sparks | henry creel

004

It's free period, and I'm laying on the couch in the library. I'm listening to music on my walkman and all of a sudden I hear a crash in the back of the library. I jump up, thinking of all the possibilities.
Did Mrs. Cathy have a heartattack? A ghost? A demon? Victor Creel coming back for revenge?

Obviously none of them have a high chance of happening; maybe besides a ghost, because I've heard from many students that the school is haunted. I speed-walk to where I heard the crash and run straight into Henry Creel himself.

With all the thinking I've been doing about the possibility of some adult, or, teenager, living in Dustin's backyard, I've hardly thought about Henry Creel and how he witnessed his mother and sister being murdered by his own blood, his own father.

I know I shouldn't really be thinking much about it, because it's not like we're friends. We've spoken a few sentences to each other, and now we're about to speak even more. Great. How am I going to hide the fact that I know what he went through as a child? Am I the only one here who knows? I know it's all way too old-news for everyone here to remember, but I'm sure the teachers remember, or even the principal. Hell, I'm surprised he even allowed Henry to even be allowed in here. Sure, he wasn't the one to commit the murders, that his Father was, but still. I'm sure there's some law out there that prevents you from getting in trouble for denying a student entry for past.... Conflicts? Maybe?

I drop the book I was holding in my hand. "Shit," I lean down, grabbing it. "Don't you know you're supposed to lean down and help me?" I ask after leaning back up. "Huh?" He asks, with that low, husky voice of his. This... Boy.... Man... Takes "being quiet" in the library to the next level. "What, have you not seen those movies out there where whenever you walk into someone you both bend down to pick it up and fall in love? Or even the books?" I ask with a sly grin on my face. "Love?" He asks with a confused look on his face.

How in the hell did he know what every word in that sentence meant besides love? I raise my eyebrows to what I swear is the highest they've ever been in my entire life. "You're telling me you don't know what 'love' means?" I ask, shocked. I swear I might go into cardiac arrest. Kidding. I think.

He changes the subject. "I.. I was kidding." He shows me, for the first time since our meeting, emotion. A large smile.

I hate to say it, but seeing him smile made me grin. Really grin, too, not like the fake grin I usually show people. I know it's because I know what he's been through - what he's seen, and had to hear. The screams of his mother and sister. Thinking of all the wrong things to be thinking during school, Especially while I'm talking to someone who shouldn't find out what I'm thinking about, my smile quickly fades. "What was that?" He asks. "What do you mean?" I shake my head, looking backup to him.

"You.. nevermind. Sorry for not playing along with your book." He walks past me.
"Excuse me," I say, out loud, suprisingly, even though I meant to only say it in my head. It's too late now. "That was disrespectful." I cross my arms, waiting for him to turn around. All he does is freeze. I raise my eyebrows. Oh no. I didn't..
Upset him, did I? Why do I even care if I did?

"I'm sorry, princess. I didn't mean to." He says, not turning around.

He wasn't being sarcastic. He wasn't joking around. I could tell. He was full on serious. Princess?!

"What the fuck.." I utter as he walks off.

"I'm sorry, he called you what?" Max laughs. "Princess," I say.

"Okay, uhm, not to be weird or anything Heather, but he definitely was flirting with you." She giggles, looking downwards. "Yeah, I know, it's just, why? I mean, he hardly knows me. I hardly know him. You don't even know who I'm talking about, do you?" I throw my hands up in the air. "No, I don't." She says matter-of-factually.

"Who's flirting with you?" Lucas asks, joining the table. Max and I were trying to keep the conversation on a down low, since Dustin and Mike and Robin and Chrissy and Eddie were all sitting here, but of course Lucas had to run it. "What!" Everyone drops the conversation they were having with eachother to turn to me.

I sigh. Screw trying not to be the center of attention, I guess. "Henry creel was flirting with Heather," Max says in a super fast way. I scoff. "You know, just because you say it extremely fast doesn't mean I won't hear you." I say annoyed. "Henry Creel?" Eddie stands up. Chrissy immediately grabs his hand. "Yes, Henry Creel," I utter. "If I were you, Heather, I'd stay away from him." He looks towards me. He isn't talking to anyone else, just me. It's like he knows everyone else wouldn't be idiotic enough to talk to him. Is Eddie the only one who knows about what happened to him? "Why, what's wrong with Henry creel?" Robin asks, joining in on the conversation. I quickly come to his defense. I'd like to keep the amount of people who know about his trauma to the bare minimum. In fact, I wanna keep the amount of people talking about him to the bare minimum. "So, Lucas, when's the big championship?" I ask, turning to him, as if my eyes are begging for him to catch on. He squints his eyes for a millisecond before they widen. "Wait, Heather, oh my god. Don't tell me you forgot. It's tonight!" He smacks his lips together as if disappointed. "Ah shit.." I groan. "Yeah, I'll be there, okay?" I promise. "Does anyone know if Steve is going?" Dustin asks. Everyone turns directly to Robin. The two of them are like, inseperable. "Sheesh, you guys. What, you think I know absolutely everything about him, do you?" She throws her hands in the air. "Yes, he's going." She says after a minute.