Chapter 3
Jane / Alchera
I’ve hardly taken a seat when Molly sits down next to me.
I roll my eyes, knowing what’s coming. “First, you sit in front of me, and now you’re sitting next to me. Big step for you, Molly. Aren’t you scared of what your friends might think?”
“They’ll get over it.” She’s almost sitting on my damn lap. “Spill it.”
I shake my head and can’t help but smile at her eagerness to find out what happened between Ryan and me.
“He just said hello. You’re the popular one. Why don’t you go talk to him yourself?”
She stares at me as if I’ve lost my mind. “Firstly, a girl does not approach a guy. It would make me look desperate. Out of everyone in the school, you’re the only one he’s given any attention to. He apparently snubbed Robert’s invite to hang with them.”
So it wasn’t an act? Ryan really wants to be friends with me.
Holy shit.
I’m stunned by this piece of information but manage to hide my reaction from Molly.
I grin at her. “Looks like he has brains and taste.”
Molly falls for my act and doesn’t see how her news has thrown me for a loop .
“Ugh, you’re no help,” she snaps at me.
Getting up, she returns to her loyal followers, who are eagerly waiting to hear what she could find out about Ryan.
During class, I can’t stop thinking about what Molly said and the fact that the hottest guy I’ve ever laid eyes on wants to hang out with me.
The bell rings, and when I walk to my next class, I feel all the students staring at me.
Geez, it’s going to take a while before they find something new to focus on.
When I walk into biology, Ryan’s sitting at our desk, drumming his fingers impatiently on the wood, but the moment he lays eyes on me, he visibly relaxes.
Now I feel like shit. Maybe he struggles to make friends like I do.
As I get close, he gets up and pulls out my chair. I stop dead in my tracks, flabbergasted by the chivalrous gesture.
Holy crap, not only is he hot, but he’s also a gentleman.
Wait. Am I still asleep and dreaming?
That would suck ass.
I almost pinch myself but suppress the urge before moving to my seat while murmuring, “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” he says and sits down again.
I let out a slow breath, and when I glance at Molly, it’s to see her and every other girl in class staring at us in complete and utter confusion.
Yeah, me and them both.
I don’t have a damn clue what’s going on and why Ryan’s showing an interest in me. From my experience, the good-looking guys are usually shallow and arrogant, but that doesn’t seem to be the case where Ryan’s concerned.
Mr. Clayton starts handing out pamphlets on dissecting frogs, which we’ll be doing the next day.
Note to self. Ditch Bio tomorrow.
I feel people peeking at us throughout the lesson, and it’s beginning to work on my nerves.
As we move from one class to the next, I can hear everyone whispering, and it doesn’t help that Ryan sticks close to me .
When the bell rings for lunch, I let out a sigh of relief, and while I gather my stuff, Ryan asks, “Can I hang out with you during lunch?”
My gaze darts to his face, and when I see he’s smiling at me, it does funny things to my insides, especially in the region of my stomach where a kaleidoscope of butterflies is fluttering like crazy.
I swallow hard before whispering, “Sure.”
“After you.” He moves back so I can walk first.
Which fairytale did this guy escape from?
Heading in the direction of the cafeteria, I’m overly aware of Ryan right beside me, and it’s super overwhelming.
Entering the cafeteria that’s already buzzing with students, I point at the food section. “I don’t like the food here, but do you want to grab something to eat?”
He shakes his head. “I’m good.”
I nod toward the exit. “I like sitting outside. It’s not crowded out there.”
Ryan follows me out the door, and when we get to my little corner, he says, “It’s a nice day.”
“Yeah, it’s not too cold.”
“Thanks for letting me hang with you,” he murmurs, his deep tone doing things to my heart.
When I sit down, he takes the spot beside me instead of the seat across from me.
My heartbeat speeds up again, and I’m struggling to deal with all the exciting emotions he evokes in me.
I’ve never been interested in a guy before, and I have a feeling that by the end of the day, I’ll be crushing hard on Ryan.
Not knowing what to say, I glance at the two willow trees, their branches bare. They usually give plenty of shade in the summer.
“I just want to be friends,” he suddenly says, and it has my eyebrows drawing together.
My heart clenches in my chest.
Did I give away that I’m attracted to him?
“I didn’t say I wanted to be anything more,” I mutter .
Ryan’s eyes lock with mine. “That’s not what I meant. I’m just trying to make you feel more comfortable. You look like you’re about to run for the hills.”
Well, he has that part right. My whole body is tense. I’m so used to being alone that I feel entirely out of my depth.
I nod at him, then admit, “I just don’t understand why you don’t hang out with the cool crowd. You’re going to kill your reputation if you keep sitting with me. You’re hanging out with the wrong person.”
The frown on his face darkens. “I don’t see anything wrong with you, and I don’t care what others think about me.”
I stare at him with wide eyes as I mumble, “Okay.”
Ryan smiles a crooked smile that turns my legs to jelly, and it unravels my nerves at the speed of light.
Dear God. Don’t look at me like that. I’m going to overheat.
“I’m not good at the whole friends thing,” I admit. “I’m a loner, so don’t be surprised when I’m super awkward.”
He gives me a piercing look as if he’s trying to see inside me, and it unnerves me even more. I start to fidget with my hands, pulling at the hem of my hoodie.
Letting out an awkward chuckle, I admit, “This is all new to me. I don’t even know what to talk about.”
Ryan clears his throat. “We’ll just get to know each other.” He’s silent for a moment, then he adds, “You could show me around.”
Another hot grin from Ryan has my stomach stuck on the spin cycle.
“Don’t get too excited,” I mutter. “There’s not much to see, and I’m actually quite boring.”
“I’ll be the judge of that,” he chuckles.
Damn, he’s too hot for me to handle.
“So…” I say, “Why did your family move to Steamboat Springs, of all places?”
“It’s work-related,” he answers vaguely.
“It must suck, though.” I glance through the window into the cafeteria and see that everyone’s staring at us. “You must miss your old school and friends. ”
Ryan just shrugs then turns his head to see what I’m looking at. “Don’t mind them.”
“It’s hard when everyone’s staring at us,” I mutter.
“They don’t matter.”
My eyes fly to his face, a take in the serious expression tightening his features.
“You really don’t care?” I ask.
“Not at all.”
“Wow.” I let out a burst of laughter. “I wish I had your confidence.”
The bell signals the end of our break. Getting up, I let Ryan walk one step ahead of me toward our Spanish class.
One after the other, I hear the unwelcome comments from the other students.
“What’s the new guy doing with the freak?”
“What does she have that I don’t.”
“Is he blind?”
“Dude must like his girls vanilla as fuck.”
I glance at Ryan, wondering if he hears them.
He should, they aren’t being very discreet about their opinions.
But he doesn’t seem worried by them in the slightest.
If someone had told me yesterday that an attractive guy was going to walk up and demand to be my friend, I would’ve asked them whose socks they’ve been smoking.
Yet, here I am, walking a step behind him while everyone is talking wildly about us.
Ryan / Raighne
I have to constantly tell myself not to lose my temper with the other students.
Hearing the things they’re saying about Alchera makes anger bubble in my chest .
I’ve only been at this school for one and a half days, and I’m starting to understand why Alchera doesn’t have any friends.
None of them are worthy of her.
Jane. She’s called Jane here.
It’s hard thinking of her as Jane because she’s always been Alchera to me.
Just don’t slip up around her.
When we reach the doorway of the classroom, I move to the side and gesture for Alchera to enter first. Not thinking, I place my hand on her lower back as we walk inside.
Getting to touch her again, a comforting warmth spreads up my arm and engulfs my entire body. I can feel our bond pulsing in my chest and reaching out to her, desperate to connect.
I hate when I have to pull my hand away from her so she can take a seat, and as I sit down beside her, my eyes flick over the rest of the class.
Students keep shooting us curious and confused looks, and I almost let out an agitated growl.
Turning my head to Alchera, I ask, “What are your plans for after school?”
She shrugs as she takes the required textbook from her bag. “Nothing. Why?”
“Want to show me around town?”
Please say yes.
My eyes are glued to her face as I watch her contemplate my question, then she replies, “There’s not much to show you. At least, not in town.” She sucks in a deep breath, then adds, “But I can take you to a waterfall just outside of town. That’s if you’re okay with hiking a short distance.”
A smile spreads over my face. “I’m okay with hiking.”
The corner of her mouth starts to lift into a smile, but then the teacher comes in, and Alchera focuses on the lesson.
Seeing as we’ll leave Earth in the next three weeks, I don’t pay any attention to what’s being taught.
Glancing to the side, I watch as Alchera opens her sketchpad, and every now and then, she adds something to the picture .
When I first saw the sketch of the Virtutes Falls, I thought the spell Janak and Aster cast over her had worn off, and her memories had returned. But hearing she dreamed about it causes me to worry because it means her visions might’ve started already.
We’re not close enough for me to ask her if that’s the case, and if she hasn’t had any visions, she’ll think I’m insane.
My eyes lock on the man in the pool of the Virtutes Falls. She’s drawn me to a T without the elixir’s glamor that makes me look human.
It has to be from a vision. She’s seen me coming.
Maybe I should just grab her and forcefully take her back to Vaalbara.
No. Be patient and gentle.
I’m bored out of my mind as we attend the remaining classes for the day, and by the time the final bell rings, relief fills my veins.
“Finally,” Alchera sighs. “Let’s get out of here.”
When we get up from our seats, I take hold of her bag and shrug it over my shoulder. “I’ll carry it.”
She gives me an incredulous look but doesn’t say anything as we step out into the aisle and head to the door.
The instant we walk into the hallway, a girl says, “Jane, do you want a ride home?”
“I’m going to hang out with Ryan,” Alchera answers. “I’ll see you later.”
“Oh,” the girl replies, looking shell-shocked. “Ahh…Okay. Have fun.”
We head down the hallway, and once we’re out of hearing distance from the girl, Alchera says, “That’s Molly. She’s my adoptive sister.”
I only nod, and when we leave the building, I gesture in the direction of my truck. “I’m parked over there.”
I can feel a nervous energy coming from Alchera when we reach the truck, and glancing at her, I see her features are tense with an anxious expression.
“You okay?” I ask.
“Yeah.” She lets out an awkward-sounding chuckle. “It’s not every day I get into a truck with a guy I barely know. Maybe we should put off going to the waterfall? ”
“You told Molly you’re spending time with me. If anything happens, I’m the first person they’re going to suspect.”
“True.”
I open the passenger door and nod to the seat. “The choice is yours.”
Alchera hesitates, and her eyes flit to my face before she glances over her shoulder at the other students who are watching us. The next second, she climbs into my truck, and I let out a relieved breath.
Thanks be to Awo.
I place her bag in the back of the truck before getting into the cab, and when I start the engine, I smile at her. “Thanks for not changing your mind.”
“Just don’t kill me, and we’re good,” she teases.
“You’re safe with me,” I promise.
There’s nowhere you’re safer than by my side.
“The waterfall is just off the road you took yesterday.”
“When you ducked into the bushes?” I ask.
“You saw that?” she gasps, a blush forming on her neck and cheeks.
Chuckling, I nod.
“God,” she groans. “Not embarrassing at all.” She’s quiet for a moment, then asks, “What were you doing out there?”
“Just looking for some peace and quiet.”
“Then you’ll love Fish Creek Falls.” She smiles, and it feels like the sun is shining on me.
Before thinking it through, I comment. “You have a beautiful smile.”
Instantly, she looks awkward again and glances out the window while murmuring. “Thanks.”
With every mile I drive, the air grows tenser, and as I turn up the road that leads to the spot where I can park the truck, Alchera asks, “Did you mean it when you said you want to be friends?”
“Yes.” I glance at her before turning my attention back to the road.
“So you’re not going to try anything?”
Not sure what she means, I ask, “Try what?”
I steer the truck off the road, and finding the spot by the trees, I bring the vehicle to a standstill .
“You’re not going to try…” she pauses, and when I look at her, her cheeks are flushed pink, “your luck.”
It takes me a moment before I realize what she’s asking, and I quickly shake my head. “No, that’s not why I’m spending time with you.”
“Oh good,” she breathes as she pushes the door open. “Because I’d hate to kick you in the junk.”
I let out a burst of laughter because I’d actually like to see her try.
After climbing out of the truck, I follow Alchera to the trail she likes to take, and we’re both quiet until we reach the waterfall.
Alchera gestures at the waterfall like it’s a masterpiece. “Ta-da. Welcome to my fortress of solitude.”
When she sits down on a patch of grass, I drop down beside her. Sitting with my knees bent, I rest my forearms on them.
Even though I know the answer, I ask, “Do you come here often?”
“As often as I can,” she murmurs. Her eyes leave the waterfall and settle on me. “So, Ryan Jackson, tell me about yourself.”
The corner of my mouth lifts. “There’s not much to tell.”
“Where did you live before moving here? What was your previous school like?”
Prepared with suitable answers, I say, “I used to live in Boulder, and it was pretty much the same as this school.”
“What’s it like living in a city?”
“Too busy for my liking,” I answer honestly.
She glances at the nature around us before muttering, “I can’t wait to leave this town.”
My eyes are locked on her face. “Why?”
She shrugs before meeting my gaze. “I just feel like there’s more to life than just this.”
There is so much more, my charge.
She sucks in a deep breath, then lets it out slowly. A nervous expression flickers over her features. “So, out of all the open seats in class, what made you pick my desk to sit at?”
Unable to lie, I answer, “You’re the only one I wanted to sit next to.” Staring deep into her eyes, I add, “No one else interests me. ”
A light frown forms between her eyebrows, and she looks skeptical, but she doesn’t comment on what I just said.
You’ll learn to trust me.
“How about you?” I ask. “Have you lived here all your life?”
“Kind off,” she replies. “I was found at this waterfall when I was thirteen.” She doesn’t look at me as she continues, “No one knows what I was doing here, and I had no memory of my past. It’s been almost five years, and I still don’t remember anything.”
Hearing the sadness in her tone, I murmur, “I’m sorry.”
I should’ve come with you.
She shrugs as if it’s nothing. “It is what it is. Mayor Calder was kind enough to take me in, so it hasn’t been that bad. I’m actually lucky.”
Needing to hear the answer, I ask, “Have they been good to you?”
She nods before she glances at me. “Yeah.”
Thanks be to Awo.
“I’m glad to hear that.”
She gives me a questioning look. “Why?”
“No reason. I’m just glad.”
The corner of her mouth lifts, then she asks, “What’s your family like?”
“I have two older brothers. Twins,” I answer truthfully. “It’s just us and my dad. My mom died when I was younger.”
Alchera gives me a compassionate look. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“It’s okay. It happened a long time ago.”
Silence falls between us, and I struggle not to spend every second staring at her. The last thing I need is for her to think I’m a creep.