Chapter 11 Ths time is different I swear
“Thank you for saying that,” she suddenly replied.
“I wouldn’t say it, if it wasn’t true.”
“So, you like it here?” she asked, looking all around them as she spoke.
The room was filled with a pleasant, earthy smell, and there was an occasional whiff of some blossoming flowers. It soothed her. For one brief moment, she could forget why she was here, that her brother was missing, that he might even be dead.
“This is the only place where I can think,” he admitted.
“Why don’t you take a walk in the forest?” she mused.
“Outside the school grounds?” he sounded shocked.
“Why, yes,” she didn’t understand what was so shocking about her question.
“It’s forbidden,” he explained. “You can’t go out. If you’re caught, you could get suspended or even expelled.”
“For taking a stroll in the woods?” It sounded ridiculous.
“You don’t know what’s in those woods,” he suddenly said.
“What?”
“You’re new here, so you don’t know… just, stay out of the forest, okay?”
“But, why?” Now, he had gotten her all curious.
“It’s best you never find out.”
“Tell me,” she urged him.
“No, I won’t,” he kept shaking his head and she knew, from the look on his face, that he wouldn’t tell her anything else.
Never mind. She would have to find out on her own, which she preferred to do anyway.
“So, you like to think surrounded by plants, too?” he asked, in an effort to change the topic.
She tilted her head, watching him carefully, trying to decide whether he was worth her trouble or not. She couldn’t tell yet but talking never hurt anyone. It felt pleasant to be here, with him.
“I came to see what kind of plants they had here,” she gave him an honest answer, though only half of it.
“Do you like what you see?” he asked, with a soft smile.
“I wish I could smell those roses in there,” she told him, whispering.
“Do you have a death wish?” he asked, with a frown.
“Don’t worry, we’d be protected.”
“You know we aren’t allowed to have any of those pills and creams here. We should be as we are here, that’s the whole point.”
“Spoil sport,” she frowned, though she was still smiling.
“You like living on the edge, don’t you?”
“Isn’t it boring, otherwise?”
“I’m not a big fan of pain, honestly.”
“Then you don’t know what you’re missing…”
She got so close to him that their noses were almost touching. She could hear him breathe in deeply, then out, loudly. It was like he was wheezing, like it was difficult for him to take a proper breath.
“You don’t have asthma or something like that, do you?” she asked, giggling.
“No, why?” he wondered.
“You’re breathing weirdly.”
“Well… that’s… because you got so close, and I….”
Instead of a reply, she started laughing. He was really cute and clumsy, and probably had a nerdy sounding name but she wanted to find out what it was anyway.
“I’m Lucy, by the way,” she offered him her right hand, all business like.
“Thorne,” he nodded, accepting it.
“Thorne?” she laughed out loud.
“Yeah, yeah, I know…” he rolled his eyes.
“No, seriously…” she couldn’t stop laughing. “It’s a nice name and all…” she kept on giggling, “but, meeting you here, inside the botanical garden, and your name is Thorne…”
“Yeah, yeah, come on…” he sounded annoyed, but she could see that there was a lingering smile on his face, too. “Laugh it out, come on.”
“Just a little more and I’m done, promise…” she was still bent down, her hands pressed against her stomach.
A few seconds later and she was finally able to take a deep breath again.
“My mom is into botany,” he explained. “My older sister’s name is Rose, my younger sister’s name is Lily, and as you already heard, I’m Thorne.”
“That’s sweet,” Izabella really meant it.
“She went a little overboard with it but what can you do.”
They both laughed. The sound of their laughter echoed throughout the room, filling it with more than soothing smells of plants and blossoming flowers. For a second, Izabella felt like everything was alright with the world. She felt happy. She had forgotten all about Brandon’s disappearance and she could laugh freely, without that heavy burden pressing against her heart.
“Do you have any brothers or sisters?” he asked.
“A brother,” she replied.
“Older?”
“Yes,” she nodded. “He’s my only family.”
“Oh, sorry to hear that but I’m happy that you're not alone. No one should be alone.”
She had no reply to this. There was no reply to this, really. He was right. He had no idea how right he was. She didn’t want to be alone, now or ever. She needed her brother back.
“Is everything okay?” he asked suddenly, seeing the look of sadness on her face.
“Yeah, just… I miss him,” she admitted softly.
“Where is he?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did he also escape when your clan was…?” he asked, but didn’t finish his question.
“Sorry…” she got up, grabbed her backpack and rushed away from him. “I gotta go.”
She slammed the door shut behind her, leaving Thorne confused, thinking he’d said something wrong. Warm tears were streaming down her face and she was cursing Dante’s name with all the strength of her wounded, little heart.