Restless Soul

2

   Peyton Opper was well known around town as the only heiress to the Opper family fortune. After struggling to get pregnant for years, Winona and Andris Opper welcomed a lovely little girl into the world. With just about everything at her fingertips, what made everyone fall for her was her kind heart and irresistible charms.

   Among them was Amanda. Over the years, her feelings for the blond-haired beauty blossomed into something magical. Amanda often wondered if she knew just how breathtaking she looked as she planned school functions, her poise and natural sense of leadership making her seem more like the mayor's daughter than she ever could.

   Amanda shifted in her seat, stepping out of her head to hopefully register something from this class. Her focus was now on Mr. Finsher. She always struggled during his lessons. The back of his head no longer showcased the thick curls that he'd managed to always keep at a medium length since her arrival as a freshman. Instead, one would be shocked by the progressing baldness, seeing as his hairline was still fresher than ever.

   Her pencil traced over the paper while she bit her nails. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Peyton looking. Daring to shift her gaze, she inhaled deeply when she smiled and waved. She could only nod and nibble on her bottom lip to keep her grin from showing.

Looking down, her face fell.

   Fear crept up her spine as this morning's scenario replayed in her head. Even then she couldn't recall when she'd written these things down. With everything on her mind, that small detail could've easily slipped away.

But now, she couldn't ignore it.

They'll find us.

If only you had listened to me.

538

Steven

Steven

STEVEN

She shut her notebook, the loud thump causing curious eyes to peer in her direction.

"S-Sorry. There was a bug."

   They all turned away, showing no further concern. All except Peyton. Amanda, still squirming in her chair, had no clue of the worried glances she sent her way. She tried her best to mask her discomfort, but it was like her clothes had suddenly shrunk and the air available in the room was dwindling with each breath she took.

   The bell couldn't have rung sooner. Amanda was the first out the door. Halfway through the large hallway, the symptoms had begun to seize. Taking in one deep breath, she froze in her tracks when her name was called.

"Amanda, wait!" Peyton called out again, dodging her way through the crowd.

When she reached her, she let out a sigh and coked her head, examining her face.

"You okay?" she finally asked, breaking the ice before it had a chance to settle in.

Amanda hesitated.

It was hard to lie to Peyton. Those blue eyes were enchanting and she knew no protection spell to shield her from their effect.

So she pushed her shoulders back, tucking a few loose strands behind her ear.

"Yeah, why?"

"I was just worried about you after the parade."

Her lips were in a thin line as she nodded.

   It wasn't often that Amanda got involved in those kinds of events. Matt was usually there to make sure everything went accordingly. This year, however, she was charged with making a small introduction speech for the elementary school orchestra's performance. She froze before the words were even gathered in her brain, one of her episodes once again transporting her into a place she had yet to get used to.