Scarlet Blossom

January 4th, 2015

I felt like my head was about to explode. Excruciating pain ran through the back of my head, as I pulled myself off my pillow. The world in front of me was a haze. I felt a little lightheaded. I could not think straight it was all deluded. Like a storm everything came back to me. Last night, was a heedless decision. I am never this impulsive, I guess I desperately wanted to fit in for once and not be the odd one out or rather, was black mailed. The lights stung my eyes making it watery. I definitely looked like a zombie, like I predicted, but the fountainhead was a little different from what I imagined.
Last night:
My iPod lit up. It is always on silent. "Clarrise" flashed on the screen. I declined her FaceTime call as my parents were still awake and the slightest sound, at this late hour, would tick them off.
"Hey! What's up?" I texted her after the  third call.
"Why were u not answering? Anyway we are waiting in front of ur house."
"Sry. Um...why?" Well this is a little odd.
"We are hanging out in the cemetery. Remember? I told u we do, every night. But u were too busy staring at weirdo."
"Was not! I forgot. Anyway I cannot come. My parents are awake."
"Was too. Don't be a wuss. We aren't gonna leave till u get ya booty outta that door." What do they not get about my parents are still up?
"As I said before, my parents are up. If I walk out that door don't u think I would get caught? Was not."
"That is what a window is for, you dummy! Was too." They must be kidding me right now!
"Was not. Cannot come."
"Fine then I am ringing the bell."
"DON'T YOU DARE!!"
"In 3..."
"Stop please..."
"2..."
"1..."
"Wait fine."
"Give me 30 minutes. Let my parents go to bed."
"Fine. Tick tock. Tick tock."
So this is how it all started. I got black mailed into doing something I never imagined I was capable of. As soon all all the lights went off, I got on with my devious plan.
The cold swallowed me whole. A tear ran down my cheek. The midnight air was not at all forgiving. I shuddered.
We strolled through the trail into a colossal cemetery. It looked nothing like the movies. Other than the owl hooting and the insects singing. Nothing was similar. The wind stood still. An occasional breeze passed by, swaying the debilitated trees to and fro. There was no mist and the clear Alpharetta sky lit up the cemetery with its moon. The stars twinkled, looking like diamonds under neath bright light. They were beautifully embellished onto the naked black. I could not absorb all this beauty. I guess my face said it all as Ryan stated, "Told ya the cold walk was worth it." I just grinned back in acknowledgement. Clarisse wrapped her dainty hand around my shoulder and asked,"Seriously, what is up with you and Wyclef? Like why?" That was literally the first time she did not call him weirdo, but his name. "I mean I am all available." Mike interjected into our conversation. "No thank you Mike. I don't know Clarisse. You tell me." Mike mock stabbed his heart to show his fake agony.  "Damn!! You got beat by weird guy. It is like an every new girl thing. They see him find him attractive and then he creeps them out. Poor kid. Someone's gotta teach him how to hold onto all that weirdness." There we go again back to "weird guy". I mean I understand that what Ryan is saying is logical. He is a little weird. Who talks about ways to wiping out a whole civilisation. But still there is something that draws me to him. "His journal entries in Lit should be enough to freak you out." Clarisse pointed out. "Can we please talk about something else?" Sensing I was getting irked they stopped. We stationed ourselves on the rocks next to the creek and stayed there for hours.
I got back home or rather climbed/sneaked back home at 2:00 and fell asleep, dead as a door nail.
Honestly everything that my biology teacher talked about went right above my head. I was too busy yawning. That was tortuous, my punishment for breaking the rules. I kept inclining my head to keep up my masquerade of listening to her. Finally I was jolted back to earth when the bell resounded through the school. That is when a tall, toned, blond guy walked into the class. His eyes lingered on me long enough to make me feel uncomfortable. I glared at the paper in front of me. "Meet Shiloh, our new student. Please, be nice to her." My teacher introduced me. "What! I am always nice to people." I smiled at him, to not seem rude and swiftly tried to get to my English class before the 10 minutes got over. But I was not quick enough. He held onto my wrist and said, "Wait."
I lurched my hand back. "Ooooo feisty! I like it."
I haven't even spoken to him and he was already getting onto my nerves. I rolled my eyes and scampered through the hallway. But his long strides caught up to me in a matter of seconds.
"You gotta try a lot harder to get rid of me. Alvin, call me Al." He said with an attitude.
"Shiloh."
"So where did you move from?"
"India."
"That cool. A friend mine is from there."
"Great." Sounding exactly the opposite.
"Looks like someone got up on the wrong side of the bed."
"I am sleepy, so yeah. Sorry though and I need to go now. See you around. " I was glad we reached my class.
"It is fine. Bye." I smiled back. Then he turned his back to me and left the hallway. Did he just walk all the way here for me? Strange!
When I turned around I noticed Wyclef was looking right at me. This is new. Usually it is me gaping at him. It did not stop there, he smiled at me. An angel's smile. That can make any girl senile. As though a natural reflex I gave him the widest smile I had ever given anyone. It is absurd for me, it takes a lot out of me to smile. But for him I could do it all day. I did not even have to try.
"I saw that." Clarisse whispered from behind me.
"Good for you." Thank my stars the bell rang then.
The rest of the day went as normal.
I was walking back home while I argued with Mike about why we could not go to the mall right now, through text, when I hit a hard rock. No, it was Alvin's chest. I had dropped my iPod, but Alvin got hold of it before me scrutinising the screen. "Is he you boyfriend?" He asked as though it were an offence. "No. Excuse me, that is mine." I clutched at my iPod, apace and drifted through the crowd to get home.
"Yo why are you always in a hurry?"
"Why are you always so intrusive?"
"Sorry. I guess, we got off on the wrong foot. Can we start again?" His blue eye emanated genuineness and sincerity. My lips broke into a smile.
"I have a tonne of homework today, so I really have to skedaddle." I was being completely honest.
"I will walk you my house is like right next this school."
"What a coincidence. Mine too, it is just around the corner."
As we got closer his lips pulled up into a grin.
"So you are not the goodie-two-shoes I thought you are."
"I don't know what you are talking about." I said in utter surprise.
"Cut the act I saw you sneak out last night."
My jaws dropped to the ground. "How could you have..."
"That is my house." He said pointing to the house right next door.
I turned pale.
"Don't worry I am not a tattletale. As long as we are friends."
At that I broke into a fit of laughter.
"Deal!" I said.
Then we parted. He waited till I was in, only to wave at me again through the window right opposite to mine.