Save Me

No More Drama

Five minutes before the bell rang for class to be over, the email icon popped up again. Fearing that it was a message from Darken, I ignored it until the end of class. The Ice Warlock ducked out the second the bell rang and I checked it when I knew he was gone, the crystal under my skin going still.

It was from Peter.

Thank you freaking god.  

______________________________________________ 

From: Peter Marks

To Cassandra South-Kennedy

Subj: Janitor’s Closet

 

Study period…you’re mine.

Enjoy your freedom.

 

With a chuckle, I closed my computer and headed to music class. This semester we were given a total of six classes instead of the classic four. My study period was my last class of the day and would be held in the library. That, thankfully, would be with Peter since I haven’t seen him since lunch. After spending a whole class period sitting across the room from Darken, my nerves were as raw as skin during the winter, no pun intended. It would be nice just to sit next to Peter in the library, holding his hand while he tried to catch me up on what I’d missed last semester.

And maybe do something else…

Trying to get my attention off my incredibly hot, both literal and figurative, boyfriend, I focused on the music class. I kept telling myself as I put one foot in front of the other in the direction I was supposed to be going that I could do this. That I wanted to take this class. But I had that annoying nagging feeling that was telling me to switch classes, that it wasn’t worth it. I could play the piano on my own at home without being graded on it. There was no need to put myself under this kind of stress.

“It’ll be fine.”

I sighed and looked to my left. Erik, in his transparent state, was walking next to me, matching me step for step.

“How do you know?”

He shrugged. “It’s a part of you. It’s something you need to do in order to heal. I’m sure it’ll be hard at first but you’ll be fine.”

“Again, how do you know?”

“Because I know you. You need this, Earth Girl, even if you don’t know it yet.”

I turned my attention back to the building as it loomed at me from up ahead.

“What if I’m not as good as I used to be?”

“Is this one of those ‘insecure’ moments teenage girls are rumored to have?”

“Erik…”

“Fine, fine.” He sighed and came to a stop which just forced me to stop. I stared at him, wondering what piece of wisdom he was about to bestow on me this time. “Just…you might not even have to play the piano today. From what I’ve gathered by keeping an eye on you that it’s all syllabus reading and goal setting. Nothing too invasive.”

I just stared at him, dumbfounded. “Alright.” I put my fist on my hip. “Who are you and what have you done with the real Erik Paramore?”

“Sucked that bad?”

“You think?” His face broke out in a face splitting grin. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“Everything is going to be fine, Earth Girl. You survived sitting in a classroom with my baby brother for seventy five minutes, I think you can deal with a music class. Stop worrying about it. You’ll get gray hair before you’re supposed to and then I get to call you Granny before I’m meant to.” A funny look crossed his face and the corner of his mouth tweaked up. “You know what, scratch that. Worry about it because I think gray hair would suit you. You’d be a miniature Alma and there’s nothing really wrong with that.”