Chapter 3 NO.3

Comments are always nice! *hint, hint* ;)

Think what you guys want, but I actually think Taylor Lautner makes a good Colton over that-a-way :) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->

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Two days later, my feet dragged me lazily to first hour. My eyes were drooping in exhaustion. I hadn't slept all that well, my dreams being plagued with Seth. I guess I was walking too slowly because a junior, Christi Clark, bumped my shoulder. Her bleach blonde hair swung perfectly around her heart-shaped face and she smiled a too nice smile at me.

"Move faster, nerd, and you might not get bumped in to, " she sneered. I cringed on the inside, but didn't falter in my act as I raised my head and narrowed my eyes at her.

"I'm sorry, Christi, I thought all of that silicon in your fake boobs were going to slow you down. I mean, at least make them look a little real. Unless you were going for the hooker look on purpose, " I retorted bluntly.

She pivoted on her red high heeled shoe and looked at me, eye to eye. Wow, her heels were tall if her height matched up to mine.

"You're probably not even that smart, " she hissed. "You're just looking for an excuse to play off your ugliness."

Now, usually I would hold back, but my exhaustion mixed with my annoyance made me want to show her exactly how smart I really was. "Listen well, " I hissed. "I am a year ahead of my grade in both science and social studies. I have all the math credits I need to graduate. I have a book published by a company. Do not tell me I'm not smart."

The minute bell rang, so I sauntered off without waiting to gauge her reaction. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Seth leaning against the lockers, looking at me with his eyes that seemed to pierce my soul.

You don't care a voice in my head commanded. I raised my head a fraction of an inch. That's right, I didn't care. Caring stopped you from reaching your dreams.

I didn't need saving. And that was my entertainment for the week.

* * *

As I predicted, the rest of the week was boring. Seth asked questions, and I answered the ones I felt like answering. Seth answered the questions I answered. Honestly, all I remembered was his favorite color was red. I wasn't paying much attention to him. It was all just useless babble to me.

Friday wasn't a normal day. It started in the morning when Alex came up to me. Alex was closest to Elena out of our little group, but he liked me. Cassie kind of repelled him. They were both loud and crazy, and he just didn't talk to her that much. It was like trying to push two magnets together when they were both north-sided. It just didn't work. He had black, curly hair and light, brown eyes.

I was sitting on a bench by the entrance, bored beyond belief because I was the first one there. Alex slid up to me smoothly, put his arm around my shoulders, and exclaimed, "Hello, sexy!" I blushed because it was so loud, and also because his suggestive voice hinted that he was hitting on me, even though I knew he wasn't. Somewhere in the distance, I heard what sounded like a dog growling.

"Hey, " I said quietly back, not looking at him. He kept his arm around me and kept staring at the side of my face until I shook my head and rolled my shoulders, sliding his arm off me. I gave a little laugh, appreciating that he was trying to make me less lonely. He smiled widely at my laugh, glad he was able to make someone happy. When I asked Alex about the growl, he said he didn't hear anything and asked if I was alright, so I shrugged it off.

He swung his arm back around my shoulders, sitting with me in comfortable silence. He dragged out his iPod and offered me an ear bud. I gladly took it since I forgot mine at home today. Hey, we can't all be perfect.

Seth suddenly materialized out of nowhere. His eyes got a determined look in them, instantly noting Alex's arm. "Hello, " he said politely.

"Hey, who are you?" Alex asked defensively, obviously noticing Seth's hard gaze. Typical male pride.

"Seth, you?"

"Alex." Seth sat down next to me after giving a quick nod of acknowledgment in Alex's general direction. He gave me a gentle smile and slipped an arm around my waist, tucking me into his warm side, and also completely tearing me away from Alex. You could say it was more than awkward until Elena and Cassie showed up.

That was the first strange reaction. The next one came between first and second hour. My folder wouldn't fit into my locker, so I muttered, "Go in already!" Joe, being the class clown of our year, responded, "That's what she said!" I laughed loudly, the lame joke exactly what I needed to hear to cheer me up. Tears threatened to run down my cheeks from the force of my giggles. Seth appeared right behind me in that moment.

"What's so funny?" he sneered, putting an arm around my shoulders possessively and sending Joe a death glare, like he was the only one able to make me laugh. When I explained to him the joke, he hissed under his breath--even though I could barely hear it--and muttered, "I'm gonna take care of him." I shrugged it off. He couldn't tell me who to be friends with.

By fourth hour, Seth had two strikes. While I was getting my stuff Joe-who had obviously taken a liking to me today, not that I was complaining- wailed, "Wait for me, Eva!" I snickered and agreed. I will admit that I had liked him for about two years in middle school, but I had gotten over my silly crush as soon as high school began. We spoke every now and again. When we walked in together, Seth was glaring at him like he could shoot laser beams out of his green eyes and make him turn to ash. Which, with the intensity of his gaze, I wasn't really sure was entirely impossible.

Once we got to lunch, his mood took a complete 180 degree turn, and now he was scarily chipper. His eyes were shining, as if staring at me in anticipation. Our conversation, although still bumpy, continued with our silent agreement to play Twenty Questions.

Ten minutes before lunch ended, I felt like my panties were wet. Going to the bathroom, I cursed seeing the dark red blood. I didn't need to add 'Period' to my list of things annoying me today, the top consisting of Seth's persistent questions and my forgotten Anatomy test I was pretty sure I hadn't gotten an A on.

When I was washing my hands in the bathroom, I studied myself. I was pretty tall, nearing the six foot mark. My blonde hair fell limply to the middle of my back. My deep blue eyes contained huge black pupils, as if my eyes were naturally dilated. I had pale, almost chalky skin. I'd been told I was pretty by my parents' friends, but not by anyone under the age of fifty. Their comments didn't affect me too much since I had a feeling they repeated those same words to everyone.

I had a lot of faults, which I had come to accept. On the outside, I considered myself averagely attractive. My skin contrasted sharply with my dark eye color, and certain lighting made me look ill. I was tall for my age and naturally quite thin. My doctor said I would never have an average weight, and critical eyes silently accused me of being anorexic. I had a small chest to match my small features. My hips were bony and made me look like a twig with no curves partnered with my height. I was prone to acne from my oily skin, which I was told I would grow out of, but that didn't do a whole lot to comfort me now. Foundation could only help so much.

I was not proud of my appearance, but I tried to act like I didn't care. Most people couldn't see past my mask of indifference. I tried to convince myself that looks didn't matter as long as I kept my grades up; nobody liked their appearance at fifteen, right? High school had a way of reorganizing the priorities of teenagers, though, and appearances topped that list.

I left the bathroom with a wistful sigh.

The rest of the day passed in a blur, and soon I was walking out to my bus, blasting my iPod like any other day with Elena's borrowed earbuds. Seth stole the one out of my right ear, listening to the notes of the song I had at wince-worthy decibels. I paused it, raising an eyebrow at him in question.

"Make sure you're ready tonight at seven."

"I haven't forgotten." I plucked my ear bud out of his hand smartly, giving him a warning look for touching my iPod and hitting play.

"Wear a dress." Seth's voice was somehow loud and clear over my music.

"I know." I turned up the volume, hoping to drown out his voice, and nearly deafening myself.

"You have to answer me anything." Again, his voice was impossible to miss.

"I know." I kept walking.

"'Bye, Angel."

"I'm nobody's angel." I boarded the bus. When I looked out the window, he was watching me through the glass, as if making sure I was protected. With a final smirk and a flick of his fingers that I think was a wave, he sauntered away. I couldn't focus on my music the rest of the ride home, his last grin and salute replaying in my head over and over and over again.

* * *

That night, Seth showed up on his motorcycle. It had a sleek black paint job that matched his mysterious persona. It was beyond sexy.

He let out a low whistle when he saw me. I blushed and looked down. My dress was simple, just a plain purple that tied in the back of my neck and came down to about my knees. There was a black strip around my waist that knotted in the back to adjust how tight I wanted it.

I had on black boots and a line of black eyeliner around my eyes. There were simple black pearl earrings in my ears and a black velvet choker around my neck. My hair was straightened and left down to wisp around my face. It wasn't anything special, but it was definitely not supposed to be worn when snow littered the ground like a frosty blanket.

"I-I-I d-don't get why I c-c-can't just w-wear m-m-my normal d-d-dance c-clothes, " I complained, wrapping my arms around myself in a pitiful attempt to stay warm. The icy wind that blew without mercy out of the North easily penetrated my thick winter coat. I could feel my toes slowly but surely going numb.

Seth became fidgety, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. It was like he hadn't planned his idea through. Silly California boy not remembering he wasn't on the sunny beach anymore.

"I'll warm you up, don't worry, " he assured me, wrapping me in his arms before I could protest. I would have snapped at him for his comment, but the expression on his face led me to believe that it wasn't meant in any way other than a concern for my health. So I kept quiet, allowing him to warm me up with his body heat that soared far above the normal limit. When I asked him about it, he just shrugged and worried some more that he could see my breath in the frigid air. I rolled my eyes. I could see his breath too, but he didn't take any notice.

He finally let me go after another couple of minutes. I was just thankful that none of my family had come out to interrogate us. I didn't know how I was supposed to ride a motorcycle in a dress, so I just stood there looking at him with a lost look on my face. He patted the black, cushioned seat and instructed, "Get on like you normally would." I straddled the seat and Seth got on behind me.

I instinctively cowered into his warm chest. The breeze easily sailed up my dress and nipped at any exposed skin. Seth put one hand on each of my sides right above my stomach and slid his hands down, as if trying to make my dress longer. His hands radiated surplus warmth, and the heat seeped through the satin material. I suppressed a shiver of delight, grinding my teeth together. His fingers trailed along my leg to my knee, and then he pressed his legs against mine. I tensed. "My legs will keep the dress down, " he explained huskily. I nodded. Not knowing what to do with my hands, I folded them in my lap.

Seth wrapped his big, warm hands around them, bringing them up to the handles of the bike. "You're going to drive it with me, " his silky voice whispered in my ear. His hot breath smelt of caramel. I loved caramel.

"Okay, " I muttered, trying to not let him see how much he was affecting me.

He brought the engine to life, speeding down the dirt road. The wind whipped my hair back and glided across my bare cheeks. I felt that rush of freedom, the adrenaline high of feeling as if nothing could ever catch me. I breathed in a deep breath of country air.

As soon as we hit the blacktop, Seth whispered in my ear, "All right, speed demon, slow down. The speed limit's only fifty-five." I let up some on the gas.

"How fast was I going?" I asked.

"Seventy. Now, let me drive." I tried to wiggle my hands out, but Seth held them there. I slackened them and just let Seth guide the machine to wherever it was we were going. I relaxed contently in the protective barrier he made around me with his body, absorbing his heat.

After ten minutes, we pulled up in front of a house. I guess it was more of a cottage, something you would find somebody's grandmother living in. There were two stories, a porch, and lots of windows. The house itself was white, as well as the door and windows. The only color it offered was the red roof and same red border along the bottom. The green plants around the edge sprouted no flowers, but the green gave it a homey feeling, just the fact that there was some type of life to it. The color was fading a little, and there were cracks here and there, but overall it was a pretty place.

"Who lives here?" I asked.

"Colton, Cody, me, my two sisters, and my parents."

"Full house, " I commented. He nodded.

"Come on, I want to show you it. I think you'll like it." I knew that he could be leading me into a trap; I knew that if I was smart I would ask questions or, better yet, run away, but my feet obediently followed this black haired boy into his home.

"Colton, Cody! Mom, Dad! Riley, Victoria! I brought home a friend!" Seth called.

"The 'rents are out with the twins!" a male voice called back. "Just me and Colton!"

"Cool!" he yelled. "Well, should we get started?"

He led me upstairs to one of the rooms. There was a red and black bed, a dresser, and a stereo. The carpet was a worn out black and the walls were white. It was simple, plain. I liked it.

"Nice room, " I complimented. He shrugged, throwing a pair of three inch heels at me.

"My mom's, " he defended. I put them on, wobbling slightly before my feet got used to them; heels are like a bike: once you learn how to use them, you don't forget. Popping a CD in the stereo, tango music spilled out from the speakers as he put my left hand on his shoulder, put his right hand on my waist, and connected our free hands. He stared down at me.

"Now what?" I asked after a couple minutes.

"Just get used to the feeling, " he said, rubbing his hand along my side. I squirmed a little. "Ticklish?"

"A little, " I admitted. He stared at me intensely for a minute.

"There's so much I want to know about you, " he breathed softly, as if afraid the shadows might hear. "You have so many secrets and I want to know every one of them." I bit my lip nervously. This guy has known me for less than a week and already can read me like a book. "What's your family like, Eva?" he asked.

"Not much. I have a mom, a dad, and a sister, Kayla, the huge sports star. She's an amazing catcher for softball and got moved up to play with the Varsity league when she was only a freshman. She plays with another league in the summer. She plays basketball, too. She's dishwater blonde with super light blue eyes, from my mom. I get my eyes from my dad. My whole family's really tall, except for my mom. That's about it."

"Not at all. What about your nationality?"

"I'm half German and half French, roughly."

"Any pets?"

"A dog, purebred Yorkie."

"Do you like dogs?"

"Depends on what kind, but yeah, overall, I like dogs."

"Do you want one when you get your own place?"

"Defiantly."

"What kind?"

"Probable a German Shepherd, lab, or a husky. I'm leaning towards a Rottweiler, though. I saw one and fell in love with it."

"Those are big dogs."

"I've only had small ones, so I want a big dog. They kind of bring a sense of protection with them, too. I like that."

"Feeling protected?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"I don't know, I guess it's a way someone can show that they care. I don't get a lot of that."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not that social. I wait for people to come to me. Elena and Cassie are really the only people that cared enough to; don't get the wrong idea, they're closer than my own sister. It's like they're a part of me, they know me so well, and I will always have their backs, whether they want me there or not. But my mom and dad just think I'm anti-social and I have to go to them, which I don't that often. Besides, with Kayla, they have enough entertainment."

"So what you think is that if people care enough about someone, they will go to that someone instead of that someone going to them?"

"Pretty much, but I'm pretty shy around people; I prefer my own space. I want to know someone before they know me. So it's not like I'm going to have a ton of friends."

He didn't comment any further, probably seeing how uncomfortable I was about sharing my personal life.

"Okay, we need to focus if you're going to learn anything. So exactly how flexible are your legs and hips because..."

* * *

"Wow, okay, you were right. It does take work."

"I told you."

"I know."

"How does next Friday sound, same time?"

"Sure."

I was currently laying on Seth's bed, my muscles aching from dancing, and Seth was sitting on the floor with his back against a wall, staring at me in amusement. How the boy ever found the time to tango like that was beyond me. And that's coming from me, a dancer who dances as much as she possibly can.

"How long was that?" I asked.

"One hour and twenty minutes."

"What?!"

"What's wrong?" he jumped, whipping his head between the door and window and crouching slightly, his hands twitching.

"That's it? I've danced for six hours straight before!" He relaxed.

"You scared me."

"Well, why did we stop? C'mon, new guy, get back up." I commanded, my mind set on dancing some more and anything else therefore irrelevant. I stood up off of his bed, even though my legs protested. I ignored them.

"Don't be stupid, Eva. You're practically asleep on your feet."

"So? What's life without a little pain?"

"A good one?"

"Shut up, just stand."

"Okay." He got up, walked over to me, and pushed down on my shoulders until I was sitting back down. "And you sit down. You will blame me tomorrow for your aching muscles if you wear yourself out tonight."

"It's only 8:20! I'll be fine."

"Don't argue. Just listen to me."

"You know, I don't listen to a lot of people." He sat down next to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. I shook him off.

"I've noticed. Why is that?"

"Because I'm not stupid; I can make my own decisions. I don't need someone telling me what to do."

"What if they just want you safe and care about you?"

"I said I don't listen to many people. That means I'll listen to a few. Just the ones I want."

"And I'm taking a wild guess and saying I'm not one of those people."

"You're a good guesser."

"What do you want to do when you need a job?" he fired off abruptly. It took me a moment to comprehend his sudden question, but I answered after a minute of contemplation.

"I don't know exactly, but I've narrowed it down to either a lawyer, doctor, or someone who works with some form of medicine, whether it's explaining to people or trying to find a cure for cancer. A toxicologist, maybe. I like chemistry, too, along with anatomy."

"Big dreams."

"Study hard, dream harder: that's the rule I live by."

"What about your personal life? Do you want to live in Michigan your whole life?" I stared at him incredulously.

"No way. I want to move to the Midwest or coast. Definitely somewhere that's warm, with lots of open space."

"You like your space, don't you?"

"Absolutely. I want nothing to do with the city. I don't know how people stand it. I'll never be able to."

"What if some city boy wanted to marry you? What if he had a huge house with family to look after?"

"...I don't know, " I muttered, regretting that promise as the questions got more...romantic.

"What if he was your dream guy?"

"I'll worry about it when the time comes."

I tapped my foot to get rid of the silence that ensued.

"What kind of wedding do you want?"

"What?" This guy switched gears so quickly, it was a wonder I could keep up with him.

"When you get married? Are you going to have a big wedding or go to one of those drive-through windows in Vegas?"

"Probably something small. I'll only invite a few close friends and family. I kind of want it to be on a beach, and I'll go barefoot. Feel the sand between my toes, you know? My dress will probably be more of an off-white, and definitely knee-length. I can't stand floor-length dresses, plus plain white just drowns my out. It's my blonde hair; I absolutely hate it, although I can't find it in myself to dye it. And- I'm boring you, aren't I?" I blushed, immediately stopping my useless babbling. I had no idea when I'd decided to pour my heart out to this guy, but I knew I defiantly had to stop.

He cocked his head to the side, his eyes losing their glazed look. "No, definitely not. I want to hear everything about you. Keep going. What were you going to say?"

"You know, I've never met a guy like you. Why would you care about some shy girl's dreams?"

"Why does there always have to be a reason with everything? Why can't something just happen? Why does there always have to be something in it for the other person?" he asked softly.

"Because that's just the way the world works, Seth. People are greedy, selfish things, and I can't think of one reason you would want to listen to me blab all night long. Now, why?"

"Are you waiting for the excuse that I want to get in your pants?"

"No, the idea never crossed my mind, actually. I'm not that self-centered. Why, is that your reason?" It would fit perfectly if he was with anyone else. Seth was sexy; there was no doubt about it. Any girl would be lucky to have him. But that girl couldn't possible be me.

"No! God, Eva, I don't know why I'm so interested in you, okay? I can't give you a straight out answer because I don't even know the answer myself! It's just the way things are!" he exploded.

I dropped my eyes to my lap, where my hands were folded, the pale color such a contrast to the dark purple of the dress. Guilt washed through me. Who was I to judge him? What made me so special that he had to answer to?

"I'm sorry, " Seth whispered. "Eva? Please? I'm really sorry. Please forgive me? Please? I promise I'll never yell at you again. I don't know what came over me, honestly! Angel, please?!" His voice sounded worried and desperate. Why? I had no idea. When I glanced up at his eyes, I was instantly reminded of my dream, when that man, who closely resembled Seth, had looked at me so worriedly. I quickly dropped my gaze.

"Of course I forgive you, Seth, " I told him. "Do you want me to go home?"

"No." The answer, though quick, was firm and strong. Final. "We still have a half hour."

"Then tell me about you, " I countered playfully, hitting his shoulder gently, trying to lift the mood. "What do you want your wedding to be like?"

If I didn't know better, I would have sworn I saw the Seth...whatever his last name is blush a little. "Okay, this is gonna sound really corny, but as long as that ring is on her left ring finger, and she takes those vows, I'm gonna be the happiest man in the universe. I don't care what kind of wedding she wants, if she wants to get married in a box or the biggest church in Vatican City, Italy, it doesn't matter to me in the least."

"You sound like you already have someone picked out, " I teased.

He smiled slightly. "You could say I have my eye on someone."

"Good luck, " I mumbled, unable to explain the feel of disappointment. I quickly dismissed it. She was probable some nineteen-year-old girl down in California that as soon as high school was out Seth was going to go running to. I hoped she was worth his time.

We talked for that next half an hour, never running out of things to say. When Seth took me home, we positioned ourselves on his bike the same way we had before, his legs pressed against mine, his arms wrapped around me.

I wondered for a fleeting second in that girl could be me. He wouldn't act so casual about this proximity if he felt love toward another girl, would he? And he didn't seem all that sad about coming up here to Michigan. Wouldn't he seem sad if he was leaving his heart behind? Or at least part of it? He didn't seem interested in any girls, either. I'm mostly the only girl, besides Elena and Cassie, that he talks to freely. Sure, some girls flirt shamelessly with him, but he's never shown any interest in them. Who's left besides me?

In that one fleeting second, I was the girl that someone loved. I was the girl that was above all others. I felt special, and I felt important. Then reality came crashing down on my little fantasy, wiping my smile off my face. Just in time I thought as we turned into my driveway. The lights were still on. I hoped dad didn't do the whole cliché father thing and grill Seth out. Anything to yell at me. He'd probably be doing it for my mom, anyway. My dad didn't despise me, he just didn't want to know me if I wasn't what was his consideration of "normal." I decided to play it safe and not spend any extra time outside. I quickly hopped off the motorcycle as soon as I was allowed, the engine still purring softly.

Just before I opened the door, a hand covered mine, stopping me from turning the knob. I felt warm breath in my ear that sent shivers through me as Seth whispered, "And you're right. It's not just a coincidence. We are here for a reason." My eyes widened, and my heart thumped far too quickly for my own good. I was right, and my imagination ran with that fantasy again before I could catch it.

"Why?" I asked, breathless from my new information.

"I'll let you figure that one out. You are the shy, nerdy girl, as you put it. Just think it through. Three guys, targeting and wanting to get to know three unstoppable girls their sophomore year. Two blondes, two brunettes, two with black hair. Cody and Cassie are inseparable, Colton and Elena are interested in each other's thoughts and me...well, " he chuckled, making goose bumps rise on my skin, "I'm far more than interested in you, Angel. I like seeing you squirm because of me." He lightly nibbled my ear, as if to prove his point, and I shivered at the sensation. "I love it, " he husked, making my own breathing become choppy.

He trailed a hand down my arm. Taking deep breaths through my nose, I called back the control of my body that had somehow slipped out of my tight grasp. I waited until my voice was firm and not the slightest bit breathless before stating, "I'm nobody's angel."

"I can fix that." Defiance and independence flared up in me. Oh, so he thought he was so hot and could make me change my mind so quickly? Let's see him change my mind. No matter how hot he thinks he is, even though he was probably right, I'm not that shallow.

"I dare you to try, " I hissed, glaring at his reflection in the glass.

He stared right back into mine, smirking. "Try and stop me." He threw me one more grin before sauntering over to his ride, roaring the engine to life and speeding away.

Thus began his famous pursuit.