Chapter 19: Nineteen

The rest of the night passed in a blur. It was hard to forget about my first hour at S.C.A. It was difficult to get Bradley out of my head. He couldn’t stay away from me, he was done fighting fate. That’s what I thought I heard him say but I wasn’t convinced. I was sure it was a very convincing dream or I’d hoped for so long that he’d say something like that that I convinced myself that he had. Bradley would never say that. He couldn’t have. Tonight was all a dream. He couldn’t have held me in his arms. It was all just a fragment of my imagination.

I was nervous and terrified as the minutes passed, time was not on my side, and the dreaded dance could be any minute now. Couples were spread all over the dance floor. I tried to copy their moves, staring as they moved in sync to the music. After tonight Bradley would want nothing to do with me. That terrified me more than the storm.

Pretending I was sick I sat down and skilled my face void of any emotion. I wasn’t known for my acting skills.

“Can I have this dance?” a deep voice asked.

I glanced over my shoulder; Benjamin stood smiling with his left hand extended hopefully.

I tried to hide my disappointment as I said, “I don’t feel so good.”

His shoulders hunched. “Oh.”

“Sorry.” I added as an afterthought. “I think I’m heading home anyway.”

“No, don’t leave just yet.” Selma said, joining us. I thanked her inwardly.

My eyes wondered to the Carter’s table again. Bradley was missing. Rebecca was by the window staring at the distance. I figured Bradley would join her but for the past three hours I have been disappointed. Christopher and Clara – Bradley’s mom – were moving from table to table, introducing everyone to Mrs. Carter. They were at Annette’s table now, and she failed to hide her irritation with Clara’s existence.

“Why does that boy keep staring at you anyway?” Selma asked not bothering to hide her irritation. “He’s been doing that all night long.”

“What?”

“Bradley.” Selma finally said in bewildered astonishment. “He can’t seem to keep his eyes off you.”

I followed her gaze to see Bradley frowning sitting alone in a table at the back. When our eyes locked he smiled for a brief second and got up from his seat. I lowered my gaze.

“He’s coming over.” Selma said again, almost excitedly. “Does my hair look good?”

Frowning I mumbled, “Yes.” I wanted to look up, to make sure she was telling the truth but I couldn’t bring myself to lift my head, scared of getting caught.

“I always knew he found me attractive.” She fixed her hair and applied another layer of makeup. She was clad in a brown grown that matched her hair.

“You don’t say.”

His scent announced his arrival. It was harder to pretend he wasn’t close.

“Ladies.” he murmured, intentionally forgetting Benjamin was with us.

“Hello Bradley, come join us.” I didn’t like the way she was looking at him, the optimism in her voice.

“Um, no uh…”

“Call me Selma please.”

“Selma, I came to ask Beth if she’d be kind enough to show me around school, after all she’s been here longer than me, and I suck at directions.”

My head snapped up. “I don’t feel so good.” The lie came in a rush.

He smiled. “I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

“She’s not up to it.” Selma said; concern was missing from her voice. “Maybe another day,” She said impervious. She couldn’t understand why Bradley didn’t ask her to show him around instead.

“If you aren’t keen on showing me around, you might as well help me with my history essay.” When he said history he stared at Benjamin with a teasing smile. “I hear you’re the top student at school.” I was before he came back to town.

Benjamin tensed. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Benjamin was better than me in history.

“Why would you ask her?” Selma asked with insulting bewilderment.

“I owe him a favour.” I mumbled, pushing against my seat and following Bradley to the back of the room.

I could feel Benjamin’s heated gaze on my back. I picked up my pace.

I sat down cautiously, staring at the dreamlike creature opposite me. I still couldn’t believe something so surreal existed.

“Your friends don’t like me much, do they?” it wasn’t a question though.

“Benjamin maybe but Selma doesn’t like the fact that I’m here instead of her.”

He frowned. “Why would she be here?” he asked as though it was the craziest thing he’s ever heard.

“Why am I here?” I finally managed, not that I was complaining. I rather enjoyed his company but the hateful gazes I kept getting were unnerving.

“I can’t keep fighting something that is as old as time.” I waited, impatiently, for him to continue. Seconds ticked by.

“You aren’t making any sense.”

He cocked his head to the side and studied me and then he said, “I know.”

I frowned. “I guess this is as good as I’m going to get.”

He laughed: low and enticing. “I guess.” His face grew serious again. “Seeing as my fate was sealed before I was born, half of my soul given to someone else, I might as well embrace it. I can’t run away from what I am.”

I frowned, resentment blinding me, his soul given to someone else. I wanted to punch something. “You lost me again.”

He simply smiled and I blinked, momentary blinded by his magnificence.

“As I said earlier –”

“All in good time,” I interrupted him.

“I see it’s already started.” He said. “It’s going to be much harder on you.”

“What’s started?” I looked up at his alluring face.

He winked, “The bond.”

“What bond?” irritation coloured my voice, I didn’t like not knowing.

“I’m confusing you.” He said amused.

“Glad I make you laugh.” Heavy sarcasm. I rolled my eyes and tried to unnerve him with a slight glare.

“Do you have a mirror?” he asked doubtfully, amusement covered his low voice.

I glared harder. “No.” I said sharply. I wasn’t one of those girls and he knew it.

“You know…” he ran his tongue over his bottom lip, mesmerized, I watched him carefully, still glaring at his face. “If you had one then you’d know why I like to annoy you so much. That’s a sight worth seeing.” still amused.

Stunned I lost my voice.

“I believe you have some questions for me.” He finally said after a moment of silence.

“Don’t I owe you a dance first?”

“I’m not sure I want you to step on my toes…” he laughed. He was teasing me.

I sighed in relief.

“You weren’t going to do it anyway.” He told me, smile still in place. “You’d have said you’re sick.”

I frowned and stared at my hands balled into fists on top of the table. I didn’t want him to see them tremble. “How do you know things you aren’t supposed to know?” I asked; it was no use trying to deny it.

“What’s my favourite colour?” he asked me, his smile gone.

“You never answer any of my questions.”

“I told you I would.” He mumbled darkly. “I would never lie to you.” The seriousness in his tone took me by surprise.

“Green,” I blurted.

He smirked. “How did you know that?”

I shrugged.

“That’s how I know things about you.” His jaw tightened. “Things I’m not supposed to know. And besides, I do pay attention. You’re quite fascinating.”

“Your eyes change colour according to your mood, you like the dark, you can move like the wind, you vanish into thin air whenever it suits you, you’re…” and then it hit me. “You… you…” I gasped.

He waited for me to continue. Seconds turned into minutes.

“Took you long enough,” He wasn’t looking at me when he said this. It took me a second to realise the look on his face. He was nervous. He stared unblinking as he waited for me to say something.

“Tell me what you’re thinking please.”

I was silent.

“Say something.” He begged.

“It was you. How did you manage to leave without me noticing this morning? How do you get in? I know I lock the door.”

‘It’s not my fault that you’re negligent.”

I didn’t know what to say.

“I’m sorry.” He said. “That was rude of me but it does not mean it’s not true.”

My eyes glistened. “Bradley Carter, you’re definitely not in a position to talk right now.”