The Infinity Coven Trilogy_A Dark Temptation (Volume 1)

Chapter 2

Rossmore high school was just three miles away and she preferred walking. This would be a good exercise to calm her nerves. All her efforts of being nice were being futile. She wondered why her grand-aunt hated her so much.

On her way, she came across a cake shop where a wide variety of freshly baked goods daily; gourmet cookies, fresh apple cake, cheesecake slices, chocolate eclairs, strawberry torte, decadent brownies and muffins were displayed in the window. She stepped inside, still indecisive about what to eat as they all made her mouth water.

She bought a brownie on the way as a replacement for breakfast. As she waited for her double espresso, a hand rested on her shoulder. She turned back to stare in the face of a woman in her mid thirties who gave her a friendly smile.

"If I'm not mistaken, you're the relative of Helen Deveraux, right?"

"Yes... and you are..."

"Oh! How silly of me!" She pushed her long black hair away from her face. "I'm Eva Beckett. You can call me Eva."

"And you can call me Quinn," she added with a warm smile.

"Going to high school?" she said. Quinn nodded and drank her double espresso.

"I'll drop you. It's on my way to the hospital." Quinn considered the option. "I'm a doctor, you can trust me."

"Okay."

***

Eva showed her some shortcuts she could use if ever she had to walk again. All the way, they held a friendly conversation but Quinn was alarmed. She knew Eva wanted to extract information about her stay here in Blue Haven. It was hard enough to adjust and being the new gossip in town wouldn't help.

She pulled over at Rossmore high school and just when Quinn reached for the doorknob, she stopped her.

"Quinn, whenever you need help, remember I'm always available for you," she said gently.

"I will. Thanks for the ride." She got out hastily, desperate to get away from this curious doctor.

For a moment, she stood, rooted on the spot, gazing around her in dismay. Not only did the sky lacked colors today, even the high school was grey. It seemed like it was designed by some maniac who was obsessed with that dreary color. It appeared dull and uninviting to Quinn. New hallways, new lockers, new classrooms, new desks, she thought. New faces instead of the friends she'd known in New York. Oh, it couldn't be true.

But she knew she had to embrace the sudden change in her life. Now was the time to prove to herself that she can belong here, in Blue Haven.

The parking lot was crowded with other students. Laughter sounds from cliques girls, joined with excited conversations on the left side and shouts. As she walked by, heads turned in her direction. The guys gave her appraising looks while the girls stared back viciously. Quinn flashed a confident smile, walking straight forward. She was used to that kind of attention by now.

In front of her, a small group had circled three blondes, all dressed in royal blue with high long ponytails and a shy looking boy.

"How many times will I have to repeat myself Luke, whenever you see me around, you better make yourself scarce," the tallest super long ponytail blonde said. "Or else dumb boy, the consequences will be nasty."

The boy named Luke lowered his head silently and he fidgeted with his glasses as they slid down his nose.

"You seem to forget my punishments. I have to refresh your memories now, don't I ?" she continued in a vicious tone.