As soon as he entered the classroom, his eyes looked up in Katrina’s direction and they met for just a brief instance. In that fleeting moment two things simultaneously happened—she felt a surge of electric currents pulse through her entire body and her mind began to spin out of control. Her body became overwhelmed by an invigorating rush of emotions. Through the spinning, Katrina noticed the pale handsome creature’s body cringe. He seemed equally stunned, as if the air was being sucked right out of his body.
For that short moment in time, there was no one else in the room. All of the other distractions around them subsided and ceased to exist. It was just the two of them, lost in their own world. Katrina could feel every part of her body craving to touch him.
Then just as fast as it appeared, the voltage that ran through her receded, burying itself back down inside. She dropped her eyes down to her desk and let out a low sigh. Katrina’s hands trembled, as she reached in her bag for her math book. It took longer than normal for her to pull the oversized book out. Plopping it onto her desk, she was distracted by Ms. Stevenson’s gentle voice calling the class to order.
There was nothing teacher-like about Ms. Stevenson, with her blonde flowing hair and topaz eyes. The way she strutted made her look as though she would be more at home sashaying down the catwalk on a New York runway, rather than the halls of Morgan Springs High School. In addition to being good-looking, she also projected a sense of warmth and nurturing that most seemed to lose within their first couple of years of teaching. Katrina watched as Ms. Stevenson flashed the newcomer one of her welcoming smiles and went through the usual introductions to prepare him for the hour he’d be spending with her each day.
Katrina’s morning was made even more uncomfortable when she heard Ms. Stevenson say, “Why don’t you take the empty seat over there, Cole?”
Realizing Ms. Stevenson motioned towards the empty desk behind her, Katrina dropped her eyes down to the floor. His nearing footsteps echoed against the tile floor and tingles of anticipation swept over her. Katrina hid her face and tried to steady her heart rate to avoid adding to the scarlet color her skin had become.
What’s wrong with me? Confusion washed over her as her head spun. Katrina closed her eyes to calm her nerves. Passing her desk, Cole’s hip lightly grazed the tip of her hand. Katrina’s body contracted from the pain of shock, as the electric current overtook her. The rip tide of emotion pulled her back to that point of pure ecstasy she felt only moments earlier. Goosebumps began to form on her flesh, as every hair on the back of her neck stood on end. Her body became an over-stimulated mass of scarlet as her blood began to boil. Sweat began to trickle out of her pores to cool the colossal inferno her body became, but it was useless. The internal flame sweltering inside her refused to subside.
She felt Cole’s body also tremble under the spark of contact. Opening her eyes from the shock, Katrina found his light blue gems looking back at her. They deepened into a cobalt fire, as they gave her a curious stare. As his body edged away from her and stumbled his way over to his seat, Katrina felt the connection between them falter.
Confused, Katrina let out the breath she didn't realize she had been holding. The strange emotions vanished for a second time and Katrina was brought back down to reality. Looking up, she saw Ms. Stevenson calling the class to order. Katrina never felt so embarrassed. She looked around to see if anyone had seen what had just happened between them and was relieved that everyone else was too preoccupied with their own conversations to notice.
“Okay, guys. Settle down.” Ms. Stevenson slipped her chocolate reading glasses onto her heart-shaped face. The square, thick reading glasses were the only true hint at her aging at all. “I know today’s our first day back and we’re all excited to discuss what we did over summer, but can we please refrain from talking about it until after class?”
It was more of a polite request rather than the stern demand most teachers would give; even the simplest of instructions seemed pleasant coming from her, rather than an order of obedience. Perhaps that was why most of the students happily complied with her instructions, unlike with other instructors.
Before long, Ms. Stevenson began writing out basic mathematical equations. They were pretty basic, so Katrina assumed it was a refresher for everyone. Most students buried their knowledge over summer break. Ms. Stevenson must have realized most of them would need the extra help retraining their brains. Concentrating seemed to take all of Katrina’s effort because a quick glance around the room revealed the others were having troubles concentrating as well. The silence in the room was deafening.
Katrina attempted to put all of her effort into Ms. Stevenson’s lesson, but part of her was still very much aware of the attractive new arrival behind her. Every so often she could almost feel his ocean blue eyes glaring at the back of her head, burning right through her. It took all of her inner strength to get through the introduction of the Pythagorean Theorem in one piece.
Half way through her math lesson, the bell rang, releasing her from her own personal prison. Trapped by her body’s strange surge of emotions, Katrina couldn’t wait to exit the classroom. She wasted no time bolting towards the door for her freedom, her sanity, and away from the gorgeous person behind her.
As the day went on, Katrina was both relieved and saddened that she had no more classes with Cole. Part of her was glad she wouldn’t have to deal with the uncomfortable feelings that he seemed to bring, but another ached to see him again. That didn’t stop her eyes from wandering the halls in hopes of catching a glimpse of him, as images of him danced around inside her head.
Lunchtime didn’t hold much hope for her either. There was no sign of him. It was as though he had simply vanished, a ghost that refused to reappear and make himself known to her. Disappointed, Katrina grabbed her lunch and sat in her usual lunchtime spot. Poking the prongs of the fork into her salad, Katrina tried to focus on something else. It was pretty hard, because her mind just kept coming back to him.
Her loss of appetite finally won. She was about to throw her food away, when she heard a familiar voice shout from across the room, “Hey, Kat!”
“Hi, Stace.” Looking up, Katrina waved and gave her a big smile.
Stacy Reynolds had been Katrina’s confidant since grade school. Her soft angelic features complimented her fun-loving persona. Spiral blonde curls bounced vivaciously off her dimpled, cherub cheeks, as she ran over to Katrina. Her golden brown eyes gleamed back with an overflowing sense of warmth and understanding. It was these compassionate eyes that helped Katrina through the many obstacles she faced in her short life. Next to her twin brother Jake, Stacy was the only other person she was willing to do anything for. Stacy was always there for her no matter how bad things became in her life.
Three winters ago, when Katrina’s father was killed in a car accident and again last year when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, it had been Stacy who helped her cope. All of her other so-called friends were conveniently busy with other priorities when she needed them most. Stacy had been there to console her through the bad times and shared in every crazy moment in between. During her mother’s remission, it was Stacy who put together a “Happy Recovery” party for her.
“So, how are your classes?” Stacy’s voice chimed in, as she sat down in front of Katrina.
“Fine, I guess,” she shrugged.
“Just fine?”
“You know how it is—same boring class, just a different day.” She absently picked at a leaf of lettuce before giving up and pushing her salad aside.
“Are you telling me you can’t find one you like?”
“No, not really.” Katrina stared at Stacy, wanting desperately to ask her about the new guy. She just wasn’t sure what to say. Sighing, she decided to take a deep breath and just come out and ask. “Hey, Stace.”
“Yeah?”
“Have you noticed anything weird about that new kid Cole in Mrs. Stevenson’s class?” she asked, as she began to fidget with her bottle
of juice.
“You mean other than the fact that he’s a total babe?”
“Yes, besides that,” Katrina laughed, as she rolled her eyes at Stacy’s blunt remark.
“Sorry, Kat, I couldn’t get my eyes off his butt long enough to make any other observations.”
“You’re so bad.” Katrina hid her face in her hands to hide her blushing scarlet skin. Stacy always could make her laugh like no one else.
“I know. It’s a gift really,” Stacy giggled. Taking a bite of her sandwich, she continued the conversation. “Why do you ask?”
“No reason,” Katrina hastily explained away. “I was just curious.”
Sitting in the rigid plum chairs, Katrina let her mind wander. Scanning the entire lunch area, her eyes strained to find any sign of the handsome stranger and prove he wasn’t a figment of her imagination, that he was indeed real and what she experienced this morning did in fact happen. This could give her some peace of mind that she wasn’t completely delusional. Lost so deep in her own thoughts, Katrina was oblivious to her surroundings. It wasn’t until a soft nudge on her shoulder snapped her back to the present.
“Kat, hurry up. Everyone’s already gone to class,” Stacy’s bubbly voice chimed in.
“Right, sorry.” Katrina followed Stacy out into the hall and ran to her next class. Not in the mood to sit still, Katrina found it difficult to focus. The last two periods of the day dragged on for what seemed like years. Even though it was the first day and most, if not all, of the periods were taken up by introductions, she couldn’t bring herself to care. She had other things on her mind that took priority.
Since lunch held no promises and her other classes also came up empty, Katrina decided to probe her brother. Jake would be sure to know more information on the strange newcomers. Her brother may be considered an outcast to most, but to her he was a river of knowledge. Jake was an ideal commodity overflowing with the town’s deepest secrets. And she knew the most opportune time to do it was right after school.
At 3:15pm, the sound every high school student anticipates happened. Wasting no time, Katrina was out of her seat and speeding towards the door before the bell could finish. Cutting a sharp left past the lockers, Katrina passed by all of the social groups that commenced in the halls. Walking out the front door and down the front steps took less than a minute for her today. She parked herself right in front of the hood of the truck and waited.
Peering over the massive clumps of students, she watched in anticipation for the only student she had any care for at that moment. Minutes began to pass, as did the hoards of students who were steadily emptying the parking lot and there was still no sign of Jake.
“What could be keeping him?” she wondered aloud.
Watching the last of the students leave the now empty parking lot, Katrina became concerned. Her brother was never late and this sent warning bells off inside her head. Many horrific images danced around in her head, as the possibilities for his absence ran through her mind.
Just when she decided to go search for him, Jake’s russet colored head appeared from around the back corner of the school. Relieved, Katrina waved for him to hurry up. Staring straight at her, his expressionless face gave no acknowledgment to the signal. Taken aback by his lack of reaction, Katrina did a second glance and noticed something she had overlooked.
Jake’s normally fair skin was ghostly pale. Even the rest of his appearance was out of character for him. His hair was disheveled and his clothes were a mess. He looked like he just rolled out of bed. Then Katrina’s eyes made their way to his face. His baby facial features were swollen and replaced by huge welts. He looked like he had just finished boxing practice.
Anger pulsed through her veins like a plague spreading through a village. Whoever was responsible would be very sorry they messed with her brother. More importantly, they would have to deal with her.
“There you are. I was about to send out a search party,” she said, trying to lighten the mood.
Katrina waited for Jake to say one of his witty comebacks, but he said nothing. Slapped in the face by his cold blank stare, Katrina was left speechless. Then she felt them come through like an explosion. His emotions were so jumbled. Usually, she could tell exactly how he felt, but not this time—this time they were all over the place.
Without a word, Jake walked to the passenger side of the truck. His movements were robotic, as he opened the door and climbed inside. Katrina went to the other side of the truck and climbed in the driver’s seat.
The car ride home was a quiet one. Katrina attempted to pry any helpful information she could out of Jake, but found it difficult. Jake was no help; he sat catatonic, refusing to respond to any of her questions. Silently, he stared out the passenger side window.
Determined to find answers, Katrina refused to give up. She tried once more with a calm and non-interrogative approach.
“So, Jake, guess who I have in my first period class? One of the new kids, Cole Aldrich.”
“Yeah, me too.” Jake’s voice was barely a whisper and he wouldn’t look at her.
“Really? What’s his name?”
“Andrew.”
“What’s he like? Is he like the other jocks or is he different, like you?” she asked, as the truck’s balding tires crunched against their narrow gravel driveway. Relief washed over her at Jake’s response. He was talking again. Then her previous thoughts from earlier resurfaced, as her intense curiosity was back. Gently, she eased into pressing him for more information.
“He’s different all right, but not like me.” Jake’s body suddenly tensed. Sliding out of the truck Jake gave her an angry glare before slamming the door shut and heading towards the house.
Katrina shut the truck off and ran after him shouting back, “Jake! What the hell is wrong with you?”
Jake had never been a typical moody or angry teenager. He was occasionally prone to an emotional outburst, but nothing like his behavior displayed in the truck. Jake had never been so cold and heartless towards anyone, especially Katrina.
Fighting back tears of frustration and anger, she forced herself to pull it together and began to head upstairs towards her room. Passing the icy lavender bathroom, she caught a quick glimpse of her brother. She gasped in shock, as he rubbed his neck. Dabbing his bloody lip with a damp cloth, he caught sight of her through the bathroom mirror.
“Jake, what happened?”
“It’s nothing.” He tried to brush it off, but she wasn't giving up that easily.
“Nothing? Look at you.”
“Just let it go.”
“No, I can’t just let it go. Who did this to you?”
“Kat, leave it alone!”
When Jake’s eyes met hers, Katrina could see anger sweltering behind his cold stare. His face tightened into a harsh glare like a marble statue. He turned and angrily slammed the door in her face.
Confused and hurt by her brother’s callous behavior, Katrina stormed into her room. As she slammed her door, the tears she had been fighting back finally overpowered her. She threw herself onto the bed and grabbed her pillow. Burying her head, she burst into heavy sobs.
Chapter 2
Waking up to her alarm, Katrina was hoping today would be better. The past couple weeks hadn’t worked out too well. Tears fell down her cheeks as she recalled how rough it had been. She hoped Jake’s coldness would dissipate over time.
While she was concerned for him, Katrina still had another problem to deal with. The odd encounters with Cole managed to repeat themselves almost every day. Each time, the feelings seemed to grow and become stronger with every encounter. He even found his way into her dreams at night.
The first time it happened was the same night of the first day she met him. It began the same as many of her other dreams. Most of them took place in a distant time, but in this one there was something very different. The line between reality and dream began to blur into one. It felt more like a distant memory from her past rather than a simple rando
m reflection. Most of her dreams were jumbled thoughts intermingling into one another as she drifted from one scene to the next, but this one was the exact opposite. There was no roaming from one incoherent thought to the next. Katrina could still remember every vivid detail as if it happened moments ago.
The musty smell of the cottage floor overwhelmed her, as she was crouching in a tight knit ball. Hidden in a crawl space under the floorboard, she nestled against the firm ground. Watching and waiting for someone or something, Katrina’s frantic eyes searched for any distinguishing features. Unfortunately the stranger’s face was hidden amongst the shadows and she could never get a good look at him. The only thing she could remember was the sound of his boots dragging along the wooden flooring as bits of dust fell into her eyes.
“Katrina! You’re going to be late!” her mother’s voice intruded, bringing her back down to reality.
“I’ll be right down!” Katrina exhaled before moping her way down the stairs. She wasn’t sure she could stomach any more of the silent treatment from Jake. Being ignored by her brother as though she were a ghost hurt her beyond words. She couldn’t imagine what had him so upset that he refused to tell her.
On the bright side, it was a new day and she hoped he might be in a better frame of mind. She would remain positive—today would be better. Excited at the thought, Katrina was dressed before her mother could heed a second warning. Katrina tried to remain positive. “Today will be better,” she repeated out loud to herself.
In the hall she caught a glimpse of Jake in his bedroom. She sucked up her emotions and said, “Morning,” hoping he wouldn’t bite her head off. To her relief he didn’t, but he didn’t exactly return her greeting either. He just gave her a slight nod and quickly shut his door.
Exhaling a sigh of frustration, Katrina continued down the stairs and into the kitchen. Their kitchen wasn’t modern by any sense of the word, but it still had all the basics. The white squares of tile glistened against the light maple cabinetry. Even the matching white appliances seemed brighter than normal. Her mother’s apple décor lined the little wall space available.
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