Status: In Progress
Sqeamish
Chapter Two
I sat in class tapping my pencil against my desk, I was zoning out this was one of my smaller classes: 24 people were here but usually there were 27 students. I usually sat next to Jack in my music theories class, he would hum along to the music the professor would play, I used to love how Jack knew all of the songs. He was studying to get a Bachelor of Arts in music. He was in this class today, he sat next to me like he always did, he hummed like he always did, he stared at me not quite like he always did. He watched me close. I was trying not to yell at him. I don't know if I could ever go back to this class again. I had hoped if I sat in the forbidden first row, smack in the middle with a bigger guy to hide me from the door, that he would sit away from me. But Jack walked in and stood by the door until he found me, when we made eye contact he strode over to me slipped into the seat next to me and said, "Hey Violet."
The professor had started talking over the music that he was playing. I didn't know what he was saying beyond the sound of my pencil on the shiny oak or was it walnut? It was probably plastic.
"Vi." He whispered for the thousandth time, "Vi, please!" I hit the desk ever so slightly harder and everything fell down a hole.
I must have hit a different spot on the desk because the pencil went flying in the direction of the back of the professors head, it landed at his feet. I stood up. The sound of my chair screeching backward and my hand hitting the table had everything stopped. The bittersweet melody of a foreign singer. Gackt. Or something. I gathered my stuff, grabbed my bag and Jack grabbed my arm. I ripped I away from him and headed out the door, the professor handed me my pencil on the way out with a silent approving nod. I figured most of my class had at least known something was up, if not knowing what was up. Small class means large group so friends and news travels fast. Truthful or not. Who followed me was what shocked me most. I stalked down the hall, my heart was pounding in my overly heated ears. I shoved a door open and took in my surroundings, the woman's bathroom: luck was on my side. I dropped my stuff and just sat down. My hands covered my face and I just cried. I didn't hear him or her walk in, the normally squeaky door did not announce his or her presence. What announced his or her presence was the hairs on my arm and neck and a small voice inside my head saying there was danger. I deflated, moving my arms to make a rectangle around my face, but also grabbing my knife. I heard a shuffle, telling me he or she was on my left by the door. I did not know how far away he or she was; but the threat was there. I felt something touch my arm and I presented my knife. I pushed myself towards whomever it was... I thought I'd flipped it open but I hadn't, which did not matter because he had my knife wrist is his hand. He had seemed to anticipate my attack, he had grabbed my wrist the second I lifted my head and lunged and pulled it up over his head. He was definitely taller than me, even though I was eye level with him it was because he was holding me up. His stare almost hurt it was so cold. If I wasn't overheated and welcomed the chill might've made me shiver. His jaw was defined, his lips were curved upward at the corners even though his jaw muscles made him look angry. His eyes seemed to give away nothing. They were a clouded light brown color. For a moment I had a moment of calm, like he'd calmed me. Until he opened his mouth.
"Do you want to come with me?"
"What?"
He sighed frustrated, I smelled a strange honey scent, like he'd just eaten a mouthful of honey. He let me go and I fell to my knees. He ran a hand through his hair and I was glad I was wearing jeans. He turned from me and stood over one of the sinks, he was glad that there were no mirrors. He couldn't imagine what he looked like. I watched him stare into the sink with such concentration that I did not realize I was holding my breath until his eyes met mine. Then I wished I had taken a breath. He walked to me and crouched down in front of me. "Alaxandreece, Do you want to come with me?" I could say no. Who would go with a complete stranger? That's what I should say. He wasn't a complete stranger, he sat in the back corner of my musical theories class, no one talked to him or even knew who he was. All they knew was he sat in on the class and that he was not on the professors list of students but the professor said nothing to him. A silent agreement. He was dangerous. New. Forbidden. I opened my mouth to say no, "Yes." It was a whisper.
Jack walked in to the woman's restroom and looked at me, then him and frowned,
"What are you doing to her?" He growled.
The man in front of me stood up and turned to Jack with narrowed eyes.
"I'm talking to you man! What are you doing with my woman in the ladies room?!" For a split moment.. I thought this stranger was going to hit him, he took a step forward.
"Don't!" It was like a verbal command to sit, I did not add command to, or even tense my voice. It was a pathetic whisper that only he seemed to hear. Jack was ready for him and did not expect him to stop. I stared at him with wide eyes, he held out his hand for me to take. Jack looked at his hand, looked at me, looked at his hand, looked at me, looked at his face, looked at his hand, looked at me.
"Vi.. Don't do it. Do you even know this guy? He could be a murderer."
Five things happened in that moment.
1. The stranger tensed.
2. I placed my hand in his.
3. I knew he was a murderer.
4. I lied about thinking he was a murderer.
5. And right now, he wasn't going to murder me.
"I don't think he is. And if he was, at least I did not know him before hurt me." I kept eye contact with the stranger as he helped me up and pulled me past a frozen and speechless Jack and out the door.
The professor had started talking over the music that he was playing. I didn't know what he was saying beyond the sound of my pencil on the shiny oak or was it walnut? It was probably plastic.
"Vi." He whispered for the thousandth time, "Vi, please!" I hit the desk ever so slightly harder and everything fell down a hole.
I must have hit a different spot on the desk because the pencil went flying in the direction of the back of the professors head, it landed at his feet. I stood up. The sound of my chair screeching backward and my hand hitting the table had everything stopped. The bittersweet melody of a foreign singer. Gackt. Or something. I gathered my stuff, grabbed my bag and Jack grabbed my arm. I ripped I away from him and headed out the door, the professor handed me my pencil on the way out with a silent approving nod. I figured most of my class had at least known something was up, if not knowing what was up. Small class means large group so friends and news travels fast. Truthful or not. Who followed me was what shocked me most. I stalked down the hall, my heart was pounding in my overly heated ears. I shoved a door open and took in my surroundings, the woman's bathroom: luck was on my side. I dropped my stuff and just sat down. My hands covered my face and I just cried. I didn't hear him or her walk in, the normally squeaky door did not announce his or her presence. What announced his or her presence was the hairs on my arm and neck and a small voice inside my head saying there was danger. I deflated, moving my arms to make a rectangle around my face, but also grabbing my knife. I heard a shuffle, telling me he or she was on my left by the door. I did not know how far away he or she was; but the threat was there. I felt something touch my arm and I presented my knife. I pushed myself towards whomever it was... I thought I'd flipped it open but I hadn't, which did not matter because he had my knife wrist is his hand. He had seemed to anticipate my attack, he had grabbed my wrist the second I lifted my head and lunged and pulled it up over his head. He was definitely taller than me, even though I was eye level with him it was because he was holding me up. His stare almost hurt it was so cold. If I wasn't overheated and welcomed the chill might've made me shiver. His jaw was defined, his lips were curved upward at the corners even though his jaw muscles made him look angry. His eyes seemed to give away nothing. They were a clouded light brown color. For a moment I had a moment of calm, like he'd calmed me. Until he opened his mouth.
"Do you want to come with me?"
"What?"
He sighed frustrated, I smelled a strange honey scent, like he'd just eaten a mouthful of honey. He let me go and I fell to my knees. He ran a hand through his hair and I was glad I was wearing jeans. He turned from me and stood over one of the sinks, he was glad that there were no mirrors. He couldn't imagine what he looked like. I watched him stare into the sink with such concentration that I did not realize I was holding my breath until his eyes met mine. Then I wished I had taken a breath. He walked to me and crouched down in front of me. "Alaxandreece, Do you want to come with me?" I could say no. Who would go with a complete stranger? That's what I should say. He wasn't a complete stranger, he sat in the back corner of my musical theories class, no one talked to him or even knew who he was. All they knew was he sat in on the class and that he was not on the professors list of students but the professor said nothing to him. A silent agreement. He was dangerous. New. Forbidden. I opened my mouth to say no, "Yes." It was a whisper.
Jack walked in to the woman's restroom and looked at me, then him and frowned,
"What are you doing to her?" He growled.
The man in front of me stood up and turned to Jack with narrowed eyes.
"I'm talking to you man! What are you doing with my woman in the ladies room?!" For a split moment.. I thought this stranger was going to hit him, he took a step forward.
"Don't!" It was like a verbal command to sit, I did not add command to, or even tense my voice. It was a pathetic whisper that only he seemed to hear. Jack was ready for him and did not expect him to stop. I stared at him with wide eyes, he held out his hand for me to take. Jack looked at his hand, looked at me, looked at his hand, looked at me, looked at his face, looked at his hand, looked at me.
"Vi.. Don't do it. Do you even know this guy? He could be a murderer."
Five things happened in that moment.
1. The stranger tensed.
2. I placed my hand in his.
3. I knew he was a murderer.
4. I lied about thinking he was a murderer.
5. And right now, he wasn't going to murder me.
"I don't think he is. And if he was, at least I did not know him before hurt me." I kept eye contact with the stranger as he helped me up and pulled me past a frozen and speechless Jack and out the door.