Homecoming

Chapter One: Paradise

"Casey." Silence. "Casey Higgins." Nothing. "Casey!"

"What?" Casey jumped in his seat, nearly knocking over the container of milk on his lunch tray. "Did I miss something?" The football game last night had gone into overtime, and when Casey got home, he still had two hours of homework to do. Ingrid really shouldn't be surprised that he was tired today.

"Did you finish the chem assignment?" Ingrid pulled her chemistry book out of her bag and flipped it open to chapter two. "I don't understand this question right here."

Casey took the book from Ingrid and looked at the page she was pointing at. There was a large yellow sticky note right in the middle of the page that said: You are such a loser. I figured out the answer before class was over yesterday.

Casey shut the book and handed it back to Ingrid.

"Suck it." He stood up and grabbed his lunch tray. "I'm done. Library?"

"Why, are you actually going to study?"

"Actually, I figured it would give you and the new student assistant a chance to f-"

"Hey now! Watch it." Ingrid shoved her chemistry book in her bag and stood up. "I would join you, but I promised Miss Helms I would help her print out some stuff for classes next week."

"Kiss ass."

Casey and Ingrid threw away their garbage and returned their trays.

"At least I won't be the one repeating the eleventh grade."

"Whatever, suck up."

Casey pulled open the library door and watched as Ingrid walked past him with her finger in the air. People could say what they wanted about her, but she was still his best friend. They had met on the first day of third grade. He was new at school, and Ingrid was the first person who was nice to him. For a while, she was the only person who was nice to him.

The had spent every day eating lunch together. They were over at each others houses every chance they had. When Casey had broken his arm at the end of the year, Ingrid carried around his books for them. When they were in ninth grade, they had even tried dating, but it felt to weird. Ingrid was more like a sister to him than a girlfriend.

Casey sighed as he sat down at his favorite table in the corner of the library. Other people hardly ever came back here. He could have ten minutes of total silence before he had to go to class. He pulled out his latest Batman comic book from his bag and opened it.  He was two pages in when he heard a rustling one stack over.  He looked over coyly - he could see someone standing there, back to him, looking at books.  At least, he assumed they were looking at books.  Whoever it was seemed to sense him looking, because a second later, they turned around, moving out from behind the shelves and staring at him. 

"Holy, shit."  Casey dropped his comic, and almost fell out of his chair trying to keep his composure. 

"Can I help you?" a sultry voice purred. 

Casey swallowed and shook his head - whoever this woman was, she had some sort of weird power over him that seemed to render him completely speechless.  She was tall, so tall, with this weird, pale skin.  Jokingly, Casey silently wondered if she was a vampire.  But that would be impossible.  Vampires couldn't go outside in the daytime.  This wasn't a damn Twilight novel, after all. 

"Whaddya mean?"  Casey finally spluttered.  "I was just sitting here."

"Reading a Batman comic book?"

"Well, yeah.  You got a problem with that?" 

"Aren't you a little old for comic books?  I could show you something much more," she paused and bent over the table, "grownup to read."  She whispered the last three words, and as she did Casey felt a chill through his body.  He couldn't tell if it was from her voice, the perfume she was wearing, or the draft in the library.  Either way, he was totally turned on right now. 

"Well, I am only 17.  How many mature, grownup 17 year olds do you know?"

"Well.  None.  I mean, unless you count my brother, but given the circumstances, I don't think he qualifies." 

"Circumstances?  What circumstances?"

"Oh, nothing.  Well, I better leave.  By the way, my name's Jasmine.  See you around."

Before Casey could say anything, Jasmine was walking away.  He grabbed his comic book and backpack, trying to move quick enough to follow her, but she was out the door before he had a chance.  He would just have to console himself with the fact that at least he knew her name.