Nocturnal

His voice was all I could hear. He yelled, telling me something important, something I should listen to. I ran, not understanding and felt the cold grazing my cheeks, my feet were prickling, feeling like icicles. Was I barefoot? And why was I running, was someone chasing me—something?

Yes, there was something after me—him. I felt cold, a strange smell...

Don't look back, a wise voice whispered. I listened to my fear and kept going through the pine trees—but if they were all pine trees, why did a faint smell of… of eucalyptus that made my head swarm. I couldn't think any longer, there wasn't any room for that, in the distance I heard the deep velvet of his voice growing more distant, colder—lighting sailed across the rosy sky. It struck down. Right in front of me—a tree was cut down, it was coming—I screamed.

Sweat trickled down my back, arms and my slacks stuck to my legs. Jesus, it was like I'd been sleeping inside of a sauna. My heart was racing faster than those Formula ones my Father liked so much. My hand dove to the bedside table's corner so I could steady myself. Maybe I shouldn't have gotten up so suddenly? Yeah, didn't seem like it, my head was swimming. I rubbed it, willing the clacking lighting from my mind—no matter what it seemed to crack with loud thundering sounds. Funny, because as I glanced out my window the sun was rising and there wasn't a cloud in sight, the day promised to be sunny through and through in Haven Hills. I groaned. How was I going to get used to this? Haven Hills, Virginia. I was a born and raised from San Diego—a Californian. I needed to be under scalding sun, feel it on my skin, the warm sand between my toes—not live in a place that apparently had a very unusual weather. I'd heard from my cousin Rupert—who used to live here, before going to Brown—that it could be raining hail one minute and a perfectly clear sky the other. Talk about weird, but then again, I'd fit right in. Weird was sort of my middle name.

"What is it?" I murmured dizzy from the nightmare—I seriously hoped that was all it was this time, a stupid nightmare brought on by stress and too much TV last night.

The door was pulled open and in came a very bouncy ten year-old. Geez, didn't kids ever run out of batteries? I knew I'd been Henry's age once, but had I really been that electric? Something in that thought made me wince. What was it…? Oh, yeah. No more thinking about lighting, or thunder—anything that could relate. I don't know what happened after the bolt struck the tree, but I was sure I'd been standing right in its path.

"Nina," Henry whined. Guess I wasn't paying attention.

I looked down at the familiar curly mess. Below it were those nice looking green eyes of his. I gave his hair a nice ruffle, making Henry smile.

"Hey, little bro," I stifled a yawn. "What are you doing here?"

"Mom's calling you down for breakfast—or you'll be late."

"I think you ate a few words there, bud." I drew my rumpled hair into ponytail. I would have to shower after eating.

"Oh… she said if you don't come down now you'll be late."

"That's better," I smiled at him before he dashed out the door, by his excitement I could already tell what we were eating—pancakes, which was just dandy. Giving that kid more sugar like he wasn't hyper enough.

I walked to my measly bathroom, it was tiny, but at least it was all mine. I liked that, it meant no waits in line for the main house bathroom. Not that we were lots of people, we weren't. As the water I splashed onto my face did its job I went back to what Henry said. Mom. Huh, when had that happened? When had he left 'Kelsey' behind and began calling her 'Mom'? I didn't mind, in my eyes Henry was like a biological brother. Though, I wasn't going to call Nigel 'Dad'. But our situations were very different. My Mom and Dad split when I was fourteen, Henry's Mother died when he was still three. Kelsey—my Mom—was the only motherly figure he'd ever known, it surprised me how he'd gone so long calling her by her first name.

Bounding down the stairs I felt the smell that wafted from the kitchen beside the stairway. It smelled heavenly in there, letting me know who cooked breakfast. Mom couldn't make French toast without burning them, Nigel was definitely our salvation. If it wasn't for him we'd still order take out every day and night.

"Look who it is, Miss Sunshine!"

I groaned, squinting my eyes—she never dropped that nickname, did she? It was a mockery because every single person who lived with me knew I wasn't a morning person.

"Morning, Mom…" I drawled pressing a kiss on her cheek like every morning for the last seventeen years. I tried to ignore how perky both her and Henry sounded—singing along with some kid's music from the radio on top of the microwave. I'd gotten my Father's sleeping habits for sure… "Nigel," I made to smile at him only to end up yawning—before an apology made itself past my lips a smell sent from the Gods greeted me. Coffee my one true love! "You're the only one who gets me." I wasn't sure myself if that was meant for Nigel or the steaming cup he was holding out to me.

"Let's just say I understand the importance of quietness, kid." He winked.

I nodded taking a whiff—hmm, fresh made, black—just how I loved it.

"This reminds me why I was so okay with you and Mom getting hitched." I joked, stabbing three pancakes onto a clean plate. My mouth was watering at the sight of the round, slightly crusty golden exterior.

Nigel's cropped hair made him all-professional looking but he was nothing like that—not home. He was a twenty-five year old stuck in the body of a forty-four old guy. It was one of the things I liked about him, among others like the cooking. He was truly a nice guy, Mom was lucky to have found him—or was lucky that he saved me from drowning back in San Diego. That was an epic first meeting, I'd say.

"So, new school?" Here came the Great Inquisitor. "Exited?"

"Ecstatic," I took the syrup and made sure every inch was covered in sugary goodness, I was going to need all the energy I could get if I was planning on staying awake. It was hard with all the dreams taking hours of sleep away, you'd think after eight years I'd be used to them? Well, no I wasn't.

Mom's mouth made a light pout, "Promise you'll try and give this town a shot?"

"Why? Will we move back to California if I don't like it?"

"No," at least I could thank her for her honesty. "You know we won't. California is over, this our fresh start."

Why did we need one in the first place? Because teenagers and drugs didn't mix—I was a teenager, I was impressionable and easily influenced apparently. My Mother was afraid I'd end up a junky, or I'd become friends with bad crowds and what if Henry caught the bug? No we couldn't have that. I never had any problem was it with drugs or beverages, but Mom was… suspicious. She thought something was the matter with me ever since she caught me trashing in my sleep night after night—my skin had been glistening with cold sweat, my eyes would roll to the back of my head and when she tried to get me to wake up… I wouldn't. Okay, the situation seemed bad—but it was totally not my fault! I was a freak; I'd accepted that a while ago. Now it finally ended my life by making us move here.

"Better make the most of it." I rolled my eyes stuffing a fork with three layers of pancakes.

"Nina I'm being serious. I know moving wasn't part of your plans, but this is the best thing—for everyone." Sure it was.

"Can you stop trying to sell the idea? We're already here, aren't we? It's not like I can drive back and go live with Dad and evil-Rose." Yeah, while Mom had gotten a good deal, my step-Mother was a complete bitch.

That made Mom smile.

"Don't say that," she scold seeing Henry rush by backpack in hand, looks like someone didn't mind being the new kid. "She's your Father's wife, if she makes him happy you should support him. Just as you support us." On cue Nigel pecked Mom's cheek.

"Don't give your Mom such a hard time, kiddo." He stood to full height, ruffling his son's hair when he circled him pretending to be an airplane. "You've got everything you need, champ?"

"Yup!" Henry barked like a puppy without a leash. "I'll see you later, Nina. By Mom!" He called before running out the back door that gave access to the little yard.

Nigel gave out a short, happy laugh.

"I better go before he learns how to hotwire the car." He dove back down, this time stealing more than a cheek-kiss.

"Drive safe!" She called and after he waved, closing the door she giggled—it shouldn't be weird anymore, but sometimes it was. Mom giggled like a seven-teen year old me did over a hot piece of ass.

But getting back to the matter in hand, "But you were lucky enough to find someone who's tall, chiseled and with an accent—not forgetting a major sense of humor."

"You're saying I got the whole package?" Mom teased me.

"Yeah, yeah you're a lucky gal." I did my best southern accent failing miserably. "Don't you have an office to get to?" My Mom made a face knowing this was my way of saying 'daughter and mother time—closed'.

"Fine, I'll get out of your hair." She held up her hands. The ponytail on my Mother was neat as always—I hated ponytails, basically because I sucked at making them. It was something easy enough to do, I couldn't get it right though. There was always some tiny strand that got away… I stopped trying. "Speaking of hair…"

"I'm going to wash it before going to school, chill Mom."

A dubious-funny glare was given my way.

"I just want you to have a nice first day, first impressions are important." Tell me about it. "Don't forget to close the house—the whole house."

"Mom—" She left before I carried on with my whine. I smirked savoring another bite of pancakes that worked every time.

***

The schedule was in my hand now all I had to do was ask someone where room 212 was. I was supposedly having Bio in my first period. Ask someone, easy-peasy. Wrong. It wasn't. I didn't have the gift of conversing with other people, not without being introduced by someone else, or forced to. In this case, I was being forced to interact with my peers because no one was coming for me, no knight in shining armor. All the peeps roamed the halls in their own personal style, some had company, others were loners—outcasts. Was that what I was going to become? That would suck, it was bad enough to move right before senior year rolled around, but add that to being a social-piranha for all semesters and you had hell.

Why couldn't schools have guides? While I was busying myself falling into a pit of despair a shudder rippled me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood. I was being watched, someone was watching me. Gripping my bag tighter I glanced side-ways, the coast was clear—no one standing and staring on either side of me. Definitely no one from behind because I was leaning on a wall… the last choice was clear. In front. Lifting my eyes I nearly collapsed into the wall. Those were black—obsidian eyes staring right into mine and if their color wasn't something to be taken aback by, the intensity in the gaze… it was crushing. My chest felt like it was being put through a bender. What the heck…? Why was this guy staring—correction—glaring at me like I'd ran over his dog? My clutch on the backpack went to whole new levels—my knuckles were turning white, soon my sun-kissed skin would be ghostly white, just like them. He was coming over—he was walking. The swagger of his hips was so… so hardcore, it screamed deadly. I shouldn't be taking him in and enjoying the well-constructed body the black-eyed boy had. But I was a girl—my girly seventeen-year old brain wasn't prepared for such off the scale hotness. I wondered when the hallway had become the boiler room. Hmm, I pondered, maybe it was the minute I set my eyes on the rest of him—hair, face, chest, arms—by that order. Onyx hair accompanied the black irises in perfection, the style was messy, the stylist probably his pillow. Some of the unruly bangs scattered across his forehead, highlighting his dark gaze. Hard-cheek bone structure taking me back to all those statues you saw at museums from Greece and Rome—they were cleanly cut, any imperfection about that jaw set had been erased if it had ever been made. I didn't have to force myself to wonder what his chest looked like under the black V-neck, lean six-pack? It would check out. The arms were just as well pumped and defined as the rest of him, broad shoulders played a final vital card rendering anything I could have wanted to say useless. Where had this dude come from? I wasn't aware they were having photo-shooting sessions here.

"Can I help you…?" Shouldn't I be the one asking for help? Although, judging by the expression on his devilishly-handsome face I wouldn't be getting it from him—not even if I got on my knees and begged. Not that I'd ever do it.

The Greek-model guy looked me in the eye a heartbeat longer. He licked his lips—full lips—in a fraction of time.

"Your eyes are strange." Ow, there it went my ego for today. What kind of thing was that to say? Though, yeah, I couldn't argue with him and say they were your average eyes.

"Look who's talking." I replied as a matter-of-factly and was beyond myself, even if it was true. I had golden eyes, not typical, but he had black eyes—heck, they were so dark I wouldn't be able to tell the pupil and iris apart if not for the hallway light raining down on us. "Yours aren't the most normal either, pal."

There was a narrowing of his eyes. I gulped instinctively.

"Who are you?" He asked quite bluntly leaving me in a slight daze. Not just because of his words—the tone in his voice… there was silkiness there, velvet—even if it sounded dangerous as a horror house.

My head stung all of a sudden… velvet? Why would I react like that—

"I asked you something." I abused my lip for a second, didn't this guy have manners?

"I heard."

"So answer."

I wanted to tell him to 'fuck off' he was seriously pissing me off with this attitude, but that wasn't me, not on a first day when I didn't know anyone—plus, the guy may be hot but he had a vibe… he was like Communist China, red flags were showing up all around him.

"I'm Nina Cortez."

His royal jerkiness arched a perfect eyebrow, his crossed arms dropped.

"Fine," he smirked forcedly. "What's your business here?"

Huh, come again? These questions were insane! My business here? Pretty sure it was the same as his—then again maybe not, apparently his was scaring the loving-crap out of new kids.

"Hum… attending school so I'll graduate?" Did he just roll his eyes at me? Oh, my God. What did this guy want!? "Look, I'm new and I need to get to class 21—" A yelp nearly rippled from my throat as a hand grasped my shoulder.

"What are you?" What? What was I? How about a girl who just arrived from San Diego? I frowned sincerely—this guy was starting to hurt me and why wasn't anyone doing a thing about it? They were all walking by like nothing was happening.

"I… you're hurting me." I whispered softly. I'd prepared for everything today. I'd washed my hair just like Mom said, it had its healthy tawny complexion, wavy—I'd been ready to face a hard time but this? This was outrageous. "Please…" So much for not begging, though I wasn't on my knees—yet.

With a last infernal glare, my back was solidly rammed into the wall—making no sound. Now I understood why no one was doing anything, at the distance we'd been from each other we might as well have been kissing. My nose wrinkled at the thought, the only thing I wanted to do to this idiot was kick his balls.

"Play it that way." I drew in a harsh breath as my shoulder sung with freedom. What gave him the right to sneer at me? And walk away with the last word!

"What the hell is his problem…?" I rubbed the tender spot on my delicate shoulder.

"I've been asking myself the same thing for a long time, sometimes I think he still hasn't made it through the stupid teen stage where he hates the whole world." My mutter had answer?

I spun to see who was delivering it, I wondered if Haven Hills was stashing every good looking dude.

"Wow," I would've felt stupid but there was a reason for me to be backslapped into the land of coo-coo nuts—it wasn't because this boy oozed as much sexiness as the other one… it was because of his face was a nearly identical photocopy. "You're…" I glanced over my still throbbing shoulder to where the heated, dark haired guy had disappeared to.

"Alike?" My head rushed to face the rusty-sand haired guy, nodding dumbly. "Yeah, we get that a lot. We're twins." Ah. That explained it. Oh sweet puppies all around, was I going to gush? No. I wasn't that kind of girl. I wasn't easily impressed, but baby oh baby. These two were more than swoon worthy. I was half-considering a talent scout. They could be on covers, commercials—freaking movie stars! And they were living here… in Virginia. I'd hit a double mine of hotness.

Say something, I chanted to myself.

"Huh… hi," way to make a save Cortez, that will surely put you on his highest graces…

With a small spreading smile, the rusty haired twin shifted his weight.

"Hi, I'm Phillip." Phillip, it was a nice name—maybe a little outdated? But I liked the sound of it as it resounded in the corners of my brain.

What I didn't like was me standing there like a mute creeper. I was just staring, much like his brother had been—only I wasn't looking for a target to wail on. I was never socially popular. I did know how to talk when talked to for Christ's sake.

"And you're…?"

"New here," shoot me, someone should save teenagers from embarrassing situations, this sort of thing shouldn't happen. How come he was still wasting time on me? Better yet, how was he still smiling like that at this hour of the morning? "Nina, my name's Nina and I'm new here… that's what I meant." I said pushing past my tiredness and overflowing shyness.

"I noticed, it's a small town, small high school. It gets easy to know everyone in it." He said whipping his wild hair aside.

Phillip said he and his brother weren't identical, it was true. Their differences seemed to be in their hair color and eyes—not to mention personalities. This one wasn't trying to pounce me like a defenseless rabbit. I couldn't keep thinking on a straight line much longer, not when I was witnessing the most vivid blue eyes in the world. They were… electrical.

A pang echoed when I banged my side into the lockers. No one pushed me, I felt a jolt making me jumpy… the scare was too great for me to hold my ground. Electric made me think of thunder, which led me to recall the nightmare. My fingers curled a tiny bit. That stupid dream had gotten me more worked up than I'd thought.

"Are you alright?" was that hesitation in his tone? Great, now he was going to think I was a freak, more than he'd already believed.

My cheeks burned when I noticed his hand was on my arm, his head was lowered to my level.

"Hum-hmm…" I heard myself mutter. Form a sentence, please, just a simple one. I begged my tongue. "I thought I saw a… bee." And I said it without blinking, what an achievement.

Phillip seemed to think over what I said before backing off naturally. The smile that had dropped from his face showed up. It was nice and warm—welcoming.

"I'm sorry." I said suddenly, as if my awkwardness had left the building. "I'm not really a people person, I mean I talk to people but sometimes I get shy around—" Sexy-as-hell guys? Yeah. "New people," so lame… "It doesn't help that I'm not a morning person."

Phillip's eyes shone with raw amusement. I would've told him off, but he had reasons to laugh. I'd been acting like an authentic scarecrow since he'd shown up.

"We have that in common."

"Really? I'd never think that."

A perfect eyebrow knitted, "Why's that?"

"It's seven AM and you're smiling." I told him, funny or not, my lips were turning up.

"Hmm, I see your point." His broad shoulder leaned into the wall. "But don't be fooled 'cuz to get me to stay awake they needed to pump me with two large coffees." My jaw would've dropped to the floor if I hadn't clenched it. What did you know? We had two things in common. Hard awakenings and coffee-obsession, sounded like perfect basis for friendship.

"They?" I said it out loud, didn't I?

He nodded, "My brother yanks me out of bed every morning—that's tough. My uncle makes me coffee and makes sure I'm awake enough not to choke on it while drinking it. I think of it as a team effort." I smiled and he transformed his into a mischievous grin. "And about the social part, no worries. You're doing pretty great so far."

I swallowed a nervous chuckle. He was optimistic, wasn't he?

"How do you figure?" shouldn't I be trying to get to bio? At least figure out where the lab was? Yep, that rang a bell, but…

"You haven't fainted or hyperventilated." Smartass, but nice—way nicer than that jack-ass brother of his.

Suddenly, when I looked back into his eyes—I couldn't. They weren't looking at me anymore. The vibrant irises were glued past me, I was itching to look over my shoulder and find out what he was gazing at. I couldn't though. That would be majorly impolite, right? Right.

"I have to go, class is almost starting and Mr. Willburg has a coronary each time a student's late for his class." He was leaving? No, I had to ask him—electric blue glued onto mine, I forgot whatever… "Nice meeting you Nina, I'll see you around." That was it. He walked away.

I was holding my schedule in my hand just like when his bad humored twin had backed me up into a wall. I still had no idea where to go and what had that been? Our talk had been going well… towards the end. Maybe I had freaked him out. I wouldn't be stunned. Freaking out people was something I did well. Especially when I told them something cryptic like 'don't get into your car today'. It wasn't often but some dreams I had sometimes didn't concern me, but people in my life. What was scarier was that sometimes my dreams came to pass—they happened. Once I'd dreamed about one of my middle school teachers… that scarred me for life. That was when I had confirmation something in me wasn't… normal. I saw her taking pills—pain killers in her bathroom, until she overdosed on them… they found her body two days later when she didn't called in sick or anything. Since then I'd been unable to ignore them—until then I hadn't taken them too seriously, now I did.

Anyway, I hadn't said a thing about any creepy dreams to Phillip—obviously. Which led me to wonder what he'd been staring at?

"What are you?" I felt my muscles lock up hearing those three words echo, the voice was underlined with velvet.

Velvet…? Why did that—I closed my eyes as the bell rang out.

I bit my lips quickly assuring myself Phillip's nameless brother was a nut-job, he was weird and that was that. Why would he ask me what I was? Like he had some conviction I wasn't human… which maybe I wasn't?

Great, now I was getting paranoid. What a nice way to kick off senior year.