FALL (DIMENSION Series #1)

CHAPTER 6

The walk home was slow going. Neal was a slow walker at the best of times. The bike-pushing didn't help, but I didn't mind. It was soothing to have him beside me after my strange day at school.

      We talked about books. We liked many of the same authors. We were both into sci-fi and fantasy. But Neal also read history, a subject matter that didn't really interest me. And he had no tolerance for anything romantic, as was evident from our discussion.

     "I find the Brontë sisters overrated," he said. "It's like they over-hyped the romance in their stories to compensate for their dreary lives."

     I rolled my eyes at him.

     "You know I love Jane Eyre," I said to him and my voice wasn't entirely free of irritation. "And you know Wuthering Heights was life-changing for me."

     "I know,' he said and smiled at me. "But I don't entirely understand why."

     "Because," I said. "It's a masterpiece. It's deeply brilliant and deeply moving."

     "It's deeply disturbing," he said. "It's the glorification of a love gone wrong."

     I shook my head.

     "It's Heathcliff obsessing over Catherine even after she's dead," Neal continued, and I heard the disdain in his voice. "He even leaves a window open for her ghost." And he threw up his arms at the absurdity of it.

     I could feel my face flushing, this time with irritation.

     "Heathcliff and Catherine's love transcended some things," I said. "It transcended death."

     I was fairly certain that Neal had never been in love. He had no idea what it was like to have those feelings. Those deep romantic feelings that could make you feel crazy. One of the reasons I couldn't tell him about my feelings for Derek was because I knew he wouldn't understand. He'd be able to relate to it only when it finally happened to him.

     "Even the landscapes in Wuthering Heights are depressing," he continued. "There's so much rain. There's a dankness throughout that story."

     "The setting adds to the story," I retorted. "It brings more intensity to it."

     "You wouldn't want to live in gloomy England," Neal said.

     "Of course not," I agreed. "You already know I want to live in Italy." My fascination with Italy had started two years ago. When my mother, Jason and I had joined my dad at one of his conferences in Florence.

     "So you're looking for Romeo, not Heathcliff," Neal said and laughed heartily at his little joke.

     "I'm not looking for Romeo!" I exclaimed, fully irritated now.

     "Okay, so you're not looking for Romeo," an amused voice said. It was a voice I knew well. One I had eavesdropped on many times. It was Derek's voice.

     I felt heat in my face. I was mortified. I looked at Neal and thought he'd definitely see the terror in my eyes. And then I turned around slowly, to face the road next to us. In the road was a beaten-up black GTI, and the black-clothed boy was leaning out of it. He was smiling a dazzling smile.

     Of all times, I thought. Why did Derek Nash have to show up now? I wished the earth would swallow me. Swallow me up entirely. Right now.

     "Neal was just annoying me," I said and hated that my voice sounded whiney. "You don't understand the context." I continued, aware of the heat in my face. I knew I was bright red.