The Silent One: Cursed Daughter (Book 1)

For Her

(Tate's POV)

I smiled at them, mostly at her. Alice, that is. She seems so mysterious and sweet. Not to mention, absolutely stunning. Her eyes resemble the crystal blue, sparkling color of the ocean. She has kissable, luscious lips that look so soft I almost want to touch them. Purity was the aura that surrounded her. It was clear that she had a beautiful soul. One that is misunderstood.

“What are you doing out here?” the black-haired girl asked me.

“Well, I gave that snobby girl a piece of my mind, and the teacher didn’t seem pleased with what I had to say. He told me to go to Principal Carter’s office, but I had to make sure you were all right,” I said with a slight smile.

Alice's face reddened, and she tried to hide it by covering her face with her book. I thought it was sweet how bashful she was.

“Are you alright?” I asked as I lifted her head.

Our eyes met, and she froze. In the moment we stayed quiet, I almost felt as if she were peering deep into my soul. It sent an unfamiliar sensation through my entire body. I pushed aside my thoughts when I suddenly picked up the fresh scent of blood. My eyes immediately darted toward the source.

“You’re bleeding! What happened?” I asked as I tried to grab her hand.

She pulled back and hid her hand behind her back.

“She needed to release some built-up anger and punched the mirror in the girls' bathroom,” the other girl quickly said. "That’s when I found her."

“You shouldn’t let a girl like her hurt such a beautiful girl like you,” I said with a smile.

I mean, was it wrong of me to flirt with her? We have only just met, yet I feel drawn to her. I'm not sure what it was, but there was something about her I liked. Everything about her stood out. Suddenly she blushed, and I laughed shyly.

“I’m sorry, I’m probably being weird,” I said as I rubbed the back of my neck nervously.

She shakes her head to show she disagrees. I could tell from her beautiful smile that she was delighted by my words. Before I could say anything else, a bell rang.

“That’s the fifteen-minute bell. We should probably return to the classroom,” the girl said.

Alice shook her head, pulling her friend in the opposite direction. She didn’t want to go back there, and I couldn’t blame her.

“I can wait out here with you if you’d like,” I suggested. "It’s not like I’ve got anywhere else to be."

I am hoping to see if I can get her to talk to me. Alice looked at her friend, then at me. She nodded her head while smiling shyly. I smiled back and patiently waited as Alice pulled her friend aside, watching as they spoke using their hands to sign language.

Honestly, I wish I knew sign language, so I could tell what they were saying. Maybe one day she can teach me. After a few moments, her friend walked past me with a smile on her face as Alice walked up to me.

“Don’t wander off too far, because I’ll be back out as soon as the bell rings,” Her friend said as she stopped at the door to the classroom. “If I don’t get suspended for fighting her, we can skip the rest of the day and go home.”

“She’s in good hands, you can trust me,” I said, looking back at Alice's friend. "I assure you I'll take extra special care of her... Uh... I don’t believe I caught your name."

“You better keep your word, or I may have to kill you,” she said with a wink then chuckled. “My name is Anna by the way.”

That's when I realized that when it comes to appearance, Anna is the complete opposite of Alice. She has black hair, probably dyed, but, even then, her natural color is still dark, possibly dark brown.

Then there are her eyes, which are a vivid, light green color paired with golden flakes around the pupils. They're almost like mine, except my eyes change colors since they are hazel. While looking at her appearance, I noticed bruises on her skin. When she covered her arms while raising an eyebrow, I looked away returning my attention to Alice.

She stared at Anna while nodding her head as if they were having a conversation I couldn't hear. Alice abruptly stopped nodding when she saw me watching her. Anna slipped back into the classroom, and Alice started walking away. I followed closely behind her until she stopped in front of a locker down the hall.

After tearing off the hateful notes taped to her locker, she threw them on the ground. I watched as she opened her locker and then pulled out a notebook and a pencil. When she closed the locker and held up the notebook and pencil, I nodded in approval and smiled.

“Why doesn’t she talk?” I asked myself.

She suddenly wrote something down. When Alice finished writing, she handed me the notebook.

“Because I can’t talk,” I read out loud from the paper.

After reading her response, my eyes grew wide. I quickly hid my reaction from her. How did she know what I was thinking? She then looked down at the ground, fidgeting with her bandaged, bleeding hand. I touched her shoulder, and she looked up at me. I formed a smile on my face to assure her that I understood and wouldn’t judge her. Though I could tell she faked a smile back at me.

“So, tell me something about yourself?” I asked as I handed the notebook back to her.

Alice sat down, with her back against the lockers, and thought for a moment. She then wrote something down on paper. I wondered to myself what she might say as I waited patiently.

I’m not sure what to say. What do you want to know?

“What’s your favorite color?” I asked.

She simply wrote the word: Purple.

“Why can’t you talk?” I asked as her eyes met mine.

I could tell she was hesitant, but then she wrote: I was born this way.

“Well, I still think you turned out perfect,” I said with a half smile.

My words made her blush instantly. She hid her face behind the notebook as she wrote a response.

I wouldn’t say all that. Is there anything else you want to know?

“Would you ever have a date with me?” I blurted out loud.

The pencil dropped from her hand onto the paper before rolling onto the cold floor. She stared down at the notebook with her hair draped over her face. I couldn’t see her reaction, as she was quiet and didn’t move an inch.

“I’m sorry if it seems that I’m moving too fast,” I said with a nervous chuckle. "I just want a chance to get to know you better."

She suddenly lifted her head, and her gaze met mine. Her lovely eyes are filled with tears.

“I’m sorry. Did I say something wrong?” I asked apologetically.

She began to write in her notebook again, before hesitantly flipping it over for me to read.

No… It’s just... I've never had someone ask me on a date before.

I touched her hand and stared deeply into her eyes. They are so hypnotizing. It was like I could see the rolling waves of the ocean just by looking at them. I could stare into her eyes all day. If she'd let me.

“I'm surprised because you’re a stunning girl,” I said while squeezing her hand. "I’m sure you’re equally funny and smart, too."

Before I could say anything else, the next bell rang. As people filled the hallway, I continued holding her hand. Alice didn’t let go of my hand until Anna came out of the classroom. She stood up as Anna rushed towards us and hugged her.

"Hey guys!” Anna greeted us before asking, "Alice, are you ready to leave?"

Alice looked at me, then back at Anna, before nodding her head. I decided to head in the direction of the principal’s office and let the girls do what they had planned. Before I walked too far away, I turned around to say one last thing.

“I’ll see you girls around. Oh, and Alice, let me know when you want that date.” I yelled down the hall.

I couldn’t wait to see her again. Although, seeing the principal on the first day of school was never something I had planned on. Being that I was supposed to show exemplary behavior and keep a low profile. My grandmother certainly won’t be very happy with me, but I did it for her, for Alice.