“Bring a book to read tomorrow morning if you don’t have homework,” called Mr. Henry as we all shuffled out of the classroom.
I stepped into the hallway and started walking towards first period, which was my math class. I passed my sister along the way and she smiled at me.
“Is that your sister?”
I turned to find Tyler walking next to me again and felt more butterflies tickling my stomach. “Uh, yes.”
“You must be twins?”
I nodded. “Yeah, but we don’t look anything alike.”
He smiled. “That’s okay, being different is much more interesting.”
I stared at him, wondering if he was from another planet.
“I don’t know about that. Sometimes I’d rather be more like her,” I said. “She’s got it made and nobody gives her any crap.”
He smiled. “She probably doesn’t give anyone a chance to.”
My eyes narrowed. “Well, I certainly don’t let anyone give me crap, if that’s what you’re getting at.”
“I never said you did. I was merely suggesting that confidence goes a long way.”
He had me there. Every time I saw myself next to my sister, my confidence went out the door.
“So, um, where are you going?” I asked, nearing my classroom.
“Math,” he answered. “We’re in the same class. I hope you don’t mind if I walk with you?”
How did he know what class I had next?
I blushed. “No, of course you can walk with me.”
“Kendra has an admirer,” snorted Mark behind us.
Tyler turned to him and smiled. “What’s wrong, jealous because you don’t have any admirers?”
Admirers?
My jaw dropped. Not only had he hinted that he was my admirer, but he’d also stood up to Mark, who was on the wrestling team and had muscles on his muscles.
Mark dropped his books on the ground, and then shoved Tyler, hard. “Why would I be jealous of a cow and her hoser boy-toy?”
Tyler removed his sunglasses and stared at him while several students gathered around anxiously to see what would happen next.
“Apologize for being an idiot,” said Tyler evenly.
There were snickers and giggles from the crowd. Everyone knew Mark would go gangbusters on the new kid. What came next, however, surprised us all. The expression on Mark’s face went from smug to friendly, almost to the point of being nerdy. “I’m sorry for being an idiot,” he answered pleasantly.
“You’ll never bother Kendra again,” said Tyler.
“I will never bother Kendra again,” answered Mark, still smiling at me like a guy who’d just met the girl of his dreams.
“Leave,” said Tyler.
The next thing I knew, Mark turned around and began walking in the opposite direction.
Chapter Three
Stunned silence surrounded us as we all watched Mark walk away without hesitation.
This definitely had to be a dream, I thought. No way would this happen in real life.
“Disburse,” mumbled Tyler. Then everyone suddenly came to life and scattered.
I watched in awe as Tyler put his sunglasses back on. “Uh, how did you do that?”
He smiled. “Let’s just say, when I talk, people listen.”
“Are you some kind of vampire or something?” I blurted out, the hair on the back of my neck standing straight up.
Tyler chuckled and shook his head. “No, I wouldn’t be walking around during the day, now would I?”
“I don’t know. That popular movie with the vampires and werewolves competing for the girl, all of those guys did just fine in the daylight.”
He smiled. “That’s fiction, Kendra. I can assure you that if I was a real vampire, I’d disintegrate as soon as my skin was exposed to the sun.”
He was so matter-of-fact that I was afraid to ask him any more questions. Either he was completely bonkers, or I was. Or, it really was just one big, fat, crazy-assed dream.
Sighing to myself, I muddled these things through my mind as we walked into our math class and sat across from each other.
“My name is Ms. Byrd,” said the teacher after calling the attendance. “I take this class very seriously, so there will be no talking when I’m talking, no passing notes around, and absolutely no cell phones allowed. If you have one, and I see it out of your pocket or purse, I will keep it until the end of the day.”
This really irritated some of the other students who normally couldn’t keep their hands off of their phones. It did nothing for me, however, as I didn’t have a cell phone; my mom wouldn’t even allow them in the house, which really sucked being a senior in high school.
“Also, no sunglasses,” remarked Ms. Byrd, staring directly at Tyler.
He slipped them off, and I held my breath. When his eyes were exposed, the teacher paused for a moment, clearly unprepared for such an intense unveiling.
I smiled. It was really starting to amuse me – everyone’s reaction to Tyler’s piercing green eyes. It also took any unwanted attention off of me.
“Um, well then,” she said, clearing her throat after regaining her composure. “Everyone, open your math books to page five.”
During class, I noticed the teacher staring at Tyler curiously when she didn’t think anyone was paying much attention. I also sensed, without a doubt, that he was very much aware of her interest.
When class was over, Tyler sprang out of his seat and took off without a second glance.
Sighing, I grabbed my stuff and followed the other students out the door, wondering if Tyler was actually going back to his home planet. The idea of him being an alien wasn’t too far off the grid, especially with that mind control thing of his.
“Hey,” said Tyler when I stepped out of the classroom.
I was surprised and slightly giddy to find him waiting for me in the hallway. His sunglasses were back and the warm vanilla scent engulfed me once again.
“Hey,” I answered, biting my lip to keep from smiling like a dope.
Just then, Ms. Byrd stepped out of the classroom and looked like she was about to approach us, which for some reason, didn’t seem to sit very well with him.
“Well,” he said with a hint of irritation. “See you in English class.”
“Uh, okay,” I said, as he took off, obviously trying to avoid Ms. Byrd.
I glanced at the teacher and wondered why she’d freaked him out so much. She gave me a polite smile and then stepped back into the classroom without saying a word.
And how did he know we shared an English class at the end of the day?
I began to wonder if he’d somehow gotten ahold of my schedule.
“Is that your boyfriend?” asked Amy breathlessly. She’d been in the classroom, too, and had stared at Tyler for most of the hour.
I shook my head. “No, I just met him today.”
“He’s a little different, but… so cute,” gushed Amy with a dreamy expression on her face as she walked away.
My next period was a health class and I had to sit at a table with three other students. I’d heard that we’d be starting a cooking series, and although I’d been really excited about it during the summer, when I saw who I was grouped with, my enthusiasm quickly died.
“Hi, Kendra,” smiled Hailey Bates. She was also one of the most popular students in the eleventh grade as well as being one of the nastiest girls you could ever meet. Her cruelty to the other students was legendary.
“Hi,” I said, praying she’d leave me alone.
When the other two students turned out to be two of her friends and basically just as evil, I wanted to shrivel up and float away. The class which had sounded so promising was quickly taking a nosedive.
“This must be your favorite class,” remarked Hailey with a sly smile. “You get to cook and eat. Looks like you did a lot of that last summer.”
The other girls started giggling but I ignored her, and instead stared at the teacher, who was beginning to take
attendance.
During class we learned about the importance of using measuring scales for insuring a healthy, balanced diet.
“Obviously Kendra doesn’t measure,” whispered Hailey loud enough for me to hear.
The two other girls giggled again.
This time she really got to me and I don’t even know why.
“Oh, someone’s going to cry,” she whispered, a triumphant look on her face.
My eyes burned as I tried to hold back the tears and I raised my hand to escape to the bathroom.
“Are you okay?” asked Miss Barnes, who seemed genuinely concerned.
I nodded without meeting her eyes but fortunately, she let me go.
The girl’s bathroom appeared empty when I slammed through the door. I hurried into a stall and let myself go.
“Um, are you okay?” asked a soft voice in the next stall, surprising the crap out of me.
I cleared my throat. “Oh, I’m fine.”
I wiped my face with a tissue and then flushed the toilet, trying to compose myself. When I opened the door and walked to the faucet to wash my hands, the girl from the next stall stepped out and our eyes met in the mirror. Her blond hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail and she was dressed in track pants and a hot pink T-shirt. She was also a heavier-set girl, like me.
“Hi,” she said. “I’m Julie.”
Embarrassed that I was caught crying, I smiled sheepishly. “I’m Kendra, sorry about the tears.”
She snorted. “Are you kidding? It’s not a big deal at all.”
Although I’d never actually talked to her, I’d seen her in the halls laughing with her friends. She usually hung out with the brainiacs in the school and I’d heard she had the I.Q. of a genius.
“Still,” I mumbled.
“Listen,” she said, fumbling in her purse. “Everyone has their moments.”
I nodded and watched as she applied some Chaptstick to her lips. “Maybe. I seem to have a lot these days and Hailey Bates isn’t making it easier.”
“Hailey?” she said. “Eh, don’t let her get to you. She’s going to have a rude awakening after she graduates, and someday, she’ll regret being such a bitch to everyone.”
“That’s nine months away and I have her in my class for at least one semester,” I mumbled, looking at my reflection in the mirror. “Sometimes I wish I could just drop out of school and be done with it.”
“Don’t,” said Julie. “I know it sucks, but you can’t let people like her win.”
“They win no matter what,” I said. “Popular girls are thin and pretty. They have nothing to worry about.”
She turned to me. “Well, you can always lose weight but they’ll still be ugly inside.”
“I’ve tried and it hasn’t helped me do anything but gain more weight from being depressed after I’ve failed.”
“Well, don’t give up. I lost twenty pounds last summer and I only have thirty more to go,” she said with a proud smile. “It’s hard work and takes a lot of willpower, but my old baggy jeans are proof that, yes, it can be done.”
“I wish I had your willpower.”
She sighed and wrote down something on a piece of paper. “You’re standing in your own way of losing weight with that attitude. Look, here’s my phone number. If you want a diet buddy to motivate you, give me a call.” Then she handed me her phone number.
It was nice of her to offer, but I doubted that I’d ever call her. “Oh, well thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” she answered with a smile. Then she grabbed her purse and left.
I stared at myself in the mirror again, and sighed. She was obviously right – I wanted to lose weight, but was putting up my own roadblocks. I just didn’t know how to knock them down.
Chapter Four
During lunch I nonchalantly looked around for Tyler, but didn’t see him anywhere in the cafeteria.
“Hey, sis,” smiled Kala. She was sitting with the popular crowd when I walked by her table. “Want to sit with us?”
The other girls froze and stared at me in horror after that invitation. My sister didn’t seem to notice, though, she just stared at me curiously.
I shook my head. “No, thanks,” I said, hurrying away.
“Hey, Kendra,” said Megan Fisher when I was about to walk past her table. She was sitting with three other girls, and all of them were dressed in black.
“Hi,” I said, stopping next to them.
All four girls had a reputation for being a little strange. In fact, there were rumors that they practiced witchcraft and so almost everyone kept their distance.
“Saw you with that cute guy, the one with the sunglasses, today in the hall. When Mark was blowing smoke out of his pie-hole, again,” said Megan.
I sighed. “Yes, as always he was being a total jerk.”
“So what’s with you and the new guy? Are you two seeing each other?”
I shook my head vehemently. “No, we were just walking to class together.”
Megan looked at her friends and smiled. “Interesting. I might have to get to know that tall drink of water. Um, you don’t mind, do you, Kendra?”
I shrugged. “No, why would I mind?”
“I just don’t want to step on anyone’s toes.”
“You wouldn’t be stepping on mine, don’t worry.” Although I had to admit, I did feel a spark of jealously.
“So, I’m having a get-together at my house after school. Would you be interested?” asked Megan in a low voice.
The fact that she was asking me over shocked me. Megan only lived a block away and we used to play together in the neighborhood when we were really young, but that had been years ago. Plus, I’d never seen the inside of her house. She was a nice girl, though, and I could always use new friends. “Maybe. I’ll have to check with my mom when I get home. She may already have plans for me.”
She smiled warmly. “Okay, I really hope you can make it.”
Amy and Brenda were sitting together at a table in the back and they waved to me. I excused myself and walked over. I plunked down next to Amy and smiled. “Hey, guys.”
“Hi. So what were the witches talking to you about?” asked Amy.
I smiled. “Come on, they’re not witches.”
“Maybe not, but they’re still pretty creepy,” said Brenda.
I glanced back over to Megan’s table and none of them were talking to each other. In fact, they were all staring at me, which I had to admit, did kind of gave me the creeps.
“Okay, so they’re a little different,” I admitted. “Um, they invited me over to Megan’s house after school.”
Amy’s jaw dropped. “Are you going to do it?”
I shrugged. “Maybe.”
“You can’t go over there,” whispered Brenda. “I heard that Megan’s mother is a real witch and has placed hexes on people.”
“Oh, for Heaven’s sake,” I snorted. “There is no such thing as real witches.”
Amy frowned. “Don’t be naïve, Kendra. This whole town has a history of women performing witchcraft.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Really?” We’d only lived in Bayport my entire life and I’d never heard anything about adults studying witchcraft in town.
Amy nodded. “Yeah, if you look up the town’s history you’ll find several articles written about the ‘Witches of Bayport’.”
Brenda leaned forward. “I actually did a report last year on them. Many of the witches moved from Salem in the late sixteen hundreds to Bayport, Michigan to escape the persecutions. Entire families of witches moved here.”
“So you’re saying that many of the people living in this town are descendants of witches and warlocks?” I asked, smiling.
“Something like that. But most of them gave up their practices over time,” said Brenda.
“Probably because they finally realized they didn’t have any real magical powers,” said Amy.
“Well, I have to admit, it is kind of interesting,” I said. “I guess it also explains wh
y Megan and her friends are so into witchcraft. It’s just too bad they waste so much time on something that won’t do them any good,” I said.
“Not to change the subject or anything,” said Amy. “But where’s that cute guy you were walking with earlier, um… Tyler?”
My cheeks grew warm. “I don’t know, probably trying to stay as far away from me as possible, now that he’s been in the school for half the day.”
“I saw him in the hall earlier,” said Brenda. “He was arguing with some girl.”
Now that was surprising.
“Really? He never mentioned anything about knowing anyone here,” I said.
“Maybe he’s making some enemies already,” said Brenda.
“Well, he did almost get into a fight with Mark Davis,” I said. “But Mark backed down.”
“I heard about that,” said Amy. “Mark actually walked away from a fight. That is totally weird.”
I nodded, still wondering about the girl Tyler was arguing with. Maybe he had a girlfriend? He’d just moved into the city but that didn’t mean he hadn’t met anyone over the summer. I wasn’t sure what to make of that, and although it was kind of a bummer, it really wasn’t any of my business. He was just a guy who’d been nice to me. So what if he had amazing green eyes and smelled like cake? He was different and it was still cool.
I had two more classes before last period, and they dragged on. The truth was that I couldn’t wait for last period to see Tyler again. At the end of the day, I hurried to English class and watched the door, hoping he’d sit near me again. When the bell rang and he didn’t even show up for class, I seriously bummed out.
“No homework yet,” warned the teacher, Mr. Kemp, when the bell rang at the end of the day. “But next week I’ll have plenty lined up for you, so be ready.”
I passed by my sister on the way to the bus and she pulled me aside.
“I’m catching a ride with Mark Davis,” she said. “We’re going to the library first and then he’s going to bring me home.”
I stared at her in horror. “Mark Davis?”
Dark Realms Page 21
