Salvation

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

                “Can you believe the amount of homework we were assigned in government?  It’s like Mr. Barrie expects that we have nothing better to do than learn about our government,” my closest friend Melanie whines as she sits down, slamming her tray as she goes.  She picks up her chocolate chip muffin, looking at it with a desperate longing.  “Shiloh, take the muffin out of my hand,” she says, her chocolate brown eyes reflecting want.

                I swallow back a sigh as I pluck the muffin out of her hand.  “Why don’t you just quit the stupid dieting?”

                “I want to start looking better,” she huffs, plucking a lettuce leaf and staring at it like it ruined her life.

                “You don’t need to Mel.”

                “As if, maybe I want to look like you?” she says, eyeing me jealously.  I roll my eyes.

                “I’d kill to look like you,” I reply back and she rolls her eyes.  You see, Melanie, although a few pounds over average, is mostly all curves and it fits her 5 foot 10 inch frame perfectly.  Her dark brown hair is wavy with the perfect amount of natural volume.  If we were back in King Henry the V age, Melanie would have been quite the catch.  I, on the other hand, have nothing going for me.  I’m almost 5 foot 4 inches, and the best things I have are my legs.  Although I’m short, I have extremely long legs.  It was useful back when I jumped hurdles, but now all I do is trip over myself awkwardly.  It doesn’t help that I have natural auburn hair and a few freckles. 

                “Whatever,” she says, but she takes back her muffin making me laugh a little.  “Have you heard about the transfer student?  He just came today,” she asks around a mouthful muffin. 

                “No, is he in our grade?” I ask, taking a bite out of my apple.  I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. 

                Melanie shoots me a disgusted look but she continues, “Yeah, but I think he flunked a year though.  He’s from California I think.  He has this whole tall, dark, and mysterious thing going down,” she says, licking her lips with a gleam in her eyes.  “I’d love to take a bite out of him.”  I roll my eyes at her, chuckling a little.  “Just wait until you see him babe, you’ll know what I’m talking about.”  Melanie’s eyes scan the lunchroom and they widen slightly as she makes a squealing sound.  “There he is!” she says, pointing somewhere over my shoulder. 

                I turn around and search a little, frowning as I do.  All the students sitting around the tables are all familiar.  “I don’t see anyone new Mel,” I tell her glancing over at her. 

                “He’s right there, at the table pushed all the way in the corner!” she says in an urgent whisper.  My eyes scan over the area before they stop at a hunched figure.  The person’s back is covered in a black jacket that ends a little after where his dark wash boot cut jeans are.  “Isn’t he h-o-t hot?” she asks, whispering in my ear even though there’s no way he’d be able to hear us.  I make a sound at the back of my throat, but I can’t tear my eyes away from the hunched figure.  He shifts slightly, and the next thing I know, he’s facing our way and my heart flutters like an awkward bird.  I don’t know how, but I know he’s staring right at me.  Our lunch room isn’t that big, but I shouldn’t be able to tell that his eyes are a deep blue color or that the hair that’s peaking out over a hood is a dirty blond.  Questions start to swarm around my head.  Who is this guy?  Where did he come from?  Why do I get a bad vibe from him?  Most importantly, why is it that as soon as his eyes touched mine, I felt like we were… connected?  I shiver a little.

                “Shiloh!” Melanie says loudly in my ear, snapping me out of my daze.  I blink a few times before looking away from the guy.  “Are you alright?” she asks.  And I nod, letting out a shaky laugh.

                “Yeah, sorry, I was just worrying about rather or not I got next hour’s homework done,” I lie, but my voice is weak and I can’t think of a better fib.  Who is that guy?

                “Well, the bell just rang, so we better head to Biology,” she says, her eyes still looking at me with concern. 

                “Yeah,” I say, glancing over my shoulder to see that the guy left.  I shake my head and laugh a softly.  The only reason why I reacted like I did is because I’m sleepy.  Yeah, that’s it.  I need to stop staying up so late at night.  I look back over to Melanie smiling a little, “Let’s go.”