Mesmerized

by Crane, Julia; Jager, Talia

  She was pretty in a high maintenance way. She had on so much make up that her face looked painted on.

  “You should leave,” the girl said as she cocked her head to the side and looked Lily up and down.

  “We’d be glad to if you move out of our way,” Lily responded.

  Hannah’s eyes widened.

  “That’s not what I meant. You should leave the school. We don’t want you here. You don't belong here.” The girls to her left and right nodded in agreement.

  Lily looked at her indifferently. She was used to this kind of treatment. It got old and she was bored with it. Rolling her eyes, Lily said, “I’ll leave when I’m good and ready. Now, if you’ll excuse us...” She pushed past the group of girls.

  Lily peeked over at Hannah whose mouth was still hanging open.

  “I can’t believe you just did that,” Hannah said.

  “Why? They’re nothing.”

  “That was Samantha. She'll ruin you. She's the most popular girl here. She runs this school.” Hannah nervously tugged at her shirtsleeve.

  “I’m not worried.”

  Hannah fell silent as they continued on their walk. Lily hoped her behavior hadn’t scared her new friend away.

  “It’s time to get to class,” Hannah said a few minutes later. “We have first period together.”

  Hannah led the way. When they reached the academic building, a boy came out of nowhere and opened the door for them.

  “Let me get that for you,” he said with a smile.

  “Thanks.”

  “Can I get you anything? Drink? Snack? Show you to your class?” the red-haired boy asked eagerly. He gave Lily an infectious smile. Sometimes it was hard to follow her mother’s advice.

  “No, thank you,” Lily responded politely.

  He frowned, looking like a lost puppy, and walked away. It only took ten seconds for the next boy to approach them.

  “Hi. I’m Wyatt. Do you need help finding your class?”

  “Wyatt, you’re not in our class,” Hannah said, looking at him strangely. “Besides I’m taking her.”

  Wyatt looked at Hannah like he hadn’t even realized she was there. “Oh.” He started to walk away, then stopped and turned back around. “Are you sure there isn’t anything I can do for you?”

  Lily shook her head.

  Wyatt shoved his hands in his pockets and walked away.

  “You weren’t kidding about boys being a problem for you,” Hannah remarked.

  Lily shrugged, not knowing what to say. Boys were always a problem for her, in fact, people in general were. Girls couldn't stand her and boys loved her. It was what being a succubus was all about. She was quite surprised—and grateful—that Hannah was still willing to be around her.

  Hannah walked into a classroom and Lily followed. All the talking stopped and the students looked up, staring at her.

  The teacher was sitting at his desk. He stood up as soon as he noticed the new girl. After staring for a few seconds longer than what was appropriate, he said, “Miss Anderson, I presume. Welcome to English. You can pick any seat you like.”

  “Thank you.” Lily blushed at the teacher’s obvious attraction to her and took a seat in the back of the room. Older guys gave her the creeps, and he was old enough to be her father.

  Glancing at the chalkboard, she saw his name was Mr. Thompson. She felt his eyes still on her still, so she sat down quickly. Eventually, Mr. Thompson snapped out of it and began the lesson. She made it through the morning without too much trouble. Most of the girls ignored her, and as usual, the boys were tried to get her attention and failed miserably.

  ***

  Jake had heard all the fuss and wanted no part of it.

  A new girl, more beautiful than anybody they had ever seen. Blah, blah, blah. He intended to stay far away and succeeded until after lunch when she walked out of the academic building and right into him.

  His heart skidded to a stop. He couldn’t believe it. She took his breath away—literally. This was the girl from his dreams. How could he dream about her having never seen her before? It wasn’t just someone that resembled her—it was her. Each wave of hair, the exact color of her eyes, and even the necklace she wore. Everything was the same from his dream. The only thing that was missing was the white dress she always wore.

  "I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention," Lily murmured. Her heart skipped a beat when she looked into his clear sky-blue eyes. He was the most attractive boy she had ever laid eyes on. She moved to the side to pass him and he moved at the same time blocking her way. His hand touched her arm and a strange tingling feeling ran through her body. She had flashes of pushing him against the wall and running her hands through his hair. What the hell was wrong with her? She had never reacted this way to a boy before.

  He jerked his hand back as if he had touched fire but couldn’t take his eyes off her.

  Lily gave a nervous laugh. She subconsciously touched her necklace: it made her relax. Feeling more in control, she said, "Excuse me." She brushed past him and willed herself not to turn to get another glimpse of his beautiful face.

  Jake turned and watched her walk away. Her hair swung seductively back and forth as she walked. He had literally been dreaming about that girl for weeks. Every time he closed his eyes at night she was there. In his dreams, she always wore a long, white flowing dress. She looked innocent and sexy at the same time. She never talked to him; she just tried to lure him away. Walking backwards, she would shoot him a sexy smile. When he would advance, she would turn away running and her laughter echoed in his mind. It drove him crazy he was never able to catch up with her. He always woke up feeling empty.

  Get a grip, he told himself. There had to be an explanation. She was just a girl. He had been around long enough to know girls were nothing but trouble. He wasn't about to get his heart crushed again.

  Jake went to his room. He couldn't get her face out of his mind. Maybe it was time for him to move. He had been hanging around this town long enough. It wouldn't be long before he would have to run anyway. The more he thought about it, he knew he couldn't leave, at least not yet. He wanted to find out more about the girl, and why she was haunting his dreams. Maybe it had something to do with the curse that had been placed on his father hundreds of years ago?

  Chapter Three

  Lily leaned up against the tree trying to compose herself. What was it about that boy with the shaggy dark brown hair that had her so flushed? She had to stop herself from reaching out and brushing the hair out of his gorgeous blue eyes. No! I had to stay away from him. Her mother had warned her that she would only bring him harm. Lily was so confused. Why did my heart speed up at the thought of him?

  “There you are!” Hannah exclaimed as she approached the tree Lily had been hiding behind. “You okay? Did something happen?”

  Lily looked down embarrassed. She certainly couldn’t tell Hannah how she felt. “No, just needed a breather. New schools are always overwhelming at first.”

  Hannah studied Lily for a minute. Her cheeks were red and her hands were shaking. Maybe it was just from the cold, or a case of nerves. Hannah really didn’t think it was that cold, but Lily had said she was from the south. “Where are you from again?”

  “Texas,” Lily answered.

  “That’s a big move.”

  “Yeah. My parents thought they’d try sending me to a boarding school.” If the last twenty-four hours was a clue, this school wasn’t going to be any better than the other ones. She didn’t know what her parents were thinking.

  Together, they walked back to the academic building. Algebra was next. She was lucky that math had always come easy to her. She was glad to see it was a female teacher. Lily smiled and said, “I’m Lily Anderson.”

  Mrs. Penney was a dark haired woman in a pressed skirt suit. She returned Lily’s smile with a bright one of her own. "Welcome to Emerson Academy. Here's the syllabus.”

  Lily reached over to grab the sheet of paper.

  Mrs. Penn
ey sniffed the air. "What kind of perfume are you wearing? It's wonderful."

  Lily shifted uncomfortably. "I'm not wearing perfume."

  "Really? Must be your soap. Please be seated." The teacher pointed to a desk in the back of the room.

  “Thanks.” Lily turned and began walking to the back of the room. She noticed that the mean girl from earlier, Samantha, was in this class.

  As Lily passed her, Samantha stuck her foot out into the aisle. Luckily, Lily saw it and stepped over it.

  Lily leaned down to the girl’s ear. “Nice try.” She then continued to her new desk. She was glad to see that she had the seat next to Hannah.

  Samantha looked like she was fuming as she tapped her foot on the seat in front of her. Lily smirked. When you had to deal with this stuff all of your life, you knew what they might throw at you.

  Samantha turned towards Lily and said, “You’ll never fit in here especially if you keep hanging around lardo over there.”

  Lily felt the anger rise in her body. Glancing at Hannah who was stricken in her seat, she leaned forward and loudly said, "I don't believe we have properly met. From the looks of you, I would say you are the school whore?"

  Samantha's jaw dropped open. She closed it, crossed her arms, and faced the front of the room. Lily figured no one had ever dared talk back to her, so she didn't know how to react.

  The door flung open and in walked the boy from the courtyard. Once again, Lily’s heart skipped a few beats. She quickly looked away; she didn't want to make eye contact with him.

  The teacher looked up. “Nice of you to join us, Mr. O'Connor. Please try to be on time.”

  He muttered an apology to the teacher and hurried to his desk. He sat diagonal from Lily and across from Samantha.

  "Hi, Jake." Samantha bit her lip coyly.

  Lily wanted to puke. Much to Lily's surprise, Jake ignored Samantha. She had to admit it made her happy. Jake glanced over his shoulder at Lily, but quickly turned around.

  This was not good. She couldn't focus at all during class. She kept staring at the boy. He had a perfect profile with his aquiline nose and high cheekbones. He reminded her of a Greek statue. Lily looked down at her paper and noticed she had been drawing hearts in her notebook. She crumpled up the paper appalled at herself. Maybe she should call her mother and tell her this wasn't such a good idea.

  Somehow she made it through class without attacking the poor boy. She wondered for the hundredth time what made him so different. There were plenty of good-looking boys, and none had ever affected her in this way. Maybe it was just because she was getting older and her powers were getting stronger? That still didn't explain why one boy out of hundreds was making her have crazy sexual thoughts.

  P.E. was at the end of the day. Lily dreaded gym class it was her least favorite. Getting changed in front of all the other girls was a nightmare. The school uniform hid her curves, but there wasn't anyway to hide anything in the small t-shirt and short shorts they had to wear for gym class. The white t-shirt stretched snuggly across her chest and the shorts covered very little of her long legs. She saw the other girls glare at her in the mirror. Lily sighed. It wasn't as if she asked to look like this. She would change bodies with Hannah in a heartbeat to live a normal life.

  As she walked out of the locker room, one of the guys whistled and others started shouting out rude comments. The gym teacher yelled at them to shut up or they were getting detention. Lily gave her a grateful smile.

  She was so relieved to get back to her room after the day was over. She marked a day off of her calendar. Lily wondered how long she would last at this school.

  After dinner, Lily decided to take a walk even though it was cold. She needed to clear her head. The fallen leaves crunched under her feet as she walked around campus. It was a clear evening and the moon was almost full. Many stars were visible in the night sky. They twinkled as if to say hi to her. She loved gazing at the stars; it made her feel at peace.

  It was pretty here, she begrudgingly admitted. The part of Texas she lived in didn’t have much of a season change. It went from hot and humid to cold and humid quickly. The leaves didn’t change colors. It didn’t snow. It was quite boring if she was honest with herself. She could get used to it here. But, what if she got kicked out? Not only would she be sent home, but also she’d lose her newfound friendship with Hannah.

  “Hey, you’re the new girl,” a deep, male voice said behind her.

  She spun around, coming face to face with a dark-haired boy. The wild look in his hazel eyes sent fear through her body. “What do you want?”

  He reached out and touched her face. “You’re so beautiful.”

  She quickly slapped his hand away. “Go away!”

  Lily turned to walk away, but he grabbed her by the arm, and spun her back around. Without another word, he pressed his body and lips against hers. She tried to push him away, but he held on tightly. She knew she had to make him stop or he’d get hurt. She was too late. Before she could do anything more about him, his body went limp and he fell to the ground.

  Quickly, she knelt down next to him and checked his pulse. Thank goodness! He was still breathing. She let out a sigh of relief. She hadn’t killed him. Standing up, she ran off before anyone could see her.

  ***

  Jake wasn't sure what to do. He was out on a jog when he noticed the new girl talking to Ben. He slowed to a jog to watch the interaction. He was too far away to hear and couldn't tell what was really going on. Jealousy surged through his body when Ben reached down to kiss her.

  Next thing he knew, Ben dropped to the ground and she took off running. What in the world just happened? Jake looked around. He wasn't sure if he should check on Ben or go after the girl to make sure she was okay.

  On impulse he went after the girl. His eyes darted left and right searching for her. Where was she? She couldn't have gotten too far. He heard what sounded like a whimper coming from behind the building and turned the corner. There she was, sitting with her knees pulled up and her face in her hands. Oddly, he felt relieved at finding her. Jake felt a deep urge to protect her.

  He approached her slowly, not wanting to startle her. When he was a few feet away he cleared his throat. "Are you okay?"

  She looked up surprised. Even when she was crying, the girl was breathtaking. She quickly wiped away the tears from her cheeks. “I’m fine.”

  "I saw what happened back there with Ben. Was he bothering you?"

  "It was nothing." She avoided his eyes.

  Jake took a couple steps closer. Her brown hair shimmered under the lamplight. "Nothing, huh? What did you do to make him crumple to the ground like a rag doll?”

  Her eyes widened, and she leaned slightly away from him. She looked like she was ready to flee the area.

  Quickly, he added, "It's okay. He's a jerk and probably deserved it."

  Lily's mind raced for an explanation. "It was just a self-defense move. My dad wanted to make sure I could protect myself."

  After a brief silence, Jake said, "Your father is a wise man. Do you want me to walk you to your room?"

  "No, thank you for asking. I just want to stay out here a little longer."

  "I'd feel better knowing you were safely back in your room. I can sit here with you if you want?"

  Lily was surprised he was being so friendly and not acting like an idiot like most boys did. She did feel safer and calmer with him there. Without thinking, she nodded her head.

  He sat down beside her and caught a whiff of her sweet vanilla scent.

  "I don't even know your name," Lily said shyly.

  "Jake O'Connor." He gave her a lopsided grin and her heart felt like it was going to explode.

  "I'm Lily."

  "I know. You’re the talk of the school. I've never seen a new student get so much attention before."

  "I don't like attention." Picking up a blade of grass, she absently started pulling it apart nervously. This was the longest conversation she'd had with a boy in a lo
ng time. She usually cut them off quickly—afraid of leading them on. She should leave, but she couldn't convince her body to listen to her mind.

  "Where did you move here from? I know this is going to sound like a corny pick up line, and I promise it's not.” He paused. “Have we met before? I'm sure I would have remembered. But, I just can't shake the feeling that I’ve seen you before."

  "Have you ever been to Texas?" Lily asked with a hint of curiosity in her voice.

  "No, I haven't.” He shrugged. At least not in the last fifty years or so. “Maybe it was someone that looked like you."

  She doubted that, but said, “Maybe.” After a moment, Lily stood up and brushed the leaves from her skirt. "I think I'm ready to go in now. Thank you for staying with me. Can you do me a favor and make sure Ben is okay? I hope I didn't hurt him too badly."

  "I'm sure he's fine. He’s a big boy, but I'll check on him if it will make you feel better."

  “It would.”

  They walked in silence to her building. Lily had to fight the urge to wrap her arms around him. She desperately wanted to feel his lips on hers. Where was this coming from?

  At the door to her building, Jake turned to Lily. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words wouldn’t come.

  Lily leaned in with a desperate need to kiss him, to feel him.

  Jake raised his hands to touch her arms and he leaned forward.

  "Thank you for walking me back!" Lily quickly ran inside before anything else happened.

  Chapter Four

  That night, Jake lay in bed tossing and turning. He saw Lily’s face every time he closed his eyes. There was something about her, something not quite normal…he couldn’t put his finger on it. When he finally did fall asleep, he dreamed of her. Dressed in that beautiful white dress again, she came up to him, and put her arm around his neck tousling his hair. He was so close to her that he could feel her breath on his lips. She giggled, turned, and ran away.

  Jake woke up in a sweat. Sitting up in bed, he ran his hand through his hair. What was happening to him? Why did he keep dreaming of her? He looked over to make sure his roommate, Matt, was still sleeping. He was. Throwing on his sweats, Jake decided to go for another run. Hopefully, the fresh air would clear his head.