Reaper

Icicles

"Raven," Jason called as I walked down the hallway of the school the next day.

I glanced up from the floor to see him squeezing past groups and clusters of our peers to get to me.

When he eventually did, he glanced around as if he were looking for someone, then returned his attention to me. "Have you talked to your little boyfriend lately?"

"He's not my boyfriend, Jason. He never will be, either," I said firmly.

"I don't care; have you talked to him lately?"

"No,"

"Well, he's looking for you,"

I furrowed my brow in slight confusion. "Why would he be looking for me?"

"I don't know, but he is; if you don't want to talk to him, I would suggest running out of the school right now and hiding forever."

"Did he say he was looking for me?"

"He asked me directly as soon as I walked through the front doors of the school." He glanced around again. "It was like he was waiting for me or knew exactly when and where I would show up. There are five outside doors in this school, yet he knew exactly which one I would walk through."

"Yeah; his entire family is beyond weird. What did he ask you?"

"He asked me how to get to the Shire, Raven." his voice dripped with sarcasm. "What do you think he asked me?"

I opened my mouth to say something when, out of the corner of my eye, the flood of teenagers that smelled like fruit, flowers, overdone cologne, and hormones suddenly parted down the center. It looked like the scene from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of The Crystal Skull when Ox uncovered the crystal skull in the jungle and the giant ants detoured around it.

Only, it wasn't an alien's skull they were detouring around....it was Jasik.

That familiar chill ran down my spine and I stared backing away before he could see me.

Jason turned to see what I was reacting to, and as soon as he saw Jasik, his eyes went wide. "Now is the time to run, Raven." he whispered in my ear before he hurried away.

I followed suit, hoping Jasik hadn't seen me yet, and I ran as soon as I turned the corner. I glanced over my shoulder for just a second to make sure he wasn't following me, and when I turned back around-

Smack!

My body collided with another.

"Well, you certainly seem happy to see me," a familiar, fairly deep voice said.

You've got to be kidding me. I thought.

Of all the people I could have run into, it had to be Jasik?

I cocked my head in confusion. "How did you get here?" I asked as I took a couple of steps back.

"I walked here, just like some of the other students do," he said.

"No; I mean, how did you get here? You were just in the hall behind me, and now you're here."

"I walked through the connector hall,"

I skipped the next question and went to the one after it. "What do you want from me?"

"I wanted to talk to you, Raven."

"Why?"

"What my father told you last night about your mother was unintentional, and he wanted me to inform you that he apologizes for invading your privacy."

"Apology accepted; now stay away from me." I started walking away.

"Raven, wait,"

I didn't wait; if anything, I sped up a little.

"Raven," he called after me.

I turned the corner of the hallway just as the bell rang for everyone to get to class. Only after I arrived at Mr. Jackson's door did I realize that there wasn't much of a point in storming away from someone I shared my first class of the day with.

--------------------

I could feel Jasik's eyes on the back of my head like icicles being jammed into my skull throughout the day. Even when I didn't have class with him, I could still feel those icy golden eyes on me.

Speaking of his eyes....

For someone who already stands out in a crowd, I didn't understand why he felt the need to wear colored contacts every day. Also, what is it with him and symbols and personifications of Death? He already acts creepy; why does he need to look the part, too?