“I like that first one,” I laugh in return, both of us quickly enveloped by rushing classmates, Xavier nearly buried with his fans. He just seems to attract attention wherever he goes.
Going to my locker, I turn the dial to get my stuff, and after thinking a little, open Xavier’s too so his fans won’t block my locker in attempts to flirt with him. I search for him, for that blue mop of perfectly tamed hair that I would recognize anywhere…
There he is!
I troop to his group, trying to wedge my way through the planets in an effort to reach the blinding sun. Xavier spots me, and smiles. “Move,” he demands and the girls part like the Red Sea, leaving a regal pathway to the man himself. “You liked it better when I didn’t go to your school, right?” he questions knowingly. I laugh, as if that was the silliest question I have ever heard, smiling up at him. I admit… I might have done that to tick the girls off.
“I didn’t really know you before you decided to come to my school,” I whisper, leaning in close to his ear so they can’t hear the snap in my remark. All they probably notice, though, is how close I am to him, how I managed to break past the barrier he has created around himself.
I might have done that to tick the girls off too.
Xavier seems pleased at my slightly flirtatious manner, responding so well that it makes the girls cringe. They seethe as our conversation continues all the way to the classroom, no one else managing to get a word in. “Thanks for saving me,” he whispers as we reach Social Studies and the crowd disperses. We stand in the doorway, I secretly immersing myself in his company, in the radiation of light that always oozed from a popular person.
But our comfortable silence is not maintained for long, a familiar blond appearing by Xavier’s side. “Hey Xavier,” Sidney greets, her pretty blue eyes like an ocean. She waits for a response but there is nothing. As usual, she completely ignores me. However, that is to be expected, especially since she is a popular girl. I’m like z-list. Or no-list.
“Hey,” he finally emits after a long, strained silence. Sidney is absolutely determined to make him talk, and I think he knows that. Her cute oval face breaks into a smile at his word.
“So,” she begins, her bright red lips contrasting greatly against her lightly tanned skin, “I’m having a party on Monday. Be there.” Her voice has sort of the same effect as his when he is acting as the leader, her authority clearly realized. Avoiding the answer Xavier will definitely give, she glides away to Ian, her poor little boyfriend.
“Wow,” I murmur, “that was scary.”
“Yes it was,” he agrees.
We enter the classroom completely, and begin to talk randomly about the teacher. Xavier is one of those good guys; one of the ones that can’t find anything bad to say about anybody. However, even he was able to cough up a few negative comments. I burst into laughter when he finally determines that he really is a bad teacher after almost five minutes of contemplation.
The bell rings and we race to our seats, the teacher just now arriving. I look to Sidney, spotting her death glare once more as Xavier asks me what the homework was. I shake my head. My homework was completely forgotten.
Another zero, I suppose.
However, Xavier seems to have a different idea. He grabs the textbook we were studying, both of our worksheets, and places them side by side. He looks carefully to see that no one is around, and then his hand moves so fast it blurs. I roll my eyes as he gives me my completed sheet; with similar handwriting to my own.
“Wow,” I whisper, “how did you get my handwriting so well?”
He leans in close to my ear, his voice piercing me. “I’m a genius. You can thank me later.” He winks.
He grows silent as the teacher shoots us a deathly look, full of menace and command. He kind of reminds me of Ms. Penn but a slightly milder version.
The rest of the period zooms by until he gives us free study time. In other words, I-don’t-want-to-teach-right-now-so-I-am-going-to-leave-you-brats-alone time. He plops on his Mac, probably surfing an online dating site. By the looks of him, he probably has to put a fake picture on his profile.
As soon as it starts and the teacher is officially out of the way, Sidney stands up with a few of her loyal cronies. She trumps our way, the rest of the class kind of circulating around the fight that is just waiting to happen.
Strangely, she passes Xavier and goes straight to me. Smiling, the queen bee addresses me for the very first time. “Mona,” her sparkling eyes flutter, “right?” I nod, just a little dazzled by her close proximity, the fact that she is talking to me. She leans in close to my ear, and I subconsciously allow her to do so, still in a little daze. She gives off the same attention grabbing aura as Xavier does, and that sort of intimidates me.
Then she really speaks. “Get away from Xavier,” she demands under dreadfully fake laughter, “you’re an eyesore.”
“What if I don’t want to?” I ask her, my words clear for the world to hear. Her eyes widen slightly as the whole class begins to gravitate towards our conversation. It is sure to make headline news; Queen Bee Threatens Small Fry.
“I’m not asking you. I’m telling you.” She also forgets the fake laughter and peppy smiles, rising to meet my challenge. “Just stay away.”
“No,” I smile, chuckling inwardly at the fact that I’m trying to stay away. But obviously Xavier is the one that won’t leave me alone. They never accuse the boy, don’t they…
“I will crush you, ugly girl,” she drops the volume, saying it softly. And of course it reaches the ears of the one man she was trying to keep it from.
“Ugly?” he asks, astounded. I look at him in fright, knowing he’s going to say something stupid next. “But she’s beautiful!” he says loudly, causing me to bend my head in embarrassment. There is a shocked silence, and then the room is consumed with laughter. A blush appears on my cheeks, anger in my blood.
“What did she do to you?” a random guy calls out, “cast a spell on you?”
I was wrong. The headlines will definitely be; Ugly Girl Bewtches Woman’s Most Wanted. And you know what comes next… the burning at the stake. Probably Sidney will be the first one to light the match.
Sidney grows tomato red with anger. “She’s beautiful? Then what am I?” she asks him frenziedly.
“You’re…” he trails off, thinking deeply, leaving Sidney with her mouth agape. The bell rings in the confusion, and Xavier whisks me out of the classroom, out of the prying eyes of the people that just witnessed the scene.
“Why did you say that, Xavier? Now Sidney is going to kill me!” The blush still lingers on my cheeks, so bright that it looks like red paint is splashed on each of them.
“I did something stupid, didn’t I?”
“Yeah, well, it is a little too late to realize that now, don’t you think?” I ask, bite in every word. He looks to the ground, and then brightens considerably.
“I have a surprise for you after school, if that makes you feel better,” he grins, making me yawn in return.
“In case you want to know, that doesn’t make me feel better,” I say sarcastically, and he frowns.
“What’s with that sort of attitude?” he gazes at me, “I already said I’m sorry. If you want, I’ll give you some flowers or something.”
“NO, not flowers,” I shake my head, imagining Xavier walking in the lunchroom with a bouquet the size of my whole body. “You know what you can give me? Lunch money.”
“Nah,” he waves that idea off, spiking anger in my chest.
“You want to get me flowers, but you don’t care if I don’t eat?”
“Just trust me, okay?” he asks, slightly irritated, and I shut up.
The whole day after this passes quickly, though full of taunts and rumors. According to the last one I overheard, I am a witch who got jealous of Sidney (this part made me grin. Sidney always implements herself into everything) so I cast a spell on Xavier so he would fall in love with me instead. And this was all said with complete trust and assurance. They’re probably stupid enough to truly believe it. I guess, though, that is one of the only reasons for our “situation” that they can think of. They couldn’t imagine him actually liking me for real.
Which, in a way, is a little true. The reason he likes me is only because we are mates, after all.
After another surprisingly exciting day of school comes to a close, Xavier almost immediately sweeps me into his arms. “Not with people watching!” I swat at him, and he ashamedly puts his arms down. However, his excitement cannot be quelled, and he grabs my arm. With astounding force that he really doesn’t need to use, he pulls me into the forest surrounding the school, near the same place where I almost fell to my death. “Where are we going?” I ask as he once again cradles me in his strong arms. I inhale his scent, reveling in the warmth he offers.
“The orphanage,” he assures me. I sigh in relief. With Xavier’s super speed, I’ll gain a few extra minutes of cleaning time while the orphans are walking home. Maybe this was his surprise. Each minute counts, especially when you are trying to clean the whole building by nightfall.
We finally reach the ugly orphanage, and he sets me down softly on a big rock. I stand up quickly, rushing to the door. “You can go now, Xavier!” I call, “you don’t want to be seen…”
But he only laughs, as if that is the funniest thing he has ever heard. I start to think that maybe I’m missing something.
I rush up the steps to the door, hesitate before the knob, and knock. I don’t want to annoy Ms. Penn any more than I already have.
The door slowly opens, and an enticing man with white, shimmery hair appears before me. “Jake?” I ask, confused, “Why are you here?”
Ms. Penn comes into view, smiling brightly. “I can’t believe it!” she nearly m0ans in ecst@sy, “you’re really leaving… I’m so happy I have to celebrate!” She disappears, probably off to bake a cake or something.
Xavier brushes past me to stand by Jake’s side. “We’re going to kidnap you,” Jake informs me with a smile.
“Who said I wanted to live in the same house as him?” I stare pointedly at the annoying man before me.
“Did we ask for your opinion?” he laughs genially, and they both charge towards me.
Fear swallows me whole, the life sucked out of my face as I wait for them to come. What a surprise…
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