He'll Be the Death of Me, I Swear

The class passed very slowly with Landyn still in his zombie-like trance. I just sat there, watching him as he thought relentlessly. I could tell from the look in his eyes that it was something very serious and had him thinking pretty hard. Maybe he was thinking of a way to solve a problem and benefit from it....or maybe I was just reading too much into it.

So there I was for around an hour, staring deeply at him just as a little girl would gawk at her first crush: ready to look away blushing right when he glanced at her. What was he thinking so hard about anyway? I never did find out, but when the bell rang he stood and pushed in his chair just like everyone else, as if he was normal. He waited for me, that same angelic smile on his face from before. What was he scheming, I wondered. He was far from normal. That much was clear.

"Shall we?" He offered an arm and I took it thoughtlessly; effortlessly. It was like I didn't even notice that I had done it, but his chilling skin left a tingling sensation on my arm as he held it. The feeling was oddly pleasant as we walked to our next class. When we passed Jacob, he looked at me in shock and anger. He watched carefully as Landyn and I passed him. He looked ready to pounce at any second.

"Will you be sitting by me?" I asked, eager to hear his voice and make sure I wasn't insane and he truly was real. Maybe he was just a figment of my imagination and that was why he had this affect on me.

"Of course. Nobody I would rather sit by than you, Danica." That made my heart throb into my throat.

I take it back. He is no deceitful demon: he's definitely a Grade A angel.

I swallowed deeply to get my heart back down where it belonged so I could speak.

"I like having you in my classes," I told him, afraid to let there be one moment of silence lingering in the air. "I don't really have any friends other than Jacob and Michelle."

"Hm, I have yet to meet Michelle. I can't say I care for your boy toy much."

"Boy toy?" I questioned, stopping and therefor causing him to halt as well.

"It's quite obvious how he feels about you. You do know that, don't you?" He was continuing on as if I had never spoken. "If not, you must be blind, deaf, and well, stupid. Or are you two together?"

"No, it's not like that! I know how he feels...I just don't want him to feel like this. I try to let him know I don't want any of that, but he just is so persistent." I had used his word and it made me feel warm inside for some reason. Landyn nodded, patting my arm with his free hand.

"You could always let him down gently," he suggested, walking again and causing me to follow.

"But what if he is what I want and I just don't know it yet?" I asked. I really hadn't given Jacob a second thought in the boyfriend category, but it was like I actually wanted Landyn to be jealous.

"I'm sure that there is better than him. And believe me, he won't be so hard to find."

"Neither is danger," I reminded him and he half smiled.

"Sometimes love and danger come together as a package deal. Haven't you heard the saying 'Everyone will hurt you. You just have to decide who's worth the pain'?" I nodded as we entered fourth period. Michelle was in that class as well, but she always walked with her boyfriend, so I sat wherever Landyn sat. He didn't sit near them, but I didn't hear Michelle complain. She did look at me curiously though.

Nothing really eventful happened in that class, but we did learn about the wonders of peanuts. History could go suck a radish for all I cared because I wasn't a fan of that class. But lunch was something special, I have to say.

I sat between Landyn and Jacob at the lunch table. Michelle and Bryan sat with his friends today (they switched between her friends and his every day). Lunch was usually pleasant and peaceful, but the sparks between Landyn and Jacob were killing me.

As the one in the middle, I was the one that those sparks were catching on fire!

Every time I would start a conversation with one of them, the other would butt in and somehow I would end up talking to him rather than the one I had been meaning to converse with.

"So how was the concert last night?" I asked Jacob. He grinned the same smile from this morning and it melted my heart to see him so happy.

"Amazing! I really wish you would have gone. I would have protected you. Some people really got into the moshing and the pit was crazy. You know how there is always that big guy there who is punching everyone and how he has this little guy who is always his best friend? Well, the big guy swung his buddy around and gave the guy next to me a bloody nose! It was hilarious! I did get punched pretty good, but it'll heal." He showed me his bruised shoulder, grinning.

"Hardcore," I started. "It sounds like it would've been fun, but--" Landyn nudged me and, with a mental sigh, I turned to him while Jacob growled a low throaty sound.

"Hey, I've been to an even bigger concert before. There were way more than just one big guy. I was surrounded by them!" he said with a laugh. "But moshing is okay at best, not amazing, I think. I prefer to be able to listen to the music."

"I know what you mean. It's still pretty fun, though, and it's like a rush of adrenaline."

"I don't see how you can survive moshing with all the pain you already cause yourself. And that's just unintentional pain!" he teased. I smacked his shoulder.

"You are a monster!" I told him, trying to hit him again, but he caught my wrist.

"You have no idea," he said seriously, all humor gone. I looked at him with a confused look on my face before he let go.

"Damn straight he is," Jacob growled.

"I may be a monster, but at least I'm no beast," Landyn scoffed, causing a glare war to break out. I felt like I was missing something big.

What was going on?