The dark waters| ✓

6.NO LIES

"Leah, are you even listening ?" 

I sit at a lunch table in the cafeteria with Stef and Bria. I realise after a beat that Matt has been talking to me the whole while. I shake my head to clear it from thoughts and focus on the present.

"I'm sorry Matt, I have been... preoccupied," I say softly.

I had been since morning. The first half of the day had been a complete blur. I didn't remember what I had for breakfast nor did I remember talking to Aunt Janet. I didn't even remember what I was wearing till I glanced down to see grey sweatpants and a hoodie. My clothes reflect exactly how I feel today. Tired. Exhausted. Done with life.

The only reason behind this exhaustion was my thoughts about Lee. I had been thinking about him the whole time. Not even a moment passed by, that he didn't pop into my head. Alone. Starving. Miserable.

But he is not. He said they were treating him well. The soft inner voice in the back of my head reassures me.

"See, she is lost again. I would really like to know what goes on in that small brain of yours" Bria says. I snap out of my reverie and smile at both of them sheepishly.

"I'm so sorry guys, I really don't know what's wrong with me today," I say and I try to smile at them cheerfully. The last thing I want is for Matt and Bria to get involved in this matter.

"Anyways, how is Lee? Is he feeling better?" Bria asks.

"Yeah, he's alright." big fat lie." He will get better in a few weeks and he also has a road trip planned after that. So he might not come to school for a month" I say.

"Too bad he won't be there for the decade dance," Bria says frowning.

"Decade dance?" I say.

"Decade dance. One of the coolest things our school organises? It's a dance in which you have to dress up according to a particular era. I like it." Bria says.

"Yeah, sounds pretty cool, but I don't think I'll be coming. All these decade dances and stuff, not really my thing. I'd rather go to the pub and dance alone." I say.

"So you won't be going to the decade dance?" Matt asks. I don't know if it's just me, but he sounds a little disappointed.

"I won't," I say flatly.

"I would if I were you" I hear someone say from behind. I know this voice too well now.

"Hi, I am Dylan. Can I talk to you, Leah??Alone?" I turn around and look at him. It's like my brain forgets how he looks like and everytime I see him, it goes damn. He stands near the window, so the golden sunlight falls right on his eyes, which makes his green orbs shine through the deep blue. I notice suddenly that the energy of the line room has changed. Everyone is staring at him, some girls stopping right on their way to the table. They look dumbstruck. Vanessa, one of the popular cool kids of our school or what they like to think they are, walks up to Dylan, combing her hand through her hair. I roll my eyes. It feels like I'm in some high school rom-com.

"Heyyy" She says in her fake sickly sweet voice, fluttering her thick fake eyelashes. "I'm Vanessa. Do you think maybe you could like help me with my phone. There's something wrong with it, doesn't have your number." Dylan doesn't even face her when she comes and stands beside him. He just looks at me with the same unreadable expression on his face.

Something is wrong.

"I'm sorry, whoever you are, I don't know you. I don't think I want to. I have to talk to Leah here. If you'll excuse us." Dylan says finally turning to face her. He touches my elbow and walks out of the room, as if he expects me to follow. Just at the door he turns back, directly facing Vanessa. "Also, appreciate the effort, but not gonna work. Not really my type. Try not to be a bitch to others and I might consider."
The whole cafeteria starts hooting loudly as Vanessa opens her mouth in disbelief. I'm contemplating on whether I should go or not and I turn back to see Bria's eyebrows arch up and she gives me a dude-don't-miss-the-opportunity kind of look.Matt has an unreadable expression on his face. I sigh and I get up.
I weals out of the cafeteria and I see him standing near one of the doors leading to the turf, looking out at the sun. His grey hair shines a bright golden in the morning sun and I see his muscles tense under the thin material of the black T-shirt he wears. Why do guys look hundred times hotter in the sun?

"So you're stalking me now? You're getting into my college?" I say walking towards him, sounding annoyed. He turns around and looks at me with a blank expression, which is scarier than any other expression that might have been on his face.
"We need to talk Leah. Some serious talk. Meet me outside the school gates. Alone." He says.
I would have snapped back at this if it weren't for the expression he had. Waves of anger radiated from him and something about him made me feel afraid.

" Okay," I say looking straight into his eyes. I don't want to seem afraid. He nods and turns around. He walks out onto the turf and disappears round the corner. I turn back and walk into the cafeteria. Everyone stares at me as I walk towards Bria. I see Vanessa frowning in the corner of my eyes and I smirk. I sit down and find Bria grinning at me like an idiot. I roll my eyes.

"Who is he?" She says smirking. Her eyes keep wandering to the door of the cafeteria, like she expects him to pop back in anytime.

"New kid. I have to help him with the homework" I say, lying.

"That's really cool. I wish I had that job. He looks like a freaking model. When I saw him, I went like damn boy! We had this connection you know. Those green eyes, it's like he saw me and knew me with one glance. Is he taken?" Bria asks.
"No definitely not." I say smiling.

"So I'm gonna shoot my shot. I'm gonna go with him to the decade dance. Wish me luck." Bria says seriously.

"You have my best wishes child." I say laughing.
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As soon as the school gets over, I walk towards the gates with Matt and Bria. They are both talking about the decade dance like every other student but I don't pay attention to that. My eyes search for Dylan. And they find him. Standing across the road.

"Guys, I gotta go. I have this after school stuff with the new kid." I say stopping and facing Bria and Matt.

"Cool cool. Don't forget to casually introduce me in a conversation. Tell him all the good stuff about him." Bria says winking. She turns around and launches into a conversation with a girl, talking about how she was going to decade dance with mysterious hot guy.
I start walking towards the gates when I hear Matt call out my name. I turn around to see him waving at me. I wave back at him laughing a little.
I nod my head and walk towards Dylan. Once I  cross the road, he beckons me to follow him. He walks ahead of me in a long fast strides. I run to catch up with him and look at his profile. His jaw is clenched and his mouth is a tight line. We turn into an alley that ends in a wall.
He turns around to face me.

"Cordelia Lynn. You had one job. Just the one. You had to find a woman named Isla. You didn't find her. Or should I say, Isla Lynn?" Dylan's eyes turn dark blue, like a sea in a storm.

" You never told us her full name. Or did you forget your own mother's name?" Dylan brings his hand to his forehead and looks at me. He sighs.

"You know Leah, I was trying so hard to be good to you and this is what I got. Lies. When I want something, I get it. Whatever it takes. Now I know exactly what I have to do."

He moves towards me and looks directly into my eyes.

"Take her," Dylan says. I feel a sharp pain at the back of my head, and as I lose my vision, falling down, I feel arms around me.

" I'm the bad guy Leah." I hear him say slowly before being plunged into darkness.