Solar Eclipse of the Heart

Trouble

It had been a month since I returned home from Texas. School had started back up and I had begun my Senior year. I was excited, not because I was a senior who would be going out with her friends and partying like crazy, but because I would be leaving this hell hole. I hated this school, the kids were awful and the Superintendent was a  real piece of work. 

I was kind of a nerd I guess you could say. I had decided to take a college credit class, an advanced writing class along with Physics and some other classes. I was bound and determined to push myself through and prove to all these people who told me I would never amount to anything wrong. 

Despite all of the homework these teachers were already piling on us, I still couldn't seem to forget about Alessandro. I mean I would be lying if I said he wasn't extremely good looking, but that wasn't what kept him prancing around in my brain. He was mysterious and shrouded in secrets. I wanted to get to know him, find out what made him tick and just talk to him. He seemed like the type who could hold a pleasant conversation with anyone, if he wanted to that is.

"Alright class. I want you to have chapters 1 through 3 read by Friday. Here are the question sheets. Fill them out after you complete each chapter and turn them in on Friday," Mrs. Egbert said. 

With a sigh the entire class nodded and went to talking to each other about their plans for the upcoming weekend or telling stories about their summer. I was sitting at my desk with my assigned book opened, I was going to get a head start on these chapters. 

Twenty minutes later the bell rang letting me finally head to my car in the Senior Parking Lot. I was tired and ready to go home and get this homework done so I could sit and read for the rest of the night. But unfortunately, someone else had other plans for me. The man who had been distracting my thoughts all month was leaning on his car which was parked across the street from the commons area of the school. I could feel my heart rate pick up and my body break into a nervous sweat. 

I quickly put my head down and headed straight for my car. I kept telling myself there was a chance, however small it was, that he wasn't even here for me. I took a deep breath and opened the door and threw my bag into the backseat of my car. Closing the door I turned around to head to the driver side, but I ran into a hard brick wall who's name was Alessandro Colombo. 

"Hello Harper," he said smiling. He was acting as if this wasn't out of the ordinary, like he wasn't the center of attention right now. 

"Hello Mr. Colombo. What brings you all the way to small town Nebraska?"

With a smirk he looked me right in the eye and stood there for a moment. I felt like I was beginning to hyperventilate. I was terrified, I didn't know anything about this man and yet he knew so much about me that he found out where I was. No doubt he knows where I live as well. 

"How about I come over for dinner Harper? I would love to have a chat with you and your parents." 

He tilted his head a little, as if daring me to tell him no. I wanted to, oh how I wanted to tell him that he could not have dinner with us this evening. But, I am a seventeen year old girl who is staring down a man who seems like he could make anyone disappear if he truly wanted to. Besides, he just wanted to have dinner. Where was the harm in that?

Shakily I asked him, "Am I in trouble?"

Asking this question was almost automatic for me. When teachers tended to get a little stern with me I would quickly jump to this question, but no teacher had ever answered yes.

Chuckling he shook his head at me. 

"No my dear. You didn't do anything wrong. I just wanted to try and give you some kind of a proper thank you for delivering my package to me. I had to do a lot of digging to find you. I know that was bold and out of line so I do apologize for doing so. Please understand though, I had no ill intentions."

I slowly licked my lips and simply nodded. I still felt like I was about to be scolded and I wasn't sure why. 

"Do you know where I live then?" 

My gut told me he already did, but I still asked to make sure I covered that area. If he said no then I would tell him to follow me home.

Smiling at me he simply nodded his head. 

"I'll meet you there then Mr. Colombo."