Monster

The sun finally shined in the cloudy city of La Push as it rolled into the young girl’s room she didn’t mind the sudden sunshine since she was sitting on her bed reading The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien. It was her all-time favorite book that always brought her to tears from beginning to end.

It was one of the only books that really touched her heart in so many ways she couldn’t imagine Shiori was so engrossed in the book she didn’t hear the doorbell ring the first time. When it rang the second time she thought her mother was going to get it.

The bell kept ringing making the young teen put her bookmarker to mark the page before she walked out of her room “Mama?” when she didn’t hear her mother respond to her calls she walked slowly downstairs.

As she opened the door wide open her doe black eyes gazed at the tall teen in front of her “Paul? W-What are you doing here?” she consciously closed the door to hide her body that was still in her pajamas since she wasn’t planning on going anywhere today.

The Native American furrowed his eyebrows in question “You asked me to come over” he answered slowly before his dark eyes twinkled at her “Don’t tell me you forgot again. You always were the forgetful one when it comes to these types of things” he chuckled.

He freaking chuckled! She screamed mentally.

This wasn’t happening.

How could her day go as normally as not being bothered by Paul at all to dropping off his homework which made that stupid image of him half naked take over her mind and now he was here acting so compassionate and nice to her!

Something wasn’t right as she forced a smile when he walked in without her invite, he turned around with the same smile that he had on his face when he first arrived. “Do you remember now?” Shiori honestly didn’t know how to answer that, all she could question was what happened between you and I that made us like this?

Seeing the confused look on the young girl’s face he stepped closer to her “I know you told me not to get anything for our anniversary but I couldn’t help myself when I saw this” he muttered as the heat of his body emitted off of him in waves.

Shiori stared at the boy in front of her before gazing down at the poorly wrapped box he apologized “Wrapping gifts isn’t my strong suit” he winced as she tore off the paper on silence before opening it up to see a ring, it had a silver band that had two stones in the middle with their names on each side respectively and inside the band was branded forever and always.

“It’s a promise ring” Paul explained to the overwhelmed girl “I promise that I will love you unconditionally, never leave your side and marry you and have everything you dreamed of” she watched him slip on the ring on her ring finger as his warm hands grabbed hold of her neck making her look up.

“I love you Ori”

Without thinking those same words slipped out of her mouth “I love you too” where did that come from? Why did it feel right? Feel natural to say? What the heck was happening?! Shiori couldn’t think at the moment as she stepped back from her ‘boyfriend’ making his eyes fill with hurt.

As soon as she blinked her house started to slowly transform into something else; there were trees all around her. The blue sky was right above her and the sun was now overshadowed by the dark clouds that were just about to burst from all the water that it was holding.

Most of all Paul’s demeanor changed his once happy face that held so much love for her now was switched to betrayal and hurt. Shiori instinctively stepped forward as Paul continued to look at her with disgust “How could you?”

“What are you talking ab-”

“Don’t pretend like you don’t know! I saw it with my own eyes”

“Saw what Paul? I don’t know honestly!” the emotion was coming off her in waves as she started to yell back at him. It was beyond her why she did so but for some reason her attitude in life as changed she could feel it in the pit of her stomach when she screamed back.

The shy Shiori was barely there anymore and was consumed by the confident teen girl that now stood before Paul. “How come you never told me? I thought we were done keeping secrets from one another” he whispered lowly.

His whole body started to tremble like she has never seen it before it freaked her out a little bit to see the shakes of his body so violently like he was ready to burst. Shiori didn’t know what he was talking about but as the whole scene was unraveling in front of her; her lips moved without her permission taking over of the situation.

“I never kept anything from you. It was you that kept things from me. You are the one that lied to me; you’re the one that made up excuses just to run around with those stupid friends of yours all the time. I’m not the one that is bailing on us! It’s you! It’s always been you!”

“Don’t be turning this back on me. My problems don’t concern you! I deal with it by myself so just drop it”

The Asian girl felt her eyes prick with tears as those words sliced through her heart “Your problems don’t concern me? Your problems are my problems! Being with someone you should be able to open up and share your problems with one another so we can figure this out together. Instead, you shut me out every time I get close to you”

Paul’s gaze lowered down to so his called love of his life “That makes the two of us” Shiori flinched at his words and before she could say anything everything turned black.

Shiori gasped as she sat up in her bed as she frantically looked around realizing that she was in her room and not in the forest. Touching her bed and her body “It was just a dream” she muttered to herself. She sighed in relief that all of it was fake but it felt all so real to her which was strange but she brushed it off since some dreams are more realistic than others.

As she got up from her bed all she could think about was Paul her boyfriend? That was impossible she thought he hated her. His hate can’t possibly be transformed into love can it? Licking her lips she started to gather her clothes for the day.

Putting on the leggings and a long dress over her body she put on the ankle boots that looked great with the outfit as she tied her hair up in a high ponytail as her bangs were held in a twist so they wouldn’t attack her face during the day. When she walked downstairs to eat her breakfast before going to school she could feel her mother’s gaze on her as she ate quickly before pecking her mother’s cheek as she left the house.

All she wondered was why her and Paul were together and what secrets were they hiding from one another? Even if it was all fake it didn’t stop her curiosity she had nothing to hide even know so what could possibly had she done to hurt Paul in that way.

When she went to school she was distracted all day not even paying attention to her teachers and during lunch all her friends noticed how spaced out she was. “Ori you okay? You look a bit pale” Jacob shared his thoughts as he looked at her with worry.

Her black eyes met his as she smiled lightly “I’m fine just being a bit lazy today”

Jacob nodded as he continued to talk to her since Ronnie, Quil, and Embry were doing something else at the time making the two eat lunch together by themselves. As Jacob walked her to fifth period she waved at him in thanks before walking in.

Her heart skipped a beat seeing that Paul was already sitting down in his seat; biting her lip she quietly sat down next to him thinking of what has transpired the day before and what she dreamed last night. “Pst, hey you” she turned in her seat to see Paul giving her a look before she heard it again looking around she saw it was the person sitting in front of Paul.

She blushed realizing she had a horrible mistake as she answered “Yes?”

The young teen boy caught her attention Shiori saw that he was a shade lighter than everyone else in this school has his dark brown hair contrasted with his green eyes. He smiled at her before asking “I missed school the other day do you by chance have the notes?”

She blinked not believing that he would ask her that type of question since she wasn’t the only one in the room at the moment that was here the last couple of days. “Uh, sure” she squeaked as she rummaged through her notebook and found the pages that were marked off the day before as she took them out of her notebook and giving it to the boy.

“Thanks you’re a life saver. I’m Dex” putting his hand out for her to take.

She cautiously smiled at him before shaking his hand with a soft shake “Shiori” Paul scoffed at the two of them it was pathetic how the boy in front of him made his attempt at talking the girl right in front of him. If she had known she would have realized that he was here the other day but he guessed that she wasn’t a good observer.

“I hear that you are pretty smart”

“A little bit” Shiori felt flattered when he shook his head in disagreement telling her that she was the most intelligent girl in their class which was true since she was valedictorian as of now. The two conversed a little bit before Dex asked “I need some help in this class. Mind if we study together?”

“No. I don’t mind at all” they exchanged numbers as Paul rolled his eyes once again before he started to get bored again. As class started Paul started to throw paper balls at the girl beside him again grinning seeing that she was getting irritated since she was busy taking notes.

Nothing changed, not at all she thought.

What was she thinking that her dream possibly meant something? Shiori might as well go off the deep end if anything like that remotely happened to them. If pigs flew and unicorns crossed the rainbow was the day that Shiori Song and Paul Grey ever fell in love with each and that was that.