chosen

Chapter Two: The Rescuer

The guy casually continues to glance at me as he grabs plenty of paper towels to clean me up. I'm so embarrassed. I smell like the sewage system, and look like someone just vomited on me. Yet this guy doesn't really seem to care. He just seems to care about getting me cleaned up. I just hope that nobody walks into the boy's bathroom anytime soon.
The guy quietly walks over to me, crouching down so that he's at my level. He gently starts to brush the orange goo off of me with the many paper towels he holds in his hand. His chocolate brown eyes extremely focused.

"Rough morning?" he asks running his hands through my hair to get the goo out.

"I guess you can say so," I say my throat dry, "That's one way that you can put it."

He smirks as he gets up to grab some more paper towels.

"Who did this to you anyway?" he asks glancing at me through the mirror.

I look down at my now slimy looking riding boots. Would this guy really not be able to assume who did this? It's almost obvious.

"Um, just some of the popular kids," I say as he walks back with the paper towels, crouching in front of me once more.

He begins to wipe my boots off then my jeans and my jacket. Yet, my shirt and coat are still completely drenched. Then he reaches for my backpack that lies beside me, and wipes that off too. He ever so gently takes my camera into his hands, delicately wiping it off.

"Nice camera," he says intrigued, "You like photography?"

"Yes," I say.

"Me too. My brother used to shoot for Vogue Magazine."

"Really?" I say. My dream job is to work for a magazine as prestigious as Vogue one day. To live in New York City, and be out of this small town.

He nods his head  with a small smile spreading across his face. His smile reaches his beautiful chocolate brown eyes.

"Your shirt and jacket are absolutely drenched," he says a laugh almost escaping him.

He glances down at his own clothes. Three layers. A black rain jacket. Underneath a grey hoodie, and a red t-shirt. He looks so comfortable.

Ever so slowly, he reaches for his black rain jacket. Slipping it off of his large shoulders with no effort. Then placing it down beside him. Keeping his mesmerizing chocolate brown eyes on mine.

He slowly grabs the top of his grey hoodie, pulling it over his head in one swift move. Placing that beside him as well.

He reaches his large muscular hand out to me. I gently grab it as he helps me get up from the cold hardwood floor.

"Dakota, Dakota Cromwell," he says with a smile, not releasing my hand.

He quickly reaches down to the floor to grab his rain jacket and hoodie. His hand not moving a budge in mine.

"And you are?" he asks facing towards me once more.

Does he really not know who I am? Almost everyone in Cascade High knows who I am. Let alone everyone in this town. Perhaps he doesn't recognize me with goo covered all over me.

"Brinley Thomas," I croak.

He smiles handing me the jacket and hoodie from his right hand.

"Take these and get changed out of that shirt and jacket," he says sincerely walking me towards one of the bathroom stalls.

"Okay," I say as he releases my hand when I walk into the stall, "Thank you."

"Nothing to thank me for," he says closing the bathroom stall.