He'll Be the Death of Me, I Swear

Rather Attached

I sat down by myself as usual since I had no friends in second period. People stared at me more than usual. I glanced around, feeling like a deer caught in a car's headlights. I trembled for some strange reason: they usually didn't get to me, but now I felt so susceptible to fear. I dropped my pencil to the floor and the teacher whipped her head around and glared at me.

"I'm sorry," I squeaked, picking it up and looking at my desk. I felt so exposed!

"Some of us are trying to pretend to learn, vermin," a jock mumbled from behind me. Now normally I would have turned to him and told him off, but today I just apologized to him face-to-face. Jared--the jock boy--seemed surprised at first but then his face turned sadistic. He had thrown me down from my level and planned to kick me even more while I was still down. "Well how nice. Someone finally sees what a rat she is!"

"Be careful: her little boy toy might get mad! Poor guy, thinking he has a chance even with that thing!" He was referring to me when he said thing and Jacob as my 'boy toy'. I said nothing and just let my head hang.

"That wussy couldn't do anything about it!" he laughed.

And that was pretty much the whole class: torment from those in the upper levels of society. Me? I was as low as Hades to them. They were above and I was below them: damned for an eternity and then some. The next class was worse since word had spread of how passive I was today. It did get a bit better by fourth period thanks to Michelle. She had told Bryan she was going to sit by me, so he sat with one of his friends who scared me more than Bryan himself actually.

"What is up with you today? I've heard all about your little good girl attitude," she sneered disapprovingly.

"I don't know..." I said softly, speaking only of the truth. What was wrong with me?

"Does it have to do with Landyn you think?" she pondered to herself out loud. I glanced at her quickly. Was he really that vital to me now?

"I doubt that. He doesn't affect my life that much...does he?" Michelle shrugged.

"When is he coming back?"

"I have no idea..." Boy, school was murder without him. Wait... "What if he doesn't come back? What if something happens to him?" I was getting paranoid obviously.

"Whoa, I'm sure he'll be fine. He'll come back, I promise." I smiled.

"Thanks."

"Naturally, of course."

Class passed quickly and I was headed to lunch. Michelle sat with Bryan and I sat with Jacob who was tense the whole time as I sat lifeless at the table.

"God, Marshall might as well have killed you: you'd be more alive if you were dead."

"Sorry," I mumbled and he gave up talking to me. That was shocking. It took everything in the world to keep him from talking to me. Was I losing him? I couldn't care at the moment, though, for Landyn was using all of my thoughts.

The rest of the day was pretty much murder until I walked out of the school a bit faster than Jacob who was going to drive me home again. As I got to my car, I let out a squeal of delight. There was my knight in shining armor here to rescue me from my horrid day. I ran to him, forgetting all about Jacob. I threw myself into his arms and he lifted me easily off the ground to twirl me before setting me down gently, holding me close. I loved the tingling sensation more than ever after not having had it for so long.

"Hello, princess," he said with a bit of amused laughter.

"I was worried about you, you know. Where did you go?" I asked him, burying my face in his chest.

"Yes, Landyn, where did you go? You left your corpse bride all alone," I heard Jacob growl. I didn't even look at him; just stayed in Landyn's arms. I had missed him so much.

"My bride, shall we go home?" Landyn asked me as he smelled my hair, intending to piss off Jacob completely.

"Yes," I said softly. "Ask Jake if he can walk home," I said quietly.

"Of course, darling." He removed his lips from my hair and looked to Jacob. "How about you start walking? I'll be accompanying Danica home today."

"I don't believe this!" Jacob complained, outraged.

"Oh, believe it. Go on, mutt. You have four legs, so use 'em." Landyn picked me up in his arms and Jacob protested with a growl. Landyn still didn't acknowledge him as he sat me in the passenger seat and took his place behind the wheel. "We will see you later, Blair." Landyn slammed the door and sped off towards my house before Jacob could do anything about it.

I was in a daze the whole time and I must have fallen asleep because we were home way too quickly. He helped me out of the car and led me to the door by my hand.

"May I come in?" he asked politely. I kissed his cheek drowsily.

"Of course." He dragged me in and I saw my mom heading up the stairs. She stopped and whipped her head around to me.

"You do an amazing job at keeping this house spotless," Landyn complimented.

"Thank you, but there's not much more for me to do," she said tiredly. "Danica, who is this?"

"Landyn-James Marshall."

"Pleased to meet you," Landyn told my mother sweetly. She smiled.

"The pleasure is mine. Danica, I believe I can trust you two alone while I sleep, right?" I nodded and she smiled at me--truly happy for once in a long while--before walking up the stairs.

"Well, what now?" I asked him.