I Am an Invisible Stalker (Guardians #2)

Chapter 5

Vincent's POV

"You lasted less than two minutes," I chuckle and reach into the pocket of my hoodie. I pull out a circular pocket watch. With a click, I pop it open and observe the seconds head as it mechanically moves around the clock's inner circle. "One minute and fifty-three seconds to be precise."

The chainless watch presses onto my hand, weighing one pound more than it should. At the same time, it still feels a pound lighter than it does when inside my zip-up hoodie's pocket. The weight in both cases has nothing to do with the material the watch is made out of, though.

"That's not what I asked." My charge Charlie scowls from where he is still sitting at his usual desk. "I don't remember you and Eliza meeting before. So, how do you know her?"

"Not you, too." I close the watch with a final click and place it back inside my pocket. Then I lean further against the back of the wooden chair but keep my face turned toward Charlie. I can't let anyone know that my charge is able to see me; especially not a certain female Guardian. "Am I that unmemorable?"

"You saying you've met her before?" Charlie peeks around me to where I know Eliza is sitting.

"Yes. We met during the family dinner you had with your brother's girlfriend and her mother." Just like Charlie, I can't resist stealing a glance behind my back. Eliza is still perched on top of an empty desk. Instead of on us, though, she has her eyes focused on her charge, who is obliviously chatting with a group of four students clustered around her desk.

"You're talking about Olivia, right?" Charlie pulls my attention back to him.

"Yes." I nod, picturing the impulsive girl Charlie's older brother, Nick, needed a year and a half to get to finally agree to go out with him. I still remember that I was among those who didn't think the two would ever grow to be more than friends. Not when Olivia looked like she was mourning someone for the first few months of her acquaintance with Charlie.

"You're saying you met Eliza during the dinner with Olivia and her mom; the one where Nick officially introduced Olivia as his girlfriend?"

"That's the one."

"I don't remember Eliza being there. Only Olivia's sour-looking Guardian."

"She was there," I disagree. Though Eliza popped up only by the time the two families were getting ready to leave, it still gave me enough time to get a quick feel of what kind of Guardian she was. And ever since then I have been looking forward to another meeting between the Wright and the Han family. There was just something about Eliza... Something familiar...

I'm spared from explaining any of this by the buzz of the bell and the arrival of the long-legged history teacher, Amor Guerra. Like always she wobbles into the classroom with a pair of high heels and an armful of thick history books. The instant she enters the room two male students jump to their feet and engage in a game of rock-paper-scissors. They use the game to determine which of them has the right to help carry the young teacher's books.

"Good morning, class," Ms. Amor greets the students and allows the victor of the game to carry her books to her already crumbling desk. "I have a wonderful surprise for you today. I've decided to mix things up, so instead of on your own you will be working on this month's project in pairs."

The teenage humans erupt into instant chatter, while the teacher tugs her long hair behind her ear and strolls to her desk. Once there she thanks the student who carried her books with a smile. Her expression of gratitude might last only for a second, but it's enough to send the boy stumbling to his desk while clutching onto his heart. Ms. Amor, after all, looks like a beauty fresh out of college—which I believe she actually is. She has been working at the school for only two years and I doubt she was old enough to be employed anywhere else before that.