Prologue
The sky darkened and purple swells bloomed in the distance, the vicious, biting wind clawing at Cassie's jacket. She tugged her hood closer around her face, cursing herself for forgetting to bring gloves. Ahead, Jack's Diner shone like a beacon against the dark sky, its neon sign - missing the A - and crumbling walls beckoned Cassie like a lighthouse. Heaving against the door she made her way inside, the dirt and debris off the deserted street flustering in after her until she slammed it firmly closed, impatiently tugging at the chequered scarf around her neck. Inside, the diner was dimly lit, fluff spilling out of the once plushy red sofas. She headed over to an empty table at the front of the diner, scowling at the layer of grease on the rim. Closing her eyes she rubbed her hand across her forehead and sighed, she'd had a hard day at school and now this - a storm kicks up on her way home.
"What can I get you?” Cassie glanced up, startled, the waitress waking her from her thoughts. "Tea with extra sugar, please."
She peered around the diner. It was almost empty - a young couple were curled up on one of the more intact sofas, and there were a few other people dotted about the room. No one she knew. Turning towards the counter, she rapped her fingers on the tabletop, quickly pulling them away as she remembered the slick icing of grease. Someone in the corner of the diner caught her eye, a boy about her age, older maybe, slim and tall, with messy dark hair and a leather jacket. She ran her eyes over him, wondering whether she could introduce herself, and then... he looked up. Their eyes met and all of a sudden she was afraid, her breath catching in her chest as she froze like ice under his gaze. He was angry, that much was clear in the shape of his brows, the tension in his posture, like a lion ready to pounce. Some primal part of her brain screamed at her desperately to run as his eyes flashed an unnatural shade of silver, but her muscles wouldn't respond. Lightning illuminated the diner and she flinched at the sudden break of thunder, the boy gone from her mind as she whipped her head round to the floor length window. Storms like this terrified her. Moving her gaze up she realised the waitress was back, trotting over to her table with a steaming mug of sweet tea. She slid the coins over to her, wrapping her icy hands around the mug, sighing at the heat that radiated from it. She closed her eyes and took a sip of the sugary golden liquid, blocking out the crashes of thunder as she waited for the storm to pass.
He knew she saw him. She'd looked him in the eyes. He'd felt her look at him, felt her realize his presence, this filthy human. He'd moved the storm, and in the crack of thunder and lightning she'd forgotten him, forgotten he existed. Which is how is always should be, always has been. Humans cannot see the Tempus.
Chapter One
"Hello?” Cassie lurched out of her chair for the phone, throwing biscuit crumbs all over the carpet. Great. She sighed and began to brush them up, grasping the phone between her shoulder and ear.
"Hello?"
"Ahh, may I speak to Mees Cassandra Steevenson please?"
Cassie snorted and began to twist a strand of hair around her finger.
"Give it up Josh!! Your accent is horrible."
"Pfft, whatever blondie. So, you coming to the pictures tonight? Wait - don't decide yet. Consider this, if you say yes...” he paused for dramatic effect. Cassie rolled her eyes and grinned.
"Josh, come on, you know-"
"- I'll let you choose the popcorn flavour!! Cass, you know how much I like sweet, this is big."
"Josh," she sighed, "you know I can't go."
She dropped into the cushy armchair strategically placed beside the phone, and picked up her notebook.
"I've got tons of home work to finish by Monday. Which means you do too, and I swear if you 'forget' Miss Simm's home work again she will explode." She brushed the crumbs back onto the desk and absentmindedly doodled on the page in front of her. "Or you know, detention."
"Look Cass, you've got to live a little. What about I come over and we can both work on this thing you call homework. I'll see you at seven, yes? Yes?"
"Josh I-"
"See you in half an hour!”
The shrill tone signalled that the conversation was over. Smiling to herself Cassie stood up and wandered into the kitchen, cleaning away the cups and plates left over from tea. Josh was her best friend, and they'd known each other since she was seven. He'd lodged a castle shaped, blue bucket around her skull in primary school, and the first thing she'd seen after it'd been removed was his anxious face, cautiously holding out his last cookie as a peace offering. She thought she sometimes caught him looking at her in a way that friends shouldn't, he was protective of her, kind and funny and - but she couldn't let anything happen. He was her only real close friend. Back in the lounge she glanced briefly at her notepad, her eyes narrowing in confusion. Picking up the page she flicked on the light and closely examined the sketch she'd done on the phone to Josh. It was boy, dark haired, but unfinished. She felt an irritating tickle at the back of her mind, as though she'd seen him somewhere before. It was just a doodle. She tossed it onto the armchair as the doorbell rang out through the house. Fab, she though, smiling, it was Josh. Now how was she going to get any work done?
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I know you should write for yourself, and not for other people, but I would really appreciate it if anybody who reads this would leave a comment, even if it's just a smile to let me know they liked it. :) I get all happy inside when I see that someone has left a comment <3 Thank you x
