“It’s no problem. I’m just glad I was close enough to help,” Ashton said as he watched her bend down to tie her shoelace.
“Where are you from?” she asked him, her curiosity getting the best of her. “I noticed that you don’t have a country accent.”
“I’m originally from up north. My family and I just recently moved into the area,” Ashton lied as he finally let go of her.
“Really? Today’s only my second day. The whole school will probably have a meltdown since there’ll be two new kids instead of just one,” Lucy joked as she glanced down at her watch.
Ashton felt a few raindrops hit him as he stared at her. He looked up at the sky as the clouds unleashed the torrent of rain.
“Are you serious?!” Lucy screamed at the sky in frustration.
“The rain never hurt anyone,” Ashton said. “Plus, you look kind of cute wet.”
Lucy rolled her eyes. “Thanks for complimenting me when I look like a drowned rat. I guess since you saved me, you’re obligated to tell me your name.”
“My name’s Ashton,” he said with a glorious smile on his face.
Lucy was amazed at how good Ashton looked wet. The rain was sliding down his face making his honey gold eyes stand out. His smile lit up his whole face, but there was still a seriousness to his eyes that she wondered about. Lucy wanted to reach out to move the piece of hair that had fallen across his forehead, but she wasn’t brave enough to do it. His mocha brown hair had golden highlights in it that seemed to sparkle even when it was wet. She’d never seen anything like it before.
She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. “I’m Lucy. All of my friends and family call me Luce. I don’t mean to be rude, but I’ve got to run or I’m going to be late for class,” she managed to stammer out as her brain started to function again. His looks were hypnotic.
Ashton smiled. “I’ll see you around, Luce.”
Lucy shivered as headed for the school. She glanced over her shoulder as she opened the door. Ashton was still watching her. His golden gaze bore through her causing her heart to take off like a horse at the derby as it beat in her chest. She gave a small wave before dashing into the hallway.
Ashton watched Lucy leave in amusement. The day was definitely going to be interesting. He pondered over the current that went through him when he held her. He had started hearing her thoughts after he’d briefly touched her. What did it all mean?
Ashton went into the school as the bell rung, announcing the beginning of the school day. He headed for the main office. Silence filled the halls, but the different scent of the humans’ blood was still present. His stomach clenched. He’d fed right before leaving in anticipation of what was to come.
His mind drifted as he thought about the Haemon vampires. They killed every human that they took sustenance from by sucking them dry. Humans were their cattle. It didn’t matter to them that the humans had thoughts and feelings. Vampires were superior and humans were made to be devoured.
Ashton thought about his people. The Dragomir vampires were different from the Haemon. They only took what they needed to sustain themselves. Each human was put in a trance as the Dragomir fed from them, taking only what was necessary for their survival.
Ashton shook his musings away as he went into the office.
“Good morning,” a woman at the front desk greeted. “My name’s Mrs. Carter. How can I help ya?”
Ashton surveyed the surroundings. No one else was in the office. He looked deep into her brown eyes as he began to speak to her.
“My name’s Ashton Crawford and today’s my first day. You’ve already received my transcript and registration forms. I’ll have the same classes as Lucy Walden. Do you understand?” he asked as his voice mesmerized her.
“Yes. Let me get your schedule for you. Hold on one minute,” Mrs. Carter said in a monotone voice.
Ashton closely examined Mrs. Carter’s every move as she went into the school’s computer system to look at Lucy’s classes. She was creating a new set of classes for him that matched every course Lucy was taking for the year. Perfect.
Mrs. Carter handed a paper to him with a smile plastered on her plump face. “Here you go, Mr. Crawford. You’ll ‘ave a wonderful year here and we’re tickled to have you.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” Ashton said and then headed out of the office. He looked at his first class and smiled. He couldn’t wait to see Lucy’s face when he walked in.
Lucy sat in the back of first period as she listened to Mr. McCleary’s lecture. A soft sigh escaped her lips. American History was as dull as it got. She looked longingly out the window and watched as the rain softly beat against the glass as her mind drifted to the events of this morning. Why did an electrical current flow through her when Ashton held her? She had never felt a semblance of attraction to any guy that she had come across and now she was attracted to not just one guy, but two guys.
A door creaked, dashing Lucy’s trail of thoughts. She looked up as Ashton glided in with a yellow slip of paper grasped in his hand. He handed the slip to Mr. McCleary.
“Class, it looks like we’ve another new student. Please welcome Ashton Crawford.” Mr. McCleary stated. “You can sit where ever there’s an open seat.”
Ashton glanced over at her and smiled. Lucy looked at the empty seat next to her as heat fused through both cheeks. Why would he want to sit next to her? Lucy glanced over at the empty seat next to Alexis. Alexis was the girl that every guy in the school wanted to be with. She was drop dead gorgeous and popular. There wasn’t a doubt in Lucy’s mind where Ashton would sit.
Shock coursed through Lucy as Ashton made his way past Alexis without evening sparing her a glance. Alexis looked back at Ashton in disbelief as he slid into the seat next to Lucy. Lucy tried to pay attention to Mr. McCleary as he continued with his lecture. She pretended to look down at her notes as she stared at Ashton from the corner of her eye.
Ashton was gazing at her with a perplexed look on his face. He slid his hand through his hair as he looked away. What was he was thinking about that had him so flustered?
“Class, we’ll be doing a group project,” Mr. McCleary boomed. “There should be a total of three people in each group. I’m going to be nice and let you choose your own groups.”
Lucy peeked over at Ashton and blushed as she noticed he was staring at her. She broke her gaze away from his as she felt someone touch her arm. Lucy looked up to find Sam staring down at her.
“You wanna be in my group,” Sam murmured with her eyes slightly downcast.
Lucy beamed. “Sure, Sam.”
“Do you mind if I join, too?” Ashton asked as he walked up to Sam.
Sam looked a little shell shocked as she shoved her bifocals back up her small nose. “You w-w-want to be in m-m-y group?”
Ashton’s smile lit up his gorgeous face as his soft velvet voice floated through the air. “I wouldn’t want to be in any other.”
Lucy glanced over at Sam. Sam eyes were the size of saucers and a blush stained her cheeks.
Sam’s glanced down at the floor as she wiped her palms on her jeans. “I’d love to have you in my group.”
“Wonderful,” Ashton said as he began moving his desk.
Lucy helped Sam move her desk and they placed them in a circle for the assignment. Lucy slid into her desk and stared at Ashton.
Mr. McCleary banged his ruler on the desk to get the class to quiet down. Lucy attempted to pay attention to what Mr. McCleary was saying, but her heart wouldn’t let her. It pounded in her chest like a stampede of wilder beasts. She snuck a glance at Ashton as she pretended to take notes. What was it about him that kept her off balance every time he was near her? His brown eyes were flecked with slivers of topaz. They made Lucy think of melted chocolate with honey dropped into it.
“So, did you take good notes on what we’re supposed to do?” Ashton asked as he looked at Lucy, his mouth hinted at a smile.
Lucy looked down at the piece of paper in front of
her. The white paper glared back at her. Not a drop of ink graced the page. She started to blush as she heard Ashton’s light chuckle.
“I’ve everything outlined right here,” Sam said as she enthusiastically waved a sheet of paper in her hand. “I’ve some great ideas on what we can do.”
Lucy smiled at Sam as Sam rambled on about American women throughout history and how far they had come. Sam continued to explain that women had even pretended to be men to join in the fray of the Civil War battles. Lucy could feel Sam’s passion about the subject as Sam rattled on.
“So, what do you guys think?” Sam asked with an earnest look on her face.
“I think it’ll be perfect,” Ashton said as he touched Sam’s shoulder.
Lucy smiled as she noticed Sam looking at Ashton like he hung the moon. Sam was getting sucked into the black hole and would soon be lost forever. Lucy shook her head. She knew how easy it was to get hung up on a bunch of words. She had to give credit where credit was due. He was good.
Ashton watched as Lucy scrambled out of her desk and headed for the door as the bell rung, dismissing the class. Her cheeks were flushed a pretty pink.
Ashton ambled out of the classroom after Lucy. He glanced down the hall. The human male that Lucy ran with the other night was walking beside her.
Ashton briefly closed his eyes as he tried to slow down Lucy’s thoughts as they buzzed through his mind like a runaway freight train. He attempted to find out the human boy’s name, but her thoughts were currently focused on the track tryouts. It took Ashton several minutes before he finally heard what he was looking for: Michael.
Ashton opened his eyes to find a blonde girl smiling up at him. He tried to keep from frowning as he tried to move around her. She gracefully stepped in front of him, blocking his escape route.
“I just wanted to welcome you to Green County High School. My name’s Alexis,” she said as she extended her hand in welcome.
“Thanks, but I’m really not interested,” Ashton told her as he maneuvered around her. He wasn’t here to socialize.
Alexis clutched her books with a look of utter contempt on her face. “You can’t be serious?”
“Oh, but I am,” Ashton muttered.
Ashton sighed in relief when the annoying girl didn’t follow him. It was going to be a very long day.
The day slowly passed by and Ashton was relieved when the final bell rung. He watched as Lucy hurried out of the classroom. Track tryouts started in a half hour.
Ashton walked outside to the track. There were very few people in the bleachers. After the day he had, Ashton was happy to have some peace and quiet. He headed for the top of the bleachers where no one was sitting.
As he sat down and waited for the tryouts to start, he did a cursory glance over the people in the stands. Track definitely didn’t seem like a sport most students were interested in. Sam was on the bottom bleacher with her nose stuck in a book. That’s odd. Why would Sam be at the track tryouts?
Ashton shrugged it off as he looked across the field and watched the human teenagers stretch. He knew the exact moment Lucy stepped foot onto the field. He took in Lucy’s small form and felt some warmth in his cold heart. Her golden blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail and a pink headband adorned her head in a sad attempt to contain the wisps that had already tugged free. Ashton leaned forward in the bleacher seat. He could see the determination in her eyes and could feel the excitement thrumming from her. Ashton closed his eyes and started to lean forward when he felt himself slip. His eyes slid open in shock as he barely caught himself before hitting the bleacher seat below him.
He glanced up to find Lucy staring at him with a look of amusement on her face. It was obvious she’d seen his little blunder.
The whistle blew as the track coach tried to get everyone’s attention. The group of teenagers gathered in a circle to listen to what he had to say. A few minutes passed and then the boys separated from the girls. The boys headed for the white starting line on the track to line up.
Ashton watched them bend forward in anticipation. Their legs were stretched out as they waited to take off. The whistle screeched and they sprang forward like horses being released from the gates during the Kentucky Derby. Michael was at the front of the pack by mid-lap and stayed there until the end. The race was over in barely over a minute.
All of the girls automatically headed for the white line after the guys finished. Alexis was in the group of girls and she moved next to Lucy as they lined up. All of the girls, except Lucy, bent forward. Lucy’s eyes were closed. Her features softened as if she was in some kind of trance. She opened her eyes and bent forward seconds before the whistle blew. Ashton gripped the metal seat and leaned forward as Lucy easily took the lead.
Lucy stayed in front of the girls with Alexis following a few hundred feet behind her. He held his breath as Alexis sped up. Alexis’s running shoes pounded against the red and white track, eating away at the distance between her and Lucy. Alexis caught up to Lucy a quarter of the way through the lap. Alexis glanced over at Lucy with a malicious smile on her face as she stuck her foot out, tripping Lucy. Ice ran through Ashton’s veins as Lucy stumbled, her arms flying forward as she tried to regain her balance. The momentum was too great. Lucy fell onto her hands and knees before sliding onto her side.
Ashton jumped up, anger fusing through his body. He wanted to go to Lucy to make sure she was ok, but he knew that he couldn’t. Lucy rolled over onto her stomach and pushed herself up off the ground. The other girls were half way done with the race and Alexis was leading the pack as Lucy stood up.
Ashton felt a blast of power as Lucy took off after the girls ahead of her. She became a blur to everyone but him. The power that emancipated from her hit him in strong, recurring waves. He hoped that the Haemon were far enough away to not be touched by it. Her feet barely glided across the track as she ran. Ashton eyes were glued to Lucy. The passing seconds felt like hours. A gush of breath left Ashton’s body as Lucy passed Alexis and continued to the finish line. He felt her power ebb as she crossed the white line.
The coach kept looking down at his stop watch and back up at Lucy. Ashton knew that her time had to be out of this world, especially after the fall she took. Lucy walked past the coach and headed across the field towards the school gym. Ashton scrambled down the bleachers and jogged across the field to catch up to her before Michael noticed that she was gone.
Lucy hadn’t even broken a sweat during the race. It was nothing compared to what she could do, but she should’ve been more careful. She puffed out a frustrated breath. This was supposed to be a fresh start and she pretty much blew it because of that blonde bimbo.
Lucy was lost in the millions of thoughts zipping through her head as she stormed across the field.
“Hey, Lucy,” Ashton said as he ran up beside her.
She curled her lip up in disgust. “What? Do you want a look at the freak? Go ahead and take a long look.”
Lucy refused to look at him. She didn’t need or want a pity party from him or anyone else.
“You’re not a freak, Luce. You can run faster than any girl. So, what? That’s not a bad thing,” he said as he pulled her to a stop. “I think you’re absolutely perfect and I’m happy you won that race. Alexis deserved to be beat after what she did to you.”
Lucy looked into his golden eyes. Did he really mean that?
“Thanks, that means a lot,” she whispered, near tears.
“Don’t cry, Luce,” Ashton said as he held her face in-between his hands. “I know things don’t make a whole lot of sense at times, but I swear to you, that in the end it always does. We just can’t see it while we’re going through it.”
Ashton stared at her as if he wanted to say more, but couldn’t. Lucy felt a sense of peace come over her as his hands gently held her face. She closed her eyes and leaned into him as his arms wrapped around her. She finally felt like she belonged.
Chapter 6
Ashton was glad when he finall
y returned to the caves. He thoroughly enjoyed every second he had to spend with Lucy, but the million questions he’d been asked by the humans was enough to make a sane Halfling go insane. Alexis had been like a little pesky fly he couldn’t shoo away. She’d attempted to talk to him after every class until Ashton finally had to compel her to stay away.
Ashton jerked as a hand touched him from behind, breaking him from his musings. He spun around to look into Jayde’s violet eyes.
“Aren’t we jumpy tonight?” Jayde asked with laughter in her voice. “It’s not like you to jump at anything, so what’s got you so tore up?”
“Nothing. I was just thinking about everything that went down today.” Ashton shrugged his shoulders. “I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings like I should’ve been. Never know what might sneak up on you here,” he said with a small smile.
Eternal Changes (Mikah) Page 5