School Trip With The Bad Boy

Chapter eight

*Tom*

Well this should be interesting. Sheila led us through to the familiar guest room across the living room. I could feel the anger radiating from Lysandra as Jenn brushed past her and I tried my hardest not to laugh, Lysandra had always been irritatingly possessive, even of things that weren't hers.

I think that was mainly why I told her Jenn and I were dating, I mean, the last time I was here she just would not leave me alone. But she's not necessarily a bad person, she's just used to getting what she wants. I think this time I just wanted time to myself and time to work out what we were going to do about the whole school issue.

Sheila shut the door and Jenn immediately turned on me.

"What the hell was that?!" She whisper shouted.

"Believe me, she needs to think that we're dating otherwise we wouldn't have a single moment alone to figure out this mess."

"But she hates me. Wait... You weren't dating her, were you? Did you make me a snatcher?!"

"A what?" I asked laughing.

"A snatcher, someone who steals people's boyfriends."

"No." I said, still laughing, "no I've never dated her, the only reason I told her we were dating is because she is very..." I searched for the right word, "clingy."

"Well I don't want to be part of your stupid scheming, go and tell her we're not dating. Now."

"No." I said, simply.

"What?" She asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I said no, not used to hearing that in your family mansion?"

I realised that was the wrong thing to say as her hand swung firmly into my face.

"Ow!"

"What is it? Not used to being slapped? That's a surprise." She said still scowling at me as I cupped my aching cheek. She swiftly turned on her heel and marched to the door. When her fingers rested on the handle, she turned to me and said "Well one of us has to tell her the truth."

"Wait n-" I started but the door had already slammed shut.

***

*Jenn*

I immediately noticed the sudden emptiness of the living room I'd just entered. I had only been in this room a few minutes previously but I could see no traces of the preparing-to-leave jumble that had filled the room, now completely clear around the white leather sofa and glass coffee table.

"W-where did everything go...?" I asked to no one on particular, despite Lysandra's cool presence.

"Oh... my parents just left." She said, her face stony.

"But they were just here, they didn't even say goodbye."

"Why does it matter to you?"

"I mean, it doesn't, I guess."

She pouted slightly and tilted her neck upwards to look down on me. As she shifted her neck I glimpsed a trace of black against her collar bone, which had been previously covered by her lace  cardigan. I squinted at it. She couldn't have a tattoo, could she? She's only 16, didn't they have age restrictions here?

"Aren't you a bit young to have a tattoo?" I blurted, cursing my mouth for speaking my mind.

"What did you say?" She whispered in... shock? I think that was the emotion rolling in her eyes.

"I just saw it, beneath your collar bone." Again cursing my ever-blabbering mouth.

Lysandra just stared at me, her mouth slightly agape. "It's you."

"What are you talking about...?"

She ignored my question and yelled behind me "Tom! Come here, right now."

Tom reluctantly appeared in the doorway to the living room looking like he was preparing for a shouting at, probably thinking I had got around to telling her the truth. But his features shifted when he saw Lysandra's face.

"It's her." She whispered.

"What?" He asked, probably not being able to hear her breathy statement, but his eyes lightened, hope sparking them. I stood still between them, still in utter confusion.

"She saw my markings." Lysandra said, still in her quiet tone.

Tom looked like he was about to cry as his gaze shifted to me. I have never been looked at with that intensity, the way his blue eyes stared at me, I felt like they were drowning me.  In his gaze I felt a... somewhat familiar weight settle on my shoulders, a tangible thing, like a fur coat or a backpack. It made me slump a tiny bit and Tom clocked my slight movement and stood up straighter himself, awareness brightening his eyes and I felt the weight lift again.

"What was that? I'm so confused, what's going on?"

Tom's eyes flicked back to Lysandra, again my request being ignored. "We can't take her there, it's not fair, she's not ready."

"I'm not ready for what?"

"But she needs to go, it's not safe here," Lysandra replied, apparently I was no longer present in the room, the only explanation as to why I'd been ignored again.

"Why can't you tell my what's going on?" I yelled, finally gaining both of their attention.

Tom reached for my hand and ran his thumb down my forefinger, obviously not letting down the act of dating me in front of Lysandra. I ripped my hand from his and something like hurt rippled in his eyes. "We can't right now, but you will find out in time."

In a flash of brightness we were back at the lake in Central Park. I took one look at the rippling waters and fainted into steady arms... as if they'd been expecting it.