The Elements Trilogy: The Secondaries

Chapter 32: Metal

We were halfway to the dance when Derek grabbed Evalynn by the arm and spun her around to face him. He then proceeded to hold her hand, and get down on one knee.

"What is he doing?!" Diamond hissed in my ear. "I didn't mean that big of a romantic gesture!"

But I didn't answer. I was to busy internally freaking out.

I expected Evalynn to cuss at him, or make him stand up, or at least do something, anything at all. But she didn't. She just stood there, staring at him with wide eyes.

Nobody dared to speak. It was Derek that broke the silence. "Evalynn," he began. "I know we've only been together for a week now, so this may seem kind of rushed..."

"So don't do it!" Diamond shrieked quietly in my ear, her nails digging sharply into my arm.

"...but there is no one else I would rather do this with."

"Oh dear Lord, I can't watch," Diamond moaned, but she didn't look away.

"So Evalynn Lillian Parker...will you go to the dance with me?"

By now Evalynn's eyes were bugging out of her skull, her chest rising rapidly, as she was on the verge of hyperventilating. "What the...Holy....Der, you scared the shit out of me." she breathed.

Derek just simply grinned.

"Yes, of course, but oh my God, Derek. What on earth possessed you to do that?"

He stood up and enveloped her in a hug. "Let's just say I had a little inspiration," he winked at Diamond who looked like she was on the verge of a heart attack.

They walked away, Evie and David following them. They were laughing so hard, they were crying and could barely stand up straight.

Diamond started to follow them, but I grabbed her arm. "Would that have been such a crazy idea?" I asked her.

"What, Derek proposing? Uh, yeah! They've only been together for a week!"

"Okay, but say they've been together longer. A lot longer. And say they were in love, which they obviously are by the way, although neither one will admit it. Would that have been such a crazy idea? They've graduated. They're old enough. Is it crazy?" I mentally pleaded for her to say no.

She hesitated. "I don't know...why though?"

Before I could answer, one of the twins screamed.

Diamond and bolted down the hallway, and quickly caught up with them. Derek was doubled over, vomiting.

I sighed with relief. It was only vomit. Nobody was dying.

But then Evalynn looked up at us, wild eyed. "He inhaled yellow fever virus today," she whispered, mortified. "And look." She pointed to the pile of vomit on the floor.

Derek just wasn't vomiting. He was vomiting blood.

*** Skylar's POV

Heart pounding, I opened the door after getting ready for the dance, and was greeted by a grinning Harry.

"Ready?" he asked me.

I simply nodded. My mouth was dry, and my palms were sweaty. I don't know why I was so nervous. I had dated this guy for three years before. We had had sleepovers, and camp outs. We went to the beach together, and spent our New Years nights together.

But he had also spent the last few months believing I hated him. And I had. A little. But when Tony told me why he had dumped me, all that hate had melted away.

My thoughts were interrupted by my phone ringing. It was Evie. "She's probably just wondering where we are," I hit the reject button, and turned my phone off.

Harry held out his arm, and I linked mine through his. As I did so, I was forcibly reminded of our junior prom.

When we got to the dance area, it was very dark, and very crowded. The only light came from the DJ stand up on a stage. Tables were set up everywhere, and an open bar was set up in the back. I made a mental note to keep away from it.

"I wonder where everyone else is." I murmured.

"Sky," Harry looked at me.

"Hmm?" I scanned the crowd for anyone at all.

"Listen."

"I am, Harry."

"No, listen to the song."

"Huh?" I had to strain to hear the song over everyone talking and laughing, but I managed to hear it; Look After You by The Fray was playing, as everybody was swaying back and forth on the dance floor.

I looked up at Harry as my heart thundered like a runaway train in my chest. "That's our song," I whispered. Then I cursed myself. It wasn't our song anymore. It used to be our song. Why would he think it was still our song, after over a year of being apart?

But a slow smile appeared on Harry's face, and he reached out, and ran his hand down my jawline. "That's our song," he whispered back.

Then slowly, almost too slowly in my opinion, he started leaning down toward me.

My breath caught in my throat as his mouth got closer to mine, and I watched his long eyelashes close over his warm caramel brown eyes.

I squeezed my eyes shut, and I felt his warm breath on my mouth. Then slowly, very very slowly, I felt his lips brush gently against mine, and then he started to pull away.

I could tell he didn't want to rush it. I think he was afraid of making me angry since he was the one who had hurt me. Which meant I was the one calling the shots. And that meant he wasn't about to stop kissing me.

Even though he was 9 inches taller than I was, I somehow managed to get my hands around his neck to pull him down. My neck was painfully craned upward, my toes burning as I stood on them to make myself taller.

Harry seemed surprised at first, as if he hadn't expected me to continue the kiss. But then he returned the kiss so wholeheartedly, he knocked me back down onto my flat feet.

His arms swept around me, and pulled me closer, so I was right up against his chest. My fingers tangled in his hair, and I heard him hiss in pain against my lips as my hands formed fists.

I felt his hand slightly touch my jaw, and goosebumps broke out underneath his hand, and I could tell it wasn't just from him touching me. As ours mouths continued to move in strange, confusing ways, I felt ice form on my jawline where his hand was.

On my back, where his palm lay against me, holding me close to his chest, his hand began to turn painfully cold.

But before I could tell him to control himself, I heard Evie shout my name.

I tore away from Harry as if I had been burned. My cheeks felt warm, and my pulse was racing. I didn't dare to look over at Harry. "E-Evie?" I called back.

"Skylar! Skylar, come!" Evie pushed through the crowd, half-hysterical. "Skylar, please you have to come!"

"Evie, what's wrong? Tell me what's wrong!" I gripped her shoulders, and held her up. "What's wrong?!"

"It's Derek!" she gasped. "I think he's dying!"