Shadowed (The Shadow and Moon Series)

by Michelle Areaux

“Yeah. I uh...I guess I like the book because I feel like I can sort of relate to Ponyboy. I only have one friend-- like he has Johnny.”

  I don’t know why I admitted that. I wanted to reach up and slap myself for sounding like a complete loser.

  “I got the book one year for my birthday. I liked the idea that even though they were different, they still found a group to accept them,” Cohen said. I heard a hint of sadness dripping in his voice and that shocked me.

  “Well, I have to go,” I said, realizing we were now just standing in the cold, not talking anymore. I waved one last time as I made my way back home. I could feel Cohen watching me as I walked away. His eyes seemed to burn through me, but I refused to turn around and look at him.

  This whole situation has been so weird. It is almost like this guy has no social etiquette at all. Maybe Amy is right; he might be from another planet after all.

  Chapter 4

  That night after dinner, I rushed up to my bedroom and turned on my laptop. I knew nothing about this strange new family, and I was tired of the gossip and rumors people were creating. I didn’t know their last name or where they came from, but I had this unexplainable need to learn more about them. From the way Cohen talked, he felt like he was an outsider. Different. I couldn’t explain why that bothered me, but it did.

  Cohen.

  His name even sounded mysterious. His eyes drew me in like a magnet and there was something about the way he created the atmosphere to shift, that caused me to want to know something, if anything, about him.

  I pulled up Google and sat there, staring at the search engine. Finally, my fingers started typing the address across the street. Maybe I could at least learn their last name if the house sale was listed online.

  An article through the Edison County Clerk's Office showed that the house was sold through a private buyer. Well, there goes that theory. Glancing out the window, I saw the SUV. Feeling strange like I was about to break the law, I typed in the license plate of the SUV.

  An error page showed up, displaying it wasn’t a valid license plate number. That couldn’t be correct, I was staring at the vehicle across the street. I typed in the numbers three more times before I realized it was no use.

  The sun finally settled behind the mountains, and the darkness of the night covered the world. As I lay in bed, staring out my window at the silver stars twinkling above, I guess that is one advantage of living outside of a large city. The sky is clear and beautiful.

  Sighing, I rolled to my side and see something move out of the corner of my eye. Startled, I sit up quickly and run to my bedroom window.

  Looking outside, I see something move again; this time, it is coming from the second-story bedroom window. This is the same window where Cohen had caught me spying on him the night before.

  I place my hands against the cold glass, my face pressed up against the panes. Cohen is standing at the window, staring right back at me.

  Our eyes lock and, at that moment, I swear I feel like electricity is flowing through my veins. My entire body is buzzing and my heart is beating rapidly inside my chest. This feeling was so powerful that I couldn’t think straight. So, I did the only thing that seemed like a good idea at the time. I exiled myself to the bathroom. It was safe there, no windows and no way to embarrass myself any more than I already have.

  Sitting in my shower, I realized I had forgotten my cell phone. Twirling a strand of my dark hair around my finger, I idled my time with playing with different hairstyles and thinking of how I could possibly convince my parents that we should move, like far away from here.

  A sudden knock on the bathroom door had me sitting up straight bumping my head against the white tile in the shower.

  “Henley, are you in there?” my mom asked.

  Rubbing the back of my head, I answered. “Yeah, I’m in here,” I said.

  Opening the door, my mom gave me an odd look. “Why are you sitting in the shower? Are you sick?” she asked, looking around my small bathroom.

  I guess that was a perk of being an only child, I got my own bathroom.

  “I’m not sick. I’m just…” I sighed, unsure of how to fib my way out of this one.

  “Did something happen when you visited the new neighbors?” she asked carefully.

  She walked further into the small bathroom and knelt down beside me.

  “I don’t know,” I stated. “I made a fool of myself,” I admitted.

  I could feel tears stinging my eyes and I hated how confused I felt now.

  “How did you make a fool of yourself?” mom asked, sitting down beside me in the shower.

  I was sure we looked positively ridiculous sitting in the shower, fully dressed, and with no clothes.

  She patted my knee and waited for me to respond.

  “I fumbled over my words and almost fell down handing him the brownies and then…” the next part was almost too embarrassing to repeat.

  “Go on,” mom prompted.

  “The boy, one of their sons named Cohen, caught me staring at him last night. It’s not like it seems, I was just checking out the house, but I am sure he thinks that I was spying,” I finished, feeling my cheeks flaming red.

  My mom gave me a knowing smile and chuckled to herself. “It looks like my girl finally has a crush on a boy,” she said, teasing me as she nudged my side.

  “I don’t even know him; how can I have a crush on him?” I stated, rolling my eyes and scoffing at how ludicrous that idea was.

  “Is he cute?” mom asked, still beaming from ear-to-ear.

  “I guess some people might say he is cute; but again, I know nothing about him. None of us do,” I almost shouted.

  This time, mom laughed loudly. “Calm down, Henley. Maybe you need to try talking to this boy. Explain yourself. Get to know him,” she winked.

  I knew there was no talking my mom out of the idea of my having a crush on this… stranger.

  “I will talk to him at some point, I guess.”

  My mom left me alone after our awkward conversation. I stayed hidden and confined in the bathroom for another hour before I felt like a huge coward. Once I finally found enough courage to go back to my room, I decided I would just close my blinds and pretend like Cohen and his family never moved to Edison.

  Making my way to my window, I paused mid-step as I noticed Cohen was still standing at his window, looking down into my window.

  Why was he still there?

  I slowly made my way to the window and looked back at him. To my surprise, his lips curved into what looked like a smile.

  While it looked forced and even a bit difficult for him to achieve, there was no doubt that Cohen was smiling at me.

  I offered him a small smile and wave, before closing my blinds and leaving my window and Cohen behind.

  Chapter 5

  The next morning, I refused to look out my window. I had decided sometime late last night that my blinds would just have to remain permanently shut.

  Yep, out of sight, out of mind.

  The air outside was cool, much cooler than it had been, so I decided to wear a long, gray sweater with my jeans. I was never the type of girl who cared about what she wore or what she looked like. I never had a reason to try to impress anyone that I knew, but for some reason this morning, I caught myself adding a little extra time as I fixed my hair.

  When I finally made it to school, Amy was, as always, waiting for me by my locker. Only, she came bearing gifts. Two large coffees were in her hands and I smiled brightly at the sight.

  Again, this is why Amy is my best friend. She knows me better than anyone else.

  “Looks like someone had a much better night,” Amy said, smiling and handing me my steaming coffee.

  I gladly accepted the brown liquid gold and inhaled the sweet aroma. “Yeah, I slept,” I said, taking a sip.

  “Any more sightings of the elusive new boy?” she asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

  “Actually
, I met him yesterday,” I said, starting to walk to my first class.

  Running to catch up behind me, Amy could barely speak. “Wait, what?” she stuttered.

  I couldn’t help but smile to myself. “His name is Cohen. That’s all I know, so don’t ask me any more questions,” I laughed.

  “Speaking of the devil,” Amy said, her eyes focused behind me.

  From the way she purred the words, I didn’t need to turn around to know who she was looking at.

  From the way the air shifted around me and my body began to warm, like I had suddenly walked into a fire, led me to believe that he was somewhere behind me.

  Cohen.

  I turned around and for a brief second, it was like the world around me froze. Voices went silent. People stopped moving. It was just Cohen and me.

  “Hello, earth to Henley,” Amy said, as she waved her hands in front of my face.

  “Uh, sorry,” I mumbled, as I shook my head and brought myself back to reality.

  I couldn’t seem to divert my eyes away from Cohen. As much as I hated to admit it, he was undoubtedly the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. Almost otherworldly. His black hair seemed to shine under the normally unflattering fluorescent lights hanging in the dimly lit hallway. His eyes were so dark, they almost seemed black but with silver outlining them. His complexion was smooth and he had a slight tan, an absolutely perfect skin tone. His presence made him feel large, like he was too big for this small school and town.

  But what was most unsettling and quite fantastic was that Cohen was staring at me--again.

  “That super-hot, but strange guy is totally looking at you,” Amy loudly whispered into my ear.

  “Yeah, I’m picking up on that,” I whisper back, still unable to remove my gaze from Cohen’s.

  He was standing at the entrance to the school, holding his book bag in his hands and watching me like I was the most fascinating creature he had ever seen.

  The way he bounced back and forth from glaring at me, ignoring me, and now watching me with interest was causing my head to swirl. He was so hot and cold; I wasn’t sure if I were going to get burned or frostbite.

  Students all stopped and began staring at Cohen. Whispers floated in the air as the rumors and speculations about the new guy finally came to a head. He was real and, in fact ,standing in our presence.

  In a small town like ours, a new person was like a celebrity coming to town. And, in our case, Cohen and his family were the best-looking people to ever venture to our small, rugged town.

  As I stood, transfixed by the beauty and mystery of Cohen, I also started to recognize the fact that he appeared to be lost.

  Without thinking, I left Amy behind and went straight over to Cohen. As he saw me approaching, he seemed to grow more nervous. I watched his throat as he gulped and shifted his backpack in his hands.

  Students all looked at me with wide eyes. It was funny really. We had all gone to school since we had been five-years-old, and none of them had ever taken the time to really get to know me. And now, they all stood by and watched me take the time to help a new kid.

  I was sure that by the end of the day, they would all talk to him and get to know him. Something none of them had ever bothered to do over the last ten years.

  With only a few feet between us, I stopped. “Do you need help?” I asked.

  “Yeah, my brother and sister took off and left me here. I’m supposed to go to the front office to get my schedule, but I don’t know where that is,” he said, his voice laced with uncertainty.

  “I can show you,” I offer. “Do you want me to take you to the front office?” I ask.

  Cohen nods in assent and waves for me to lead the way.

  Amy is standing to the side in shock with her mouth wide open. I lead Cohen down the hall and it is like he is a celebrity walking a red carpet. Everyone watches on with a wild fascination. The crowd of students that had once been converging around us, is now scattering to their classes as we pass.

  Thankfully, the school is small so we reach the front office in no time at all. “Here is the front office,” I say, holding the door open for him. “Mrs. Carry is the receptionist. She can look up your schedule and print it off for you. She’s super old, but very sweet and kind,” I smile.

  “That sounds nice,” Cohen says, and then walks past me to the desk.

  I leave him in the office and head to my first class of the day. When I reach the room, Amy is standing outside waiting for me.

  I laugh and shake my head because I had a feeling she would be doing this.

  “What did he say?” she asks, following me as I keep walking into the room.

  “He said thanks,” I smile.

  “What did you all talk about?” Amy asks, as she falls into the seat next to mine.

  “We literally walked for like a minute. There wasn’t much to say,” I add, rolling my eyes.

  I slide into my seat and grab my books that I will need for class. I try to act busy, hoping that Amy will let it go, but of course, no such luck.

  “Henley, you know I love you right?” she asks.

  I ignore her completely and take out a notebook and pen.

  “Henley, you have no awareness at all. Cohen was staring at you like you were a piece of candy he wanted to take,” she sighed. “You should have offered to show him around town. Give him your number-- something!” she finishes, throwing her hands up in the air in defeat.

  “I’m not going to throw myself at him just because he is new,” I laughed.

  “Why not?” Amy argues.

  “Because, he just moved here. The whole town is already in a frenzy over them and I sort of feel bad for the guy. Plus, I am pretty sure I am the last girl he would ever be interested in,” I finish.

  “You are delusional,” Amy sighs, shaking her head and turning away from me in her seat.

  Our teacher walks in and thankfully passes out a quiz. For the rest of the hour, we remain in silence as we work on our assessment. I have never been so happy to take a test before.

  Just as I finish writing and place my pencil on the desk, I feel eyes staring at me. Looking up, I expect to see Amy glaring at me; but instead, I see a different pair of eyes watching me.

  Cohen is standing outside the classroom door, staring in through the small, glass window. He is watching me with a wild fascination. My first thought is to look down and pretend like I didn’t just catch him watching me. However, I do something so totally and completely strange for me, that it almost takes me off guard.

  I smile and slightly raise my hand to wave. To my surprise, Cohen’s lips turn up into a slight smile and he mimics my wave.

  Seeing my movement, Amy looks up from her test, but when she does, Cohen walks away.

  It was like he was never there in the first place. Was I imagining him there? I wasn’t sure, but one thing I did know for sure: Cohen was a mystery to me and I suddenly had a strange impulse to discover more about him.

  ****

  “Hey, want to go with us to the Breadfarm?” Amy asked, as we stopped by our locker at the end of the day.

  Students were moving through the halls, not paying any attention to those around them.

  “Sure,” I agreed. In a small town like ours, we only had two options here, and I didn’t feel like hanging out where I worked. Plus, they had amazing fresh coffee, delicious sweet treats, and was a place where we could all hang out.

  We walked out of the school and were heading to Main Street. Everything was on Main Street. I noticed Cohen slowly walking to his car with his sister by his side. They looked like they were in a heated conversation, but I just shook my head...None of my business.

  Amy and I made our way toward the road and just as I went to cross, something out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. Amy was already halfway across the street when I spotted the large, black SUV barreling down the road.

  Headed straight toward me.

 
; I turned and let out a blood shrieking scream and closed my eyes, waiting for the impact. There was no time to move. Just as I braced myself for death, I felt an arm painfully gripping my wrist and jerk me to the side.

  I screamed again as my eyes flew open and I fell onto the curb--with Cohen on top of me.

  Panting, pain radiates through my body as I felt the harsh concrete ground under me. Blood spilled from a cut on my arm and I heard people screaming and cars screeching their brakes as they stopped to see if I were ok.

  “What happened?” I asked, my voice barely audible. Tears fell from my eyes.

  “You almost died,” Cohen said, in a robotic voice.

  “Henley!” I heard Amy cry out, as she fell to the curb beside me.

  Cohen rolled off of me and both he and Amy extended their hands for me.

  They carefully helped me up and I winced from the pain coursing through my back.

  Now there were spectators all around us and teachers were even running out of the school to see what all of the commotion was.

  I can barely register what is happening as I stand with Amy. Cohen is glaring at me and for a moment, he almost seems upset that he helped me.

  “Thank you,” I say to Cohen.

  He simply nods and then walks back toward the parking lot. His sister is standing beside his car and from the calm expression on her face, she doesn’t seem the least bit fazed by the almost near-death experiences that just went down.

  “Henley!” Amy says again, and this time I turn to face her.

  “Yeah, I’m ok,” I say.

  “I started to cross the street and then when I turned, I saw that big SUV coming at you. I thought you were going to die,” she cried out.

  “I’m fine. Cohen grabbed me,” I said.

  “He saved your life,” someone called out from the mob of people who had formed around us.

  “Yeah, that new kid just jumped out there,” someone else chimed in.

  I shook my head, unsure of what had happened, but I did know this: Cohen had just saved my life.