Chapter 3: Just Breathe....

"Mrs. Gerino, what are you doing here?" I asked her as nice and as evenly-voiced as I could.

She was sitting on my couch, still watching my TV. The nerve.

"I need to speak with you."
"Uh huh... Evidently. What do you want?" I said repressing myself from actually yelling at her and ordering her to leave my apartment immediately or maybe even reaching for my cell phone to dial nine-one-one.

"I want you to stay away from my nephew." Suddenly her eye's looked different beneath her frameless glasses.
"Em...Okay. Subtlety must be one of your many traits I see... I don't even know who your nephew is."
"Your Beloved." She looked up at me and I saw her brown eye's had turned silver. I gasped.
"Your..." But, she couldn't be....
"Yes I'm one of you."
"How did you know that I am?"
"We do have some extra senses you know... And, his mother told me."
"Right.....Did she tell you to do this?"
"No, actually, she thinks quite highly of you. I don't say I blame her, you shine brighter than anyone I've ever seen." She said it as if it were a good thing.
"It comes with it's down point's too..." I mumbled.
"That's exactly why I am here. His mother may like you or your ability but I definitely don't and you are obviously dangerous, so just stay away. I think that is what's best. And he is already seeing someone else, they are very happy together, so I suggest you leave them alone. That is if you want to live a normal life... Or live at all."

I was still in shock when she got up and left. There were so many questions running through my head.

Why didn't Erin -his mother- tell him about me?
Who was his new girlfriend?
Was he really happy? If he was, what would I do? Would I be able to handle it?

I didn't know how long I stood by the door. When I got out of my reverie, I got out of the apartment again, locked the door, ran to my car and started driving. I needed to clear my head.

I think I drove for over an hour until I got my head straightened out. I guessed I needed to feed myself but oddly, I just couldn't bring myself to eat even though I had to. If I went hungry, I would start craving for another food supplement's that would finally make me a cannibal. An inhumane finality I do not want to reach. I shuddered at the thought. Food doesn't look too bad now. But cooking was beyond my abilities right now. I'd probably end up burning down the whole building in the state that I am in, so I decided to eat something simple.

Daisy's diner proved to be a better choice than expected. They serve the best pancake's around. It wasn't exactly a healthy everyday dinner but food nonetheless.

Satisfied with my dinner, I headed back to my apartment. If I remembered correctly, I had some homework to finish. It should take my mind off thing's.

The essay that the she-devil asked us to finish by tomorrow was about what we as student's saw in school, like what did the student's, the programme, the arrangement of it all, looked in our eye's. I finished it in half an hour, not bothering to really make something special out of it.

I then retreated to my room and got ready for bed. My bed didn't look very welcoming anymore seeing as the nightmare would most probably get worse tonight so, instead of sleeping, I decided to continue reading The Savage Garden. A new book that I had just bought from the second hand bookstore. So far, in the book, the mystery of the Villa Docci and it's memorial garden was not yet solved. So many question's that are yet to be answered. The story of my life.

* * *

*Gasp*,"AHHHHHHHHHhhhh!!!!!!..." An everyday affair. Definitely much worse, but I tried not to think about it. I got up from my bed and regretted it instantly. My neck felt stiff and sore. Probably because I slept with my body faced downwards and my face twisted to the side. I sat on my bed and gently massaged my neck. I looked down at my pillow and saw my book on top of it, opened to the page which I last stopped. I must have slept when I was reading.

I looked at my clock on the bedside table to my right and saw that I was exactly on time, just like every other day.

I wasn't late for school today so, I sat in my car and prepared myself for what I was about to face. Him...

I got out of my car and started walking to my first class, English. Both, the bane of my existence and the epitome of my existence was in that class so, it was the best and the worse class of the day. I was at least half an hour early today. Skipping breakfast has it's perk's.

The small window on the class door looked oddly menacing as I peered through it to see who is and isn't in the class. There were only four student's in the class, three girl's and only one boy and the girl's were surrounding the boy with much flirtation and obvious bimboticness so, I couldn't see who he was. After a while, I realised I forgot to breathe.

"Breathe, just breathe..." I mumble to myself. I prayed fervently that the boy I saw in the class wasn't him as I entered.

"So, Lucas... Do you have a girlfriend back home?" Bimbo one asked. Shoot... It was him... I started walking to my seat.

"Actually, I do, and I love her with all the fervency in my heart." He replied bimbo one with much satisfaction and pride in his voice. Must my timing be so bloody impeccable? It was like getting punched in the gut, and a well deserved punch it was.

"Oh...." Said bimbo one, bimbo two and bimbo three in unison. "But she's not as pretty as us right?" Bimbo two asked while flipping her surprisingly brunette hair.

"No." Bimbo two's smile got wider and more excited. "She's a whole class above you girl's." He said with a smile. Her smile completely faded. He was obviously already slightly annoyed by all the attention he was getting. "That's like totally impossible." Said bimbo three with disbelief.

"I'm afraid it's true." He was still smiling. The triplets walked out of the room, stomping their stiletto heals every step making loud clicking noises. I giggled. They are probably heading to the toilet to see what was or is wrong with their face's.

"Do they do that to every new guy?" Is he speaking to me? I was the only one there so he probably is. I couldn't believe it. I didn't even want to think that he noticed me coming in and give myself hope.

"I... I don't think so. You should be the only one." I managed to say after a few seconds. I smiled at him. I could feel myself blush.

"I see... I'm Lucas by the way, Lucas Cale. You're the girl who came in late yesterday right?"
"Yeah.. That's me. Mrs. Geniro was really... nice about it. I'm Mia, Mia Laine. Nice to finally meet you." He got up from his seat and walked toward me. He extended his hand to me. I looked at it for a second and then shook it.

"It's nice to meet you too. And don't mind Mrs. Geniro and her egregious behaviour, she's normally like that."
"Oh... Really? I don't notice." We laughed. I was amazed that I could make jokes now.

"Yeah, she is. I would know"
"Why is that?" I didn't think that he would be very friendly after he knew that his aunt disapproved of me.
"Well... Let's just say that I knew her even before coming here."
"Okay."
"So, how long have you been in this school?"
"A year."
"Why did-" That's when Mrs. Geniro came in.

"Good morning, student's." She said.
"Morning, Mrs. Geniro. You're early."
"My roommate woke me up early." She said it like in a hidden message that only both of them knew. So selfish.

"Mr. Cale, would you mind helping me with some of my things in my car?"
"I was actually talking to Ms. Laine but, if she doesn't mind me abandoning our conversation..." He trailed off. Must he be so formal?
"Oh.. Please abandon. I don't mind. And please, call me Mia." I said with a smile.

As they left, I could see Mrs. Geniro glaring at me. Live without him or die knowing him. I chose the path of lesser pain. I would die knowing him if that's what it takes. Whatever it takes.

Three people came into the class a few minutes after Lucas and Mrs. Gerino left. I looked up expecting the three bimbo's but instead it was three new student's. Almost immediately, I noticed that they were no ordinary student's. Their killer good looks gave them away and the way they took in the room, it was as if they were memorising it. They were one of us and they didn't look friendly.

I closed my eye's and put my extra senses to good use just to make sure. I was surprised by how bright they shone, I guess Mrs. Geniro was serious about killing me.

By the time I opened my eye's-which was only around two seconds-they were already in their seat's and staring at me. They didn't glare but they were definitely assessing me. Who are they? More importantly, who are they to him?

I looked at each of their faces one by one, all beautiful in their own way. I would probably be better if I acted innocent and ignorant. And friendly.

"Hello, are you guy's new?" I said with a smile.
"Yes, we are." Said the girl in a polite tone. She had a very nice, raspy voice that suited her tall and feminine physique. Her golden blond curls and green eye's didn't fool me, she was dangerous.

"I see, welcome then."
"Thank you. You must be Mia Laine." Wow, she really doesn't know the word subtle but she was still as polite.

"Yes, I am. How did you know?" Even though I already knew the answer I had to keep up the innocent fascade until another student came in.

"I'm sure you know, Ms. Laine." One of the boy's spoke now, he wasn't as polite as the girl. He was tall with chocolate brown hair and liquid blue eye's.

"Please enlighten me, dear stranger." Keeping a smile on my face was relatively easy seeing as he looked just like Lucas but there were many differences.

"Playing innocent will not make our wrath any gentler, Ms. Laine." He said with a smile. Lucas was definately much nicer.

"Lexer, remember your manner's. Being rude never solves anything, my dear." The girl spoke now.

"Very well. But I will not lie. Maybe she should do the same."

Just then the door opened but I didn't bother to check, I was just relieved that another company had joined us.

"Lex? Bryant? Sophie? What are you guy's doing here?" He said in evident joy. He crossed the room and hugged them. I looked at Mrs. Gerino, she had a smug smile on her face as if she had won a battle.