Living in darkness

Chapter 2

I shrink in my seat under Trevor's watchful eye. It's like he's burning a hole in the back of my head. My hand shakes as I scribble down notes on everything that Mr. Baldwin says. Not long after he begins to read an excerpt from Romeo and Juliet do I hear Trevor speak.

“Hey babe, I didn't know you were going to this school, too," He whispers.

“Leave me alone. I don't want to speak to you," I demand quietly. He's about to speak when Leon walks over and sits on my desks.

“Hey, Aurora," He says, “Is it ok if I call you Rosa?"

“Sure. What does it mean," I ask.

“It's a French name for a rose with white petals," he says. A cough interrupts our conversation.

“We know you two have read the book already but please don't distract Aurora," Mr. Baldwin pleads.

“Uh, sir, I've already read it too," I say. he must not have heard me because he resumes reading. I glance at Leon to see him staring at me with curiosity filled eyes. He suddenly reaches out and puts his hand under my bangs. When his hand moves up to my forehead, I think he's checking to see if I have a fever. But his hand continues to move, clearing my bangs from my forehead.

“Please don't," I say when I realize what he's doing. He obeys, but grabs another piece of my hair and begins twirling it around his finger as if it's his own. He brings it to his nose and takes a big whiff.

“Wonderful. Your hair smells very nice," He compliments. I.can feel the blood rising in my cheeks. I quickly duck my head and thank him. I feel another strand of hair being pulled, and I whip my head around to glare at Trevor.

“Don't touch my hair," I say, taking it back. I hear a low growl arise from him, and I turn away. When I was dating him, I knew he couldn't be human, because each time I did something he didn't like, He would growl at me. I broke up with him when he threw me across the room with just a flick of his hand. Humans couldn't do that.

“Did he growl at you," Leon questions. I nod, and he takes my hand and lifts me up from my seat. “I have something to show you, come with me." He begins to walk when I stop him. Or rather, Trevor grabs my wrist to stop me from going anywhere. His grip tightens when I try to pull away.

“Let me go," I say. I wiggle my wrist, which causes him to hold my wrist in a death grip. “Trevor, it hurts. Let me go." He doesn't listen and grips even tighter. I swear I hear my bones breaking.

“You're not going anywhere with him," He hisses.

“You have no right over me anymore. Now let go! You're hurting me," I plead. Leon speeds past me and shoves him. Trevor stumbles back two or three steps before glaring at Leon.

“Keep your hands off me, pretty boy," Trevor warns him.

“Keep your hands off her, mutt," Leon replies, glaring at him. “I don't know if I can hold myself back next time you touch her."

“She's mine, so I can do what I want with her," He shouts.

“So? That doesn't mean anything to me. Only to mutts like you. Besides, it doesn't look like she enjoys your company," Leon says. “Do you, Rosa?" I simply shake my head no. He turns to me, his back facing Trevor, and Trevor takes the opportunity to strike.

“Look out," I scream. Leon dodges it just in time. I expect him to stumble past his missed target, but he continued, and before I knew it, He is in front of me with in his first lodged in my stomach. He adds a little more force that sends me flying across the room. My back collides with the white board, and I fall to the ground. The wind is knocked our of me, and I can't breathe.

“Rosa," Leon shouts, and immediately he's above me, kneeling next to me. “Are you alright?"

I try to respond, but all that comes out is a suppressed moan. He stands up and tackles Trevor, who was standing five feet away. All I hear is fists connecting with skin and bone as they go at each other. Then the door opens and in walks a guy with a beard.

With a snap of his fingers, there are men holding Leon back, and others were helping a crippled Trevor on the floor. The men are struggling to hold Leon back as he fights against their hold.

“What is the meaning of this," the man asks. I'm still having trouble breathing when I attempt to stand. I'm starting to regain strength with the short breaths that I can take. I get so far as a crouching position before collapsing to my hands and knees.

“Le....on," I say. I doubt he hears me, because it's barely above a whisper.

“Rosa, it's ok. I'm right here," He says, shrugging off the men that held him.

“What is the meaning of this," the old man repeats.

“That mutt hurt her. He punched her in the stomach and she flew across the room," Leon explains before turning his attention back to me. With one arm under my knees, and one secured under my upper back, He lifts me up like the groom would lift his bride.

“You harmed your mate," the old man interrogates.

“He's...not my...mate," I say in between breaths. “He's not.....my....anything."

“Shhhhh. Don't talk," Leon commands as he walks out the door. I gasp in pain with each step he takes. I inhale too quickly and cough. Something bitter pools in my mouth, some of it leaks out of the corner of my mouth.

I tug on Leon's shirt to get his attention, but it's too late. I turn my head and hurl up a whole bunch of blood. When I think I'm done, a second round comes and I suddenly bend over and puke up some more.

“Hello? Please help me. my friend, She puked up a large amount of blood," I hear Leon say. I laugh.

“What a wonderful way to start off my first year here. My mom's just going to make us move again. Or probably homeschool me again," I say. “Maybe...that would be best."

“If you move away, I'll follow you. if you get homeschooled then I'll live in your house. I won't leave you," He says. I laugh again.

“You make it sound like we're dating," I mumble.

“We can make that come true," He whispers.

“Ok we just met like, twenty minutes ago. It's not like you would miss me if I just up and leave," I say. My head is spinning and I can't think straight.

“True," He replies. Is he really going to say it? That I mean nothing? “You right. But I wouldn't ever meet a beautiful girl like you."

“I'm pretty sure that I have competition with a prissy little stuck up bitch," I think to myself. “So I can't get my hopes up."

“I wouldn't really call it competition," He mutters to himself.

Everything is rapidly blurring and clearing and blurring again. It's not long before I'm going in and out. And about five minutes later, everything is black.