Ashton reached for her, pulling her into his arms, holding her close and whispering into her ear, “Your mine and I won’t ever let you go again.”
Sapphire smiled at her man, love blooming in her chest. Ashton was the only one she could love, the only one she would ever feel safe with, even if he was a vampire. He was her vampire, and that was all that mattered.
I groaned in frustration, putting the book down roughly on my bedside table. I don’t know why I read those books when all they left me with was a longing for the same thing. Real life wasn’t like that, but I couldn’t help but wish it was, and that only made me depressed.
My looks, body figure, personality, almost everything about me, wasn’t something guys usually went for. I was a regular height for most 16 year old girls, but compared to everyone else, I was short. Combine that with my shoulder length black hair, green eyes, and chubby form, I was not someone would call attractive. Guys wanted someone thin, tall, blonde hair, big boobs. A Barbie. Not something I ever intended to become.
I groaned again when I heard my dad call my name, “Kassandra Rosemarie Phillip, Get your butt in here this instant.”
What had I done now? My parents were constantly at my throat about my “Attitude” though I don’t believe I have one, I called it a personality. My altogether view of things was life sucks, and then you die. Most people would call me a Goth; I would say more of an outsider, a lone wolf. I kept to myself, and those who tried to get close – though rarely – I pushed them away with little effort. My dress style wasn’t something my parents approved of, Band shirts, Black jeans, and Converse? Have the parents that live on the upper-east side a bit worried about their reputation, No? To put the icing on the cake I had poor grades. It wasn’t that I was stupid; I made sure my grades were poor as a sort of rebellion against my parents.
They wanted me to be the perfect daughter, and since I was there only child, they didn’t have a chance to try again. I was the complete opposite of what they wanted. They wanted a well mannered lady, so I was a rude, arrogant, opinionated bitch. They wanted me to be popular, have friends, and the perfect jock boyfriend. I had no friends, and made it my mission to stay away from the jocks, not that they would be interested in the first place.
I put the book in my book box at the end of my bed. My parents had no idea that I had books, let alone read them. They were under the impression that I came in here and planned more things to make their lives miserable, and I planned to keep it that way.
Walking down the stairs, I looked at the surrounding wall I had had to grow up with for my entire life. Pastel pink walls reflected the dying suns light. Family pictures hung on the walls, a sort of built in time line that reminded me everyday why I didn’t want to be here.
I stopped to stare at the most recent one. My dad was an investment banker, and dressed in his tailored navy blue suit, blonde hair slicked back away from his face, he looked the part. The woman standing next to him was the one I could blame for everything. She was a lawyer, and ‘had a tendency to be controlling’ is how our house keeper Kelsey had put it, to me that was an understatement. Blonde hair, brown eyes, and a Botox creation for a face, she was my step-mother.
My real mother, I had never met. She had died in child birth while having me, and I had the feeling that my dad still blamed me. I have been told that I’m the exact copy of her, heard that she was beautiful, and my dad had fallen for her as soon as he had set his eyes on her. I was told she had been full of joy, had a spark in her that I now held in me. Something that I now found hard to believe was that my dad had been the same once, before he had re-married to Hannah.
“Kassandra, Here, Now,” My dad shouted from the family sitting room. I forced myself to walk down the remainder of the stairs, preventing myself from smashing the handpicked antique decorations that littered the house on my way.
Upon entering the sitting room, I saw Hannah standing next to my dad with a disappointed look on her face, her hands on her hips. My dad looked as though his ears were about to shoot steam, his face was bright red, a visual display of his anger. Most teenagers would have cowered under the look he was now giving me, all I did was smile at him, “Hello daddy-dearest, How can I help you?”
He narrowed his eyes at me, “Don’t start that Kassandra, and you know exactly why I called you here, what do you call this?” He thrusted a piece of paper under my nose, and of course he was right, I knew exactly what it was. It was the letter of complaint from school about my failing grades, and of the latest stunt I had pulled, but it was more fun to string my dad along, “Um, a piece of paper, with black ink on it that I suppose are words,” I told him, speaking slowly and precisely.
He stepped back, away from me, throwing his hands in the air, “Why can’t you be a normal child? Go to parties with friends? Play a sport? Not,” His eyes scanned the letter, and he looked back up at me, “Change the school song tape to a ludicrous song about sex? Deface the schools’ hall by spray painting your name on the floor? While sitting on stage and asking everyone “Isn’t it colourful” when the year 8 PE class came in? What is wrong with you? Are you on drugs? Tell me the truth.”
Why is it that every time you do something they find unacceptable, parents accuse you of doing drugs? It was a ridiculous question to ask, because even if I was it’s not like I would say I was. I looked at him with a bored expression, sarcasm clear in my tome of voice, “Yes dad, I am doing drugs, why? You want some?”
I could have laughed at the appalled expression Hannah shot at me. She obviously hadn’t picked up on the sarcasm. I turned back to face dad, who to my surprise no longer looked angry. He looked calm, and rather pleased, though I couldn’t begin to fathom what it was about.
Dad looked at Hannah, who nodded her head at him. Looking back to me with a serious expression, he took a deep breath, “This time you have pushed us,” he pulled Hannah close to his side, “both of us too far, and I have no choice but to send you to that school I discussed with you.”
My eyes widened, I couldn’t prevent them from doing so. The school my dad had talked to me about a month earlier had been a boarding school for teenagers that needed more discipline, and something I had laughed at, knowing he would actually send me there. I had no idea just how wrong I had been. I swallowed audibly, panic rising slightly at their completely serious expressions, “What? You can’t do that! Just think of what the neighbours’ would think,” It was a pitiful attempt to save myself, and I knew it, I just had to cross my fingers and hope it was enough.
This is when Hannah spoke up, and put in her part, “We are going to tell the neighbours’ that you have gone away to one of the top boarding school programs in the country. Which is true, but we aren’t going to tell them that it is for rebellious teenagers’, that’s all,” her smile showed her happiness over the prospect of getting rid of me.
I looked back at my dad, my mouth gaping open and closed wordlessly for a few seconds, “Dad, you can’t let her do this to me...”
He cut me off mid sentence, “I can and I have, you leave tomorrow and start on Monday, no excuses, I’ve made up my mind, now go pack.”
I stood, looking back and forth between them both, before finally deciding that it was a lost cause and went up to my room. I didn’t bother to put up anymore of a fight against this new school, in my eyes I was almost getting my wish; I was getting out of this place, out of this house, and out of this so called life.
I didn’t fold anything, only emptied my drawers into two of my suit cases, and packed immediate essentials into my favourite black over the shoulder hand bag. Anything else I wanted to bring I chucked in my book chest to take with me – there was no way in hell I was leaving my books behind. Leaving out a pair of clothes to change into in the morning, and I was done.
I smiled to myself climbing into bed, in my own way, I was escaping.
***
The plane trip was no better than the drive there. There was nothing to do, and my iPod had run out of battery, so I had to spend the duration of the trip listening to screaming babies, and snoring from the old man that had been seat beside me.
According to the driver we would be at the school in no more than half an hour, and looking out the window for the duration of it was the only thing there was to do. From my surroundings, and the fact that after having left the city I had seen no other smaller towns, I knew this school was literally in the middle of nowhere. I had been having regrets about not putting up more of a fight the entire trip, even though it was too late now. My dad hadn’t even been there to see me off, having important business to attend to at the office early this morning, which was nothing more than I should expect, he was never there for me anymore, not that I gave him any reason otherwise. Kelsey had been there to say goodbye, but that was it, no one else.
Staring out the window, the grassy cliff face and paddocks turned into more open space, and in the middle of it was the school. Kings Cliff Boarding School for Difficult Teens. The school was no where near a cliff, so that gave this place one strike already.
We drove down the main road to the school, having to pause at the high security gates before entering the schools ground. Getting out of the car, I looked at the tall depressing looking buildings around me. Each one held no amount of colour, all made of the same crumbling gray stone. To call this place gloomy would be a far stretch from the truth. How this school was supposed to help teenagers, I had no idea.
No-one was one the grounds from what I saw, and seeing that it was a weekend I had no clue as to why. My wondering ceased when I got the answer to my silent question as I followed the driver in what I had to guess was the food hall. All heads turned my way, and silence enveloped the room, each student in the small room stopping what they were doing. They obviously didn’t get new students a lot, “Take a picture, it lasts longer.”
The hall erupted again, tables all talking about the same thing. Me, about how I looked, what I would be like, who was going to be my friend. It was all the same usual; oh my god there’s a new girl kind of things. I didn’t have the patience for any of it, making my way through the hall to the other side following my driver.
After one long discussion with the school Principal, Mrs Bennett, I was shown to my room. My belongings had already been brought up, so I fell onto the bed and went to sleep.
***
Banging on my door woke me up, and I looked at my watch to see that it was only 2 in the afternoon. I pushed myself up; walking slowly to the door, knowing this was not something I wanted to do.
Opening the door, I came face to face with a girl who was my height. She had black hair, though I could see that it was streaked through with a crimson red. Blue eyes shone with anger as she looked at me, and the expression on her face told me she didn’t want to be here any more that I did, “What do you want?”
She stayed silent for a moment, taking in the harsh tone I had used and smiled slightly, “New Girl, I’m Nat, and I’ve been assigned to show you around.”
“I’m Kassie,” my voice was stone cold, I didn’t want to be friend with these people any more than I had wanted friends at my old school.
Her smile widened, “Oh, I know who you are, and I know exactly why your here, Kassandra.”
“Don’t call me that,” I snapped at her.
Pushing me aside she walked into my room as if she was invited, “From your school records I can tell were going to get along just fine here. The favourite I read so far was setting fire to that girls’ locker, care to tell me the story behind that?”
I was surprised this girl knew that already, and it was also clear, by the fact alone she had said it herself, that she had read my file. It un-nerved me that she knew more about me than I knew about her, but I answered her question, “She pissed me off.”
Her smile returned, “Always a good reason.”
I watched at she picked through some of my things, until I couldn’t take it any longer and stepped in front of her, “Why are you here now? I don’t start until tomorrow.”
She looked up at me, “I know, I was just told to come here to introduce myself before you started Principals orders. I didn’t want to, but from the way you spoke to me, I know we are going to be great friends.”
I glared at her, “I don’t want friends.”
She shook her head, “I can tell, but come on, let me introduce you to some of the people I know.”
I looked at her in silence, not trusting her, and having no desire to leave my room at this point in time, “Tomorrow when I start, then you can introduce me, I don’t want to go out,” I didn’t know what was making me soft, maybe it was the shear fact I was away from home, away from my controlling ‘parents’, but I didn’t feel the need to shut her down like I would have done in the past.
She smiled at me, seeming pleased, “Ok, see you then.”
I closed and locked the door behind her, thinking that maybe this school won’t be too bad after all.
BANG, BANG, BANG.
What the hell? What the Fuck is that sound? I groaned, rolling over in my bed. And noise came again, Along with yelling.
“Oi, Kassie, are you up yet? It’s our day off, hurry up.”
I groaned again. I hadn’t actually believed Nat would come back. This school was supposed to be full of teenage delinquents, the why didn’t she disobey her orders, and leave me alone? Then I remembered why. She believed that I would fit in, and that we would be great friends.
I rolled over again, only to end up on the floor. Ouch. I pushed myself up, and stood, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I looked toward the door, and the banging came again. This had to stop, “Wait a minute, I will be out in a second.” Exaggerated, like every normal teen would say, and yet I was in this hell hole. I really had pushed it too far this time, but my Dad would at least visit though, right?
I grabbed the first things at the top of my still unpacked bag. Black Jeans, and a Band-Tee. After putting on my overly used and favourite pair of converse, put on some mascara, eye liner, and nothing more, I opened the door while putting on my leather jacket.
Nat stood in a variation of what she had on yesterday. Gray skinny jeans, and a black tank-top, with her ballet slippers. She smiled at me, grabbing my wrist and pulling me out the door, “There is so many people I want you to meet, we will start with my friends first.”
We headed down the hall, back into what looked like a common room, one that I had only spared a glance at yesterday. Sitting on the plush lounges were 5 people. Nat indicated to each of them individually, introducing them as she went, “Savannah, Christian, Nina, Xavier,” the first four looked like your average teenage Goths. Black hair, Black clothes, Black make up, black nail polish. Too cliché for me.
The one that caught my attention was the one on the end, who Nat introduced last, “and Phoenix, He doesn’t talk much.” He looked like someone I would get along with just fine. His face held no emotion, his sandy blonde hair falling over his face. He didn’t smile like the others, only inclined his head in acknowledgement. He didn’t seem to fit in with the style of this group, an outsider in a place full of outsiders. He striked me as a confident person, only one that kept to himself. I could relate to that, and I had an instant liking to him.
Nat introduced me as Kassie, then quickly said goodbye, claiming we had a busy day ahead of us. I never got a word in, and that was fine with me. We went from area to area within the school, Nat stopping everywhere to introduce me to everyone. Some were more volatile than others, others were friendly. Nat never stayed long enough in one place for me to put anyone into any categories. Nat did all the talking, and I never had to open my mouth.
We came to a stop at the edge of the main school building, and Nat pointed to a table under a tree, “This is the end of my tour, and this is the last person on my list. That is Alex. You don’t want to near him,” she looked at me and winked, “He’s crazy.”
I looked over at the boy sitting alone at the table, and recognition flared within my senses, a smile beaming across my face. I knew that short, wavy brown hair, had grown up with it. Nat gave me a strange look, but all I did was walk toward him, saying over my shoulder, “You go ahead to lunch; I want to talk to him.” I saw her shrug and head to the cafeteria.
Walking to the table, the first genuine smile since arriving here was on my face. As I got closer to the table, Alex didn’t lift his head toward me, didn’t acknowledge that he felt my presence, only continued to lie on the table with his eyes closed. I could imagine him with head phones in, but of course, we were not permitted to have IPods or mobile phones of any sort.
He never moved, not even when my shadow fell over his face. The only thing that got him going was the sound of my voice, “I guess both of our parents are liars, right?”
His body fell up into a sitting position, his eyes going wide. I wasn’t prepared for it, but he jumped off the table and pulled me into his embrace, though he stilled looked as though he could believe I was actually there. He pulled away first, and looked around, checking if anyone was near, before looking back at me. His eyes held the look of shock, wonder, and a hint of happiness. His voice held skeptism, “Kass? Is that really you? What are you doing here?”
I smiled at him, “Good to see you too. Yes, it is really me, and I’m here because I believe that this time I pushed my father too far,” I shrugged as if it were all no big deal, and now that I knew Alex was here, it did seem a little less bad then I had first thought.
He smiled at me, the smile I remembered from little over a year ago, since I had last seen him. He sat back down, pointing to the spot across the table, “Sit, please,” He shook his head, “God, I still can’t believe your actually here.”
I sat down, and looked over the table at him, my smile matching his. I felt as if I was happy in this place already. Alex was practically bouncing in his seat, bursting will all the energy I remembered, “What did you do to push him over the edge?”
Yet again, I shrugged, “I did what any bored person would do in the situation I had been in. I was sick of the school song so I changed it to one about drugs, sex, money, and strippers, to shake things up. Didn’t really help when I remembered I had science for last period, so I went to my car, grabbed spray paint, wrote my name on the floor of the Gym, and asked Year 8 opinion when they came in. I thought it was great, putting a little colour into the school, some character, but unfortunately Principal Gregory didn’t think so, and from what my dad read in the letter sent home he didn’t either, and so,” I spread my arms wide, indicating to my surrounding, “now I’m here.”
Through my entire story Alex had a beaming smile on his face, only when I was done did he burst out with laughter, a sound that I missed much more than I had let myself believe. I pointed to him when he had quieted down, “What happened to you? One day were watching movies on my bedroom floor, next thing I know your parents are telling me that you have gone to some sort of all boys’ Ivy League school in America, and they were surprised you hadn’t told me.”
He was shaking his head as I spoke, his face growing more and more disgusted as I went on, and spoke only when I had stopped, acting the polite gentleman he always was with me, “No, I got sent here, you know? After I got pissed off at Principal Gregory and sent his car on fire? Yeah, well my parents were not impressed, saying I was out of control and you were a bed influence on me. I told them to tell you the truth, if not anyone else, you. You were my best friend, I wanted you to know the truth, but I guess my parents,” He spat the word out as if it were a curse, “couldn’t even keep that promise to me.”
He looked so apologetic that it almost broke my heart, and I felt I had to lighten the mood, “My parents did the same, to the neighbours I am in Paris, studying some special course, when no I’m here, in the outer most deserted part of the Sydney rejects, half way across the country from my parents, and according to them I couldn’t be far enough,” It didn’t work, and the look was still on his face, and to admit to the truth, what I had said even made me a little depressed, so I put on a smile and stood slightly, leaning across the table to poke his shoulder, “And what do you mean ‘you were my best friend’? I am your best friend, remember always and forever? I will always be your best friend, and you will forever be mine.”
His smile came back into place, and he grabbed the hand that I had resting on the table, “Always and forever.”
I stood, pulling him up with me, “Good, now come on, I’m hungry.”
***
I sat in the far corner of the cafeteria with Alex, and I caught the odd glance from Nat, a hurt expression on her face, a twinge of surprised in her eyes directed at Alex, and I couldn’t contain the question, “So what did you do to make everyone in a teenage delinquent centre to be scared shitless of you, huh?” A smile was on my face, and he knew it was a good natured question.
Alex shrugged, “It wasn’t so much as what I did, it was more how I acted and treated everyone around me,” He looked up at me, “I didn’t want a friend when I had only just lost my best friend, and that fact that I didn’t even get to say goodbye just added to everything. I actually started to regret blowing up that assholes car, and to me, he deserved it.”
I reached across the table, holding his hand in mine, “I’m sorry,” I really was. However much his leaving had hurt me had to have hurt him more. For the second time that day it was my job to lighten the mood. I squeezed his hand, getting him to look at me, and flashed a devilish grin at him, “But what did you do? Nat over there thinks you’re crazy, warned me away from you.”
He squeezed and grinned in return, “On the first day of class’s I threw my chair out the window because the English teacher tried to get me to write a poem about the person that meant the most to me, and I wouldn’t, couldn’t write it, it hurt me too much. She didn’t care, said I had to write it or else. I abused her, it was her fault,” He looked at me, “I couldn’t write about the one person that meant the most to me when I had just lost that person.”
My heart was breaking for him. I hadn’t seen him for over a year, but as they say, distance only makes the heart grow fonder. I still held a special place for him in my heart, like everyone did for their best friend, and even when he left I couldn’t let him go, and I didn’t believe I ever could. I knew that before he had fallen of my planet he had a crush on someone, he just wouldn’t tell me who, said it was guy business only to be discussed with his guy friends, when I knew for a fact that he had no guy friends. Sure, he had been on the soccer team, but he hadn’t been friends with any of them. It had always just been the two of us.
I let go of his hand, and we finished our pizza. From the low down of the school I had been given from both Nat and Alex, the school held theme weeks. Each week the theme was different and on what theme it was determined what style of food we would be getting. This week it was Italian, and on Wednesday we voted for what we wanted next week. To me this school was uptight, and I hated it.
After lunch we went down onto the school’s sport oval. It was Sunday, and we didn’t have classes on the weekends just like normal. I was thankful for it, meant I didn’t have any classes until tomorrow. We sat down by the high chain fence that surrounded the school, and talked. I looked over to where Alex was laying in the grass, “So, you really had no friends here? No one to talk to?”
He started shaking his head, but stopped and corrected himself, “Well, I got along with Phoenix, talk to him quite a bit.”
I nodded trying to remember who he was talking about, when it hit me, “You mean Phoenix, the one who doesn’t talk much Phoenix?”
Alex nodded, “Pretty nice guy when you get to know him, just doesn’t talk much around people he doesn’t know or doesn’t really like. Nat keeps on trying to hook up with him, throws herself at him most of the time, and he just pushes her away.”
I was shocked at that. Nat hadn’t striked me as the type of person to do that kind of thing, though I did know she was persistent. I looked back over at Alex, “What is Nat like?” He gave me a weird look, “I thought you spent the morning with her,” I nodded, “I did, but what is she really like, you’ve been here longer than me, so you should know better.”
Alex sat up, turning to face me properly, who was lying down in the grass, “Nat likes to believe she is the Queen of the school, and she is defiantly not the sweet person she makes herself out to be. She isn’t exactly a slut, but she does get around a bit. What she really wants, or who she wants, is Phoenix, only because he doesn’t want her with a passion, won’t give in not one bit. She’s not someone you want on your bad side unless you can beat her at her own game, which is very few people. I beat her because she is scared of me like everyone else, but Phoenix. You could beat her, and there’s the added bonus that you have me. But I would say that you have to watch your back with her.”
I nodded. At least now I knew who the real enemy in this place was, and I didn’t want to be in it unless I had to be. I jumped slightly when I heard someone call out behind me, “Hey, Alex.”
I turned to see Phoenix walking toward us. He had a small smile on his face, that disappeared when he saw me, and he looked at Alex questioningly. Alex indicated to me, “This is Kass, I’m sure you’ve met her.”
A bigger smile formed on his face when Phoenix turned back to face me, lowering himself onto the ground beside Alex, and in front of me, as I had now sat up. H extended his had to me, a friendly gesture I hadn’t expected, “So your the infamous Kass, I’ve heard quite a lot about you. True you replaced the schools water supply with Vodka?” When I nodded he laughed.
I looked at Alex he was looking at Phoenix with a stern expression, and in return he only ignored Alex and looked at me with what felt like knowledge, but not in the usual way. In a way that indicated to me that I was missing something, and I had no clue what it could be.
We stayed on the oval until dinner, and then headed to the dining hall. Dinner was un-eventful, the three of us talking and laughing, catching up on lost time. Phoenix fit in with the two of us, but I suspected he knew that nothing could be stronger then the friendship Alex and I held, and accepted it with the same sort of knowing he had shown earlier, but I let it slip past me, seeing it as unimportant at the moment.
After dinner, we only had half an hour until it was lights out, and I felt as if I was back in primary school, as if I was reliving the stage my ‘parents’ had gone threw of trying to get me into bed by 8:30, and it made me feel horrible.
My mood was slowly deteriorating, up until Alex suggested one of the best ideas I had heard all day, “Why don’t you guys come stay in my room for tonight, it’s not against the rules.”
I accepted the invitation, and we both turned to Phoenix, questioning him silently until he broke, “Ok, Ok, let me just grab some stuff and get changed.”
I clapped my hands excitedly, “Just like old times,” I paused for a second, “Plus one extra.” With that I raced up the stairs to me room to get ready and grab my stuff, only to race back down to see Alex standing there with Phoenix, looking at the me expectantly, and hearing the end of Alex’s count down, “1, and 0. Here she is, Kass, I’m in room 204, on the third floor.” I smiled and went back up the stairs.
Since arriving here I hadn’t spared a thought as to that we had to share a bathroom, and because the school felt like it would make everyone get along together, I had also forgotten the fact that they were co-ed bathrooms. Meaning that the guys and girls had to use the same showers and toilets, and how something like that could have escaped my mind I had no idea. It made me think of this school more of a sex house, seeing as unlike other boarding school the guys and girls lived in the same build and were allowed in each other’s rooms unsupervised. In some ways it was good, but in the ways it was really, very bad.
Walking into the shower area had my eyes almost popping out of my head. Guys walked around bare chested, others were just bare, exposing every part of themselves. I had to fight the urge to faint at the sight of some of them. The girls were just as open, some walking around just in their under garments, and others having no modesty, comfortable in their own body, walked around with only a towel around their waist, showing off their boobs to the boys, and from just a quick scan of the room, I could see some of those boys appreciation showing in the lower half of their body.
My heart rate picked up as I spotted one of the boys hop into a shower with one of the other girls, and again when another ripped the curtain off a shower to reveal someone I could only just remember from this morning’s introductions, who screamed and tried to cover herself. How any school could allow this was beyond explainable, and I knew for sure that no-one other than the students knew what went on in here. I jumped what felt like a metre in the air when I heard someone talk close to my ear, “Want to shower with me?”
I turned around ready to tell whoever this jerk was to fuck himself when I saw a familiar smiling face looking down at me. Instead of doing what I had originally planned, I punched Phoenix in his chest, which I only spared a glance at his well defined chest, “That is so not funny.”
He stood in what I suspected was only the towel I saw hanging low at his waist, and a stupid grin on his face. I went to slap it off him, but he grabbed my wrist, “I was joking, but I will stand guard outside your stall if you want me to, I know that Alex won’t want any of the other guys seeing you in any state of undress.”
I gave him a weird look, clearly showing him my confusion, “Ok, that would be great, though I don’t see what Alex has to do with it, I just am not that comfortable parading around showing off my tits to the entire population of the school, ok?”
He nodded, “Ok, just let me get changed first.” I nodded, and he walked past me. I could barely contain my gasp when as soon as he past me, he let him towel drop, his bare butt indicating I had been right to suspect that he had been wearing nothing underneath. I stared at him in uncontainable horror as he looked over his shoulder at me, and winked.
***
I had a nice shower, cleaning myself without any interruption, Phoenix standing guard outside. I still had no idea how he could be so comfortable, holding no modesty. I shut off the water, and looked around for my towel, I groaned inwardly when I remember I had left it with my things outside the stall. I had no choice but to call out for Phoenix, “Phoenix, can you grab my towel for me, it’s with my stuff. It should have my name on it.” I waited patiently until my towel popped up around the side of the shower curtain, “Thank you.”
I finished getting dry, and still had no desire to walk out of the stall in only my towel for everyone to ogle. I listen for any sounds, and heard none, “Phoenix?” There was no answer, and I poked my head around the edge of the curtain, making sure to keep my body inside the stall.
Looking around, I saw no-one else in the bathroom. I spotted my stuff were I had left it, but there was no sign of Phoenix. Stupid buys, never reliable. I popped my head back inside the stall, and wrapped my towel around me, deciding that if I ever wanted to get out of this stall, and get to Alex’s room I would just have to go for it. It wasn’t like anyone was around, and it wasn’t likely that anyone was going to come in.
I pulled back the curtain, and rushed to my stuff, careful not to slip over. I tried to quickly get changed, putting on my lacy underwear while still having the towel around me. The second item that had to go on I knew couldn’t be done with the towel. I looked to my left, seeing o-one coming threw the door, and with a deep breath dropped the towel, quickly grabbing my bra, and getting it on. I face my left hand side, so if anyone came in I would know. My problem was that I didn’t know this school well enough to know that there was another entry to my right, behind me, and when I heard the door close I jumped, turning to face the intruder with wide eyes.
***
Alex stood with the same wide eyed expression on his face, except the embarrassment and shock shining in my eyes, were exchanged for appreciation, and what I thought was longing. We both stood in stunned silence until I gathered enough of myself to react appropriately. I grabbed my towel covering my scantly clad body with it, “Alex, stop looking, turn around.”
My voice snapped him out of his trance, and he raised his hand, covering his eyes, and obeyed my command, turning around. I let out a breath, “Thankyou, and stay that way until I say so.” He nodded and I rushed to put on my flannelette black pyjama bottoms – it was winter after all – but put on a red tank top to make up for the fact that I may get too hot.
When I was done, I gathered my gear, “Ok, I’m done, you can turn around now.”
Alex turned slowly and lowered his hand as he did so. We stood silently once again, and I was the one who broke the silence, “I hate co-ed bathrooms.”
He broke the tension – a kind of tension I dare not name at this time – by laughing, and I walked past him to the door, pushing his shoulder on the way, “Phoenix was supposed to be guarding my stall, but he left, stupid boys, I hate you all.”
He was still laughing as we walked down the hall to my room, and as we reached the door he said, “Phoenix came to my room, said you were still in the bathroom, so I came to hurry you up, never thought I would walk in on that.”
I turned and punched him in the stomach, then slammed my door in his face. Him walking in on me like that was not funny, I was really embarrassed. Oh, I was so going to kill Phoenix. I grabbed my pillow and the doona I had brought with me to this stupid school, and then grabbed the school uniform for tomorrow, and a few extra things to make the uniform my own. Why the hell do we have school uniforms when the school was in the middle of know-where with no normal human contact? It was another point against this school as far as I was concerned.
At long last I had everything I needed, and opened the door. Alex was leaning against the wall beside my door, and the way his hair was mussed made me think of late nights in bed..........No, Kass, No. It reminded me of old times, when we had been younger and he would lean on the wall outside my bedroom at home.
I indicated down the hall, and walked that way, only to be stopped by Alex’s voice, “Kass, other way.” I didn’t say anything to him as I spun and walked in the opposite direction. I ignored his laughter as he followed me towards his room.
***
Upon walking into Alex’s dorm room, the first thing – person – I saw was Phoenix. He looked up at me from his spot on the floor, just before I dropped my things and lunged at him, “You’re a dead man.” I punched his shoulder, which had little effect on his, and I had no chance to take another swing because he pinned my wrists together easily with one hand. I heard Alex laughing from the doorway, and I glared at him to silence it.
Turning my attention back to Phoenix, I barely contained my need to shout the words, choosing to use my menacing voice instead, “You said you would guard the door, Liar. You left me, and I had to run out to grab my stuff.”
I still had no effect on him, and he shrugged before that stupid grin came back on his face, “And let me guess, Alex walked in on you getting changed.”
It was an easy guess, but the look on his face told me something else. I struggled against his gripped, “You....Little.......Basterd....” I gave up and relaxed, but he still had that look on his face, “You knew, you planned it.”
He released my hands, and shrugged again, giving me an innocent look, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
I went to lunge at him again, but this time Alex stopped my, saying, “Kass, it’s over. Ok, let’s watch a movie.” His words made me take a closer look at his room. Like my room it has a desk, a single bed pushed up against the wall, and a notice board screwed into the wall opposite. Unlike my room, he had a TV set up on top of his desk, a stereo system set up next to the TV. All over the walls were pictures, and I recognised every one of them. They had been the same picture that had littered the walls of his room back in Perth, and the ones that I had copies of at home and in my bags back in my room.
Each one was of me and him. One when we had gone to the school carnival, sitting next to each other on the Ferris wheel, bid cheesy grins on our faces. One when we had gone to Queensland, standing next to batman at Movie world. Another was of the place we had always gone to. Down near the back of our old school had been a track which lead to a sort of mini beach, it had been our retreat when we didn’t want to go to class, or on weekends when we had jest wanted to get away from our parents. It was of us sitting on the bank, side by side with Alex’s arm over my shoulder, with the sunset in the back ground. I hadn’t been to that place since he left.
Every picture captured a different moment in time when I had been truly happy in life, casting images of our smiling faces back at me. I turned to Alex, “You kept them all.” It was a statement, not a question. Alex nodded, smiling, and then his face fell a little, “Didn’t you?” I smiled as I walked toward him, pulling him into a hug and holding him tight, “Of course I did, and I’m just amazed that you managed to keep a hold of them.”
He pulled away slightly, and looked down at me with a small smile, “Always and forever, remember?” I returned his smile, “Always and forever.”
I stared into his eyes, almost getting lost in the swirling hues of the lights and darks of the blue dancing in his gaze. He lowered his head a little toward mine; I still caught in his gaze. Our lips were almost touching, but the sounding of someone clearing there throat pulled me out of the moment. I looked over to where Phoenix was holding up a movie, “Are we watching this or not?”
I nodded, and he slipped the disk into the DVD player. I settled down onto the floor, but Alex shook his head, “The lady can have the bed.”
I shook my head, but he only pulled his things onto the floor, and helped me back up, “I insist, I’m fine with sleeping on the floor.”
I nodded, and settled onto the soft mattress, inhaling his smell sending shivers down my spine. Alex picked up my doona and tucked it in around me, and placed my pillow under my head, “Comfortable?” I nodded, “Very, thankyou.”
We all relaxed to watch the movie, a hush coming over the room. It wasn’t until the movie was about half an hour in that I realised that movie Phoenix had picked was a horror movie. I hated horror movie, and I clutching my doona tighter around me through the tense parts. I know I always acted like the tough Goth Rebel all the time, but everyone is scared of something, and I happened to be scared of horror movie. Oh, and spiders, I hate spiders.
As if sensing my torment, or remembering my fear of horror movies, I felt Alex’s hand take mine, squeezing lightly to comfort me. I smiled, even knowing he couldn’t see me, and squeezed back. I held onto his hand the entire movie, gripping it tightly through the parts that made me want to scream, and not once did he let go.
***
I woke surrounded by darkness, a strangled scream in my throat. I had known that the movie would give me nightmares, no matter how comforting Alex had been nothing could fend off the nightmare once sleep came.
I almost screamed when I felt someone sit down beside me, but it dies when I felt the warmth of a familiar body pull me into a hug. I held onto Alex tightly, letting the nightmares go. Wordlessly he picked the doona up off the floor, and tucked me back into bed, just like he had all that time ago. He squeezed my hand tightly, and went to go back to the made up bed he had on the floor. I pulled him back, and scooted over in the bed, lifting up the cover, inviting him in.
He let go of my hand, and climb into the bed with me. He wrapped his arms around my body and held me until my eyelids drooped, and a dreamless sleep enveloped me.
***
“If I had known there was more room, I would have slept up there instead of on the floor.”
The voice broke through my sleep hazed mind, helping me register that Alex was still in the bed with me, his arms still around me. That meant the voice was Phoenix. I groaned, I hated getting up early, and when I heard Alex’s soft laughter in my ear and his chest rumbling along with him, I knew that he remembered it too.
I lifted my head, eyeing Phoenix over Alex’s body. He was sitting on the floor in nothing but a pair of boxer shorts, looking over at the two of us on the bed. I narrowed my eyes at him, “You wouldn’t have fit even if Alex wasn’t up here, and you didn’t have the right, you were the one who picked the scary movie in the first place.”
He fake pouted, giving me his best look of innocence, “Oh, I’m sorry, I won’t ever do it again, promise.”
I know that it was probably a really childish thing to do, but I poked my tongue out at him. His face took on a playfully shocked look as he stood up, “Come on you two, no more cuddling, get up and get ready for classes. Kassie, I’m serious when I say you do not want to be late.”
I collapsed back down onto the bed, only to have Alex move out from where I was lying on him. He grabbed my hand pulling me up with him, “Phoenix is right, up and Adam, Kass.”
I tried to resist but I had forgotten how strong he was, and he pulled me up easily. I stood beside the bed, and looked at them both wearing only boxers. I was mentally comparing each of them. Both had well defined chests, littered lightly with short hairs. Both had a strong athletic build, they were almost the same except for facial structure, muscle tone, and colour. Phoenix was light haired and light skinned, while Alex had dark brown hair and a tan. Someone snapped there fingers in front of my face, which brought me back into the present. I looked into both of their faces, and sighed, “Fine I will get up, but you two can go find somewhere else to get changed, because I’m not going anywhere.”
Each shrugged and grabbed there stuff, heading out of the room. I looked around and found my things in the corner near the TV. The school shirt wasn’t all that bad, just a plain white button down cotton shirt. The skirt was something I didn’t like, it was red and looked as though it was knee length and that would have to change. I wasn’t as skinny as most girls, but when it came to skirts I was just like them, I rolled up the top of the skirt until it was about half its original size, then grabbed the leggings I had brought with me for this sole purpose. I put them on, the leggings reaching to about mid calf. Now, I could bend over freely without flashing everyone. Next I opted to wear the jumper. It was a black wool one, and was perfect for winter. I slipped into it, pulling the shirts collar out from underneath and the bottom of the shirt – the ends where the buttons stopped – showing. I looked into the small mirror that was hanging on the wall and fixed my hair, adding a little mascara, eye liner and clear lip gloss. I smiled to myself, “There that’s more me.”
I was just finishing up when I heard knocking at the door, “Kass hurry up.” I opened the door, looking over Alex who now wore a variation of my uniform. He had on the same shirt, only cut in a style more to fit boys, and instead of the skirt I had on he wore long black pants. When I looked back into his face, he was eyeing my with something akin to the longing I had spotted the day before, “What?”
His eyes snapped up to mine, and he shook his head, “N-Nothing, you look great in the uniform.”
I curtsied, smiling at him brightly, “Thankyou,” I grabbed his hand and pulled him down toward the stairs, “Come on, let’s get food.”
Before I had even gone a metre Alex pulled me to a stop, “Um, we missed breakfast Kass, you have to go straight to class.”
I slouched in defeat, silently saying sorry to my growling stomach. I looked back up to Alex, “I still haven’t got my class schedule, come with me to get it?”
He seem reluctant, and it made me begin to wonder what the punishment was if you were late. I could tell he was going to refuse, so I pouted at him, giving him my old puppy dog look, and he sighed, “Ok, I will go with you.” I jumped and took his hand again, laughing at him, “works every time.”
***
Mrs Bennett let me into her office straight away; Alex had to wait outside though. I walked in, and she told me to take a seat quickly for a moment while she found my schedule. After she found it, and handed it to me, I turned to get up and leave, but she stopped me, “Kassandra, I would like to speak with you for a moment.”
I rolled my eyes, I couldn’t have possibly done something already, it was only my third day here, and I had spent the entire day with Alex and Phoenix the day before. I stayed in my seat, quietly waiting for her to speak, “Kassandra I just wanted to let you know that I’m happy to see you have already found friends, and ask what you thought of the school so far?”
Hmmm, where to start. With the fact that co-ed bathrooms where the stupidest ideas anyone has ever come up with? Or maybe the fact that we had uniforms when the school was in the middle of nowhere? Maybe comment on the fact that the high security fences where of the utmost attractiveness? I didn’t think so, instead I opted to just be polite for one in my life, “It’s good, I like it here.”
She nodded, “Yes, Yes, That’s good. I also wanted to ask you if you would be interested in helping another new girl around soon.”
Oh, great, I get new girl duty. I looked at her and knew that if I wanted to get on her good side, and therefore fly under her radar most of the time if I slipped up, that I would have to do her bidding. I shrugged, “Sure, why not?”
Her face brightened as if I had just told her she had won a million dollars, “Thankyou. She will be arriving in two weeks, so until then you can go on as usual. Her name is Marie-Jane, and here is here file, look over it, get to know her from that, and it should make everything easier for you, “I took the file from her hand. I was pretty sure that it is illegal to give out students files for others to look at, but I was in no place to complain.
We walked out of her office at the same, and Alex stood from the chair he had occupied in the corner. Mrs Bennett gave him a disapproving look, “Mr Lennox I suggest you get to class, you’re late.”
Alex looked at me, and then back at Mrs Bennett, “Um, yes Miss, I was just wondering if you could write me a note, I have Mr Gaffy first, and I was only here because Kassie asked me to come.”
Mrs Bennett looked at me with a raised eyebrow, which I shrugged as a reply to her unasked question. She looked back at Alex, then her face portrayed that she had gotten an idea, “I will write that note for you, seeing as you were only trying to be a good friend, but on the condition that you will show around one of the new students that arrives in two weeks time. Kassandra has kindly agreed, but I still need another student.”
Alex looked uncertain for a moment, but I could tell how much he wanted that note. God, Hoe scary could one teacher be? After a minute Alex nodded his head, “Yep, OK I will do it.”
Mrs smiled and went back into her office for a moment, Alex giving me ‘this is all your fault’ look until she came back with a folder and a piece of paper, “There you go, your going to show around Blaze Ryan, look over his file for all the details. And here is your note,” Alex took them and Mrs Bennett smiled at him, before turning back to face the two of us with a stern look, “Now the two of you, get to class.”
I nodded, and pushed Alex to get him moving back out the door to the quad, where we ran to our class.
***
It turned out that in all my classes I had either Phoenix or Alex in them, and for English and science I had them both. I sat next to Phoenix in History, and I could feel Nat’s eyes burning holes into the back of my head.
At the end of the day, I walked into Alex’s room, Phoenix, and Alex following behind me, and collapsed on his bed. I was exhausted, I had never actually been to all my classes in a day before, and it was tiring. I looked over at Phoenix and Alex, “Is school always that exhausting?”
Alex shrugged, but Phoenix replied to my question, “You get used to it.”
I shook my head, “I don’t think I will.”
Alex pulled me up from the bed, “Come on, dinner is starting now, and you have to eat.”
I groaned, but the thought of food pushed me out the door. Once we were seated at our table in the corner, plates of food settled in front of us, Phoenix asked, “Where did you guys disappear to this morning, huh?” he wriggled his eyebrows and I slapped his arm.
I swallowed my food before answering, “Nothing like what you think, Ok? I didn’t have my class schedule, and Alex came with me to get it. While I was there she guilted me into showing around a new person, and bribed Alex to do the same thing. I got some girl named Marie-James Adams; Alex got a guy called Blaze Ryan. They arrive in two weeks.”
Phoenix look sympathetic, but swallowed and said, “Lucky, I got drafted one yesterday, supposed to be arriving this afternoon,” with that silence fell over the cafeteria, and every head turned to the entrance, just like they had my first day. Phoenix hefted a deep breath and said under his breath, “Speak of the bitch, and he will appear,” I guess that meant this was Phoenix new drafted soldier, and I stood with Phoenix and Alex to welcome him to the army. The army of delinquent Rebels that is. I loved new students, and all I had to say was that this one was in for a rude awakening.
I had my mind decided when he talked, “What the hell are you staring at?” and I smiled evilly. Alex nudged me, and murmured, “Don’t do what I think you’re going to do, give the guy a chance.”
I nodded and pouted at Alex, “I won’t,” I walked backwards, toward the new boy and away from Alex, “I’m going to do something better.”
I ran up to the new kid, seemingly excited to see him, but he had no idea. I stopped in front of him, and smiled at him, everyone in the room staring. Without warning I let my hand fly, and it connected with his face, and I started screaming, “Why? How could you have done that to me? For her, I don’t understand! I thought you loved me!”
My outburst had caused the room to stir, people whispering to each other about the completely fake scene going on in front of them. Alex was the only one with a smile on his face, I had done this before, and it was why I was so good at it.
Everything was working the way I wanted it, the crowd was turning against him, and he knew it too. What I didn’t see coming was his arm wrapping around my waist, yanking me toward him. My yelp was muffled as his lips connected to mine, his mouth moving over mine in a way as though he had done this plenty of times before, he probably had.
When he pulled away, I started up at him in shock. The worst was yet to come. He smiled down at me, his eyes half cast, and he said in a voice that carried across the room, “It was a pretty convincing act, honey, but sorry, I’m Gay.”
My mouth started to flounder, my eyes still wide as I stared at him. I felt someone come up behind me, and relaxed into him when Alex’s arms wrapped around me from behind. I looked over my shoulder, seeing Alex glaring at the guy with a look that could have killed. Phoenix was right behind him, only more to the side, the same look on his face. I knew that this was the warning they were giving to tell him to “Back the hell off” with a “mess with her you mess with us” attitude radiating from them.
Phoenix was the first to speak, taking a step forward, causing the newbie to step back in fear. Phoenix continued glaring while he spoke, “Don’t you ever mess with her like that again, or you will have to answer to me,” He looked back at Alex, “And him.”
The sized of the two boys around me was enough of a warning. And the reputation they had already wouldn’t be helping anyone’s conclusion; they would all leave me alone from now on. The new kid puffed up his chest, seemingly not to care about the warning he had just gotten, “She started it, coming up and yelling at me like that.”
Alex spoke from over the top of my head, his arms tightening around my waist slightly, “She was only having some fun, Kass does it to every newbie, so don’t take it personally.”
Phoenix spoke again, his tone softening a little, but the underlying threat still exposed itself, “You have some good luck and back luck, and I will tell you what it is. Good luck is, I won’t smash you, yet. Bad luck is, you’re stuck with me as your tour guide. Now, what’s your name?”
He was silent for a while, glaring at Phoenix in contempt, before gruffly mumbling, “Caleb, Caleb Jones.”
Phoenix nodded, “Yep, knew that. You will learn my name when I believe you deserve it, now come. I will show you to your room.”
As they disappeared up the stairs, and everyone dispersed from the cafeteria to their rooms now that the excitement was gone, Alex turned me in his arms. He stared into my eyes, his own being unreadable. He softly said, “Don’t do that again.”
I pulled away from him, “You’re not my mother, and you can’t tell me what to do.”
He sighed, reaching from me again, but I pulled away. He took a deep breath, “I don’t want you to do that again because I don’t want another guy to touch you like that. You have no idea how I felt when I saw him kissing you. I’m asking you not do it anymore.”
I looked into his face, seeing some emotion I had never seen before on his face. We were silent, but his softly whispered words into the stillness between us pushed me over the edge, “Please, please can you not do it? For me?”
I walked back into his arms, pulling him closer and burying my face in his chest, “I promise I won’t, for you.”
I felt him smile into my hair, “Thank-you.”
We stayed that way for a while, just holding each other, until the chimes from the old grandfather clock in the corner went off. Alex pulled away, but never let go of my hand, “We better get to bed.”
I pulled him close, wrapping his arm around my waist as I did the same to him, “Can I sleep in your room again tonight?”
He squeezed me tightly, “You can stay with me as long as you want.”
