The Transfer Student

The Transfer Student: Chapter Twenty-four

"Christ, I hate planes," I muttered, buckling my belt and taking out my ipod. This plane was bound for New York City, so it would be a long flight. Just the day before my parents had gotten word from the NYPD that there had been strange attacks on the city's homeless and that they needed help. Law enforcement was always made aware of the dangers of the paranormal and never hesitated to call our organization in during a crisis.

The police reports that were sent to us revealed that the homeless people attacked were brutally shredded and partially eaten, and the photos enclosed were grusome...to say I lost my lunch did not even begin to cover it. The reports also said that the city's various camras had caught nothing of the attacks or attackers...just the remenents of the poor soul's bodies.

Bonk.

"Huh?" I looked up. Shane was holding the bar of chocolate he had just hit me on the head with, his mouth was already full with a few pieces and he looked quite happy. "Thanks," I muttered, breaking off a chunk.

After that Shane promptly fell asleep. I stared at his handsome, sleeping face for about two seconds before I began to look for something to poke up his nose. The flight attendant walked by and I asked her for a pen, but as soon as I turned back Shane's beautiful eyes were open and staring wryly at me. "Put the pen down, Princess."

Grumbling, I put it in the seat pocket. It had been awhile since he had called me "Princess", I had come to rather like it.

~~~

"God, NYC is dirty," Shane muttered, glaring out of the taxi window at the smoke and street litter.

"That's only because you've been in the countryside for so long, believe me, New Orleans is much worse." I yawned, thirty hours on a plane was no fun.

Shane glanced at me, "Well yeah, but the strippers in New Orleans add much to that effect."

I laughed, big cities were always interesting in one way or another.

After checking into the Carlyle Hotel, which my parents had booked for us...not my idea, we took another cab into the heart of the city. Glancing at my phone, I saw it was already 11:00 PM.  Stretching, I yawned, in order to find the monsters, most likely werewolves, that were slaughtering the homeless we would have to work at night, but Lord knew I would pass out as soon as we got back to the hotel. 

Twenty minutes later I was sitting in the corner of a dark, dirty, alley and so far the only thing I'd seen was two rats and some steam from grates that led under the sidewalk. I was supposed to be a nie, juicy chunk of "homeless" bait waiting for the monsters to try to eat me so I could shoot them with the revolver I had hidden in my hoodie. Who knew, maybe they were still digesting from their hunt.

I shook my head; I tended to get morbid when I was very tired. Leaning my head back I stared up to where the stars should have been, hidden by the bright lights of the city that never sleeps. Closing my eyes, I opened up my other senses to listen for danger and decided to relax for a bit. My relaxing, however, turned into me curling up on the pavement and falling into a very deep sleep.

~~~

Warm lips pressed against my forehead and hot breath tickled my hear as a husky voice said, "If I was a werewolf or some other monster you would be dead right now, Princess."

I groaned, opening my eyes, "I didn't mean to fall asleep, Shane, I'm sorry."

Shane picked me up and set me on my feet, "I know, it was poor judgement on my part to start searching tonight, we are both too tired to be much good.

I stared up into his dark eyes, "So we can go to bed now?" I gave my best puppy dog face.

He chuckled and took my hand as we headed out of the alley, "of course."

A little while later I was sitting on the king-sized hotel bed, in only a black silk robe, drying my hair as I watched the world of white that was "Say yes to the Dress".

The bathroom door opened in a cloud of steam and Shane stepped out in a pair of basketball shorts and nothing else. I cursed myself as I blushed deep red, what was wrong with me these days?

Sweeping his dark hair out of his eyes Shane looked up and noticed my apparent discomfort, "what's wrong, Bella?"

I coughed and turned away, "nothing," I said throwing my wet towel onto the office chair that sat facing a desk below the window that gave us a nice view of the lights of the city.

Slipping past him into the bathroom, I caught a whiff of his cologne. It smelled so good that goosebumps rose on the back of my neck. ...wait, why would he be wearing colonge to bed? I looked back at him before shutting the door. His eyes were wide and more revealing them I'd ever seen them, his lips were parted and he met my eyes for only a second before running a hand through his hair and looking down at his feet.

After the door clicked shut, I rested my forehead against it. What was going on? The pang of loneliness in my gut that had plagued me ever since my heart had been broken was now a burning sensation of wanting and excitement and nervousness. I closed my eyes. Now when I thought of being held by someone I loved, Shane's face was the only one that came to mind. 

I was falling for my friend, my partner, my teacher...would he fall for me to?