Ignescent

Chapter 1

*7 Months earlier*

What's left to remember? What's even worth remembering?  Dark skies and menacing faces. Was I ever happy? Did peace blanket me like sheets of rain on the barren streets? Sunshine and happiness, it all seemed so pointless. Such a fairy-tale thing like happy endings. What's happy about watching those you love crumble completely in front of you? What's so happy about being that person to crumble?

"Whatcha writing?" Olivia asks as she plops down on my bed.

"Nothing." I say as I close my book. Absentmindedly pulling it closer to my chest. 

"You're doing it again." She sighs a deep sigh.

"I'm not doing anything Liv. Just my normal morning routine."

"Yeah, well, we have class in less than 30 minutes and you forgot to get food. We gotta go."

I pulled my fingers through my tangled brown hair. It was oily and made me remember that I haven't washed it in three days. Since I saw him. 

The man that haunts my dreams.

"Wash your hair, Eliza!" Olivia yelled over her shoulder as she walked back to her room.

While suppressing a sigh, I threw my feet over the edge and hopped down. The shower water was already turned on, so i grabbed my towel and got straight to business.

Lather, Rinse, Repeat. Lather, Rinse , Repeat. An endless mantra that I continue to repeat in my head. The shampoo smells like Lavender and the soap smells like Vanilla.

A tropical blessing, but a Vampire's curse.

The jets of warmth hit my skin in a soothing pattern, but it wasn't long before I had to get out. I wrapped my body and my hair before exiting the bathroom and heading back to my room. The September weather was still fair, but brought along a breeze. I decided on a  white circle lace dress with a tan cardigan and some flats. While brushing my teeth I put my hair in a ponytail and then applied my makeup. Olivia was already waiting at the door with my keys by the time I had gathered all my things,her curly blonde hair bouncing as she walked. 

We ended up having to go to the Coffee Shoppe on campus. There was fresh coffee and warm french toast. It always smelled like cinnamon and creamer. Plus, it didn't bother that there happened to be a cute guy that worked here named Brian. 

I majored in Visual Arts while she was studying to become a teacher.Something I would never do. We waved goodbye before heading to our separate lectures. The 90 minutes consisted of listening and note taking about concept and strategy. The usual kind of stuff.

Mine and few other classes let out at the same time, so I sat in the courtyard to wait for my next class. To kill time I decided to write in my journal again.

The method that time is measured alludes me. Second, Minute, Hour, Day, Week, Month, Year. The terms make no sense and all sense at the same time. Sixty seconds can equal a minute and 60 minutes can equal an hour, but 60 hours doesn't equal a day. It equals 3. As people we just waste time. I'm wasting time. There's tons of things I should be studying during my free time, and yet I'm writing. On a new part of the same page about something I won't finish until some time in the future. 

"I saw you sitting here alone and said to myself,'Hey why not sit next to that girl', and now I'm sitting here."

 I looked up from my writing and smiled at my lovely friend. " Is that croissant for me?"                          

"No hello?"    

                                                                                                                                                                            "Hello Jon my dear lifelong friend, is that my croissant?"

He playfully rolled his eyes before handing me the delicious pastry treat.

"I love you too." I spoke before taking a big bite out of the flaky dough.                                                          "Hey Eliza?" he said in questioning tone.  "Who's that guy walking over here?"                                                                                                                                                                                                                     "What guy-" Jonathon was right. A tall guy was walking, or jogging, over to the table we were currently occupying. He had long, curly hair that bounced as he continued, pink cheeks from the wind, and plump lips that can be seen from a mile away. 

He came to a halt at our table. For a second he was hunched over with his hands on his knees to quickly catch his breath. "Hello, my name is Harry and I know this might be very weird considering you have no clue who I am, but I'm figuring your name is Elizabeth and wanted to know if you'd like to come see a film with me?"

The first thing I thought was " Is this some kind of joke?"

He looked taken back. Like he wasn't used to a girl being so unfiltered. "I can't ask out a cute girl?"

"Not when you don't even know their name."

I packed all of my things in my bag before getting up to head anywhere but here.

"Besides, who asks out a girl while her boyfriend is there?"