Tormented. Chapter 2.
The dorms were formidable and square; solid gray blocks of building whose thick double doors gave away nothing about the possibility of life inside them. A large stone plaque stood planted in the middle of the dead lawn. It looked even uglier in the hazy night sky; making it look like a flat black-and-white photograph.
Even from the distance, I could see black mold covering the face of the west block dorms. All of the windows were obstructed by rows of thick steel bars and barbed wire topped all of the fences around the property.
I held my breath as I paced closer to the boys??? dorms in the west block; always checking to make sure that the security cameras were pointed in the opposite direction. They were small wire devices that hung from everywhere and the wardens motto was ???we???re always watching,??? which sounded a little creepy, I thought. Most of the cameras were duds; either containing flat batteries or blinded with duct tape???the warden trusted some of the kids to do errands, but they helped everyone out by changing the batteries to flats.
I pressed my back up against the wall; trying to maintain as flat of a posture as I could with my backpack pressed between my shoulder blades.
After what seemed to take forever, I reached the thick double doors; their appearance was identical to the girls in the east block, lifeless. The creaking of the doors seemed to echo around me, magnified by the cold, still night. Sliding through the small gap was easy for me as I am rather slim; nowhere near anorexic but definitely not fat.
I pulled my hoodie slowly over my head and looked towards the ground as I passed a camera I knew worked, pacing quickly towards room sixteen.
How had he conned me into this? I thought as I slammed my fist against his door.
???Chance, open up,??? I attempted to whisper, using a loud tone. I banged my fist louder on his door. No answer.
I'm going to regret this, I thought as I pulled two bobby-pins from my hair. I flattened the wire and twisted the end up; inserting it into Chance???s door. I put pressure on the knob as I edged the pins around inside the lock. Finally I felt the click that I was looking for. I then pulled the pins from the lock and discarded them onto the floor, turning the knob and letting myself into the dark room.
???Nice to see you let yourself in,??? Chance yawned, stretching his hands over his head as he layed shirtless on his bed, a sketch pad, pen and a few open books lying beside him.
I was immediately aware of something different about him. I couldn???t quite put my finger on it, but I could feel it like electricity. More animosity? No, I thought.
More confidence.
More freedom to be himself, I thought as I swallowed discreetly and tried to ignore the butterflies fumbling around in my stomach.
Chance was tall, annoying and eerily closed off. His eyes were like portions of the sky just before the clouds swallowed it up with dancing whisps of white. They were like magnets clinging to my every move. Chance takes in everything and gives away nothing. Not that I wanted to know more about Chance. Since I hadn???t liked what I had seen on the surface, I doubted I???d like what was lurking deep inside.
Only, this wasn???t exactly true. I???d like a lot of what I???d seen. Long lean muscles down his arms, broad but relaxed shoulders, and a smile that was part playful, part seductive. I was in an uneasy alliance with myself, trying to ignore what had started to feel irresistible.
I do not like Chance! I reasoned with myself before I set my backpack down on the edge of his desk and grinned at him.
His room was a dark shade of grey with a mixture of bland white etching the faults. He had his curtains drawn shut and all his furnisher was layered with books he had open to random pages, using unusual objects as a book mark???I noticed a dried up leaf jammed into one book and a used match in another.
This is what he does for leisure time, I thought as I bit down on my lip. In a way I admired him for reading, it was one of my true pleasures; to sit down somewhere and just read.
???What are you doing here???? Chance said as he rubbed at his eyes, waking himself up from his dozed state.
I tugged the zipper on my backpack open and pulled out a scrunched up piece of paper and a black pen.
???A few questions and I will be out of here. Trust me,??? I said, flinging the assignment at him.
???Attitude issues? Jerk???? Chance read out loud, propped up on his elbows. ???Will die in a brawl???hopefully soon? Is that supposed to be prophetic????
I snatched my assignment back and fanned it in front of me.
???How many smokes a nights? One? Two????
???I don???t smoke,??? he said, sounding sincere. But I didn???t believe him.
???Mm-hmmm,??? I said, setting my paper down on the edge of one of the open books, sprawled over his desk while writing 'definitely smokes' on the next line.
???Don???t mess them up,??? Chance said, the smile never leaving his lips.
I caught his eye and couldn???t help match his smile. As we were staring into each other???s eyes, time stopped.
For a second I stood there wondering what it would be like to kiss Chance. My gaze dropping to his lips, wondering what it would feel like to have his lips pressed against mine.
Would they be hard or soft? Is he a slow kisser, or hungry and fast like his personality? I thought and felt the colour burning my cheeks.
His eyes were piercing mine, and I could swear that for a second he saw the real me; the one without the attitude, the one who occasionally cries herself to sleep and feels like an outcast.
???What would it take for you to go out with me..???? he asked suddenly.
???Nothing, I wouldn???t go out with you.??? I said and felt my mouth twitching, indicating my lie.
???I bet if we make out, you???ll change your mind.???
???As if that will ever happen,??? I said, forcing myself to laugh.
???You???re loss,??? Chance said as he sat up on his bed, stretching his legs out in front of him like he didn???t have a care in the world.
I stood there for another second just staring at my assignment, wondering what it would truly be like to kiss Chance. For an instant I imagined him leaning closer and taking me in his arms, but that thought was cut short with my mental ramblings.
What the hell, Mahrissa! Why are you getting hot for Chance, a guy that drives you insane, a guy that looks at you in a teasing manner all the time... a guy that you could lean over and kiss and he wouldn???t protest, would he? I thought ridiculously.
I don???t like Chance! I finally commanded my brain, ordering it to follow my statement.
???Mahrissa..????
???What???? I said, staring down at the assignment, with no clue of what I was really reading. The words were just dancing around the page because I was too embarrassed to look at him.
???Were you just looking at me like you wanted to kiss me????
???Yeah right,??? I said, forcing another laugh.
???Nobody???s watching if you want to, you know, try it. Not to brag, but I'm somewhat of an expert.???
He gave me a lazy smile, one that was probably created to melt girls??? hearts all over the globe. That smile would have tugged at my emotions if I hadn???t remembered my sole purpose of being here.
???Biggest dream???? I asked, changing the subject. I was proud of this question because it actually required some thought, hopefully it would stump him.
???To kiss you.???
???That???s not funny,??? I said, holding his eyes, grateful that I didn???t stutter.
???No, but it made you blush.???
I boosted myself up onto the desk, over a few books and tried to look impassive. I crossed my legs, using my knee as a writing board.
???Religion????
He didn???t seem surprised by the question, but he didn???t seem overjoyed either.
???I thought you said a few quick questions...???
???Religion???? I asked more firmly.
???I???m thinking of starting a cult.??? Chance said, dragging his hand thoughtfully across his jaw. ???As is turns out, I???ll be in need of a female sacrifice. I had planned on luring her into trusting me first, but if you???re ready now??????
???You???re not impressing me,??? I said firmly, but I could feel the lingering smile that wanted to make its way to my lips.
???I haven???t started trying yet.??? He said and winked, sliding off of his bed and sauntering over to stand in front of me.
???What school did you go to before your act of murder???? I asked, sticking to my questions so I could keep away from the distraction of his bare chest.
???Why do you think I killed someone????
???Gossip gets around fast at Darkmoor,??? I retorted with a wide grin plastered over my face, glad to be able to get under his skin, ???So, what school????
???I didn???t go to school last year,??? He said. His eyes taunting me, only making me more determined to figure him out.
???You were truant???? I asked, suddenly a bit confused.
Chance laid one hand beside me and leaned inwards, crooking his finger for me to come closer. I didn???t.
???A secret???? he said in a confidential tone. ???I???ve never been to school before. Another secret? It???s not as dull as I expected.???
He was lying. Everyone went to school. There were laws. He wasn???t telling me the truth to try and get me to snap.
???You think I'm lying.??? He said around a smile.
???You???ve never been to school, ever? If that???s true???and you???re right, I don???t think it???s true???what made you decide to come this year????
???You.???
I didn???t know what impulses where inside me, but I knew I was not going to let them get the better of me. I stood my ground, acting as if I were annoyed, and looked into his dark grey eyes; they are like a window to a lost soul.
???That???s not a real answer.???
He must have taken a step closer, because suddenly our bodies were separated by nothing more than a shallow margin of air.
???You???re eyes, Mahrissa. Those gray eyes manage to keep my attention, with the black ring that encases your iris, they are surprisingly irresistible...??? Chance said and then tipped his head sideways, as if to study me from a different angle, ???...and that killer curvy mouth.???
I was startled; not by his comment, but by the way that my body reacted positively to it. I was having trouble trying not to picture myself running my hands along the flat muscular planes of his back, along his chiselled abs and then entwining my fingers into his soft jet black hair, gazing into those eyes that made me think of clouds and a window to his soul.
I stepped back.
???That???s it. I'm out of here.???
But as soon as the words were out of my mouth, I knew they weren???t true. I felt the urge to say something more. Picking threw my tangled thoughts. I tried to find what I felt I needed to say.
Why was he so mocking, and why did he act like I???d done something to deserve it? I thought suddenly.
???You seem to know a lot about me,??? I said, making the understatement of the year. ???More than you should. You seem to know exactly what to say to make me uncomfortable.???
???You make it easy.???
???You admit you???re doing this on purpose???? I asked as a spark of anger fired through me.
???This????
???This???provoking me.???
???Say ???provoking??? again. Your mouth looks sexy when you do,??? Chance whispered, tucking a stray piece of my hair behind my ear before I managed to pull away.
???We???re done. Finish you book,??? I said and grabbed my back pack off the table and pushed a book at him. He didn???t take it.
Chance is going to drive me insane! I thought, anger rising up inside of me.
???I hate sitting beside you,??? I said. ???I hate being your partner. I hate your condescending smile.??? My jaw twitched???something that only happens when I lie. I wondered if I was lying now. If I was, I wanted to kick myself. ???I hate you.??? I said as convincingly as I could, and thrust the book at his chest.
???There is a very fine line between love and hate,??? he said with a smile on his face that was designed particularly to weaken knees, I thought. Chance took the book I had thrust at him and stepped back, allowing me to storm angrily towards the door.
But as I glanced over my shoulder at him my anger faded. Lying open on his bed was the sketch pad I had seen before, but etched in dark led was an elegant portrait of a girl with her black hair tucked behind her bare shoulders.
That girl looked remarkably like me.
