The Beast

Chapter One

    "Fear is irrelevant. All emotions are irrelevant. I don't need them, and I don't want them. You'll be safer once you push them aside." I tell the group of aspiring police officers. "As the saying goes, "You have to do what you have to do." Whether you're afraid or not, you have to do your job or people will die or get hurt and it will be your fault. Do you understand?" The group responds with tense nodding. I'm brutally honest, which people often mistake for rudeness. There's a difference, I think.

    "Good. I'll see hopefully all of you back next week for your next lesson. 2:00-4:00. Stay out of trouble." I dismiss the class. It's 3:55 p.m., so I've let them out a few minutes early, but I let them out a few minutes late last week, so it evens out. My personal trainer and I are meeting at 5, so I have an hour to do whatever I'd like.

    I walk out into the parking lot and search for my car. I've worked here for years now, but I still haven't chosen one place to park everyday, so I always park somewhere different. And I always forget where it is.

    I finally find my car, in the very back of the parking lot. I get inside and realize that I don't have anywhere to go. I have my gym clothes with me, so I don't have to go home and get them. I think for a few seconds and drive off to the book store. I've been feeling lonely lately, which I absolutely hate to admit, so I need something to keep my mind off of everything. No friends, no boyfriend, no family (not that I should need any of them anyway, I'm strong enough on my own).

    The book store isn't very far from the police station, so when I arrive it's only 4:10. It would've been better if I hadn't spent ten minutes looking for my car, but it's already happened so I shouldn't dwell over it.

    I walk in and go to the romance section. If I saw anyone that I know here, I would probably catch on fire and burn to death to avoid embarrassment. I'm supposed to be tough. When I read, I'm supposed to read fighting books, or job related books. Not sappy romance novels that'll help me forget about having a boyfriend while at the same time make me want one. I've never had a boyfriend, not even as a child, so I don't know very much about relationships. I've read a few books about them, but it seems like so much work. You have to spend a whole bunch of time with someone, and when you fight you might even have to apologize (which is the worst thing ever. I prefer the "I'm never wrong or to blame" thing), and you have to hug and kiss and stuff, which I don't know how to do. I really don't where my arms are supposed to go in either situation.

    I grab a book and look through it while I walk around. I guess this bookstore isn't the most organized place, because before I knew it I was falling towards the ground at a high speed after tripping over a book that someone had smartly placed in the middle of the floor. I'm casually waiting for my face to hit the carpet when I realize that it isn't going to. I feel strong, warm arms holding my waist from behind and have a sudden urge to punch whoever it is in the face. I stand up to face them and I pull my arm back to punch-but I don't. I look into his deep blue eyes and put my arm down at my side.

    "I'm sorry for grabbing you," the man says in a deep voice unlike any I've heard before. He releases me and I notice his skin, unusually pale for California, but not white. Like someone took caramel and added a bit of white chocolate, creating a lighter color. "I just didn't want you to fall and get hurt." I can't stop looking into his eyes. I feel like I'm swimming in pools of his soul and for some reason, I'm enjoying it.

    I snap out of it. "Thank you for catching me. I'm Arabella," I say, outstretching my arm. We shake hands and I feel something. I feel strength that has arisen from fear. I feel a barrier that no one has been able to pass. I feel beauty from inside that hasn't failed to show on the outside. I pull my hand away and the moment stops. Even though I made it end, I don't think that I wanted it to.

    "That's a very unique name. I'm Lucky." He smiles at me. I find myself smiling back, which I normally wouldn't do. I usually don't smile at all. There's just something about him that makes me smile, I guess. I look at his hair. It's dark, but not dark enough to be black. Just an incredibly dark brown.

    I check my phone. It's 4:45. "I'm sorry Lucky, but I need to go. I'm supposed to meet my personal trainer at 5," I tell him. If I'm late, my personal trainer with probably make me pay extra, and I'm trying to save up to go somewhere on vacation.

    He smiles. "It's okay, I guess. On one condition." His smile turns to more of a smirk. Every new expression he makes brings me a bit closer to knowing everything about him. It seems strange, but for some reason, I want to know everything about him. I want to know his favorite food and his favorite color and his favorite animal. I want to know his scent and his eyes and the way his hair feels under my fingertips. I want to know him, whether I'll ever admit it to anyone or not.

    "What is it?" I ask. I'm slightly nervous, since I just met him and he could be a killer or something. If that's the case though, I could just beat him up, or shoot him, or zap him with my taser. I have multiple ways of defending myself, so I think I'll be fine.

    "Your phone number." I can't help but smile at him. I'm more than willing to give him my number. He hands me his phone and I make a contact for myself.

    "Thanks, Belle. I'll see you again sometime, right?" He doesn't stop grinning and neither do I. His teeth are white and shiny. Probably shiny enough for me to see my reflection in.

    "You can count on it." I wink before walking out the door. He doesn't know anything about me. He's a stranger. I can be anyone that I want to be and he wouldn't question it. I could let my guard down and laugh like I haven't in years.

    As I'm driving to the gym, I feel pain in my face. My cheeks have started to hurt from all of the smiling. "Stupid Lucky," I mutter, which causes me to smile again.