Kallos

Chapter Two

The shrill bell rang as Kallos pushed through the restroom’s doors. She made her way to her next class, her heart racing as she caught sight of Ian and Kellee sitting at the back of the room. They waved at her.

She returned the gesture, knowing she couldn’t sit next to Ian. There was so much she needed to know. So much that was unexplained. Deep inside, she had a feeling that Ian knew exactly what was going on, but she was afraid to ask.

Kallos sat down at the front of the room. She tried to pay attention to what the teacher said, but found it hard to do. Her mind kept going over everything that had happened to her so far.

Sean scares me, she thought. But there is something different about Ian. The way he’s always watching me . . . How he can drown out all the noise when he’s around me? Why do I feel so safe when I look into his sapphire eyes?

She’d never felt this way about anyone before. Kallos supposed it was because she hadn’t allowed anyone to get close to her. Nothing explained why she felt as if her mind and body were drawn to him. Even now, she could feel him staring at her. Forcing herself to concentrate, the class soon went by in a blur.

After the last bell, Kallos hurried to her dad’s office. She had never been happier to see him. He looked up at her and smiled. She and her dad had always been close. Because of this, she wasn’t sure if she should believe Sean. She’d just met him today, after all. Looking at her dad now, Kallos was convinced that he couldn’t keep anything from her.

“Hey, Peanut. How was your day?”

“It was interesting.”

His smile faded and he crossed his arms about his chest. “Interesting how? Were they mean to you because I’m your dad?” he asked, and narrowed his eyes.

“No, Dad. Everyone has been really nice to me.”

“I see. Is something bothering you?”

“No. Can we go home now? I have something I need to talk to you and Mom about.”

He stood up and moved toward her. She saw a look of worry and terror flash across his face.

“Everything is okay?” he asked. Kallos nodded. “Fine, sweetie, let’s go.”

She knew her father didn’t believe her. The connection they shared alerted him to the fact that something was amiss. She was sure of it. Somehow, he could always tell when she was lying.

By the time they headed outside, most of the kids had already left. A few stragglers were standing around talking, however. As they walked out to her dad’s car, Kallos noticed Ian, Sean, and Kellee talking nearby.

Ian looked up and met her eyes. She quickly looked away, and glanced at her dad. Her heart raced as she realized he was watching them. Deep hurt flashed in his kind eyes, and she knew he wasn’t telling her something.

“Hello, Mr. Dean,” Sean said, and nodded at her dad. “I just wanted to say ‘bye’ to you, Kallos.”

He smiled and winked at her. Ian moved past Sean as Kallos reached out to open her door. She gasped as they reached for it at the same time. Instead of opening it for her, Ian slid a piece of paper into the palm of her hand. She stared into Ian’s eyes as he smiled at her.

“Here,” he said, moments later. “Let me get the door for you.”

Kallos took a step back so that he could open the door. “Thank you,” she replied, looking back and forth between him and Sean.

“You’re welcome. See you later, Kallos.” He leaned close to her, as if he was going to kiss her cheek, but whispered into her ear instead. “Read the note before you speak to your parents.”