Emeralds- revised

Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

The first day I considered trying to forget, the sun was shining with such brilliance that I had to stay indoors just to protect my eyes. The ground was still frozen solid, and the air whipped my light brown hair against my cheeks. It was sickeningly warm for winter, but it was Saturday, so I wasn't forced to suffer the warmth.

The sun had gone down hours ago and with it the heat. Around ten, there was little light, and the temperature fair, so I stepped out of the house to sit on the steps of our little house. The crisp wind gave me a slight shiver, but I was comfortable all things considered. I pushed my glasses back to where they were supposed to be and wrapped my light sweater tighter around me. My light strawberry blonde hair swayed gently in rhythm with the wind as I synchronized my breathing to my heart beat.

"I wish you were here, April," I sighed under my breath. I failed at forgetting once more. I could feel the stinging in my eyes as I was about to start crying, but the wind dried my eyes before I was able to full on out bawl. That was good. My sister had died three years prior to my sophomore year in high school, and I was still trying to cope. She was eighteen, voted most likely to succeed, valedictorian and whatnot. She was torn from life in every aspect. There was no other way around it. The first time my grandparents allowed her to go to the mall alone, her body was found burned almost beyond recognition and torn limb from limb. Every night I had vivid dreams of her being torn, ripped, cut, bleeding, burning, crying, screaming for her baby sister's help, but I could never find the will to go because what difference would it make? She was gone either way.

Sunday passed in a blur and then Monday came, torture came. Upon walking into school, kids threw their glares at me. I was known as 'the dead girl's sister' because so many people were friends with April. They hated me. The worst of them all was Jason. As I walked carefully to my locker, I scanned every face I could see to assure myself he wasn't coming today. I didn't do such a great job. Right when I turned around two burly hands shoved me against my locker and kept doing it over and over. I shrieked as the sharp metal sliced into my hand. Everyone was watching this, even the teachers. About to shove me into the locker again, Jason's hands fell and all of the murmuring vanished. I stole a glance behind me. Jason stood with his clammy hands pressed to his thighs and his stance wasn't threatening. It was retreating. At first I thought a teacher had been brave enough to stand up for me, but it wasn't a teacher. A tall, lean and muscular boy, well boy was a bit of an understatement. This guy towered over Jason, and Jason towered over my five foot self. I began trembling as soon as I saw the guy's eyes. They were a vibrant emerald green, almost too vibrant, but they were honestly beautiful. Even from feet away I could make out the melted gold swimming around the rims of his eyes and taking me in skeptically, almost like he couldn't believe that Jason was hurting me. The guy's skin was so white, so abnormally white I started to think he was some type of albino, but his hair was a deeply brown crew cut, and his eyes didn't match for an albino.

"Is there a reason you had your hands on her?" his deep voice asked. His voice was sweet, yet cold at the same time. It invited me in, but kicked me out in perfect unison. I'd never seen him before, so I started to think maybe he was a new principle, but he was dressed too casually for that. He had light jeans on with a red flannel on that complimented his hair quite nicely.

"I was helping her get her books out of her locker," Jason said in his awkwardly high soprano voice that was distinctly male.

"No, no, I can smell the blood. Now why were you touching her?" Jason snorted.

"You can't smell blood, genius." The guy crossed his arms.
"It has a very...distinct scent, now, leave her alone."

"No. I'll do what I want," Jason laughed. The guy took two long strides before he closed the six foot gap between the two. In an even lower voice, the guy said, "If you want to hurt someone, hurt me. I promise you won't get very far." A sly smile passed his lips.
"That would be too easy," Jason crossed his arms and looked up at the sadistic figure.

"Really?"

"Oh yeah. Want me to try?"
"No," the guy was very clear.

"What, is the big bad wolf afraid of the brick house?"
"No, I don't want to fight you."

"Sure you don't," Jason clicked his tongue.

"I don't. I want you to leave her alone. And if you don't, then I'll make sure you can't touch anything for a while. You hear me?" Both of them were so close to me, I was sure I was the only one able to hear this. Everyone else just watched.

"What is she to you?"
"She's a woman, respect her."

"Or what?" The guy shook his head at the question. He moved swiftly over to someone's opened locker and looked inside. The books were torn and a few empty beer bottles were on the bottom shelf.
"Not gonna miss this," I heard him mutter under his breath. At first I thought he was going to hit Jason with the bottles, but instead he grabbed ahold of the locker door and with barely the slightest tug, pulled it cleanly off of its hinges.

"That'll be you," he said tossing the door into a garbage can. He didn't linger by Jason a second longer, but instead came towards me and grabbed the two books my hand was frozen on and asked me to move my hands. After I did he shut my locker and walked me to the nurse.

The whole time I waited for the short and stout woman to fix my hand, the guy stayed beside me. "What's your name?" he asked as the nurse burned my hand with some type of applicant.

"Amber," I barely choked out. "You?"

"Jeremiah Keely, I'm new here. Well actually my brother, sister and I are all new here."
"Mm, I'm sorry. I hope you findsomething to your liking."

"Ahh, thank you. I'll tell them you said that. I already have, but I'm not sure about them." I laughed despite the shooting pain in my hand. How sharp was that metal?

"Threatening the most threatening? That doesn't exactly have attractiveness to it. Oh, well I guess we're all different." He snorted.
"You have no idea," he said as though he was keeping something more from me.

"Good to go, sweetheart," the nurse interjected. I muttered thanks to her as Jeremiah opened the door for me to leave.
"What do you have first period?" he asked, his eyes evaluating my expression.

"Health, you?"

"Health, do you mind if I walk with you?" I shook my head. "Alright then."

"Yeah."
"So, tell me, Amber," I'd always hated my name, but the way he said it made it sound right, and made me want to turn to liquid. "What do your parents think of all of your "accidents" at school?"

"What do you mean?" There was no way he could have known that.

"Well, I'm sure you wouldn't just tell them that kids push you up against lockers and call you wonderful things."

"No, you're right," I said abruptly. "My parents are dead."

"I know," he answered. "I wanted you to tell me."

"How would you...?"

"Ahh, we're here, I advise you sit down, the bell is going to ring soon." He shot me a quick smile before he took the seat behind me. I rolled my eyes and contemplated how he would've known that. I had never told anyone.