Deathless [ON HOLD]

Chapter 1

By now, I've managed to somewhat calm myself. Claire asks in a hushed whisper, "Did you see the car accident back there?"

I feel my body tense up. "Yeah, I did. It looked really scary." I should bury what I saw in the back of my mind. That's right. I'm just a normal high school girl who's only worry is the chemistry test I haven't studied for. My lips curve in a bitter smile.

Normal. Yeah, right.

Claire glances back at the accident, now far away. "I hope they're okay," she says, voice dripping with pity. My eyes flicker towards my friend and a sinking feeling settles in the pit of my stomach.

"I hope so too."

***

'Attention all students. Anyone else caught skipping class will get an automatic detention,' the intercom blares from the speakers.

Head leaning against the palm of my hand, I find myself doodling on a discarded scrap of paper. A lock of chestnut hair escapes from the confinement of my hair tie and I tuck it behind my ear. The class has become rowdy, given that our substitute teacher hasn't given us the honor of showing up.

"Why's our school being so strict all of a sudden?" I ask Claire, the friend who's too occupied with her phone to strike up a conversation.

A mischievous smile spreads across her face and she rests her phone on the table. "I'll tell you, but you might get paranoid."

With the things I've seen, there's little that can shock me. I pretend to hesitate. "Tell me anyway."

"Rumor is, three girls from our school have gone missing since this morning. They all have one thing in common." She pauses for dramatic effect. "Can you guess what that is?"

"A shared interest in skipping class?"

Claire rolls her eyes and reprimands me. "No. They all went to the bathroom," she scoots closers and says in an eerie voice, "...and never came back. There's no way they would have skipped because they left their bags behind – phone and everything. Who would leave their phone?"

I lean in to dismiss her gossip, but a slamming door cuts me off. Heads turn to observe the intruder, chatter ceasing.

In walks a tall, lean figure, each step covering a good distance. His appearance is of a pretty boy, yet his refined demeanor gives him an air of nobility. Dark hair lines his face – the darkness a sharp contrast to his piercing blue eyes.

Judging from his face, it's clear the guy can't be much older than the rest of us. Fresh out of college maybe? Even with his hair slicked back and his body fashioned in professional clothes, it's impossible to hide his age.

The newcomer's bone chilling eyes hide behind black rimmed glasses as they dart around the room.

My stomach turns unpleasantly as his eyes flicker towards me. They pause for a quick moment – although I could have imagined it – then scan the rest of the class. Something is strangely familiar about him, but not in a good way. Whoever he is, it's best to avoid him.

The young man clears his throat. "Good morning class. I apologize for being late."

He leisurely makes his way to the teacher's desk and sets his stuff down, giving the class another sweep with his eyes. He leans against the desk and crosses his arms, his toned muscles prominent under his white button up shirt. His pearly white smile comes unexpected – dazzling, yet scary nonetheless. Never get close to a man who can make a dozen girls swoon with just a smile.

"I go by...well, I suppose you would call me Mr. Nobley. I was thinking we could do some free styling with water colors. Paint something from the top of your head. It could be anything...anything that won't get me in trouble." The class snickers in response.