Succubus

Chapter 11: I Have Competition

Chapter 11: I Have Competition

Bridgeton's small size meant that the middle school and the high school were close together, just on opposite sides of Second Street. They were nearly identical rectangular buildings, but the high school had less artwork in the windows and all the athletic fields were behind it. Middle school athletes had to cross the street to get to practice.

Crossing the street was also a common sight during lunch. Bridgeton High had picnic tables out front, and today was a sunny and crisp Fall day. Middle schoolers jogged across the street to say hi to their older siblings and eat at the tables. The high schoolers wished there were more cars going by.

Charles and Trevor were debating which season of Straying from the Path was the best. Trevor argued season one was the best, the commonly held belief. Charles was experiencing his first contrarian opinion and argued for season three. He was ahead of the curve compared to his classmates in that regard.

Both of them walked through the high school gate and paused. A small crowd had gathered near the corner of the patio. Charles exchanged a look with Trevor and they headed over to see what was going on.

The high schoolers were too busy whispering to each other to notice two middle schoolers at the edge of the circle. The students asked each other "who she was?" and "whether she'd just transferred in?"

Charles felt a need to satisfy his curiosity. He moved along the outside of the circle until he passed the last high schooler. Sitting underneath a window with her legs crossed was a familiar face, but somehow unfamiliar.

Tara's lunch spot had always been under the window. She thought it made her look cool. That day, for the first time, it did. She sat apart from the crowd and put sandwich squares in her mouth. It was a scene as benign as traffic.

Today though, Tara was different. The sunlight played off her face and gave her a natural glow. Her hair was brown, but sometimes the light would catch it just right and it would appear white. There was never an unflattering angle no matter which way she turned her head. She had become as beautiful as that Fall day.

Charles stood next to two football players who took no notice of him. He came up to their elbows and they each outweighed him twofold.

"Go talk to her," one of them whispered.

"You talk to her, I'm trying to focus on the game this afternoon."

The first football player took a few steps forward then stopped. There was a slight tremor in his legs. The rest of the crowd watched him as he stood in the no man's land between them and Tara.

Tara finished a piece of sandwich and licked a leftover bit of mustard off the tip of her finger. She looked at the football player and smiled. It was an innocent looking smile, but it implied so much.

The football player's ears went red. He took a jerky step backward then fast walked back toward his friend. His eyes never left Tara's face, as though she were a dangerous animal he was afraid to show his back to. He bumped into his friend, and the rest of the team immediately started giving him hell.

"You weren't there," he managed to say. "It was like I hit a second puberty."

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. The crowd dispersed along with Tara as they all headed back to class. Charles stood there for a moment until Trevor managed to find him.

It was a nightmare. Charles's secret was out. He was no longer the only one who saw what a gem Tara Wentworth was. His Princess Claudia was the new big thing at Bridgeton High.

After the last bell rang Charles was in no mood to go home. He wandered the streets until his feet hurt. He was so busy feeling sorry for himself that he almost didn't notice when he crossed paths with Tara.

A few blocks from them was the river. The sun was just beginning to set over the water. For a brief moment Bridgeton was golden. Against the light Tara was beautiful, but Charles swore for an instant that he saw something past it. It was as though a thousand hands were holding onto Tara and all the fingers wriggled like worms. Charles blinked and the vision was gone.

"Hey Charles, how's it going?" Tara said. She remembered his name. Tara remembered everyone's name now.

"Good," Charles said, not trusting himself with more words than were necessary. "What are you doing out?"

Tara smiled. "I'm looking for someone."

Charles read between the lines. Someone was not him.

"Ok," Charles managed to say.

The two separated and headed in opposite directions. Charles began to run once he was sure Tara couldn't see him anymore. There were angry tears on his face, and a deep shame overcame Charles for crying. He scraped the tears away with his sleeve and felt that he'd been cheated somehow. For the first time Charles felt like his crush would always be one sided.