Tainted

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

It turned out that Nova's worries about facing Seth were for nothing, because Seth wasn't at school that day. In fact he hadn't shown up for school all week. Nova searched the parking lot for his car every morning and his face at lunch everyday, but no Seth. Where is he? She asked herself for the millionth time.

Everyday brought on more doubts Nova didn't want to feel. She couldn't help to think it was because of that night. She wished she could go back and... what? She thought it was her imagination, she didn't know Seth was really there. She didn't ask him to invade her day dream.

But that did not make her feel any better about it, or the fact he wasn't here. Weirdly enough, she missed him. She should be mad at him, but as every day passed with him gone, it was hard to stay mad. Where was he?

Ryan took complete advantage of Seth's disappearance. She thought he would be mad at her defense of Seth, or at least ignore her. But when he saw that Seth wasn't here, his mood changed. He tried hard to prove he was still her best friend. He brought her flowers her one day, tried to take her off campus for lunch, and followed her like a shadow. It didn't matter how many times she told him that she wasn't mad and that they would always be friends, he wouldn't stop apologizing for threatening to tell her grandfather.

When she rejected his subtle advances, he seemed to grow angry again. Sometimes scaring her. His face would cloud over with a weird expression and his face would turn red. She watched his change, wondering why he was getting so mad. He wasn't acting like her best friend. Ryan was normally really easy going.

Her frustration finally let loose on Friday, Ryan had insisted on picking her up for school like before. He parked in their driveway like he had done a hundred times before. Sarina had decided to ditch that day, saying she was going to see Mark, who had been sick for the last few days and cheer him up.

So it was just her and Ryan. Lucky her. Ryan seemed overjoyed that they were alone, he walked her to the car and held her door open for her. Never before has he done this. Nova knew something was up, she couldn't shake the weirdness of it all. What would she have to do to make him see that he needed to stop?

So when he got in his side of the car, leaned over and kissed her she snapped. She was tired of playing sweet Nova. She had told him every way she could think of to be nice about it. What else was she suppose to do?

"That's it Ryan! No more. I can't be friends with you if you don't listen to me. I said no, and I mean it..." she bit off, grabbing the door handle and climbing back out of the car.

She didn't even wait for his reply, she walked stiffly down the road. It's only a couple miles to school, she told herself. So what if she was late? You know what? Spring break is next week I'll just take off early, she decided as she whipped back around at went inside her house. Ryan had gotten out of his car at that point and went to follow her, She turned to close the door just as Ryan's body filled the doorway.

"Move Ryan!" She yelled, glaring furiously at him.

"Nova wait.." he pleaded, wiping his forehead like he had just ran miles.

Nova watched sweat trickle down his brow, and his skin turn ashen. Anger turned into confusion. She didn't slam the door on his face, she watched his strange behavior, what is wrong with him?

Ryan's hands started shaking, and his face twisted in pain. Nova gasped when he fell through the door way to land at her feet.

"Ryan! What's wrong?" she panicked bending down to roll him over. She reached underneath his arms, to be able to grab him better, slowly she turned him over. When she saw his face, her panic went on double time. His face still reflected his pain, as his hands were grabbing his throat like someone was chocking him. His face went form ashen gray to red and then finally to purple.