Octoberwood

Chapter Five
“Redemption”

Tyler met me in the court yard and boy did he look good, he wore a pair of black skinny jeans with light shredded patterns in the upper part of the leg from his knee to his shin. He wore two belts in a layered fashion that I loved. A Metallica t-shirt and his hair was perfect. As he approached me his eyes caught the moonlight as he smiled that charming heart melting smile. He looked me up and down smiling as he held his hand out to me.

“Wow, you look hot”.
He smirked as his hand found mine. I smiled up at him blushing modestly. My first real date, I couldn’t believe this. I followed Tyler across the grounds towards the tower. I noticed Brian’s group hanging out just outside the entrance, they were each holding a can of beer. Tyler rolled his eyes at them draping his arm around my shoulder.

“Morons”.
He muttered ushering me inside. We reached the top level where the movie was being shown. Tyler and I found seats and one of the staff members came by selling popcorn and sodas. Tyler bought us a popcorn and a couple of sodas. I looked around, this was the first time I’d ever been on a real date with a guy. He draped his arm around my shoulders smiling at me. That winning smile of his.
“I’m glad you said yes”.
He whispered to me before the movie started. I beamed up at him as I felt him lace his fingers between mine.

“Me too”.
I whispered back looking toward the screen. The movie was awesome. Call me cheesy but I love old black and white monster movies. They are so much better than the high graphics blood and gore monster movies of today. You lose the story behind all the graphics and effects, and let’s not forget the token girl running around in a wet shirt that’s too small for her. Ugh. I hated those movies. Tyler and I started back towards the dorms once the movie was over. As we left the tower I noticed Brian’s friends were still there. But Brian wasn’t I hadn’t seen him with his friends much lately. It made me worry about him, but I intently scolded myself for worrying about that jerk.

Tyler cupped my cheek and smiled at me calling me back from my fast pace thoughts surrounding Brian. Remembering that night in the library. The night I’d wanted to imprint with him, me of all people? I sighed shaking it off looking at Tyler as he grazed my cheek with his thumb.

“I’m going to kiss you now”.
Tyler warned. I swallowed hard and gave a nod. He moved in and his lips were mere inches from mine before something or someone bumped his shoulder forcing him back. Tyler staggered backwards as the person passed. I paused gaping at Brian as he kept walking without looking back. Tyler narrowed his eyes back at Brian.
“Watch where you’re going!”
He snapped at him. Tyler shook his head looking back at me.

“Fucking pothead”.
He muttered, I frowned watching Brian’s back get farther and farther away. I suddenly didn’t want Tyler to kiss me anymore. I looked at him and smiled.
“Thanks for tonight. I’ll see you at the dance”.
I said, Tyler looked a little disappointed but smiled best he could.

“Yeah, see you”.
I walked into my room sighing heavily. My witch’s glass started to beep from the nightstand where it rested. Each student is given a witches glass to communicate with. I walked over to the bed picking up the witches glass and waving my hand over it. As I did a purple and blue mist like the northern lights washed over the glass and it came to life. Amanda smiled up at me.

“Hey! Sooo how was your date?”
I smiled at her slumping back against the headboard and began to tell her all about the date. I left out the part about Brian interfering with Tyler’s goodnight kiss. I still didn’t know why he would do that. After what happened between us I didn’t know what else Brian would have to do with me. After ending the call with Amanda I grabbed my Witching History text book and did some last minute studying before the big test tomorrow.

The bell rang signing the end of the test. I sighed sighing my name at the top in my sloppy cursive writing that was impossible to read. I handed my test in to our professor on my way out of the room. Amanda met me outside with the other girls and was quick to link arms with me.
“How did you do?”
Amanda asked as we walked. I sighed shaking my head lightly.
“A C maybe a B I don’t know”.
I muttered, Lacey grinned as she walked at our side hugging her books to her chest.

“Hey let’s not talk about academics anymore ok. We should be focused on our big dance tonight. The All Hallows Eve dance is the biggest deal here. And I for one want to look my best”.
Zoey giggled at Lacey’s comment.
“You know we’re all going to look our best”.
Zoey announced as we walked into the dining hall for dinner. I scanned the room. Tyler was sitting with his coven “The Brotherhood” I noticed again that Brian wasn’t sitting with his friends. The empty space at the table was more like a gaping void in my chest. His friends didn’t look up as we passed their table sitting at our own. The food was brought out by the servers and we all ate while talking about that night’s big dance.

After eating the girls and I headed back to my room to get ready. Amanda was dressed in a beautiful vibrant mint green dress that had silver specks of sparkles on the top part. The dress was strapless and stopped just above her knees. Her shoes matched her dress. Her vibrant red hair was pulled back in a stylish up do. She wore mint green rhinestone earrings with a necklace that matched. Lacey was dressed in a black dress that clung to her finger leaving nothing to the imagination. A pair of stripper heels matched with the dress. Her pink hair was pulled back in a perfect ponytail that suited her high cheekbones nicely. Zoey was wearing a sky blue dress that was beautiful, it had a corset top and was off the shoulders. The skirt touching to the ground. It was silk and caught the light in just the right way.

Ashlyn was dressed in a silver dress that was an identical copy of Zoey’s only in silver. They had done their hair and makeup the same way. I was wearing a beautiful purple dress that was my favorite dark shad of amethyst purple. My light purple hair was pulled to the side in loose waves and held in place with a hair pin that matched the dress. My hair resting against my shoulder. The look suited me in a way that felt familiar.

“What did I tell you? We look hot”.
Lacey announced giving hugs all around. I smiled at my friends. The group of us made our way into the dance, everyone was already there, we were the last to arrive which meant that everyone’s eyes were on us. As we walked in I felt the guys gaping while the girls glared. I was not use to this kind of attention so I told myself it had to be the other girls they were all looking at. They all looked stunning. Much better than I did. I scanned the room finding Brian’s friends again but again Brian was missing from the group. That empty space built within me and I felt guilty, but I wasn’t sure why. I shouldn’t be feeling guilty he had been the one who hurt me. So why would I feel bad? Tyler’s hand found mine and I looked up at him. He looked amazing.

“Wow, you look hot”.
He grinned at me his hand leaving mine and his arm extended around my waste bringing me in closer. I looked back towards my friends who all smiled at me giving a nod as if to tell me it was ok for me to go with him. I smiled back at them following Tyler’s lead as we made our way to the dance floor. I’d never danced with anyone before either. I was a little nervous but as always my panic was for nothing. Tyler was easy to stay in sync with. We talked and laughed and I found that we shared a lot of interests. By the end of the night I found myself wondering if Tyler would be my first real boyfriend.

“You wanna get out of here?”
Tyler smiled at me as we danced together, I looked around the room seeing it was late and most of the other students had gone back to their rooms. Including the girls. I looked back to Tyler and smiled at him.

“It’s nice here, but if you have somewhere else in mind”.
I said not sure where he could possibly want to go at this hour. Tyler kissed the backs of my hands before leading me from the dance hall. We walked across the grounds towards the tower which was dark and empty now. It wasn’t at all the overcrowded friendly place it had been on our first date. An ominous feeling washing over me. Tyler led me up the stairs and turned me to face him.
“I like being alone with you like this”.
He whispered and then he was kissing me, rough hard kisses that made me uncomfortable and scared. I tried to push him back and I couldn’t get him off as he drove me back into the wall his hands working fast at the back of my dress. I tried again pushing him away but again he was too strong.

“Tyler stop”.
I breathed trying to get away. Tyler smirked at me.
“You don’t have to play innocent with me, I know all about you and Haner, Emma told everyone”.
I squirmed not knowing what he was talking about. The sound of my dress ripping was enough for me to finally push him off of me. Tears rolling down my cheeks as I ran down the steps my heart pounding in my chest. Tyler was fast and I felt something zap me in the back knocking me down and causing me to scream. Tyler was on top of me again he grinned at me pinning my wrist over my head.

“The whole school knows how easy you are”.
He said moving in on me again his hands moving up my skirt. I struggled to get him away from me but nothing I did worked and then something hard hit Tyler in the back of the head. I gaped at the large thick book that landed on the other side of me and caused Tyler to narrow his eyes looking back at him. I pushed myself backwards getting out from under him thankful for this distraction.
“Who the fuck is that?”
Tyler said glaring into the darkness. He emerged like some kind of superhero his arms full of thick books like the one that hit Tyler in the back of his head.

“Brian?”
I gaped. Brian kept his eyes narrowed at Tyler continuing towards me.
“Stay the fuck away from her, or I promise you next time I’ll hit you with more than just a book”.
Tyler laughed crossing his arms.
“I get it, you wanna be the only one who’s fucked her. But it doesn’t work that way”.
Tyler said looking nothing like the good looking cute boy who asked me to the dance. His aura exploded around him in that same awful green color that Emma’s had been. Brian didn’t hesitate slamming his fist hard across Tyler’s face knocking him out in one clean shot braking his nose in the processes. Then Brian walked towards me scooping me into his arms wedding style. I looked up at him feeling my heart swelling in my chest as the light from the moon washed over him allowing me to see the beauty that was his aura.

“He didn’t hurt you did he?”
Brian asked keeping his eyes forwards as he approached the girl’s dorms. I shook my head too humiliated to speak. Tears rolling down my cheeks still. Brian sat me down on the bed once we got to my room. He grabbed my PJ’s from the closet and handed them to me.
“Go change. Bring your dress back to me”.
I nodded going into the bathroom and changing clothes. I did like Brian asked and brought the dress back to him. Brian draped it across the back of the chair turning back to me.
“You had books”.
I noted looking at Brian as I tried to dry my eyes. Brian approached sitting on the edge of the bed drying my eyes with some tissue. He smirked to himself.
“Well, there is this girl I’m crazy about, no explanation, she just captivated me when I met her after she had ran here escaping some hunters”.
Brian began.

I blushed looking up at him.
“I said some stupid things and spent most of my time here slacking off and partying. I didn’t care about magic or being what I was, but then I saw her face the first time she used magic. And it changed something in my heart”.
Brian continued. I gaped up at him as he grazed my cheek.
“You’re in my spells and charms class”.
I remembered, Brian smirked giving a nod as he tossed the damp tissue in the bin. He looked back at me placing his hand against mine.
“I started wanting to be a better guy for her, so I spend my nights trying to catch up on work I’ve missed and mastering skills that I should have already mastered”.
Brian explained rising to his feet.

I frowned as he stood not wanting him to leave.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have yelled at you”.
I said, Brian looked back at me and smiled.
“Actually, someone should have yelled at me years ago”.
He picked up my ripped dress and disappeared into the hall closing the door behind him. Sleep wasn’t easily claimed but I managed to get a little grateful for the weekend since I didn’t feel like going anywhere or doing anything. When I woke my eyes fixed on my dress it wasn’t ripped up anymore. I got up taking the sticky note from the plastic around the dress.

“It looks too good on you to be ruined. I know a good seamstress”.
He signed his name at the bottom. I smiled to myself looking back to the dress. It was a beautiful dress, but I didn’t think I’d ever be able to wear it again after last night. I walked back to my bed curling up and pulling the blankets up over myself. I felt stupid and yet, it was as if what happened with Tyler needed to happen in order for Brian to redeem himself.