at me.

“I'm not letting you avoid it anymore. Your friend isn't here to distract you. Tell me his name.” I demanded.

With a sigh, he rolled his eyes and stood up off the couch. He walked toward me, and when his toes touched mine, he reached forward and grabbed my shoulders. “I'll tell you. But I warn you that he's a good for nothing gutter dweller.” he warned. “His name is Vance Locke, he's an old enemy of mine. Since childhood I guess you could say. If you want to know why, well you'll have to figure that out later, but at least you can stop pestering me.” He leaned forward, as if he were going to kiss me, his arm snaking around my back. I leaned as far back as I could and when his nose touched mine, I heard the hiss of the television coming back to life and he backed away, smirking. “You'd have thought I was going to kiss you or something with that expression.”

He chuckled the whole way back to his place on the couch, and patted the cushion next to him. I shook my head and went back to Chandler's room where I had left my phone and called Tony.

“Hey, you.” he said. I could hear the smile in his voice. “What's up?”

“Just getting back to you. You called and said you needed to tell me something?” I replied, thinking back to that moment in the park when the sky suddenly darkened and the blond appeared.

“Oh, right, don't worry about it. I've got it resolved.”

“What was it?”

“Just some things for school. They wondered if you would send some pictures for the yearbook with you and your friends there.”

“Oh, sure! I could do that. If you promise to send me some of everyone back home, kay?”

“Can do, hun.”

For another half hour Tony and I talked about the things we were missing, and the adventures we had. I wanted to jump on a plane and go home, but at this thought, the thought of staying here... with Stitch, crept into the back of my mind. For some reason, whenever I thought of home, I could only imagine it with Stitch now. I shuddered.

“Laela, your clothes are dry, you can get dressed now!” Stitch yelled loud enough that Tony heard.

“Who is that? Where are your clothes? What's going on?” he asked.

“Tony, he's a friend from school and we got caught in the rain while a bunch of us were coming back from the park, so we stopped at his friend's apartment and dried our clothes. I'm wearing something of course. Don't be worried, I love you. I've gotta go. Call you later! Kisses.” I said, walking out to gather my clothes.

“Love you,” Tony said, and then the line went dead.

I clicked my phone shut and saw Stitch holding my pile of laundry, my black lace bra on the top of the pile.

“Lace,” he commented with a smirk in his voice, “Nice.”

Chapter Eight

An hour later the rain had let up and Stitch and I made our way back to the school. The air was chilly from the rain, and the roads were wet, but manageable. When we pulled into the parking garage, which I was unaware even existed, the lights flickered and the rain began again. Stitch helped me off his bike, and we walked together to the elevator. We rode up in silence, and then the elevator made a sudden stop on the main floor. The doors opened, and I found myself staring into the mesmerizing blue eyes of the blond, Vance Locke. My eyes grew wide and my body relaxed; next to me I felt Stitch tense up, and his instant mood change was almost tangible.

“This elevator is full.” Stitch growled.

I glared at him. “No, it's not. Come on in,” I said smiling.

“So nice to see that Stitch's girl has a shred of humanity in her.” he said, stepping into the elevator.

I blushed, fiddling with a strand of my hair. “Oh, I'm not Stitch's girlfriend.”

He smiled down at me. “You're not? What a wonderful revelation. Here I am thinking that I'm going to have to sabotage your relationship so I can have a chance with you, but that's not hardly necessary, is it?” he chuckled, extending a hand to me. “My name is Vance, and you are?”

I blushed again, “Laela, it's nice to meet you. Formally.”

He chuckled again, and slapped a hand onto Stitch's back, who promptly rolled out of it and moved himself into a corner. “Yes, I do apologize for what happened earlier.” he glanced at Stitch. “So, where are you headed this evening?”

“Oh, just back to my room for the night. What about you? Are you a student here?”

“No, don't have the money for a place like this, but I've got friends here. I'm actually here to watch a movie with them. Do you know Cam Harding and Jay Clarke?”

I scrunched my brow. I hoped he was referring to the Cam and Jay I was thinking. “I think so. I'm new here, so I haven't learned last names yet. But I think I know who you are talking about.”

The elevator ding!ed and Vance glanced up. “Well this is my stop.”

I looked at the number. “Mine too,” I said and went to exit. I lifted my foot strangely high, and realized Vance was staring at me. My face turned red. “I have issues entering and exiting elevators for some reason. They've never been my strong point.”

He extended his hand to me from the hall. “Then allow me to assist you,”

I put my hand in his and hopped out of the elevator, leaving Stitch alone to brood. I turned to wave at him. “Thanks for getting me back to the school, Stitch. See you tomorrow.”

He nodded and glared as the doors closed on him. Vance and I walked down the hallway together, and after passing door after door I wondered where he was headed when suddenly Kitty's head popped out of our room.

“Holy crap Laela! I've been calling you like crazy! Where have you been?” she screamed, her hair falling out of a messy bun on the side of her head while she yelled. “Oh Vance, hey! We wondered when you would show up.”

Vance nodded polietly at her. “I planned on just coming with you at the park, but after Stitch exploded I didn't think it was a smart idea. So I went back and changed after getting drenched. What movie are we watching?”

“Batman Begins,” she smiled.

I smiled, “I love that movie! Oh Batman, he makes my life bearable.”

Vance laughed and we entered the room. I felt so much happier with all of them then I had all day. The paranoid knot in my stomach had disappeared and I could smile easily. Jay and Cam were already inside, and Molly had her girls by the door. When I entered she smiled, though I could clearly see it was a fake smile. I smiled in return and made my way across the room. Cam stood, and opened his arms to me. Hesitantly I entered them, and hugged him. He pressed me against him and held me there, despite my slight dampness. When he let me go Jay stood and grabbed me into a hug before sitting down with Kitty.

“I'm going to change really fast. Be right back.” I said, and entered my room.

“Be fast! We aren't waiting for you!” Kitty called as I shut my door.

Quickly I changed into a pair of Pink sweats from Victoria's Secret and one of my school sweatshirts. When I emerged Cam whistled, and Vance punched him in the leg. Sheepishly Cam retreated into himself for a moment, as if Vance had some sort of control over him, but smiled and sat up straight, patting the cushion between him and Vance. I stepped over Kitty and Jay who were laying on the floor, and settled in between the boys. I was quite comfortable, but half way through the movie, I started to get cold, and had no idea why. Then I realized it was my feet. I didn't have socks on, and they were ice cold. I shivered. Vance looked over at me and smiled, raising his eyebrows to ask if I needed anything. I mouthed the word 'Cold' and smiled. He leaned further to his right and lifted one arm, inviting me to cuddle into him. I blushed, thinking about accepting his offer when suddenly I thought of Stitch, and the warmth of his body against mine in the rain earlier. My face turned a deeper shade of red, and I shook my head. 'I have a boyfriend,' I mouthed and he nodded, turning his attention back to the movie. At the mention of Tony my stomach knotted up again. Something about his call didn't seem right today. He seemed oddly distant, and detached, but I could have been reading him wrong. Sometimes he would get moody but it wasn't something that a day of relaxing couldn't cure. I would call him after classes tomorrow.

Suddenly my phone buzzed against my stomach and I extracted it, glancing down at the screen. Rush. I stood up and bounded over Jay and Kitty, who were squished against each other on the floor, and ran across the room.

“Hey Rush, what's up?” I said quietly.

“Not much, just headed out to a party, and I needed to hear a voice of reason before I went out.” he replied, sounding nervous.

“Remember what I said last time? Just picture me with a huge gun guarding the drinks. I'll shoot you if you get close.” I giggled.

He laughed heartily and I heard Keltie in the background calling for him. “Well I better go before she starts going off on some rant in that Irish accent of hers. Bye, Laela.”

“Bye,”

We hung up and Kitty rolled over. “Who are you talking to? Tooooonnnny?” she giggled.

“No, it was my friend Rush. It's a long story, which I will tell you later.”

“Oh you better,” she winked.

My phone buzzed again. I had a text from an unknown number. There is no art to finding the mind's construction on the face. Watch your back. What on earth did that mean? And who was it from?

Chapter Nine

I stared at the screen. The number wasn't an area code that I knew, and it for sure didn't look like anyone from home's number. But I hadn't given my number to anyone but Kitty, and I knew she wasn't texting me. Her phone was sitting on the table in the middle of the room, quite abandoned. I was starting to feel nervous; too many strange things had happened to me since I arrived, and I had only been here for a day. My stomach twisted into knots, and my hand started to shake. I pressed my free hand against my stomach, suppressing the damp clammy feeling that had overcome it. My mouth felt as if a cotton ball had been twisted around my tongue, and my vision blacked out as I heard the sounds of a crackling fire. My entire body felt uncomfortably warm. My phone slipped from my hand and clattered to the floor. My strength left me, and I collapsed. Fire. I felt like I was on fire. I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't scream. I wanted to tear my clothes from my body to find some relief, but I was immobilized.

I could hear the terrified and frantic screams of Kitty as she called out my name, and Cam cursing harshly under his breath. I wanted to scream for help, but my voice was drown in the pain. I felt a pair of strong hands feel my face, and then a head was close to my chest. The sounds of the fire were roaring in my ears, and it seemed like it would consume me completely until it suddenly stopped. Another pair of hands were on my body now, against my neck, my wrists, my forehead. The flames were dying, and my body was returning to normal. I began to feel my limbs again, and I coughed myself back to life. My vision returned so quickly I had to close my eyes to keep from throwing up. Kitty was still screaming at me. I could hear Jay trying to quiet her, but she of course wasn't planning on listening. Then I heard a sultry voice speak.

“Laela, can you hear me?” it asked. It was Vance. “I need you to give me a sign that you can hear us.”

I squeezed my eyes shut tighter and nodded my head slowly, I tried to say 'Yes,' but my voice wouldn't respond to my body.

“Good, good. I'm going to take you to your room, okay?”

I nodded my head a little faster, and then I felt his arms slide under my body and lift me into his chest. He moved slowly, and steadily as he made his way across the short distance to my room. He set me gently on my bed, running his hand across my forehead and down my cheek, letting the tips of his fingers linger on my cheek. My eyes fluttered open slowly. He was standing over my bed, staring down at me, the dim light from the kitchen creating a halo of light around his head. He was smiling as he knelt down beside me.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, taking hold of my hand. “Jay's calling down to the nurse, but he wasn't sure if she'd be in.”

I opened my mouth and tried to force out a sound, but all that came was a dry rasp.

“Don't strain yourself. You just rest. I will ask simple yes and no questions.” I nodded my head and he continued. “Do you remember hitting the floor?” I nodded 'Yes.' “Okay, could you hear us while we talked to you?” I couldn't remember. I had heard incoherant words coming from Kitty, but nothing I could pick out. I shook my head, 'No.' “Hmm, could you feel your arms or legs?” 'No.' “Does your family have a history of seizures, or even panic attacks?” 'No,' at least not that I know of.

Someone else entered the apartment. By the sound of clicking on the lenolium I figured it was a woman. Her voice drifted through my open door and reached my ears. It was soft and melodic with a rich Irish drawl. She sounded like Keltie in ten years. The clicking stopped, and I heard a scuffing across my carpet; I turned my eyes away from Vance to look at her. She was an attractive lady, the wears of time on her brow beneath slightly graying hair that hung over her blue gray eyes. She smiled, laugh lines tugging at the corners of her mouth.

“You must be Laela,” she said sweetly, “I'm Mrs. McDuff, the school nurse. Lucky I hadn't left yet tonight. Your friends told me what happened. I think you may have had a panic attack. Can you speak?”

I opened my mouth and attempted another noise, and this time something came out. “Yes,” I wheezed.

“Excellent.” he replaced Vance kneeling beside my bed. Vance obediently retreated to the door, and conversed with Jay and Kitty outside. “Can you tell me what happened?”

“Um...” I tried to replay it in my mind, but all I could remember was the fire. Burning. “I felt like I was on fire. My whole body, and I could hear the cracking in my ears. And then... then I couldn't see anything.” I rasped.

She scribbled something on a pad of paper she had in her hands, and then raised the back of her hand to my forehead. I remained quiet while she assessed me, and felt a wave of fatigue wash over me. She muttered something, but I couldn't make any words out. My eyelids were heavy, and my body felt heavy on my bead. The nurse patted my head, and left my room.

I woke the next morning bright and early when my alarm rang at the insane hour of 5:30. I rolled over and slammed the snooze. The extra sleep didn't last long when Kitty came bounding into my room and declaring that I needed to get up if we were going to make it to breakfast on time. I rolled out of bed, and stumbled to the bathroom, my mind still fuzzy from sleep. The events of the night before were foggy, but the distinct sound of fire still haunted me in my dreams. I showered quickly and entered my room again to find Kitty sitting on my bed, her hair curled nicely, and her uniform looking crisp and neat. She smiled.

“Good morning.” she said, “I took the liberty of pressing your uniform while I did mine.” she motioned to my uniform laid out nicely on my bed.

I grimaced looking at it. Uniforms were never my thing. Kitty never left, sitting on the edge of the bed and waiting for me to get dressed. Awkwardly, I stepped behind her, and kept my towel pressed close to my body while I raked through my drawers to find a pair of underwear. Kitty kept talking while I got dressed, and when I had put my uniform on, I pulled on the pair of black knee socks and then stared at my feet. What shoes was I supposed to wear?

“Kitty, what do I do for shoes?” I asked, pointing to my stocking feet.

She giggled. “You can wear whatever shoes you want, as long as they're school colors. I spied a pair of cute black boots in your closet. You could try those, or you had a pair of black flats. We'll go shoe shopping later.” she said with a smile bigger than I had seen on anyone.

I crossed the room and pulled on my black flats and Kitty stood and left the room with me. She seemed to be watching everything I did, as if waiting for me to black out again. I kept glancing over at her, and she would smile as if she wasn't doing anything. The elevator took what seemed like forever to arrive on our floor, but when it came, the car was nearly packed. Kitty spied Jay and Cam inside, and managed to wedge herself into the car. She looked back at me and waved her hand. Reluctantly I stepped onto the elevator and pressed myself into the corner. I closed my eyes and prayed that the ride would be over quickly. The elevator stopped a few more times, but no one got in, thankfully, and we reached the main floor without dying. When the doors opened I stepped out, managing to avoid major embarrassment and staying on my feet. Kitty and the boys joined us and we went to breakfast together. Breakfast itself was amazing. Eggs any way you wanted them, with a biscuit and gravy and hash-browns. I never had breakfast like this even at home on the weekends. Cam snatched my schedule from my bag looked it over.

“We've got second and fourth together. You and Jay will have third. I hear that's a great class.” Cam said, smiling at me. “Jay loves it.”

“I love what?” Jay asked, glancing over at us.

“Shakespeare,”

“Oh! Do you have that class, Laela?”

I nodded. Jay smiled and proceeded to tell me the joys of taking Shakespeare from Mr. Lauri. He made everything enjoyable, and it wasn't just reading the play, the class acted it out as well. It was like a mini play every day. For once in my life, I might actually enjoy a drama class. Jay took the liberty of explaining that Shakespeare wasn't a conventional drama class because it was actually an English class. I laughed, and then a strange shrieking bell rang through the dining hall. We stood and I suddenly realized how lost I would be. I had no idea where on earth I was going, or how to get from one place to another. Kitty sensed my desperation and linked arms with me. We exited the building and walked across campus to another huge university-like building. If this was the school, I would die. As we walked through the door, my jaw dropped. This place was incredible! It topped every other high school and university I had ever seen. The tile work was amazing, and the old English style was warm and friendly. Kitty hugged Cam and Jay, telling them to get to class.

She tugged me along behind her, pointing to the hall numbers and rambling about how to get from class to class, but I just counted on asking others for directions, so I only half paid attention to her instructions. When we entered our classroom, I was taken to the set of many college movies. The lecture hall style of the classroom was something I wasn't used to. The professor sat at a long table below the students who were filling the rows quickly and preparing for the lesson. Kitty walked down a few rows and filed in next to another girl from our dorm room, Hillary. She waved me over and patted the stool beside her. Cautiously, I made my way down the steps, trying not to kill myself. I sat next to her, and Hillary leaned over, looking across Kitty to me.

“It's great that you have this class,” she said, “I'm Hillary, I don't think I've introduced myself to you yet, but I'm looking forward to getting to know you.”

I smiled. I wasn't all together sure she was genuine, but I could worry about that later. “I'm looking forward to it too.” I said and extracted a notebook from my backpack.

It was an old one from my science class back home. Hardly used, except for doodles between Keltie and I. I looked slowly over the pages, remembering the ridiculous stories that went with each picture. I laughed quietly, and stopped on the last page. It was something I hadn't seen before. Tony's handwriting littered the page. It was a letter.

Laela,

I've written a little something in each of your notebooks since the day you told us you were leaving. I also start with the exact same first three sentences. This is just so whatever notebook you happen to open first still leads you to find the others, and now, here's where it gets different. I'm going to miss you, and I hope that you miss me too. Don't go getting over me too fast. I hope that since you're away this doesn't change our relationship in any way. I hope whatever class you're in, or if you're just sitting around, you laughed when you saw all those doodles and remembered us at home. We love you. I love you. Always will.

Yours forever,

Tony.

I smiled. He was so cute.

“Adorable,” Kitty said, leaning over and pointing at the page. “He really does love you.”

I smiled at her. “Yes, he does. I love him too. He's the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Hillary hushed us as the teacher began lecturing. I listened intently to my teacher, Mr. Collins, as he lectured on the American Revolution. It was interesting hearing the story from the other side. I had always heard it taught from the American point of view, but hadn't ever really stopped to think on the British perspective. Kitty kept glancing at me. Then she tore out a piece of paper and scribbled something on it and shoved it at me. I looked down and read what she had written.

'What happened last night? Are you feeling okay?' I quickly wrote a reply. “I don't really know. I suddenly felt like I was on fire. It was freaky. I couldn't breathe, and I couldn't feel my body. All I could feel was the heat, and I could hear the crackling of flames in my ears. It was scary as all get out.” I gave her the paper, then returned to taking notes. When the paper crossed the corner of my notebook I dragged it in front of me. “Holy crow. That doesn't sound fun.. I would have cried. Could you hear us when we were talking to you?” “Yes, I could hear you. Barely. I'll tell you the story after school.” I slid the paper back to Kitty, who nodded and crumpled the paper. After class she stood and walked with me to the door.

She pointed me in the direction of my next class. Room 415. Slowly I made my way down the hall, staring at each room as I passed. The students that walked around me, staring. I knew why. I was the new kid. New meat. Boys could hardly keep their eyes to themselves, as I passed, and suddenly I felt an arm sling around my shoulder. My spine stiffened, working slowly up my body until my entire body was rigid. I glanced over to my right where I felt the body pressed against me. I couldn't tell who he was based on just what he was wearing, but the closer I paid attention, I realized it was Cam. He had a particular gait while he walked that screamed his personality. I rolled my eyes with a deep sigh and glanced up at him.

“You get scared extremely easily.” He chuckled.

“Well, it's not too common to be walking down the hall of a foreign building and have someone wrap their arm around you,” I said bitterly, “as if it's completely normal.”

He laughed again. “Sorry, love, I didn't mean to freak you out. I just figured I would be friendly and walk you to class. My first period isn't too far from yours. I can walk with you every day if you'd like.”

He was watching me carefully. I was starting to feel uncomfortable with the way everyone was treating me since the incident last night. It was starting to irritate me. I was fine. I wasn't going to fall over at any given moment and have some sort of seizure. I was fine! His hand dropped from my shoulder to my waist suddenly. I glanced down at his hand, and then up at the people passing us. It was the blonde girl, Courtney, from the night of the movie. She glared at his hand and kept walking. Cam swept me around a corner, and into a classroom. He didn't remove his hand from my waist until we sat down in the back of the room. He leaned over to the boy sitting next to him and whispered something. The boy leaned forward and looked at me. I smiled nervously and waved at him. He winked and I turned away, turning my face to my right shoulder.

“I'm flattered I've got your attention, love.” Stitch said, smiling slyly at me.

Chapter Ten

My eyes narrowed into a glare. “Everywhere I go...” I muttered, turning my face to the teacher at the bottom of the room. “Are you stalking me?”

“Of course not, I'm the one who was in this class to begin with.” he chuckled. “I can't be stalking in you if you transferred into my class.”

He had a point, but I wasn't going to admit it. I just kept my eyes focused on the front of the room and my attention fixed on taking notes. The bulk of the lecture was on something they discussed last period, so I was behind, but I filled in the gaps based on the references made during the lecture. Half way through the lecture, I felt someone's knee touch mine. I did my best to ignore it, and crossed my legs below the table to move myself away. Another ten minutes passed, and the knee was against my thigh. I bit my lip to keep from growling, and shifted slightly on my stool, turning my body toward Stitch. He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, and then appraisingly at my bare thighs where my skirt ended. My cheeks burned as I turned back to my notes, but I couldn't concentrate on taking notes anymore. My mind wandered back to my dreams. I remembered Stitch and I together, and the happiness we shared. I wondered if it was just my subconscious trying to tell me something, or if I just wanted a new face in my life. I thought back to what Tony had written, and wondered what he meant by “not getting over him too fast.” Did he think because I was in a foreign country I would forget about our relationship and all the wonderful times we shared?

My gut twisted nervously remembering the phone call the other day in the park and how strange Tony had acted. He never called and said “never mind” about anything. We always talked it out, no matter what. I reached for my phone, which I had stashed in my sock, and quickly sent a text to Tony. Hey darlin' is everything okay on the home front? I hoped that the answer was yes, and that nothing bad had happened. I waited in agony for a time, and then realized it was only 5:30 at home. With a sigh, I blew my hair out of my face and glanced down at my phone. The messages screen seemed to fade away when I saw the text from the previous night. My chest tightened, and I feared I would drop back into my strange fiery coma, but the feeling never came. In fact, my entire body felt relaxed and at peace. It was odd. I had gone from a strange paranoia to complete serenity in a matter of a few seconds. I looked at Cam, who was staring at me, and then looked away to Stitch. He wasn't looking at me, but was sketching something intently rather than paying attention to the lecture. I leaned over to try and get a look at it, but he shifted so his shoulder was blocking his sketch. Turning back to my notes I noticed large red numbers in line with the rest of my notes. Beside the numbers was a name. CAM. I glanced at him, and he smiled with a wink. I looked away and rolled my eyes. I glanced back at the number. It didn't match the one from the yesterday. Count Cam out of the list.

The bell rang, and the sound of scraping stools filled the lecture hall. I closed my notebook, shoved my phone back in my sock, and put my notebook away. As I leaned over I managed to catch a glimpse of Stitch's sketch. It looked like me. I didn't know whether to be flattered, or worried. Kitty had told me that she had seen his drawings, and that some of them looked like me, so maybe I was just hallucinating. I stood up and slung my backpack over my shoulder and walked out with Cam. He offered to walk me to class, but I kindly declined and he pointed out the way. Silently I made my way down the hall and managed to find my next class. Jay waved me in after I had entered. I rushed up the steps and took a seat next to him.

“How are you enjoying your first day of school here?” he asked with a friendly smile. It wasn't a smile I had to worry about, or feel nervous about, so it made me relax, and breathe. “Anything amazingly life changing happen?”

I laughed. “I got to hear the British perspective on the American Revolution. That was pretty interesting. And Cam gave me his number.”

Jay rolled his eyes with a chuckle. “That one there is definitely life changing. So, I do have to ask this... you and Cam... is there anything going on there? I noticed he walked you in from the movie with his arm around you the whole time... and there was yesterday night... and now you have his number.”

I put my arms up defensively, my eyes widening, and I leaned away from him. “Woah, woah, woah... there is nothing going on between us. We're friends, yes, but I have a boyfriend back home, whom I love very much. I wouldn't just drop him for someone else. Don't get me wrong, Cam is a great kid, but I wouldn't up and leave Tony for someone like him.”

Jay smiled. “Even someone like Stitch?”

My face turned bright red. “Why would you ask something like that?” I stuttered.

He just smiled and the professor burst through the door proclaiming, “There is no art to finding the mind's construction on the face!” My body tensed. I heard fire, and I felt like I was going to pass out again. I reached over to clutch Jay's arm, and he looked at me. I felt dizzy, and the room blurred in a wild rainbow of colors. I felt myself sway on the stool, and Jay put his arm around my waist to keep me upright.

“Laela, are you okay? Do you need to see the nurse?” he whispered.

I gulped in deep breaths, and then my phone buzzed. I fumbled to get it out of my sock and looked at the message. Calm down, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and think of me. It was from the unknown number from the night before. Who was this person? How was I supposed to think of them if I didn't know who they were? I closed my eyes, keeping a tight grip on Jay's arm, and took a deep breath. Thinking of “me,” whoever that may be, and my body relaxed, and the fire vanished. I loosened my hold on Jay's arm and opened my eyes again. He was watching me carefully, his hand still around my waist. I nodded several times and pulled my hand away from him. Slowly he removed his arm and leaned over.

“Are you okay? Is this what happened last night?” he asked.

“Something like it. I'm okay now. I promise, don't worry about me.” I replied, sort of breathless.

He nodded, and turned back to the discussion. We were studying the play Macbeth and that line was among the first scenes of the play. Our professor, a Shakespeare major, explained that this line was the theme of the play in a sense, and that it in essence was a theme for every living person. No matter what a person may look like, it could be just a guise. Sometimes it was easy to pick out the truth on the features, but oft times it was not. How true to life that statement was. The first person I thought of was Stitch, and odd enough, secondly I thought of Vance. Though I had just met him, something seemed off. His outward features were soft and kind, but I had seen a glimpse of a different person the first time we encountered each other that day in the park. There was something there almost feral, and animal like about the way he reacted. With a sigh I shook my head. Maybe I was reading too much into this. After all, I had just met him. I couldn't make any snap judgments; people weren't always what they seemed. I needed to give him a chance.

My phone buzzed again. It was that blasted number again! With a growl, I flipped open my phone and stared at the screen. See, everything is okay now. I growled again and furiously typed my reply. Who the heck are you? And what do you want from me?! The reply came quickly. You know me, and I know you. I can't say we're friends, but I'd like to be. I laughed mentally. Fat chance if you don't plan on telling me who you are. I replied, and shoved my phone back into my sock. I would deal with this creep later.

I returned my attention to the lecture and realized how animated my professor was. He was waving his arms about, describing the setting of Macbeth was, and the historical context of it all. I could tell how much he loved his job and Shakespeare's works. He quickly excused himself and returned moment later wheeling in a huge cart of books. I assumed these were our books for the play. He called us all down, and gave each of us a book. When I reached him, he paused, holding the book out in front of him and smiled sweetly. He wasn't very old. Maybe in his thirties.

“You're a new face.” he said, tapping his chest with the book, “You must be my new student. I was trying to find you during the lecture, but you were hiding.” He extended his free hand. “My name is Henry Lauri, but you can just call me Mr. Lauri. It's so nice to have a new face to add to the cast.”

I shook his hand, wondering what he meant by cast, but decided not to ask. “I'm Laela Price.”

“Ah! American?” I nodded and his smile widened. “Wonderful to have you here in that case. We can all stand to learn some pronunciation from an American while studying Shakespeare.”

I smiled and he handed me the book. I walked slowly back up to my seat and sighed, dropping it in front of me. Jay put his hand on my shoulder.

“I have a feeling you're going to be Mr. Lauri's favorite student now.” he said.

The boy sitting next to him leaned back to look around Jay at me. “Definitely his favorite. He's always telling us that if we really want to hear the pronunciation used by the Elizabethans we should hear an American read Shakespeare. Be prepared to read. A lot.” he said, a slight hint of femininity in his voice. “My name is Daniel, by the way. It's nice to meet you.”

I smiled, admiring his blond and pink hair. “I'm Laela, you have the coolest hair.”

His cheeks turned red, and his hand rose to play with his shaggy pink locks. “Thanks! I wasn't sure if I liked it this way, but silver isn't really my color. It's going blue next. I've always wanted blond and blue hair.”

I had always wanted to do something like that to my hair, so he had my complete attention. “Really? That's so cool! I've always wanted a color in my hair.”

He concentrated on my hair for a moment before speaking again. “You should do purple. It would look good on you! Oooh! I can help if you want! My brother works at a great salon near by. We can stop in for a visit one day to get it done. If you want...”

I laughed. “Sure thing, I'd just have to let my mom know. I promised that since I was alone in a foreign country anything I did to myself needed to be relayed to her first.”

He chuckled. “That's understandable. Here, do you have a phone?” he asked, extracting his from his pocket. I nodded and proceeded to tell him my number. “Awesome! Well I will just text you and you can save my number. I always find that easier.”

I agreed, and Mr. Lauri started lecturing again. He jumped right into his animated explanations and descriptions about the many tragedies of the play, but the humor—albeit dark humor—that Shakespeare dropped throughout the play. The entire class was wrapped around his finger, leaning forward on the edges of their stools, smiles splitting their faces. Jay was right. I loved this class. Just as Mr. Lauri reached his climax, the bell rang, and the entire class slumped forward with a groan.

“Read through act one, scene one, and we'll discuss it next time!” Mr. Lauri called as the class filed out of the room.

Jay walked me to my next class; his was next door. Kitty bounded up to Jay and I, her hair bouncing along with her gait. She gabbed about her class and how some kid had passed out during the video they watched of an open heart surgery. I grimaced. I would have passed out too. I can't stand the sight of blood, and organs would have only made it worse. Cam joined us, high-fiveing Jay, and giving Kitty a hug and kiss on the cheek. He turned and opened his arms for a hug, raising one of his eyebrows and smirking. With a sigh, I stepped into his arms and he closed them around me, holding me tightly to his chest. I listened to his heart beat in his chest, closing my eyes and thinking of home. I thought of Tony and Rush, and their hugs, their strong beating hearts, and realized how much I missed home.

“Cheer up, love.” Cam said, kissing the top of my head. “We can make this place a home away from home.”

I glanced up at him, amazed at how he could read my emotions so well. His smile was gentle and warm. Jay patted my head, and Kitty squeezed my shoulder before the two of them entered their class. Cam walked with me into the class, and I was surprised to find only a few students in the class. I counted fifteen. Cam escorted me down to the third row, far closer than I had sat to any teacher today, but that was the back row of people. I sat next to him, and then the room went dark. A light clicked on in the front of the room, and a long set of notes flashed onto the projector screen. Cam and the other students went straight to work copying down the notes. With a groan I began copying them down myself. I hated teachers like this.

An hour and five pages of note taking later, the bell rang. I closed my notebook, and my eyes, looking up to the ceiling and offering a quiet “thank you lord” prayer. I shoved everything inside my backpack and made a break for the door. Kitty and Jay waited outside, and Cam was right on my heels. I clutched the edge of my skirt, glaring out into the hallway. Kitty patted my shoulder and pulled me away, singing a Katy Perry song as she went. She seemed strangely happy. I made a note to ask her about it later. Jay and Cam talked about something behind us, but I hardly paid attention. Suddenly, Kitty turned, holding my arm tightly.

“You looked a little upset earlier.” She said, staring at me with those bright green eyes. “Is everything okay?”

I sighed. “I guess... well I guess I'm a little homesick.” I admitted.

Kitty frowned. “Aww, poor thing! Well, we don't have school next week. Maybe we can fly down!” her face lit up. “Oh my goodness! That would be soooo amazing!”

I smiled, touched that she would offer something like that, but there was one problem. “I don't have that kind of money.”

She waved her hand, puffing a bunch of air out of her lips. “Don't worry about that, I can take care of that part. Right now in fact. Mom should be on her lunch break.” She fished her phone out of her bag and pressed it up to her ear. “Hi, mom, its Kitty! Listen, I've got this friend who is new here. She's from Florida... Yes, like America. Listen, she's a little homesick... Oh could you? That would be amazing!”

Stitch crossed our path and joined us. He smiled at me. I blushed. Why do you keep doing that?! I asked myself. Every time he looked at me my stomach fluttered and my cheeks burned. Kitty was chatting away with her mom, planning a trip back to my home. Suddenly she put her arms out, halting everyone.

“Who wants to take a trip to America?” she shouted at the group. Jay and Cam shot their hands up automatically, and nonchalantly Stitch raised his hand to his chest, raising one finger, like someone at an auction. “That makes... well five tickets. Thanks mom! You're amazing!”

Kitty hung up and beamed. “This is going to be great. My mom is getting the tickets and arranging for a hotel for the rest of us...” she exclaimed.

“You don't need to find a hotel. We have a big enough house,” I said, “Plus a guest house. We'll have enough room.”

Kitty's smile grew wider. “Oh that would be great! But you should probably check with your parents first. I wouldn't want to intrude.”

I pulled my phone out of my sock and Stitch laughed.

“Nice place to keep a phone.” He remarked with another chuckle.

I glared. “I didn't have anywhere else to put it.” I growled. I dialed my mom's number, hoping she wasn't at work yet. It rang a few times, then my mom picked up. “Hey mom! Um we don't have school next week, and my friends and I wondered if maybe we could come stay?”

“How are you getting down here? I don't have any money for a plane ticket.” she asked.

“Kitty's mom took care of that part. She's amazing. Is that okay though?”

“I'm fine with that. How many people are we talking? Just you and the girls?”

I paused. No mom, actually its me and Kitty, plus like three boys. I thought to myself. “No, actually its me, Kitty, Cam, Jay, and Stitch.”

“Boys? Laela Korinne Price what have you been doing in that foreign country with no parental supervision?” Her tone was threatening.

I growled. “Nothing mother.” Everyone turned to look at me. “We're all just friends. They wanted to ease my homesickness, that's all. They were going to stay in a hotel, but why pay for rooms when we have more than enough at home. So?”

She sighed and I knew I had won. “That's fine. When can we expect you?”

I beamed. “Thank you mom! I'm not exactly sure, we don't have our tickets yet, but I will let you know when I get the chance. Love you! I have to go eat lunch now, but I will call you later. Hugs and kisses.”

“Love you dear, have a good day.” she made a kissing noise over the phone and hung up.

I turned to the others as we entered the dining hall. “Kitty, tell your mom you don't need hotel rooms now. You can stay at my house.” I declared.

Kitty squealed and dropped into a rant that was completely incomprehensible. She flapped her arms at her sides and turned her face to the ceiling, turning in a little circle and squealing again. Jay chuckled and put his hand on her shoulder. We ate a delicious meal, which was an improvement on the lunch meals back home. Everything here was a step up from back home. While Cam, Jay and Kitty all planned their own mini vacation in Florida, Stitch leaned over to me, his breath on my cheek made me shiver.

“I hope you don't mind that I joined the vacation group.” He said, smiling innocently at me. “I've just never been to America... and the chance just jumped at me.”

I shook my head, “No, I would have done the same thing if it had been the reverse. I just hope you all have passports.”

“Oh don't worry. The school requires us to have one. Some classes take trips to the closer countries for their courses of study.”

“Really? That's cool! This school is so much better than mine back home. When we get there, I'll take you guys to see it. It's wimpy compared to this place.”

He smiled. “I'd like that.” He glanced across the table and banged it to catch their attention. “What say we take Laela to our favorite places around here, and when we get to Florida, she can take us to her favorite places.”

Kitty beamed again. “Yes! That would be fun!”

“Well then, its settled.” Stitch smiled at me again.

“We'll start today after school!” Kitty exclaimed.

I looked around the table at my friends. Their smiles were infectious, and their presence was as well. I noticed that everyone longed to be around them. During classes people flocked to be the first to sit by them, and our tables were always full during meals. Kitty seemed to know everyone and the boys had every girl hanging on their finger. I considered myself at that moment the odd one out. Even if I had Cam's attention, people weren't flocking to me, they didn't pay any real attention to me. Back home it was different. I was like them, but now, the tables had turned. My phone buzzed in my sock. Yanking it out, I stared at the message. Tony. Everything's fine. Love you. I smiled. I wouldn't tell him we were coming. It would be a surprise. Now I couldn't wait to get home.

Chapter Eleven

The rest of the school day had been rather uneventful and having sixth hour physical education was the worst. The instructor, Coach Bram, was crazy. If you weren't on the verge of tears while you were in class, you obviously weren't working hard enough. After class, we returned to the locker room and Kitty disappeared into the showers. I had never showered after PE, but after the workout that period, I knew I would be showering every day. Once the school day was over, I trekked back to my dorm and collapsed on my bed. I was the first to be back and the room was silent. It was peaceful, and I quite enjoyed the silence until Kitty came crashing through the door.

“Hurry and get changed! We're meeting the boys for our first day of favorites in ten minutes!” she chirped, rapping on my door a few times before walking into her own room.

I rolled off my bed and went to my drawers. What on earth was I going to wear? Normally I didn't have this problem. Feeling confident in my appearance for the day, I extracted a pair of shorts and a white v-neck t-shirt and my purple and black scarf. I wrapped it loosely like a bandana around my neck and pulled off my socks. I debated on a pair of flip flops, or my Converse. Finally I decided on my Converse. I didn't know how we were getting to wherever we were going, so they seemed the safer choice. While I finished tying them, Kitty came back into my room, looking stunning in a pair of lace tights and a gray sun dress.

“Ready?” she asked, smiling.

I exited with her, and left the building to find the boys. We found them outside the parking garage. Propped up beside each of them was a shiny motorcycle. All of them? They all drive motorcycles? You have got to be kidding me. I rolled my eyes and walked forward with Kitty. She stepped up to Jay, leaving me to make an impossible decision. I knew Cam wanted me to ride with him, but part of me wanted to ride with Stitch. Cam smiled at me, nodding toward his bike with his head. I glanced at Stitch, who didn't seem too thrilled with my other option. Sighing, I moved to the right where Cam waited, took his helmet, and mounted his bike behind him. With a monstrous rev of the engines we ripped out of the school gates and raced down the street. I clutched Cam tightly, pressing myself close so I wouldn't fall off I began wishing that I had taken my other option. Cam seemed to be showing off because I was on the back of his bike, and not Stitch's. I pressed my thighs against him, trying to keep my legs from being burnt, when we turned around a corner and came to a stop. I sat up and let go of Cam, quickly jumping off the bike and pulling the helmet off my head. I shook my hair out, and heard someone whistle.

“Dang girl,” Cam howled, “You sure know how to work that helmet hair.”

I rolled my eyes. Boys. I glanced around as we walked. There were buildings surrounding the square , and people everywhere! I felt slightly claustrophobic as we pushed past people toward the center of the square where a giant fountain waited. When we reached it, Jay jumped up on the dirty gray-white marble and stretched his arms out wide.

“Welcome to Leicester Square, Laela!” he said, “This is my favorite place to be.” He closed his eyes and breathed a deep breath, suspending it in his chest and exhaling loudly. “Best place to people-watch, and catch a show. Part of the West End, and chalk full of street entertainers. Never a dull moment here!”

He hopped down and smiled while pointing to something behind me. I spun around on my heel to see what he was pointing at, and found myself looking at a gaggle of street dancers and entertainers. Bright colors from the carousel glimmered in the edges of the square, and music filled my ears. I felt my smile growing wider by the second. We didn't have anything like this in Boynton. Even with all the beach crowds it wasn't this amazing! All sorts of performers littered the square; everything from mimes to musicians. Jay ducked and twisted through the crowd, pulling Kitty behind him. She grabbed hold of my arm and pulled me after them. Cam and Stitch followed us closely, puling out of the crowd as we reached a pair of jugglers. I watched in amazement as the pair threw their various objects back and forth to each other. They began with batons and moved to bowling pins, and ended with knives and flaming batons. My gut twisted as I watched them toss the knives to each other, fearing that one would slip and impale the other, or a member of the crowd, but that tragedy was avoided gracefully.

Suddenly Kitty called my name, holding a small pink camera out in front of her. She motioned for Cam and Stitch to move in around me, and I felt Cam's arms lock around my waist. He squeezed my side, causing me to jump, and laugh as Kitty snapped the picture. She took several other pictures as we ran from place to place, documenting our afternoon in Leicester Square. Jay bought us all delicious sweet rolls from a little cafe near the theater while we waited in line for the carousel. Kitty handed me the camera a few times and had me take pictures of her and the boys. When we finally reached the carousel we piled on. Kitty chose an elegant white horse named Katie, Jay chose a brown horse near her named Peter, I hopped on a gray horse, whose name was Charles, Cam mounted backward on a white horse named The Doctor, and Stitch took a black horse named Martha. Kitty snapped picture after picture, passing the camera around so that everyone took a photo and everyone was in a photo. After our ride, I stepped off, dizzy from the spinning, and stumbled away with the others, all of us laughing harder than we had in a long time. On the way back to the center of the square a hand took hold of my arm and tugged me out of our crowd. I found myself in a circle of dancers all chanting for me to dance. Feeling daring, I studied their movements for a moment and then attempted to replicate them.

I was failing with such success that they began to teach me as my friends came back to join them. We struggled to learn their dance, but after a while we were dancing and singing right along with them. Smiling I glanced across the circle to Stitch, whose face was beaming with a gorgeous smile, his green eyes sparkling happily. He spied me watching him and winked. I turned a deep shade of red and ducked my head, watching my feet. After a while of dancing and insane picture taking, we thanked them and left. The sun had begun to set and Jay headed back for the bikes.

“So,” Kitty said, bumping her shoulder into mine, “I noticed that two boys couldn't take their eyes off you today.”

I looked down at the stones on the path, biting my lip and feeling my cheeks flare with heat. “O-oh really?” I replied, keeping my face turned away.

“Yes, really. Two rather attractive young men if I do say so myself.” she winked. “So, hypothetically speaking, if you didn't have a boyfriend and were completely free to choose another boy, which of the two would you choose?”

I glanced up at the sky, gathering my thoughts for a moment before replying, “I'm not sure. I hardly know either of them. But I can say this. Each of them is alluring in their own ways. Cam seems sturdy and safe, with maybe a twist of daredevil in him, but Stitch is different. He's mysterious and seems almost dangerously gorgeous. He's the tall, dark, and handsome one in the story, and the problem is that this princess doesn't know if she wants tall, dark, and handsome, or if she wants her ivory tower more. I know that I could probably be happy with either one of them, but this is all hypothetically speaking, so it doesn't matter what I say right now, right?”

Kitty was grinning at me. “Oh, right, but if you absolutely had to choose one of them, which would it be?”

I glanced at her, scrunching my eyebrows together. “Why does it matter? Are you trying to hint at something here?”

She giggled. “Oh no, not at all, I'm just curious is all.” she paused for a time, staring up at the sky while we walked. “But seriously, if you had to choose between them, which would it be?”

Instantly Stitch's face invaded my mind. I knew I would choose him. There was something about him that drew me to him, but I didn't understand what it was, or why it made me this way. All I could think about was Stitch. He was in my dreams, my reality. It seemed almost as if he was my entire existence now. Every thought rested on him, whether I wanted it to or not.

“If I answer this question,” I said seriously, looking at her again, “the answer goes no where, understand?”

She nodded rapidly. “Yes, I swear, my lips are sealed. Tell you what, I'll even answer the question.”

“You first then,”

She paused for a moment, then sucked in a deep breath and said, “Cam. He's smart, and funny as all get out, and he's one of those people who takes care of his girl, even if it doesn't seem like it. He's there when you need him, even if you're not together. He's been there for me a lot when Jay wasn't.” she sighed, “Plus, he's hot. Him and Jay have been friends for the longest time, and truth be told, before I liked Jay, Cam was my target, but he had a girlfriend, and me, being the nice girl that I am,” she giggled at her joke, “I just backed off, thinking that if I was just the good friend, he would see I was better than that brat Courtney and he'd dump her for me. As you can see that never happened, but he did dump Courtney, which is a plus for everyone.”

I looked ahead at the boys who were talking and laughing in front of us. They all looked so happy, sharing stories loudly and laughing at stupid jokes. I smiled when I pictured Kitty and Cam together. They just didn't click like Jay and her did.

“Hmm, somehow I just can't picture you with him, dear.” I admitted with a laugh.

She laughed with me. “Now that I think about it, I can't either. I'm happy with Jay. He's great, but if I absolutely had to choose between the other two, I would pick Cam. Your turn.”

I sighed deeply, rolling my eyes to the sky. “If I absolutely had to choose between the two of them... Okay, this goes no where! I would pick Stitch.”

She grinned, bumping my shoulder with her palm. “I knew it!”

“Shh! They'll hear you. Goodness, woman.” I rolled my eyes again. “Whatever will I do with you? But yes, I would pick him for reasons that are completely and totally unknown to me. There's something about him that... well I don't know. It just draws me to him. He's the dangerous life I haven't had. Tony was safe... sort of. He's like Cam. That's why I guess I want something... different.”

“That's sufficient answer enough. It seems almost like a fairy tale. You know, like he's Romeo and Tony is Paris. You should pick Tony, but I think ultimately you'll end up picking Stitch. I have a gut feeling.” She seemed resolute in her answer, like she had just delivered some prophecy.

I glanced at her as we approached the bikes. Jay offered her his helmet and she took it, slid it over her head and mounted behind him. Before I had a moment to ponder which bike I would be riding on, Stitch took a hold of my elbow and steered me toward his bike. I didn't fight it, in fact I was glad he had chosen me. Handing me his helmet he mounted the bike, extending his hand to pull me on. Sitting behind him I clutched his chest, resting the side of my face against his back. I felt the bike jerk beneath me as we raced forward with the others twisting in and out of traffic. I watched the brightly illuminated buildings pass us in a blur and when Stitch took a sudden turn I glanced down, noticing he had broken free from the group and was taking his own path back to the school.

Chapter Twelve

I growled, burying my head into his back and wishing I had taken Cam's backseat. At least he wouldn't take random detours through the streets! Why was it that every time I got on the back of his bike he took me on some wild adventure through the streets of London. Flattering as the gesture was, I wanted to bail off the bike. Every time I had been alone with Stitch I felt funny. It was a strange familiarity, but I couldn't place the feeling. Feeling his body against mine was somehow natural with the way our bodies fit together, as if they were made for each other. My heart beat raced with the thought of his body close to mine each time it came to mind, and I found myself with a strange longing for his touch at night. I wanted to be with him when I felt lonely, I wanted him around when I felt like crying. These feelings were something that even Tony hadn't pulled from me, and my feeling them for Stitch, a boy whom I had only barely met, had begun to frighten me. The dreams had become more frequent, and now they weren't just while I slept at night, but when my mind wandered during class, or just sitting, I seemed to drop back into the familiar images. The dreams had become more like an alternate reality now. I wasn't dreaming anymore. It seemed as if I was almost reliving.

We twisted and turned through crowds of people spilling into night clubs and coming home from the restaurants and the movies. I stared at the people through the tinted visor, watching them. There were couples laughing and holding hands, young and old and everything in between. It made me feel alone even if I was clutching Stitch; it just wasn't the same. I wished Tony were here, and it were his bike I was on and not Stitch's. Anything to save me from these feelings. The bike suddenly slowed, and I lifted my head to glance around. Of course I had no idea where we were, but Stitch slowed to a halt on the side of the road, leaving his bike in a parking stall on the side of the road. He stepped off and extended his hand to me, waiting for me to take it. Cautiously I removed my helmet and put my hand in his, feeling my skin flare with heat at contact. I left the helmet on the handlebars and with a heart melting smile he lead me away. We walked hand in hand through the crowds of people, making our way to something in the distance. Stitch walked in a sort of stoic silence in front of me, checking back over his shoulder every so often to make sure I was still there, as if having my hand in his wasn't enough. I started to wonder vaguely if I had fallen asleep and this whole thing was a dream until Stitch picked up speed and my foot splashed into a puddle. With a glare I kept trekking after him, but kept quiet. Finally, we broke out of the shops and crowded streets into a more open area. I glanced around again, and then looming in the distance before us was an incredible sight. I had only ever seen pictures of it, but now, I was staring up at the London Eye, brightly lit, reflecting beautifully off the river Thames. I gasped, raising my free hand to my lips. Stitch led me right to the edge of the road and looked proudly at the enormous wheel, and then at me. The green from the lights made the green in his eyes so intense it seemed as if they were glowing right along with them.

“Jay forgot the best part about this side of town.” he said softly, looking out across the water.

I stepped up to his side, forgetting that my hand still rested in his. “It's beautiful.” I whispered breathlessly.

“I thought you might enjoy it.” He shrugged.

I smiled. “I do, thank you Stitch. It really is beautiful. Do you come out here a lot?”

He paused for a time, staring at the still black water. “Yes, almost every night.” he admitted with a chuckle.

“What? What's so funny?” I pressed, moving closer to him to stare into his eyes.

“Nothing, I just laughed when I realized how much I actually do come out here.”

“Obviously it's special to you, right? Why else would you come out here all the time?”

I watched him as he stared across the river thoughtfully. The silence we shared in that moment was some how comfortable. His lips slowly curled into a reminiscent smile.

“Yes, this place is very special, love...” his voice whispered with the ghost of something past, wishing to be in the present.

“You mind if I ask why?”

He looked at me and paused again. With a warm smile he said, “My... parents were married in the Southwark Cathedral.” he sighed.

I wrinkled my eyebrows. He hadn't ever talked about his parents. Cam, Kitty and Jay were always open about their families, but now that I thought of it, Stitch had never said a word about his family. Though I hadn't known them long, they had been quick to tell me of their siblings and families, and where they lived. Stitch however had been quiet up until now. I didn't quite know how to react. I didn't want to ask about it and bring up a painful memory, but the question tickled my throat. It needed to be asked.

“Oh,” I said lamely, glancing back across the river. Silence pervaded again, but this time it was tensious. “are they... separated?”

He chuckled. “No, love. They're dead.”

I coughed, shocked by his words. He seemed so happy for someone whose parents were dead. “I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to bring it up.”

He smiled, “Don't be. It's okay, I'm fine. They've been dead for so long, it doesn't bother me anymore. They died in an auto accident when I was five, so I was raised by my grandmother, who is now also dead. Don't worry about that one either. Like I said, I'm fine.”

“Still, that's awful. I don't know what I would do without my mom and dad. You're a really tough kid. I would probably crawl into a hole and never come out.”

“I'm sure that isn't the case,” he shook my hand, squeezing it slightly. “You're a strong girl.”

“Oh I wouldn't be too certain if I were you. You hardly know me enough to make such assumptions.”

He chuckled and fell silent. We stood like that for a time, both of us completely silent, but in the silence more was said than we could have had the words for. After a time I could sense his stare, but kept my focus on the bright lights across the river. Everything about the scene was completely enchanting. I watched the distant figures of people move through lights. Closing my eyes I drank it all in. Somewhere in the background music filled my world, soft and gentle, fitting the scene perfectly. I began to sway back and forth, humming the unfamiliar tune as it came along. My gentle swaying turned into slow dancing, and as the music swelled, I was guided into a twirl and pulled into Stitch's chest. His hand fell carefully to the bottom of my shoulder blade, and my hand unconsciously moved to rest daintily on his shoulder as if we had danced this same dance thousands of times. I rested my head on his chest, drinking in his smell, his heartbeat, and the feel of his body against mine. He held me gently, leading me slowly through a graceful dance on the riverside. His cheek rested against the top of my head as we danced closely. The music grew louder, and the noises of the street disappeared. It was as if Stitch and I were alone in the world with only the music and the lights to accompany us. Something deep inside me longed to lift my face to his and taste his lips against mine. He pulled me closer into him, rubbing his cheek against my head, and I felt as if he were almost in pain. I began to pull away, but he held me tight.

After a few more slow and gentle measures the music swelled again and Stitch lead me into a turn, and flourished his hand, lowering me slowly into a deep dip backward. His face was inches from mine, his breath bouncing off my hot cheeks. He raised me slowly to my feet, never taking his eyes off mine, and keeping me close to his body. When I was fully upright again, the world stopped, and I closed my eyes, leaning my face upward toward his. There was a pause, but when I felt his face move toward mine, I panicked. What was I doing?! I had a boyfriend back home. Flinching away from him, I ducked backward into a crowd of people who had stopped to watch us dance. Fidgeting with my shirt I averted my eyes from Stitch, and began to walk back toward the direction of the shops where we had left the bike. My cheeks were blazing, and my heart was racing. My lungs hardly had time to catch enough air before I needed to swallow more. I was beginning to feel dizzy as if I might faint, and suddenly there was a hand gripping my upper arm. I turned with a glare, trying to jerk my arm away, but their hand stayed firm. It was Stitch, and something in his eyes seemed... hurt.

“I'm sorry,” he said suddenly, catching me completely off guard. “I shouldn't have done that. I know you have a boyfriend back home, and I'm sorry for putting you in a position such as that.”

I felt tears well up in the corner of my eyes for a reason completely unknown to myself. “T-thank you.” I whispered, turning my face from him to hide the tears.

He put his arm around me. “I should have thought before I acted. It was selfish of me to think I could steal a pretty girl like you away from Tony. He's one lucky fellow.”

I blinked away the tears rapidly, and looked back at him. “Its okay, I had fun. Thanks for showing me such a beautiful place.”

He nodded and we walked in silence back to the bike. When we arrived there was a piece of paper stuck into the helmet of his bike. He picked it up and unfolded it. Reading it to himself, his face suddenly darkened and he turned angrily to look up and down the street. Quite confused, I began to look around as well, but for who or what, I wasn't sure. Suddenly Stitch shoved the helmet at me.

“Get on, we've got to go.” he said harshly.

It seemed as if the gentle mood he had been in only moments before had been lost completely, and it all had to do with whatever was on that piece of paper. He slipped it into his pocket and mounted his bike, waiting impatiently for me to get on behind him. When I did, he took my arms and pulled them tightly around him, and revved the engine dangerously. Shutting my eyes and praying for my life to be long, I yelped as he tore out of the parking stall and onto the street. They have a reason for telling people not to drive angry. Stitch weaved dangerously through traffic, my knees inches from cars and walls at times as he drove on the sidewalks, weaved through cars on the road, and drove down steps until we reached the school. He zipped through the gates and screeched to a stop in the parking garage, shut off his bike and got off. He turned to me, and I stepped off, leaving the helmet on the handlebars once again. Without a word, he grabbed my wrist forcefully and lead me to the elevator. Slamming the button, he cursed under his breath until the doors dinged open and we stepped inside. He hit my floor button, and then hit the number eight. I assumed that was his floor as the dorms were co-ed. When we reached my floor, the doors opened and he silently motioned for me to go to my room. As I stepped out of the elevator, my foot snagged on the door and I once again found myself falling to the ground. Instantly, Stitch's arms were around my waist, and he was raising me to my feet again.

“Thank you.” I said, brushing myself off as I stood. “I'll see you tomorrow?”

“Good night.” he stepped back into the elevator and pulled the paper out of his pocket.

I watched as the doors closed and he ripped the paper to shreds, angrily cursing in a language I couldn't understand.

I made my way back to the room, glancing at the clock on my phone. Crap. I was going to have to deal with Kitty's questions, and the boys were probably still in the room. When I opened the door, I was, as expected, assaulted by hundreds of questions from Kitty. I really didn't feel like answering. My mind was still stuck on Stitch, and the whole evening with him. Cam sat brooding in the corner, and Jay stood idly by his side.

“Laela! Are you even listening to me?” Kitty cried, waving her arms dramatically in front of my face.

“No, sorry. I was just... thinking.” I admitted, walking like a zombie from the kitchen to my room.

I shut the door on them, and fell onto my bed. They stayed away for a while, but I heard my door creak open some time later, and instinctively curled into a tight ball, giving the “go away” signal. It didn't work; the bed shifted as if felt someone sit at the end of it.

“Laela,” Kitty said quietly, “I'm sorry for overreacting... forgive me?”

I thought about just ignoring her, but what would that do? She hadn't done anything wrong, and I was the one that was being a pain. I glanced over my shoulder at her sitting at the end of my bed, Cam and Jay flanking her sides, all of them watching me with worry in their eyes. I nodded at Kitty, and she smiled.

“We were just worried about you. We didn't know if you guys were okay, or where you had gone. And you seemed upset, so I... did he hurt you?”

There was an immense silence. I didn't know how to answer. He hadn't hurt me physically, but somehow I felt hurt. His anger that had suddenly turned on me had hurt me. I didn't even know what I had done to deserve something like that. And that note. It was what had made him angry, but he wouldn't tell me what it was, or even who it was from. Tension filled the air as they waited for my answer.

“No,” I said finally, hearing an audible sigh of relief from all of them. “He didn't do anything.”

“Good... so what did you guys do?”

I sat up and looked at them. Cam had a dark expression on his face, glaring at me over the bridge of his nose. I flinched backward, and he noticed, changing his expression immediately.

“He took me to see the London Eye all lit up. He said it was a waste not to see it if we were already so close. So, we took a detour to see it.” I told them.

Cam eyed me suspiciously. “That's it? Why were you gone so long? The Eye isn't too far from the school.” he asked, watching me closely.

“Did you guys walk around?” Jay followed up closely.

I was starting to feel cornered. “What are you guys getting at? If you have something you want to know, ask it. Don't beat around the bush. I hate when people do that.”

Kitty straightened up. “Did he kiss you?”

I swallowed hard and felt my cheeks flush. Thankfully I was sitting in the dark corner of the room, and they couldn't see my blush. “No.” Even when the words came out of my mouth I sounded unsure about what had happened. Cam looked relieved, and his whole demeanor changed. No, Stitch hadn't kissed me, but we were so close. I had stopped it. He would have kissed me if I had let him. I know he would have. “We didn't kiss. We just walked around and looked at the lights and the shops around the river. That's all, I promise.”

Kitty gave me the “we're having a girl pow-wow later” look and left with the boys. I waited for them to leave and shut the door before kicking my shoes off and heading to the shower. I needed to clear my head. No. I needed to call Tony, and tell him I loved him. He was my forever. We had promised that. I took my phone out of my pocket and dialed his number. He picked up on the fifth ring.

“Hey babe, what's up?” he asked.

I smiled at his voice, feeling tears sting my eyes. “Tony I miss you.” I admitted, a tear slipping down my cheek. “I want to be back home where it's not so confusing.”

“Aww, baby, what's wrong?”

“It's just so confusing here! I don't know how I'm supposed to survive here away from my friends and family, and away from you. It's not fair Tony, what did I do to get sent out here!” My tears had started falling now, and I cried over the phone. “I want to be back home where everything is familiar and i'm not constantly bombarded by new information and customs and people, and all their stupid... everything! Tony.... I don't know what to do with myself!”

He sighed. “I'm sorry, baby, I wish I could come save you. I would bring you home and you could live with me, but I think your father would kill me. Is there someone up there that's bothering you?”

Several people actually. But I wasn't going to tell him that the boys here were my problem. That made me sound even more pathetic sitting here and crying about it to him. But that wasn't my only problem. I needed to tell someone that I was thinking I was beginning to go crazy. I would wake in the middle of the night from a vivid dream of some sort of alternate existence and I was feeling like I had lived hundreds of lives with the same person. That person just so happened to go to the school that I had just started, and he had nearly kissed me tonight. I felt so right when I was with him, like nothing could stop me, and that he and I were made for each other. I had begun comparing my “relationship” with Stitch to my actual relationship with my boyfriend in America. I was losing sleep over it. I couldn't sleep without a dream waking me. All my dreams were about him. Everything I did these days involved him in some way or another. But telling Tony all of this wouldn't help with my relationship problems. It's hard enough to keep up a long distance relationship, and telling him I was having dreams about another boy—whom I had just met—would kill our relationship.

“No... well not really. They're just... overly interested in me.” I said. It was the truth. Well, half of it anyway. “I don't know what to do. I don't have you here to keep me out of their sights. I miss you. Tony I... I love you.”

“I love you too, Laela.” I could hear his smile while he spoke. “I miss you too. It's not the same here without you. Everyone feels it. We all wish you could come back. Any of us would take you in in an instant, and you know it.”

I smiled through my tears. I wanted to tell him I was coming home next week, but I wanted it to be a surprise for everyone. “Thank you, hun. That makes me feel loads better.”

“That's what I'm here for. I love you.” there was some inaudible noise in the background and Tony sighed. “Sorry, I've got to go help my mom with dinner preparation for tomorrow. Shoot you a text when I get the chance. Love you.”

“'Kay, love you.” I had a hard time smiling while I shut the phone.

I glanced up at the clock. I had an hour before Rush would call. It wasn't unusual for Tony to help his mom with dinner at four on most days. They ate a lot. Big Italian families always did. Most of the time I would eat with them, and now I found myself missing Bambi's cooking. She was always so kind to me from the first time Tony took me home to meet his family. She had been so extatic that Tony had found a “bellissima giovane donna.” I loved helping her prepare meals. It was something Tony and I did most afternoons before we did our homework. A knot in my stomach tightened and my longing for home increased. Rush's call would only make it worse. I missed that loveable giant. Suddenly my door opened again and I heard Kitty whispering my name loudly.

“I'm in here,” I moaned, swiping at my wet cheeks with the backs of my hands.

She took one look at me and knew there was something terribly wrong.

“Tell me exactly what happened tonight. This doesn't look like a 'nothing' to me.” Kitty said, dropping to her knees where I had collapsed against the wall. “I'm here to listen.”

Another wave of tears rushed down my cheeks. “Nothing happened. Really. I'm just missing home. And... well... Stitch and I nearly... we nearly kissed, but nothing happened. I stopped it before it started. And then... we got back to his bike and there was this note. I don't know what it said, but it made him really angry. I thought we were going to die with the way he was driving; don't ride with him if he's angry.” she chuckled, and I smiled. “He was so upset. I didn't try to read the note, but he ripped it to pieces in the elevator. I was afraid of him for a brief moment.” I paused to hiccup a sob. “The dreams are getting worse Kitty. They aren't just dreams. It's like I'm living theme now.”

She stared at me, drinking in all the information before saying anything. “So he tried to kiss you, but you wouldn't let him, and then he found this note. It made him... you said angry, but I sense more like furious. He wouldn't shift moods so quickly if whatever was on the note hadn't gotten under his skin more than normal. He's just not that kind of guy. I've known Stitch since primary school. I consider him to be one of my best friends.” she paused, watching me, and then glanced up to the ceiling as if she could see through the floor. “Do you want me to talk to him?”

I curled my legs against my chest, staring at her over the top of my knees. She didn't say anything, just watched and waited for an answer. After a space of silence, her phone rang loudly, echoing off the walls of the bathroom. She jumped, clamping her hand over her leg before fishing it out of her pocket. She looked at the screen, and then at me a sort of nervousness about it.

“Go ahead.” I mumbled, “I'm expecting a call soon anyway.”

She nodded and rushed out of the room faster than I had ever seen her go before. She answered in a hasty whisper, and her voice was lost around the corner as I thought I heard her say Stitch's name. With a sigh I slid the rest of the way down the wall until I was laying, curled up, on the floor against the door of the shower. I stayed like that for a long time, just staring at the cabinets across the room from me. My phone buzzed against the linoleum; I reached out and pressed the speaker button.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Heya Laela!” Rush's voice filled the room. “How you doing little darlin'?”

“Not so good, but that's not what this phone call is for. It's for you. How was your day?”

Grainy silence filled the room for a time. “Same ol' same ol'...” he paused hesitantly. “No major... changes.”

I glared at the phone. Why did I get the feeling that everyone back home was hiding something? First, Tony had been weird when he called a few days ago, and now he's suddenly cheery and normal again. Then, I get Rush—one who normally tells me everything I ever wanted to know—acting nervous and secretive. Something was wrong.

“What aren't you telling me, Rush?” My voice went sharp with accusation.

More silence. “Nothing, nothing you don't already know.” he said.

What did I know? I wasn't sure, but I wasn't going to push it. “How was practice?”

He sighed, seeming grateful for the subject change. “Tough, we're getting a new coach soon, and he's been coming to practices now and then, and the man is crazy. I swear, I've never wanted to die at the end of practice, but lately, I've wanted to more than once.” he chuckled. “O'fah and I could hardly stand after the workout today.”

“O'fah? Really, that surprises me. He's super ripped.” I thought of the Samoan boy on the football team. He was always the strongest defender, with Rush coming in close second. But thinking of O'fah not being able to stand was something unheard of. He pushed himself hard during his own workouts, so this coach must have been crazy. “It must have been bad then.”

“You have no idea. Some of the team idiots decided that they would go out and smoke a joint or two before practice today, not a smart move. Mostly because they got caught, and they sucked majorly. Coach kicked them off, so we're picking up two of the Juniors from JV to fill their place. Kai and Jason are the ones that Coach wants. But, of course it's not really his team anymore, so he doesn't have much of a say.” He sighed heavily. “I just hope that the new guy can see in those two what Coach sees in them now.” There was someone speaking in the background gruffly. “O'fah and Xavier say, and I quote, “Tell sexy face we say 'hello' and that 'we love her.'” ”

I started laughing. “Well tell my lovelies that I love them too. Miss them immensely, and wish they would call me too instead of making you do it for them.” I heard him relay my message to the boys, and listened to their retort and found myself laughing again. I missed the boys on the team. I had, as Rush had pointed out, been adopted onto the team as something of an advice therapist of sorts. “Is there anything else you want to talk about, Rush?”

“Only how much I miss you, and wish you had been mine and not Tony's.” he sighed.

I sucked in a breath and trapped it in my throat. My night just kept getting weirder. Rush had been my best friend since elementary school. I had always known him, and watched as he went through girlfriend after girlfriend, and came to me after every one, knowing I would be a friend and comfort him. I had always thought our relationship was perfect, but now it seemed like it wasn't enough, or at least he thought it wasn't. I had always been able to see myself with Rush, and often people would see us together, and hardly knowing us at all, tell us that we were a cute couple. He would always laugh it off, but I got embarrassed. When I met Tony, everything changed, but our friendship was still the same, if not stronger. Rush had always shared his secrets, and the juicy tidbits of his dates with me, and I sat, listening, but somehow jealous, and only now did I realize why. I did like Rush. He was an amazing kid, and any girl would be lucky to have him. But I also realized why his relationships never worked out. He was caught on me.

“Rush... I... I don't know what to say.” I stammered.

“Promise you'll give me a chance. That's all I want. A chance, and if it doesn't work out, then hey, at least we tried, right?” he sounded hopeful.

What was I supposed to say? I was still with Tony. I couldn't break up with Tony on the off chance that my relationship with Rush would be better. It was insane. But... I could promise him a chance. It didn't have to be immediate.

“Alright, deal.” I said, “I'll give you the chance when the time comes.”

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“Rush, hun, I'm in a different country. Don't know if you noticed,” I laughed, and he laughed as well. “That's what it means.”

“Fair enough. Well, I should let you go, don't want to keep you up too late.”

I smiled, yawning and realizing how exhausted I was. “Thank you,” I whispered. “Night, Rush.”

“Good night, sexy face.” I could hear his smirk as he hung up.

With a deep sigh I found myself sinking into the floor, my eyes getting heavy, and then there was black.

“I've heard she and that man have been seeing each other more often now.” the voice of an older woman floated through the bookshelves I stood next to. I pressed my ear to the books, curious to hear more. “It's just not right for a young woman of her position. She's a charlatan. I've heard the family business is going under, but she hasn't told him yet.”

“You don't say!” exclaimed another woman. “That poor man. She's going to lead him right into a trap, and he'll have to support her extravagant lifestyle because she'll never change.”

“I've heard,” cut in the voice of a younger woman. “that she's been sleeping with him.”

There was a uniform gasp, and a shift in the chairs and fabric of many dresses. I contemplated moving a few of the books on the shelf to get a look at the gossipers, but a hand on my shoulder pulled me away.

“Miss Fairbanks, your father is looking for you.” An elderly gentleman said.

I had seen him when I arrived this evening. He must have been one of the butlers. I nodded politely at him, and exited the library in front of him, holding my head high and back erect. My eyes wandered around the hallway looking at the paintings and sculptures that were present, and when I reached the top of the grand staircase, I looked down it, keeping my chin high as my nurse had taught me since the day my mother died. I was beautiful. I needed to always present myself at my best, and now, after listening to the women in the library, I wasn't sure what my best was.

My father waited for me at the base of the stairs, chatting with another man at the party. I glanced around the room, searching for him again. I had been hiding out in the library between looking for him, and now it seemed like he wasn't going to arrive. Walking with my head high, I made my way down the steps toward my father. The man he was talking to was young, and attractive; he smiled up at me as I approached, his blonde hair shining under the light. Politely I returned his smile, nodding slightly. I knew my father was searching out prospective suitors. He was anxious for me to be married off, but I had a different plan for myself. I was running away. I was running to somewhere that corsets didn't exist, there was no such thing as proper manners, and stupid women didn't gossip about me.

“Darling, we're leaving. I've sent for the coach.” my father said firmly.

I bit my lip to keep from saying something rude. “But father, the night is still young. Why would you want to leave so early? I've hardly had a dance yet. My card isn't full.” I was making excuses to stay. Anything to see him.

He chuckled, his cheeks turning red. He had been drinking. “I am an old man my dear. Parties such as these tire me.”

“Perhaps you could go ahead, and Anna will stay with me. You can send the coach back for us in an hour.”

The young man chuckled. “Quite a lively one, Mr. Fairbanks. And indeed as beautiful as you described. If you aren't opposed, I could bring her home. My father and mother are with me, I assure you she will be in good company, sir.”

My father shifted his weight from foot to foot. “Hmm, I suppose I could leave her with you Mr. Lockewood, she is in need of decent company these days.” he agreed, nodding to our butler who brought his coat.

He kissed me on the cheek and wished me a good night. I watched him go, standing at Mr. Lockewood's side. When my father had left, Mr. Lockewood's bright blue eyes were smiling down at me. He held out a hand politely.

“If you don't mind, I would ask that I have the pleasure of dancing with you this evening.” he said, smiling.

I linked my arm through his, glancing once again around the ballroom. “Certainly,” I replied, following as he lead me onto the immense floor.

Couples danced around us in uniform, and it didn't take long before we joined up. We swayed with the crowd, dancing exactly as they did. Mr. Lockewood told me of his father's business and what they did, and I had to strain to keep myself from yawning. As we danced, and other men cut in here and there, I was stolen away after a song by a strong pair of arms that I had longed to feel all evening.

“Sorry I didn't arrive sooner, Miss Fairbanks.” he said, smiling down at me with perfect emerald eyes.

My cheeks flushed. “But you're here now, and that's all that matters. You've saved me from a dance with that awful Mr. Grennivitch.” I told him, attempting to do my best at a glare. “He's been asking my father for my hand since the beginning of last month, and every chance he gets to dance with me, he takes. I've spotted his name on my dance card five times this evening.”

He chuckled, leading me around the dance floor. “Then I suppose I should have arrived earlier to entreat your father for your hand.”

My footing slipped, and I fell into his arms. I could hear the tittering laughs of the younger girls at the tables with their nurses. My face burned.

“Excuse me? Are you meaning to tell me you wish to seek my hand in marriage?” I asked, straightening up, and dancing gracefully again.

He nodded, and lead me off the dance floor and out onto into the gardens where we could be alone. When he was certain we couldn't be seen, he put his hand on my cheek, caressing it with his thumb.

“Laila, I've loved you since the moment I saw you, and I only hope you can love me someday too.” he told me. “I know this is completely out of line, but may I steal a kiss from those lips?”

My heart raced. “You have my permission to steal a kiss whenever you please.” I said, speaking before I had time to think.

He smiled. “I'll hold you to that.”

He leaned forward, and his lips met mine, and the world exploded with color and heat. When he pulled away, I lost my strength, falling into his arms. He held me close, saying nothing.

“Everard...” I mumbled into his chest.

I heard his tears. “Laelais.” His arms buried me into his chest. “Stay with me forever. Forget this. We can find a way to destroy the curse. I will kill him. I promise you I will.”

Chapter Thirteen

I woke the next morning with the blaring of an alarm clock somewhere in the distance. I rolled to my stomach, finding my cheek against something frigid. My shoulders ached, and my back screamed in protest as I rolled away from the cold. With foggy recollection I remembered talking with Kitty, and her rushing off to take a phone call, and talking to Rush, and the dream. Had I even made it to my bed? A door opened and I heard foot steps.

“Laela! Are you okay?” Kitty cried. I felt her hand on my cheek, and then my forehead. “Laela, hun, are you awake?”

I groaned in response.

“Did you sleep in here all night?”

I groaned something that sounded like a 'I think so.' She sighed.

“Your body is going to hate you. Sleeping on a floor like this could kill a man.” she giggled at herself. “Well, it's five thirty, would you like to shower first, or shall I?”

“You can,” I mumbled, pushing myself off the floor. “I need to lay on something soft for a minute.”

She laughed and helped me off the floor. I proceeded to drag myself into my room, falling onto the bed, and sink into the mattress. My body felt heavy again, but I knew if I fell asleep, I wouldn't wake up in time for class. For a few minutes I just lie there, my face smothered in the comforter, and then I heaved myself off my bed and pulled out my uniform and shoes so I was ready to go just in case my speed failed me this morning. Kitty stuck her head through the door and announced the shower was free, and I took my share of hot water for the morning. Stepping out of the shower I dried myself off, and stared at myself in the mirror. My hair had curled up slightly, and my dark tresses made me look like the undead. My eyes were tired, and dark circles were beginning to form. Just what I need. I grumbled inwardly. I stepped up to the mirror and began to make myself look less dead, and decided I didn't want to straighten my hair, so after the makeup had gone on, I drowned my curls in mousse.

Kitty called for me from the kitchen, announcing she was leaving for breakfast with or without me in five minutes. Grumbling all the way back to my bed, I dressed quickly and exited with my shoes in my hands. Kitty smiled at me and we left together, riding in the elevator alone, and when we entered the dining hall. The noise assaulted me instantly, and I wished I had skipped breakfast. I felt like I was recovering from a bad hang over and every little noise and light seemed to make it worse. Kitty kept eyeing me while she talked about her worries for the day, and then how excited she was to take me to her favorite place this afternoon. When we had picked a table and ordered our food, she put her hand on mine and looked me straight in the eye.

“Kitty, you freak me out when you do that.” I said, sighing.

She pulled her hand away. “Sorry, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You didn't... have another episode, did you?” she asked, biting her lip nervously.

“No, I was on the phone with Rush, and then I ended up falling asleep before I sat up.” I told her, glancing up at the ceiling. “So, that call from Jay last night must have been real important for you to rush off so quickly.” I hoped to change the subject.

It worked.

“Call from Jay...?” she wrinkled her eyebrows. “Oh! Right, last night, sorry. Yeah, he was having a bit of trouble with his homework for his Calculus class, and since I took that last year I went to help him. He's a bit of a nut with the grades.” she smiled.

Her smile seemed deliberate, like she wasn't telling me the whole truth.

“So you ran off that quickly to help with math? That's one heck of a problem.”

She smiled again, and the food arrived, relieving her of an answer. Cam and Jay joined us, and I looked at Jay, determined to figure out the true nature of the call. It couldn't have been math.

“So, Jay. How'd the math homework go last night?” I asked casually, looking up from my food.

He squinted his eyes at me, trying to figure out what I meant, and then looked at Kitty. I followed his gaze, and noticed the smile Kitty gave him. It was the same as the one she had given me. I waited for his answer, hoping somehow their stories wouldn't match up.

“Math... right! Last night I called Kitty to have her help me with my Calculus homework. That problem was kicking my trash. Sometimes I just don't understand what the heck they're trying to teach us here.” he said, smiling at me. “Did I steal her away from private girl chat last night?”

Kitty piped up. “Yes, you did.”

“Well, I do apologize,”

I rolled my eyes and continued to eat my food in silence. Glancing around the dining hall I tried to spot Stitch among the crowd. I hadn't seen him come in, and wondered if he was okay. I wanted to ask him about that note last night, and if I could help with anything. His anger had come so suddenly, I didn't know how to react to it, and it had frightened me. I had barely finished my food when the bell for classes shrieked over head, and so the day began. By the time I had reached lunch, my energy had been absolutely drained, and I still had three classes to go. Something about that dream had taken my energy, and I found myself struggling to stay awake during lectures. Kitty insisted that we eat lunch outside since the sun was shining, and she needed to warm her insides with the rays. So, we all trekked to the terrace, and got our food there. It was a simple sandwich, which I ate quickly, and then found myself nodding off. Under the tree we sat at, Cam moved to my side, and rested his back against the trunk, lifting his arm over me, and pulling me into him.

“You look absolutely exhausted, love.” He commented. “We've still got forty minutes before class starts, why don't you take a nap?”

I didn't have the energy to respond, so I tucked myself into his side, and within moments, sleep enveloped me.

I woke, sitting up in the bed, completely naked. I clutched the sheer sheets to my body and glanced around. The room was filled with a soft golden light, and the open windows let in a gentle breeze filled with the smell of fresh rain. Looking around the room again I found myself quite alone, and yet, I didn't feel alone. Sliding off the silk sheeted bed, clutching the topmost sheet to my body, I stepped delicately to the ground, my feet sinking into the carpet. The mahogany desk in the corner of the room was empty, but in the crystal ash tray a cigar still burned. What a waste of a perfectly good Diplomatico. I said to myself as I crept to the desk and lifted the cigar to my mouth, taking a long drag. The smoke burned in my lungs as I puffed out the silvery smoke.

“Vous faites que regard de cigare dix fois mieux. Bon pour vous voir levez la jolie dame. Ayez un sommeil gentil ?” A man's voice came from behind me, making me turn to him.

I smiled at him, placing the cigar back on the ash tray and making my way to him. He wore only his pajama pants, his pale, beautifully sculpted chest bare. His hair was tousled from sleep, and his blue eyes sparkled.

“ Oui, beau. Vous ?” I replied,reaching up to him on my toes to give him a kiss.

“Le meilleur sommeil que j'ai jamais eu. Merci à vous.” He took my hand away from the sheet, letting it fall to the floor, and kissed me again. “Je t'aime, Lily.”

I woke from my sleep when Cam gently shook my shoulder.

“Rise and shine beautiful. Time for class.” he smiled, brushing my stray curls from my face.

I nodded and separated myself from him, standing and straightening myself up. That dream. It was different. I wasn't with Stitch. I was with someone else. Someone vaguely familiar. I struggled to keep myself awake for the remainder of my classes, but managed to make it through with minimal sleep. Walking back to my room turned into a monumental task. My body felt like lead while I walked, and the books in my arms were bricks. My bag seemed to weigh a thousand tons on my shoulders, and I could hardly keep my eyes open. When I reached my floor I was the only one to exit the elevator. I lifted my foot out of the car with extreme effort, and dragged my body down the hall. No matter how far I walked, the hall seemed to extend out forever. I swayed while I walked, knocking into the wall.

“I give up.” I muttered, content to slide down the wall and stay there.

Just as I let my knees fall, someone put their arm around my waist. In a state locked somewhere between consciousness and dreams, I looked up through the haze and saw a blonde boy. He smiled, and I closed my eyes.

“Room 304, please...” I drawled in a sleep filled slur.

Between the elevator and the hall, I hardly remember making it into the room, let alone my bedroom, but when I woke up I was tucked into my bed, and feeling fully rested. I rolled over to look at the clock. It was only three in the afternoon, which meant I had been sleeping since one thirty. I rolled out of bed, still dressed in my uniform, and went into the kitchen. Paying no mind to the noise coming from the living area, I opened the fridge to check for a water bottle. Extracting one, I turned to walk back into my room when I heard my name.

“Have a nice nap, Laela?” I turned to look at the source of the voice. It was Carmen, one of the more bearable of my roommates.

I nodded. “Yes, it was great,” I said smiling. “I'm not so sure why I was so tired today, but that felt great.” I glanced around the room. “Carmen, do you know how I got in here? I honestly don't remember.”

She laughed and crossed the room, grabbed an orange from our fruit basket and began ripping off the peel. “I didn't see you guys come in at first, but when I saw him leave your room I had a shred of hope.” she said.

I raised an eyebrow. “Hope? For what?”

“Well, you know, that he was.... well wasn't a flamer.” she looked at me like I should be understanding who she spoke of.

“Who isn't a flamer? I'm really confused, Carmen.”

“Oh! Right, right. I didn't tell you who it was! Sorry,” she scratched the back of her head, smiling timidly. “My brain thinks a lot faster than my mouth can keep up with. It was Daniel. He brought you in here, and somehow knew where your room was. Did you tell him?”

“No, I can't even remember more than leaning against the wall in the hallway and giving up.”

We both sat in silence for a moment, thinking about the possibilities, and then the door opened and Molly entered with Kitty and Hillary. Molly glared at me, like she had every time she saw me since the day we met, and entered her room, promptly slamming the door. Hillary approached her twin, stole a piece of orange, and went into their room.

“Anyway,” Carmen continued. “He just came in, I assume you told him where the room was, and when he came out of your room, all I could think to myself was 'Please, if there is a god in Heaven, tell me that Daniel is not gay.' But I don't think it worked. I'm pretty sure he's still gay.”

Kitty laughed, putting her hands on her stomach and throwing her head back. Carmen and I turned our heads slowly to look at her, our expressions matching at every point.

“Carmen, did you just admit that you like Daniel Harper?” Kitty laughed, wiping a tear from her eye.

Carmen blushed. “N-no, I just.... it was for the good of all womankind.” Carmen stuttered.

Kitty's laughter didn't stop there. In fact, it got worse. “Good of all womankind? That's a good one. But really! Do you like him?”

There was a long drawn out pause before Hillary stuck her head out of their door and said, “Yes, she does.”

Carmen swung around on her heel, eyes cold as death, and face set in a menacing glare. “Hillary, I hate you.”

“We all knew the answer, we were just waiting for someone to say it!” She stuck her tongue out at Carmen and shut the door.

I smiled, “Carmen, it's okay to like Daniel. He's pretty attractive if I do say so myself.” I admitted, drawing Kitty's attention to me.

“Why are we even talking about Daniel?” she asked, her laughter subsiding.

“He brought Laela in. She was falling asleep in the hall.” Carmen told her, throwing her dark brown hair over her shoulder and finishing her orange.

“In the hall? Wow, you must be exhausted. I guess we can wait until tomorrow to visit my place.” Kitty sighed, turning to her room. “I'll just call the boys.”

“Kitty, wait! We can still go, I'm okay now. I'm feeling much better.” I said, feeling as if I had pounced on her.

She turned around, her eyes bright, and smile wide. “Yes! You're going to looooove it! I love this place.” she threw her arms up in the air, and turned in a quick circle. “I'll call the boys. I don't know if they would want to come anyway. It's not like its something most boys enjoy.”

“What is it?”

She smiled slyly. “That, I will not tell you, but you need to change.” she pointed at my uniform. “Unless you want to go out in that, in which case, feel free not to worry.”

I glanced down at the uniform, deciding that I would rather be wearing some of my own clothes. I went quickly into my room and sifted through my clothes, picking out a cute white sequin tank top and a blue cardigan, a pair of jean shorts, and my golden gladiator sandals. While I changed my phone buzzed on my dresser. Pulling the tank top over my head, I lifted my phone and looked at the screen. Another text from an unknown number.

Hey Laela! This is Daniel, I just wanted to make sure you were feeling okay. You were really out of it when I picked you up in the hall. Reply ASAP so I can stop freaking out up here.

I laughed. He was so great. Quickly, I replied: Hey Daniel, I'm feeling much better. Thank you for taking me to my room! I don't know why I was having such a hard time staying awake. Thanks for everything again :D As I pulled my shoes on and started buckling them, my phone buzzed again. Good to know. I can calm down now. I smiled, setting the phone down and finishing my shoes. Kitty burst through the door, the boys on her heels. I looked up, finding Stitch in the back of the crowd. I sighed, relieved to see him. I couldn't explain it, but for some reason, I felt lost today not knowing where he was. The though frightened me; why would I care where he was if I hardly knew him? He smiled at me, and another flood of relief washed over me. I had been worrying all day about that note, and why it made him so upset. At first I thought he was angry at me, but something didn't seem right. He was far to upset about that piece of paper. But he was smiling now, and whether or not that was nothing more than a front, it was a mask I was grateful to see.

“All right!” Kitty pronounced, jumping into the middle of the room.

“Are you going to tell us where we're going now, Kitten?” Cam teased, winking at Kitty.

She glared at him. “How many times have I told you not to call me Kitten?” she moaned.

“More than I can count, love.”

“Then why” she flung her arms in an outward motion, sighing dramatically. “do you insist on doing it still!”

“You never seemed to mind before,” he commented, staring at Jay.

Kitty blushed. “Things were different then! I.... just don't call me Kitten anymore!”

Stitch laughed. “Can I call you Chessy?” he asked, a genuine smile on his lips. It wasn't a smirk or a sneer like I had seen before, but a genuine heart melting smile.

Kitty glared at him, but a smile crept onto her lips. “What do you think I am? A magic cat?”

He shrugged, the both of them laughing. Cam and Jay exchanged glances before Kitty recomposed herself and threw her arms above her head.

“All right! As we all know, we're visiting our favorite places to give Laela a feel for our lives here, and last night we went to Liechester Square. Today, we're going somewhere better.” she announced, looking around the room with a smile a mile wide.

“Okay,” Jay said, “Now, how 'bout telling us what it is that we're doing.”

She giggled. “Ok, but you boys don't have to come if you don't want to. I won't make you.” she spun around in a quick little circle and stopped with her hands on her hips. “We're going to the Seven Dials!”

All of us stood and stared at her, lost as to a location. Jay raised his eyebrows and turned his head slightly to the side.

“I... have no idea what that is.”

Kitty grumbled. “It's a shopping centre! You know, you take the Convent Garden tube down there, it's that junction of the seven streets?”

We all shook our heads and waited.

“You know what, don't worry about it. Just know we're going shopping. Are you in, or are you out?” she pointed her finger at each of them.

Jay smiled. “I'm in,” he said.

“Only if you promise to show me what you try on.” Cam said, winking at me.

“I'll come,” said Stitch, glaring at the back of Cam's head. “Someone's got to keep him in line.”

Cam turned to glare daggers at Stitch. “I don't need a babysitter, Mazzigati.”

“Could have fooled me.”

Cam turned to face Stitch, puffing his chest out and glaring harshly. “You better watch yourself. I'm only tolerating you for the girls.”

“Suits me just fine. I just pretend you don't exist most of the time. It's a miracle I even acknowledged your prescence.”

Cam raised a fist, but Jay clamped his hand firmly over Cam's shoulder.

“Easy, boys. Let's not do something too hasty.” Jay said, looking back and forth between the two. “Wouldn't want to get any blood on Laela's carpet. That would suck.”

Stitch stood his ground, staring Cam down, who shrunk away when Jay's arm pressed against his chest, drawing him down.

“Wouldn't be my blood on the ground.” Stitch muttered.

“Watch it, or you'll regret it. The games have just begun.” Cam's eyes grew malicious, staring at Stitch.

“And you're the loser still.”

My phone buzzed, drawing me away from the quarrel. Beware, lest ye judge good to be evil, and evil to be good. Looks aren't everything, love.

Chapter Fourteen

A shiver ran down my spine as I buried my phone in my pocket, and approached Kitty. She slung an arm around my waist, glaring at the boys.

“We'll leave you behind if you don't stop fighting. Honestly, Cam, Stitch, you're acting like children!” Kitty stamped her foot on the ground. “I can't take you anywhere!”

Stitch made a mock injured face, putting his hand on his heart. “My apologies Kitten.” He winked.

Kitty grumbled something I didn't understand, and closed her eyes, sighing and then opened them with a smile. She left my room, tugging me behind her, and went into her room. I entered hesitantly behind her. I had never been in her room before, but was surprised by what I saw. Her room was elegant, and soft, both in color and design. She had a pale pink canopy over her bed, a soft down comforter to match. Her furnishings, like mine, were dark mahogany, and feel of her room was gentle and happy. Pictures of her and her friends from school littered the walls, and above her bed she had a picture of her and Jay, and next to it, a picture I didn't expect to see. I approached the wall, studying the picture. I reached up to touch it, when Kitty turned to me.

“What are you doing?” she asked, staring at me with a smile.

“Oh, sorry,” I said, lowering my hand. “I just couldn't tell what it was. So... you've known Stitch for a long time, huh?”

She smiled. “Yep, he and I have been friends since primary school.”

I looked at the picture. It was the two of them, cake all over their faces and clothes, as if the cake had exploded. They were laughing at each other, their faces dripping with cake and frosting. I felt a pang of jealousy well up in my stomach.

“What happened?” I asked, pointing at the picture.

She laughed. “We... attempted to make a cake from scratch. Needless to say, it didn't turn out too well.”

I laughed. “Looks like it. So... if you two have known each other so long... have you ever... well dated?”

She blushed. “No, but there have been times where I wanted to. Stitch is an amazing boy, and so kind. He's got an ancient sense of chivalry and respect for women. It's amazing.” she smiled at me, “You two would make a good couple. I'm just saying. I know you have a boyfriend and all, but just think about it.”

I do... all the time. I thought. “Maybe...” I said, staring around the rest of the room. On the walls were many pictures of butterflies, and drawings of them. “So, you like butterflies?”

“I love butterflies. That was what made me curious about Stitch. When I saw him for the first time he was sitting in the park, holding a sad looking butterfly in his hand. Its wing had been crushed by something, and he held it carefully on his finger speaking to it.” She approached a picture of a large monarch. “I approached him and asked what he was doing, talking to the butterfly like a loon. He looked at me and said, 'They have feelings too, and its a shame people ignore such beautiful creatures. He's worried about not making the migration now that his wing is broken. I'm just trying to help him feel better.'” She paused, staring at the picture. “I thought he was crazy, but hey, children think weird things. I helped him take care of the butterfly, and even though our butterfly didn't make it for migration, and died here with us, I had a good time. He and his family used to raise butterflies, you know.”

“His family? You knew them?” I remembered Stitch saying his parents had died in a car accident when he was young.

“No, I never met them. I've seen pictures... but that's it. They died when he was five. He told me he loved raising butterflies with his parents. It was the only time he spent with his parents... and then he met a girl who loved butterflies...” she looked at me. “But I'll let you ask him about that story. We should be going if we're going to make it to Seven Dials before closing.”

We left the room, the boys were waiting patiently in the living area, and silently we all exited. I could feel the tension between Cam and Stitch behind me as we walked, and wanted to somehow fix it, but I had no idea how. Upon exiting the school, I expected us to mount the bikes, but instead, we headed out on foot. Not too far from the school we entered a subway station and caught a train. The car was crowded, but we didn't stay too long. We got off when Kitty skipped up to the door, beckoning us to follow her. We jumped off, weaving our way through the people in the “tube” as they called it. Kitty began chatting away at us faster than we could understand, explaining why this was her favorite place to shop. I didn't catch most of it, but what I heard sounded interesting. The Seven Dials wasn't just a place to shop for clothes, but she made it sound like you could find just about anything there. We entered an alley between two large brick buildings, and Kitty turned to stop us.

“Okay, I've been thinking this whole ride over.” she said, a devious smile creeping onto her face. “What about a little competition between the boys?”

I looked at her like she was crazy. Hadn't she seen the near shedding of blood in my room not fifteen minutes ago?

“What competition?” Cam asked eagerly, stepping up behind me and putting his hand on my shoulder.

Her smile widened. “Each boy will pick out an outfit for Laela and I, and whoever picks out the one we like most—now it has to be something we would actually wear, and not just something you want to see us put on—” she glared at Cam, and I felt him shrug. “Whichever outfit wins, I will buy for us, and the person that picked it out gets a date with us. Sound good?”

Cam squeezed my shoulder. “Sounds great, but we aren't really going to try for you. We know you'll pick whatever Jay gives you.”

Kitty's jaw dropped, and her brows turned upward, “That is so not true!”

“Yes it is,” Stitch said. “He's your boyfriend.”

Her face turned red. “H-how... Jay did you tell them?”

Jay shook his head. “No, but it is a bit obvious, love.” he said, shrugging. “And you know what, it's okay that they know. I'm ready.”

Kitty's smile faltered for a moment before growing to fill her face. “I've been ready for a long time.”

“Anyway,” Cam stressed, staring at Kitty. “You can't just choose Jay. That's a rule, as of now.”

She smiled. “Well, try hard, he knows what I like.”

She moved to the side and lead us into an area full of buildings with brightly colored windows and doors. There were people all over the place, weaving in and out from shop to shop and sitting on the benches on the road side. We filtered in, and Kitty dragged us all into a shop and set the boys on the loose to find an outfit. The challenge applied to two stores, which meant I was up for grabs, twice. Kitty instituted a rule that we couldn't know who picked out what outfit so we didn't have any sort of bias while picking our favorites. She waited with me in the dressing room, a store attendant had been informed of the challenge, and agreed to help us. She brought in our clothes, and when we were handed out piles, I was amazed. These clothes actually looked, well, decent.

“Try on one outfit, and we'll go out and show the boys.” Kitty told me, rolling her eyes. “That way Cam is satisfied with his shopping trip.”

I laughed and entered the dressing room, putting my clothes on a rack and noticed the attendant had separated them out into outfits. I picked out a simple white button up dress with a fitted waist and flowing sleeves. The neck was nicely rounded with the flow-y ruffles from the sleeves pouring onto the neckline. White wasn't really my thing, but the dress was cute. Suddenly the attendant knocked on my door and asked for my shoe size. I told her I was a nine, and she left. When she returned she shoved three boxes under my door and told me what outfit they corresponded with. I found the box for the white dress, and pulled out a pair of high heeled black peep toe sandals that laced around the ankles. I put them on, and there was a knock at my door.

“You ready?” Kitty asked. I opened the door with a smile. She looked pleasantly surprised to see me. “Holy crap! That looks good on you! I wonder who picked that out.”

I looked down at myself. The flowy material bounced as I walked, and showed off my long lean legs. I glanced at the outfit Kitty wore, and smiled. It was perfect for her. It was a simple dress, cut high above the knee, and tapering out behind her, ending at her calf. The material was a pale pastel color with flower-like geometric pattern with a white extension piece around the bottom. A small jean vest covered her bare shoulders, and brown calf high boots adorned her feet. She turned once, her wavy hair bouncing around her shoulders. We stepped out of the dressing room together, laughing at some joke neither of us had spoken. The boys waited on some chairs in the area outside the dressing rooms, and before we had completely entered the room, I heard Cam's piercing whistle.

“Damn girl!” Cam howled, “You look amazing!” he was staring right at me, his smile spreading. “You too, Kitty.”

I blushed. I glanced at Kitty, who looked a little flushed herself. The boys appraised us for a moment and then we went back into the dressing rooms and changed. My second outfit starkly contrasted the first. The colors were dark, the shirt was brown and semi-transparent with one strap over my right shoulder that , and the jean shorts were a dark wash. There was a long golden necklace that went with the outfit, and a pair of simple cross strap sandals. Kitty waited for me outside my room.

“Geez woman, how fast do you change?” I asked, amazed to see her standing before me in such a complex outfit.

She glanced down. “This? This is nothing.” she waved her hand carelessly. “I've put on something more complex in less time. I'm guessing that Stitch picked this one out. He's come shopping with me a couple of times. I quite like it.”

The thought that Stitch could pick out something this elegant and chic amazed me. It was a sheer polka dotted black and white shirt, a white high waisted skirt, a white three quarter length sleeve jacket, black tights, and black suede pumps. She looked me up and down.

“I guess sheer shirts are in. You wear it better. It makes your tattoo noticeable though. Be ready for that.” She warned, pointing at my waist.

I glanced down, grumbling. Hopefully no one would be looking that hard. We stepped outside again, and I waited for Cam's whistle. This time though, it was a howl. When I spotted him, he had moved to the front of his chair, staring at me eagerly. Stitch stood behind him, glaring. The boys all made comments on our outfits, and we went back into the dressing rooms for the last outfit. I grabbed up the next outfit, threw on the skinny jeans, white tank top, crème leather jacket and gray scarf with a black and white checkered fedora and gray scarf and gray ankle boots. Surprisingly, I exited the dressing room before Kitty, and when she stepped out wearing a near replica of my outfit, we both laughed. Her pants were black, and a black jacket to match, brown knee high boots, and a bright orange scarf. Laughing we both exited the room, and when we saw the boys, they looked at each other, and laughed right along with us.

“Get those ones. You guys could be twins.” Jay gasped through his laughing fit.

Laughing all the way back into the dressing rooms, I changed back into my street clothes. I stared at the outfits, and picked the second outfit and exited the room. Kitty stepped out, holding the first outfit. When we went out, we announced the outfits we had chosen, and Jay punched a fist in the air.

“Yes! I am so good!” he cheered. “She didn't even know it was mine and she picked it!” He pulled Kitty into him and gave her a kiss.

I raised my outfit and glanced around.

“That was mine,” Stitch said, a smirk forming on his lips.

I blushed. Kitty checked out for us, and then dragged us quickly across the street into another store. Following custom from the other store, we snagged an attendant, explained the plan, and she agreed to help. Kitty and I went into the dressing rooms and waited. When piles of clothes greeted us, we went to work, and three outfits later, Kitty and I exited with our favorites in our arms. Kitty held out a pair of navy shorts, crème baggy tank top, a black and white polka dot vest, thick wood bracelets, a black sun hat and black flats. I held out my outfit, a simple knit shirt-dress with a bright purple butterfly on it, and a pair of gray skinny jeans with a pair of black ballet flats and thin gold chains for a necklace. Upon our exit, we held our outfits out for claim.

“Kitty, that one's mine.” Stitch commented, pointing at the clothes she held.

“Told you he knew me.” Kitty laughed, staring at Cam pointedly.

I held out my choice, and Cam leapt from his chair. “Yes! Yes!” he ran and gathered me into a bear hug. “I had no clue what I was doing, but it worked.”

Laughing we purchased our clothes and left. The sun was setting, and while we walked back to the tube, Cam put his arm around my waist leaned over, his nose against the top of my ear.

“I've got one request with my outfit.” he whispered. “Will you wear it for our date?”

I nodded. “Of course.”

He tugged me closer. “I have a great feeling about this.”

In the alley behind me, I heard Stitch's voice echo off the bricks. “I don't.”

Chapter Fifteen

Stitch's words reverberated on the walls around me, making the walk almost haunting. I tried to glance over my shoulder at Stitch, but Cam bent down to whisper more.

“Now, I'd love not to have to guess this time, so can you give me some hints about what you like to do.” he said, smiling. “This date needs to be spectacular after all.”

“Oh,” I looked at him, forgetting Stitch for a moment. “I like anything outdoors. I don't know what there is to do around here, so I'm sure whatever you have planned will be great anyway!”

He squeezed my side, rubbing his hand up and down against my waist and tugging me into him. I put my arm around his waist, drawing him into a sideways hug, and strangely enough, I felt his lips against the top of my head. I blushed, drawing away quickly, but his hand stayed around my waist. I glanced over my shoulder at Stitch and noticed his eyes narrowed at us. I cocked my head sideways slightly, hoping to grab his attention, but to no avail. He extracted his phone from the depths of his pocket and quickly put it to his ear. I turned my face away, but kept my attention glued on his phone call.

“Hey, Leo,” he said, his voice strangely contrasting the sour look he had given us moments before. “You wouldn't happen to be around this week, would you?” He paused for a long time, listening to the voice on the other end of the call. “Great, well I need to see you soon.... yes, its for the exact reason you think. Is Cael around?....Figured he would be out with his girl. Yeah, leave it to him to keep her safe. It's like he doesn't trust us or something, but I wouldn't blame him. Sometimes we slip up.” He laughed heartily for a while. “I know, I know. He's probably better for the job anyway. But I do need to see you both before the end of this week. I'm going out of town... With some friends from school. We're going to Florida... Yes, like in the United States. Why? Laela, she's a... newer addition to the circle, and we're going back to her house next week since we don't have school. Kitty's mom is paying, bless her heart. Yeah, I'll be in touch...”

I glanced back at Stitch. He was smiling now. I wondered who he was talking with. Probably another old friend, but what was he referring to when he asked about Cael? Is his “girl” in trouble? Why would they have to protect her? My mind raced with questions, and just as I was burying them, Stitch hung up, giving me the opportunity to spring at him.

“Who was that?” I asked, staring at him over my shoulder.

He glanced up at me, surprised, as if seeing me standing there for the first time. “Oh... no one. Just a friend.” he said quickly, looking away to signal that the conversation had ended.

I felt my chest deflate, and my heart rate drop. His eyes darkened slightly while he looked at me, giving another signal that the conversation wouldn't be going any further than it had. I gave a weak smile, shrugging and noticed Kitty raise her shoulders in a shrug, staring at me to say “I don't understand either.” While we walked, people stopped Kitty right and left, asking about how her family was doing, and why they hadn't seen her mom around lately. She politely answered each of them, giving them short answers that didn't really get to the heart of the question. When we had reached the end of the stores, Kitty stopped us.

“Hang on, I've gotta run in here and see if Jen is around. My mom wanted me to tell her something.” she said, glancing thought the glass windows. “I'll be quick.”

She kissed Jay's cheek before dashing into the store, leaving us out in the quieting square. We settled into a corner, taking our place on a bench, saying very little. Everyone kept quiet glancing up and down the street. With a yawn, I stared up at the rosy sky. There were streaks of blues and purples mixed with bright pinks and oranges gently swirled together with wispy clouds. As I admired the sky, I heard a familiar voice calling to us from down the street.

“Hey guys! Fancy seeing you here!”

I looked down and noticed Daniel trotting down the street holding several bags in his hands. There was another person behind him, trying to keep up. When Daniel finally stopped in front of us, the tag-a-long caught up. It was a younger girl, white blonde curly hair with bright orange bangs. She looked slightly breathless as she pushed her curls out of her face. She smiled, her blue eyes sparkling.

“Hey Daniel,” I said, sitting up straight, smiling at the boy. “What are you doing out here?”

He raised his bags. “Shopping, duh.” he said.

I glanced at the girl. “Who's this?” I motioned to her with my chin, smiling.

“Oh, my name is Jayne. I'm Daniel's sister. You must be friends from school, right?” she said, smiling at us again.

We nodded, and muttered 'yeses.'

“What are you guys doing here?” Daniel glanced around, his eyes resting on Stitch. “Especially you, I would expect to find you sketching on the riverside this time of night. I mean, that's where I've found you before.”

Stitch chuckled. “This is true, but we're taking Laela to all our favorite places before we go back to Florida with her.” he replied.

Daniel's jaw dropped. “You're all going to Florida?! Why, when?”

“Next week since we don't have school.” Jay spoke up.

“We... oh yes, we don't have school. My family is going to Brussels to visit our grandparents.”

“Your family is from Belgium?” I asked.

Both Daniel and Jayne nodded. They looked almost like twins.

“So, Daniel,” Cam said, “You and Jayne are.... twins?”

The two of them laughed. “Nope,” Daniel said, glancing at his sister. “She's younger than me by two years. Don't worry though, everyone thinks we're twins. Maybe we should just start saying yes.”

I looked back at Daniel and Jayne, admiring their hair, and wishing again that I could dye my hair. “Hey, so the hair...” I said hesitantly, drawing attention from everyone. “You think we could get something with mine done before the end of the week?”

Daniel's face lit up. “Oh my gosh, yes! I'm sure Liam would be happy to get you in. What color are you thinking?”

“I... I don't know. I've never really done anything with my hair before. It's always been black. What color would you recommend?”

He raised his hand to his chin, stroking it thoughtfully. He looked at his sister for a moment, and then back at me.

“How daring are you? I was thinking teal or.... lavender.” he said.

I smiled. “Teal would be nice.”

“Sweet! I think Liam has some openings Thursday if that works for you.”

I agreed as Kitty came bounding back out of the store, holding another bag. She mentioned it was for her mom, and then greeted Daniel and Jayne, somehow knowing her. After chatting for a moment, we all made our way out of the Seven Dials district. After we had exited the island of buildings, Daniel and Jayne went their own way, leaving us alone again. Cam slung his arm around my waist again, making me uncomfortable. I didn't understand his need to constantly have his arm around me. It was, however, comforting to feel someone's arms around me, even if they were unwanted. We walked for a while, down another shopping district when another voice called out to us, but this time calling Cam's name. Cam turned, halting me with him.

He glanced down the street and smiled before I could even tell who he was looking at. A tall blond boy stepped out of a shop, waving at him. Cam waved back.

“Hey man, what are you doing out here?” Cam asked.

The boy stepped into the lamplight of the shop. It was Vance. He approached us slowly, his eyes never leaving me. He looked me up and down, his lips curling into a half smile, bordering on the lines of a smirk. He ran his hand through his shaggy blonde hair, casually stepping up. Kitty stepped up to my side, playfully glaring at Vance.

“What are you doing here, Vance.” she asked pointedly.

He looked at her, smiling. “Ouch, that was a little sharp, don't you think?” he sighed. Suddenly there was a pair of arms snaking around his waist. “I'm not here alone.”

The owner of the arms stepped around him and curled herself into his arms. She was a sultry looking red headed girl with long curly hair. She had fair skin and bright lavender eyes. She pressed herself into him, standing up on her toes to kiss him on the cheek. My stomach knotted up, seeing the girl with her arms around him.

“I've just been out here shopping with Loraine.” he said nonchalantly, slinking his hand down her back dangerously low. “Most of the afternoon actually. How long have you been out here?”

“We've been out here for a few hours. Shopping.” Cam said, smiling at me.

“Shopping,” Stitch laughed, stepping up in Kitty's place next to me. He continued laughing heartily, his hand on his stomach, and the other running through his hair. “With Loraine?” he put his hand down, his knuckles brushing against mine.

My skin flared. I glanced up at him; he wasn't looking at me, instead his eyes were locked on Vance, glaring at him. The street grew silent, and the sounds of the world seemed to fade away. Stitch and Vance sneered at each other, their lips curling into growls. Suddenly Stitch's eyes locked onto the red-head, and he gave her a quick once over and then chuckled.

“Quite the step down for you, Vance” Stitch chuckled, giving the girl another once over. “Couldn't find anyone quite like her, could you? So you settled. Not very well either.”

Vance's lip curled, exposing his gleaming white teeth. He puffed his chest out, growling. Loraine clenched her hand tightly on his shirt, struggling to keep him from lashing out at Stitch. I looked at Stitch, amazed by his words. I couldn't believe he would say something like that about her. Especially while she was standing right there. Stitch smirked.

Vance's glare softened as he hugged Loraine tighter to him. “Seems we're both stuck,” Vance purred, “You can't seem to get her back either.”

His gaze flickered to me for a moment. I felt Stitch shake with rage next to me. Vance's eyes narrowed and his lips curled into a smirk. I felt Stitch's fist clench, his knuckles pressing against mine. I looked up at him; his emerald eyes were dark, and stygian, his expression even more so. Vance smirked victoriously, rubbing Loraine's back slowly as if to prove a point. Stitch stepped forward, his body stiff and humming with rage. I feared something terrible would happen, and tried to step forward to grab the back of Stitch's shirt, but Cam's arm tightened around my waist. Just as Vance's grip on Loraine's body loosened, Kitty jumped forward, her hand tightly gripping his shoulder, her fingertips pressing into his skin. She glared up at him, a ly sort of warning in her eyes.

“Let's all keep our heads about us.” she said, “We wouldn't want another incident.”

Vance chuckled, glancing at Kitty. “You better listen to Kitten, she's right.” he mused.

Kitty turned her steely glare at him. “Don't you ever call me Kitten. I hate that name.”

Her grip tightened dangerously on Stitch's shoulder, and a chill breeze blew through the area. My head started to ache as if someone were pressing tightly on the sides of my skull. My vision blurred, and I could see through the haze the people around me, but they seemed to be from a different time all together. It was as if I were living in two times, and suddenly it was gone as Cam released me, stepping forward between the boys. He looked back and forth between them, his eyes narrow, his lips in a straight line. He kept his expression even, asserting his presence between the two, and giving them the signal to drop everything, and back off. Vance ignored Cam completely, stepping forward, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. His blue eyes clouded over darkly, and seemed to almost glow a deep crimson. I stepped back, those eyes. Those haunting crimson eyes. I had seen them before in my dreams. Cam pressed his hand on Vance's shoulder and the red was gone. Kitty stepped in front of Stitch and began to shove him in the direction of the entrance to the tube, and the rest of us followed. Kitty stepped in front of Stitch, who had fallen behind, but was still there, brooding quietly.

As we walked away, Vance shouted, “Your mask is slipping, Stitch. Remember, though they may say there's no art to finding the mind's construction on the face, I can see yours.”

I froze. My heart began to race, and my vision blurred as I turned to look back at Vance. Stitch suddenly stepped into my view as the fire began deep within my body. I started breathing heavily, and for a moment I couldn't see anything. Open your eyes. I heard a voice tell me. Fluttering my eyes open I saw Stitch, standing before me, his hand lightly brushing my cheek. The fire was gone. Cam's arm slipped around my waist again, and I turned to walk away. After several quiet moments, I turned to look back at Stitch, but he and Vance had both vanished from view. We were the only ones on the street. They were gone.

Chapter Seventeen

I hustled to catch the others, my shopping bags banging against my leg. The others hadn't seemed to notice that Stitch had disappeared from the group. For a while I didn't say anything about it, but when we entered the tube, I was starting to get nervous.

“Um, has anyone seen Stitch?” I asked, “He disappeared after our encounter with Vance.”

Cam turned to look at me, glancing beyond my shoulder and up the stairs. “I'm sure he'll turn up. He's known for just randomly disappearing, don't worry love.”

I sighed and boarded the subway train, nearly keeling over at the heinous smell of overly ripe people and cigarette smoke. I stepped around Cam, hoping to find a seat, but found only a gaggle of people crammed into the seats. Kitty and Jay hand managed to find a seat, which they were sharing. Kitty sat joyfully on Jay's lap leaning her back against him and staring up at the grafittied ceiling, his hands resting around her waist. I smiled; they were just so cute. Glancing around the crammed car again I still found nothing. With a sigh I wrapped my arm around the pole next to me for support and set my bags on the ground at my feet.

“I wouldn't do that if I were you,” Cam chided in a sing-song voice, his accent sounding slightly Welsh for a moment.

Raising my eyebrow I rested my free hand on my hip. “Oh,” I said, “and why not?”

“You never know who will go rifling through your things.” His eyes dropped to my bags.

Following his eyes I looked down at my bags and found a little girl digging through them. Carefully, I bent down to her level, plastering a smile on my face.

“Can I help you?” I asked, my voice rising in pitch.

She looked at me, a confused scowl upon her brow. It was almost as if she was trying to pick out my flaws. “No,” she grouched.

“Are you... looking for something?”

Her glare hardened. “No,”

With a sigh I closed my hand around my bags, smiling at her again. “Then I am going to take my bags, okay?”

Keeping my hand clamped firmly around the handles, I stood up, tucking the bags around my other side. The girl glared at me for a while before turning to a beautiful brunette girl.

“Elle! That girl is being mean to me,” she whined, pointing at me.

Despite her accusation, I smiled at the sound of her high British accent. The brunette glanced up at me curiously. Before I could say anything in my defense, Cam spoke up.

“Now, now, little darlin' was Laela really being mean by taking her bags, or were you being mean by looking through them?” He asked her.

Elle and the girl exchanged glances. The little girl wadded her shirt in her hands.

“Sorry miss,” Elle said, “Kayla has a difficult time keeping her hands to herself.” She patted Kayla on the head, drawing another scowl.

I smiled with a small nod. The train stopped, and the car hardly seemed to change in capacity. For every person that got off, one more got on. Cam managed to snag a seat, patting his knees with a sly smile. My chest tightened and my cheeks burned. I noticed Kitty staring at me, waiting for me to make a choice. As a last ditch effort, I glanced around for an empty seat, but found none. Stepping slowly across the isle I approached Cam. His smile grew, turning almost greedy as I lowered myself into his lap. His hands slipped slowly around my waist, his breath bouncing off my neck, sending a chill down my spine.

“You smell divine, by the way.” Cam whispered into my neck, his lips brushing against my skin.

I sat up straight as a board. “Cam, I have a boyfriend.” I nearly growled.

He pressed his lips against my neck. “He's not here,” he murmured silkily.

“Cam, I love him. Don't do this—” by breath hitched uncomfortably as his hand dropped to my thigh.

Thankfully the train slid to a stop and Kitty jumped up from her seat and grabbed me, glancing pointedly at Jay and dragged me off the train. Behind us I heard Jay chewing Cam out.

“Thank you for saving me!” I whispered uncomfortably, fixing my shirt. “I don't know what he was thinking. I have a boyfriend...”

“That's just how Cam is.” Kitty sighed, “He's a...very um... physical person?” She sounded unsure of her words as we trotted up the steps and onto the city street.

We walked across the street to the school. The boys were still behind us, bantering back and forth in quick sentences which I found difficult to make out because of their accents. Upon arriving to the elevator, Kitty swept me inside without waiting for Jay or Cam and pressed the button. We rode in silence, the soft jazz melodies seeming to draw haunting pictures in the quiet. Kitty had her Blackberry out and was clicking away rapidly at the keys, paying no attention to me at all. I sighed, leaning against the cold metal wall. The ride seemed longer than normal somehow. Just as I worked up the nerve to break the silence, the elevator lurched to a stop and the doors opened. Kitty stepped out without averting her eyes from her screen, and walked mechanically down the hall. I shadowed her, glancing around the walls as I went. They were dull, now that I paid attention to them. Typical hotel walls, random paintings of fruit adorning them.

“Kitty, is there a reason you're not talking to me?” I asked, sidling up to her, stepping around her and blocking the door.

She glanced up at me. “I... it's nothing. Don't worry about it.” she said with a smile and a flourish of her hand.

Rolling my eyes, I stepped aside and let her through the door. She went straight to her room without a sound and closed the door loudly. I stood, staring at the door, my eyes dropping into an unattractive scowl. Growling, I moved across the room silently into the mini kitchen and threw open the refrigerator door and extracted Fanta, stormed across the room and sat on the couch. One of the twins exited their room and walked groggily into the living room. I looked at her, watching her walk into the kitchen and pull a chocolate bar. She ripped the wrapper off and turned around, suddenly aware that I was sitting in the room. Her eyes grew wide, resembling a deer stuck in the headlights.

“D-don't tell anyone you saw this.” She stuttered. “They don't know.”

I raised my eyebrow, yanking the tab on my Fanta and listening to it fizz. “Tell them I saw what?” I asked, raising the cold can to my lips and taking a long drink.

She fidgeted, putting her chocolate down. “I'm on a diet, and I'm not allowed to eat anything after nine... and I'm especially not allowed to eat chocolate.”

I smirked, “Don't worry, I won't tell anyone, your secret is safe with me.”

She smiled, finishing her chocolate quickly and quickly stepping into her room again. Taking one last look at Kitty's room I heaved myself off the couch and went to my room, put my soda on the dresser and stripping not bothering to put my pajamas on, leaving only my underwear on, and finished my soda before flopping into bed.

“Everard!” I called into the dark forest. “Everard where are you?”

The noises of the forest seemed to magnify ten fold around me. Owls hooted loudly, calling to their mates in the darkness. Small creatures twisted around my feet, cackling calls at me, taunting me as they ran. I had been waiting in this spot for hours, waiting. Everard had promised he would meet me. He promised. The sun had set an hour ago, and the moon hardly penetrated the thick canopy above me. My own form was hardly visible in the darkness, even when I raised my hand within inches of my face. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and felt the hum of the world around me. The magic in the air was tangible, and I called it to me. Focusing it into my palm I created a small pillar of flame. The immediate area suddenly flooded with light. I spun around and screamed, falling to the ground.

“Shh... you'll wake the rabbits.” Everard whispered, a smirk in his words.

My heart rate had spiked beyond a healthy level; I clutched my chest, lying flat on the ground, the chill of the autumn leaves biting into my bear shoulders. “I hate you.” I hissed, my heart rate starting to slow.

He dropped down, lying next to me. “Sorry, didn't mean to keep you waiting. I met...competition.”

I turned my head to look at him, but my flame had diminished and couldn't see his beautiful face looking back at me. “Competition?”

“Marianea... the “Phoenix King's” apprentice. They're getting edgy.” he chuckled.

I felt his hand on my skin pulling me toward him. Rolling into him, I stopped against his side, my stomach flush with his side. We sat there in silence for what seemed like forever. I could tell he was thinking deeply, his chest rising and falling in calm intervals. His silence drew me into my own mind. I needed to tell him. He needed to be protected, and only I could do that for him. I sat up, and looked down at him; the pendant hanging on his chest was glowing a faint blue, drawing drastic shadows on his face.

I drew in a deep breath. “I need you to listen to me.” I breathed, using all my air quickly, and then holding it in my throat.

He didn't say anything, just looked at me with a smirk and waited for me to continue.

“It's important, Everard, I need you to take this seriously.” I glared at him for a while before his smirk faded and he watched me carefully. “He's coming to take me away. He won't stop until he has me, you know it's true.” My voice wavered as I felt my tears well up in my eyes. “I know he'll come after you. He'll kill you, Everard. You know it, and I know it. He's viscous and soulless” My tears were bitter and angry, splashing on his neck. His hand slipped up my thigh, resting there to comfort me. I hardly found it comforting. “Please—” my voice broke as my emotions broke into chaos. “Allow me to make sure he can't ever hurt you.”

I threw myself onto his chest, my tears drenching his shirt. My body rocked with sobs. He wouldn't understand the danger he was in. He would die if the Phoenix King made me his bride. He would die even if I didn't become his bride. I was the target, and the fatalities on the side wouldn't matter.

“I'll accept your protection on one condition.” Everard said, lifting himself to kiss the top of my head.

“Anything.” I sobbed. “I'll do anything, just let me save you!”

“Marry me. Forever, marry me.”

My heart stopped.

“LAELA, YOU SLEPT THROUGH BREAKFAST!” Kitty screamed, yanking my blankets away from my body and tossing me out of my bed.

I hit the floor and rolled a few times. “What the hell was that for?” I grouched, sitting up and glaring through the curtain of hair in front of my eyes.

“Class starts in five minutes!” she called as she exited the suite

Without thinking I stood up and scrambled to get dressed. After I had put myself together, I threw my hair into a messy bun and dashed out the room and down the hall. Kitty had left me to fend for myself in finding my first class. It wasn't something I was looking forward to, and I managed to stumble into class with ten minutes left. Kitty glared across the room at me, and when I sat down she shoved her notes at me. Quietly I thanked her and went to work rapidly copying down the notes. When the bell rang I managed to copy down the last sentence before Kitty yanked the pages away and stormed out of the room. I couldn't understand why she was so upset, but I didn't think much on it as I left the room and met Cam in the hall. He seemed to be brooding while we walked, his anger almost tangible.

“Uhmmm, Cam?” I put my arm around him. “Are you okay?”

“Fine.” he growled through gritted teeth.

We entered the class together and sat down in the back of the room. I idly listened to the lecture, but kept the majority of my attention on Cam. I didn't understand why both he and Kitty seemed so bitter. Their sour moods seemed to kick in right after we got off the subway last night. But why? I ripped a piece of paper out of my notebook and quickly scribbled: Cam, are you sure you're okay? I'll listen. I shoved it at his arm, and kept my hand there until he took the paper from me. A few seconds later the paper was returned to me. Fine. Was all that was written on the page. I glared at it. I'm serious Cam, what's wrong, you and Kitty are both so angry, and I wanted to know if its me, or something I did... or said? The pause between the return was significantly longer this time. No, it's not you. I... its more... it doesn't really matter. Don't worry about it. Its just one of those days.

I looked at him, raising my eyebrow; he kept his attention forward, ignoring me for the remainder of the period. When the bell rang he sprang from his seat and left the room. Why was everyone so tense? Leaving the room, I quickly made my way to Shakespeare, finding Jay and Daniel seated and waiting for me. I slipped into my seat and sighed, cradling my head in my hands, running my fingers idly through my hair. I felt a hand on my back, moving back and forth, the soft fingertips drawing goosebumps to my skin.

“Are you okay?” it was Daniel.

“Fine. I just have a feeling that people are angry at me, but I don't know why.” I sighed, keeping my eyes trained on the dark mahogany on the tabletop.

“I'm sure they aren't mad at you. Who could be mad at such a pretty girl?” I felt myself smile. “Besides, everyone has off days. Maybe this is just one of them.”

I tried to tell myself he was right, and that they were probably just having a bad day, but something about that felt like a lie. I knew they were angry at someone, but whom was unclear. Mr. Lauri suddenly spoke up, declaring we had partner projects. We were to choose a partner and a scene from the play and work over the break to perform it when we returned. Jay looked at me.

“Partners?” he asked, smiling.

I smiled back, “Sure thing.” I replied. “What scene?”

“Something with Lady Macbeth and Macbeth, what about the very first scene with them. I love that one. We can even practice over the break while we are at your place.”

I nodded, and felt my phone vibrate in my sock. I pulled it out and glanced at the screen. Darlin' dearest, we need to speak, I love you tons and miss you! I need a girl around here to gossip with!!! I laughed picturing Keltie distressed back home without her friend around, and stuck in a group of boys. I snatched a notebook out of my backpack to take notes on acting directions from Mr. Lauri, but instead found myself looking at Tony's note.

Laela,

I've written a little something in each of your notebooks since the day you told us you were leaving. I also start with the exact same first three sentences. This is just so whatever notebook you happen to open first still leads you to find the others, and now, here's where it gets different. From the first day I saw you in English so many years ago, I knew I had to have you, and worked every day to get your attention. Every other guy seemed to have it, and I craved it, then one day, you looked my way. I was never so happy. I hope you felt the same way about me. I love you Laela, hope you're having a good time over there in London.

Love you, Tony.

I smiled. Now I couldn't wait to get home and see him. I needed to see him. The bell rang and we left. The remainder of my classes were enjoyable, all except PE, which I always hated. After showering to rid myself of man smell, since the girls always ended up smelling to high heavens after a workout with Coach Bram, Kitty and I hurried to the front gates where we had agreed to meet for the day's adventure. As we approached my heart began to race as my eyes traveled up and down Stitch's body as he leaned against the fence, smiling that smile that melted my heart and made my soul cry out to be in his arms. Strange as the feeling always was, it seemed as if I had been in this situation many times before. When we finally arrived, Stitch and Jay turned to greet us. Our crowd lacked the usual fifth wheel; Cam was missing.

“Where's Cam?” I asked, turning around to look at the school. I stood on my tip toes, glancing around in hopes that I would see him, but did not.

“He said he couldn't come today,” Jay said, making me turn back around. “he also said his favorite place wasn't somewhere that was conducive to the weekdays. He requested we go to his place tomorrow night.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Then what are we going to do today?”

“I've still got my place, love.” Stitch said suddenly, rolling himself off the fence and taking two long strides toward us. “We could do that today.”

“Splendid, since Cam seems to have vanished, probably off with Vance....” Kitty practically growled the last half of her sentence, her eyes darkening. “Lead the way Stitch.”

“We're not going to change?” I asked, glancing down at my uniform. At least I had taken off the sweltering sweater-vest and was left in my white blouse and tie, and beneath it all, the butterfly necklace.

“No need, besides, that uniform suits you well.” Stitch smiled at me, extending his hand for me to take.

Nervously I stared at it, and everyone else it seemed did as well. Slowly I extended my hand, letting my fingertips touch his palm, and my hand began to tingle with heat. He waited patiently for my hand to slip into his, and then closed his hand around mine walking out of the gates. We walked to the tube, took it out to the edges of the city, and then boarded a train to ride into the country. I stared out the window watching as beautiful farms passed and ancient manor houses towered over them. Finally the train stopped and Stitch lead us out. He hadn't said a word to anyone since we left the school, and walked a few paces ahead of us down the gravel road. I walked with Kitty and Jay, taking in the beautiful scenery. Suddenly I wished I could paint. I would come out to places like these all day and paint everything if I were an artist.

“Stitch, do you come out here to draw?” I asked before I had realized it.

He turned back over his shoulder, still walking. “Yes, quite often actually.” he replied, and then returned to his silence.

Suddenly the trees and scenery changed as we came upon a great mansion. I gaped at it. Three more houses lined the secluded road each as beautiful as the next. We passed the first two, and Stitch stopped, turning to face an enormous red brick mansion. It was three stories high with a rooftop terrace; the trimmings around the house were all white stone, marble almost, enormous windows with small square panels, and a lush green lawn. As I stared at the house, a picture formed in my mind of the same mansion in a photograph. An old black and white photo of a man and a woman with a small boy standing out in the yard. I shook my head, noticing Stitch's eyes, and looked back at the house.

“This,” he said, motioning to the house. “is my favorite place. It's my family's ancestral home.”

“This is amazing, Stitch.” Jay said, looking around the grounds. “So, do you own it since... well you know...” he broke off, looking embarrassed.

“Yes, it was left to me in my father's will. I often come out here to stay on the weekends. It does get quite boring since it's just me... well and the groundskeeper. Come on, I'll show you around.”

We followed Stitch inside. I thought the outside was amazing, but the inside was like Olympus on earth. The pillars were made of marble, and the floors were the same. The furnishings were lush, dark wood and velvet. Paintings and statues filled hallways and corridors. There were bedrooms everywhere. As I trailed behind the group, lingering to stare at paintings, I couldn't help but feel at ease in this home. All my worries had faded away it seemed, and then I felt something rubbing up against my leg. I squeaked, jumping away from it and lifting my leg to my chest, staring down at the ground where a fat orange tabby stood staring up at me with piercing green eyes. Calming my heart rate, I put my leg down and continued on, all the while the tabby trailing after me.

“Stitch, is this your cat?” I asked, glancing behind me at my new stalker.

“Oh yes, his name is Leo. He seems to have taken a liking to you.” Stitch chuckled, looking knowingly down at the cat. “He's a sweetheart.”

I smiled at the cat, and let him follow me. We left the house a few minutes later and stepped into the back yard, which was more like the gardens at Versailles. My jaw dropped. This was amazing. No wonder it was his favorite place.

“Ayrin! Are you out here?” Stitch called into the vast garden. There was a distant call in reply. “Prepare the butterfly house.”

Chapter Eighteen

We stood on the back patio, staring out into the vast gardens for a moment before Kitty bounded down the steps into the labyrinth of flowers.

“How much time would you say is spent maintaining this garden?” She asked, spinning in a circle, her hands outstretched at her sides, her head thrown back

Stitch smirked. “That's all Ayrin does. He's the groundskeeper, nothing more.” he laughed, “He spends all day, every day out here making my flowers beautiful.”

“Dang,” Jay sighed, “That guy must be the color of mud if he spends all day out in the sun.”

Stitch rolled his eyes, “Definitely the color of mud.” He stepped carefully and deliberately down the steps onto the gravel, stepping to Kitty's side, and bending to whisper something in her ear.

Kitty furrowed her brow, looking up at him for a moment before taking a step away and bending down over a white rose bush. She didn't say anything more, and he remained just as silent. I stared at them, confused by the exchange. Jay and I stood, quite silently, just waiting for them to say something, but when no response came, Jay stepped down to Kitty's side. Suddenly a large Monarch butterfly flew in front of my face, landing on my shoulder, and crawling to my neck, resting on the butterfly pendant I forgot I wore. It stayed there for a time before fluttering away, teasing me, beckoning me to follow. Curiosity got the better of me. There was no way a butterfly could actually be calling me to follow it, but what did I have to lose? After all, I did want to see the gardens. Glancing at my friends, I noted that they were quite preoccupied with the roses, Stitch was explaining something which was apparently captivating. I didn't see the harm in slipping away. Glancing back to the path before me, I noticed the butterfly waiting on a flower not to far ahead.

I stepped down the patio quietly, sneaking across the gravel. As I approached, the butterfly fluttered off the flower and glided down the path. Taking in the beauty of the sea of flowers around me, I soon found myself in a thick wood, quite unaware of the direction I had come in. Crap. Now I'm lost. I thought to myself, turning in a hopeless circle. Suddenly I found a small bridge crossing a stream to my right. I walked to the water's edge and looked down at it. Staring up at me was my reflection, simple, boring, nothing really to look at, but suddenly over my shoulder another face appeared. Blonde hair, bright blue eyes, a sweetly seductive smile on his lips. I turned on my heel, nearly losing my balance and toppling into the stream, but found no one in the area. Turning again to the stream I found my reflection and nothing more. Staring into my own eyes for a long time, my reflection began to change until I found myself staring into Vance's eyes again. He smiled, sweet and charming, and then vanished when something that sounded much like the roar of a huge cat echoed through the trees. I stumbled backward a few paces from the stream, clutching my hand to my chest. What had just happened?

“Hello?” I called into the forest around me, turning in slow, small circles. “Is anyone out there?”

Only a bird answered me, its high-pitched call echoing through the trees. Sighing I walked forward again, careful not to look into the stream as I crossed the bridge and gasped, taking in the sight. The light broke through the trees gently highlighting what looked like a pond just beyond the bridge. I had found myself quite lost in the labyrinth of Stitch's garden, finding myself alone in this small haven despite my hallucinations in the stream. Slowly I stepped off the end of the bridge toward a set of chairs placed near the pond.

Perhaps he came out here to paint the pond, or the trees. It was all quite beautiful, certainly good enough to paint. When I reached the chairs, I studied them, gently trailing my fingers across the backs, drawing the patterns.. They had been positioned in a way that if two people were to sit down, their knees would have to be touching, facing the small pond full of fish directly in front of them. Does he bring girls out here? I asked myself suddenly, imagining the countless number of girls he could have brought to this very place, sitting knee to knee, watching the sunset. I pictured him reaching for her hand, resting on her lap, and the girl didn't bother to pull away. He leaned over to whisper something in the girl's ear. The girl smiled. What had he told her? I was dying to know. The girl leans closer to Stitch, their faces nearly touching. His forehead rests on hers. He leans in, and their lips meet. His hand moves to her jaw, and hers fall on his shoulders. She slips out of her chair and onto his lap. He doesn't seem to mind, pulling her closer into him.

“NO!” I yelled, knocking the chair to the side in a sudden fit of jealousy, the images fading from view.

Why had I done that? I.... I didn't even like Stitch. Maybe I did. Did I? No. I had Tony, and that was all I needed. He was sweet, caring, and would never do anything to hurt me. He loved me, and I loved him. We are perfect for each other. I don't need anything else. Nothing more, nothing less... but there was something about Stitch that Tony just didn't have. Something that I inexplicably craved. I couldn't put my finger on it to save my life, but something about that boy drew me to him in a way that I didn't understand. Whenever I was with him, everything felt right. I turned back to the chair I had knocked over and set it back up. After I had set the chair in place, I gazed out across the little clearing and noticed a wood building. Odd, I wonder what that is. Checking once more to see that I was indeed the only one out here, I walked quietly and carefully across the clearing to the building. The wood was aged, and warped with the elements of time and weather as if it had stood for hundreds of years.

It wasn't a large building big enough for two people to live in comfortably, maybe a storage shed, but why so far from the house? I walked around it, noticing a single window on one of the walls. I stood on my tip toes trying to see into the dark shed, but couldn't see anything. There wasn't enough light with the trees around. Moving back to the front of of the shed, I carefully put my hand on the doorknob and turned it. It was unlocked, and creaked loudly as I pushed the door open. A dusty light filtered in from the open door, but there still wasn't enough light there to see anything. I stepped inside, pulling my phone out of my pocket, and using it as a flashlight. I moved carefully through the dark, lighting my path until I thought I stood in about the middle of the room. I raised my phone, shining the light on the wall in front of me. There was a bed, queen sized, the quilts ruffled slightly. I felt my stomach tighten again. He must come here after he's buttered them up with kisses out there... I growled inwardly. But though my blind jealousy another thought crossed my mind. He's not that kind of boy.

“Sure he isn't.” I said aloud, taking a few steps forward until my knees were flush with the edge of the bed. I put my hand on it, feeling a thick layer of dust and sighed. “He's not...” A smile found its way to my lips as I stepped away from the bed.

I crossed the room and found a table cluttered with ancient yellowing paper. Why did he have all this stuff out here? Was this where his more... ancient ancestors lived? The papers certainly looked old enough. Carefully I picked one up, and studied it. The writing was faded, and only a few words could be made out. He'll never stop until he has....

“Has what?” I said to no one in particular, squinting at the page, hoping to make out the rest of the sentence. I picked up another piece of paper. This was written in a different hand. I'll protect you. He'll never have... “Have what?!” I put the papers down and stepped away form the table.

What were those letters about? Who were they from? And who is this person they keep saying won't get something? Suddenly my phone vibrated in my hand. I looked down at it. You ought not to be snooping in places you weren't invited to... I glared at my screen. Who was this person, and how did they know I was here? I looked around, and my phone started buzzing again. This time it was a call. Without looking at the screen, I pounced.

“Who are you and why do you keep sending those creepy texts!” I demanded, waiting for an answer.

“I haven't sent you any texts, Laela.” It was Kitty. “Where are you? We've been looking everywhere!”

“Oh... I was just um... following a butterfly and got a little lost.” I admitted sheepishly.

“Following... a butterfly? Well, where are you? I'm sure if we describe it to Stitch he could find you.”

“I'm in a little wooden house... I think its a house... anyway, I went across a bridge to a little pond and then found this house... I'm not really in the gardens anymore unless you count trees as gardens.”

“Um, here, talk to Stitch.” I heard her hand the phone off.

“Lost, darling?” He laughed, his accent making me shiver. “Where are you exactly?”

“In a little wooden house just past a fish pond beyond a bridge in the forest...” I said, feeling another wave of jealousy from no where.

“Why are you clear out there?”

“I was following a butterfly...” I felt stupid saying it, but it was true.

There was a long silence over the line. “What kind of butterfly?”

His question caught me off guard. “Um... it was.... a Monarch. A big one.”

“What color?” His questions were getting strange.

“Yellow-orange?” I said, “Why does it matter what color it is?”

“No reason. Just stay where you are. We're coming to get you.” He seemed a little rushed as he passed the phone back to Kitty, who hung up.

I looked around the house again. A little more light had made its way through the window, shining dimly on another table set up across the room. This table housed several photographs in ancient wooden frames. Carefully I stepped across the room and stopped at the table, reaching out and gently picking up the closest photograph. It was a picture of a man, no older than twenty, with dark hair cropped short wearing a military uniform. It looked like it was a photo taken during the first World War. The longer I stared at the picture, the more I felt as if I knew him.

I put the picture down. “Why does that always happen,” I asked myself aloud. “It doesn't matter where I am, if it has to do with Stitch, it's like I've experienced it all before.” I stepped away from the table and out of the house. “It's not healthy.”

Walking back to the pond, I took a careful look around the trees. They were huge, their branches spreading over me, blocking out the sun, giving a serene, and slightly unearthly look to the area. I smiled, weaving in and out of the trunks, my hands slipping across the rough surfaces, eyes closed, taking in every sound, every smell, every movement of the foliage. It seemed like endless hours of serenity when suddenly I heard my name.

“Laela? Where are you?” Kitty's voice rang among the trees.

I took my few final steps out of the thick and into the opening around the pond. “Here, sorry I wondered off.” I blushed, shrugging.

Kitty laughed. “I'm sure you had an enjoyable time out here on your own. It's beautiful!” she turned to look at Stitch. “It really is amazing. I can see why it's your favorite place to be.”

I smiled, looking at Stitch, and noticing another boy among the group. “Who is this?” I asked, raising an eyebrow and staring straight at the boy.

His skin was darker than Stitch's, but his hair was nearly blonde, bleached out by the sun, his eyes sparkling hazel. He didn't look too much older than us, maybe twenty-three at the most. His stance was strong and assertive, straight and tall; he knew who he was, and wasn't afraid of it, or anyone else for that matter.

“This is Ayrin, my groundskeeper.” Stitch said, gesturing to the boy, who stepped forward and nodded his head.

“Nice to meet you.” I smiled.

“Well, now that we're all together, The Butterfly House is ready.” Stitch extended his arm toward me. “Shall we?” He smiled, an intoxicating smile, and I couldn't help but to slip my hand into his.

He walked forward, still holding my hand, with Ayrin leading the way. Kitty and Jay walked by his side, asking all sorts of questions about the garden. The way Kitty and Ayrin joked together about the care for the flowers made me wonder if they knew each other before today. It sure seemed like it. As we crossed back over the bridge, I instinctively moved closer to Stitch, keeping my eyes away from the water. It wasn't that I didn't like Vance, I did. It was just odd to see his reflection in the water. Stitch glanced down at me with a warm smile, but didn't say a word, nor did he release his hold on my hand. In fact, he did quite the opposite. He laced his fingers between mine, and smiled to himself. I blushed, my heart racing against my rib cage, my thoughts began to race. Get yourself together, Laela. I scolded myself. You have a boyfriend, his name is Tony. He loves you. Let go of Stitch's hand. I took a deep breath, preparing myself to pull my hand free of his, but couldn't bring myself to do it. Tony is a half a world away. He'll never know... whispered a dark voice in my head. I shook my head and pulled my hand from his, smiling nervously. He didn't say anything, just glanced at our hands, and kept walking quietly.

“That house... how long... what's it for?” I asked, hoping to break our awkward silence.

He looked back over his shoulder as we crossed into the flowery labyrinth. “That house was there before the mansion. It housed my fourth great grandparents and their family, and the next set. It's been there forever.” He smiled. “We just left everything in there. Haven't moved much.”

“Do you ever just go out there and enjoy the memories? Wonder about them?”

“All the time... I'm out there a lot, just imagining what they were like. Mum 'n dad always had the greatest stories to tell about them. I just wish they were around to tell me more.” He looked out ahead of us, a sad longing in his eyes.

I put my hand on his shoulder. “I'm sorry I brought it up. I didn't mean to unearth sad memories.”

He looked at me, put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me into his chest. “Sometimes it's good to think of these things. It keeps us sane.” He kissed the top of my head, and another rush of heat ran through my body before he released me.

We walked in silence behind the others for the remainder of our trip until we came to a huge glass house. I gasped; it was huge. Staring up at it, I felt like an ant in comparison. Even the steps leading up to the door were larger than normal. The panes of glass were clouded with condensation, plant leaves stuck to them in places. It looked like someone had taken a rainforest and transplanted it into a house. Stitch dismissed Ayrin, and lead us up the stairs to the door. With a courteous smile, he opened the door with a flourish and gestured us inside. Kitty and I were the first to step through the door to a different world.

“Holy hannah, this place is amazing!” Kitty cried, staring up at the huge trees, and countless butterflies fluttering around the room

She snatched my arm and ran deeper into the room with me. We were completely in awe of the things around us, hardly able to contain our enthusiasm. I had never been in a room so full of butterflies in my life. Kitty was in heaven. Butterflies were important to her, and Stitch obviously, and oddly enough, I found myself appreciating them more and more each day. For a long time, butterflies were nothing more to me than a pretty bug that didn't freak me out, but now they meant more. They were the start of a new life, of new adventures, and new friendship. Kitty was rambling ahead of me about how romantic this place was, and that she could spend hours out here just watching the butterflies. I looked around the room again, and sighed. I could spend all day out here too. Its peaceful. As I walked along the stone path, I suddenly felt something pulse against my neck. I looked down, frightened at what I might find, but saw only my necklace. It had been the cause of so many odd occurrences today. I picked it up off my chest, and examined it carefully. There wasn't anything strange about it, that I could see anyway, so why then had it pulsed?

With a sigh, I looked up, finding myself looking at a huge bright turquoise butterfly. Startled, I took a step back, but the butterfly didn't move. It fluttered closer to my face, flitting around me in a small circle. It flew next to my face, its wing brushing against my cheek. I smiled, extending a hand carefully, hoping it would land on my finger. For a moment it flitted around my hand and gently landed on my finger, crawling slowly toward my palm. Its feet tickled my skin as it walked, inching slowly forward. Looking up again, I noticed several hundred butterflies had now emerged and were flying around our small group. Stitch moved in the corner of my vision, and disappeared, and the next moment I felt his hands on my waist, his breath against my ear.

“You know,” he whispered, “butterflies are drawn to people with calm spirits and kind hearts.”

I smiled, and felt him smile against my cheek. Relishing in the feeling of his hands around me, his closeness, his smell, I stood with my eyes closed for a few moments. He angled his head toward mine, as if he was going to kiss my cheek, but stopped. I turned slowly so I didn't frighten the butterfly resting on my finger until I was facing Stitch. His hands still lingered on my hips, his body only inches from mine. My heart sped up again, and I felt my cheeks turn red. His gentle green eyes were locked on mine, his dark hair falling messily over his forehead, sweet smile on his lips. He looked down at the butterfly in my hands and smiled. I held my finger out where the butterfly sat, and he raised one of his hands, finger extended and touched it to mine. We stood, eyes locked, the air full of a strange tension. I couldn't quite explain the feeling, or why I felt it. The butterfly crawled slowly from my finger to his, and each step it took, Stitch seemed to pull me closer to him. The longer I stared into his eyes the more obscure the world around us became; the sounds of Kitty's fawning washed away, the trees fell from view and the butterflies vanished. It was just he and I, nothing else.

When the butterfly had crossed from my hand to his, he took my hand, lacing his fingers between mine, holding it in suspension, his eyes never moving from mine. I stepped into him, my lips parting, preparing to say something, but whatever it was got lost as I felt his body against mine, his hard lean muscles beneath his shirt flush with my body. My head started to spin, and my heart raced. I could feel his heart pounding in his chest, and yet despite its speed, his breath was even and calm. How can he be so calm? I asked myself? My logic was falling to pieces, and despite the voice in the back of my head that kept screaming Tony's name, I leaned forward, standing up on my toes. My heart sped up again. Just do it. Urged a voice in my head, lean in and kiss him. Hesitantly, I moved in. He stood quite still, his eyes still locked on mine, a strange emotion crossing his eyes, and he backed out, slowly releasing his hold on my hand and hip.

“As much as I want it, love,” he whispered, his eyes now focused on the ground, “I can't do that knowing you have a boyfriend back home who loves you.”

I felt as if I had run head on into a brick wall at ninety miles an hour.

Chapter Nineteen

I swallowed the lump in my throat, blinking more than necessary while shaking my head.

“S-sorry, I don't know what I was thinking...” I muttered taking a step away from him, knotting my tie in my hands.

I could feel my cheeks grow hot, a blush spreading over my face. I excused myself and left the glass house and butterflies, walking a ways into the garden until I found a bench and sat on it, holding my head in my hands. I growled at myself. How could you be so stupid? Tony loves you, Stitch knows it, and he's just so damn chivalrous. I found myself staring at the dirt around my feet for minutes on end, cursing Stitch for being a gentleman.

“Are you alright, miss?”

I glanced up and found myself looking at Ayrin. “I'm fine... just a little flustered.” I sighed, dragging my fingers down my face before sitting upright.

“Anything I can help with?” He smiled, “I may just be the groundskeeper, but I've been told I'm a good listener.”

I sighed. If anyone would be able to tell me what kind of person Stitch was, it would be someone who worked for him. “What kind of guy is he? Stitch, I mean.”

“What kind of guy? Meaning...?” He raised an eyebrow, sitting on the bench beside me.

“You know, is he a player, or a complete gentleman? Stuff like that.”

Ayrin paused for a moment, staring up at the sky. The clouds had been painted with oranges and pinks as the sun slowly set beyond the hills. I waited patiently, staring up at the colored sky and wishing suddenly that it were Stitch sitting beside me on the bench.

Ayrin sighed, “He's not a player, no. But, not a complete gentleman either.” he said, “He's courteous I guess would be a good definition. He knows when he can't have something, and doesn't really try too hard to take it away from whomever it belongs to. Don't get me wrong now, Stitch does have a more... carnal side. There have been instances when Stitch has manipulated his way into getting what he wants, and at times he doesn't seem opposed to such actions.”

I whistled out my breath between my teeth. “Wow, seems like a complicated guy.” Complex enough to make my head spin whenever I'm around him.

“Not really. Not if you get to know him. He does have villainous streaks, but we're only human. Why the sudden interest in Mr. Mazigatti?” he raised an eyebrow again, smirking.

I blushed. “N-no reason.”

His smirk widened. “We don't know each other, so you can tell me. I promise that whatever you say to me in these next moments will be completely confidential.” He paused, his smirk being replaced by a sincere smile. “I promise.”

His smile was what made me trust him. “Okay, but it has to stay between you and me. And you have to promise you won't think I'm completely mental.” I surprised myself with my vocabulary. I was starting to adopt British slang.

“Promise, you're not mental, no matter how completely mental it may sound.”

I let out a long sigh. “Whenever I'm with Stitch it seems like... like I've been around him forever. Like our souls know each other. I've...” I hesitated. If I told him about my dreams, would he think I really was crazy? “I've had dreams about him. But not your average high school fantasy dream, no these are like full fledged life moments but they are set in the past. I just don't understand it. And being here, in this place, the house, the gardens, it's like I've been here hundreds of times before everything just feels so... right. I don't know what it is about him, maybe I've met someone who reminds me of Stitch, or maybe it's Stitch that reminds me of someone else, but I just can't put my finger on it. He's just... I don't know. He's like my other half I never knew I had.”

We sat in silence for a time, staring up at the sky again. He looked between me and the sky for a time, keeping his thoughts to himself.

“As someone you hardly know, and has no particular interest in the matter, I think you should give him a chance. He'll come around.” Ayrin said, looking me straight in the eye.

I smiled, content with his advice. Without saying anything further, Ayrin gathered his things and stood, nodded his head at me, and walked off among the flowers, leaving me alone on the bench. Not a second after he had disappeared from view did a voice startle me.

“You shouldn't trust him,” it said, smirk apparent in his tone, “He's a loon.”

I glanced over my shoulder, my heart racing from the sudden sound. Stitch stood behind me, arms crossed over his chest, an amused smirk on his lips. His eyes traveled slowly over my body before he closed his eyes and sighed, taking a seat beside me on the bench. A few more counts passed before he turned to look at me, the tension between us growing.

“I suppose I should apologize for what I did today.” I sighed. “I shouldn't have put you in a situation like that. I'm sorry.”

He smiled, a deep and genuine smile. “I contributed to the situation, you're not all to blame. But one day love, if anything changes with your love life, I'll be right here waiting.” He leaned in, put his hand on my cheek and kissed my forehead.

I blushed, wanting to reach up and kiss him. I moved my hand slowly, resting it on his knee. He stiffened for a moment, and then Kitty stepped out of The Butterfly House laughing with Jay. When she saw us, sitting that close on the bench, my hand on his knee, his on my face, she stopped laughing, putting a hand on Jay's chest to stop him. I saw her, watching me with an excited smile on her face, and jumped away from him. I stood, brushing my hands down my skirt to flatten the fabric nervously.

“We should probably go. It's getting late and we have school tomorrow.” I mumbled, keeping my eyes off of the others as I made my way back toward the house.

The others soon followed, but I paid little attention to them. I needed to get back home and sort things out. I needed to hear Tony's voice telling me he loved me, and I would be okay. Everything would be okay. I made a beeline through the house to the front door, and just kept walking straight down the path. Kitty called my name behind me, her footsteps closing in rapidly, and then her hand was on my shoulder, tugging me to a stop.

“What's up, girl?” she asked, glaring at me.

“Nothing, I'm fine. I just need to get back to the school and sleep. I'm... tired.” I growled, shrugging my shoulder free from her grasp and continuing forward.

Kitty sighed, keeping in stride with me, but staying quiet all the way back to the train station. When the boys caught up, Stitch announced we would be waiting at least twenty minutes for the next train. I growled, and took my phone out of my sock and flopped onto the bench. Hey baby, I miss you. How's life back home? Anything new? How's Rush doing? I sighed again, and closed the phone, hoping he would answer quickly. I needed something to take my mind off of Stitch. My phone buzzed repeatedly for nearly a minute straight. Hey beautiful,mmm I miss seeing you everyday, my life isn't the same. No one's is. We all miss you. We're watching a movie right now, and everyone says 'Heya' and they miss ya. Movies aren't the same without you babe. I miss you. Love you. Is everything okay there? Do you need anything? I don't know what I can do since you're across the ocean and all in a foreign country, but I will do my best. I smiled, a warm rush running through my body. I wanted to curl up next to him and fall asleep in his arms like we had done on countless summer afternoons back home. The excitement about returning home hit me again with more force than before. Our plane left early Sunday morning, and then I would see my family again, and I could see Tony. Feel his strong body against mine, his soft lips on mine, his arms around me, keeping me safe.

And then there was Rush. What was I going to do with him? I loved Tony, but he had been acting so differently, and every time he called I got a sick feeling in my stomach like something was wrong. I was beginning to worry that he was lying to me about something, but I just couldn't figure out what. With another great sigh, I put my phone back in my sock. I just didn't know what to say, I missed Tony but for some reason, I just couldn't express myself anymore. Closing my eyes, I spread myself out on the bench, laying the entire length of the bench, my feet barely peeking over the edge. I put my hands on my stomach, and sat still, breathing deeply. Maybe I could just meditate away all my problems. It seemed like a good tactic until I realized meditation could only get you so far, and it wasn't very far at all. After a time of lying like a corpse on the bench, I felt someone's eyes on my body. I opened my left eye, slight enough I could see out of my lashes and noticed Stitch's stare. For refusing my kiss he suddenly seemed more than interested.

The bellow of the approaching train drew me out of my lounging on the bench; I sat up, straightening my skirt, fixing my blouse, and checking my hair. Why did I just do that? I asked myself, realizing that for the first time in so many years, I was trying to impress someone. My cheeks started to burn and I quickly turned my attention to the wooden planks on the ground, busying myself with the pieces that were warped out of place and destroyed by the weather. The planks rumbled as the train lurched to a stop at the station. The conductor stepped down, looking at us, and smiled at Stitch.

“Have an enjoyable afternoon, Mr. Mazigatti?” the man asked, taking our tickets from Stitch.

Stitch glanced back at me with a smile. “We had a great day, thank you sir.” He replied, and stepped around the conductor onto the train.

Kitty and Jay stepped in after him, and I followed after them. We took a booth with the benches facing each other, Kitty and Jay taking up one bench, leaving the other for Stitch and I. My heart rate sped up again when I sat down by the window just knowing he was so close. No. You're not single Laela. You're taken and he respects that. Leave it alone. I scolded myself. I spent the next hour staring out the window, watching as the countryside slowly turned into a booming city. When we reached our destination, the four of us exited the train, and quickly departed for the tube. As we walked, I felt a hand on my wrist, pulling me out of my contemplation. I glanced first at the hand, and then trialed slowly up the arm until I found myself looking into Jay's dark brown eyes. The others had walked on ahead of us, but Jay kept his hold on me, keeping our pace slow. For a long time he walked slowly by my side, his hand on my wrist, not saying a word, and finally, when Kitty and Stitch were far enough ahead of us, he spoke.

“I know this probably isn't something you want to hear,” he said, releasing his hold on my wrist. “But it's something that needs to be said. Stitch only did what he did because he cares. If he didn't, he would have kissed you right then. But he didn't, and that proves there's more than just admiration there.”

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. “Sure,” I mumbled.

He shook his head and sighed, “I know you don't want to accept that, but it's the truth. I've known Stitch for a while now, and it's a lesson learned in time. Sometimes he leaves me to wallow in his mysteries, but from what I know, he's never one to make a snap decision.”

I sighed again; one day out, and I was now up to my eyeballs in confusion. I bit my lip. First Ayrin tells me Stitch is a good guy, and is “courteous,” and now Jay telling me he's a good guy and only does what he does because he “cares.” Well... great. I kicked a pebble as we walked. This is just what I need in my life right now. Drama. That I've created. The sun had set completely, and the air had suddenly become chill, causing me to shiver. Now I wished I had kept my sweater, hugging myself and rubbing my arms. I always hated cold places. We finally reached the tube, and Jay moved to his place at Kitty's side. After we had boarded we took our seats, and my phone began to vibrate repeatedly in my sock. Impulsively I grabbed my phone and flipped it open, paying little attention to the caller ID.

“Hello,” I said a little too cheerfully for my former mood.

“Hey you,” replied Rush. “just checking in with the counselor.”

I laughed, picturing him winking at me. “Now, how do you feel about that?” I teased.

“Fantastic,” he whispered, his voice dropping into a silky almost intoxicating tone. “Missing you terribly, but I'll survive. School is boring as ever here. I'm bored out of my mind without someone to pass notes to in English. When are you coming back for a visit?”

My heart fluttered with excitement. I wanted to tell him I would be home in two days, but I wanted it to be a surprise. I wanted to see their faces light up, hear Keltie scream with joy, have Rush gather me into his arms and swing me around, and feel Tony's lips against mine again.

“As soon as I have money to afford it.” I said, “I promise I'll come back to see my besties!”

“And you'll bring some treasures from across the sea?”

I laughed, “Yes, I'll bring some treasures for you.”

“You're the only treasure I need.”

I paused, a lump in my throat. I wished he would stop saying things like that. “Rush... I appreciate your interest, but you know I've got Tony. And I love him.”

Rush muttered something incomprehensible over his end.

“What was that?”

“Oh, nothing I was just talking to my sister. She's staying for the next month until her wedding. It's a pain in the ass.”

“I bet, she always seemed like a handful. When's the wedding? Maybe I can come.”

“November fifteenth I think.... Not entirely sure though. I just know it's in November.”

“I'll see what I can do to make it. Anything else new? News with Keltie since she never calls... it's like the girl lost her phone.”

“She did. We were at the mall last week, and her phone is gone now. We can't find it. And she's currently trying to convince her parents to get her a new one. They're not having it since she's always losing it, and doesn't pay any attention when she has one anyway.”

I could hear a few boys shouting at Rush in the background. He replied with a string of choice words.

“Sounds like quite the crowd you've got there. Who all is over?”

“Football team. They want to go out tonight... I don't know what they're planning, but it's Kai's birthday so we were all going to do something. Probably involves girls and drinking. It's safe to say I'm not going. Which was that string of profanities.”

I laughed, “Good to know you can handle yourself when I'm not around.”

The tube slid to a stop, and the passengers shifted around preparing to exit. I glanced at the others, finding them standing and waiting on me. Embarrassed, I felt my cheeks redden again as I stood up and followed them off the train. Rush went on talking about his day, how the team was doing, and his complaints about the family. When we crossed over into the school's front yard I felt an odd tightening in my stomach. I stopped walking, turning around in circles until I finally found two people, both in white shirts, standing at the edge of the gravel drive. As if they could sense I was looking at them, they turned around. Suddenly one of them raised their arm and called my name, waving me over.

“Hey, Rush hun, I have to go. Bye,” I said hastily, hardly giving him time to say goodbye before hanging up.

I made my way over to the people, boys as I noticed when I grew closer. Both blonde, and familiar. When I was close enough I smiled; Cam and Vance.

“Hey,” I said casually, waving.

Cam smiled, opening his arms for a hug. Sheepishly I tucked myself into his arms, resting my head against his chest, listening to his heart beat. It was strong, and steady, just like him. He kissed the top of my head, and I heard Vance clear his throat. As if the noise were a command, Cam let go of me quickly. I stood by his side for a moment, just looking at Vance. He smiled.

“I know we hardly know each other, and I'd like to change that soon, but do you think I could steal a hug?” He asked, his accent far stronger than even Cam's.

I blushed, thankfully it was dark. “Sure,” I whispered.

He opened his arms, and I stepped forward, tucking myself between his arms like I had done for Cam. When his arms closed around me I felt as if I might faint. There was something almost electric about his touch; warm... too warm. He held me close to him, as if drinking in my closeness, and suddenly I heard an angry shout from across the yard.

“Vance, you get your filthy hands off of her!” Stitch yelled, even from far away I could hear the growl in his words.

As if to spite him, Vance's arms tightened around me. “She's not your girl, mate. I can hold her as long as I want.” he replied, venom edging into his voice.

“She's not yours either, mate, so back off.”

I started to feel uncomfortable in Vance's arms, but he wouldn't relinquish his hold on me. He moved one arm out, and held it up so Stitch could see it, and flipped him off, a triumphant smirk on his face as Stitch came marching across the gravel. A dog started to howl somewhere in the distance, and the air grew thick with tension. I looked up at Vance, his lightning blue eyes fixed on Stitch, a smirk on his lips that dripped with disdain. His fingers pressed into my shoulder where he held me, making me flinch. I pushed away from him, and slowly he released me as Stitch grew closer, turning to confront him. Stepping away, I moved behind Cam, hiding my head between his shoulder blades. I hated fights. I especially hated them if I was the reason for the fight. I started shaking my head against his back, muttering quietly to myself.

“Stop, please, just stop.” I said over and over, wishing that someone would hear me.

“You seem awful territorial, Stitch, for having no hold over the girl.” Vance spat.

“And you're the same arrogant son of a bitch, do you ever change?” Stitch countered, digging his foot into the gravel.

“I don't see a reason to.”

“I've got plenty.”

There was silence for a time, and suddenly I heard someone grunt in pain as they dropped to the gravel. Cam stiffened.

“Stay away from her if you know what's good for you.” Stitch growled, turning around and stomping off across the gravel once again.

I peeked out from around Cam's shoulder and saw Vance pulling himself off the ground. Shocked, I dashed out, and tried to help him up, but he glared up at me harshly. In the pale moonlight I saw a shining trail of blood dribbling down his chin from the corner of his mouth, splashing onto his shirt. He wiped it away with the back of his hand and glared after Stitch.

“I'm so sorry, this is all my fault.” I said, reaching out to touch his shoulder. He flinched away from me. “Are you okay?”

“Fine, love. Nothing I can't handle.” he replied. “I'll be seeing you tomorrow, both of you.”

He turned quickly and left Cam and I standing in the dark.

Chapter Twenty

Cam walked me to the school without so much as a word of explanation for the animosity between Stitch and Vance. It seemed almost as if their hatred for each other spanned over centuries. No one should be holding that much anger within them at this age; it wasn't healthy. Cam took me to the elevator and sent me inside, saying goodnight, and disappearing before the door was even closed. I stared after him until the bronze doors slipped shut and I was alone. When I made it to the room, my roommates were already asleep and Kitty was no where to be found. Why was it that every time Vance came around, everyone disappeared? Without further thought, I went to my room, and collapsed on the bed.

“They say she's a witch.” Whispered a young girl next to me. I pulled the hood of my cloak over my head tighter, listening to her speak with her friends. “Kids go into the forest around her house and never come out the same. Always speaking of the enchantments in the forest. Pixies and sprites. Such fairy tales don't exist.”

The woman put her hand on my shoulder. “Can you believe it? Why would they let a witch stay in our town?”

I smiled to myself. “Perhaps to keep things interesting in such a dull place.” I said with a little laugh.

“This village isn't boring,” The woman said, glaring at me. “I find it quite exciting.”

“Then why all the fuss about the which? I'm sure she's a wonderful woman just like us if you would take the time to talk to her.”

The woman scoffed. “I'm sure...Although I wouldn't be completely comfortable around her. I would be afraid she would hex me.”

I lowered the hood off of my head, smiling at her. “It's a shame you think that. I'm actually a very civil person.”

Everard rounded the corner, meeting me with the women, greeted them, and slipped his arm around my waist and we left the women behind to pick their jaws up off the ground.

I woke up when my music began blaring across the room. I rolled over and stared groggily at the clock. 5:45, as per usual. The shower was already running, so I rolled off the bed and shuffled across the room where my Ipod rested on the speakers screaming my wake up songs. I tapped the screen to shut it up and glanced down at myself. I fell asleep in my uniform. With a sigh I dug through my drawers to find my other uniform and set it out on my bed. Kitty opened the door from the bathroom and stuck her head through.

“Shower's free,” she said and closed the door.

After a quick shower I got dressed and did my hair, scrunching the curls with my mousse and exiting the room, still holding fist fulls of hair close to my head. Kitty was headed out the door for breakfast, so I tagged along behind her, letting my hair fall over my shoulders. Kitty's hair was done in braids over her shoulders, a thin headband with a large flower on her head. She smiled at me, but said nothing. We ate in silence until Kitty suddenly spoke up.

“Did Cam say anything to you last night?” She asked suddenly, a fork full of eggs still hanging in the air in front of her.

Taken off guard, I had a moment of hesitation, and her eyes narrowed into a glare. “No, why? Was he supposed to say something?” I asked, taking a long drink of my orange juice.

“No, just wondered. That's all.”

Jay sat down at the table; Cam wasn't with him. I sat up and looked around, wondering where Cam might be. The two seemed inseparable, but for the last two days they were hardly ever together. I began to think that perhaps the two had been fighting since he hadn't joined us yesterday, and we found him with Vance, but that didn't seem like the right explanation. Suddenly from my other side I heard his voice.

“Looking for me, beautiful?” Cam asked, sliding into the seat next to me, a smug grin on his face.

I blushed. “Just wondered where you were. You haven't been around much lately.” I told him, taking a few more bites of my pancake.

“I've been... busy. I apologize, but I'll be around tonight. After all, we are going to my favorite place.” He turned and looked at the others. “You guys don't mind that I invited Vance, do you?”

I watched Kitty's eyes darken for an instant, and then sparkle excitedly. “Not at all! He's welcome to come.” she exclaimed, her enthusiasm seeming feigned.

Cam must have picked up on it, but was gracious enough not to say anything, and ate his food quietly. Kitty and Jay talked quietly amongst themselves, while I watched the opposite wall, wishing I had someone to talk to. Suddenly Cam's hot breath was bouncing off my cheek.

“Vance wanted me to apologize for what happened the other night.” he whispered. “He's normally not that awful, but Stitch brings out the worst in him at times.”

“Why is that?” I asked, continuing to stare straight forward.

“Bad blood. There was something that happened a while ago between Vance and Stitch that involved a girl, and after that catastrophe their friendship went straight to Hell. They've never quite been able to get over that.”

We sat still, neither of us moving for a while before he spoke again.

“He's a good guy, Laela. Don't let what happened last night get in the way of you getting to know him better. Just because Stitch doesn't like him, doesn't mean you can't.”

He stood up, taking his empty plate with him and left the room. The bell rang shortly afterward, calling us all to class. I sighed, diving into the regular routine.

I sat and stared blankly at the instructor for my final period of the day, when suddenly Daniel leaned over.

“Hey, my brother has some time free this afternoon if you wanted to get your hair done. He said you're welcome to come by any time.” he said, his face being engulfed by his brilliant smile.

I smiled, as I always did when he smiled. “That would be great! I'll have to check and see what time we are all leaving today to go out to Cam's favorite place, but I'll let you know.”

His smile grew. “I'll text you later then,” the bell shrieked over head, “See ya!”

We gathered our things, and I headed straight for the door, where I found Cam waiting for me, a smirk on his face from across the narrow hallway. People moved around him, guys giving him death glares, and girl's eyes wandering shamelessly over his body. Hoping he wouldn't notice my blush, I coughed into my shoulder. I walked across the hall through a break in the crowd, and before I had a chance to say anything, he pulled me into him, pressing my body against his and holding his arms around me.

“How was your day?” He asked, finally releasing me, and leading me down the hall listening as I replayed my rather boring day. “Well, tonight will be more fun, I promise.” he winked.

“Speaking of which, what time are we leaving? I'm going to get my hair done.” I told him.

“Well, we want to avoid lines, so we should be leaving by.... five. We have to account for time on the tube.”

“Where are we going?” I asked. If we needed to avoid lines, what was going on?

“Somewhere fun, don't worry about it, but I do have to tell you, you might want to wear something you can dance in.” He winked again, and we parted ways as he picked up his cell phone. I heard him say, “She's coming, Vance.”

I watched him as he walked away, hoping to pick up on more of his conversation, but heard no more. With a sigh I pulled out my phone and sent a text to Daniel letting him know I was available for the afternoon. His reply was quicker than I had anticipated. Sweet! Let's go right now! I'll meet you out front. Smiling, I made my way to the front doors, and found Daniel practically bouncing up and down, a huge grin splitting his face. When he saw me, he bounded right over, his feet hardly touching the floor.

“Hey girl!! I am so excited, this is going to be amazing!” He chirped, looping his arm through mine and walking with me out of the school. “Liam said he's got this sexy teal color that will look amazing with your luscious raven curls.”

I noticed that as we walked, groups of girls would duck their heads together and speak in hushed excitement, glancing at Daniel's arm through mine, and then whispering some more. I didn't want to ask, but it needed to be clarified. As much as it needed to be asked, I kept my questions to myself. We walked arm in arm down the street from the school straight into the bustling city streets of London. Daniel pointed out various places he enjoyed visiting on the weekends when suddenly a rather attractive young man crossed the street and stopped in front of us.

“Hey Daniel,” he said, smiling a charming smile. His accent though wasn't British; it was French. “'Ow are you?”

I looked at Daniel, whose cheeks had turned bright red. “H-hi Damien, I'm great. Just going with my friend to get her hair done.”

Damien raised his eyebrow and it vanished behind his dark bangs sweeping across his forehead. “Your girlfriend, yes?”

“No! No...” he chuckled, scratching the back of his head nervously. “Just a friend from school.”

“So you are not dating anyone?” Damien sounded hopeful almost.

I looked at Daniel; his cheeks were turning red. He was avoiding the question, so I decided to help him out.

“We need to be going, don't want to be late for the appointment.” I offered Damien a cordial smile, and gently tugged Daniel along.

It didn't deter Damien. “What salon are you going to? I recently got a job at a salon near 'ere. It is called Tres Tres Chic.”

Daniel stumbled, choking on his breath. “Liam's salon?” he asked, his eyes filling with surprise and anxiety.

Damien smiled, “Oui! You know eem?”

“He's my brother. We are on our way there now.”

“Magnifique! Attente bien ici que j'ai besoin—um... excusez-moi. Wait right here, I need some coffee, and I shall accompany you.” He dashed across the way to a little cafe.

Daneil groaned next to me, pulling his arm away and running his fingers through his hair. “Oh shit, I'm going to die.” he moaned.

“Why? Damien seems like a good guy, what's there to worry about?”

“Well there's the summer of steamy goodness we shared in Belgium last year, and the fact that he's going to work in Liam's salon. That's where Jordan works.”

“Woah woah, you and Damien had a summer fling? And I take it you haven't seen each other since then? And whose Jordan?”

“No, we haven't seen each other. That's why I was so floored. I'm usually so much better with words than that... and Jordan is my boyfriend. But you can't tell anyone.” His eyes were suddenly very stern and serious. “No one can know we're dating because my parents would kill me. They said no boyfriends until I graduate, and they don't really like the age difference between Jordan and I. He's 23, and my I'm only 17.”

“Wait, I thought you said they can't know you're dating him. How would they know how old he is?”

“He works for Liam, and we hit it off one night at a party. My parents knew about it... and told me promptly what they thought. Wasn't a pretty night, and they don't know about Damien either. I was with my grandparents, and if my grandparents found out about Damien, someone would die. My grandfather is very anti-gay everything. He hates having me over. It's sort of depressing, my grandfather hates me, and so does my grandmother because her husband does. Gotta love it.”

I nodded, listening to his story, and when he finished, I smiled. “Your secret is safe with me. But what are you going to do about Damien? He's working with your boyfriend... and I can tell you still have feelings for him.”

“After the summer we shared, I can't just forget about him.” Daniel started pacing slowly in front of me, twisting his shirt nervously in his hands. “But he and Jordan are so different I could never choose between—Damien!” Daniel's hand flew to his heart when the boy suddenly appeared, his face turning bright red.

Damien handed him a biscotti. “I figured we could share.” he said, his charming French accent making Daniel shiver. Now I knew what it must look like when I heard Stitch say my name. “Shall we go zen?”

Daniel started nodding furiously, falling into step next to Damien and I, situating himself between us. He stayed fairly silent for the remainder of the short walk to the salon. The little salon was framed with huge windows and warm red bricks. The awning over the salon was black with bright red words that read Très Très Chic in fancy decorative font. Inside I could see two rows of seats along both walls. There were a few people inside. We stepped through the door, and without looking, one of the men working on an older woman spoke.

“One moment and we'll have someone with you.” he said, delicately cutting the salt and pepper locks of the woman in the chair. “Jordan!”

From somewhere in the back Jordan replied. “Coming, one second!” he hollered, then stepped out of a door in the back seconds later.

He came to the front slowly, a smile spreading across his face. His eyes were locked on Daniel, their shocking blue shade clear from across the room. He ran his hand through his short black hair, making it stand up straight from the product in it. He was a good head taller than Daniel, and far more muscular. His smile lit up the room.

“Well hello there, Daniel. This must be Laela,” Jordan said, his accent, or lack of one surprised me. “I'm Jordan, it's nice to meet you.” He smiled, eying the coffee cup in Daniel's hand suspiciously.

“Nice to meet you too,” I replied, his attention turning back to me instantly.

“American?” he asked.

“Yes sir.”

He smiled. “Me too! Where from?”

“Boynton Beach, Florida. You?”

“Detroit, Michigan, I moved out here for school and never wanted to go back, so I didn't. But anyway, we're here to do your hair. Now either I can do it, or you can have Liam do it. Your pick.”

Suddenly Liam piped up. “Or she could have Damien do it. He's here for work anyway.” he said, waving his comb haphazardly.

Jordan looked at Damien now. “Or he could do it... your choice.”

I looked between the three of them. Jordan was looking beyond me where Daniel stood, the ghost of a conversation on his lips. I could tell he wanted to talk to Daniel, but Damien didn't look to keen on leaving him either, but I couldn't leave them both to be with Daniel. So did I leave him with his summer fling, or his boyfriend?

“Alright, Jordan, let's do this thing.” I said with a smile, watching his expression drop slightly.

He led me to a seat and sat me down. We talked about life back in the states while he mixed the bleach, and the brightest teal he could find. After he had applied the bleach on a thick chunk in my bangs that ran the entire length of my hair, he left to sit by Daniel for a while. After a good hour of quiet, and obnoxious fumes wafting around my face Jordan came back and washed the bleach out. The salon had emptied, and Daniel moved to sit in the chair in the next stall over.

“So where are you going tonight Laela?” he asked me, his eyes lingering on Jordan's back.

“I don't know, Cam hasn't really told us. I just know I'm supposed to be able to dance in.”

Daniel laughed, and hiccuped. “ 'Scuse me. But Cam's a clubber. That's probably where you're going. He loves clubs.”

Jordan started mixing the teal dye. “Clubber huh? Is this a date?” he asked.

“No,” I said, laughing. “We're just going out with a bunch of friends tonight before we go back to the states for the week.”

He nodded, and went quietly to work putting the blue over the blonde in my hair. Two hours later, we were ready to leave. My phone started shrieking in my pocket. I pulled it out and stared at the screen. It was a number I didn't recognize, but not the one plaguing me.

“Hello?” I said, twisting my bright blue hair through my fingers.

“Hey girl, it's Kitty. Where are you?” Kitty asked, “We're looking all over for you.”

“I'm with Daniel right now, we're on our way back to the school, don't worry. I'll be there soon.”

There was a distinct noise that sounded a lot like Kitty tripping over something. “Wait, Daniel... like Daniel Harper, Daniel?”

“Yes, that Daniel. We were getting my hair done. I'll see you in a little bit, we're leaving now. We aren't too far from the school. You have to help me pick out an outfit for tonight. I don't know what we're doing but Cam told me to wear something I could dance in.”

“I've already got an outfit laid out for you, don't worry hun, you'll look smokin'.”

I smiled. Kitty was just like Keltie. I couldn't wait for them to meet each other. “Thanks, Kitty.”

“Anytime, see you soon!”

I hung up the phone and left the salon with Daniel, but not before Jordan stole a quick kiss. Daniel trotted up to me, his face red, and his mind obviously stuck in the clouds. We strolled back to the school, neither of us really saying anything. I had my attention focused on the wall of teal out of the corner of my right eye. I hoped it didn't look strange. I had never really done anything like this to my hair before, it was thrilling. I wondered what the others would think about it, and I suddenly became nervous. What if they didn't like it? What if teal wasn't really my color and I should have gone with purple? I started to twist my hair nervously, and felt a hand touch mine gently.

“You look fine,” Daniel told me, a genuine smile on his face. “Don't worry.”

Daniel was courteous enough to walk me up to my room, so I invited him in for a soda. We stocked the mini fridge in the kitchen with tons of them. It was the least I could do for everything he did for me today. We entered the room, and found Kitty waiting with Jay and Cam inside. They turned to look at us, and a wicked smirk spread across Cam's face.

“You, love, look ravishing.” He said, rolling his R and winking. “Your hair looks great! You should have done that long ago.”

I blushed, raising my hand to my hair again. “Thank you,” I said.

I went to the fridge and pulled out a soda for Daniel and handed it to him just as the door opened again. I glanced quickly in the direction of the door, noticing that Molly and her gang had come through. Without saying a word I went quietly to my room, sensing Kitty following after me, and found my outfit for the evening laid out on the bed. I was surprised I even packed that.

Kitty rushed over to my bed and picked up my black satin tube top and held it up. “I found this in your drawer and about died. I wanted it so bad but girl, you're going to look amazing!” she practically shouted.

Soon enough I was dressed to kill in my black satin tube top with lace trim, black Diesel skinny jeans and silver accessories. I had forgotten how skinny I looked in this top; the material hugged my body in all the right places and left enough wiggle room around the edges so I didn't look like a tramp. Kitty dug through my closet and found my pair of black suede ankle boots and tossed them at me.

“Put those on,” she said, and stood up to straighten her dress.

She was wearing a black dress with a sequin band around her chest which gathered around the middle of her thighs, a simple tear drop diamond necklace, gaudy silver and black earrings, and a million silver bangles. Her shoes were open toed black pumps and she held a sparkly silver clutch. Her hair was curled gently so it fell gracefully, yet sexy over her shoulders. I wished my hair would do that.

“Hurry, we have to get your makeup done.” She hustled me into the bathroom and went straight to work. “I managed to get out of Cam that we're going to a club called Fabric. It's one of the most exclusive clubs around here. I have no idea how he plans on getting us all in there.”

I coughed as she smothered my face in some shimmery powder and finished my eye makeup. “Maybe he has connections.” I offered, appraising myself in the mirror. Kitty was amazing, I hardly recognized myself.

She opened the door to the bathroom and scampered around me to the door to my room and threw it open. She then boldly announced that the belle of the ball was ready to go. There was a pause, and I assumed I was supposed to come into the room. Suddenly I was very self-conscious, but stepped out of the room. I had scarcely put my leg out the door before wolf whistles broke out. I blushed, looking at my feet instead of the people standing in the room. Finally, I brought myself to look up, and found myself staring at not only the normal three, but an extra set of gorgeous blue eyes. Vance was standing to the right of Cam, and looking magnificent. Tony. You have Tony. I told myself, blushing at the thought of being with anyone besides Tony. We loved each other. Promised we'd always be there for each other, no matter what. I smiled, clearing my head.

“And I thought you looked good before,” Cam purred, “But now you look like a goddess.”

He was wearing a simple white V-neck Tee, and a black button up vest with a pair of dark straight leg jeans with black dress shoes. Jay wore a white button up shirt, unbuttoned casually a few buttons, black straight leg jeans and black dress shoes. Stitch, who stood beside Jay wore essentially the same thing, with a thin black tie, both of their sleeves rolled to just below the elbow. Vance though stood out. He wore a black button up shirt with a white vest, dark jeans and shoes and had rolled his sleeves to his elbows. He smirked, looking almost sinister with the mysterious sparkle in his eyes. He stepped forward, extending a hand to me, which cautiously I took.

“Shall we go then?” he asked the room, staring me straight in the eyes.

There was a shuffle in the room and we were out the door. When we hit the streets I was pleasantly surprised to find that we weren't the only ones decked out in club wear. Vance explained that clubbing was a big thing in London, but the club we were going to was the best. We rushed into the tube and I began to feel a buzz in my head I hadn't felt for a long time. I started to get nervous. I didn't like this feeling; I had left this feeling behind long ago and I didn't want it back. I began to wipe my hands anxiously against my pants. This buzz. It wasn't good for me.

“It's okay,” Stitch's voice caught me off guard, making me jump. He sat beside me on one side, and Vance was on the other. “I think you're just excited. Nothing to fret over.”

Just as I opened my mouth to thank him, Vance leaned over and ran his fingers gently through my blue curls. “I love what you've done with your hair,” he said with a charming smile.

“Thank you, Vance.” I said, smiling back at him.

I heard Stitch mutter beside me, “What was wrong with it before?”

Before I could respond to Stitch, Vance leaned forward, the playful smile turning more sinister. “Perhaps she was looking for change, and change is good. Very good.” he challenged.

Stitch was quick to come back. “Sure, change is good, but the winds can only blow in a certain direction for so long.” His eyes flashed for a moment, the emerald changing to a darker green.

I felt uncomfortable sitting between them as I remembered what Cam told me. Who was this girl? She had to have been pretty special to have two good looking guys fighting over her. Or maybe she was related to one of them... but so far as I knew they were both the only child in their families. Stitch's family was dead, so maybe she was related to Vance. But maybe the girl was one of their girlfriends and maybe she was a cheater... or maybe one of them stole her away... there were just too many possibilities. I tuned back into the conversation floating around me and about died. The acid in their voices astounded me. How could two people hate each other that much?

The train slid to a stop and Cam stood up, motioning for everyone to join him. I jumped out of my seat to put distance between me and the boys, hustling to stand near Kitty and Jay. They were the only two who didn't seem to have a problem cooperating with everyone. We followed closely behind Cam, who stepped off the train and waited for Vance to step by his side. After we were all together, we left the station and hit the streets again. If I thought there were plenty of clubbers by the school, I was wrong. The street was littered with glittery girls and well dressed guys. As we crossed the street I noticed a line of people outside a building that looked a lot like an old garage with vintage diner doors. Above the doors was a sign that read: fabric. This was where we were going? The number two club on the top 100 club list for the year, and it looked like this? I could hardly believe it, but there was a huge line, at least a hundred people just waiting outside the door, and the music could be heard from the inside already. I wondered how long they had been waiting out here. Our tube ride took quite some time, and it was already 10:30. I wondered how many people were already inside. If we had to wait in that line we would never make it in.

But of course we didn't have to do such a thing. Vance slipped his arm through mine, where he came from I had no idea, and led me to the door. The bouncer, a tall muscular man, glared down at us for a moment. Vance flashed a charming smile, and the bouncer moved aside, much to the displeasure of the people waiting in line. Suddenly there was a group of girls screaming Vance's name. He glanced over his shoulder at them, listening to their pleas to get them in, but he politely declined and stepped in with me. The heat hit me before anything else, then the smell. Cologne, perfume, and sweat all mingled together with the mass of bodies within the building. There had to be at least three hundred people already in here, but there was plenty of space left to fill in on the massive open dance floor. I wondered how many people they could fit in here. We weaved through a sea of people, and left the room, entering another room, full of even more people. As soon as we had situated ourselves in the crowd, we went straight to dancing. I moved beside Kitty and we went at it, dancing with the beat of the music, our bodies moving in time together, and then Jay stepped up behind Kitty and moved her hair to the side, pressing his lips against her neck. Well, they need their privacy... I chuckled in my head, turning to look at the others. Cam was watching me; I smiled, winked, and motioned him over. He didn't waste a second moving to me. I closed my eyes and let out a deep breath. Don't think about it, just remember to have fun and dance! I told myself, it was the same thing I told myself every time my friends and I went clubbing.

I left the world behind and heard only the music, felt only Cam's body pressed against mine as we moved in time with the music. His hands were on my hips, moving slowly up and down as we danced. I couldn't help it, but I put my hands on his, and we moved faster as the song changed. Coming back to the world, I found Kitty staring at us, an amused smile on her face. She was watching us, dancing with Jay, and then motioned her head toward the other boys. Vance was surrounded by a group of girls, dancing dangerously close to him. Of course, I had no room to talk, dancing as close as I was with Cam. I stayed like that, quite content for a good time before Vance approached, asking for his turn to dance. Nervously, I accepted, and for a while, we just danced, side by side until my brain stopped working and my body took over. He moved behind me, his hands on my waist, his body flush against mine. His touch made me dizzy, his breath on my neck made my heart race. Our bodies moved in perfect unison, not a glitch in our movement. I don't know what came over me, but I suddenly wasn't worried about what was happening or who I was dancing with, my carnal side took over. I started moving against him more roughly, and his response was to match the heat.

My head started to spin, and my body kept moving of its own accord as I seemed to drop away. Images flashed through my mind like a slide show, and then the movie started. I was watching something filled with passion, two people, lovers I suppose, moving against each other, skin against skin, hot and sticky. It was as if the camera pulled back and I saw for the first time what I couldn't before. It wasn't just two people, it was Vance and I, and then the vision vanished and I was thrown back into the real world. Who knows how long I had been stuck in that vision, but it seemed like an eternity. I blushed. What was I thinking? In my brief moment of transition, our flawless movement against each other faltered. His hands had snaked down my waist to my hips, and further, slowly. I blushed and waited for the song to end before I moved away. He seemed upset for a moment, but let me leave. I wandered hopelessly lost across the dance floor until I found the bar. I just needed water. I needed to sit. I found an open seat at the bar and took it, wedging myself between a couple eating each other, and a rather handsome young man. After I asked for a water, and the bartender gave me a strange look, the boy turned to me. He introduced himself as Leon, and after I gave him my name, he reacted just like every other person had.

“American, huh?” He asked, “Just here on vacation?”

“No, actually I'm a student,” I half shouted over the music, leaning toward him. “I was kicked out of the U.S.”

“Kicked out, for what?”

“I didn't do anything, my dad just sent me away. He won't even tell me why.”

Leon's eyebrow lifted slightly. “He did? How rude.”

I laughed. “I know, right?”

Leon and I talked some more before he set his drink down and asked me to dance. We moved into the crowd of people and he grouped up with a bunch of his friends. We had a great time dancing together, but the feel of his body against mine wasn't like Vance's had been. After a while, I excused myself to find my friends, but had a difficult time weaving through the masses of people moving like an ocean in the room. Just as I was about to give up and head back to the bar, a hand fell on my shoulder. Startled, I turned around and found myself looking at Stitch. I sighed, relieved. He took me by the hand and led me back to the others. When we arrived, we started dancing. He stayed a good distance from me for a while, but when I took his hand and pulled him toward me, our bodies pressing up against each other. I was staring up at him over my shoulder, his eyes locked on mine. The world melted away again as we danced, he of all the boys I had danced with was the most conservative with his hands. He kept them against my hips, moving them only slightly when he had to. His touch against my body lit me on fire. The heat in the room was sweltering, but the heat from his body was confortable, something I longed to have by me forever. Our bodies moved together perfectly, but unlike the movements with Vance, I wasn't rough. Our movements were fluid, we moved not as two people, but as one entity, one being, one mind.

I remained with Stitch for the evening until Kitty pulled me away to go to the bathroom. Both of us were glistening with sweat, our hair becoming flat, but luckily our makeup was still in place.

“Laela, I had no idea you could dance like that!” Kitty shouted once we entered the John as Kitty called it. “You're amazing girl.”

I waited with several other girls while Kitty disappeared, and came back minutes later. We fixed our hair as best we could, checked our make up, and just stood around. There was a chill to the room that made it nice compared to the heat of the dance floor. We talked for a while about the guys, she mostly questioned me about Vance, but I managed to satisfy her with the response, “It's nothing, I was just dancing.” She dropped it, and we listened to a group of girls talking about a couple of dishy guys. I furrowed my brow, confused by the term. Kitty promptly told me they meant they were good looking. Upon closer listen, we were able to determine they were talking about our boys. Kitty looked like she was going to explode, so I took her out of the bathroom. She was fuming when we returned to the boys, but their situation wasn't much better. Stitch and Vance were at each others throats in a yelling match.

“Get stuffed you bloody awful bastard!” Stitch shouted, and the crowd around them hushed, an audible gasp rushing through them.

Vance stood, a sinister glare in his eyes, the immediate area turning cold as ice. Kitty gripped my arm tightly next to me, biting her finger nervously. I didn't know what he had said, obviously he had used some term in British slang I wasn't familiar with, and it was bad.

“Oh naff off you git.” Vance countered, folding his arms over his chest.

Stitch's body tightened; he looked as if he were going to lunge at Vance and rip him to shreds. The crowd was hissing whispers around us. They had to be removed before something catastrophic happened. I stepped into the cleared circle around them and put my hands on Stitch's chest, shoving him backward. He stayed in place, but looked down at me.

“Stitch, knock it off. Let's go.” I said harshly, glaring up at him.

I could hear Vance laughing behind me. I turned to glare at him, but said nothing. I took Stitch's hand and led him away from Vance and the crowd and glancing at the clock. It was four am. It didn't seem like we had been there that long, but time was a funny thing. I dragged him onto the street and turned to face him.

“Look, I don't know what your problem is with Vance, but could you at least act civilly in public?” I shouted.

For a long time he didn't answer me, the muffled sound of the music was all I could hear behind the doors.

“If you knew what that snake did, you wouldn't be so keen on defending him.” he growled.

“Then tell me.” I stepped closer to him, glaring.

“You don't need to know,”

“Like hell I don't! You were acting like an animal in there! There's something up with that. Now tell me.”

“You would never understand! I shouldn't have to explain myself to a girl whose too blind to see it herself!”

I gasped, throwing my hand over my heart. “How dare you! I can't believe you Stitch! You have no manners at all.”

“If I have no manners you have no taste. I saw the way you were pressed up against Vance, not a care in the world for the boyfriend back home whom you claim to love. You and your wishy-washy feelings! Get something straight for me within yourself before I even think of explaining my reason to loath him so!”

I ground my teeth together to keep from saying something truly awful as I noticed Kitty and Jay standing behind Stitch. They looked just as shocked as I felt. Stitch looked over his shoulder at them, clenched his fists at his side, and then stomped off into the darkness.

Kitty approached as I felt tears leaking down my cheeks. “Let's go home,” she whispered.

Chapter Twenty-one

Saturday had been spent in its entirety packing for our trip to my house, Kitty kept popping in and out of my room, asking what she should bring, what clothes were appropriate for the weather in Florida, and so on. My stomach had been twisting itself into nervous knots just thinking about being home with my family and friends. But what had my heart racing and head spinning was the thought of being with Tony again. I craved his touch against my skin, his lips against mine, the crispness of his breath against my cheeks. As we gathered out front, our baggage in tow, I glanced at Stitch, feeling a pang of bitterness pass through me. I hadn't spoken to him since Friday night, and he hadn't gone out of his way to seek me out for an apology either. Kitty had insisted, of course, that he hadn't really meant those words and it was the left over anger from his confrontation with Vance that had brought those things out, but I didn't believe her. He wouldn't have said those things if he didn't mean them. He's just one of those people who says what he means. Always.

Once we had gathered, I could feel the excitement of the others, especially Kitty. She was practically bouncing up and down, two large suitcases propped at either side of her hips. When she saw me a smile broke out across her face, lighting up her green eyes. Despite the fact that we would be on a plane for nine hours, Kitty was dressed in a stunning pair of black skinny jeans, a flowing pink lace halter and bright pink pumps. Her hair was twisted into a curly braid over her shoulder. I couldn't help but smile at her. There was a large black SUV parked at the edge of the drive, which Kitty lead us to before I could set my bag down. My load was significantly lighter than the others I noted as they lugged their bags to the car where the driver had exited and assisted them in putting the bags in the trunk. Kitty climbed into the car with Jay right behind her. Stitch climbed in next, leaving Cam and I in the front. The driver pulled away from the curb and headed straight for the airport. I picked up my phone and dialed my mom's number. It was three am there, but she insisted I called her to let her know the instant they left from the school.

“Hello?” She was tired but I could hear her excitement.

“Mom, have you slept at all?” I asked, listening to her chuckle. “That's what I thought. We're leaving the school now. Our flight doesn't leave until nine, so we won't be there until six-ish. I can't wait to see you.”

“And I can't wait to see you, and meet all your friends. I can now rest easy knowing you're coming home. I love you, Laela.” She yawned and hung up the phone.

My heart started pounding again. I couldn't wait to get on the plane. When we pulled up to the main doors, we unloaded our things and made our way to our terminal. Kitty walked beside me, dragging both of her suitcases, gabbing about how excited she was. She and I spoke the entire walk about the beautiful beaches, and boys, and shopping spots we needed to hit. It had been a long time since I had someone this excited about doing things I thought were extremely normal at this point. My friends and I would go to the beach almost every single day and just bask in the sun, play in the waves, and have the occasional bonfire or two. It was a party on the beach every weekend, most of which ended up with several people in the county jail for the night. As we boarded the plane I let my mind wander endlessly, I still needed to think of my favorite places.

***

Despite my anticipation for our arrival, I had fallen asleep on the plane, waking with my head on Cam's shoulder, his head angled slightly toward mine. My face flushed as I sat up, brushing my hair back into place, frightened for a moment by the bright teal piece that now hung in front of my right eye. When I had gathered my wits, I looked out the window as the pilot announced that we would be landing shortly. The FASTEN SEATBELT light flashed overhead, and I quickly obliged, my anxiety coming back full force. I couldn't wait to get off the plane. My mom would be waiting to pick us up, perhaps with my little brother Kyler. If it weren't for the seat belt, I would probably have been bouncing up and down in my seat. I never thought of myself as homesick before, but once I saw the beach below, I knew that I had just been shoving the feeling back down so no one would know, though I'm sure they could tell.

We hit the runway and my heart began to flutter like the wings of a hummingbird. It probably wasn't healthy to have a heart rate as fast as mine, but here I was, ready to pass out because I was about to see my family again. Cam's hand fell on mine, a smile on his lips.

“Calm down, love.” He said, smiling. “Wouldn't want to have to haul you off to the hospital before you see your mum.”

I took a deep breath, smiling. “Right,”

As we left the plane with the other passengers Cam and I got separated from the others in our party. I had been in such a rush to get to the luggage carrousel I had forgotten I came with anyone else. Cam had been able to keep up, and I doubt he was too concerned that we were lost together. Waiting for the others turned out to be nearly unbearable. I didn't think I could be so excited to see my family, but my head was swimming in the feeling and my stomach seemed to be pumping it out so furiously I thought I might faint. Cam steered me away from the sea of people to wait on a chair; he had to practically shove me into the seat. I was so antsy I couldn't sit still for longer than an instant. Cam dialed Jay's number and waited for him to pick up. Three missed calls later, the others finally found them.

“Jeez, Laela, you'd think you were late for something.” Jay sighed, running his hand through his hair. His accent had attracted the eyes of many passing them. “But now that we're all together, where to?”

A smile split Laela's face. “I'll call my mo—” my phone screen lit up, flashing MOM across it before the music started. “Hey! I was just about to call you, we've got all our stuff. Where are you?”

“Waiting at the main entrance,” she said, “Do you guys need some help?”

“No, I think we've got it handled. We'll be there in just a moment.”

Without saying anything to the others, I grabbed my bag and lifted it over my shoulder, taking off toward the entrance. They followed, practically running to keep up with me. When I broke out of the front doors, I glanced up and down the line of cars outside until my heart leapt as they found what they were looking for. My neighbor's black Expedition. Our family had always been small, so we never had the need for a large car, but our neighbors had five children. Their family was huge. My mom was waiting outside of it. When I saw her, I dropped my bag and ran for her, my arms outstretched, tears slipping down my cheeks. My mom waited for me, her arms out wide, and when we met, she closed them tightly around me, petting my dark black curls, her tears making my neck wet. She was murmuring quietly how much she missed me, holding me tightly against her. I could hardly put together a response because of my tears, but I knew she understood. We stood in an embrace for a good five minutes before someone behind me cleared their throat. Releasing my mom, I turned, wiping the tears away from my cheeks.

“Sorry guys,” I hiccuped. “I was just so—”

“We understand,” Cam said, smiling. His smile seemed extra charming with his accent now being foreign. “Are you going to introduce us? Or shall I?” he winked.

“Mom,” I turned to look at her for a brief moment, “These are my friends from school. This is Cam Harding, Jay Clarke, Kitty Leon, and Stitch Mazigatti.” I pointed to each in turn. My voice had become slightly breathy when I said Stitch's name, drawing a blush to my cheeks. “Guys, this is my mom, Danica.”

Kitty smiled. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Price. Thank you so much for allowing us to stay.” she said.

My mom looked at me, putting her hand over her heart. “Laela, your friends are so charming. Perhaps it's the accent.” she winked at them.

“That's exactly what it is,” I laughed, as Cam playfully punched my shoulder.

We loaded our things in the car, and were on our way. I watched as familiar sights flew by the window. The others were all chatting away with my mom, well, everyone but Stitch. He hadn't said more than four words since we had left England, and those were all to my mother. With a sigh I glanced out the window and suddenly my phone rang. It was Rush.

I shushed the car, reminding them that my friends couldn't know we were home yet. The car went silent. “Hello?” I said.

“Hey babe! Sorry I'm calling a little late, we had a little meeting after practice today, but I just wanted to make sure you're okay. Everything going well over there? And remember, I'm here if you want to talk.” he said.

“Talk about what? I'm fine.” I feigned a yawn, which ended up being more real than fake. “Everything's fine, really.”

“You sure? Nothing you want to talk about?”

“No, Rush. Not tonight. I just need to sleep...” I wondered what he was going on about, but I couldn't ask.

“Yeah, sleep babe. I know how you get when you don't sleep enough.” I could hear the wink in his voice. “Night. Hope you're having a great time there. And remember, I'm always here for you. I'll never leave.”

“Night, Rush. Talk to you soon.” I smiled, knowing next time we spoke it would be in person and hung up.

My mom glanced at me. “Rush? Do you guys talk a lot?” she knew about Rush's crush on me, and I suspected she had been keeping quiet about it.

“He calls every night,” The voice surprised me. It was Stitch's.

I turned to look at him, sitting in the far back seat by himself. His expression was blank, unreadable. How did he know I was getting calls from Rush every night? I thought only Kitty knew, but then again, Kitty did have issues with keeping certain things quiet. I raised my eyebrow at him, but he remained neutral. His attitude—or lack of one—was starting to piss me off. I turned back around as we exited the freeway, heading into town. In an instant I forgot about Stitch's moodiness and focused on how great it felt to be home. Ten minutes later we turned onto my street, and my house came into view at the end of it. It was large, yes, but not gaudy. Everyone who lived on our street had large houses, though hardly any of them had need of the many rooms within them, my family included. I could see my brother on the porch waiting with my puppy in his arms. My mom rolled the car into our neighbor's drive, and I bailed out of the car before she had put it in park, running across the lawns to where my brother stood, holding out Pip because he knew that's what I wanted. Pip was a little black terrier I had rescued from the shelter a few weeks before I had been shipped off to England. Oh how I had missed him! Scooping the dog up into my arms, he started yipping happily, trying to climb up my chest so he could hide his face in my hair. It was one of his favorite things.

Walking back across the lawn I brought Pip to meet the others. Kitty almost died when she saw him, falling into a rant about how adorable he was. Jay couldn't help but fall under his cute spell either, and though Cam wouldn't admit it, I knew he liked him. Stitch just watched, silent and detached. I would force him to talk to me later even if it meant backing him against a wall, or taping him to a lawn chair. We dragged our bags inside, the journey finally beginning to catch up with us. My mom showed the boys to the guest house out back by the pool, and I took Kitty up the stairs. The room next to mine was empty, and she would be using it. When she stepped inside she gasped.

“This place is huge Laela, goodness!” she said.

I laughed. “I never told you guys it would be small.” I replied, and on a more serious note I added, “Do you know what's up with Stitch?”

She looked back at me over her shoulder, biting her lip. She was hiding something. “I think he's still a little miffed by the scene at the club with Vance. Nothing to worry about.”

I stared at her, but didn't push it. “I'll be in my room, I'm going to change. It's right next door if you need anything.”

Walking into my room almost made me cry again. Breathing in a deep breath of air, I flopped face down onto my purple comforter, nestling myself into it. I missed the feeling of the soft down and velvet floral patterns when I slept. Pulling myself away from the bed, I pulled off my sweats and put on my favorite pair of bright orange booty shorts and a black v-neck t-shirt. My mom told me I always looked like I was waiting for Halloween when I wore this outfit, but I loved it. I walked slowly around my room, looking at all the photos that were left on the walls. Most of them were of Tony and I. There was a knock on my door, and it opened slowly. It was Kitty. She looked around my room in awe before I told her to pick up her jaw and come in. She came and stood by my side, looking at the pictures. She picked one up.

“This is Tony, I assume?” She said, turning the picture to me.

I nodded. “Yep, that was our first summer together. We went to the beach and he taught me how to surf.” I said, “I'm awful at surfing, but he never laughed.”

She smiled, almost sadly. “You two are cute together.”

“Thanks,” I sighed. “You and Jay are adorable too, you know.”

She blushed. “Thanks.” She put down the picture and picked up another one. “Who are these people?”

She handed me the picture. It was my little gang after the homecoming football game. I was sitting on Rush's shoulders, he was sweaty and sticky from the game. Tony was standing by his side, arm around his waist, goofy grin on his face. Keltie was on the shoulders of another player, Gray, her boyfriend at the time. That picture had also been in the yearbook. It was our Junior year. Tony and I had been together for almost a year at that point. I explained all of this to Kitty, who listened intently. Suddenly there were more people at the door. Jay and the others stood in my doorway, smiling.

“It's nice to see you in your element,” Jay said, “What are you girls looking at?”

“Laela's pictures of her and her friends.” Kitty said before Laela got a chance.

Jay and Cam invited themselves into the room, but Stitch remained aloof. As the others looked through my pictures, I sat and watched Stitch. He hovered in my doorway, looking around, taking in everything, but saying nothing. It was as if he were waiting for permission to enter my room, like he would be struck by lightning if I didn't say something. He knew I was watching him, his eyes swept the room one final time before finding mine. There was something almost electric about the way our eyes locked, my skin was littered with goosebumps, and my heart started racing. I wasn't frightened—no—I was excited and nervous all at once. I couldn't explain the feeling, but it was growing stronger. Having Stitch standing in the hall, looking into my room where I sat made everyone else fade away as if he were waiting for me, and only me. My imagination threw the hand on the clock of life back to the early twenties. I imagined him in a crisp cut suit, and me in a tassled flapper dress, a feather and headband in my short crop of curly black hair. I don't know why I had chosen that particular time period, but it seemed to fit us. Shaking my head, and hoping he didn't notice, I cleared my thoughts. Looking back at him his expression had changed. It was no longer distant. Instead, it was hopeful. Why? I couldn't be sure.

My mom started calling loudly from downstairs. I stood up quickly, nearly tripping on Jay's extended leg. They stood and exited the room before me, following my mom's voice down the stairs. As I approached the door, Stitch still stood there, watching me. I looked at him curiously as I passed, sidestepping around him to get out my door. Our bodies brushed against each other, a warm flutter rising in my stomach. I turned and coughed, hiding my blush. Why did he have the power to make me feel that way? Pip was clawing his way up the steps, the climb between each one almost too large for his tiny legs, yipping loudly. I bent over and scooped him up as I passed on my way down, Stitch gliding silently behind me. My mother had prepared a huge meal; the others were already seated at the table. I rolled my eyes when I noticed my brother take a seat directly across from Kitty, his eyes roaming her figure. Stepping around the table, and being sure to walk behind him, I slapped him upside the back of his head and sat down on his right. Stitch took the other empty seat to my right. Everyone was looking at me asking silently with their eyes why I had hit Kyler.

“Sorry, but the number you dialed is currently in use.” I said, smiling at Kitty. Kyler groaned, and everything clicked for Kitty, who became suddenly red. “This looks delicious, mom.”

She smiled. “Thank you,” she said, instructing everyone to dish what was in front of them and then pass the dishes to the right.

Dinner was passed with talk of Dover, and how we had all met each other. Cam made sure to tell my mother exactly what he thought of me the first time he saw me. My mom raised her eyebrow in concern, but only I caught it. She shot me a questioning look, and I shook my head. It was enough explanation for her. Kyler, though he now knew she was taken, continued to watch Kitty, clearly more intrigued by her breasts than her face. I kicked his shin.

“Dammit, would you stop that?” he growled, turning to look at me, his eyes becoming icy.

“Language young man.” My mom tutted.

He continued to glare at me. “What was that for?”

“Like I said before, lay off.” he raised his eyebrows, pretending he didn't understand. My eyes hardened. “Jay, please wave.” he did so. “Lay off.”

Jay now understood what was going on, his hand sliding protectively onto Kitty's thigh. Kyler shrunk into his seat, defeated. After we had finished eating, and cleaning off the dishes, my mom insisted we watch a movie and relax before going to sleep. She had a big day planned for all of us tomorrow, and it involved the beach. My stomach sunk a little. My friends always went to the beach Sunday; hopefully we didn't run into any of them. But the beach was big. We would most likely miss them, besides, I knew exactly where they would be, and they usually didn't stray from the usual. Usually.

****

We arrived at the beach with the afternoon swell, so finding a place to set up camp proved difficult. I had been sure to steer them clear of the group's usual spot, placing us about two miles down the beach. When we finally had everything in place, Kitty couldn't wait to get into the water. She had been eying it longingly as we drove up the coast to find parking. My mom had parked in the parking structure for her work and we had walked to the beach. Kitty looked at me, and I smiled, stripping the loose shirt I wore over my suit and kicking off my shorts; Kitty did the same, and the two of us raced into the water. We crashed through the waves until it was hard to run, and both of us toppled into the water. We surfaced, laughing. She threw her hair back, floating on the cool blue water. Enviously I looked at her adorable bikini and wished I had worn mine, but with Cam here I didn't want him getting any ideas. Suddenly a wall of water hit my face. I hadn't even seen Kitty stand again, but she was laughing hysterically, clutching her sides. Scrunching my nose, I splashed her back, and the war began. The boys had joined us, and Kyler had joined their side. Kitty and I were outnumbered, and when she was taken hostage by Jay I was forced to negotiate the terms of her release. Jay didn't seem to keen on letting her go. I rolled my eyes, noticing his hands sliding slowly up and down her stomach. Her face was bright red, but she didn't make any moves to get away from him. Kyler watched, jealously. Jay smiled smugly, ignoring my offers and kissing the side of Kitty's neck.

Throwing my arms up in surrender, Cam scooped me up and threw me into the water. I surfaced, gasping for air, flailing my arms around like a dying animal. Cam just sniggered, and received a wall of water in his face. He chased me down, which wasn't a hard feat as I struggled to move through the heavy waist-deep water, locking his arms around my waist and arching his back, pulling me out of the water. Laughing, the two of us fell into the water, surfacing and laughing at each other. Playfully I splashed him in the face and dove under the water, swimming away from him. Floating on my back in the waves, I stared up at the clear blue sky I missed so much, feeling the sun bake my skin. I was going to have to make up for the tan—or lack of one—while I was in England. I should have worn a bikini. I felt a blush rise to my cheeks thinking about being that exposed with Stitch around. I don't know why I always felt embarrassed when I thought about what I wore around Stitch.

With my eyes closed I listened to the rush of water around me from the waves, reveling in the feel of the water against my bare skin. Oh how I had missed the beach. Sinking below the waves, I surfaced again, brushing my long wet curls out of my face. I glanced at my friends who were enjoying the feel of the water just as much as me, and swam toward them. My mom called to us from the shore, waving us in for sandwiches. After lunch we played at the beach for a few more hours before my mom got called in for work. Begrudgingly we left the beach and headed home. By the time we got there, all our energy had been drained by the sun. We sunk onto the couches in my basement and watched The Bourne Identity.

I don't remember falling asleep, but I woke up curled into Stitch's chest on the couch. Cam was asleep on the armchair, and Kitty was asleep with Jay on the Luvsac. I began to wonder why no one had done anything about a bunch of teens sleeping together in a basement, but then I remembered my mom was still at work, and my dad didn't know we were home. Kyler had gone to sleep so he could get up for school, so no one had been here to worry that a bunch of teens were sleeping together. My eyes burned when I opened them, so I closed them again, and nuzzled my head against Stitch's chest, then I realized what I was doing. I jumped away from him, fixing my hair and moving quietly across the room. Stitch was awake already it seemed as my jerky reaction had no effect on him.

“Morning,” he said.

I eyed him. He hadn't spoken to me once since we had arrived. “Morning...” I replied. My gut twisted. I needed to apologize for my outburst at the club. “Stitch, listen, I'm sorry for what I said Friday. I just don't understand why you two hate each other so much.”

He sighed. “I should be the one apologizing to you, Laela. One day you'll know why we hate each other, I promise.”

“Better happen soon, or I'll kill someone,” I mumbled, rifling through the cupboard in the kitchen for a cup. I heard him chuckle. I filled the glass with water from the sink and checked the clock on the microwave. “Oh crap. Lunch is in an hour and I want to surprise them!” I slammed the cup down on the granite, causing everyone to stir.

“Surprise who?”

“My friends. I wanted you all to meet them, and I really want to see them today. But if you guys don't want to come I can go on my own.” I looked at the others, still sleeping soundly on the furniture. “Looks like everyone could do with a little more sleep.”

He looked over his shoulder at everyone. “I don't mind tagging along, we might want to ask the others though.” He cleared his throat. “Hey guys, do you want to visit Laela's friends today, or wait until later?”

There was a low grumble from the others. “Later...” Kitty murmured. “More sleep.” Jay nodded in agreement. “Sleeeeeeep.” Cam said.

I laughed. “I guess I'll be going alone then. Unless you want to come Stitch.”

He looked at the others, and I could tell he was fighting a yawn.

“It's fine, you'll meet them later.” I smiled. “Sleep, when the others wake up, if I'm not here, remind them what happened.”

He nodded and settled back into the couch. I dashed upstairs, stopping to scream at my reflection in a mirror, and headed straight for the shower. I quickly ran the water through my hair, scrubbing down the remnants of ocean off of me, and ran to my room. I pulled on an edgy white skirt, one I always got in trouble for wearing to school, and a black tank top. I put on my gladiator sandals and grabbed my car keys from my dresser. My car was the one other thing I missed. She was my baby. Rushing out to the garage I threw open the door and dragged the tarp off my baby. She was a black 1969 Dodge Charger. Envy of every guy in school. I smiled to myself, sliding into the white leather seat and starting the engine, hearing it roar to life and purr as it waited to move.

Driving to school in the middle of the afternoon wasn't something unusual for me to do, especially on Mondays; it happened all too often with the parties I went to. I rolled into the parking lot, sure to stay clear of the view from the quad. My car was loud, and most everyone knew it. My heart was racing in my chest. I couldn't wait to see everyone again. Getting out of the car, I scanned the parking lot for anyone I knew, and saw a few people from my old Chem class. They didn't seem to notice me. Not that I really cared. I had to keep myself from racing like a madman to the quad, taking deliberately slower steps than I wanted. Still, I was walking extremely fast. It seemed the instant my foot hit the cement on the quad, a familiar voice boomed my name loud enough that the entire student body could hear it.

Rush came at me from no where, scooping me up into the air, nearly suffocating me from his hug. When he set me down, I turned around and gave him a proper hug.

“Laela, what are you doing here?!” he asked, smiling down at me. His brown eyes sparkled. His hair had gotten longer, now hanging in a messy shag around his face. It needed to be cut.

“Surprise! I don't have school this week, so a bunch of my friends from school came out here. They're all crashed back at my place, but I wanted to see you guys so badly I couldn't stay away!” I said. Keltie was suddenly shrieking my name as she ran across the quad, her all too short skirt bouncing around her hips, revealing her pink lace underwear as she went. “Keltie!! Oh girl I've missed you!” We hugged each other, each squealing giddily, jumping up and down.

After I released her, I glanced around. “Where's Tony?”

The two exchanged uncomfortable looks when suddenly Tony walked onto the scene. He saw me and nearly dropped his tray of food.

“Laela?” he spoke as if he were seeing a ghost. “Is that you?”

A smile broke across my face and I ran to him, flinging my arms around his neck.

“I missed you, Tony.” I purred, touching my nose to his.

His smile was slow. I almost pulled back, but pressed my lips to his. He hesitated, but pressed against me, holding me tight. My head was spinning. Oh how I had missed that feeling!

“Tony?” the voice belonged to a girl. It was a familiar voice. “Laela?”

I turned to look, breaking away from our kiss. Victoria! She had been my friend since middle school; we did everything together. I released Tony and flung my arms around her. She seemed rigid. Stepping away from her I looked at her questioningly.

“What are you doing here, Laela?” her tone wasn't friendly. It was angry.

“I came all the way from London to visit you!” I said, “Why are you so angry?”

“Why were you kissing Tony?”

“That's the most ridiculous question you could ask me, Vic. He's my boyfriend. I have the right to kiss him whenever I want.” I noticed Rush move out of the corner of my eye. He was trying to get my attention. I ignored him. “Besides, what's it to you? You've never asked this question before.”

Rush was still trying desperately to get my attention, but I continued to ignore him, staring at Vic. She glared, but said nothing. I turned to Tony, who had suddenly become as pale as a sheet.

“Tony, what's wrong? Are you okay baby?” I stepped toward him.

“Nothing, I'm fine.” he said, not looking at me.

“Tony, baby, what's wrong? I know when you're lying.”

Vic snorted from behind me. “Oh you do?”

I rounded on her, glaring. “Lay off would you? This is not what I wanted the first time I saw you, Vic. What's gotten into you lately?”

Rush had suddenly stopped trying to get my attention and marched up to Tony, balling his shirt in his hands and shaking him roughly. “Damn you, Tony.” he growled. “How dare you do this to her! You lied to all of us when you said she knew it was over!”

My heart stopped. I turned to look at Rush. “W-what?”

Keltie whimpered, something she did when the situation became heated.

“You said you had taken care of it! I called every night wondering why she was being so stoic about it, but now I understand why! She had no idea that you've been sleeping around with Vic this whole time!”

My stomach dropped into my knees and my head started to ache. I looked at Victoria. She stood with her arms crossed over her chest, a dour glare on her eyes, but a sinister smile on her lips. That bitch! She stole my boyfriend because I wasn't around! I clenched my fists at my side. I needed to hit something, but first I needed answers. I marched up to Tony, knowing the whole quad was watching, and shoved Rush out of the way. Tears were burning in my eyes.

“How long?” I growled. He didn't say a word, just stared at me. “HOW LONG!”

“Almost six months now,” he whispered.

Tears slipped down my cheeks. I had only been gone for a month. “Why, Tony! I thought you loved me!”

He didn't say anything, which made Rush even more upset. He stepped forward, but I shot a warning glare at him. Tony was mine. I would deal with him. He seemed shaken by my tears. They always effected him, though I had no idea why they would at this point. If he had been dating my friend behind my back for so long, this should be a walk in the park for him.

“Answer my question, Tony.” I growled, my eyes boring holes into his.

“I got drunk at a party one night, and she offered to go skinny dipping. I've always wanted to do that, and she was offering, so in my state, I accepted. You were passed out on the couch anyway, I didn't think you'd notice.” he said, dropping his eyes to the pavement. “After that, we kept seeing each other. Victoria made it a game. Seeing how long we could go before you found out. When you left for England, it all just came into the open. We didn't have to hide any more.”

“That's not why, Tony. That's how.”

He shifted his weight nervously.

“I gave him my body when you wouldn't.” Victoria announced from behind me. “You're so good about that stuff that Tony was dying from lack of engagement.”

I rounded on her, my rage bubbling over. Before I could think, my fist connected with her jaw. She fell to the ground, sprawling in her little dress which ended up around her stomach, her panties clear for everyone to see. Blood dribbled down her chin as she stared up at me in shock.

“You deserve much more than that, bitch.” I turned back to Tony. He didn't move though he knew what was coming. My fist hit his jaw and I heard a snap as a rocket of pain shot through my arm. He stumbled back a few steps. “I hope you rot in Hell, Tony. You're a bastard.”

With my knuckles bloody and my finger swelling, I headed for my car, tears blurring my vision as I went. I wouldn't cry with everyone watching and cheering behind me. Rush and Keltie followed me to my car, and when I was safely away from everyone, I curled into Rush's chest and sobbed.

Chapter twenty-two

Through the blur of unshed tears clouding my eyes I managed to make it home safely, pulling my car into the garage and placing the tarp lovingly over the top once more before running inside, paying no mind to anyone or anything in my way. I bit my lip so hard as I ran it began to bleed, dribbling scarlet liquid down my chin. I heard my mom call to me as I barreled past her as she came in the door, making my way up the stairs. When I made it to my room I slammed the door, causing a few pictures hanging on my wall to crash to the floor. Some of the glass frames shattered, but I didn't care. I threw myself onto my bed and sobbed. How could he do that to me? Why? I had been so good to him, and he had saved my life. We were perfect for each other, but it seemed apparent at that moment that I had been living in some fantasy world I had created for the two of us to live together in. The world it seemed had been sewn together with the thinnest threads and paper landscapes as I watched it get shredded to pieces and trampled carelessly. I hated him. Loathed him beyond the human capacity to loathe someone.

I could feel my makeup running down my face, black rivers of mascara and eyeliner coating my cheeks, but I didn't care. Someone knocked at the door, a muffled voice came from behind it. Without looking at the door I shouted at them to leave me alone, and of course that did nothing. The door opened and I heard my mom gasp. She carefully stepped across the room, and sat on my bed. She put her hand on my shoulder which I quickly shrunk away from, growling through my sobbing hiccups for her to go away.

“What's wrong, Laela?” She asked quietly.

“I told you to go away. I need to be alone right now.” I sobbed, turning my head into my pillow, smudging makeup across it.

My mom was never one to push, so with a sigh she stood up and left, reminding me that the glass was still on the floor and that I should be careful when exiting. Through my tears I snorted a laugh. She always knew what to say, but somehow the laugh did little for my mood; the anger and despair quickly set back in as a whole new wave of tears hit me full force. My body rocked with sobs, heaving breaths and loud cries. I didn't care who heard me, I needed to let it all out. No, I needed to destroy something. Rolling over I sat up on my bed and stared out the window to the backyard. My eyes settled on the glass picnic table, and I had the sudden urge to smash it to bits. I looked at the shattered glass that littered my floor and for a moment considered smashing them against the wall, but the obsessive neat freak that was dying to be let out won that battle, and I left them where they were. Instead, I sat on my bed, staring at the door, hugging a pillow to my chest and sobbing.

It didn't make sense to me that he had been cheating for that long and I hadn't noticed any signs of unfaithfulness. My mind wandered back to the party Tony had mentioned. It had been the only party that I had ever had way too much to drink at. Normally I was the designated driver, so I hardly drank at all, but that night I let myself go. It had been the last party of the summer, and I had been all over Tony, doing things I knew I wouldn't if I were sober. He hadn't seemed to mind my advances that night, but of course he was completely wasted too. At some point between one and three in the morning, I began to drift in and out of consciousness on the couch in the living room of Rush's brother's apartment, but I remembered clearly hearing bits and pieces of conversation. Rush was hitting up some college girl, flirting like I had never seen him do before. Keltie was dancing and singing to the music with Burt, Rush's brother, and Tony was in the kitchen talking to someone. I couldn't remember who it was, the voice was quiet, hissing something in a low voice. Tony agreed, to what I couldn't remember, but with what was said today I knew now that it was Victoria's voice and he had agreed to go skinny dipping. That was what started it all.

Six months they had said. As I thought about it, the signs became clearer. There had been times I would call him and invite him over for dinner or just to hang out and he would tell me he was busy with his family. At the time I didn't think much about it, big Italian family and all—they had always been close—but it seemed a little odd since Bambi usually invited me to family outings. She considered me a part of their family. Then came the new cologne. I thought it was just something he was trying, and I liked it. He said he was doing something different, trying on different smells just to see which ones I liked better. I growled, strangling my pillow in my hands. That jerk! He was going to pay for this one way or another. A stab of pain rocketed up my arm and I cried out, looking down at my hand. It was still bloody, and my joint was swelling up where I had most likely broken it punching Tony in the jaw. I needed to get some ice on it but I didn't want to leave my room. Stepping off of my bed, I went to my desk, looking at the items on the desk. All of them were from Tony. I clenched my jaw, glaring at the objects. Pictures, cds, notes, tiny glass figurines, and more. With a shout, I shoved everything off the desk, sending papers flying, and things sprawling across the room. I slammed my hands onto the desk, crying out again in pain as my hand throbbed. The others were downstairs. I didn't want to face them. I dropped to my knees, running my hands through my hair. Just ignore everyone downstairs and get some ice. I thought to myself.

With a sigh, I stood up, avoiding the glass on the floor, crunching on the things Tony had given me, and stepping into the hallway. I didn't care to fix my makeup, or even hide the fact that I had been crying. I was still crying, the tears leaking down my cheeks. I doubted my eyes would be dry for days. Some trip back home this had turned out to be. I moped down the stairs, leaning against the wall as I went, dragging my shoulder against it. When I reached the kitchen, my skin went cold, and my heart became icy.

Tony was standing in my kitchen, talking to my friends as if nothing were wrong.

I bit my bottom lip, holding back the growl I could feel coming, and took off my shoe. I glared daggers at the back of his head as I launched my shoe at him. It hit the back of his head, throwing him off balance. He stumbled forward as I took off my other shoe and prepared to throw it. Everyone was watching me now, and as Tony turned to face me, I launched my other shoe, hitting him square in the nose. He stared at me in shock as blood dripped from his nose. My body became rigid, I hoped my eyes were burning and he could see the rage within them.

“Get the hell out of my house,” I hissed, searching for something else I could throw at him.

“Laela, babe, can we talk about this?” he asked, holding his hand below his chin to catch the dripping blood.

My lip twitched. “Talk about this?!” I screeched, taking the last four steps and walking into the kitchen. I wanted to punch him again. “What is there to talk about! And don't you dare call me babe.”

He fidgeted uncomfortably. “I'm sorry, Laela. Truly.”

“Bullshit,” I thumped him as hard as I could in the chest with my good fist. “I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING MORE TO SAY TO YOU THAN HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID!!” I didn't care that everyone in the room was staring at us in complete and utter shock. I hit him again. “You could get down on your knees and lick the dust off every inch of floor in this house, grovel and beg, and I would never forgive you.” I drew my fist back to hit him again, and fear flickered across his eyes.

He flinched back a step, running into Cam, who suddenly seemed rather angry, glaring down at him as if he knew exactly what was going on. Jay and Kitty kept glancing back and forth between him and I as if they were watching a tennis match, but Stitch's eyes were glued to me. A rage, powerful and almost tangible, like nothing I had felt before surged through me. I spotted my mom's knife rack out of the corner of my eye and made quick move, grabbing the first knife I could. It turned out to be the largest butcher knife we owned. Tony's eyes grew wide as I jabbed the knife forward.

“Get out of my house!” I shrieked, jabbing it forward again, “I never want to see your face around here again! Don't call, don't even think about me! You are dead to me!”

He swallowed a lump in his throat and stepped around the knife, backing himself into the entrance hall, taking slow steps toward the door. When he opened it, he backed straight into Rush, who loomed over him like a Reaper ready to bring its last soul to the afterlife.

“You've got guts showing your face here after what you did to her.” Rush growled, grabbing him by the shirt collar and yanking him out of the door. He tossed him, not all too gently, to the sidewalk. “You'll stay away from her if you know what's good for you.”

Rush stepped inside and slammed the door behind him. He turned to me, a look of concern in his eyes. I was still holding the knife in front of me, my hands shaking. Behind me there was a small puddle of blood on the tile; Rush eyed it curiously.

“I never really took you for the dangerous knife-wielding type, Laela.” he said, laughing. I didn't see it as funny. “Okay, so the humor is lost on you at this point. How's the hand?”

“What happened to your hand?” Cam asked, stepping in front of me, looking at my hands. “Laela, your hands are all bloody! What happened?!”

I bit my lip, my tooth falling into the groove of the wound I had made earlier, drawing blood once more. In the pit of my stomach I could feel the anguish building, the despair, the emptiness. It was like a void, a black hole, forming in my body. I started to shake again, swallowing huge gulps of air in an attempt to keep myself from breaking down again. I felt lost, knowing that the one I loved never loved me. Never. None of it was real. I could hear my friends asking questions, but their voices sounded miles away. My head started to pound, my cheeks were moist again, tears rolling off my chin and splashing onto my chest, black makeup trails slithering down my skin. I put the knife down on the counter, the metal clinging against it as my tremors continued. Everyone had stopped talking and waited, watching me, hoping for an answer.

“I'm sorry,” I sobbed, “Sorry you have to see this, sorry to ruin our trip only two days in.” I felt guilty, like I was ruining their lives because they weren't having fun.

Stitch put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me into his chest. “Shh,” he crooned, stroking the back of my head slowly. “You're not ruining our trip, Laela. We're your friends, and we are concerned. Please, tell us what happened so we can make it better.”

“Laela, I've seen that anger before.” Kitty said, sounding as if there were tears in her voice. “I know what it comes from.”

I turned my head, still pressed against Stitch, so I could look at her. Her eyes were glistening with moisture, her bottom lip quivering.

“I saw it in my mum, the day she discovered my dad's affair.”

My heart broke again, but this time not for myself. It broke for Kitty. She understood my pain, and suddenly I wished I could take hers away. She never talked about her father, and now I knew why. Standing there in my kitchen, she looked as if her world were going to end. I pushed away from Stitch and ran to embrace her. We stood crying in the center of the room, holding each other tightly for what seemed like a solid ten minutes. Finally she pulled back and looked me in the eye.

“Can you tell us what happened?” she asked, her makeup now running down her face.

“It's Tony.” I said, hiccuping. “I went to surprise him today, and I kissed him. He seemed tense at first, and I thought it was just surprise, but then my friend, one of my best friends, Victoria shows up. She asks what I'm doing kissing my boy—Tony, and then it all came spilling out.” I glanced at Rush, who was hovering in the back corner away from everyone else. “I guess Tony had told everyone that he and I were broken up, and he went public with Victoria. Tony lied and told them that I knew. I never knew.” Sobs broke out again and Kitty hugged me against her. “I loved him! I would never lie to him, and I thought... I thought he would be... the one I would spend the rest of my life with! But now I don't know what to do with myself!”

They let me sob without interruption for a few minutes before Kitty pulled away, and with a giggle through her tears she said,

“I could tell you what my mum did, but I doubt you would agree with her methods.” She raised her eyebrow at me, waiting for a signal. I just stared, waiting for her to continue. “She spent a month with male prostitutes in Amsterdam.” She offered a weak smile before laughing again.

I couldn't help but to smile. “I'll pass on that one.” I laughed.

Rush cleared his throat from the back of the room. I glanced up at him; he nodded his head toward the door and I excused myself, following him. We stepped out onto the porch, the sub blazing down in afternoon heat. Rush was missing his last class to be here with me. He gathered me into a hug, holding me against his chest, and I began to cry again.

“I feel so pathetic Rush.” I said, nuzzling my face into his chest. His hand was moving in a large circle across my back. “I hate crying, I hate this feeling. It's my fault, all of this. I ruined our relationship.”

Rush kissed the top of my head, “You didn't ruin it. He's a dick, and he ruined it.” He said. “He couldn't see what he had, and his hormones got the better of him. He lost the greatest treasure in the world, and he's going to wake up tomorrow and regret it.” His voice had become dark and angry. “How are you feeling?” I stared up at him with a look that screamed 'Does-it-look-like-I'm-okay?' and waited for him to say something. “Right, that was a stupid question. I don't want to leave, but I need to be at practice today. Want me to swing by later with some of your best friends Ben and Jerry?”

I smiled. “I would like that. Just call before you come, okay?”

“I will, promise.” He kissed my forehead and my stomach tightened. “I'll be back later.”

He hugged me tightly before stepping off the porch again. I went inside, wiping my tears away from my cheeks and taking a deep breath. Everyone waited and watched, Kitty and Jay smiling sympathetically, but Cam and Stitch looked like they were going to kill someone, someone named Tony. I excused myself to wash my face, and then left. As I made my way up the stairs I remembered why we were here. I was supposed to show them my favorite places. But now they were all poisoned. All but two. My car, and the graveyard. But there were mixed feelings about that place. I chuckled to myself realizing how bizzare it sounded that one of my favorite places was a graveyard, but so many things had happened there.

Things that at times I didn't want to remember.

Splashing cold water over my face one last time I grabbed the towel off the wall and dried it. I stared at myself in the mirror. I never liked the way I looked without makeup. I wasn't pretty. Victoria was beautiful even when she didn't have makeup on. Yet another thing that Victoria had that I didn't. I sent a text to Kitty telling her I was going to take a nap, cool down, and they were welcome to the pool and movies, anything they could find, and went back to my room. Kay, love you Laela. We'll just chill till you get up. And don't worry about anything. I'll keep everyone in check. Was her reply. I looked at the disaster my room had become, and sighed. Carefully I began picking up the pieces of glass from the shattered frames, throwing them into my trash can. A half hour later my room was glass free and Tony's things were piled next to the trash. I slumped onto my bed and fell asleep in an instant.

****

Stitch had slipped away from the others while they had been watching a movie, they had hardly noticed him leave. He didn't know where Tony would be, but he would find him. Suddenly a ginger tabby rubbed itself against his legs. He glanced down as he walked, the cat twisting through his legs.

“Aren't you supposed to be in England, Leo?” he asked the cat, continuing down the street.

'Aren't you supposed to be back at Laela's?' A deep voice spoke to his mind. 'You're going to do something stupid.'

He rolled his eyes. “I'm not going to do something stupid. I'm going to... make a point, that's all.”

The cat clawed at his pant leg. 'You don't make a point without someone getting hurt, I know you. Don't sink to his level.'

Stitch glared down at him. “Leo, go home. Watch Laela. That's an order.”

The cat hissed and turned around, stalking down the street back to Laela's. Stitch continued down the block, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. Reveal he whispered. Opening his eyes again, there was a path of purple gas lingering on the sidewalk that only he could see. He followed it, walking quickly. When he reached its end, he found Tony leaning against a tree, nursing his wounds. His face was bloody and bruised, his cheek swollen. Stitch moved quietly across the grass to where he stood. Tony heard him coming, spinning on his heels so quickly to face Stitch that he nearly fell over.

“Who are you? What do you want?” he asked, glaring through a swollen eye.

“Who I am doesn't matter, but as for what I want, I'll tell you.” Stitch said, his voice uncharacteristically low. “I want you to stay away from Laela, You hurt her, and that's not okay with me.” A breeze started to blow around them, lifting fallen leaves and trash off the ground. “If you so much as think about Laela, you'll regret it. Something bad will happen, and you can't stop it.” The breeze turned into a gust of sudden wind, knocking Tony to the ground. “And I'll be sure to thank Rush for beating you up, I would have hated to have to do it myself.”

Stitch turned to leave, when Tony suddenly started screaming in pain. A dark smile crossed Stitch's face as Tony's scream escalated. He clutched his head in pain, rolling and thrashing in the grass. The smile only became wider as he left, Tony still screaming in agony behind him.

“I told you that you would regret it.”

****

When I woke up it was getting dark, the sun was splashed with oranges and pinks. I changed out of my clothes and into a pair of sweats and a jacket and went downstairs. I could hear the others out in the pool. There was a note on my counter from my mom. She was at work and wanted me to call her when I got the chance. I didn't want to call her just yet, so I went to the basement and started browsing the shelves for a movie. I wanted something filled with explosions. I moved to our collection of James Bond films and extracted Die Another Day. When I turned around to put the disk in, I gasped, startled, and clutched my chest.

Cam was standing inches away from me. How had I not heard him?

“You feeling better?” he asked, putting his hand on my cheek.

Part of me wanted to push his hand away instantly, but a bigger part of me liked the feel of his hand against my face. “Yes, thank you.”

“Anything I can do to make it better?” He stepped forward, our bodies were nearly touching now.

My breath caught in my throat. Blinking a few times I suddenly felt dizzy, like the room had suddenly been filled with some sort of gas, but in an instant it was gone. I stared up at Cam, his blue eyes sparkling even in the low light. He put an arm around my waist and took the movie from my hand, setting it down on the DVD player. He lead me to the couch, and we sat down.

“I'm here to listen.” He said, his voice sincere. “Talk.”

“I don't want to talk,” I said, the sudden desire to kiss him overwhelmed me, and in my state, I gave in.

He didn't seem surprised as he pulled me into him, his arm snaking around my waist. He pulled me onto his lap, kissing me deeply, our breathing was heavy and labored between kisses. He moved, pinning me under him on the couch, his lips trailing kisses down my jaw and neck where he nibbled at my collar bone. I moaned, our bodies moving against each other felt good, but not right. I didn't care, I needed a distraction. He wasn't wearing a shirt, having come in from the pool, and when his hands grabbed the bottom of my shirt, I didn't think twice before sitting up enough that he could pull it off of me. My pants were low on my hips, my body exposed, our skin touching, setting my insides on fire. He moved back to my lips, and my head started to spin. His hands trailed down my bare flesh, softly, but hungrily. I wrapped my legs around him, pulling him close.

The lights suddenly flipped on, and we jumped apart.

In the doorway was Stitch.

Chapter Twenty-three

My face turned three shades of red in an instant. I backed myself into the corner of the couch as far away from Cam as I could get. I wished for nothing more than to be able to melt into the couch and disappear to somewhere no one would find me.

“You sure recover quickly,” Stitch said, his voice was bitter, though a hint of amusement crept into it. He looked at Cam. “You could do so much better than him.”

Cam was off the couch in an instant, squaring his shoulders while he clenched his teeth together. “Jealous you didn't get to her first?” Cam asked, cocking his head to the side in an awkward twitching motion.

I stared at him in shock. Was I a plaything? Something to be “claimed” by the first guy who walked along? I stood up off the couch, marching up behind Cam and shoving him forward. He stumbled a few steps and then righted himself, turning to face me. He looked confused, staring down at me with those blue eyes, but something about them had changed. They weren't bright and sparkling anymore, they were dark as if they had changed shades completely and devoid of life. He glared at me, and my hand suddenly started to ache. I hadn't done anything for the swelling, and it was starting to catch up to me. Grimacing, I ignored the pain and kept looking at Cam, but the longer I looked at him, the more my hand hurt; it felt as if someone were applying pressure to it.

“I am not a plaything, Cam.” I said, giving him the crustiest look I could manage. Before going back up to the kitchen.

I pulled an ice pack out of the freezer and wrapped it in a towel. I looked at the clock. It was nearly nine thirty. I needed to call my mom. Moving slowly across the tile, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed her number. She wasn't supposed to answer her phone while she was working, but she did.

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

“Mom, you aren't supposed to be on your phone at work.” I reminded her. I didn't want her to lose her job. “I'm fine, I just found out some shocking news today, though I'm sure Rush has already filled you in on that.” She sighed, and I knew I was right. “Listen, when I punched Tony earlier, I think I might have broken my finger.”

“What does it look like?”

I pulled the ice off my finger. “The knuckle joint is bruised, and the middle joint is swollen. I can't move it without wanting to scream, and when I punched him I heard a crack and a rocket of pain shot up my arm. I've been asleep or I would have called sooner about it.”

“Sounds like it's broken. Why don't you come down here to the hospital and I'll fix it up. Bring your friends if you'd like.”

“I don't know where they are, but I'll invite them.” I sighed. “See you soon.”

“Love you, drive carefully.” She hung up.

I turned around, finding Stitch sitting at the bar, watching me.

“I'm sorry about what I said down there, it was uncalled for.” He apologized. “Forgive me?”

I sighed., I couldn't be mad at him, not when his apology was so sincere. “I forgive you. Hey, listen, my finger is broken and my mom wants me to come down to the hospital so she can fix it up, come with me?” I asked, speaking altogether too quickly for him to understand me. I took a deep breath and started again. “My finger is broken, my mom wants me to come get it fixed, come with me?”

A slow smile broke on his lips. “Sure,”

“Where is everyone else?”

“Bed, we played an exhausting game of chicken in the pool, and they haven't quite caught up to Florida time.” He chuckled. “How are we getting there?”

It was my turn to smile. “My pride and joy. You should feel privileged, Stitch. You'll be the first to see one of my favorite places.”

I lead him into the garage, where only my car sat under its tarp. I walked across the garage and pulled the tarp off the car and watched his jaw drop. He walked toward my car, his hands out in front of him, eyes wide.

“This is yours?” he asked in awe, gawking at the car. Gently he put his hand on the hood, trailing it slowly toward the window-shield with reverent respect. “Where did you get a hold of one of these? This is a 1969 Dodge Charger. These are so hard to come by!”

I smiled. He was so in awe of my car it was cute. A pang of sadness struck me again, realizing now that I could think that Stitch was cute without having to feel guilty about it. It was a relief, but an agonizing feeling none the less.

“Do you want to drive?” I offered, jingling the keys in front of me.

He smiled. “Can I?” The excitement was obvious in his voice.

I tossed the keys to him. “Just be careful with my baby.”

We slid into my car; sitting on the passenger side was an odd thing for me, but strangely comfortable with Stitch as the driver. The garage opened, and he turned the key, listening to the engine roar to life. The smile never left his face as we rolled out of the driveway and headed down the street. I directed him to the hospital, but that was the only speaking done in the car. Occasionally he would glance over and look at my hand, but never said anything. When we pulled into the parking lot, he was sure to park away from any other cars, which is exactly what I would have done. I went to open my door, and Stitch tutted at me, shaking his head and stepping out of his side and quickly coming around to mine, opening the door. I blushed as he offered his hand to me, helping me out of the car. I sent a quick text to my mom telling her we were here, and walked inside. The nurse at the desk looked up when we came in, waving at me, and paged my mom. We waited in the lobby until she came out the elevator, smiling tiredly.

“Come on back,” she said, “Thanks for coming, Stitch. I'm glad she hasn't shunned the world.”

I glared at her back as we walked.

“She hasn't shunned the world yet, just most of it.” Stitch said, winking at me when I turned to look at him. “She's coping well.”

“I'm right here, thank you.” I growled, raising my hand to hit Stitch, but he tutted at me, reminding me my hand was injured. Why had I punched Tony with my good hand? Right, because I wanted it to hurt.

My mom took us to a small room for an x-ray. I hadn't been back here since I had been in the accident at the beginning of my junior year. I ended up with a few broken ribs and a concussion, but those were the least of my problems. The accident was the day my mom found out about my addiction.

My finger was indeed broken, but there wasn't much that could be done about it. She gave me a finger cast, kissed me on the head and sent me away with Stitch. When we got back to my house, all the lights had been turned off; my dad must have turned them all off on his way through. I walked Stitch to the guest house. We lingered at the door, standing in awkward silence, just staring at each other. I shifted my weight from foot to foot, twisting my hair in my hand.

“I'm going to go to bed now,” I said, looking up at him. “Thanks for taking me tonight.”

He smiled, “You're welcome. Love” He suddenly embraced me, tucking me in against his chest, his arms locked around me. “Sweet dreams, Laela.”

He released me and stepped through the door. My face was on fire, and my head was spinning. I walked back to the house in a sort of daze, climbing up the stairs to my room. I wasn't tired, so I went to my drawer and pulled out my favorite black bikini. I looked out the window, the lights were off in the guest house, so I changed quickly and grabbed a towel and crept back downstairs. I disarmed the security system and slipped out the door. I turned on the lights in the hot tub and dropped my towel at the side of the steps. The water was hot, but it was comfortable. I sunk into the water, basking in the feeling of the warm water against my skin. Before I moved, coming out to the hot tub at night to clear my head was something I did quite often. It had been a long day, and I was ready to just forget about it and move on.

Tipping my head back I gazed up into the starry night sky—well, what should have been a starry night. Instead of seeing the blazing pinpoints of lights in the heavens I was forced to imagine them as I always had been. That was the downfall of living in a big city, with bigger cities surrounding you. You never really could see the stars. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath and letting my imagination paint the sky for me. Millions of tiny stars dotted the inky black sky, swirling together to create a masterpiece worthy of the gods. I smiled to myself, giggling a little as I slid slowly under the water, imagining the stars. There was only one place I had ever been where I could see the stars without having to imagine them. And it wasn't like I could just hop in my car and go there. Not if I didn't want to drive for hours beforehand. Keltie had once taken me with her to her family's cabin in Virginia, which had been by far one of her favorite vacations because I was with them. I enjoyed it there. Being in the forest felt right, like I had grown up there, although I knew I hadn't. Keltie and I sat on the balcony outside her room one night and watched the stars, talking about if there was life on other planets, and if they watched the stars too. We hadn't really come to a decision since our conversation quickly turned from aliens to serial killers—even we didn't know how that had happened—and we stopped talking.

I wished she were here right now, sitting in the water with me. I wouldn't have to hide how hurt I was, how broken I felt. But I felt as if I owed it to the world to put on a strong face, to not be one of those girls who hulled themselves up in their rooms for ages because their significant other cheated on them, broke their heart in to pieces and stepped on it. I had the potential to be one of those girls, I knew as much, but I refused to let that happen to me. If I did, I don't think I would ever recover from the blow.

“Out for a midnight swim?” Asked a dark familiar voice.

My eyes snapped open so quickly my head started spinning. When I could finally see straight, I found Stitch standing above me at the edge of the hot tub. “Uhm... yes?” I said, sinking under the water, suddenly self conscious of my attire.

“Mind if I join you?” he waited for a moment before saying, “I couldn't sleep.”

I stared up at him. “Oh, um, sure.”

I moved across the small circle to the other side, staring at him. He took a deep breath and lifted his tight black t-shirt over his head. I shivered watching him step slowly into the water. He was smiling at me, but I turned away, staring back up at the sky. Daring a glance back at him, I noticed a splash of pale white across his tan chest. I didn't linger on the mark too long before looking back at the sky.

“Enjoying the stars?” he asked.

I laughed. “Of the few I can actually see, yes.” I replied. “I wish I could see more of them.”

I sighed; in time with my exhaling, the sky seemed to clear and the stars were shining brightly overhead. I gasped. What had just happened? Without remembering that Stitch was sitting across the pool from me, I stood up in the center, staring up at the sky. The stars were sparkling brightly above me unlike any other night before. Even up at the cabin the light didn't seem so bright.

I looked at him, and if looks could be breathless, mine was. “Did you see that?” I asked. He shook his head. “The stars, they were suddenly really bright! It was almost like—”

“Magic.” He finished, sounding breathless himself.

I was still watching him, and out of the corner of my eye I saw a bright star fall out of the heavens, but the light seemed to be amplified ten fold. Blinking, I noticed the light wasn't coming from the sky, it was coming from Stitch. The scar on his chest suddenly flared up, but in an instant it was gone just as fast as the star had fallen from the sky.

“What just happened?” I asked, staring at his chest, and not caring to hide it.

He fidgeted uncomfortably. “What do you mean?”

“That scar on your chest, it lit up with the star.”

He looked down at the scar that branched out like a snowflake, small wispy lines branching out from thicker stalks in the center of his chest. “No it didn't. I think you're imagining things Laela.”

I waded through the water, stopping when my knees touched his. I leaned forward and put my hand on the mark, feeling my fingertips tingle when they made contact. I felt him shiver under my touch and immediately drew my hand away, but he caught it, and put it back on his chest so my palm covered the scar entirely.

He breathed deeply for a time before he opened his eyes, and even in the dark his eyes sparkled like emeralds. “I know this is hardly the time to say this after everything that's happened to you today, but it needs to be said.” He whispered. “Laela, I'm falling for you, I have been since the first day I met you.”

I felt my heart begin to race in my chest, my cheeks flushed with blood and my whole body felt warm. Something inside of me screamed out in joy that those words had finally been said, and that there were no more questions about what he felt, those stares he gave me, the way he watched me. It was all for a reason now, and it seemed like an immense weight had been lifted off my chest though I didn't know why. He stood up, the two of us moving backward together into the center of the small pool, my hand still on his chest, our bodies only inches apart. He stared down at me with those beautiful eyes, as if he expected me to say something, but my thoughts were racing through my head at a million miles a minute I hardly had time to compose a complete thought before something new took its place. Then, just as I was about to give up on it entirely, instinct took over.

“Kiss me.” I whispered breathlessly, moving so our bodies touched, my skin against his.

He put his hand on my cheek, caressing it softly with his thumb, and leaned in. When his lips met mine it was as if a firework had gone off in my head, and my world went dark. The last thing I remember was his voice calling my name and the warm water engulfing my body.

Chapter twenty-four

“Come on baby,” I whined, tugging on his arm, my red silk glove sliding against his shirt. “You promised me we'd go out tonight!"

I took a long drag on my cigarette, blowing the smoke into his face. I knew it infuriated him, and maybe if I could get him angry, I could move him toward the door. I could hear the sax music from the street below the apartment flooding through the window, and it made me itch for dancing, but not only that, I wanted to have fun.

“Everard, you promised!” I pouted as he glared through the smoke.

“You gotta call me Everett babe, someone might hear and think we're gangsters or something, and we don't need trouble.” he chided. Always so uptight. “I just don't feel right about going out tonight.”

“You always say that when I bring up the speakeasies.” I walked over to the window, playing with my string of pearls while looking out at the band of black men below, wailing away on their instruments making beautiful jazz music. “I know you're worried about him and all, but I can't spend my life hiding from him. We don't even know if he's in New York yet.”

“We'll only run as long as we can't fight him. You're not powerful enough yet, Laelais.” he replied.

“So you can call me Laelais, but I can't call you Everard?” I was changing the subject purposefully. He knew it.

“I know you're angry. I want to go out too, but remember all the raids last week? Bootleggers are getting caught left and right, doll."

I tapped my foot against the wooden floor, taking another long drag. “ Oh, applesauce! So we can magic ourselves out of there. What good is our power if you're too afraid to use it? The Everard I know wouldn't worry about something so small as that.”

There was a knock on the door. I hurried to get it, the tassels on the bottom of my dress bouncing up and down as I shuffled across the floor. I threw open the door. Standing outside were Daisy and John from the apartment across the hall. He was dressed in his black zoot suit, and she wore a black tasseled flapper dress to match. He was a gangster, and a real powerful one to boot—and Daisy was head over heels for him.

She was all smiles, “Hey Lila, Everett. John an' I were gonna go out dancin'. Wanna come?” her voice was shrill and nasally.

Before he had a chance to reply I spoke up. “Sure thing!” I turned and grabbed Everett and dragged him out the door.

We followed the two down the stairs and out onto the street. Music roared around us, and many people crowded the streets, dancing to the music, and bustling around to get to one of the many night clubs. I knew our plans for dancing would involve the speakeasy that John's gang ran, and sure enough as we entered the morgue, I knew exactly where we were going. John approached the receptionist, looked her straight in the eye and said,

“We're here for Mr. Lovegood's funeral.”

She smiled. “Mr. Lovegood's family will be so happy to see you.” She said, pointing down the hall.

We walked down the hall, and as we reached the last room, a door slid away on the wall, and I could smell the smoke and alcohol. We quickly made our way down the steps and into the commotion below. The gang and their girls were all over the place. I smiled as Daisy pulled me to the dance floor. Together the two of us danced while our boys watched from the bar. Soon enough they joined us, and we danced for hours before everything fell to pieces.

I had excused myself to use the ladies room, but as I was turning the corner, a tall blonde man approached me. My stomach turned icy cold, and a chill ran over my skin. He smiled at me, putting his arm around my waist, pulling me into his body.

“Hey doll, what say you and me get a wiggle on?” He winked.

I glared at him. “Sorry, but you're all wet, and the bank's closed.” My voice was venomous.

He leaned in, kissing my neck as I tried to push away from him. “Laelais, don't be this way.”

“Scram, Phoenix.”

His blue eyes sparkled under his blonde mop. “One day you'll be mine forever.”

My body felt like it was on fire in his grip. I pushed away from him, and fell into the wall, crying out as my back struck the corner and I fell to the ground.

I sat up, gasping for air, and covered in a cold sweat. My sheets stuck to my body, which was odd. I lifted the covers and looked at myself. I was in my bikini. Furrowing my brow, I stared at my exposed flesh, trying to remember what had happened last night. It was all a haze, a smoky blur of colorless memories. I remembered coming home from the hospital with Stitch, and going to my room. What had I done next? I paused to ponder, and then there was a warm feeling on my lips and a flutter in my chest.

I had kissed Stitch last night. It was like the stars tilting, gravity shifting, and all I could think was “Hello Sexy,” and then everything had gone dark. I couldn't remember anything else, but somehow I felt different. I couldn't explain the feeling, but I felt stronger, more—I don't know—powerful. I slid out of my bed and walked across the room, staring at myself in the mirror on my dresser. Taking a deep breath, I stopped at the dresser, putting my hands on the surface and staring sternly at myself.

“You will have a good day today, Laela. You're going to take your friends to your favorite places, and you will not think about Tony.” I told myself. “You're going to move forward. Last night was amazing, and you need to talk to Stitch about it. Ask what it means. But don't be clingy. Only stupid girls are clingy. Explore other options. It's been years since you were single, don't jump into something you aren't ready for.”

“Morning pep talk?” Asked Kitty from my doorway, hiding a giggle.

I jumped, surprised by her voice. “Goodness, Kitty, you scared me.” I gasped, then started laughing. “It's not a usual occurrence—the pep talk.”

She stepped into my room and sat on my bed. “If I heard correctly, you said that Stitch kissed you. Um, details girl! Did you snog, or was it just a polite good night kiss?”

I stared at her. “Snog? That sounds disgusting.”

She laughed. “You Americans are funny. It's a Brit's term for making out. Sooo, did you?” she waggled her thin brows with a smile.

“No, just a kiss. To tell you the truth, I don't really remember what happened. I remember he kissed me, and then I think...” I blushed. “I think I passed out.”

“Talk about swooning over a gentleman!” Kitty started laughing. “Did you really pass out?”

“I think so. I don't remember anything after he kissed me. My memories go from the kiss to waking up this morning, sadly. I wish I could remember what happened. But I was out in the hot tub, trying to force myself to forget about all the crap that happened yesterday, when he showed up and asked if he could join me. I let him, and went to watching the stars. I complained that I couldn't see very many, when suddenly the stars I swear got brighter and I could see all of them. It was like magic, Kitty! And then...” I remembered the shooting star, and the scar on his chest lighting up. “There was this shooting star, and this scar on Stitch's chest lit up when the star fell. I'm not crazy, I know I saw it.”

She was staring at me, one eyebrow raised, a scowl on his lips. “Are you sure that's what you saw?"

“Positive, Kitty. He denied it of course, and then I put my hand on his chest, the scar made my hand tingle, and he shivered when I touched him, then.... then he told me he was falling for me. And we kissed.”

“Do you feel... different?”

“Different? Like I could take on the world? Sure. But I don't think that has anything to do with Stitch. Maybe just a little bit.”

“Take on the world in what way?” She pressed.

“I don't know. I can't explain it but I just feel... powerful.”

“Laelais—Laela, you are powerful. Heck, you're amazing, don't you remember?”

“What did you just call me?”

“Laela,”

“No, you said Laelais. Where did you hear that name?” I stepped toward the bed, and she looked uncomfortable.

“Hey, girls, it's time for breakfast.” Jay's voice floated through the door. “Laela, are you in a swimming suit?”

I turned around, looked down at myself and blushed. “Um... yes. I'll be down in a minute. And Kitty, we are not done with this conversation.”

Without saying a word, Kitty slipped through the door with Jay and went downstairs. I still needed to shower, so I threw on a sun dress over my suit and went downstairs to join the others. My family was still home, which meant one of two things: One, it was before seven thirty, or Two, my brother was skipping school and Dad had quit his job. I went with the first option. Cautiously, I approached my dad, who was brooding over the morning paper, and said good morning. As usual, he glanced up over the top of the pages and mumbled a hello, and went straight back to reading without a word. My mom on the other hand was much more enthusiastic despite the long shift she worked last night.

“Good morning Laela, how are you feeling? How's the finger?” she glanced down at my immobilized finger and smiled. “It should heal fairly quickly since we didn't have to break it again.”

I sighed. Nurses. She was a little too enthusiastic about things like broken fingers. “It didn't hurt before, and it doesn't hurt now.” I said. “What's for breakfast?”

“Pancakes!” she shouted, causing all my friends to laugh. “I haven't had a reason to really cook a meal in the mornings before now, so I figured with your friends here that I should make something.”

“And we appreciate it,” Cam said politely, flashing the smile that I knew my mom couldn't resist. She, like me, was a sucker for a good smile. “So Laela, what are we doing today? You did say that while we were here, we would be visiting your favorite places.”

I sighed, remembering how most of those places had been wiped off the grid after what happened with Tony. There were a few places I could take them, but there was no way I could come up with four places if only one and a half remained. One of them wasn't even a place. It was my car. But a car could be a place if I decided it was.

“Well, I can tell you that I didn't forget that I was supposed to take you to my favorite places,” I said, taking a bite of my chocolate chip pancake. “but I have to tell you that most of those places have now quickly become my least favorite because of Tony. I have one and a half places that I can take you, and we'll just have to go explore for the rest of them.”

“One and a half? Care to explain how that one works, love?"

“Well, I'll have to take you to the first place before I can really explain why the other only counts as a half of a place. But for not, just eat and we'll go as soon as everyone is ready. It's not like we have to go very far.”

My mom smiled, knowing exactly what I was referring to. She still told me that she remembered the day I got that car as a gift from my grandfather. I had coveted that car since the day I was old enough to truly appreciate a good looking car, and this car was hard to come by. When my grandpa had brought it over to the house on my sixteenth birthday with a gaudy ribbon on the top, I passed out in the doorway upon the announcement that it was mine. I came to hours later and nearly hyperventilated when they told me again that it was mine now. Though I was a girl—and if I was playing gender stereotypes, I shouldn't like cars—I was in love. It was my first love, and would probably be my last. I would love it until the day it died, but I wouldn't let that happen for a long time. My car would take me far, and I took good care of it.

Everyone finished their breakfast by the time a horn started honking incessantly in the driveway. Panic took hold as I looked at myself still in my “sleepwear” and I nearly fell off the stool until I remembered that I wasn't going to school here anymore. Thank goodness for that. I don't think I would be able to face the public again after the fiasco with Tony. It would have been tent times worse had I still been here while they were secretly dating. Tony wouldn't be alive, I can tell you that much. I growled, I wasn't a murderer, but he had really pissed me off. I wondered vaguely how he was doing, and how Victoria was handling the whole situation now that everyone knew she was a home-wrecker. I wondered if her friends even cared, with the crowd she associated with outside of my circle, probably not. They'd probably congratulate her for ruining my life, and if she kept Tony, she scored brownie points with them. I bit my lip in anger thinking about Victoria, and what she had done to me, but remembered what I had told myself when I got up. I wouldn't let this ruin me. The boys left for the guest house after they finished eating, and since Kitty was already dressed, she followed them. I excused myself to shower, not that anyone was really listening, and went back upstairs. When I reached my room, I stopped at the linen closet outside the door, and grabbed myself a towel, and proceeded straight to the bathroom. The cool water on my skin made it easy for me to think of exactly what I wanted to do with the others, even if it meant exploring, I could easily make a few new favorite places.

Stepping out of the shower, I dried off, and then rigorously ran the towel through my hair, watching it curl up with the water. Rubbing away the fog on the mirror with the side of my hand, I cleared enough space away that I could see my face. I always had to get my hair combed and parted before it started to really take hold or my hair would be a wild mess all day long. As I stared at myself, moving unruly pieces of hair, I saw something move behind me. I turned around, but nothing was there, and the door was closed. Without thinking too much on it, I turned around again and continued with my hair. A flash of teal caught my eye behind me, and it wasn't my hair, I knew as much. Staring in the mirror, I saw a bright teal butterfly perched on the wall behind me, its wings beating lightly as it rested. I had never seen a butterfly that color in Florida before, and how had it gotten into the bathroom? There weren't any windows. I turned to look at it, but as soon as I had turned, it was gone. I shook my head, dismissing the absurdity of the whole thing, and stepped out of the bathroom, right into Stitch.

In the moment of surprise, I almost dropped my towel, but kept it in place. He was smiling down at me, almost smugly it seemed, that smile that screamed 'I know something you don't know.' I felt my cheeks flare up, and my body felt warm, remembering the kiss from last night. I wondered if he could tell what I was thinking, and by the smile on his face, I guessed he knew as much.

“Hello, Laela.” he said, his voice was soft and gentle. It made me shiver. “Sorry to catch you jumping out of the shower, I really didn't mean to, but I.... I really wanted to see you.” There was something in his voice that suggested that wasn't all he wanted to do, or all he needed to say.

“I... I wanted to see you too, Stitch.” His face fell when I said his name. “But I'd like to get dressed first.”

I stepped around him, adjusting my towel so it was tight around my back, and went into my room. Quickly I picked a pair of brown shorts, an olive colored shirt, and threw them on, ran the towel through my hair again, and went to the door. As my fingers brushed the cool metal of the doorknob, I heard voices outside the door.

“I don't think she remembers,” it was Kitty's voice.

“What did she tell you?” Stitch asked.

“That she remembered you kissed her, and she said something about a scar on your chest lighting up? What's that about?"

“It's nothing, I don't think she was thinking straight. I know I wasn't, watching her stare up at the stars like that. I wished I had my sketchbook."

“That's not the point, Stitch. She doesn't remember. Something's wrong.”

I opened the door, plastering a clueless face on, and greeted the two in surprise.

“Oh Kitty! I didn't know you were up here. I thought it was just Stitch.” I said, smiling and doing my best to give the impression I had no idea what was going on.

“Oh—I uh, just came to find you and tell you we were ready when you are.”

“Okay, well I just have to do my hair and make up and then we can be out and exploring. I'll meet you in the guest house, okay?” I was looking at Kitty, hoping that Stitch would get the hint that I wanted him to stay.

She looked at Stitch, understanding exactly what I wanted. “Okay, see you in a sec.” She turned around and walked down the stairs.

Stitch made a movement to follow him, but I put my hand out to stop him. Surprised, he looked down at my hand and then at me. I grabbed the front of his shirt and dragged him into my room, closing the door behind us. He stood in the middle of the room, looking anywhere but at me.

“So, last night...” I started, not knowing where I wanted to go with this conversation. “Did I really pass out?”

Stitch smiled. “Yes, you did.” he chuckled. “It was a tad strange, but I managed to get you up here.”

I blushed. “Thanks, um, for getting me here. And sorry I passed out, that really must have killed the moment.”

I had looked down at the floor, and hardly noticed that he had moved closer—that is until his finger was under my chin, lifting it so I was looking at him. There was a shine in his eyes, brighter than usual, that made me shiver. The way he looked at me felt so familiar, as if I had looked into those eyes for thousands of years. You have, a voice whispered to me. I jumped, startled at the voice; it wasn't mine.