The Last Dance Cont'd

Ok guys here's what I have come up with so far in continuation of the first part of The Last Dance. Criticisms, reviews, suggestions are all welcome! Hope you enjoy!

I couldn’t believe the effect that this “Cooper” person seemed to have on everyone. I mean sure, he was gorgeous, tall, seemingly perfect but I sensed that there was a more sinister side to him than what was shown on the outside. But what if I was just being paranoid? I mean everyone in that room was mesmerized by him, why not me? Because you’re smarter than that. My inner voice might just be right; I couldn’t afford to let this man get close to me, especially not now. As if on cue my mark started to burn and the sudden pain made gasp in surprise. Putting a hand to my neck my fingertips traced the bite mark, a perfect circle. I gotta shake this off, I thought, I can’t afford to be distracted by something like this, after all, I did have a math test to fail. Sighing, I made my way over to my locker and twisted the numbers on my lock with hurried frustration. Yanking the door open I searched for my math binder, unaware that there was a presence on the other side of me. Closing the door I turned to stare right into the most well-defined chest I had ever seen. Did chests like that even exist outside of body-building TV commercials? Looking up I saw those deadly green eyes staring at me, a slightly amused look in them.

“So math is your next class I take it?” His tone was patronizing and full of humour and it was the final straw. Glaring up at him I said, “Wow perceptive aren’t you?” Moving around him I headed in the direction of my math class.

“Hey,” he said catching up with me, “Guess what class I have next.”

“You know I totally would, but that would mean that I actually cared, and surprisingly, I don’t.” I didn’t mean to be so rude, really, usually I’m a sweet girl but I did not need some creepy, pretty-boy following me around and irritating me. Seemingly unconcerned by the harshness of my tone he continued talking, “Well I have math class next so I figured I would follow you to class so I wouldn’t get lost.” I looked up at him with disbelief written all over my face. “You mean to say that you followed me so you wouldn’t get lost?”

“Well yeah, y’know first day of school and all, I don’t really know where I’m going.” His eyes glittered when he said that and it was more distracting than I would have imagined. Subconsciously I knew that he was lying but I couldn’t figure out why.

“You do realize that Jazz, that girl I left you with back there, she has math class next too. You could have just followed her.” He sideways glanced at me and gave me a cute little half smile. Not that I thought it was cute, the gossip girls probably would though, I simply thought it was irritating.

“Ok look, let me lay on the line for you champ, you annoy me. I don’t really know why because I don’t really know you, but I don’t particularly want to either.” I studied him for some sort of reaction to my complete and utter shut down of him but he seemed completely unperturbed. He looked at me, really looked at me and asked one simple question, “Are you sure you want nothing to do with me?” He said it in such a way that it took the breath from me. I felt like he had just reached down into my soul and pushed a button that said “hey like me.” I couldn’t speak so instead I just shook my head and walked away from him. I couldn’t tell if he was following me but I didn’t want to look back, afraid that I would falter again. Finally reaching math class I went to my seat and sat down, my thoughts still jumbled. How did he do that? How could he just come up to me, say almost nothing, and totally change my perception of him? Waving hands broke my concentration as Jazz’s face filled my vision. “Ok was that not the BEST lunch EVER?” Jazz was practically hyperventilating; she was on the edge of her seat almost vibrating with joy.

“Um, it was ok,” I said reluctantly, not willing to talk about him.

“Honey, let me in on what you’re thinking. I mean the hottest guy to ever attend this stupid school shows up and you treat him like crap and then just peace.” She looked at me expectantly, like I had some sort of explanation for my actions. Of course I didn’t so I tried to explain my irrational feelings, knowing it was worthless. “Well, I dunno Jazz; just something about him bugs me. He just acts like he’s top shit and it annoys me.”

She stared at me incredulously before saying, “Well could ya tone it down a bit? For me? I mean even if you don’t like him, I could still snag him right?” Right, I thought, that was never going to happen but I was ever the supportive friend so instead I just said, “sure.”

Then the teacher came around handing out the test and thankfully Jazz had to turn around, leaving me in peace. “Ok everyone, flip over your papers, you have one hour to complete the test. You may leave when you are finished.” I turned my paper over and it was like all the numbers melted together in a jumble of nonsense. I couldn’t concentrate, couldn’t focus on anything but his eyes, burning in my mind. Shaking my head I took in the first question: A right triangle in the first quadrant is bounded by lines y = 0, y = x, and y = -x+5. Find its area. Oh god, I couldn’t do this. Already this man was messing up my life, looking around the room I tried to spot him. He did say he had math class right? That was why he said he followed me, but as my eyes took in the room, he was nowhere to be found. What was his motive for talking to me then? To establish that I did indeed dislike him? Ugh, too much thinking about him was going on. Taking a stab at the first question I realized I had less than twenty minutes left to complete this test. When the bell finally rang I had only completed about half of the test and was less than confident about the answers I had written.

Gathering my things Jazz once again bombarded me with questions, “So do you think he will be in our last class? Do you think he will come talk to us? I can’t WAIT to see him again.” I studied her as we left the room and decided that she was going to be no fun to be around if she kept obsessing about him. “Look Jazz he’s just a guy, I mean I know he’s ‘yummilicious’ or whatever but he’s still just a guy. I don’t think you should be getting your hopes up about him. What if he turns out to be a complete asshole?”

“I can’t believe how negative you’re being Chloe! Can’t you just give him a chance?” She was using a pleading tone with me. She always did that when she was trying to change my mind about something. “Fine Jazz, fine,” I told her, “I will play nice but I can’t promise I will tolerate him for long.”

“That’s all I ask girl,” she said giving me a brilliant smile.

********************************************

Well that was a productive day, I thought as I tossed my bag on my bedroom floor. Sitting down I put my head in my hands and thought about how my day had gone from okay to super confusing. Before I’d seen mister green-eyes my life was pretty normal. Now however, after being in contact with him, my being felt infused with something strange. Something like extreme want, like if I didn’t see him again soon I would collapse. Is this how addicts feel when they are in withdrawal? As the day went on I had felt my thoughts wandering back to him more and more often. When he wasn’t in last period I thought my heart might explode. How could he come in here to my school, make me feel things I didn’t want to feel and then just leave? It made me angry but with a helplessness I wasn’t used to, I decided to shake it off. Nothing I could do, so instead I decided to focus on my mark. Trying to remember last night was the first step in figuring out what exactly had happened.

It was cold and windy, how cliché right? But I do remember that it was cold because I had to grab an extra blanket from the closet down the hall. I remember it was windy as well because I could hear the wind racing through the house, making loud whooshing noises. It was not ideal sleeping conditions and how I fell asleep, I have no idea. It wasn’t much later in the night because I hadn’t fallen into that “deep sleep” where a train could rush by and you wouldn’t hear it. I had woken up right when I heard the wind blow through my open window. Slightly disorientated I had gotten up to close it when a voice had stopped me, “Don’t close it, I’ll be leaving soon.” I don’t remember screaming but I doubt it would have made a difference because a second later he was behind me, tilting my head to the side.

“What’s going on,” I had stuttered but was silenced as one hand went over my mouth. That’s when I felt it, a sharp sting on the side of my neck. Realizing what was happening I tried to take his hand off of my mouth but as I reached up he was suddenly gone. I touched a hand to my neck as I turned around to yell at my attacker. The window was closed and the room empty. Pulling my hand away, there was only a few drops of blood, proof that something had just happened. I rushed to my bathroom and tilted my head in front of the mirror, trying to get as close to the mirror as I could. As if that would make what was reflecting there any less clear.

“Oh my god,” I whispered. Holding my neck with one hand I had returned to my bed and sat quietly, just thinking.

Thinking of last night just made me frustrated. I went to my bookcase and pulled a few layers of books away, looking for just the right one. Fingers feeling a rough surface I grasped hard and pulled. A hardcover book fell out and onto my lap, dust spreading quickly up into the air. Taking a Kleenex I wiped away most of the dirt and opened it up. My heart knew exactly which page to go to and I stared at it in apprehension. “The Chosen” it read in big scripted letters at the top of the page. Further down there was a picture of a beautiful woman holding a human by the throat, blood dripping down his body. She looked victorious, and very intimidating. Searching for a passage I located it just under the photo.

When the chosen is selected, it shall be quick and unexpected. A mark is an honour to behold, the passage to a new way of life. Only a chosen one may choose another to mark and when the marked comes to fruition, they shall be strong. Strong enough to keep safe the secrets which are essential to this way of life. Be not afraid of this way of life, for it is more important than other creature on Earth.

It was the word “creature” that made me wary of what was happening to me. I didn’t want to be a ‘creature’ and I certainly did not want a new way of life. Grandmother had given this book to me when I was five years old and told me to hide it from Ma and Pa. I was more intimidated of her than my parents so I had obeyed.

She had sat me down one day when I was about 12 years old and had told me something that had chilled me to the core. “Baby I want you to listen to me. When you get older, something momentous is going to happen to you. It will be the most important moment of your regular life and it will mark a crossroads. You need to be sure which path to take because one path will lead to death and the other; a new way of life. That book I gave you, you still have it?” I had told her of course I did and she nodded approvingly. “Good, now when this moment passes, I want you to take out that book and turn to the first page your heart tells you to.” I had protested how would I know which page but she cut me off saying, “You will know baby, trust me. Now just promise me that once this event happens, you will take out this book and read what your future could be like if you choose the right path.” I had agreed with her, although I had no clue what she was talking about.

Looking at the book once again I read further:

Once a marked one comes to terms with the event and the meaning of the future, only then will the change begin. Be aware that if the change is rejected at any point, the subject will surely die. If the change is successful, the new being will be one of great splendour and worth. The marked will have a guide along the way, to teach and mentor them. Be not afraid and do not take for granted the worth of their words for without them, the change will surely fail.

Oh crap, I thought, this wasn’t looking good. Basically, if I rejected the change, I would die. But if I accepted it, I would die anyways but be reborn as a new being. A creature of the night, if what I thought was correct. Since when did vampires exist? Since when did Grandma turn crazy? This was too much for me to handle, shutting the book I tossed it in a corner of my room and crawled into bed. Time enough to think about that tomorrow I thought. Or would it? If Cooper was in school tomorrow I knew I wouldn’t be able to think with him anywhere near me. Resolving to figure out that problem tomorrow I closed my eyes and tried to make myself sleep.