I was in history class—staring out the window out of sheer boredom. My history class is one of the few on our second story. My eyes flicked back to the teacher to make sure he wasn't paying attention to me. He wasn't. I looked back out the window and almost jumped out of my seat. I saw someone outside the window—someone outside the second story window of my classroom. Something is definitely wrong with me. I must be asleep. I looked around at the other people staring out the window and they didn't seem to see him. That gave me two options: I was crazy or I was sleeping. Since I was reluctant to admit the first, I decided I was sleeping. I’ll just enjoy this dream while I can.
I looked at the godlike stranger and realized that this wasn't the first time I had seen him.
I was at the town mall, watching people I know pass by, sitting on one of the benches by a kiosk. He was walking- just walking- but I couldn’t stop staring. He just looked so… different. He stood out here, like I knew I did.
He was new in town, I was absolutely sure of that. No one had seen him around before. His family will be the new buzz of gossip, because he looks like me. Most people call it Gothic, but I've learned that that's not what it is. It seems to be more like unique. I don’t wear the black lipstick and I don’t smother my eyes with eyeliner. He didn’t do the guy-liner or the white face make-up thing though. Even though I bet he could pull it off, no guy should try- ever.
This is a small town and everybody seems to be the same: normal and boring. Of course there are the cliques: the rich preps, the jocks, and the nerds. There are average people as well, they aren’t rich, aren’t poor; they’re just average. I am the only one with black and purple hair. I am the only one not afraid to stand out.
What was he doing in a mall? I guess anyone could ask me the same question. To be honest, I hate malls. It is barely worth coming here anymore.
For a minute I thought he was coming to sit next to me, but he was just heading for the door. What a disappointment. But he was smiling. At the last second I saw his bright blue eyes flicker to meet mine, just before he walked out of the building into the cold night.
I snapped out of my flashback and continued to look at the person outside the window. I looked at his black hair and bright blue eyes that stood out against his hair. I wished that I could look at those eyes forever and never look away.
Just then the bell rang, signaling the end of the day and my dream. I woke up and removed my face from the desk.
“Onyx, I get that you just woke up, but we have a movie to watch,” my best and only friend (besides Peter of course) Gwendolyn Rose said. “Your turn to choose, but I won't wait forever.” She rarely practices patience, but she does tend to wait for me the majority of the time.
I shook my head. “Right, sorry. Give me a second.” I always take forever to get my stuff packed up. Gwen says it's because I carry my room in my backpack. Plus I don't organize my stuff, Gwen does.
“So, what movie are we watching tonight?” Gwen asked cautiously. She hated it when I choose, because I always choose a horror movie. Gwen is more of a science-fiction/action person. She hates the entire horror movie genre because she always ends up screaming. Always.
“It's a surprise, as always.”
She groaned, “You know I hate surprises.
“I know; I'm ready let's go.”
“Stop smirking,” she said as we began to walk to the car. “Is it a scary movie?”
“It's a possibility.”
“Oh no.”
“Oh yes.”
I threw my backpack in the trunk of Gwen's green 1997 Honda Prelude.
I got in the car and all I could think about was him and why I was dreaming about him. I need to stop thinking about him, I mean, it's not like he would be interested in me. I'm not really that pretty, and he probably already has a girlfriend. Especially with a face like that. Gwen got in the car as I continued to think.
After a few minutes when we were almost at my house, Gwen spoke up. “You've been awfully quiet. What's going on, did something happen?”
“No,” I answered too quickly. I realized my mistake a second late. I am a good liar when I focus on it. I wasn't focused.
“No you don't. No lying to me, you won't get away with it. Not this time,” she said stubbornly.
I sighed. “I saw a guy at the mall and I haven't seen him before, so he is either new or passing through and I just can't stop thinking about him. He had bright blue eyes and black hair and he is so gorgeous! And I overheard Chloe and the Bimbos later talking about him calling him Goth Boy. But, I doubt he'd want to meet me. Have you heard about anyone new in town?”
“No, I don't th—”
“I mean, I don't even know his name! And it's not like he would even be into me. Why isn't he in school yet? I mean, he was at the Bardolph mall and there is only one school around here.” Bardolph is the town that I live in. Bardolph, Illinois has a grand total of around two hundred people.
She waited until I was done with my rant to try to speak. “Are you done now?” she asked politely.
“Yeah, I think so,” I said.
“Okay, have you thought that he could be home-schooled? And the reason I haven't heard of him is because I wasn't at the mall and I'm only in one loop. Ours. Nobody else talks to me, not really anyway. And why wouldn't he want to meet you. Onyx?”
“Because I'm me and I'm boring.”
“If you're boring then I'm a dinosaur. And you're one of the most interesting people I have ever met. And you know what; we don't need anyone at the school. They're all jocks and jerks. Not to mention they have the IQ of a peanut. So don't even go there 'cause that's your next question. I know it.”
“How do you always know what I'm going to say next?”
“Because we've been best friends since you moved here. Almost at the end of fifth grade I think. And Onyx, that's six years we've been best friends. So are we all better?”
“I guess,” I said actually feeling slightly better.
“So, do you want to go to the park after you torture me with horror?”
“Yeah, sure,” I said as she pulled into my driveway.
We got out of the car and I glanced up at the sky as I grabbed my backpack. It is 4 o'clock and dark from the rain. Just the way Gwen and I like it. We love the rain.
Gwen hates the sun because she is almost albino and burns too easily. She would be albino except for the fact that her hazel-green eyes are too dark. She has shoulder length dirty blonde hair that is almost brown.
As we walked inside I heard Gwen sigh happily.
I unlocked the door and smelled pizza.
“Hey, girls,” my mom, Molly, hollered when she heard the door close.
“Hey, Mom.”
“I hope you don't mind pizza,” she said. “I have to go the store soon, I have nothing else.”
“Pizza's fine, we're teenagers Mom,” I hollered.
We put our bags down by the door and headed into the living room. I grabbed a movie case and put it in the DVD player. I tossed Gwen the case so she could see and she sighed. When I turned around she looked at me with an odd expression. It's that expression she wears every time she sees the movie I chose. It's a cross between exasperation and terror.
“I know; you hate it.”
“Well, they're all the same and no matter what you choose I always scream. If I had nightmares would you stop choosing these movies?”
“Are you having nightmares?” I asked her.
“No,” she muttered reluctantly.
“Well, if you did start having nightmares about these movies, then I would stop choosing them. But you aren't and I would know if you were lying.”
“I know. I suck at lying.”
I smirked and sat down beside her after turning the lights off.
The movie began to play as Gwen hid behind a pillow waiting for something to jump out at her. About a half an hour later, Mom came in carrying two plates of pizza.
The sound of the door opening caused Gwen to scream, “Peanut butter!” causing me to burst out laughing and Gwen soon followed.
“Sorry, about that, Gwen,” Mom said as she handed us the pizza and walked out of the room.
When the movie was over, Gwen ran to turn on the lights and walked back to me slowly and said, “Why do they always die?”
“Well, one lives...usually.”
“Yeah, but then they are terrified for the rest of their lives.”
“I know what they mean,” I said too quietly for Gwen to hear. She has no idea that at one point, my life was a short one night horror movie and no matter what people say, no amount of therapy will actually help.
“What?”
“Nothing, are we ready to go to the park?”
“Yeah,” she said. “Let's go.”
“Hey, Mom, do you mind if we go to the park?” I asked her.
“No, just be home by eight and be safe,” she hollered back.
“Kay, love you,” I said.
“Love you too,” she replied.
We decided to drive, even though the park was only a 5-10 minute walking distance. Gwen probably wanted to head home early. She lives in Bardolph limits and the drive to school is around 20 minutes of nothing but farmland. She lives about 10 minutes from my house.
She pulled up to the side of the road and cut the engine. We stepped out of the car and I walked over to the bridge and lay down with my back on the peak of the arch.
“Do you have your guitar?” I asked Gwen.
“Yeah, in the car.”
“I think that you should play one of your songs for me. Please?” I asked.
“Fine,” she sighed and walked to her car, grabbed the guitar from the trunk and sat on the swings. She strummed once and began tuning.
I could barely hear it, so I walked over and sat next to her on a swing.
She finished tuning and began to play and sing one of the songs she wrote. I just sat there listening. Gwen knows how to sing and she is good.
Gwen played a few songs, some hers, some not, and when she was finished she said, “Alright, I gotta put Lola away.”
Lola is the guitar.
“Okay, I will see you later,” I said to her as she put Lola away.
“Bye, and be careful,” she said.
She got in her car and pulled away.
Bardolph has about one of everything. Well, not everything, but it has one park, one mall, one cemetery, and so on. It even has an elementary school, but is lacking in the high school department.
I sat there, swinging slowly back and forth, not bothering about how much height I get. I sat there, staring at my feet until I lost track of time.
I heard footsteps near me and my head snapped up immediately. He froze.
“Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you,” he said and his voice sounded like a melody and if my mouth was open I would be drooling. I made sure my mouth wasn't open.
“No, you didn't I was just... surprised. Nobody usually comes here at night when it's dark.”
“Well, I think I fit in that category,” he said and smiled.
I tried to chuckle at the attempt of a joke.
“Yeah, I know. I'm not funny. Do you mind if I join you?”
“Go for it,” I said.
He came and sat on the swing next to me and introduced himself. “I'm Jayden Storm. I'm new in town, but I'm assuming you already figured that out.”
“Yeah,” I chuckled. “I'm Onyx, Onyx Green. So, are you going to the high school?
“No, I'm actually home-schooled. I have been for a while now. It makes it pretty hard to meet people. It probably doesn't help that everyone thinks you're a freak who only wears black. You wouldn't know anything about that... the being a freak part I mean.”
I looked at him and there was no sarcasm in his expression, or voice.
“You had me going for a second. I would be the freak of the town, pleased to meet your acquaintance.” I smiled at him.
He didn't say anything, he just stared at me and his gaze caused me to blush scarlet. I don't blush and I was always proud of that, but I can't say that anymore. I felt like I was displaying my mind for all to see. I put my head down and shook my head slightly so my hair would fall in his line of sight to my face.
“Why are you here so late?” he asked me suddenly.
“You say that like it's possible to get hurt in this town.”
“It's possible anywhere,” he said,
“Possible, but difficult. Especially when you live in a town of about two hundred people and everybody knows everybody.”
“But anyone can wander into town and no one would know if it were dark enough.”
“Well, you're right. It is possible. Highly unlikely, but possible.”
“So why are you here by yourself?”
“My friend, Gwen, left and I just let my mind wander. Do you know what time it is?”
He looked at his wrist and then realized he didn't have a watch. He looked up at the sky and said, “I'm assuming it's around fifteen ‘til eight. Give or take a few minutes.”
“Oh, well, I have to leave. My mom is a little paranoid and I finally convinced her to let me walk to the park,” I said. I didn't want to let him out of my sight, but I knew I couldn't be late or I wouldn't be able to go anywhere ever again.
“Do you mind if I walk you home?” he asked quietly.
“I don't mind,” I said as I resisted the urge to scream yes!
He smirked and as I got up, he fell into place beside me.
“So, are your parents here with you?”
“Well, that's a long story and I don't—”
“It's okay, I won't pry. So why are you here?”
“How 'bout we not talk about me. What about you?” he asked. My heart pounded in my chest and threatened to escape as he caught my gaze. The moonlight glistened on his eyes and caused the bright blue to glisten. I stumbled over my own feet and it would have sent me flailing to the ground. Instead of feeling the ground on my face, I felt arms supporting my slender frame. Jayden had caught me.
I stood up and said, “Thanks.” He dropped his arms and where his skin touched mine, tingling heat lingered radiating to the bone.
“My pleasure,” he said and smiled at me causing me to smile back.
“Sorry, I'm such a klutz. I used to be graceful. I used to be a dancer, a gymnast.”
“You used to? Why did you stop?”
“Well, when I was in fifth grade I wanted a life. A life outside of gymnastics and after I quit, my mom and I moved here. But even when I moved here, Gwen was the only one who would talk to me. We were the weird ones. I shunned pink while everyone else bathed in it. Gwen just ran to her own beat. She's much more colorful.”
“Your name, Onyx. How did your parents come up with it?” Of course he asked that question. Then again, everyone did. The story was fresh in my mind because like most stories that involve my father, I knew it by heart.
“Because of this ring,” I said, gesturing to the small, onyx ring that was placed on my pinky finger. “It brought my parents together. My mother had lost her ring, this ring, in a snowdrift about twenty years ago. The ring was important to her because it was a family heirloom. My dad saw her searching for it in the cold, and then when he got out, he found the stone and returned it to her. I know it might be hard to believe in love at first sight, but both Mom and Dad said that's what it was. She looked into his eyes and she looked into hers and I'm sure you can figure out the rest. So, without this ring, I wouldn't be here and so I was named Onyx.”
He had been watching me intently throughout the whole story with only a slight change when I mentioned love at first sight. I looked at him, trying to figure him out, but I feel it had the opposite effect. I inhaled and the action was ragged causing him to look away abruptly.
“So, are your parents still together?” he asked.
“Well, it's just my mom and I now, but that's not a story I tell lightly.”
I prayed silently hoping he wouldn't pry and as if reading my thoughts, he said, “Maybe you'll tell sometime. But I'm not one to pry where I'm not welcome. And my story is like that as well, unusual,” he said finishing with a grim tone that caught me by surprise. It made me curious. What happened to him? I wondered to myself.
Instead of voicing my curiosity, I kept quiet until we reached my house. “This is me,” I said and turned into my driveway, grabbing my keys from my pocket.
“Hey,” he said when I had almost reached the door. I turned to face him. “Will I be able to see you at the park?”
“Yeah, I'll be there,” I said and turned and unlocked the door. When I turned around again, to sneak one more peak at him, he was gone. I whipped my head in the other direction. Nothing. He must be fast.
I opened the door and stepped inside. “Well, that was...weird.”
“Onyx? Is that you?”
“Yeah, Mom. I'm gonna go to bed,” I told her on my way up the stairs.
“Kay, night, love you. Don't forget you have therapy tomorrow.”
I gave a silent groan. “Love you too!” I hollered and closed my door.
I don't think sleep would be possible. I felt wired, charged. I changed into my batty pajamas and walked across to the bathroom. I brushed my teeth and ran a comb through my hair. I walked to my room and crawled into my bed, settling into my covers and huddling in the warmth.
I ran through what happened with Jayden through my head over and over again until I fell asleep.
