The heavy batter of rainfall stirred me from my sleep in the early morning. I opened my eyes and stretched groggily. My alarm clock was blinking on 12: 00. I groaned and rolled to the side. I fumbled around my bed stand until I landed my hand on my cell phone. Five. I groaned again.
I swung my feet over the edge of the bed and touched them down onto the cold wooden floor. My room was really cold. I guessed it was because I just got out of my warm bed. I knew I wouldn't be able to get any more sleep so I decided to get ready. I pulled out the clothes I was going to wear and trooped to the bathroom to do my morning routine. The hot spray from the shower woke me up.
When I returned to my room it was just turning six and the sun was beginning to creep into my room. I shivered. It definitely wasn't me. My room was freezing! I surveyed my room, and did a double take when I saw my window. It was slightly open. Why was it opened? I locked it last night! I swallowed and spun around for another take of my room. It was the wind, I told myself unconvincingly. What else would it be? I tossed my clothes onto my floor and raced down the stairs.
Will was in the kitchen cooking breakfast. The smell of bacon reached my nose and I almost gagged.
"Morning," Will greeted me when he noticed I'd entered the kitchen. He yawned and gestured to the table where toast and eggs were placed on a plate.
"Those are yours."
I nodded and sat down. I had extra time today, so I decided to make hot chocolate.
"Will?" I asked throwing a cup of water into the microwave. I would make it the simple way today.
"Yeah?" he replied, sitting at the table with his breakfast.
"Were you, um, in my room last night?" I questioned him.
"No." He shook his head. "Why?"
"Nothing at all," I replied biting my lip. It was just the wind. It had been windy after the storm. I stirred in two packets of powder and sat back down at the table.
Will was reading the newspaper.
"This is weird," he murmered, his eyebrows furrowing.
"What is?" I asked chewing on eggs.
"They found a guy in town today with a broken neck. But there's no evidence of a struggle. And he was just in the middle of the street so there was nothing to harm him either." Will sighed. "I guess it's another murder case. Watch it be assigned to me."
I choked on my eggs and Will looked up at me alarmed.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," I gasped, my eyes burning. A murderer? My window open this morning? My hands began to shake. No, I was just jumping to conclusions. I had already settled on the wind opening it.
The rain continued to pound down on the roof as I returned up to my room to grab my school bag. I looked out the window before shutting it. There weren't any broken branches on the tree, and the window was still locked. I pushed the lock down and it popped back out again. Broken. I laughed. So it was the wind! I shut the window and slung my bag over my shoulder and raced down the stairs.
"Give me a ride!" I ordered as I entered the kitchen. Will looked up from putting his shoe on.
"Maddie," he frowned. "I can't be late."
"It's raining!"
"Dustin still has to walk."
"But-" I was interrupted by the door bell ringing. "I'll get it." I told Will, confused. Dustin didn't ring the doorbell.
I opened the door to see, as just about four days ago, a pair of brilliant eyes stare into my own. Damian was there standing with an umbrella.
"Want a ride?" He asked and pointed to a black BMW in my driveway.
"Really?"
"Yes really," he nodded with a perfect smile.
"Uh, sure," I replied. I went and grabbed my bag from the kitchen. "I got a ride Will."
"Did you?" he asked with his eyebrows raised. "With who?"
"Damian," I answered before heading back to the door.
"Ready?" Damian asked shifting aside so I could step under his umbrella.
"Yeah, thanks." I stepped under his umbrella and together we made our way down my slippery drive way.
The back seat door opened when we reached it. Puzzled, I looked down to see Dustin's grumpy face regarding my own. Callie sat on the other side of him.
"Hi!" she chirped as Dustin slid into the middle.
"Morning," I replied as I slipped in while Damian walked around to the passenger side and sat next to Ayden.
"I thought you guys might've wanted a ride because it's raining today," Ayden smiled at Dustin and I through the rear view mirror.
"Yeah, thanks," I told him smiling. "I hate getting wet."
"Thanks," Dustin muttered after me while moodily looking out the window.
Rain lashed at then and came down like little waterfalls. I wanted to trace one of the little droplets with my finger as it zigzagged its way down the glass. A yawn escaped me and I rubbed my eyes.
"Not used to school yet?" Ayden's eyes were on mine again through the mirror.
"I hate mornings," I replied as another yawn erupted from me. I stretched my arms.
"Well at least we didn't have to convince you to ride with us," Damian chuckled while looking back at Dustin.
"Shut up," Dustin muttered glaring at Damian. "I could've walked."
"You would've got wet though!" Callie cried. "It would totally flatten your hair."
Dustin's words echoed in my mind. "Inhuman". I shook my head smiling. No, there wasn't anything inhuman about this family. They acted the way all teenagers acted.
We arrived at school early so Ayden drove us right up to the door to let us unload.
"See you later," Ayden winked at Damian and I before driving off to park in the teacher's lot.
The four of us trudged into the school as rain fell upon our heads. Once inside our shoes made squelching and squeaking noises, adding noise to the silent halls. I went to my homeroom to drop my stuff off immediately. Callie and Dustin came along.
"How come you're not in this homeroom?" I asked Callie as I placed my bag onto the desk.
"I don't know," she replied shrugging. "This school's organization of the students is confusing."
"I agree," Dustin and I muttered at the same time.
The whole school day went by fast. Dustin and Damian argued about a dozen times which annoyed the crap out of me. Mr. Ritt still wasn't allowing us to talk in class, and we couldn't start going to the library until next week. In History Ayden had us take a test he had made up to see what the majority of the class remembered from the last few years. Seventh period we did a simple lab and had the rest of the time to chat.
When the bell rang Damian waved me over to him. "Want to come over today?"
"Me?" I asked, blinking.
"Whom else would I be talking to?"
I looked around. The classroom was empty.
"Well yeah, sure," I replied with a little smile. "Sounds like fun."
The two of us walked to my locker to drop off our stuff and then met up with Dustin and Callie at the front. It was still raining out and great puddles were forming in the parking lot. Ayden came around with the car and we all piled in. It was a silent ride home. Dustin was glaring out the window again, Callie was also looking out the window, but with a gentler face, and Damian had his eyes on the road. I fidgeted with my hands in my seat in the awkward and tense silence.
Ayden pulled into Dustin's driveway and he crawled over me to get out. A low rumble of thunder rolled in the sky. I froze in my fidgeting and looked at the sky. Dustin poked his head back inside the car after seeing my face.
"You want to come over?" he asked, his head now turned to the sky. "There's supposed to be another storm."
"She's coming to my house," Damian told him, looking back at him from the front. "Sorry."
"Whatever," Dustin replied slamming the door shut.
I looked out after him and waved. He waved back, but had an angry expression on his face. I kept my eyes locked on the forest outside the window for I could feel Damian's gaze on me and I didn't want to meet his eyes. I wouldn't say what I wanted to in front of Ayden and Callie.
Ayden chuckled about something and I shot him a quick glance. He was still looking out the front. The windshield wipers swept back and forth, frantically trying to clear the windshield from rain. I saw their house appear through the rain.
Ayden parked the car in the garage and I opened the door and jumped out. Callie also got out and went around the car to the door and waited till Ayden unlocked it before entering the house. I went to follow when a loud crack of thunder caused me to jump. I turned to see Damian gazing at me.
"What?" I asked sharply.
He smirked. "Nothing. Follow me."
He turned and entered the house and I trotted along after him. We entered a room that was unfamiliar to me. There was a large T.V on one of the walls and a deep red couch was placed across from it, while two chairs of the same color were on each end. The walls were also red, but the carpet and curtains were white. Photos and paintings of all kinds were placed on the walls. I smiled.
"Like the décor?" Damian asked me. I noticed I had stopped walking while I admired the room.
"Yeah," I nodded impressed, my pass anger gone. "It's really nice."
"Wait until you see the rest of the house." He smiled his perfect smile and beckoned me forward with his hand.
I followed him around for the tour of the house. Damian was explaining how the house was massive. In it, there were five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a dining room, a lounge, a piano parlor, and a game room.
Callie's room was pink and white. The furniture in it matched perfectly with the walls, the colors ranging from pale pink to the hottest pink I've ever seen. The next room was Ayden's. His room happened to be brown, just the color I thought described his personality. Warm and inviting. After Ayden's we came to Damian's room.
Damian opened the door and gestured for me to go first. I entered and a world of black and blue.
"Your room looks like a bruise," I remarked smirking.
"Thanks," Damian replied sarcastically.
"Do you all color coordinate your rooms?" I asked as I walked over to a black love seat. It was made out of leather, and across from the largest flat screen I had ever seen.
"Well almost everyone."
I turned to him puzzled. "Almost?"
A mysterious smirk played on Damian's lips as he shook his head. "You'll know soon enough."
"I don't like surprises," I stated, frowning at his secrecy.
"I don't think it will be a surprise," Damian replied before going over to a large window that over looked the driveway.
I walked up to it too, and looked out. Rain was lashing at the window pain, cascading down, like a never-ending waterfall. But beyond that I could see my house looming out of the dark, rainy world.
"So your friend Dustin doesn't like me too much," Damian said, interrupting the silence that had settled in the room.
"Uh, yeah," I answered, turning to look at him. "I don't know why though."
"Oh, I think I know why," Damian replied, another mysterious smile appearing on his face.
"You do?"
Damian nodded his head. "But I can't tell you yet."
"Why not?" I complained, a little irritated. Wouldn't he tell me anything?
"A code of secrecy, if you will."
"It seems to me that you're letting the 'secret' come out of the bag," I said with my eyebrow raised.
"That's my plan," Damian admitted with a grin. "But Ayden thinks it's a bit too soon."
"So your family is in on it?" I mused while turning to the window again. What kind of secret was it? Perhaps in Canada someone had committed a murder? Is that why they moved here? To run away from the authorities? I felt a look of alarm appear on my face and turned to look at Damian, the cold hearted killer?
"What?" He masked my alarmed expression and turned to look out the window.
"Y-you didn't, er... um, you know..." I stuttered. "Kill someone did you?"
His stentorian, abrupt laughter made me jump.
"Don't be puerile!" Damian insisted, shaking his head.
"... What does that mean?" I inquired, repeating the word in my head. Apparently this was funny to Damian, for he started laughing again. "What?" I snapped. Was he making fun of me?
"Nothing, nothing." He quickly stopped laughing and set his face. "I was just thinking that I was going to tell you I don't kill them. That's too reprehensible. I stop assaulting them right before they die, so I don't get in so much trouble."
I gasped and took a step back from Damian. "You're joking again, aren't you?"
Damian's expression was formidable. "No I am not. In fact... I was about to say that you were my next victim."
"That's not funny," I frowned.
"Didn't I just say it wasn't a joke?" His stone-faced countenance assured me he wasn't joking.
"Yeah, but I don't believe you," I told him.
"Shall I convince you then?" he asked while cracking his knuckles. I flinched at the sound. It was quite disturbing.
"I'll scream," I warned him, slowly walking backwards until I hit the wall. How cliché.
"Who said I was going to give you a chance?" he inquired with a malign smile, placing a hand on the wall on either side of me. "Besides no one would hear you," he whispered into my ear, his cool breath caressing it.
I caught my breath and stood rigid. He is joking, he is joking, I repeated in my head.
"Just kidding," he drawled in a whisper and pulled his head away from mine, simpering.
I felt my face flush red in embarrassment and I glared at him. "That wasn't funny."
"You're amazingly gullible," Damian concluded with amusement still lingering on his face. "And it was quite funny."
"I didn't find it funny at all," I stated crossly and turned my back against him.
"I'm so sorry," he apologized in an attractive voice. I guess my attitude had sobered him up.
"Not accepted," I replied stubbornly, jutting my chin out.
I felt Damian's arms wrap around me and felt his chin on my shoulder. I could feel my face getting hot once again. His breathy voice was whispering in my ear once again.
"I am sincerely sorry. Please accept my apology."
I struggled to keep my stubbornness and not accept his apology, but at the moment he was being very persuasive.
"I, um... well..." I struggled to form a coherent sentence while his head was still on my shoulder, and his arms wrapped around me. I found it hard to concentrate on what I was forming in my head and even more difficult to actually speak it.
"You accept it?"
"Yes," I resigned, sighing. I felt a whoosh of air on my neck as he chuckled.
"I have to say you're gullible and very persuasive."
"Thanks," I replied sarcastically as my vermillion face returned to its normal, pale color.
"You know that's a bad thing," he insisted when I turned around with a pout.
"What is?" I asked, puzzled.
"You being able to be fooled so easily."
"It's not my fault if you're a good convincer," I argued staring at my feet.
"I'm not too shoddy, I suppose," he remarked with a smirk.
"Pompous," I muttered under my breath.
"Am I really?" he asked, grinning.
I shook my head and sighed. There were a few moments of silence before I looked up again and saw Damian frowning at my neck. I stared at him for a few seconds, puzzled, before looking down myself. I couldn't see anything strange.
"What?" I finally asked and his eyes snapped onto mine.
"Your necklace," he said, nodding towards it. I looked and picked up the pendant and pulled it away from my neck to look at it.
"Oh," I replied while turning it over. "It's a gift from Dustin. He got it for me in Barbados."
"I see," Damian muttered and continued frowning at it.
"What?" I asked again, not being able to find what was so interesting in one piece of jewelry.
"Oh, nothing," he replied with a smirk.
I frowned at him before placing the necklace back down onto my neck. Damian turned around and started heading out of his room, beckoning for me to follow him. I sighed and followed after him.
The halls were carpeted in red, while the walls were right and lined with black-and-white photos. I looked at them as I passed, and saw portraits of Damian and Callie when they were younger, and some of Ayden. A rumble of thunder shocked me and I nearly hit my head on the wall. Damian turned around and smirked. I stared at him, pretending nothing happened.
"Did you really think that someone in my family seriously murdered someone?" he inquired with a smirk. I pursed my lips, but still nodded.
"Well you do have a lot of secrets," I reasoned with a smile. "It was the best thing I could think of."
"But why would that make your friend Dustin dislike me?" he replied, with another mysterious smile.
"Oh," I hesitated, my smile fading. "Um, maybe it was part of his family you murd-"
I was cut off by his abrupt, and loud, laughter. My eyes widened in surprise, and I started at him like he had two heads. I started scowling at him when he kept laughing.
"It's not that funny!" I finally shouted and he looked up with me in surprise before laughing again.
"It is," he said when he finally stopped laughing. He still had a smirk on his face. "If I were to murder someone of his family, I probably wouldn't be here to tell the tale."
"What do you... you won't tell me even if I ask will you?" I sighed.
"Nope," he said teasingly. "I would if I could but-"
"You can't," I finished for him, shaking my head. "I've got it."
"Sorry."
"You don't have to apologize," I told him shaking my head. "It's my curiousness."
"Actually," he said, turning to face me. "The thing is-"
I felt someone wrap an arm around my shoulder and I turned around to see Ayden, grinning down at me.
"Hello," he greeted smoothly.
"Hi," I returned, ducking out of his shoulder hug.
He put it over me again and began to drag me down the hall. I peeked over my shoulder to see Damian glaring at Ayden.
"It's not like I'm trying to chase you out of my house or anything," Ayden started with a small smile, "but don't you have work today?"
"Work!" I gasped in realization. "What time is it?"
"Don't worry," Ayden laughed. "That's why I came to get you. It's only three forty-five. You still have fifteen more minutes to get there. I'll even give you a ride."
"Really?" I looked at him thankfully. "Thank you so much!"
"Anything for my beautiful neighbor," he said, winking.
I couldn't help but laugh at him. "You're a real lady's man."
"Yeah," Damian interrupted. "That's why he can't ever get a date. In fact he wouldn't be able to get one to save his life."
"I doubt that," I accidentally said out loud. Ayden was gorgeous. Ayden turned and smirked at me while I turned red.
"Uh, what I meant was..." I struggled to find the right thing to say.
"Falling for me?" he joked with a perfect smile. Damian hit the back of his head and muttered something.
"I was just kidding," Ayden said shaking his head. I smiled again, not sure whether to laugh or not. Déjà vu much, I thought to myself, shaking my head. Ayden retracted his arm, but continued to lead me down the hall.
"See you tomorrow," I told Damian when we reached the front door.
"Yeah. Bright and early, we'll be at your front door," he replied with a grin.
"Oh," I said surprised. "No, you don't have to pick me up again," I said now turning to Ayden. He shrugged.
"You never know what could happen on the way to school. Some pervert could snatch you," Ayden pointed out as he opened the front door.
Rain lashed at me and I put my hands up in a shield. Ayden shut the door again and chuckled.
"It's really storming out there," he commented while nodding his head. I nodded my head in agreement.
"Here," Damian said, holding out a coat for me. I scratched my head and grinned before reaching out to take it.
"Thanks," I replied while throwing it on. "Sorry."
"It's fine," Damian replied while shrugging. "It just gives me a reason to come to your house tomorrow, even if you refuse to catch a ride."
"But she won't refuse," Ayden pointed out.
"I won't?" I repeated with an eyebrow raised.
"Nope," Ayden decided for me.
"Alright then..." I replied with a little laugh.
"Alright let's go then," Ayden said with his hand on the doorknob. I nodded and stood by the door.
"See ya," I said to Damian as Ayden opened the door.
He waved as Ayden and I entered the storm. The cold rain and warm air felt weird on my face as we rushed towards his car. I winged open the door and jumped in when I reached the passenger side.