Roses are Red

11. Varsity

I feel like a stick of dynamite ready to blow any second. I've never had to worry about what the gene thing is, but for once I know it's something more than an illness. I pick up my phone to message Grace to see if she'll get me out of the house, but as soon as the screen lights up messages come flooding in from Rideon.

Hey Rachael, how are you?

Hey, just wondering if you're still coming to collect your laptop? Hope you're okay, let me know.

Your friend just stopped by and picked up the laptop. She said that something had happened hope you're alright, get back to me when you can okay?

I groaned but couldn't push aside the happiness I felt. He did care. It was strange the feeling I had when I thought of him, it was like I could forget everything that was going on in my head and just think of him and only him.

I suddenly have this huge amount of energy flow over me. I kick the covers off of me and I think about how to control this "illness," so I don't scare Rideon away if I do happen to run into him. I get changed into a casual outfit, I look at myself in the mirror, but I don't check the outfit I check my eyes.

Carly closed her eyes and then her eyes changed, I wonder if I could do that too, concentrate enough that I could, I guess turn them on and off? I close my eyes and think.

Visualise it.

I follow the voice in my head, trusting it. It said it would step down and help me control whatever this is. I start to give up feeling like this was a complete waste of my time, I groan then look at myself in the mirror. I wasn't shocked but in awe. My eyes glowed red, and it felt right looking in the mirror. I felt confident and strong, there was this overwhelming feeling of something powerful lying within me, trying to get out. I won't get any episodes or nightmares, a flush of relief runs through my body. 

I glance at my phone, then back at the mirror, my eyes were back to normal. I decide to call Rideon.

My thumb hovers over the call button, anxiety eating away at the confidence. I pressed the button the small amount of courage I had left.

He picked up almost instantly, "Bonjour," he said it in such a thick English accent that I burst into laughter.

"Hey," I struggle to hold in my nerves, I feel embarrassed by how much I laughed, trying to impress him or flirt in some stupid teenage girl way.

"What happened? Are you alright?" He was worried, my heart warmed, a part of me was ecstatic and wanted to jump at the sound of his voice, I pushed that part of me down.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I don't really remember." My mind wanders off to that black room and those red eyes which stared into my soul. Let me out.

"So you don't remember anything?" My mind snapped back to the conversation at hand.

"Not really, I was in Starbucks with Grace and I just started to feel dizzy, she took me home and Carly sort of took over from there," I remember how I- the voice inside of me, shouted at her using my body like a funnel to project their anger.

"Hmm, Okay, fair enough."

"Yeah." There was a pause in the conversation and I heard him sigh.

"So umm, you doing anything tonight? I'm not, how about I take you out for dinner or something, nothing romantic." His nerves made him stumble over his words, I smiled.

"Dinner sounds pretty romantic to me," I smirked through the phone.

"Well, the night can be whatever you want it to be romantic or not." I scoffed at his cheeky response.

"Hmm, Sure." One night as friends won't hurt anybody.

"Okay then, meet me at Varsity at 7?" he was happy, so was I, I bite my lip holding in a giggle.

"I will be there." I didn't try and hide how happy I was but instantly regretted saying it the way I did. The last thing I wanted to do was to hurt him, I didn't want to give him false hope. "See you soon."

"See you soon, Rachael." I hung up, I was grinning like a Cheshire cat. Then I do the most cliche thing ever, you've seen it in every romantic movie, where the girl clutches her phone to her chest and falls to the bed, filled with happiness and excitement. I felt like a normal 23-year old, I was falling in love.

But I couldn't, my smile drifted away. This might be the hardest obstacle yet. Other than the fact that 7 o'clock was less than an hour away.

I let my mind rush away and becoming completely enthralled with getting ready, but also realising that I'm not going to look exactly how I wanted to as the time ticked.

I stand outside Varsity, biting my lip and tugging at my dress. I shouldn't have worn a dress, it's too much... I begin to feel self-conscious that I've overdone it. I mean, it's not a fancy dress but it's well a dress. Who wears a dress to have dinner with a friend? I look at my phone trying to distract myself from all of this paranoia, 7:02. 2 minutes late, but don't worry it's not like I've been waiting for 15 minutes-only 10-I wanted to get here earlier.

I look below the clock on my phone- and I see the reminder which I've been setting for the last 4 days, 'Read the Book'. I roll my eyes, nervous that I might be falling behind because of all this drama that's been going on. I've been fine for 4 months, why is all of this happening right now, when I need everything to be okay. A frown begins to form when I think of leaving, it's all I've been thinking about, it was bad having a friendship with Grace, but now Rideon is in the situation, I don't know what to do.

"You got something on your mind?" I look up to see the familiar face from the other day, the boy with glowing yellow eyes. His voice made me want to figure out how I knew him. I just frown at him, giving him the, I don't know you so why would I tell you, look. "Elizabeth..." I move away, he needs to stop using my name.

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