Immune (NaNoWriMo2014)(Wattys 2014)

9) Some Things You Can't Just Un-see

I've realized that I procrastinate too much. Big shocker.

Well, I've decided that I'm going to make these chapters longer. Starting with the next one, because, well, I don't know If I can even make this one longer. Expect more reading material in the future instead of me being a lazy writer.

Suzanne Walters looked out of the dingy, broken window outside of her Mathematics classroom, just barely listening to her teacher. He was a short, pudgy man, with a handlebar mustache and a toupèe that wasn't fooling anybody. His lecture about the similarities and differences on Calculus and Trigonometry was something she couldn't bring herself to care about. She knew it already, and anything else he tried to teach her. She was in the highest grade, and there was no AP Maths class at SRC; she was only here as a formality.

Her mind wandered off into fantasies, sparked by the clear as could be weather outside. She could only imagine what a fun time she could be having with her boyfriend, Clint, and her best friend, Janie. They could maybe go to that cute little bakery just outside of town. Or they could skip it, and go off strait to a picnic by this one spot a few streets from her house. It was so cozy there. It felt like nature was so concentrated at the place, and she couldn't explain why she loved it so much. Well, except for the thing, but she tried to avoid it as much as she could.

The bell rang, startling Suzy out of her daydream. Pushing her dull red hair out of her eyes, she got up and turned out of the tight fitting table - armed chair and scurried out of the classroom. She was the first one out of the door, mainly because she couldn't stand to be in there.

The hallway started to get a little more populated, so Suzy took a hint. She jogged across the corridor to her locker, number 96, and turned the combination in on her newly replaced lock. The old one had mysteriously vanished, along with a copy of her rough draft fantasy - romance novel, "We Are Venom". If somebody wanted to read her story so badly, they could have just asked.

Her locker popped open without a hitch. The inside was personalized just a little bit, with several family photos, a to - do list written hastily on a post - it note, and a mirror hanging from the door. She looked in the mirror out of reflex. Her long hair looked a little unruly, and her freckled cheeks were a little discolored from where Janie tried for the millionth time to put make - up on her, but other than that, she was fine.

Janie might say otherwise, but screw her opinion. While she may be the fashionista in their relationship, Suzy wasn't all that self - conscious. A small pat down on her head and a splash of water on her face would do just fine.

Strong hands covered Suzy's eyes, and she couldn't help herself from smiling. "Guess who?" a falsetto girly voice spoke in her ear. She didn't need to guess, or look in the mirror.

"Knock it off, Clint," She replied, playfully hitting her boyfriend's hand away. He uncovered her face, flipping his mop of brown hair with a flick of his head.

"Hello, beautiful." His American accent stood out in the sea of English and Irish born students. He was a transfer, an exchange student. "My parents actually said yes. Can you believe it?"

"That's great!" Suzy squealed. She kissed him, but broke it off almost immediately. The foul taste in her mouth was enough to put a damper on her mood.

"Clint, I thought you said you were quitting!" She scolded him, frowning. "You know smoking is terrible for you."

"So I had one cigarette. Not even. Like, three hits." Suzy glared at him, and he held his hands out defensively. "Come on! I got really nervous waiting for my parents to reply, okay? I was stressed. I needed a smoke. I'm only human, you can't tell me you haven't had a slip up before!"

Suzy winced, the words hitting home. Of course, Clint didn't know why, so she couldn't blame him, but they hurt. She gave in. "Fine. But if you're going to live with me you're cleaning up your act."

"There's no act to clean up!"

"Hel - lo, lovebirds. Trouble in the relationship?" Janie interjected, popping up without warning as she usually did.

"Actually," Suzy said, before Clint could answer, "It's going great. Clint's parents said that if the school agrees to keep him, which they did, then he could live with me and the family."

"Oooh, that is nice. Does that mean what I think it means?" Janie said, raising her eyebrows suggestively.

"No, Janie. Obviously, when my parents said Clint could stay, they never said in the same bed. They were very clear on what happens under their roof."

"You know, in America, we have a saying. What happens in Vegas –"

"Stays in Vegas. We know, love. Just because we're on an island doesn't mean we're isolated from the rest of the world. Maybe if you would talk more instead of smoking all day, you'd know that."

"Are you really going to hold that over me?"

"No, but I refuse to put my mouth anywhere near yours while you're still doing it."

Janie snorted. "How about your tongue?"

Suzy flicked her in annoyance, and she laughed. Casually nudging Clint, Janie said, "I don't mind smokers breath. If she's going to take a break from you, I'll gladly fill in for her, hot stuff. You know, in her spirit."

"You're a twat, Janie. Come on, Clint, I want to tell Mum and Dad the news."

Arm in arm, the couple walked out of the building, and managed to get in Clint's car just as a rainstorm rolled over. The once clear sky gave way to agitated looking clouds. Heavy raindrops coated the passenger side window, as if to mock Suzy. She just missed the wonderful weather, and bummed out, leaned on her hand dejectedly.

The windshield wipers swiped back and forth, the steady tune lulling Suzy into a state of calm. She didn't even realize she dozed off until Clint hit a bump in the road.

Jarred out of her nap, she saw it had gotten pretty dark out. Her parents must have been worried. Thew wouldn't have to be if they got her a damn cell phone, but that was their decision, not hers. She must have argued hundreds of times about the importance of one, but they chose to ignore her.

It was what made her so skeptical at the fact that her parents – her parents – had actually said yes to a boy living with them. Sure, he was kind, sweet, had the cutest brown calf eyes... where was she?

Clint's perfect qualities aside, she was so confused at her parents decision. They had practically jumped at the idea of having him live underneath their roof, and stranger yet, in the room right next to hers. It was so out of place. There was no rational explanation for it, but she was glad it was made anyway.

Her eyes were drawn to the window. She saw the field close to her house, and the natural beauty of the place actually made her sigh audibly. Even the weather couldn't keep her down. It was so serene, so... wait, did that man just materialize out of thin air?

He was fairly tall, with a mop of hair like Clint's, but it was black instead of brown. His eyes, though. They were green, really green. They pierced through the storm, ingraining their green - ness into her brain. It was so unnatural. So bizarre.

The weirdest part? She actually thought the area felt more natural when he showed up. As if his existence brought about a new sense of life to the place. She felt drawn to him, sorry for him even. He was caught in the rain, and seemed lost. Maybe the storm had cloaked him from her view at first, but she could see him now.

"Clint, stop the car."

"Why?"

"That guy out there. He's in the rain. He looks like he's lost."

"So?"

"So stop the car! Don't be a dick."

Clint brought the car to a gradual halt. The man turned to look at Suzy as she stepped out, grabbing the back of her sweater and pulling it over her head as a hood. She jogged across the wet field, and gestured to the green eyed figure.

"Hey, do you need a ride?"

Vote if you enjoyed it! Words this chapter: 1473

Total word count: 18492