Love Persists

Chapter 11

Erik's POV:
As the weeks went on, I began to give in to my feelings for Mandie. I stopped ignoring her, instead opening up and telling her things I had never told anyone before. Despite our growing friendship, I continued to search for a way home. I had not found any explanation for how we had managed to travel to the future in the first place, which made finding a way back infinitely harder.

Part of the reason I wished to go home was because of the feelings that had begun to stir inside of me whenever I thought of Mandie. I could never help but notice the way her gorgeous light brown eyes, an almost amber color, sparkled whenever she was happy. Or the way her shoulder length brown hair shone under the bright lights of the school.

But it was because of me that her eyes sparkled less, why her smile lit up the room less and less often. She had been used to usual taunting, but since she had befriended me, it had only gotten worse. I heard them as we walked down the hallway, calling me names and calling her names simply because she walked with me. When confronted with such situations, she remained strong and seemed almost unaffected by their words, but I knew deep inside she was hurting.

There lay another reason that I needed to find my way back home. I did not have the courage to end our friendship at school, nor did I have any desire to do so besides the fact I wished to protect her. But if I were to be sent back into my time, perhaps it would make parting easier. It was going to happen, even if I stayed in this time but by being sent back, I could save her from realizing the monster I was.

Mandie interrupted my thoughts as she sat down next to me on the piano bench, watching me play, "so Erik, I don't know if you know about this, but the school's show is being performed this weekend and I was wondering if you would like to come. It's Frank Wildhorn's adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula and I'm playing the role of Mina Murray."

"Of course I'll go," I replied, with a small smile, glancing up at her quickly as I continued the piece I was playing.

"Thank you, Erik, it will be nice to have someone else to support me other than my parents."

"I actually wished to ask you something about that," I spoke, ceasing my playing and turning to face her. "Why is it that everyone dislikes you? I would have been able to accept that it was merely because you are my friend, but from what you have told me, it started long before I came to this school."

She gave a small sigh, "honestly, I don't think I'll ever know for sure why they hate me. I suppose it is because I once had the opportunity to be like them, but I chose not to. I was invited to parties and accepted into the popular cliques, but I had no interest in any of it. Besides, I never would have been able to go to a party even if I had wanted to, as my parents are the strictest you will ever find. They must know where I am at all times and know at least one adult that I am with, I have a nine o'clock curfew, which they do check every now and then to make sure I haven't been sneaking out. That may be another reason that I don't have any friends except for you, because I wouldn't be able to hang out with them unless copious amounts of planning went into it."

"And your parents understand the affects that they have had on your life by sheltering you so?" I asked in curiosity, wondering how any parent could cause their daughter so much pain in an attempt to keep her safe.

She shook her head, "I haven't told them about anything negative in my life. I suppose I don't want to worry them, it's easier just to fake a happy teenager who has friends but is so focused on school, I don't ever hang out with them."

"So they are not aware of your cutting?"