Chapter 2 NO.2

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My mouth tipped up into a goofy smile as Jake, my boyfriend, kissed me again. As he pulled away, I reached up to pull his mouth back to mine, ignoring his surprised expression. I wasn't going to waste this opportunity if he was willing to offer it.

Internally, I wanted him to be the one to initiate our affection. Most of the time, I was stuck encouraging him to do anything more than hug, and that was always brief and at a safe distance, meaning no body contact that wasn't necessary. Sometimes, I wondered why he was attracted to someone like me--although quiet, I also wasn't shy to show my fondness--but he shot me down every time I tried to approach the obviously touchy subject.

Something had changed today, though. He wasn't shutting me out like usual, and his arms wrapped around my waist loosely, not pulling me closer, but not pushing me away either. I seized his openness, pushing closer to him than I usually would. My fingers buried into his carefully styled hair, which I would no doubt get a speech about later. For now, I wasn't complaining. Our lips moved slowly, cautiously, and while I wasn't entirely jumping for joy, I couldn't say that I didn't like it. It was more than I was expecting, and for that I was ecstatic.

"Ivy, calm down, " he chided when my lips unconsciously opened.

I clamped them close, feeling embarrassment wash over me and making me flush down to my toes. He gave a short laugh, continuing to pepper kisses on my cheeks and forehead. I leaned into him, but his warning pause made me pull back. Our involved moment was obviously over. Unfortunately, I wasn't one to give up so easily.

I tilted my head back invitingly, wanting him to rain little brushes of his lips down my neck like a lover would instead of pecking areas that he deemed "safe", something my dad used to do before he died. He was a veteran, and ended up getting killed in combat in Iraq. I was still fairly young, around six, so I didn't burst into tears whenever I thought of him like I used to. It still hurt, obviously, but after twelve years, I had achieved acceptance of his fate and honored his sacrifice rather than violently raging on the unfair world. At least, on the outside I made sure to appear at peace. There were times when I would cry on the inside at the sight of little girls hugging their daddies or wonder who would walk me down the aisle on my wedding day. I knew I couldn't change it, though, so I toughened up and ignored it.

Jake looked at me confusingly, not understanding my hint. I tugged his head down, forcing his face to hover above my skin, his warm breath teasing it.

"Ivy, you know how I feel about that, " he sighed, pulling back once he'd caught on.

"Jake, I didn't mean you had to-"

"Forget it." My shoulders sagged at his final tone.

"I know you don't like hickies, " I explained. "I just wanted you to kiss me."

"Wasn't I kissing you enough?"

"On my face, yeah. I guess."

"You guess?"

This was one of those times when I wondered why we put up with each other if we had such contrasting views.

"It's fine, " I responded, giving him a completely fake, toothy smile. He beamed back.

"Good. I don't want us to fight. I hate to see you upset." He swooped in to lay one more kiss on my cheek, and I waited for it like the patient girl he envisioned me as.

"Get off my best friend, you big oaf!"

I never got that kiss, thanks now to my best friend, Violet.

"Seriously, Vi?" I sighed.

"No, it's okay, " Jake soothed, always the professional, calm one. "I'll see you later?"

"Yeah." I smiled at him, even though I wanted to do anything but grin at his receding back. When he rounded the corner, Violet was on the receiving end of my glare.

"What?" she asked innocently.

"You know what."

"Oh, you mean that, " she replied, widening her eyes in mock surprise. "Well, gee, Ivy. I thought you were satisfied with Jake's G-rated affection."

"We kiss, " I defended. "That's not G-rated."

"PG, then, " she retorted. "Whoop-de-doo. The point is, a nun would be proud of your relationship. He's kissed you--really kissed you--what? Maybe two times? Three? I don't know, but it can be counted on one hand. And I don't mean those pathetic little chicken kisses he was laying on you before I interrupted."

"Whatever, " I grumbled. "We've only been going out for a year."

She started bouncing on her feet and jabbing her finger at me, as if I'd just figured out they mysteries of the universe. "Exactly! I mean, at least-"

Thankfully, by some merciful divine ruler, she was cut off by the warning bell, signaling we only had five minutes to get to our first hour class. Even though I had time to spare, I scurried away from her.

I sighed when I entered the door to Mr. Deshetsky's class. My frown contradicted my eagerness to get away from Violet, but I'd forgotten that it would be at the cost of being early to chemistry class. Setting my books down, I slid into my seat dejectedly and brooded over my missed kissing session with Jake.

The rest of the day was normal, a synonym for boring in my dictionary. Classes ticked by sluggishly, Violet and I didn't get to talk much due to the piles of homework our teachers were assigning us, and lunch was ruined by the pile of mush on my tray. I narrowed my eyes at Violet's sarcastic "yum!" As was my daily routine, I bribed her into giving me some of her packed sandwich and one of her five cookies.

"You're lucky you're my friend, " she grumbled, reluctantly handing over the circle of chocolate chip goodness. I snatched it out of her hand before she could change her mind.

"Oh, come on! You can spare one cookie for me!"

"I don't know, " she drawled, biting into her own sweet treat. "These are really good cookies. I was thinking about giving you a second one, but maybe I won't now..."

"I love you, Vi, " I immediately said, my tone sickly sweet. I gave her a million dollar smile, batting my eyelashes as I did so.

"Enough to realize what a piece of junk your boyfriend is and break up with him?" she bribed, waving the cookie tauntingly. I dropped my act.

"We've been over this, " I groaned, wishing for Jake to be in our lunch rather than the other, second one that fed the other half of the school. I desperately wanted to dodge this conversation, but I knew I had no hope. When Violet wanted to say something, it was better to just sit down and listen. It got over faster that way. "I don't understand what you can't stand about Jake."

"Everything!" she yelled, throwing her hands in the air in exasperation. Her tone left no room for interruption, and I knew I was going to get the rest of the earful that I'd avoided this morning. "He acts like you guys are brother and sister, Ivy! If a guy likes you that much, he should be able to hold you and kiss you in front of other people, show them that you're taken. He should want to flaunt you in front of the entire school. He should call you cheesy nicknames and listen to every word that you say. And he should support you on every single thing that you do, " she finished hotly, "not try to bring you back to Earth more than you already are. He holds you down too much, Ivy! When you get even the slightest bit mad or upset, he freaks out and tries to calm you down. It's not healthy for you to keep everything bottled up inside! You can't do that! Just break up with him already!"

"Violet, I know that you're worried for me, " I said softly, trying to pacify her. "That's what best friends are for. But Jake and I really like each other."

"There you go again!" she fumed. "I remember a time when you would've gone on and on about how it was your life to do what you wanted with, and no one would tell you how to live it. We would have screaming matches, then laugh about how stupid it all was. We would get into some crazy stuff, girl! What happened to you, huh? I know you were always the yin to my yang, but you were never this calm. You used to have that wild streak in you."

I sighed, rubbing my temples to try and ease the ache from her rant. She was right, to some degree. I used to have a wild streak. I would voice my opinion, no matter who my audience was, and not be ashamed of it. I would be blunt in my honesty, but soften it so that it never came across as harsh. Jake hadn't liked how outgoing I was, though. Once we'd started going out, I became way more mellow. I wouldn't argue points I used to. I wouldn't be so truthful, my words having more of a gentle nature until they were almost lies.

I loved being in a relationship, though. Being able to tell people that I had a boyfriend, having had my first kiss over with, and basking in the fact that I was his one and only made me giddy. I didn't need the attention, but I would take it any day, even if it meant reigning in my confident personality.

"I want to be with him, " I quietly admitted to Violet now. "I'd always choose you over him, but I also choose him over my wild streak you claim I have. It's worth it. He's worth it."

She shook her hand, giving me the second cookie anyway. Thankfully, all it took was one joke from her to have our easy friendship flick away our argument.

***

I despised hallways.

Not only were they ridiculously small, which resulted in tight spaces to squeeze through on my way to class, but they were the playing field for rumors and gossip. Most of the gossip was spread between classes, sparking from girl to girl, person to person, grade to grade until it was nurtured to a roaring wildfire that consumed the whole school in knowledge of who-did-what.

Rumors were also began in the deathly corridors. Once glance at who pulled who into a janitor's closet, or a joke taken the wrong way burst into an imaginative story of how the head cheerleader shagged the soccer captain again, the football captain got jealous, and her best friend got an STD from some college guy at the local campus.

In short, the hallways were where everything bad happened. My case was a little different, but it further supported my theory, since they were the main places for PDA to be shown.

I stared longingly at couples that held hands, hugged, or kissed. Some guys had their arm around their girlfriend's waist or shoulders as they walked her to her class. When Jake would walk me to one of my classes, he kept a respectful distance, usually walking with his arms swinging merrily, as if nothing was wrong. I would walk beside him faithfully, clutching my books to my chest. The other times he passed me in the corridor, he wouldn't meet me halfway and give me a kiss that screamed "I miss you!" All I got was a quick smile, maybe a nod of recognition, and he would continue walking with his friends, talking quickly and making motions with his hands that always stopped me from inquiring what they were talking about.

My stomach twisted in jealousy when I fled the school at the end of the day, but I ignored it. It was a feeling that was present so much, it was becoming normal for me to feel the familiar ache. On my walk home, I let my mind wander, dreaming about what it would be like to be loved irrationally, to drive a guy to the point that he would do anything for me. I imagined how he would keep me pressed to the side of his body, his arms wrapped around me securely, making sure I was always there. He would sneak glances down at me often, even when we were with his friends. My face would be rained with passionate kisses throughout the day: my forehead, my cheeks, my nose, and my lips.

I didn't realize I was about to get my unrealistic wish.

When I trudged into my room, I spotted a note on my desk. Curious and hopeful for something that would lift my lonely mood, I crossed my room hastily.

It was rolled carefully, an elegant black ribbon keeping it tightly coiled. As I slid the silk confinement off, it unraveled by itself. It felt thick and heavy in my hand, and it was more of an off-white than a pure white.

"Parchment?" I mumbled. Really, really old parchment by the looks of it. Not that it was torn or crinkled. It was actually in pristine condition, but who would write on material from a different era?

The ink was a bloody red, as if it'd been written by a murderer or someone equally as sadistic in their victim's life source. I knew it wasn't really blood, but it was almost as if there was an unnatural power coming from the words on the page, effectively drawing me in. I shivered uncomfortably, suddenly getting the feeling of being watched. I looked around my room nervously, paying special attention to the shadows that seemed much darker than they should be.

I shook off the feeling that had my stomach twisting uneasily. It's all my imagination I convinced myself. After I read the note, though, I wasn't so sure. Princess, I was addressed.

You're as beautiful as I'd imagined. I can't believe that such a pure creature is mine. I was tempted to take you away the second I saw you, but my pair number has forced me to be patient, so patient I will be. Don't doubt that you'll by mine very soon, though. I only have so much control over my instincts to your teasing walk and singing voice that I want to make laugh time and time again. You are too tempting.

Speaking of which, I've noticed that you have some unnecessary baggage. Jake was his name, yes? Get rid of him. You belong to me and only me. I won't have others being intimate with my mate. It's unavoidable that you will be admired, for you are quite a sight to behold. However, I don't appreciate others tainting you. Don't let him be around you anymore, or I'll take matters into my own hands.

I can promise you, my love, your sweet nature will recoil at the thoughts of what I want to do to him. I have no lenience to those that challenge me for what belongs to me, especially you. Take my warning, Princess, you don't want me to handle it. I'll give you two days to end things with him. After that, he's mine to deal with.

After you've broken off your connection to him, I'll take you with me. Don't worry, your mother will be well taken care of, given an anonymous compensation gift in exchange for you, although she won't know it the true reason for finding the generous sum of cash that will be on her doorstep the morning after you're gone. She will be made to believe that you had an accident, and will move on soon enough. I didn't want you troubling yourself with the life you'll be leaving behind here, so feel free to ask me any questions when we meet. I've tied up all loose ends, but I may be forgetting to tell you some of them, as my mind becomes scattered whenever I see your stunning beauty.

Don't be afraid of me, Princess. I know that when I take you, your going to be scared, as it is a way of travel that is native to my people that you humans would find quite frightening. I apologize now for that, but I want you to be as prepared as I can make you before you experience it. You may be wondering why I don't just explain what it is and answer your questions in person? I wouldn't be able to control myself. I would want to take you the second you saw me, and your words would fall on deaf ears, as I would be too entranced with the movements of your lips and the sound of your voice to decipher what you're saying. I blame you for this, you seductive vixen, since I am a mere man and will respond to my mate as any would. As to why I can't tell you my way of transportation, it is a secret that is to be kept on, how did you say it? The down low? If I were to tell you, I would also be driven to act on it, and you are not ready to be taken.

I ask for your patience, seeing as I haven't traveled out of my kingdom in quite some time and have yet to catch up on the new lingo, I mean slang. The words you humans have come up with a quite interesting, and I shall enjoy deciphering all kinds of codes with you...

Once I have taken you, have no doubt you will have access to only the best, Princess. Your nickname suits you, as a title and how you will be treated. I assure you that everyone will know who you are, and if anyone mistreats you it will be known as a royal attack. You don't have to worry about that, though. That is a man's job, and my job as your mate. Just know that you will live in absolute comfort, and anything you desire will be yours, if I can provide it. There is not much I cannot give you, so only ask and you shall receive.

I will take you soon, Princess. Look for me. I'll be looking out for you. You own my heart, and you are my everything.

- X

I read the letter again. And again. And again. After the fourth time, my trembling had escalated to the point where I found myself suddenly on my wood floor, knees stinging from the fall. My hands shook violently, causing the note to flutter to the ground with the same grace that a snowflake would glide from the sky.

This guy not only knew about Jake, but he knew where I lived, where my room was. He had access to my life both inside and outside of school. Besides how obsessive he was, the second part of the note (I didn't want to acknowledge that it was my note, specifically given to me) about Jake was written harsher. The script, surprisingly elegantly neat for a male (since I highly doubted it was a girl who was so possessive) was sloppier, as if he'd rushed to get the words out. The parchment was also slightly dented, further proof of his controlling feelings while he wrote about his obvious dislike of my relationship.

I didn't know who this guy was. I didn't know how he'd found me, and I certainly didn't know why he wanted me. All I knew was he knew more than I would've ever wanted him to--my address, my room my love life--and he was determined that I was his.

My selfish desire for a more passionate love life had come true, except not in any form I would've wished for. I'd imagined my prince to be the typical all-American boy, with a body to die for and a smile that would melt my heart. His blonde hair would glow in the sunlight and sparkling blue eyes would light up with laughter.

Instead, I'd been given a stalker by cruel, cruel fate. My imagination painted a gruesome picture of an old man with greasy hair that stuck to his nearly bald head and a vile grin that held few teeth; his cold, beady eyes were meant to belong on a predator, and a beer belly spilled over the waist of his jeans, cinched too tight by a leather belt that was a nightmare to teenage girls such as myself.

I slapped my hand over my mouth, sprinting to the bathroom and barely falling to my already bruised knees in time to throw up everything in my stomach.