Chapter 2
Jane / Alchera
The shrill bell finally signals the long-awaited lunch hour that I’m in desperate need of.
Finally, I can recharge my batteries.
When I stand up, my phone beeps with an incoming message, and preoccupied with reading the text Molly sent, I move toward the aisle.
Molly: I’m going shopping with the girls after school.
Why am I not surprised?
Unfortunately, Ryan picks that exact second to step to his left. The next thing I know, I plow face-first into his chest. He grabs hold of my shoulders, his touch downright electric.
“Crap…uhm...” Muffled words are all I can get out between my nervous breaths. “Sorry.”
That’s when it hits me. I’m practically standing in Ryan’s arms.
My hands are on his chest.
Holy shit.
My eyes dart wildly through the classroom to see if anyone is watching, and it’s in time to see Robert laughing at us before he steps out into the hallway.
A wave of embarrassment washes over me, and it doesn’t take my face long to reach the darkest shade of burgundy known to mankind .
When I turn my attention back to Ryan and our eyes meet, he loosens his grip on me while asking, “You okay?”
“Yeah…sure,” I reply, my fast breaths making the words come out in a rush.
Ryan is friends with Robert.
An uneasy feeling trickles into my chest.
“I’m okay.” I’m relieved to hear I at least sound somewhat normal.
My eyes lower to where my hands are still plastered against his chest. I yank them away, feeling like a total idiot, and it makes my cheeks burn even hotter.
“Ahh…yeah…so…” I keep stammering, making an even bigger ass of myself. My shoulders slump and giving up on trying to explain, I stay quiet and simply look up at him.
“Would you like to grab something to eat with me?” he asks. “Or we can just sit somewhere.”
Slowly, a frown forms on my forehead, then a realization knocks the wind from me.
Fuck my life.
This is probably some sort of initiation thing for him. Robert and his friends like to make guys carry out dares in order to become one of the group. They’ve done this to me before and Robert mentioned Ryan’s his new friend.
Anger ignites in my chest, and the longer I stare at Ryan, the more it makes sense why he’s been sitting next to me in every class.
It upsets me more than it should.
I let out a harsh breath and shake my head at him. “No, thanks. I have things to do and places to be. I’m sure your friends are waiting for you outside.” Giving him a glare, I shove past him. “Enjoy lunch.”
I don’t stick around to hear his response. I rush for the door as fast as I can and head toward the cafeteria.
“Jane,” I hear Ryan call. “Wait up.”
“Not going to fall for the trick,” I shout, not even glancing over my shoulder. “Leave me alone.”
“Dammit,” I hear him snap .
He can dammit all he likes. I don’t care. Not when I’m sure this is some sort of prank the guys are playing on me.
Jesus, you’d think they’d stop with the stupid pranks our senior year, but no.
Immature assholes.
Walking straight through the cafeteria and outside, where there’s an outdoor seating area, I make a beeline for the corner where I always spend my breaks.
When I reach my spot, I sit down and refuse to think of Ryan and Robert again.
Taking out my sketchbook, I work on my drawing until the lunch hour is almost over. I lift my head and glance through the windows into the cafeteria, where groups of students are talking and laughing.
Letting out a sigh, I pack up and hoist the strap of my bag over my shoulder. I don’t glance around me as I walk to the restroom, and my day takes a turn for the worse when I find Megan and her friends in front of the mirrors where they’re touching up their makeup.
“Well, well, well,” Megan sneers, “if it isn’t Jane Doe .”
I decide it’s better not to say anything and squeeze by the future silicone squad to get to a stall.
“The freak can’t speak,” I hear Megan’s best friend, Kate, laugh while I relieve my bladder.
After flushing, I ignore the group of girls while I wash my hands, but before I can leave, Megan steps in front of me.
“What’s the deal with you and Ryan?”
Rolling my eyes, I push past her and leave the restroom.
“Don’t ignore me,” she snaps as she follows after me.
“Get a life, Megan,” I mutter, heading toward the next class.
I slip into Art Theory, and when I walk toward my table in the corner, Ryan’s already there looking directly at me.
Ugh. Ryan and his friends can all go screw themselves.
I take my seat next to him and slam my bag down on the desk.
“Jane–”
I drag my chair forward, scraping it across the floor to cut off whatever he wants to say.
I can feel his gaze on me as he continues, “Please, could you just–”
Grabbing the textbook from my bag, I place it in front of him, figuring I’ll have to share anyway.
“I just want–” He tries again.
“Do me a favor,” I snap. “If you’re going to insist on sitting next to me in every damn class, will you please not talk to me?”
He stares at me with a frown, and I can see he’s struggling not to say anything else.
I glance away, not wanting to have any more contact with him unless it’s absolutely necessary.
I haven’t had a bad day like this in a while and can’t wait for it to end.
My day doesn’t get any better, and as we move from one class to the next and Ryan keeps sitting next to me, my frustration continues to grow.
Maybe his initiation is an all-day thing? It sucks ass.
By the time school ends, I’m exhausted from all the tension I’ve experienced today.
When I leave the building with all the other students, I’m slapped in the face by an icy wind. I pull my jacket tighter around me and begin the five-mile walk to Fish Creek Falls, where I prefer to spend my afternoons.
I seriously hope tomorrow’s not a repeat of today.
When I’m a few minutes away from the forest, I hear a car coming down the road. I cut into the thick bushes and trees to make myself scarce.
A brown truck passes by, and when I recognize Ryan behind the steering wheel, my heart falters for the zillionth time today.
I thought he’d hang out with Robert. What’s he doing all the way out here?
Shaking my head, I enter the forest, taking an overgrown trail people hardly use until I reach the waterfall.
I sit down and pull my knees up to my chest before wrapping my arms around my shins .
A sigh escapes me as I replay the whole messed-up day over and over in my head.
God, I hope tomorrow is better.
Ryan / Raighne
Today didn’t go as planned , and I’m frustrated as hell.
I don’t know where I went wrong and why Alchera’s upset with me. It’s taking a lot of self-control not to enter her mind so I can find out why she’s angry.
When I walk toward my truck, a group of guys and girls catch up to me.
“Hey, man,” one of the guys calls out, “hold up.”
In a hurry to leave, I give the group an impatient look.
“I’m Robert,” the leader of the group says, “and these are my friends.” He throws his arm around Megan, who introduced herself to me this morning.
Megan stares at me with a seductive smile while she leans into Robert’s side.
I don’t have time for this shit.
“Hey,” I mutter, sticking to the way they like to talk on Earth.
“Aren’t you going to introduce yourself?” Robert asks.
“Ryan Jackson,” I reply, my tone brisk.
Giving them a chin lift, I continue to walk toward my truck.
“Don’t you want to hang with us?” Megan calls out.
“No.” Not sparing them another second of my precious time, I open the driver’s side door and climb in behind the steering wheel.
“Did he just do that?” I hear Megan gasp.
“His loss, baby,” Robert mutters.
When I glance at them, I see Robert’s features tighten with an arrogant look, anger simmering in his eyes as if he thinks he actually stands a chance against me .
I almost let out a chuckle. I haven’t lived over two hundred years to be bothered by a bunch of teenagers. I have much bigger worries.
Like finding a way to get Alchera to feel comfortable with me so I can take her home before her visions of the chosen ones start.
Steering my truck away from school, I quickly forget about Robert and his friends, and my thoughts turn to my charge, who gave me the cold shoulder today. At first, I thought I was making progress, but she suddenly changed toward me, and I’m not sure why.
I know she likes to spend most of her free time by the waterfall, but I can’t just show up because it will look creepy.
I stop by a diner and order a burger and fries to go, which I eat in my truck. Once I’m done with the way too greasy meal, I start the engine again.
My thoughts revolve around Alchera during the drive out of town, and I come to the conclusion that I’ll have to win her friendship before approaching her about going home.
Home. I’ve only been on Earth three days, and I’m ready to return to Vaalbara.
Everything is different here. The fast pace. The processed food. The filthy air. The people who don’t give a shit about each other. The list is endlessly long.
Everyone keeps staring at their phones and hardly pays attention to what’s happening around them.
To make matters worse, I’m staying at a motel just on the outskirts of the town. It’s flea-infested and makes me long for my own house every time I enter the room.
Why was Alchera angry with me today?
Once again, the thought pops into my head as I turn up a road, and I’m tempted to enter her mind for the answer.
During all the years I’ve trained with my father, I’ve learned a lot. He taught me how to fight. How to not invade my charge’s privacy by intruding on her thoughts, but to focus more on her feelings. Only when I sense distress from her, is it acceptable to enter her mind.
It's the only reason I didn’t listen in on her thoughts when she told me to leave her alone.
Fuck, it would make everything so much easier, though.
No. She might feel you in her mind, and it will freak her out.
Now that I’m here on Earth with Alchera, it’s clear as daylight she’s far from happy. Not once have I seen her smile, and she doesn’t interact much with any of the other students.
I actually get the feeling she’s hiding, trying to blend in with her surroundings.
It doesn’t sit well with me. It makes me want to wrap my arms around Alchera so she’ll feel safe, but I’m pretty sure she’ll lose her shit if I try that right now.
I let out a sigh as I turn the truck up another road, and ahead, I see Alchera duck into some bushes.
Shaking my head, I drive past her before turning onto a dirt road. I park the truck behind two large trees, and climbing out, I jog back toward the trail Alchera takes to get to the waterfall.
When I get close and hear rushing water, I deviate from the path, and finding the large tree I hid behind after I arrived on Earth, I see Alchera near the pool.
She’s sitting with her legs pulled up and her arms wrapped around her shins, looking more fragile than the strong immortalis I know she is.
I focus on her emotions, and feeling she’s much calmer than when she was at school, I let out a breath of relief.
My eyes drift over her face, and I take a moment to drink in her beauty. She’ll be downright exquisite once the glamor from the elixir is removed and her human mask falls away. She’ll also look a little older because she’s turning twenty-one soon, and not eighteen like she thinks.
Fuck, there’s a lot she’s going to have to adjust to.
I wish I could go to her to explain everything and tell her about our bond.
Instead, I settle for watching over her until night starts to fall around us.
When Alchera gets up and lets out a heavy sigh, my arms ache to hold her so I can offer her comfort and strength.
Jane / Alchera
When I wake up, I almost have a heart attack.
“What the hell?!” My voice is thick with sleep as I glare at Molly, who’s leaning over me.
The real shocker is that she’s already dressed and ready for school.
I bring my left wrist close to my eyes so I can see my watch. It doesn’t help because my sight is blurry from just waking up.
I growl at Molly, “What time is it?”
“Ten past six.” She sits down on the side of my bed. “I got up early, so we can talk while you get ready.”
I stare at her, totally sure she’s losing her freaking mind.
Climbing out of bed, I walk to the closet while saying, “You never get up early. Are you feeling okay?”
She rolls her eyes. “I’m fine.” Sitting cross-legged on my unmade bed, she gives me an expectant smile.
Ugh, this early morning visit means nothing good for me.
I grab a baby-green sweater, a hoodie, and a pair of jeans.
“What’s with you and all the layers?” she asks.
“I like layers,” I grumble. “And it’s cold outside.”
“You wear layers in the summer as well. Why?”
It’s way too early for this.
“Because I want to,” I snap while scowling at her. “Do we really have to do this so early in the morning?”
Grinning at me, she nods. Her voice sounds almost like a purr when she asks, “Why is Ryan sitting next to you in every class?”
Ugh, really. She woke me up to ask me about Ryan?
I can’t believe she got up this early just to remind me Robert and his asswipe friends are trying to play me for a fool.
Letting out a sigh, I say, “It’s a prank, so just sit back and watch as Ryan completes his initiation. Then, you can laugh right along with your boyfriend and his dipshit buddies.”
Her eyebrows draw together, and her features grow serious. “I would never laugh at you, and you know that. Besides, I’m sure it’s a misunderstanding. Robert wouldn’t be mean to you.”
I raise my eyebrows at her. “You sure about that?”
“I know Robert better than you do,” Molly says all defensively, quick to protect her boyfriend. She gets up from my bed. “I’m going to grab some breakfast. See you downstairs.”
She’s out the door in a flash, as if guilt is pushing her from the room.
When will she learn Robert is nothing but a bastard who cheats on her with Megan and bullies half the kids in school? He’s trouble, but still, she ignores all the red flags and sticks with him.
I quickly go through my morning routine, and once I’m dressed, I head down to the kitchen.
Molly’s almost done eating a slice of toast and pauses between bites to say, “You have a minute to grab some coffee before we leave.”
“Why are you in such a hurry to get to school?” I ask.
“Robert keeps flirting with Megan, so I want to pay him back by doing the same with Ryan.”
Robert does more than just flirt with Megan, but I’m happy to hear Molly’s tired of looking the other way.
When there’s an unhappy twinge in my chest because she’s setting her sights on Ryan, I frown and shove the unwelcome emotion away.
Making myself a cup of coffee, I add extra milk so I can swallow it down quickly.
I don’t have time to rinse the cup and hurry out of the kitchen to catch up with Molly.
During the drive to school, we’re both quiet. I really hope whatever joke Robert and his friends are trying to play on me is over and done with. I’m not in the mood for a repeat of yesterday.
Molly has one of the best parking spots in the school, situated near the entrance. When she stops the car, I notice Ryan’s truck take one of the other reserved parking spaces .
Yep, he’s definitely one of them.
Getting out of her car as fast as I can, I tell Molly, “See you in class.”
I keep my head down as I hurry across the patch of lawn to get to the home ec building.
Hopefully, Ryan won’t be in this class, as the boys have a choice to take something else instead.
“Wait up,” I hear Ryan say, his voice sounding a little cautious before he falls into step beside me. “Morning.”
Shoot.
I contemplate ignoring him but then give in and mutter, “Hey, Ryan.”
I feel his eyes on my face as he asks, “How are you?”
Are we really going to do this?
Squaring my shoulders, I stop walking and turn to face him. “Why are you talking to me? Did the guys put you up to this? Because you can tell them I’m not falling for the prank again. Fun’s over.”
His eyes narrow on me as he shakes his head. “There’s no prank. I’m talking to you because I want to.”
When I realize he’s really serious right now and even looks a bit upset, it takes the wind right out of my sails.
“Why me?” The question’s out before I can stop it.
I feel my face changing color, so I do the next best thing and almost sprain my neck as I snap my head down to stare at my boots.
Ryan takes a step closer, and my eyes dart to his boots, which are scuffed and not a well-known brand like the elite of the school prefer to wear.
Am I wrong about him?
“I’m new in town and could use a friend,” he says. “I was hoping you’d be that friend.” I’m so stunned by what he’s telling me I almost miss it when he asks, “Which guys are you talking about, and what prank?”
Once again, my eyes have a mind of their own, and I can’t keep from looking at his face. He’s still frowning and even looks a little pissed off.
I glance toward the home ec building, then say, “It’s nothing. Just Robert and his friends.” I take a step away from him. “I have to go, or I’ll be late. See you around.”
“I’ll see you in biology,” Ryan murmurs, his eyes not leaving me as I start to walk away.
When I reach the classroom, I glance back toward the main entrance and see Ryan’s still staring at me. I try to act casual but then notice many of the girls are watching the interaction between him and me.
Yup, Ryan’s talking to me. Eat your hearts out, girls .