Black Ruins Forest (The Elder Series Book 1)

by Karen DuBose

I shrug my shoulder “No more than anyone else.”

  He crosses his arms over his chest. “You know I do not allow bullying in my class. If she’s bullying you, I need to know. Actions will be taken.”

  I could get her into trouble, but that would mean more heat on me. I’d rather not deal with her or her trouble.

  “No, Mr. Elske, there’s no problem. I promise.” I try to keep from fidgeting and blowing my lie.

  He pushes off his desk and walks around it to take a seat in his chair. “Very well then. If there is a problem, come to me, and I will take care of it.”

  He takes out a note pad and writes me a tardy note, hands it to me, and sends me on my way. I run to get to the next class. I don’t want to miss too much. I open the door and just about stop in my tracks. No way! Kiernan is in my next class. Please don’t make me look like a fool. I walk to the teacher to give her my slip. Turning around, I walk to my seat next to Kira and get my things out.

  “Hey, daydreamer, remember when you said you didn’t think Kiernan even knows you exist?” Kira inquires.

  “Yeah, why?” I say without looking at her.

  “Well, don’t look now, but he’s staring right at you.”

  I hiss whisper to her. “You don’t say something like that and tell me not to look!”

  Looking up from my desk, I meet Kiernan eyes. Have they always been so green? He waves at me and smiles. I freeze in place not being able to do anything but stare at him like an idiot. What is wrong with me? I can stand up to anyone, but when it comes to him, I freeze up. I turn back around, lost for words.

  I have been dreaming of the day he would notice me, and I’ve just messed it up. So many scenarios have gone through my head, and not one of them was what I just did. If I can’t keep it together around him, how am I ever going to talk to him? Pull yourself together! He’s just a guy. It’s not like he’s a god I need to bow down to... even if he does look like one.

  Mrs. Jacobs gets our attention by clapping her hands together

  “Alright, let’s get things going. We’re not here to socialize. Take your Pdats out and start typing. I will not repeat myself.”

  She talks so fast I can’t even understand what she’s saying let alone take notes. Whatever happened to writing on the wall or sending us the notes after class? I miss those days.

  “Now if you’ve gotten everything I just said, I’ll call you a saint who can type a hundred words per minute. That was a test to see who was actually paying attention. I know no one can type that fast, let alone understand me. Now let’s get the real notes going,” she says.

  Relief washes through me. I was about to cry. I wouldn’t have been able to handle this class if she talked that fast all the time. She writes notes on the board as she teaches the class. I’m too lost in my own world to even pay attention to what she is saying.

  I can’t believe Kiernan not only winked at me but waved at me in one day. How stupid of me to just sit there and do nothing but stare at him. But am I sure he did that to me? I mean there was other people around me. I was probably wishing it was me. That’s just my luck.

  The bell rings before I realize it. This class didn’t feel as long as the first class, that’s what happens when you are in your own little world. Kira and I stand up to leave the class.

  “I sure hope you got all of that. You know I couldn’t keep up,” I say.

  “I got you! Here, I forgot to give this to you.” She hands me a device. Have I said how much I love this woman? It’s a recorder for my Pdat!

  “What would I do without you?” I squealed and giving her a hug.

  “You would fall flat on your face, but that’s ok, I like my job keeping you in line. Hey, do you want to do something after school?”

  “What did you have in mind?” I ask cautiously

  “Well, that new club opens up tonight.” She says, with a joyous expression.

  I raise my eyebrow at her. “Woman, it’s Monday, do you really want to stay out late?”

  “You know I have to go to every new place in town the second they open up. It’s my thing. Besides I don’t want to be that girl who stays home and listens to everyone the next day gush over what went down.”

  I shake my head at her. “Yeah okay, I’ll go with you, but I am not staying out late. You know how I am when I don’t get enough sleep!”

  “Girl, don’t I know. We’ll stay until eleven and no later.”

  Yeah right. She says that now. I know her too well. We’ll be there way into the wee hours. Like we always do. I love her, but sometimes she needs to be reeled in a bit. I look up in time to see Kiernan walking toward us. I elbow Kira to get her attention.

  “Ouch! That hurt. What’s wrong with you?” she asks, rubbing her arm.

  I point in his direction without really pointing. It’s rude to point. She looks up in time to see Kiernan approach me.

  “Hi! You’re Dariya, right? I’m Kiernan,” he says, as he smiles brightly at me.

  “Hi! Yeah, that’s me, and I know who you are.”

  “It’s nice to finally meet you.” I stare at him, drawing a blank as to how he could possibly know who I am.

  “You know who I am?” I ask, after a few seconds.

  “Um…yeah, who doesn’t know you?”

  “Well, I don’t know. People tend to not notice me,” I say playfully.

  “Who wouldn’t notice a beautiful woman like you? What class are you going to next?”

  “I’m going to Science.”

  I can’t believe he’s talking to me, and I’m not tripping over my words. I guess my little pep talk earlier worked. Have I said how hot he is? Being this close to him, I notice that he is more beautiful than I had thought. He smells amazing, like a hint of vanilla and some kind of spice. I wonder what type of cologne he’s wearing.

  “May I walk you to class, beautiful?”

  “Are you flirting with me, Kiernan?” I can’t believe I’m flirting with him. Where did this boldness come from?

  “If I was, would that bother you?” he winks at me.

  “Maybe it does bother me, but then again, I might be enjoying it.”

  Yes, I am loving every minute of this. I start walking to class with him. Out of nowhere, a daydream kicks in:

  We’re walking hand in hand through the forest and kiss whenever we stop. We’re happy together, just hanging out with our friends. We’re finally a couple: something I have wanted for so long!

  “Dariya, are you with me? Dariya, is everything ok?” Kiernan asks, pulling me out of my fantasy slash daydream.

  Oh, no! I did it again! I’m such a loser. He’ll never want to go out with me now.

  “Yeah, sorry about that! My brain likes to daydream without my consent,” I say, awkwardly.

  “You have visions?” he asks. Yeah sure… they’re just visions of what I want.

  Just looking at him, I get butterflies in my stomach. “I, um, well, not the visions you’re thinking. I just daydream a lot.”

  “Hmm, how often do you have your daydreams?”

  “I don’t know. They come when they want.”

  “What do you daydream about?” Yeah, like I’m going to tell him that I daydream about him mostly.

  “It depends, sometimes they’re about me. Other times, they’re just random.”

  “That sounds similar to what happens when a seer gets a vision,” he says thoughtfully.

  “You know, I never even thought about that before. But there is only one problem with what you are saying. Wouldn’t I have known already?”

  “There’s only one way to find out if you are.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Kiernan glances at me. “If you don’t turn into a shifter when you turn nineteen, you will know.”

  Now don’t I feel stupid. He was just referring to what I already knew. “Yeah, I’m turning nineteen in a few months.”

  “See! We’ll find out soon if you’re a seer or not!”

  “Yeah, you’re right,” I sa
y, laughing.

  “I’ll see you later then, I hope,” he says before walking to his desk. Luckily, it’s only two away from my own desk. I’m never this lucky.

  Chapter Two

  Oh, my gosh. I can’t believe Kiernan is talking to me. Walking to my desk in a daze, I don’t see Nessa until it is too late.

  “You know he’s only talking to you because he feels sorry for you,” she sneers.

  “Why are you even talking to me? How would you even know what he is or isn’t doing? Never mind don’t answer that. I don’t care.”

  Turning my back to her, I take a seat at my desk. A few seconds later, I hear her talking crap about me to Landry. I don’t even bother listening. I know that it’s nothing but lies, anyway.

  I feel someone staring at me. I look around; it’s Kelso. Great. He probably heard Nessa talking crap about me. I wave at him, but he just keeps staring. I turn around to see if there’s someone behind me. Apparently, he was staring at Ritter Vanda, who I see now standing at the back of the room. I wonder why the dragon trainer is here. I look back at Kelso. He’s looking a little pale and scared. What’s wrong with him, I wonder with a frown. I start to head over to him to ask, but he gets up and leaves the room. That’s weird. I look over at Kiernan and he is staring at the door Kelso just walked out of. I wonder what the deal is.

  As soon as I get back to my desk, Mrs. Jarvis walks in humming. That’s always a good sign. She’s in an odd mood. From what I’ve heard about this class. It’s fun and exciting.

  “Good morning, class. How are you today?” she asks pleasantly.

  We all say good morning.

  “Today we’re going to have a game day. I don’t want to overload you with homework your first day. I know some of the teachers are doing that,” she says, wrinkling her nose.

  Oh, how I am loving this teacher already.

  She gives us a smile before telling us the rules. We’re playing a game called Science Jeopardy. The game is already up on the whiteboard. There are five categories; Cells, Tissues, Organs, Systems, and Organisms.

  Mrs. Jarvis looks out to the class. “Ok, class. Who doesn’t know how to play?”

  No one says anything.

  “Alright! Let the game begin. Dariya, why don’t you start.”

  “Ok! Can I have organs for 200 please.”

  “What is the largest internal organ in the human body?”

  “What is the Liver?”

  “Correct! Would you like to keep going or pass?”

  “I think I will let someone else have a turn.”

  She looks around the class for her next victim.

  “Nessa, your turn.”

  “Can I have Organs for a 1000 please?” she says.

  I know she is trying to show off. I hope she gets a question she can’t answer.

  “What is another name for Hyaloid Canals, vitreous humor, and Sclera?”

  There is silence for a few minutes before she answers.

  “What is the eyes?”

  “Correct! Would you like to go again or pass?”

  “I will pass.”

  “Kiernan, you go.”

  “Can I have Organs for 400 please?”

  “I am a specialized organ of the immune system. I produce T Cells. I have a medulla and a peripheral cortex. What am I?”

  His answer is quick

  “What is Thymus?”

  “Correct!”

  This game goes on for the rest of the class. I’m amazed at how knowledgeable he is. I know a lot of the answers, but I just want to hear him talk.

  The bell rings before I’m even ready to go. I grab my things and turn to talk to Kira.

  “So, what do you think about this class? I think it will be a fun class, don’t you?” I ask, a little happier than I intended.

  “Yeah, sure it will be fun. Fun watching you drool over Kiernan. You have a little on your chin right there,” she says, rubbing her own chin.

  “I was not drooling over him. Ok, so maybe I was, but what is there not to drool about? He’s hot, smart, and… that body,” I sigh.

  She looks at me like I have lost my mind. So, what if I have? I’m happy the way I am, drool and all. We walk out of class. I need to go to my locker before the next class and drop these books off.

  “I’ll meet you in class, save me a seat.”

  “Are you sure you want to go alone?”

  “What could possibly happen. I run into Nessa?”

  “My point!”

  I wave her concerns away and walk to my locker, I’m halfway there when another daydream hits me.

  There are a man and a girl. I can’t make out who it is. They seem familiar, but I can’t tell how they are familiar since I can’t see who they are. Maybe “feels” is a better term. I can tell that the girl is crying from her shaking. Before I can figure out why, I’m pulled out of the daydream.

  “Dariya, what are you doing? I’ve called your name like ten times,” Nessa says. Her snooty face is twisted into a scowl.

  Crossing my arms over my chest. “What do you want Nessa.”

  She scowls at me. Making fists with her hands by her side. “Excuse me! What is your problem?”

  “I don’t have a problem. You’re the one who wanted my attention, remember.”

  “You’re right. I did want to talk to you about something, but never mind. I don’t need your help after all. I don’t deal with freaks like you.” She turns around and whips her hair over her shoulder before she walks off.

  Well, I’m glad that went well. I turn to my locker to open it putting my stuff away. I look at the clock on the wall. “Crap I’m going to be late.”

  I run to class and arrive just in time for the bell to ring. Luckily, the teacher isn’t in here yet. Luck is on my side today. I wonder how long it will last.

  “Hey, chic! What’s up?” Kira asks as I sat next to her.

  “Oh, I don’t know. Just another run-in with queen bitch. She is bound and determined to be up my ass today. I’m already sick of her, and it’s only ten a.m.”

  There must be something going on with Nessa She’s up to something, and I need to figure it out before it’s too late. She never goes out of her way to even look at me let alone talk to me.

  “Is there any way to hack into Nessa’s Pdat?”

  Kira looks over at me with a wicked smile. “Are you asking me or hinting to me? Because if you are asking that is going to sting my ego. If you’re telling me, I can hack into her stuff within the hour.”

  I give Kira a what the hell look. “Your ego doesn’t need to be stroked right now. Let me know what you find out. She is not going to make this year hell and if we find some dirt on her it will make her back off.”

  Tuning around in my seat, I can hear Nessa and Adeen whispering. I don’t know if it’s on purpose that I can hear it or not.

  “Why are we even bothering with her?” Adeen asks Nessa.

  “Because I’m tired of her and her ‘Miss Perfect’ attitude,” she says with a huff.

  “That was a very long time ago! Why can’t you get over it?” Adeen says.

  “Because she doesn’t even know why I hate her. I am going to make sure she and everyone else knows why,” Nessa hissed.

  Are you serious right now? This is not the way I want to find out why she hates me. I guess we’ll all find out. Oh, joy. I get up to go to the bathroom. I have to get away from the Gossip Girls before I lose my temper. Just as I’m about to get up Mr. Jarvis walks in.

  I turn to Kira and ask her to go to the bathroom with me. I know we can’t leave at the same time, so I ask the teacher first.

  “Mr. Jarvis, can I please use the restroom?”

  “Come get a pass,” he says, without looking at me.

  I walk up to the front of the classroom, and on my way, I hear Nessa call me a slut.

  Really? I’ve never even been kissed, let alone have sex with someone. She really needs to get her facts straight. Oh, wait, that’s how she got popular, by telling
lies and sleeping with any guy willing. I shake my head and grab the pass. I need to figure out how to get her off of my back and onto someone else or making her shut up period.

  I walk into the bathroom and open one of the stalls. I sit on the toilet to calm down. So many why’s are going through my head. Why does she hate me? Why is she being a total bitch to me now? And why is it shit on Dariya day?

  I hear the door open. “Kira, is that you?”

  “Who else would it be?”

  “Don’t be a smart ass right now!’

  “Are you ok?”

  “No, I’m not. What did I do to deserve Nessa’s attention?”

  “No one deserves her attention, she just takes it and won’t give it back until she’s tired of it and moves on. The less you give in to her, the better. She will leave you alone eventually. Maybe.”

  That does not make me feel any better. We have to figure out a way to make her move on sooner than later. I don’t want to deal with her all year. I just don’t know how to do it yet.

  “Are we going to stay in here all year? Is that your plan?” Kira asks.

  “It’s my plan for right this minute. Do you have a better plan?”

  “Not as of right now, but I will. Give me time.”

  I walk out of the stall and over to the sink to wash my hands. I know we need to get back before Mr. Jarvis has a cow. I just hope I’m ready for more BS.

  “You know you can always tell a teacher.”

  “Are you crazy? I’m the only one she’s messing with. She’ll know it was me, and then the shit storm will really brew. No thanks.”

  As we walk out the stall, we hear someone crying. I look at Kira than look under the stalls. I give Kira a look that said you heard that too, right.

  “Are you alright?” I ask, though I don’t see anyone. She must be in one of the stalls with her legs up

  The crying stops, but there’s no answer. I turn to Kira She shrugs and turns to the mirror. I just shake my head, turning to look at my hair. I fix it one more time, to give that person a chance to talk if she wants to. I can hear the sobs start again. I turn back around toward the stalls.

  “Is there anything we can do for you?” I ask.

  Still, no answer comes. If she doesn’t want to talk, I’m not going to force her.