Even Mrs. Mann looked slightly flabbergasted as he spoke softly with her, and extended a slip of paper to her. Cassie stared at the paper as she struggled to get her wildly spinning mind focused upon something other than the snapping of her body, and his startling presence in her normally calm day.
With a bolt of certainty she knew that she was never going to have another calm day again.
He turned slowly away from Mrs. Mann, his bright emerald eyes instantly latching upon her. Cassie inhaled sharply, tears once again flooding her eyes as a sense of peace and rightness stole through her. She wanted to cry, wanted to sob with the joy that suffused her entire being. She wanted nothing more than to go to him and bury herself within his embrace.
His gaze did not leave hers; his eyes were bright and fierce. He did not look at anyone else in the class as Mrs. Mann cleared her throat to get everyone’s attention. But everyone’s interest was focused upon the stranger in their midst. Few new students ever moved to their small town, let alone one that was as strangely fascinating, and magnificent, as he was. He would be the center of attention for the rest of the year.
“Class, I would like to introduce you to Devon Knight.”
Something flickered in his eyes; a small smile curved his full mouth as he finally turned his gaze to the rest of the students. That strange sense of loss suffused her again as his gaze left hers, but she found herself finally able to inhale once more. With the connection broken, panic set in as a crushing sense of being trapped descended upon her. She could not be stuck here with him; she could not be forced into a destiny that she did not want again.
And she did not want this, whatever it was, she told herself fiercely. Even though she secretly feared that she did.
“You are lucky Devon; we have plenty of people in this class who would be more than happy to show you around.” Cassie slid further down in her desk, trying hard to become invisible as Mrs. Mann’s gaze scanned the classroom. The last thing she wanted was to be chosen for this task. “Melissa, would you be willing to show Devon around?”
Relief and disappointment crashed through Cassie in fierce waves that left her shaken and unsettled. Melissa stiffened slightly, her shoulders tightened in front of Cassie. “Of course,” she replied pleasantly.
The bell rang, but nobody leapt to their feet as they all remained focused upon him. “Have a good day everyone,” Mrs. Mann announced loudly.
The enrapt trance seemed to snap as everyone moved into action. Melissa turned to Cassie, a strange gleam in her onyx eyes. “Would you like to join us?”
Cassie opened her mouth to answer, but no words would come out. She snapped it closed, and shook her head fiercely. She lurched to her feet, knocking her chair back. Both Chris and Melissa studied her in surprise as she scooped up her bag, and flung it over her shoulder. “Cassie…”
“I have to go, I’ll see you later,” she interrupted abruptly.
Her gaze darted back to the front of the class, where he was standing patiently, his eyes still focused on her. Cassie bent her head, afraid to stare at him much longer in case she got sucked in by him again. If she did, she knew she would never escape. Keeping her head down, she joined the crush of students pushing into the crowded hallway.
She hurried down the hall, barely acknowledging the greetings she received. Pushing her way into the bathroom she ignored the girls huddled by the window smoking cigarettes. They didn’t acknowledge her presence either. Turning the faucet on, Cassie eagerly splashed her face with cold water. She was trying hard not to spill the tears that burned fiercely against the backs of her eyes.
She would not cry, she could not cry. If she did she knew she would never stop. Turning the water off, she placed her hands on the edge of the sink, gasping in air as she struggled to keep control of her wildly swaying emotions. She wanted to sob over the events that kept throwing her life into a fierce tailspin. That kept knocking her off balance and taking things from her. She wanted to sob for the joy and electricity that still sizzled through her, making her feel whole and alive in a way that she never had before. She wanted to sob in order to purify her spirit of the turmoil that plagued it.
She did not know what was going on, but she wanted it to stop. She wanted it to end and for him to go away so that she could feel normal again. “Are you ok?”
She glanced up at one of the smoking girls now hovering by her elbow, worry marred her delicate forehead. Her hazel eyes were flecked with streaks of gold, and surprisingly caring for a stranger. “I’m fine,” Cassie answered shakily.
The girl gave her a worried frown as she handed her a wad of paper towels. “Are you sure?”
Cassie’s hands shook as she took the towels from the younger girl, slightly ashamed to realize that she didn’t know her name. “Yes. I’m Cassie.”
“I know.” The girl smiled as she nodded swiftly. Her short brown hair, streaked with shades of green, bobbed around her shoulders. “Danielle, but my friends call me Dani.”
Smiling tremulously, Cassie’s hands tightened briefly around the crumpled towels. “Nice to meet you Dani, thank you.”
A small smile flitted across the girl’s pretty face before she retreated back to her hazy corner. Drying her face slowly, Cassie glanced only briefly at her reflection. She already knew that she was a mess, but her frantic, bloodshot eyes were a bit of a shock. She looked half crazed, and it was not a good look on her. There was nothing she could do about her eyes though, she had no eye drops, and she wasn’t even sure they would help right now. She didn’t think anything could help her now.
Taking a deep breath, she retrieved the backpack she had dumped hastily on the floor. The hall was almost deserted when she poked her head out of the bathroom. She was still shaky and distraught, but at least she didn’t feel like she was on the brink of tears anymore. Making her way slowly down the hall, she slipped quietly into her history class. People shot her questioning looks as she made her way to her desk, but thankfully no one stopped her.
Sitting at her desk, Cassie dropped her head in her hands. She forced herself to remain seated and not to get up and leave class, and school. Though it was a tempting thought, she knew she could not run forever, and apparently he was going to be in her life from now on. Or at least in her school. She would have to find another way to deal with the situation other than running.
She felt that avoidance would be best.
***
Devon searched the cafeteria as he made his way swiftly through the thick crowd, Melissa led the way. “No matter what, bring your own lunch on Thursdays, the spaghetti is awful,” she was telling him in between the vast amount of hello’s she received, and returned. “I just bring my own lunch anyway as they have nothing healthy here, except for apples.”