Chapter 3: The Incidents Begin


That night, I went home
still wondering. I walked into the small kitchen, and threw my book bag on the table, and sat on the counter. I opened the cabinet above me, and pulled out a glass. I walked over to the titanium fridge, and pulled out the pitcher and poured a glass of cold water.
I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I pulled it out and read the caller I.D. It read Kaitlin. “Hello?” I answered. “Yeah that’s cool. I will be there. Cool. Alright bye.”
I hung up the phone. “Mom I’m not gonna’ be home. I am going out with some friends.” I picked up my jacket, and ran out the door. I got in the car, and put the key in the ignition.
I turned the key, but nothing happened. I tried a couple times, and it didn’t start. “Agh! I hate this dumb car.” I grunted. I pulled my phone out of my pocket. “Hey I need you to pick me up my car won’t start. Thanks bye.” I got out of the car and waited for Kaitlin and Riley on the porch. It started to spit rain here and there.
Finally Kaitlin pulled up in her red Kia. It was her first car, and it was in perfect condition. “Hey! What’s going on? Your car broke down?” She was smiling.
She had her hair down, and curled. It was loops of curls, and it was beautiful. She always had a beautiful touch to her. “Yeah I guess. It always has problems. So where are we going exactly?” I asked. “Well James is throwing this huge party because his parents are out of town.” We started to walk to the car.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” I asked her. She waved her hand. “It’ll be fine.” She reassured. It was a particularly sunny day, but that was short-lived once it started to get dark.
It didn’t lessen our spirits though, the music was blasted and our voices were as loud as the stereo. We pulled in the driveway soon enough. James lived in a huge neighborhood and his house wasn’t hard to find, the loud music lead us in that direction.
We got out of the car and it was pitch black by the time we got there. We entered the house that was full of people, and I immediately smelled the alcohol.
There were faces I had never seen before, and elucidated that they were in college. As soon as my friends and I parted our ways, a man walked up to me.
It was James. He offered me a beer and I took it. I thanked him and walked into the bathroom. I dumped the contents of the can in the sink and washed it out.
When I washed out the residue of the alcohol as much as possible I filled the can with water. I walked out of the bathroom and into the kitchen. I didn’t really stay long, the music overpowered me and it was too crowded. I walked outside just to be stopped by a gang of men.
The visible leader was the man with black hair, he was quite handsome, and the one who stopped me. “Hello,” His voice was calm but mysterious. “Hi.” I said curtly trying to get around him.
He put a hand on my shoulder. “Ah-ah, you just stay right here.” The same tone. “I have to go, let me go.” He shook his head as I struggled. I reached up to hit him, but he caught my wrist.
It was so dark I could see nothing. I heard a dull crack than a distinctive snap. I tried so hard not to shriek. I just made a little whimper sound and fell to the ground.
“Don’t you dare touch her!” A voice I knew growled. It was Drew. I could see in their faces they knew something about him that I was trying to figure out.
I could tell that they had similarities. Something sounded the same, or they acted the same. I didn’t know, but I wanted to. He ran up to me, and knelt down.
He picked me up, and slung me over his shoulder. “Wow Drew, don’t make this get ugly.” The man’s voice rose. “If you touch her again it just might.” Drew shook his head.
“Wow man I will take you right here, right now.” The man began to snarl at Drew, and his lip curled in fury. “I can take you.” Drew growled. “I could bite your head off with just one little snip of my teeth.”
He ground his teeth in fury. “Aaralyn get in the car and don’t you dare move an inch. This hell of a world is not safe for you.” He growled as he put me down.
He put his hands on my face. His hot hands shocked me again, but he didn’t budge. “Stay safe. I am telling you if you move just one little inch…” he looked back at the man.
“Well don’t get hurt.” I said my voice quivering. He threw his head back and laughed. “Me? Please…that is so absurd to even come across that.” He laughed again.
“Stay.” His voice calmed. “When I come back well take care of your hand.” The man nodded, and they both galloped off. I walked slowly over to the black BMW holding my wrist, and opened the shiny black door glistening and showing my reflection.
I climbed in the passenger seat and waited impatiently for Drew to come back. For him to once again to sit awkwardly beside me. His quiet face flinching whenever I had shifted in my seat or had spoken.
His glistening blonde hair with the streaks of brown running elegantly through it. His glittery green eyes sparkled and shined as light glowed on them, and his bright and glossy teeth shining as he spoke.
I shook my head in disgrace at my stupid feelings about a boy I hardly knew. There was just something about him. I had no idea what compelled me so deeply to the strange handsome boy.
But there was something. But I had never felt it before. I had never felt foolish and somewhat embarrassed about the feelings I had for someone. I had no idea what was going on.
I shifted position and again concentrated on waiting. It felt like eternity, sitting in his lonely empty car. It was perfectly clean and flawless. Like him. It finally happened.
He came back quite disheveled. He was buttoning up his light blue shirt. His pants were not like they had been before. He wasn’t neat as normal. He didn’t look the same as he had every other time I had seen him.
The sweet smell I couldn’t explain, his neat and gentle approach, his overpowering size, his maturity, his mesmerizing voice that almost pushed me down, and his beautifully neat face.
Everything about him compelled me. What had happened, I had no idea. My immediate attention went to his safety. I scanned him up and down searching for injuries.
He stepped into the car and powerfully slammed the door. He huffed very loudly. “Ugh are you okay? You are okay right?” I asked immediately, yet quietly.
He nodded. “That is a question I need to ask you. I told you I wouldn’t get hurt. Why should you care if I told you I wouldn’t?” He asked me. I shuddered at his question. “Descent human being question. I mean you did just beat some guy up.”
He nodded. “Now I asked you a question. Answer it.” He snapped.
He seemed different than before. I stared blankly in front of me. “What question? You didn’t ask me a question.”
I retorted. He huffed frustrated. “Pay attention to the conversation. Obviously if you aren’t paying attention to me you don’t care.” He almost threatened.
I grimaced at him as he didn’t look at me, not even daring to do it when he did look. “No more than you already know.” I whispered.
He looked at me his eyes bold and wide. “Are you sure?” he asked. I nodded. “What’s with you all of a sudden? Your all mean for some reason.” I asked. He looked over at me and grimaced hardly.
His green eyes brightened in color, and his pupils blackened. I opened my eyes just a little more, and smiled out of the corner of my mouth, hoping to stare him down.
I succeeded and he shook his head hiding a little grin. I sat back folding my arms, satisfied with my accomplishment. “Why are you even here? Your no party girl.” He huffed unexplainably towards his sentence. “How do you know that?” “I know a whole lot more than you think.” He muttered turning away.
“Why?” I asked him blankly.
He shook his head huffing and laughing at the same time. “What the hell do you think you’re talking about? Now you are the one who isn’t possibly making sense.
Although I was making sense the whole time.” He laughed. He still obviously felt uncomfortable smiling, and he hid his smile by turning his head away and shaking it.
“Why do you have to hide your smile? You can’t hide everything. Nobody can hide their whole life like that.” I protested against his actions. “You have no idea.
You don’t know anything. You know nothing about hiding lives, because yours is none to hide. You have a life perfectly normal…sweet and beautiful. You have all things perfect and handed to you on a gold platter.”
He said in almost a poetic tone. I shook my head. “I asked you a question. Answer it, and if you forgot it this time, something is going to happen.” I laughed at his tone and weak threat.
“Okay I remembered. I was talking about….why did you save me?” I asked. He laughed, this time he didn’t hide it. “Well, take it this way. I tried to stay back but I couldn’t help myself.
I felt too bad for you.” He kept laughing. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” I snapped. His smile broke. “Well I wanted to stay away from you…but I….I can’t okay.
I can’t stay away from you. I want to, but I can’t. And you don’t help me at all. None what so ever. You just make things all the more harder. All the more pleasing.
Everything about you just compels me to you. Everything about you kills me, brings me in further and further. It brings me deeper into the whole of…the whole of danger.”
He huffed. “I don’t know why I can’t stay away from you. I just can’t. Something about you strikes me, stops me. It hits me in the face and wakes me up.
You just shot across my life like, like the only star in the sky. The biggest star in the universe. The only one. The only thing that is open in my life. The only thing that looks like life or hope in this dumb long faced world. You know how they said anything can happen?”
He asked. I nodded. “Well they where right.” I cocked my head in confusion, but he just put his hands on my face, and smiled. “Don’t worry about it. Just look ahead.”
He whispered. I nodded unwillingly and looked forward as his hands dropped. “Well you have had a change in attitude. I mean first you liked me, then you hated me, and now you like me again?”
I asked laughing. “I never hated you. I’m tired of being mean to you. Well from this nights instance. I thought if I started to be mean to you, then you would like me less, and I was wrong. I just couldn’t be mean to you.
You just bring me in too much, mesmerize me.
I’m tired of staying away from you, and I haven’t been doing it for long.” He huffed. “Damn it Drew then why you are?” I yelled. “Because I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want anything to happen to you.
Look Aaralyn I like you a lot, but I am way to dangerous for you specifically. Well for a person like you to. So honestly to make you happy, I like you so much.
I saw you…and I was stunned. I liked you too much, but I couldn’t do anything about it. I knew it was dangerous to come here. I knew I was a danger to everyone around me, but I had to know you.
Because I saw you, and I…liked you. I am guessing that’s the feeling, I just have never felt it before.” He said quietly. I nodded and looked forward. “Aarylan we need to fix you?”
He said sighing giving me a signal that our conversation was over.
He drove silently to the hospital and when he parked he came over to help me out.
He walked right behind me into the emergency room. I didn’t like the whole idea because I didn’t like hospitals, but I wasn’t going to argue with him, not now.
We sat silently in the emergency room while the doctor was there. Drew waited outside the door while I got x-rays and when we were left alone in the room I brought up conversation.
“Who was that guy anyway?” I asked. “Some guy that was friends with my parents a long way back. He’s a real jerk if you ask me. He got into legal trouble and now he likes to steal from people. Like I said he’s a real jerk and I didn’t trust him with anyone.”
He rolled his eyes leaning back in his chair. “He’s strong too.” I muttered rubbing my wrist. He chuckled. “I’m really sorry that happened. I guess I can’t protect you from everything.” He sighed.
“It’s ok. It wasn’t your fault, Drew.” I assured him. “Hmph.” Was all he said.
We walked out with my arm plastered, Drew standing close behind me, almost touching me. I looked around. As I looked to my left, I saw a dreadfully familiar face.
I slammed my body into Drew’s chest and shivered heavily. My black hoodie didn’t keep me warm at that point, and I didn’t know what was going to happen next.
“Aaralyn what is wrong?” He asked me worried. I could barely breathe, I was so scared. I put my hands in my pockets. The men were in quite a distance, but where walking towards us.
Drew put his arms around me, and tried to lightly spin me towards him. “Aaralyn Honey, what is wrong with you? Tell me.” He pleaded. I tried to open my mouth.
I stood frozen, my mouth open, my hands still in my pocket. He picked me up effortlessly by my waist, and turned me so I was facing him. He bent down to be eye level with me.
“Tell me what is wrong.” He ordered coolly. I turned to my left to see how near they where, and seeing them so close I panicked. I ran into his chest and hid.
It was hot and it stung my face. It tingled and almost tickled. It was sweet and wonderful feeling though. Tears stained his shirt, and he had his arms wrapped around me tightly.
“Damien!” He growled. “We just happened to meet you here Drew. Calm down. We aren’t doing anything.” He smiled wrongly. “Damn right you’re not!
You can’t terrorize the poor little human like this!” He yelped. I looked up at him. “What do you mean human? It’s like you’re saying you’re not.” I questioned.
“It’s just a term.” He said in a guessed voice. He shook his head. “Can we talk about it later?” He asked. I nodded, and slid around to face the men. Drew was still tightly wrapped around me.
“Damien, get the hell out of here! You don’t belong here! You belong in New York with the rest of them. That’s why you need to leave now and go!” Damien put his hands up.
“We are just passing through, Drew. We are heading down to Oklahoma to see what it offers our kind.” Drew’s eyes got wide at the statement, and he shook his head.
Damien nodded. He made hand motions and Drew shook his head again. Damien nodded, and he and his men walked off. I put my head back in his chest, and shuddered.
“It’s ok. I’m here its ok.” He rubbed my back and kissed my forehead. “Let’s go.” He tried to pull me off, but I stayed in place. “I’m not leaving Honey.
Come on let’s go.” He rubbed my hair. He tried to walk but I wouldn’t. He pulled me off, and bent down becoming eye level again with me. “What is wrong?”
He asked slowly. “I don’t know. I just I’m freaked.” I shuddered. “Aaralyn of what?” He asked. “Because of what you were talking about. It is really freaking me out.” I confessed.
“Oh Aaralyn, don’t be. Can we talk about it in the car?” I nodded. He picked me up, my arms around his neck, him holding my waist. He put me on my feet when we reached the car.
“Now I think we need to get you home. You obviously need some sleep.” I nodded and got in the car. “Now don’t worry about Damien. He is not any threat to you as long as I am there.
And like he said he was just passing. You are never going to see him again, I promise you that.” He started the car and drove to the first stoplight. “Okay, back to what Damien and I were talking about.
Okay that is ugh nothing. It means nothing, really.” He lied. “Drew do not lie to me.”
I retorted. “Now what makes you think I am lying? Nothing says I am lying.” He remarked. “Drew I thought things were building between us.” I questioned.
“Look, I have told you enough about myself already. That was a big step.” I rolled my eyes. “You know I will crack eventually Aaralyn. We have all the time in the world to tell each other!”
“No we do not! We don’t have all the time in the world to be seventeen. We don’t have all the time in the world to be young and have fun together. We just don’t have that Drew.
Gosh, I wish we did but we don’t. And it would be perfect if we did, but life isn’t perfect, and we are just going to have to deal. Now I would like it if you would tell me what the hell is going on.”
I said coolly. He shook his head. “I just can’t Aaralyn.” I closed my eyes as he said my name. When they were opened I was sitting in his parked car, in my driveway.
“Well if you can’t tell me anything, than we can’t be anything either.” I murmured as I got out of the car. I faintly herd him whisper, “Aaralyn we do. The time is all ours.”
He sat there for a moment. He finally pulled out, and I watched him from the porch. I laid my head on the pole keeping the whole porch roof up. I felt my phone buzz in my pocket.
It was an unfamiliar number. I read the text. ‘Don’t let me go.’ I knew immediately it was him. ‘Why can’t you tell me? Please know you can trust me. Please.’
‘Aaralyn I want to so bad but I can’t. I really can’t.’ ‘Then I’m letting go.’