Fire Scarred *Un-Edited Version*

Chapter Seven

We concluded our getting ready by doing our hair and makeup. When we were ready, we set out to conquer the world. Or that's what we pretended we were doing. We arrived at the Hall at nine. Fairy-lights floated in the air around the the building to light up the games outside. A couple of trolls were competing in horseshoes, some shifters were trying to find the kickball that got lost in the trees by one of the many students with super strength, two groups of fairies were arguing over who got to play tetherball. Some pizzas had just arrived; Mom was carrying them inside. We followed her. Just like Georgia had said, everyone was dressed up more nicely than normal. Girls were in dresses and skirts, boys were in jeans and nice shirts. I was silently thankful that I had given in and dressed up. It was a given that most of the guys would end up in the T-shirt they wore underneath eventually, and the girls would be running around without shoes, but I didn't mind. Josh strode up to us with a smile. He had made an effort to brush his crazy curly hair that night, but it wasn't any more calm than normal. "Hey. You all look great tonight." His eyes were on me. "Hey," I said. A nervousness had settled into my stomach. "Thanks." I wanted to run. I didn't want to face him. "You look great, too," Raylynn said. Charm oozed from her. I wished I could be that calm and collected. "Any good games here tonight?" "Yeah. I've totally been dominating the air-hockey table." Josh gave us a proud smile. While he rattled on and on about the dynamics of the game and how he continued to beat all of his opponents, certainly trying to impress us, I began to scan the room. I hadn't noticed how crowded it had been until now. People were coming through the doors from outside to join the people milling about inside. Nearly everyone that went to Woodland Creek was there. The room was humid and hot even with the open windows. Refreshments were set on a few tables in the back of the room by where the lunch line usually was. My eyes continued to investigate the room. The Hall had been lit by paper lanterns and balloons that carried a strange glow that floated around the room. Twister, a pool table, and stations equipped with video games were also set up among the games my mother had listed. Some girls from my math class giggled by a group of weres playing pool. Someone had brought the horseshoes inside and were throwing them around two liter bottles of soda. Raylynn had already broken off from our group and was hanging all over some guy playing poker. That's when I looked around and realized I was standing alone. Positive I looked either lost or stupid, I hurried outside trying to look important when I only needed some air. I sat on the front steps of the Hall watching the few by passers. The cool air sucked the small beads of sweat from the back of my neck and ridge of my nose. Crickets sang all around me. The wind blew my hair off my bare shoulders. I shivered. "Hey," Noah sat down on the step beside me. From the look of him, he'd just got here. He was dressed in jeans and a blue and black striped shirt that matched his eyes. "It's hot in there." "It's pretty warm out here, too." He wiggled his eyebrows in his "Aren't I so charming?" way. I bumped him with my shoulder. "Whatever." I couldn't help but smile. He took my hand and studied my open palm. "What are you looking at?" He traced his name onto my hand before entwining it with his. He didn't answer. Instead, he kissed the tip of my nose. "You look great tonight." My breath caught in my throat. "Thanks. You too." He smiled. "But then again, you always look great." My cheeks began to flush. "Even when you blush." "My cheeks must be on fire right now." "They're getting there." I tucked my knees up to my chest and leaned my head against his shoulder. His arm snaked around my waist to pull me closer. This is it! He's actually gonna do it this time! I thought. I put my knees down as he began to lean in. Our lips brushed slightly, nothing more than a peck really. My heart soared anyhow. He leaned in again, this time more sure of himself. I could feel his heart through his shirt as I was sure he could feel mine. We stayed like that for a little while, pressed closely together, still slightly pecking, before Noah opened his mouth slightly. At first, I was startled, but quickly recovered. The night wore on. A minute passed before I decided to pull away. I was having trouble breathing, sucking in gulps of air hoping they'd make it to my lungs. Noah seemed to be doing the same. We looked at each other for a moment. Giggles suddenly rose up in me, bursting out like the fizz of a shaken up soda. Noah soon joined in. I had no clue what we were laughing about, but something was apparently funny. Finally, I calmed down enough to crawl to my feet. "I need to get something to drink," I explained. He sobered. "Okay. I'll be here." I approached the door, but stopped before opening it. "Thank you." "For what?" He smiled. I turned back to him and gave him a smile of my own. "I think you know." I left Noah outside and joined everyone else inside. The heat hit me like a ton of bricks. I maneuvered through the crowd to the back of the room where something caught my eye. "What are you doing here?" I demanded. Leo had stood in the corner of the room completely alone. It was like he was invisible to everyone else around. "Well, hello to you, too." He smirked. "Answer my question." Why'd he always have to be so difficult? "You said you needed to talk to me." "How'd you know that?" I shook my head. I should've been surprised if he hadn't known that, not that he did. "You need to leave. People are going to start wondering who you are." Leo smirked again. "No. They are going to be wondering why you are talking to yourself. They can't see me." I crossed my arms over my chest and narrowed my eyes at him. "Oh, by the way, the scene between you and your boyfriend out there was sweet. Really cute. Not as entertaining as the other night, but still." I felt my face burn. Don't let him get to you, I chided myself. I wanted to scream, but didn't doubt that no one could see him. People would only think I was crazier than I really was. "You were watching us?" "Yes, of course." He said it the same way someone would say "Yes, of course" if you asked if they took a shower every night. By that point in time I was sure I had steam steadily flowing from my ears. To keep myself from attempting to kill Leo, I turned on my heel and walked to get something to drink. "Bye," he called after me. I shot him the dirtiest look I could muster. He smiled, waved, and disappeared.

"Hey. Where have you been?" Josh asked coming up to stand beside me. I took a sip of the drink I'd just poured. Someone had spiked all the drinks with the special fairy-made alcohol that gave people a buzz, but never really got them drunk. A fizzy feeling spread from my tongue through my body. It calmed me. "Around," I answered him. I took another sip and made a face. "Fairy juice?" he pointed to my cup. "Yeah. I hate the after taste." He smiled. "Me, too. Wanna sit?" Josh gestured to some throw pillows someone conjured in front of the floating images of some random horror movie someone else thought would be fun to watch. I glanced around searching for an escape. "I guess," I sighed when there was no reason for me to leave besides my not wanting to be there. We sat in the back next to a group on first year wizards trying to make a toad fall on some girl's head. The floating images ahead of us showed a girl running from something. Blood seeped from some wound under her shirt. A few vampires had to excuses themselves and disappeared into the Hall's kitchen. I watched unwavering. I might not have had a taste for blood, but I could handle it, unlike most of the fairies. "That's gross," Josh muttered when the girl's head was sliced off with a long silver knife. "Yep." He looked at me like he had forgotten I was there. He leaned in in the way I thought he was going to say something. When I realized he was about to try to kiss me, I put my palm on his chest and pushed away. Now that is gross. "Ouch!" He took in a sharp intake of breath and placed his hand over where mine had been a moment ago. Five white dots fizzled where my finger tips touched before fading away. "You shocked me!" "I-i didn't mean to!" I stared wide eyed, my mouth dropped open. "I'm so sorry!" I looked down at my hand in shock. By the look on his face, I did more than shock him. It was more like I electrocuted him. "I'm so sorry." Josh looked at me, his eyes even wider than mine. He shook his head as he got up and walked away. People stared at us. I felt so self-conscious, and incredibly guilty, but didn't go after him. I stared down at my hands in complete puzzlement. How in the heck?