Chapter 4 NO.4

Okay, so I was thinking of Anna Sophia Robb for Eva? If you guys don't like it, you can continue thinking of your own Eva. Whatever you like! :)

Pic of my version of Eva is over there ------------------------>

Vote, Comment, Fan, but mostly enjoy! XD _____________________________________________

"So, what are we doing tonight?" Elena asked, flopping onto my bed. Cassie and I followed her example. It was my sixteenth birthday, so we were surrounded by junk food and trying to decide what we could do to entertain ourselves.

"Are we just staying here?" Cassie added, looking sickened at the idea. She was too nice and knew me too well to suggest we do anything else, though.

Normally I would be content with the idea to sit around with my two best friends at my place, but it was my sixteenth birthday, and I was making a resolution. Starting right now, I was going to do something crazy. I was getting out of my shell, just a little bit. I had to live my life to the fullest, and I wouldn't be able to do that out of the comfort of my room, which had been my sanctuary for the past sixteen years.

"Not a chance!" I responded. The matching surprised look on their faces probably matched mine, but I was subjecting myself to this commitment, no matter what the torture I had to go through was. I had no clue the adventure that awaited me.

I looked around my room while waiting for inspiration to spark. My walls were plain white but dripping with posters that screamed my hidden personality. My carpet was blue, and my bed frame, doors, and dresser were wood. My sheets were green, blue, and purple stripes. The entire space within my four walls was meant to comfort me, to appeal to my rebellious side that I kept caged when outside of my bedroom.

I traced a finger down a green line on my blanket, contemplating my options. I had to admit, there weren't many.

"Well, what do you expect we do?" Cassie enthusiastically prompted, voicing my thoughts.

"This is Newberry, " Elena reminded her. She had a point. Newberry, Michigan was the definition of rural. Sure, I loved my big house in the middle of no where, the closest neighbor a mile away, but there was rarely anything to do.

"So what?" Cassie waved her off impatiently, not wasting the opportunity to get out for a night on the town. Well, if Newberry could be considered a town. We only had the bare essentials: bank, library, school, grocery story, post office, a couple of locally owned restaurants, a small movie theatre, and a police station that sat proudly next to city hall. And, of course, a McDonalds. "Eva has a car now."

As the oldest of the three, I quickly assumed the role of the DD whenever we went somewhere following that night. (I didn't know there wouldn't be many opportunities after this one.) I wasn't complaining, though. I loved the feeling of freedom my license and car gave me. My parents had made sure I would be able to drive straight away, probably to encourage me to get out of the house more and try new activities.

"Movies?" I offered. Their eyes brightened at the idea. I smiled. We could pick something out when we got there. We all eagerly piled into the back of my car after I shouted out that we were leaving. I didn't wait for an affirmative before slamming the door behind me, afraid I would be accused of abusing my new freedom to quickly. I saw my mom open the door, the light making her appear as an intimidating shadow, her features unclear. I was grateful for that, not too eager to face her wrath.

I sped off with Elena and Cassie singing off-key to the radio, the all-seeing stars flickering down on me as I drove towards them, as if beckoning me away from my family and into the eternal night.

* * *

I couldn't get Seth out of my head. If I had one second of spare time to think of something, I didn't think about music, dancing, or studying anymore. It was Seth. Like a song I couldn't get out of my head, the beat constantly replaying. Seth. Ba-dum. Seth. Ba-dum. Seth. Ba-dum-da-dum.

Although, I wasn't exactly sure if this was a bad thing, because I truly did want to figure this big mystery out. Seth said he and his brothers were here for a reason. Could he have just been playing with my head? Could it be something harmless, like his dad got moved to a new job? Or did it have to do with us? But what would Cassie, Elena, and I have to do with anything? We didn't even know these guys, so how could we affect their lives so much, so much that they uprooted their lives to move here?

The similarities between us were eerie, to say the least. I had compiled a list in my head that I reminded myself to jot down soon before the details of it were overrode by more pressing information.

Cody matched Cassie's energy level, and he was just like her--a taller, smarter kid. Child like. He looked at her with admiration, something that was lacking in all the other guys she had dated. They only looked at her as a girl a little bit more important than the other ones in our school, nothing that special, but just special enough to keep her hanging. I never had the guts to break the news to her, because she had always seemed so happy.

Colton made Elena laugh. He was caring. He wasn't clingy, but he wasn't flippant, differing drastically from the other boys that had ever been interested in her. She accepted him instantly, which wasn't like her. She usually had to get to know someone before becoming best friends with them, but it's like Colton and her had just clicked.

Then, there was Seth. The one person I couldn't ignore. I could brush off anyone except him. It was like I was forced to pay attention to him, even if I didn't like it. It was as if I was drawn to him by some unknown force I had no control over, like a moth to a flame or pregnant ladies to chocolate and pork chops. It made me uneasy how he was so perfect to me.

Physically, he had the height that I was instantly drawn to. The piercing green eyes. The lean, athletic body, like a soccer player or a cross-country runner. His personality was what truly caught my attention, though. I didn't understand why he had the stubborn drive to pursue me, but he did. Confidence coated his tone, like he was used to being listened attentively to. The charm that contrasted with the generation we lived in. Everything I wanted in a guy, he had in swoon-worthy multitudes. It was like we were meant for each other. Like...soul mates.

I gave my head a rough shake to discard my thoughts that we heading down a dangerous path. I pushed my focus to pay attention to driving, the music, the conversation between Elena and Cassie, or anything other than a certain boy that I couldn't stop thinking about.

We got to the movies just as the doors were being unlocked for the next flood of people wanting to watch the repeated videos. Snowflakes started falling, and the wind sliced at our skin. Our footsteps slapped against the sidewalk as we rushed into the theatre.

We got our tickets, popcorn, candy, and pop. Cassie had to turn down the popcorn guy, but Elena shyly accepted the number on a scrap of paper from the boy selling tickets, not having the guts to decline. The paper was stuffed deep into her pocket where I knew it wouldn't resurface for days. Her guilt about the harmless seven digits would plague her mind when she was around Colton until she hunted the jeans down, probably buried under a pile of dirty laundry, dug it out, and threw it in the trash.

About five minutes before the movie started, I got a text from Cassie. I gave her a weird look because she was sitting right next to me, but she mouthed, "Open it!" When I saw what she had written, I understood the need for discreetness.

OMG!!! Cody, Colton, and Seth just came in! I'm gonna talk 2 them, but just warning u, they r xtra hott!!! I'm melting like butter on popcorn right now!!

I rolled my eyes at her horrific abbreviations, but showed Elena the text. Pulling a trick I had told her about after reading it in a book somewhere, she casually got out her mirror and pretended to check her makeup. She angled her wrist so that she actually saw the view behind her instead of her own reflection. Her eyes popped, and she wordlessly handed me the mirror so I could get a good look.

Holy cow. It was like they were glowing, and everyone was looking at them. Girls checked them out. Guys glared at the unbeatable competition. Colton had on jeans and blue shirt, his eyes shining at Elena as she turned around and greeted him. Cody was in jeans and a shirt covered in graphics, his blonde hair flopping into his eyes. Seth wore jeans and a red shirt with a gold dragon on the side. Seth smirked right into the mirror, and I gasped at being caught. I quickly slipped the mirror back into Elena's bag, blood rushing to my face in shame and embarrassment. I kept my head down while praying for the movie to start within the next ten seconds, before Seth could rub salt into my wounded pride.

I thanked any and all gods out there when the lights dimmed before he said anything. I could hear his huff of annoyance as he slid into the seat behind me, obviously irritated.

I could hardly focus the first half of the film. I squirmed, feeling a pair of eyes searing into the back of my head. I shivered every time he reached forward to grab his drink out of the cup holder on the back of my chair, feeling his breath tease the fine hairs on the back of my neck. I held my breath in anticipation, wondering if he would whisper something in my ear or lean forward just an inch more so his lips would brush against my skin. Only when he leaned back would I let myself breathe again.

He took a lot of sips, as if he knew what he did to me. I was tempted to turn around and demand that just keep his drink in his hand or lap, but I bit my tongue and tried to focus on the fast-moving images in front of my eyes. It was some action movie, and when I finally focused enough on it to understand what was going on, all of the important information had already been said and the conflict set into motion. Everyone was on the edge of their seat, asking themselves the same questions that I was oblivious to and completely engrossed. I folded my arms and allowed my mind to wander away from the pointless car chases and unexplained shootings.

The movie ended roughly two hours later. I looked behind me, putting on a surprised expression when I saw the three gods. I looked at each of them in turn, making sure Seth only got a glance. I didn't need any hormones to rage out of control tonight. Seth muttered something under his breath, making Cody and Colton hurry on over to Elena and Cassie. I quickly followed them, not willing to stay behind with Mr. I-Know-Something-You-Don't-Know-And-I-Know-It-Bugs-You-But-I'm-Not-Telling-You.

As soon as I stepped outside, Mother Nature told me that she was still grumpy by sending a huge gust of freezing air right into my face. I shivered in discomfort. Even with my four layers, I was still shivering the second I left the warmth of the theatre.

Before I had taken two steps in the right direction, Seth grabbed my wrist to stop me.

"Hey, Seth, " I said casually, trying to pull my wrist free. The wind was cold and big, fat snowflakes were falling. My coat couldn't keep out the winter chill that suddenly came on. He held on tight. "Is something wrong?"

He continued staring at me. His expression looked like he hadn't thought out a plan and was desperately searching for an excuse or the next way to take. "Well, I'm just gonna go if you don't need anything."

"Eva?" I turned back to face him. "How are you getting home?"

"Today's my sixteenth birthday, " I informed him. "I have a car."

"Happy birthday, " he said. He tugged my closer to him when I shivered, still with that look on his face like he was grasping at loose strings.

Warmth from his hands seeped through the multiple layers of my clothes, warming the skin on my waist. I went to tug myself away, but then I remembered my promise to myself. Why not take a chance with my heart for once? It couldn't be that bad of an idea, could it? It's not like I was going to fall in love with the guy. I could just fool around with him for a bit, and it would run its course and fizzle out like every other high school relationship.

That's what Elena and Cassie were doing, wasn't it?

Seth replaced his lost expression with a determined one, wrapping his arms completely around me. He smirked, my breath catching at that little twitch of his lips. This man should not have this much control over me. In an instant, his entire demeanor had changed. He now appeared confident, like he was playing a game he knew he would win. His eyelids lowered until he was grinning at me with what could be described as nothing less than sultry, come-hither eyes. I was being subjected to the full force of Seth Valdez, and my will was crumbling.

"You know, " he whispered next to my ear, as if sharing a dirty secret, "I didn't get you a birthday present. I feel bad now."

"That's all right, " I sighed, my breath crystallizing in the nippy air.

"I have to give you something, " he insisted, tracing his nose along my neck. I tipped my head back unconsciously. "Maybe I could take you somewhere?"

With all of my restraint, I managed to refuse, although it sounded weak even to my own ears. "No, I should be getting home."

"You could come home with me, " he breathed in my ear, pulling me closer. His body was incredibly warm. My head got fuzzy, like I was having a head rush, but I could still see perfectly. My ears plugged up. I couldn't think of an excuse. I had completely forgotten about Elena and Cassie by now, too.

"Okay, " I agreed, slumping in his arms. My muscles were as weak as my willpower. He held me up effortlessly.

"Sleep, Angel, " he whispered to me. His voice was like a sweet toxic, peacefully sending me into oblivion. My eyelids drooped. Sleep sounded so good right now. "I'll get us there. Don't worry about anything. Just rest." He picked me up bridal style. His lips found my closed eyelids, my nose, and my hair, melting the stubborn snowflakes that stuck to my skin. "You're safe with me." I believed him. Of course I was safe with him. Why wouldn't I be? I snuggled into his warm chest contently.

The wind started to bite, almost to the point right before numbness, where it seemed like it could never get any colder. Too tired to form a coherent sentence, I moaned in protest. "Sorry, Angel, " Seth whispered. I scrunched my eyes closed, trying to block out the snow from my eyes.

"I don't like it, " I complained.

"I know, sweetheart, just a little longer, then you'll be in a nice, warm, comfy bed, okay? I'm going as fast as I can, beautiful. Just hang on, we're almost there." He kept talking, and his voice was so amazing. Why hadn't I noticed how deep it was, or how gentle? Why hadn't I noticed that husky note in it? Or that his accent was so sexy? How had I missed how musical it sounded, like my favorite song singing words of comfort to me?

I slowly faded off to sleep, my own personal soloist crooning to me until I found the comfort of slumber, the coldness fading into nothing more than a bad memory.