Stains

Chapter 2 - AWAKENING

When I wake up, I am on a bed. Though its not mine, its really soft and nice. As I begin to sit up, I cringe. My head is pounding, my mind is spinning, and my chest aches. I look around, and my surroundings are unfamiliar, though I can feel that I have been here before. I feel that my memories of this place, though I don't have any, are buried somewhere deep inside my mind, where I will never be able to reach.

On the wall there are paintings, like the ones you would find in an adults room or an art gallery. Among those there are also a few that look as if a child had done them. Uncoordinated and messy, but they have character, and that's important. There is a desk in the corner; its white but dark and sad at the same time. It looks lonely.

The bed I am sitting on is less plain. It has a black and white checkered comforter, and orange sheets. It feels like its made with a sleep number bed, so it is very comfy. The room is definitely that of a male. Even though it isn't messy or smelly, it still has that air to it. Now i'm scared, what if the wolf that lives here comes and attacks me? What would I do then? I look down at myself and see that I am not in my uniform. I am in a large, unbuttoned pajama top, and an enormous pair of pajama pants. They are checkered as well, but red and soft.

As if the person whose room I was in had noticed that I was awake, they walked into the room holding a glass of water and a plate of cookies. I looked up at him and he turned away, his face bright red. I looked down at the pajamas and hurriedly buttoned up the top. I stared up at him.

He has a kind, but handsome face. He has dirty blond hair, and a boyish grin that stretches from ear to ear, eyes that light up the world, and a personality that mixes up embarrassment with happiness.

With his head turned away, he handed me the cookies and set down the glass of water on the bedside table. He stammered to speak and said, "Um, well . . . I thought you might want something to eat. You looked a little hungry."

I took the cookies graciously and took a small bite out of one of them. They were my favorite cookies; milanos; I wonder how he knew. Just another mystery in this messed up life of mine.

He sat down beside me and began again "You are probably wondering who I am, and um . . . my name is Landon." he answered with a quiet, voice, tiny as a mouse.

"um . . . thank you" I replied.

We sat for a few moments in silence and then I looked at my arm. It had been causing me pain since the accident a few weeks ago, but for some reason, there was no pain. This always happens right after a blackout, like I had before I ended up in Landon's room. He gently took my hand in his and caressed it, and obvious sign that he is worried about me.

Without warning, he left the room and came back with a thick blanket.. He wrapped it around my shoulders and flopped onto the bed as he let out a deep sigh.

I came out with all of the courage with I had and said, "How did I get here . . . Landon?"

"I um . . . found you laying down in the storage room at school when I was passing by. I had to get a soccer ball from inside, when I saw you laying in a pool of blood. I was worried so um . . . I brought you to my house to make sure you were ok, then I brought you here." I tilted my face up at him, embarrassed, and he blushed and exclaimed,"don't worry, I didn't do anything while you were asleep!"

I sat dumbfounded. There is actually a guy who isn't a wolf in this world. He looked at my face and answered, guessing by the emotions running across my face.

He said "So um . . . what is your name?"

"My name is Ariana Ayano Astarith. My parents really like names starting with A, but I am the only one in the family whose first and middle name starts with A. Weird huh?"

"No not at all! Your names are beautiful!"

"Thanks." I quickly answered.

For some odd reason, I feel that I can be myself around him, as if I knew him from somewhere, and that he already knows my name but he is just asking out of courtesy. And he acts as if he knows me somehow, but reasons just won't come across my jumbled mass of memories. My memories have been this way since I can remember. I don't know when and why or what about my memories, only that they did happen, and the info just ends there. I have bits and pieces of things that went on in my life, but there are no details behind them. They are just there.

He spoke up again and said "um . . . do you know how you got into the storage room, and with all that blood I surely thought that you, or someone had died or something." Though I knew he was just asking so he wouldn't seem weird for not reacting.

My emotions went cold. I knew he would ask me about this. Then again, from my observations, he is someone I can trust. He is someone whom I can put my faith in, so I decided to tell him. I began at the beginning and finished at the end. His mouth was agape in awe.

Under his breath he whispered, "I can't believe no one has told you yet."

I have no idea what he meant. As I began to ask he stopped me mid sentence and said, "I mean about when you blackout. You don't really think that you have a secret ninja do you?"
His words shocked me. I couldn't believe what my ears just heard. With my voice faltering, I asked "what do you mean by that?"

He shook his head in exasperation, and breathed a deep sigh. I tilted my head in confusion, but remained expressionless.

He patted me gently on the head and said, "You probably weren't told for a reason. If you really want to know, then what will I get for telling you? Think about what you can give to me. I will leave you to get some rest. Call if you need anything."

He stood up slowly and was about to leave the room, but by then I had already decided what I was going to give to him. It's easy. He wants the thing any other male person wants. As I was getting up, I tripped over the ball of blankets that had been wrapped around me, and I caught him at the waist. A . . . KERTHUMP! . . . was heard as the both of us fell to the ground in a crumpled heap. I pinned him to the ground and pressed my lips to his. I had a few techniques that I was good with, so I decided to try and use them. I can easily tie a knot with a cherry stem in my mouth if you don't believe me. I stood up off of him and explained, "There, you have my first kiss. And for each one I give you, its worth information."

He was obviously stunned. HA! Caught him off guard with that one there. His face flushed red, but what my cheeks glowed with was not pride, but embarrassment as well. After all, that was my first kiss.