Lustrous Dangers

School started out just like any other day, you know, with the gossip, the squealing, the giggling and the regular visit from the boys private high school. Ohh yeah, my name is Vanessa Wolfe, and I go to an all girls private high school in the far western regions of Sydney and this...... is my story!!
As my friend Sam and I walked to first period, I felt a cold, terrible feeling wash through me, as if something evil was approaching.... But that’s not the weird part; the weird part is, is that this was not the first time this has happened but weirder than that is it only ever happens when I walk through or even past the school cafeteria. When I confronted Sam, my bestest friend in the whole world, the person that was like the sister I never had, all she did was laugh and say
“It’s probably just because of the scary looking cafeteria lady, with that mole on the side of her nose! Oh and not to mention those rotten teeth of hers!”
We both burst into hysteria and continued onward to first period. The hours seemed to drag on, and when the lunch bell finally rang after third period I met up with Sam outside the building and then as we were making our way into the lunch line that same cold feeling washed over me and then...... EVERYTHING WENT BLACK!!!!!!!!

~

When I woke up I felt someone or something trying to crush my ribs, when I was coherent enough to realize what it was I was instantly amused. Sam was lying down next to me on the sickbay’s very thin bed. Sam realized that I was finally awake and also that I was trying to breath. As she released me and backed over to the other side of the room I giggled because she looked as though she was going to hit herself for suffocating me! I stopped after a few minutes and that’s when she returned to where I was laying. She looked really worried and I guess I knew why.... In my whole entire life I have never actually feinted, and so of course she was freaking out because we have been friends for so long that she knew that one little thing that a lot of people didn’t. All of a sudden she threw her arms around my neck and she was literally crying and I couldn’t really grasp why, but something about her crying made me anxious, mad, upset and happy and it was really weird. I tried to think of something to say to lighten the mood and make her laugh but all I could think of was...
“Do I really look that bad? Ha ha”
She gave me a real nasty glowering look but...... she couldn’t help it and laughed so hard she had tears again only this time it wasn’t because of something bad. The school’s nurse looked in and smiled, asked how I felt and said she would find me something to eat when I said I was starving. After the nurse left, that’s when Sam bombarded me with questions about what happened and one of them was why did I even feinted in the first place! I gave up on trying to calm down and shut up, so instead I just decided to give her the whole story.
“Sam!” I shouted.
“Look, I don’t know why I passed out ok! But I felt absolutely fine before, then after we walked through the caf’s doors I got that feeling of cold and terror go through me but when I stepped up to order my food.... well it was like something dark was trying to...to...”
I could not finish my sentence because there were no words to describe what I felt. Sam simply nodded and giggled. I looked at her totally mortified as to why she was giggling. I had moved around on the bed so my back was turned to the door. So when Sam continued to giggle and look quickly at the door then away, I was instantly aware that someone was standing right behind me. When I turned around I blushed a really deep, scarlet red and Sam burst in to a hysteria that shook her entire torso. It was Matt, also known as M.Shadows, and the guy I have had a crush on since...like...forever and I never knew how he felt about me and I never had the guts to go and ask. But what girl would? He was a total hottie and a lot of the girls in this school liked him, the only thing was I walked home with him every afternoon and he lived on my street. Sam of course has made fun of me from day dot!
“Hey Matt” I mumbled, I must have sounded so crazy!! But he just smiled and said;
“So the caf’s weird old hag is making people pass out now ehh?” Then he made the best sound in the world and laughed (according to me anyway) Then he sighed and I wondered why he made the effort to come and see me, I mean I know we walked home together, but that’s only because we live in the same street. I was immediately aware that Sam was sitting very quietly in front of me. Then we all heard a scream from the nurses office, we all stood up and ran (well I waddled half disoriented) to where the blood curdling scream came from. When I finally walked in Sam and Matt were trying to calm Miss Nix, (the Nurse) and get her to lower the big one meter ruler she had in her hand. After about five minutes she was sitting down to tell us what had happened.
“Before I left to get you some food, Vanessa. Mr Shadows here came in and asked me if you were still here, and if he could come in to see how you were doing. I must have said yes because he came in. Then I went to the cafeteria to get a sandwich and some orange juice for you, but what was weird was that the lady there had it ready and on a tray with a note saying ‘Enjoy’ which was awkward because she was no were to be seen! I brought the tray back, heard you all laughing and so I thought I would wait a while so as you could all have a moment to chat. I was about to put your tray on the bench ther when i herd something growl and i turned around and there stood this giant dog, no wolf and I dropped the tray as I screamed and flipped around grabbed that one metre ruler there and ran into the corner right as you all came in”
We all could clearly see in her eye’s just how terrified she was. Matt, Sam and I all looked at each other not sure as to what we were supposed to do. Matt was the first to speak
“I’ll go get you a drink of water ms.Nix; did you girls want one too?”
Sam just nodded.
“Ok what about you Vanessa, did you want one?”
I thought about that for a minute, still a bit miffed about everything. Finally I managed to answer him.
“Ummm....yeah sure....ah....I’ll help you!”
Then I turned to Sam.
“Will you two be ok for a second?”
Sam just nodded again. Matt and I turned and left Sam and ms.Nix in the office and went into the kitchen they recently put in the office lunch area. We both walked in silence. As I was about to put all the cups onto a tray I pulled out, Matt took them out of my hands and put them onto the bench.
“Matty what are doing?” I protested whilst using my nick name for him.
He was now holding both my hands and looking tentatively at my face
“Matty?” I asked again, but a bit more hesitant. “What are yo-“
I was abruptly cut off and instead was kissing him smack dead on the LIPS! I couldn’t believe it, I mean, WOW I am actually kissing this totally hot guy who I have had a crush on since like... forever! I was never sure if he even liked me, but now I knew that he loved me. His lips were warm and soft however hard and aggressive against mine as he kissed me with a heated passion that, I think, neither of us knew existed. We both froze and quickly broke apart when we heard someone clear their throat in an obvious kind of ‘um hello I’m standing right here’ sort of way. I was half expecting it to be Sam or Miss. Nix. Except it was neither Sam nor Miss. Nix, instead it was my MUM!!!
“Uh... mum what are you...?”
“Miss. Nix and Sam said you two were in here getting...” she broke off and snickered a little before finishing her sentence. “Getting some drinks for everyone”
“Uh, yeah Ma-Matt” oh my gosh, now I am stuttering out what I am saying! “Offered and I said i would help him and show him were everything was...”
Before I could finish Matt decided to get some confidence and spoke to mum for the first time since she walked in.
“And then I kissed her because I love her I and I guess that the recent events have made me see just how much I love her.”
He made it sound so... so simple and obvious. Mum now had a huge smile on her face and she was trying hard to muffle the sound of her laughter by covering her mouth with her hand. By the time she had stopped laughing we were walking back into the front office and handing out the water. When I sat down in an office wheelie chair, Matt came and sat by my legs on the floor not even bothering to get a chair. Sam was not oblivious to this and her eyes seemed to pop wider if possible when he casually rested his head on my lap and I automatically put my hand on his head and started playing with his hair. Matt’s friend Vengeance walked in about five minute’s later and said hello to everyone and then turned to look at Matt, still sitting at my feet with me playing with his hair, just as he sat up straight to talk to his closest mate.
“What’s-up Vengeance? Is someone about to have another fight?”
He looked like he very much wished that the answer was yes.
“Nah man I just wanted to see if you wanted a ride home seeing as Ness passed out again!”
Sammy and I looked at each other and could not help laughing. In seventh grade I pulled an awesome prank to get out of seventh and eighth period.
I said: “Miss?”
Teacher: “Yes Vanessa? What is it?”
Me: “I feel a little light headed and a bit sick in the tummy.”
Then I ‘feinted’ and fell onto the floor as hard as possible without hurting myself. Worked like a charm too! When Matt looked up at me and smirked I knew that he remembered. Matt was the only other person that knew that this was the very first time that I have actually feinted.

“Nah it’s all good. I think i will just walk home cause it will give me some time to... to think things over...”

Matty let his sentence drop and looked up at me out of the corner of his eye then quickly looked away when his gaze met mine.
Vengeance on the other hand was oblivious to this little exchange and turned sheepishly in Sam’s direction and Sam was just looking at me and Matty looking at each other constantly looking so happy.

“Urm... Sam?”

“Huh” was her smart reply as she came back to earth and acknowledged the very clearly nervous Vengeance.

“Uh... would you mind coming for a walk with me for a minute?”