The Soul Thief

Chapter 24

My eyes were gritty and puffy from crying when I woke to the buzz of my phone vibrating across the bedside table.

I fumbled for it and swiped to answer. "How cool is this?! Now I don't actually have to leave my room to make sure you get up." Nancy's laughter burst out of the phone as soon as I answered.

Squinted at the screen to read the time, I groaned, realising I didn't have long to make myself presentable and act like I hadn't had the mother of all nightmares last night and ended up crying into a boy's chest, before having a heart-to-heart which left me breathless but still unsure where we stood.

So a standard Wednesday really. "Getting up now." I rasped, hanging up before she could question why my voice sounded weird.

I couldn't remember Blake leaving and began to question if he had even been there or if I had imagined the whole thing when I spotted a note pinned to the door.

'Thought you'd prefer if I didn't get caught in your room for now. Thank you for allowing me to spend the night with you, beautiful. I hope you'll let me help you keep the nightmares at bay again soon.'

If I was the swooning sort, I absolutely would have been. I hadn't intended on letting him stay the night, but there was something truly comforting about his presence that meant sleep pulled me under before I could even think of resisting.

I gave my head a little shake. Processing boy feelings was a problem for later. Right now I really needed to get ready for breakfast and class.

The mirror mounted on the inside of the wardrobe confirmed the situation was about as bad as expected and began the mad dash for the shower with my head down, hoping no one would see.

There wasn't time to savour the steaming shower as I tilted my head up and allowed the water to cascade over my face. Washing away the last memories of the nightmare that haunted me and the dreamy moment that followed.

I glared at my reflection as I stepped out of the shower. I wasn't going to become one of those girls. The ones that lost their head because a boy said they're pretty.

Did he think I was pretty? I groaned. He might have just said those things last night to calm me down. I was overthinking it.

When I emerged it was clear, I wasn't the only one running late as I was almost knocked flying by a girl barging me to get into the shower room. "Watch where you're going, you murdering little freak." She hissed, disappearing in with a flip of her hair.

I snorted in disbelief as the stranger slammed the door behind her. If I was the one going round murdering students, I didn't think insulting me was the best way to avoid being next. But who was I to argue with what appeared to be natural selection at work?

Back in my room, I painstakingly applied what little make up Nancy had given me to cover up the fact I looked like I hadn't slept in years. When I was finally finished, I examined my reflection. Aside from the slight red rim to my eyes, you could hardly tell.

Still, Nancy would know, and as much as my stomach was rumbling, I knew I just couldn't face her on this yet. Not when I was still processing things myself.

I fired her off a text about grabbing some books from the library and made my way slowly towards my first class.

The innocuous title on my timetable had made me think this might be one I actually understood, but the heavy scent of incense and overabundance of candles told me I had completely misunderstood.

Sinking into a chair as close to the back as possible, I slid my phone out onto my lap as the other students filed in.

Nancy: Whatever is going on, you're telling me at lunch. I can tell that something is off.

How? How did she know? It was clear why she didn't need this class.

Blake: 'How are you feeling this morning, little thief?'

I rolled my eyes as the teacher droned on. 'Like I just walked into a fortune teller's tent and I'd do anything to escape.'

Blake: 'Communications class?'

'How did you guess?' I shot back, tucking my phone under my jumper as the teacher made her way winding through the desks.

"Understanding the signs the universe shares with us is the first step to exploring what lies beyond and communicating with it." she explained serenely, wafting by in a cloud that smelt suspiciously like marijuana.

Somehow it didn't surprise me that she got stoned, but the school allowing it was a little more unusual.

A knock broke through her spiel about the benefits of opening your mind,

"I'm so sorry to interrupt Ms Opal," my head shot up at the familiar voice, "but I need Erica to come with me. Her cat has just died, and I'm sure she needs to make arrangements." Blake explained, somehow managing to keep his expression serious as he spoke.

I made a good show of a dramatic sniff and, holding back sobs as I stood slowly and gathered my things.

"Oh, of course, I'm so sorry for your loss. What was your cat's name? Perhaps I can contact him for you." Ms Opal offered, raising her hands to call on her spirit guides.

"It ok, Albert wouldn't even come when we called. I doubt he's going to turn up to a seance." Blake said, steering me out of the class before she could protest any further.

"Albert?" I asked, unable to stop the giggles that burst out.

"I didn't see you coming up with fantastic on-the-spot lies." He sniffed before turning and walking down the corridor.

"How did you get out of your class?" I asked, running to catch up with him.

He shrugged. "I have my ways."

Footsteps alerted us to someone approaching, and I froze, half expecting to be sent back to class. The woman who rounded the corner took one look at Blake and paled, ducking her head and almost running back the way she came.

"One of these days, you're going to have to explain better to me why everyone is so afraid of you." I sighed, glancing sideways at him as we continued down the corridor.

"Surely it doesn't matter. You have nothing to fear from me. That's all you need to know." He replied, linking an arm through my own.

"I can't imagine why anyone would be afraid of someone who names imaginary cats Albert." I laughed.

"What's wrong with Albert? It's a perfectly good cat name."

"Nothing." I laughed, dodging as he poked me in the side, "Just not really a typical cat name like Fluffy or Lucky."

He snorted. "There's no way you'd be naming a cat, Fluffy."

"Says who?"

"Me. Everyone. The universe."

I rolled my eyes. "You think you know me so well?"

"I know you better than you think, but not nearly as much as I hope to." He replied, stopping to cage me with his arms against the wall.

My heart gave a weird skip, and I cursed its determination to go gooey every time he said something vaguely nice to me or had his body close to my own.

Ignoring the previous statement, I ducked under his arm and took a couple of steps onward, not checking to see if he followed.. "So what are we doing now?"

He fell into step alongside me. "You mean aside from skipping class?"

"I mean instead of class. I don't suppose you're planning to just take me for a walk around until lunch."

He raised a brow. "Why do you suppose I have some sort of plan for this?"

"Well, you're the one who... liberated me from my classroom. Entertainment is on you."

"I could think about many entertaining thing we could be doing if you'd let me close to you." He purred.

A shiver of delight went through me at the tone.

I was no innocent and despite being unsure of myself around Blake; the connection was undeniable.

"Why don't we just use this time to get to know one another?" I asked.