Dark Torment

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Kaleigh! You have got to see the new guy!" Cadence said, appearing beside me out of nowhere. Sometimes she reminded me of the affenpinscher I used to own—she almost bounced in excitement over just about anything.

"Don't tell me. Hot and in our same class? Or just the hottest guy you've seen ever?" I replied sarcastically. Her reactions to new guys were predictable. 

I busied myself with opening my locker without dropping the books I held in my arms. 

"No way. This guy is totally—ugh! He got kicked out of his last two schools, and Chelsea Morgan says he was in juvie." Cadence grinned. "Besides, everybody knows Matt is the hottest guy ever." She jabbed me in the side, making me flinch. I gave her a warning look.

She jabbed me again, and this time I succeeded in dropping my books. "I wouldn't know," I grumbled. Cadence squatted along with me to pick up my scattered books and papers. "Matt's my brother, remember?"

Cade rolled her eyes. "He did ask about me at lunch, right?"

"Yeah"—I picked up a few pages of my story drafts and tucked them away in my locker before she could make me drop them again— "he said, 'How's Cadence?' and I said, 'She's fine,' and then he gave me half of his peanut butter sandwich."

I swear, if she hadn't already proved to me she was loyal, I'd worry she was only my friend to get close to my brother—like half the other girls in this school.

"Hurry up," she said, glancing over her shoulder.

"You could help." I slammed my locker shut and grabbed my backpack. 

Cadence made a gesture to grab my backpack from me—which made me roll my eyes. "What's with you anyway? How's your story going?"

"I can't get it to sound right."  I started weaving through the boisterous hallway. Cade kept pace with me. "I'm starting over."

"But it's due Friday," she answered. 

"I can't turn it in if it doesn't sound right. I just can't."

"I don't think you would struggle with that," Cadence said. "You're an awesome writer. Besides, the new guy seems to like it."

I stopped in my tracks, widening my eyes at her. "What?"

Cadence bounced in her feet. She grabbed my arm. "Come on. You have to see this." She sprang toward the Creative Writing room, pulling me with her.

I tried to pull my arm from her grasp as we walked. "You are so weird."

Cade just laughed and quickened her pace.

"Here she comes,"  Audrey Harper called as we rounded the corner to the classroom. A group of students leaned against the entryway. They parted to either side as we approached, staring at the both of us. I saw Colleen looking at me briefly and whispering something to Chelsea.

"What's the big deal?" I asked, looking around.

Cade pointed to my seat. "That is."

I stopped and stared at him. This guy more than pushed the limits of the normal dress code in a holey black T-shirt—with the words Kill 'em all emblazoned on it—and black, slightly oversized jeans, shredded at the knees. His shaggy, dyed-black hair hid his face, and he held a notebook in his pale white hands. It was my attempt at a new short story, and he was sitting in my seat.

I left the group of gawkers and strode up to the desk. "Excuse me, this is my seat."

"Then you must be Kaleigh," he said without looking up. Something about his raspy voice made my hairs stand on end.