It was easier now, dealing with all the stares and a muffled whisper of people too preoccupied with judging me than daring to live their own lives. This town was becoming used to my strange appearance and gentle giant of a companion, or it seemed to as considerably less people openly stared. The mixed smell of expensive perfumes, fried food-court food and new clothes danced around me. Bear trotted alongside me, keeping a watchful eye out yet appearing completely relaxed.
The strangest and simplest things inspired joy in me. For example, I held in my hands something so novel to the rest of the world, but it seemed so important and new to me. I wondered if I had loved music before. Well, before I had woken up without a memory.
Seeing a bench sitting in the middle of the hallway, I sat down and peeled back the layers of white cardboard. Smooth, clean metal smiled up at me.
"You look like you just won the lottery," He said, welcoming himself to the bench and my company.
"I haven't," I answered, letting Bear push his way between us, "What are you doing here?" Sliding the iPod into its case, I looked up at him and his unbearably dark eyes.
"It's Saturday, what aren't I doing here?" Drake joked, throwing me an achingly friendly smile.
Where I had once felt a mysterious draw to him, I felt an intolerable fury towards him. How could he not know that I'd worry over him, one of my few friends in this life, if he refused to acknowledge my presence suddenly? His behavior had repeatedly found its way into my thoughts during classes yesterday and even now. Unable to trust myself to answer civilly, I turned my eyes away from him and concentrated on slipping my precious box into its bag.
"Blaise?" Confusion and hurt painted his words and only served to fuel my own anger and injury further.
"What do you want me to say, Drake?" The words tumbled out before I could stop them, "That I'm sorry because I have no idea what to say to you?" In that moment, I wanted my words to hurt him, to make him feel the loss I felt everyday. It wasn't completely fair on him, but I couldn't hold it in anymore.
He stared at me, his eyes dark pools of endless black, and chose to say nothing.
Logic and emotion warred inside me, forcing me to be quiet for a little longer. I was mad at him, but I was angrier that I didn't know who I really was or anything else about myself. Taking a deep breath, I looked down at my empty hands.
"You got a new iPod?" Drake asked softly, out of the blue.
Startled, I looked up at him, "Uh, yeah I did," The careful, soft tone in his voice muddled my thoughts and had me stumbling over my words.
"What type of music do you like?"
Again, the strange normality of the question had me hesitate, "I don't know, if it's a good song, I don't mind what genre it is," I looked out at him from under my silvery blonde hair, "I think I prefer variations of Rock."
Drake looked away from me, making a point of casting his intense gaze elsewhere, "Cool."
His indifference to me was amazing, stunning and overall bizarre. The lack of fury in me rekindled the draw I felt toward him, and I recognized it now: curiosity.
"Blaise, you have to stop staring at me. It's getting embarrassing."
I felt flames lick at my face as I snapped my attention away from him, "I was not."
His blindingly white smile left me slightly breathless, "It's alright. Deny it, I know the truth," Drake winked, amusement in his eyes.
I shoved him to hide the redness in my face but I could disguise my smile, "You're such a jerk."
"Is that the best you can do? Jerk?" He taunted, feigning injury from the words and my shove.
"No, but I'll be nice," I retorted, glad that my blush had finally worn away.
"Blaise!"
A flash of Auburn hair caught my attention, as Jenna materialized out of the crowd.
"Hey Jenna," I replied with a smile.
An awkward silence ensued; so thick you could cut it with a knife. Subtly, I glanced between Drake and Jenna; taking in her crossed arms and guarded face, as well as his now serious expression.
"I have to go now, Blaise," He got to his feet abruptly, completely failing at disguising his real reason for leaving, "I'll see you later."
With that, he was gone, disappearing round the corner without looking back or waiting for an answer.
Jenna slid into the bench next to me, dropping the guarded pretense.
"What was that about?" I asked, feeling my eyebrows crease together.
Jenna stared at me, seemingly deciding what she should and shouldn't say, "I just don't like him, and he creeps me out, which also means that I won't trust him with my new friend."
After determining that she was telling the truth, I shrugged, "I think he's alright."
"Let's not talk about that then," She suggested, smiling finally, "What do you have there?"
I lifted the little white cardboard box, "My new iPhone."
"Cool, I wish I had the money to get one of those."
It was strange to hear, for an unknown reason, that I had more than someone else. Having so much money seemed so foreign to me.
"Well, let's go!" She sprung up from her perch on the bench and hauled me along with her. Bear, for his part seemed content to let her do the leading for once.
"What?" I sputtered, totally thrown off balance.
"We're going to go shopping!"
Despite myself, I smiled.
***
"You're insane!" I laughed, taking another sip of my vanilla milkshake as Jenna paraded around in the changing room area like a model.
"No, the prices of these are insane!" She put her hands on her hips and looked down at the gorgeous sleeveless mini dress and leather sandals she had on.
"Well, you are standing in Abercrombie and Fitch."
"Man, I don't know why I torture myself here," She bit her lip and then flipped her hair back, "What store next?"
"Another one?" I asked, bewildered.
"Don't look so surprised, babe. It's only been two hours," Jenna slipped back into her stall.
"Only?"
She poked her head out of the stall, "Have you never gone shopping before?"
I swallowed, knowing that I didn't remember having ever gone before, but I must have, right? "Of course I have-"
"Well, you haven't gone with me," She interrupted, disappearing again and then emerging in her old clothes with the dress and shoes back on hangers.
"You looked great in that," I told her, standing up and following her back into the dimly lit main store, Bear following wearily on my heels.
"Too bad I can't get it."
"Why not?"
She turned to face me, an eyebrow raised, "Did you not see the price tag? It's not even worth it."
I smiled and snatched the hangers from her, heading to the register.
"What're you doing?" Jenna called after me.
I slid the dress and sandals onto the checkout counter.
"Anything else?" The saleswoman asked.
"No, just these, thanks."
"That'll be one hundred and sixty eight dollars and ninety five cents."
I handed her my card, as I didn't have that much in bills lying around. After paying and having my new purchases slipped into a bag, I headed back to Jenna.
"Here you go," I held out the bag for her, waiting for her response.
"My god, Blaise! You can't do that for me," She gasped, looking at me with her eyes wide.
I frowned for a second, thoughtfully, "Guess I'll just have to let it sit in the back of my closet..."
She snatched the bag out of my hands, "No way! Don't joke about that."
"Your welcome?"
"Thank you!" She squealed, throwing her arms around my neck, forcing me to stumble backwards into Bear.
For the rest of the afternoon, I listened to her upbeat chatter as we wandered through the mall.
***
"So what do you think?" Jenna asked, her eyes pinned on some poor unsuspecting boy in the mall behind me.
"Of what?" I teased, throwing a casual glance behind me, trying to search out whomever she was staring at. It was then that my eyes locked on him, "Uh, I don't know Jenna."
Unintentionally, I heard something similar to disgust paint my words.
"I feel a story coming on," She smirked and dragged out the last word in a singsong voice.
I shoved her, laughing at her playful attitude, "I don't know, he's just not all that nice, is all."
"Uh-huh," Jenna raised an eyebrow, definitely unconvinced, "And what did blond-y do to you?"
I gave another fleeting look Alex's way before answering, "He's arrogant and smug for starters."
"Just look at him and you'll see why Blaise."
I shook my head ruefully, "I've talked to him a few times, he's infuriating, Jenna, and I can't really see past that."
She pouted for a second, flicking her one blonde strip of hair out of her face, "Fine, but what about them?" She waved at a group of boys in Letterman jackets, obviously not from around here.
"I don't think that's-"
"Oh lighten up, Buttercup," Jenna interrupted before making her way toward the group, "I'm gonna have some fun."
I watched her as she went, a horrible queasy feeling in my stomach. It was all just harmless wasn't it? Jenna was right: I needed to lighten up. Hesitantly, I followed along behind her, watching as she smiled and flirted with a tall brown haired boy. Awkwardly, I stayed on the fringe of things, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot.
That was until muscular arms wrapped around my waist from behind.
"What the-" I began.
"Shh," He breathed into my ear as I froze, stunned, "It's alright."
Mutely, I looked at Jenna, but she was too preoccupied with flirting to see what as going on here. I heard a familiar growl and looked at Bear. The arms around my waist stiffened.
Bear's fur was raised, his teeth bared in a snarl. All traces of his puppy like playfulness had disappeared. I struggled to loose myself from the guy's arms, but he wasn't taking that. I didn't know what would happen to Bear if he attacked this jock, but I wasn't stupid. Dogs that bit got put down.
"Bear, stay," I commanded reluctantly, but firmly, still trying to wriggle my way out of the guy's grasp, "Get off of me!"
At this, Jenna finally looked up, "Hey, get away from her!"
I could almost feel the arrogant smirk the boy would be throwing her way, "Nah, I think she likes it."
Bear's muscles tensed underneath his thick coat, readying himself to spring, regardless of what I said.
"I suggest you back off," Another voice added into the mix.
"Or what?"
I finally worked up the intelligence to slam the heel of my foot into the space between the end of the leg and the foot of my attacker. He hissed, and withdrew his hold. Thankfully, I sprung away from him, shaking. Bear didn't move, his white teeth glaring from underneath his muzzle.
"Stupid bi-"
A sharp crack filled the air as I looked on at the scene unfolding in front of me. Alex, despite being a head shorter than the guy, had thrown a punch with enough force that I believed that his nose was broken.
Bright crimson droplets fell on the floor as the guy let loose a string of curses, aimed at seemingly everyone around him. I felt a smaller pair of arms secure themselves around me, and was glad for Jenna's closeness.
The rest of the Letterman jackets rose to defend their fallen friend, but mall security was already fast approaching. Alex's jaw was clenched as he turned away from the guy with the broken nose.
The fire in his eyes melted the ice that surrounded me, that had held me frozen. He shook his hand, like he was trying to shake off the pain. He strode toward Jenna, Bear- who still hadn't given the growling a rest- and I, anger rolling off of him in waves. He opened his mouth to say something, but if I had expected sympathy, I had another thing coming.
"Would you try not to attract trouble, for once?" He snapped, as if this was my entire fault.
I gaped at him, unable to process a coherent thought.
Before I could formulate an answer, he had walked away, cradling his hand against his chest.
"Whoa, I know what you mean now," Jenna breathed, very unhelpfully.
Once security ushered the Letterman jackets out of the mall, Bear settled down, like he'd never been bothered in the first place.