Dark side of the moon.

Chapter One

Denny sighed, slamming her locker door to make sure the old thing actually shut before slinging her back pack across her shoulders. It was the last class of the day and the hall way seemed to vibrate with the students excitement at the coming weekend.  As she made her way toward the library for her study period, all Denny heard was the excitement about Taylor Greene's up coming party. Waving off a few shouted inquires about weather or not she'd be there, Denny ducked into the library just as the bell rang.

"You're almost late." A clipped, slightly accented voice called from behind the front desk. Denny rolled her eyes, walking over to the end of the desk to shoot a half hearted glare at the librarian. An almost smile ghosted the woman's dark face and Denny couldn't help but smile.

"I so am not Lorian." Denny said, plopping down in one of the low chairs, leaning back to watch the older woman. The smile turned real as the taller woman walked around to join her. "Not all of us are in love with this dusty old place like you are." Her response was a scoff, covered nearly by the scrape of the chairs legs on the floor when Lorian pushed her feet off the table. After a long moment, Lorian asked, "Any plans for the weekend?" Denny rolled her eyes replying, "You know my plans as well as I do Lor.  Hell, your practically my baby sitter when Dad's not around." "You say that like its a bad thing." Lorian replied, a cheeky wink hiding one of her impossibly green eyes.

Denny took a moment to stair up at her friend. The woman's skin was the color of rich coffee, her hair the color of midnight her look made all the more odd by the color of her eyes. A bright, clear grassy green, flecked around the center with a deep honey gold. She was tall, reaching easily to six feet and thin, athletic almost. The smile that currently split the woman's dark face was rare and Denny had heard other students refer to the odd woman as an Ice Queen.

After a long moment, Lorian sighed and asked, "What would you rather be doing tonight?"

"Well," Denny began, crossing her fingers under the table. "Taylor, um Taylor Greene is having a party tonight."

"No."

"Why?" Denny cried, her voice almost a whine. Lorian crossed her arms across her chest, looking away from her young friend.

"You're to young for those kinds of parties-,"

"Lorian! I'm eighteen!" Denny cried, leaning forward to stare pleadingly at her friend. "You could even come with me! Dad would never have to know!"

"I don't do parties." said Lorian softly. "I didn't when I was your age and I certainly do not now. As far as your father goes, your lucky to have the privileges that you do. You don't understand how dangerous the world is-,"

"Goddamn," Denny yelled standing. "I am so goddamn tired of you lot treating me like a child!"

Lorian, seeing the familiar anger rising in her young friend sighed, standing. Moving near silently around the table, Lorian reached to touch Denny's cheek, not reacting when the teen pulled away. "I know you feel like we're babying you." Lorian said softly. "But trust me, its for your own good."

Denny didn't answer, turning her back to her friend as she picked up her bag. Before Lorian could say anything, Denny rushed from the room. Her feet, fueled by anger led her quickly away from the library. Before she realized how far she'd gotten, she was outside, passing the foot ball field toward the student parking lot. As she slowed down, she heard someone shout, "Hey, O'Neal!" Stopping, Denny turned to see Taylor Greene himself jogging over to the chain link fence. Forcing a smile, Denny waiting as he jogged around the fence, coming over closer than she would have liked. The after noon sun seemed to make his blonde hair shine gold and his blue eyes were smiling. "Denise? Right?" Taylor asked, smiling.