Seraphic||H.S

Chapter 15

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Snow fell lightly once I rounded a corner to find the space empty. I stared, confused. First hour already began and everyone had left the halls. A small flick of wrongness passed over. I quickly swallowed down the guilt. Suddenly, a hushed whisper sounded through the empty corridor.

I slowly dragged my feet down the hall, expecting Harry to be leaning on a shallow wall, looking at me with indifferent eyes. Each corner and wall I've discovered were startlingly vacant. An eerie feeling sparked in my throat.

"Harry?" I silently call, earning soundless whispers to answer. Once I planted my feet on the tiled floor, hands clasped my shoulder and mouth as it pulled me into the darkness. Muffled cries left my mouth in dismay. My teeth clamped down onto the stranger's hand.

He cursed angrily. "Natalie, will you calm down? It's me."

He twisted me around to find his forest eyes glaring down at me. The lights of the janitor's room sprung to life, showing his perpetual outfit and his black bandana. I noticed dark shadows had hid under his eyes. I broke free from his hold and crossed my arms irritably.

"Why did you have to grab me like that?" I exclaimed quietly. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

"You would have been loud if I hadn't." He countered. "And keep it down, someone might hear us."

"I...forget it. I don't want to argue about this." I said annoyingly. "Why did you bring me here?"

He continued to glower. "Where were you on Friday? I looked everywhere and you just...disappeared."

"Is that what you wanted to talk about?" I asked in a huffed tone. "Honestly, this could have waited."

"Just answer my question, Natalie." He spoke sharply, his posture almost tense.

I opened my mouth, as if to gape, then it clamped shut. My arms slid down my sides. "I left the party and went home." I paused. "Why do you care?"

"What do you-"

"You despise me, remember?" I almost exclaimed. All the anger I had-about uncle Xavier, all of the sleepless nights, and the night of Christy's party-all burst out like the heat of a flame. "You come to the party, ask me to dance, then spoke as if I disgusted you."

He grew silent, so I continued my banter.

"Why, why do you keep me around? You make me feel as if I'm a fly buzzing near your ear, yet you've never had the nerve to shoo me away. Why just keep me around if you hate me so much?"

Genuine surprise flashed in his eyes. The anger he had died out as if it were a lightbulb. I knew he was unprepared of what I had to say, which took him longer to respond. My uneasy nerves began to slowly take over my body as I waited.

His calm posture returned, his eyes cool. "You're right." He said slowly. "I haven't got a clue."

A tiny ache coursed though my chest, but I held it back. I swallowed quietly. "That's what I thought."

We looked at each other in silence. His eyes seemed dark and impassive, like cold stone. He maintained to keep his steady posture, while I managed to sway slightly in place. I gained enough courage to spin on my heel and walk out of the room.

"Natalie." I stopped once I heard his call. His voice was as cold as his eyes. "Don't ask for any favors, ever."

I stood there silently, slight alarm creeping through my mind, then left Harry alone in the lonely corridor.

*****

The snowfall soon ended once I began to walk down to lunch. Light coursed through the window and into the halls of the school, yet I hadn't felt the luminous glow on my skin. Once I left Harry back in the janitor's closet, I couldn't shake the feeling that something could be wrong.

The emotion left me in dismay, alarmed that something horrible might happen. And as Aaron jumped by my side, I immediately started.

He held me steady. "Natalie, what's wrong? You nearly jumped three inches."

I exhaled in relief. "Sorry, I'm a bit...jumpy."

"Is it because of your dream?" He asked quietly.

I pondered if I should tell Aaron about what had happened during first hour. I've never liked keeping stuff from him and I felt shameful by not saying anything at all. Once I opened my mouth to speak, Aaron had spoken first.

"Oh, Natalie, I forgot to introduce you to someone." He said as he moved slightly back. "This is Fray, I'm showing him around the school."

I find Fray standing next to Aaron, his smile kind. He wore the same leather jacket from two nights ago, his shirt white instead of red. Recognition sparked in his eyes.

His smile grew. "Natalie, what a coincidence to find you so soon."

Aaron looked between us curiously. "You guys know each other?"

"Yea." I said slowly. "He drove me home on Friday."

Aaron's brows furrowed in slight worry, but it quickly washed away. He looked at Fray and smiled. "Lucky you, now you have two friends."

Fray laughed. "Don't overwhelm me, Aaron. Having Natalie as a friend," He looked at me and smirked sheepishly, his eyes bright. "will definitely be a problem."

I blushed and looked away. Gladly, Aaron spoke. "You can sit with us, if you like. Just so we can talk about the upcoming tryouts for basketball."

Fray's gaze was a shy tease. "Will that be okay with you, Natalie?"

Aaron looked down to me as well. I tried to hide my flushed cheeks with a smile. "Yes, of course."

Fray beamed brightly. We walked into the lunchroom and sat with Camille and Christy; Mia went home sick. Both Christy and Camille loved him instantly, yet his eyes always seemed to fall onto me. I knew my cheeks were as red as an apple, but they grew unnoticed by Aaron and the others.

"So, Fray." Christy spoke with sparkly eyes. "Are you going to the game on Friday? Everyone's going."

"Only if Natalie's going." He said and looked at me expectantly. Something flashed in Christy's eyes, but she only smiled. Everyone else waited for my answer.

"Yea, I'll go." I replied and smiled shyly at my plate of food. Soon everyone talked amongst themselves as I ate quietly, avoiding Fray's creamy brown eyes.

Unintentionally, I gazed behind me to find Harry's table empty. The feeling of endangerment still sang in my veins. An image of falling rose petals and of feathers turning sable bolts through my gaze. I shook the thought out of my head.

Suddenly, a hand was placed on the small of my back. I look up to find Fray peering down to me.

"Sorry if I put you on the spot." He whispered quietly. "I didn't want to be alone with...them." His eyes pointed towards Camille and Christy.

I smiled in amusement. "It's okay, I totally understand."

He beamed widely. "I'm glad I found you, Natalie. It was great to see you again."

I too agreed and eased down the alarm that balled in my throat. Fray's hand rested on my back as he spoke with Camille, smiling kindly. Aaron looked at us with narrowed eyes.

And as I sat listening to Fray and Camille's conversation, I never realized the flick of danger that passed over me, the inevitable that soon will come.