The Black and the White Rose

Chapter Eleven

       The next morning I open my eyes and stare at my ceiling. As I think about what happened the night before, images of the woman in black flash through my mind. I have a feeling I know who she was, or what she was—an Angel of Death.
       I turn over and check the time on my phone—it's 8:02. I sigh and throw the covers back. When my feet touch the floor, I shiver. How will I tell Damien what I saw? I don't want him to worry, but I also don't want to keep this from him.
       After I get dressed, I brush my hair and pull it up into a ponytail. Then I walk out to the kitchen. My siblings are sitting at the breakfast table eating cereal. As I get my own cereal, they stare at me silently. Their eyes are focused on my every move. It's kind of creepy, to be honest.
       When I pour my milk, I finally ask, "Is something wrong?" I don't get a real answer from them. They just shake their heads and continue eating. "I really don't want this morning to end the same way it did the other day, I hope you know that."
        "We know," James says plainly. "We have nothing to say."
       I nod my head in disbelief.

        By the time I'm completely ready for school, Damien rings the doorbell, and I rush to open the door. He steps in and kisses me softly.
        "Hey," he whispers. "You ready to go?"
        "Yup. Just let me grab my bag," I say, putting the strap over my shoulder. "Okay, let's go."
        We walk out to his car and hop in. He starts it and backs out of the driveway. I watch him intently, but he doesn't seem to notice me staring. I have a sudden urge to tell him about last night, but I swallow the thought. He smiles at me benevolently, and I smile back.
        As we arrive at the school, butterflies fill my stomach. I feel like something bad is going to happen today, whether it's during school or after. Damien and I walk to the front doors and enter the school. The hallways are flooded with people like usual.
        I grip Damien's arm unintentionally. He looks at me with narrow eyes. "You okay?" he asks with concern. I smile and nod, but I don't exactly meet his eyes. I know he doesn't believe me—he isn't easily fooled, especially not by me. Although, he doesn't question me further.
        We make our way to first period without talking. Elena stands up from her desk and hugs me happily. "Hey! What's up?" she chirps. I giggle at her cheerfulness.
       "Nothing much. How are you and Toby doing?" I ask with a smirk.
       "Amazing! He's taking me out tonight," she says, then she gasps. "You and Damien should join us! Like a double date!"
        I look at Damien and smile. He shrugs and smiles back. I turn back to Elena and reply, "That would be great."
       She jumps with excitement and adds, "Fantastic! I can't wait!"
       The bell rings and we all sit down at our desks. I look out the window and see the grassy field. Everything is calm today. Nothing is moving. Even the clouds look still.
       Mr. Aarons begins to teach, but I don't feel like listening. I just stare at the front of the room and block everything out. Although, I can feel Damien's eyes on me. I can feel his concern and his worry like fire on my skin. How can I feel these things? Maybe my power is trying to manifest again, but it isn't supposed to fully manifest until my birthday. So why am I feeling this way now? I'm overthinking this.
       After class is over, I pack my things and head for the door. I feel a hand grip my arm, and I turn to see who it is. As I expected, it's Damien. Elena looks at me uneasily, but I nod to her like everything is okay. She keeps walking, and Damien looks at the door, watching the students leave. Then he looks back at me. "What's wrong? You seemed out of it the whole class period," he notes.
       "Nothing's wrong," I lie. "I'm just tired, that's all." He looks very unconvinced, as usual. I try to walk away, but his grip tightens. I twist my head toward him. His eyes are stormy blue.
       "Don't do that, Skye. Don't lie to me," he spits. "I know there is something wrong with you. I can sense it. Tell me."
       My eyes burn, and I blink tears away, hoping he doesn't see them. He tilts his head and frowns at me. I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. The tears fight back, and I can't keep them from falling. Damien wipes them away with his thumb.
       "Skye...talk to me," he whispers. "I need to know."
       "I...saw something...last night," I sniffle. People start to walk into the room, and I wipe my cheeks with the palm of my hand. "We shouldn't talk about this right now. We have to go to class." Damien releases my arm, and we walk to our next class.