I left the house early in the morning, deciding to run to school to avoid my dad. I really didn't want to start another conversation with him again. The cool morning air was refreshing and it helped to clear my mind.
When I stepped through the doors of the school I knew exactly what I needed to do; get some answers. I wandered the halls trying to find him, the person who would hopefully give me the answers I needed. It felt like I'd searched the entire building and came up empty handed.
I was about to give up and go to class when I finally saw him making his way toward me. I marched straight to him, grabbing his arm and dragging him backwards.
"Hey, what-"
"Shut up and keep walking."
I kept pulling him behind me until we got to the hallway that split off toward the gym. It was deserted at this time. Good. I pulled him into the hallway before letting go.
"Do you want to tell me what's going on?" He asked.
"I'd like to ask you the same thing, buddy. What the hell was that yesterday?"
"I- I-"
"You what?" I asked, my voice rising slightly. I couldn't believe how worked up I was right now, it was driving me crazy. Standing this close to him was driving me crazy right now and I needed to know why. Why all of this happened-what was even happening.
"Well, I kissed you."
"Thanks, Sherlock. I knew that much," I said irritated.
"Right."
"Why?"
"Why did I kiss you?"
I just gave him a blank stare. Yes why he kissed me, what else would I be asking 'why' to?
"I don't know."
The bell rang signaling that we were late for class. I didn't really care though. Jared looked down the hall in the direction we'd come from.
"Right here," I said calling his attention back.
"We're late."
"Yes, yes we are, now you can tell me what the hell is going on here."
Jared sighed and looked me directly in the eyes, his burning into mine.
"Because I couldn't help myself."
I took a small step back. I didn't know what I'd been expecting him to say, but that definitely hadn't been it.
"Is that what you wanted to hear, Electra? I couldn't help myself. I don't know what it is about you, but I haven't been able to get you out of my mind since I first met you. There's something about you that just calls to me and against my better judgment, I kissed you."
"I-" I didn't know what to say to that, I honestly didn't.
"And you know what?" He said continuing in my silence. "I'm not sorry for it. Because even now, even as you frustrate me with your accusatory tone and your glares, I want to do it again."
I felt something inside react to his words, my stomach flipped and heat started to rise inside of me. "No," I whispered. "No, no, no."
I couldn't handle that right now. I couldn't handle the rising feelings inside me I was scared of what they meant, so I did one of the few things I knew how to do. I ran away.
I couldn't stay there, not with the fire burning in his eyes, not with the tension hanging in the air, not with the flames I could feel licking my skin as the blush crept up. I tried to get as far away from Jared as possible, I needed distance.
Why had he said that? Why was this happening, what was even happening? And why was my heart beating so rapidly? Why had I felt satisfied to hear him say those words?
I stopped, leaning against a wall before sliding down it, sitting on the ground. My fingers went back up to my lips remembering the tingling sensation from his kiss. Something that had seemed to awaken every nerve ending in my body.
Why had I run away from him just now? Well the answer was really quite simple, and yet it was something I didn't want to admit to myself: I, Electra Jaeger, paranormal hunter, was scared. I was scared of a guy and what he had brought out in me.
How could someone come in and in less than a week start shaking the firmly paved foundation I had built around me the past four years? It was like I was being reduced to the rubble I'd had to pull myself out of when my mother had died. Only this felt different.
Instead of pulling myself out of a pit of despair I was pulling myself from confusion and-
Wanting?
Did I want Jared?
I don't know if I would exactly classify it as wanting him, but I definitely did feel something. Something that worked its way through me-cut off my ability to think coherently. Even as I tried to stay away, I still found myself going toward him. All I really knew right now, was that I was starting to get an itchy trigger finger.
I didn't know what to do.
I couldn't go back to class, I was already too late, and if he had gone back- Well I just couldn't do that right now. I had to leave, I just had to get far away from here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After I'd left the school that day, I'd called my sister again. After chastising me for leaving without permission, which I promptly pointed out she'd done herself as well, she couldn't stop gushing.
She couldn't get over the fact that there was a boy having this effect on me. She kept saying that I had deep feelings for him, but how was that even possible? I'd been over the subject of emotions with Ian, they just didn't work with me, but she kept insisting that's what it was.
She had said there must be something about this boy who had made his way around the ice.
"I used to think you were like a big block of ice, but I think you may have found your space heater," she had said to me.
I had been slightly angry, she wasn't supposed to be happy about this. She was supposed to listen to me and give me advice, but her advice had been to go for it. She thought I should give the guy a shot. I had been the cold one, the one who had shut down after mom, and she was seeing this as an opportunity to thaw me out. But what if it went badly and I ended up worse than before? I was already damaged, what happened if I became irreparable-What if I already was?
It had been a week since then, and I'd been staying away, for the most part at least. There had been a few short interactions, he'd tried texting me, asking if we could talk again, but I just couldn't.
I couldn't put myself into that position again, I couldn't be that close to him again. I'd stolen glances and believe me, I'd wanted to talk to him. I had wanted to go right up to him, but I hadn't let myself do it.
I just couldn't.
Sarah's words kept ringing in my ears and I was scared she was right. How was it that I could face all of these paranormal creatures without a second thought, but this guy had me running like a dog with my tail tucked between my legs?
I'd gone on a hunt almost every night. They'd all been solo creatures, wolves and vamps on their own. Nothing much, but I was looking for more. The longer I tried to keep myself from talking to Jared, the more frustrating it became.
It had seemed so easy to talk to him-to be with him. It wasn't like either of us had to try. I mean, he had to try to get me to agree, but once we were there it was easy. I hadn't had to think about what I was saying to him, and that's what part of the problem was, I didn't think around him.
I didn't think about what I was saying. I couldn't control any of it. It was like he asked a question and I wanted to say all I could, like I didn't want to keep anything from him.
I got up from my bed and went down the stairs. I'd been given information about a hunt. It was a creature I'd heard of but never had much reason to learn about. I'd really thought they were just a myth. Then again, I should probably be careful, most of the human world thought all of these creatures were myths. I went into my dad's office to grab the bestiary and sat down in his chair, flipping through to the 's' section as I spun around to face his desk.
I sat the book down and started to read the page when something next to the book caught my eye.
There was a folder sitting out and I felt my heart stop as I saw the name written neatly on the tab, Rolten.
I knew what this folder was for, it meant that he was having Jared looked into. My dad thought he was one of these monsters. My breath came out shaky and I reached out to the folder. There was a war going on inside of me. I was blaming myself for how stupid I'd been to not notice something strange with him when my father obviously had. Stupidity at how I'd let myself feel something for him when he wasn't even human.
I felt something for him?
I hadn't known it was actually something until this moment. Until I saw Jared's last name written on one of my father's folders inside this very office I hadn't believed I really felt something as strong as I did. I felt betrayed at the thought of Jared being one of those monsters. I felt used. If he was one of them then I knew he didn't care for me. Everything he'd said would have been a lie.
Maybe he thought what he was saying was true, but none of those monsters felt true emotions. They were taken over by the evil inside, and evil didn't feel joy, compassion, or love. All they knew was the darkness inside.
With an unsteady hand, I opned the folder and took a deep breath before looking inside. I saw the names of his entire family inside, with a small description of who they were; the work his father did, who his mother and sister were, and even a small bit about him.
I heard the kitchen door open and my father making his way straight to the office. When he opened the door he looked surprised to see me.
"Electra, what are you doing in here?"
"I came to take a look at the bestiary, but then I found this," I said lifting up the folder. "What are they?"
"You were looking at my files?" My dad asked sounding angry.
"I saw a file you left sitting out on your desk, yes. Now tell me, what he is? I have a right to know. I go to the same school as them."
My dad sighed before crossing the room and taking the folder from my hand.
"They aren't anything. There had been something stange when he'd been here the other week, I thought there was a chance. I took his name, got the information about his family and sent it in to headquarters but they all check out. No one could find anything suspicious about the family."
"So you had his family followed around?"
"You're right Electra. Next time I'll just invite them all over and we can have dinner, chat, run them through all the tests. How does that sound?"
I flinched at the harshness in his voice, but I knew he was right. Having a family followed around was much simpler and less painstaking than bringing them over and running them through all the tests. You don't run people through the tests unless they're hunters or unless you know them well and they know of the world.
If we had invited people over and asked them if we could test them to make sure they were human-well, I suppose that's one way to get rid of a person who won't leave you alone.
"Look, I'm sorry that I did this without telling you. I should have at least let you know what I thought was going on-"
"Yes, you should have. I go to school with them dad. I'm stuck in the same building with them for six hours, five days a week. Without any weapons I might add."
"I realize that. Like I said, I should have told you but I didn't. It all checked out, it's fine."
I gave him an angry look and I took the bestiary with me as I went to my room. I had to leave, not because I was angry, but because I was glad and I didn't want him to see that. Jared wasn't one of those creatures.
What did that mean? It meant that maybe I could listen to my sister, maybe I could give him a chance, but most of all-
I glanced down at the bestiary still open to the page I had been on. I didn't want some exotic creature I'd never hunted before. I wanted something old and familiar. I slipped on my jacket, grabbed my fake ID, dagger, and gun, and went to the bar.
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Electra's father had Jared checked out, but it came up empty. Hmmmm that's interesting. What do you all think? Remember to leave you COMMENTS below and if you liked the chapter please drop a VOTE. Thanks so much!!
~Red