The Demon Inside

Chapter 4

"Mark, over here!" I shouted quickly. It looked like there was a problem with the jock-like boys blocking Mark's way.

Mark hightailed it out of the crowd and sat his books down in the seat across from me, attempting to look casual as I realized I was getting some strange stares. I didn't think it was that weird for the poor boy to sit down and have some lunch with me.

"I guess I could say thank you." he said as he spread out his papers onto the table. One of the papers was over the Scarlet Letter. Question 8: 'Why was Pearl saved from being sent to another home?'

"I know that answer." i said. "It's because Reverend Dimmesdale said that Pearl would serve as a daily reminder of Hester Prynne's sin" Mark just looked at me.

"You knew that because...?" he asked.

"You can say I'm an English major." I said with a smile. I tried getting him to smile back, but he just nodded his head and scribbled down the answer on the paper. His handwriting looked like chicken scratch, but at least it was legible. I giggled a little bit.

All of a sudden, a jock came up. He slid into the seat next to me and introduced himself, very 'coming on' if I do say so.... "Hello, there. I'm Jack." he said, in what I assumed was his 'sexy' voice. "Who may I ask are you, beautiful?"

"Out of your league." muttered Mark. 

"Nobody asked you, Freak." said Jack. He looked like a big-bad football player, but I really didn't care much for him. I was sure one of the cheerleaders sitting at the next table would be far more interested in him than me. "So, beautiful, how's about you ditch the dork and hang out with a real man?"

"Ok, I will." I said. I stood up and sat on the other side of the table, right next to Mark. "I think that does it."

Jack stared at me in shock for a moment. I thought I could strike a nerve, but it looked like that didn't work. He shook it off, and tried his 'sexy' smile. "Well, feisty, I see. I like that in a babe. How about I get your number, huh?" he said

"Actually, I don't have a phone. And, to be frank, I'm not interested in you. At all." I said. "I would politely ask if you leave me alone. Oh, and don't ever call me 'babe' again."

He simply smiled bigger. "Weeelll, if you ever want to hang with a real man, look me up." he said, and left. I watched as he went to his table with those other football boys. He was high-fiving them like he won some award.

"I thought we established he wasn't a real man?" I said. I looked over at Mark. He just stared at me. "What?"

He didn't say anything for a moment. I waited for his answer, but he didn't say anything. In fact, he didn't say anything else the entire lunch period. Damn it, what did I do wrong this time? The bell rang for next period. I packed my stuff for class, but scanned over the last paper he had been working. I knew every answer, so I took the page and pen and scribbled the rest of the answers down for him. I even wrote in his handwriting, or the closest I could come to it. He looked at the page, then up at me. And, for the first time, I thought I saw a glimpse of a smile form, even if it was only a mere moment. I liked it. It showed there was more in him then silence.

He threw his stuff in his bag and raced to his next class. He was always in a hurry. Was it because of me? I could never figure it out.

"Heeey there, cutie." said an all too familiar voice from behind. "How's my roommate enjoying school?" asked Sierra. She was dressed in he regular best; layered tanks, jean shorts, and some sparkly flats to top off her "oh so city girl" personality.

"It's seems fine, I guess."

"You guess?" She asked, confused. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

I looked up at her as I gathered my school supplies for the next hour. "Well, this guy I met..."

"A guy?! My girl found a guy?!" screamed Sierra in excitement. "Oh! I'm so excited for you!"

I looked at her, startled. I didn't know Mark like that. Heck, I barely knew him at all. "Sierra, it's not like, that. I don't know him very well, and I'm worried he might....."

"You're worried he might have seen something." she said, in realization. "You have been applying you makeup, right? No stiches showi....."

"Shhh! Not so loud!" I said in a loud whisper." Listen, it's just been a stressful week, I need to relax, that's all."

 "Well, come on! I've got a great idea and I want your opinion on it!" said Sierra, excited once more.