Running with a Devil

First Day

Saint Stephen, South Carolina was a town that people were born into and then buried in. Not many people came or went, mostly due to poverty. Since the majority of the population was african american, the few white people around were either blatantly racist or didn't much care about color. Not many didn't care about color. There was one grocery store in town and it was the nearest for 30 miles. That store brought in a lot of business. Of course, most of the revenue came from EBT and WIC that both whites and blacks brought in for me to swipe or fill out. I grew up in that town. A white girl of an upper-middle class family whose family knew everyone else in that same 30 mile radius and beyond.

But when I was at school, I wasn't afraid of anything. However, I was not popular. I can only atone that to my strange personality and not my looks because I am quite pretty. Beautiful, actually. I was an artist first, and my mind doesn't seem to be on the same thought wave as my schoolmates. The few people I was friends with probably thought I was crazy or something. Maybe I was. Who knows? The nearest thing that could define me clique wise was that I hung out with the pot-heads, was associated with the smart kids, and preferred the nerds. At Timberland, the smart kids were the popular kids and they were the most stuck up people I ever met. Nice to you face to face but talked shit about you behind your back. Unfortunately, there were no art kids. And few like-minded people. I blame it on the southern conservative ideals that still linger on from the antebellum period. With all that being said, new kids at school were a rarity and they were almost instantly what everyone talked about. It was a Friday when he showed up. I didn't see him but I heard about him. He was tall. He was cute. He had the most amazing eyes. And no one knew his name.

Rumors flew around all day. His eyes were greenish blue and he had curly dark hair. He had an accent. That he was extremely chivalrous, a real gentleman. I snorted and rolled my eyes and told them all that this mysterious boy would be exactly like all the rest.

"Grace," Colleen said,"If you had seen him...."

"Yeah. He was pretty cute," Kelly chimed in.

I shrug. "And have any of you actually talked him?"

There was a moment and then another and eventually I spoke again, "I bet you guys he is a total ass."

We all laughed and went back to more important matters. Just as it seemed we were off the subject, most of the cafeteria went silent. Hoping it was a fight, I picked my head up. Someone was walking. The head was full of soft black curls. I rolled my eyes, "Oh God," I muttered. As soon as the words were out of my mouth he picked his head up and looked directly at me as if he had heard exactly what I said. His eyes were in fact green and they burned quietly through me with the patience of an eternity, searching. Sizing me up. And I stared back, unabashed and challenging. And then Kelly bumped my arm and I drug my eyes away from the strange boy down to her. She looked plain to me now and I was startled by it.

"He looked right at you! Grace! This is HUGE!"

I didnt say anything, just went back to my tray and tried to eat my food. I felt hollow somehow and like I needed to throw up. Dazed, I looked at my friends and opened my mouth to say something. Nothing came out. They were all whispering excitedly but I just couldn't comprehend what was being said. The cafeteria was starting up idle chatter again, probably about where he would sit. How cute he was. And if he would play sports. I noticed JT had gotten up and was walking toward him.

"Hey man, you play baseball? Try outs are going on right now," he said. JT was open and friendly and could make friends with anyone. Of course they struck up a conversation. Then they wandered back to the table and since the last seat open was next to me, I had no choice but to endure the presence of the boy who weirded me out. Kelly, Colleen, and now Skyler and Devon and Katie refrained from freaking out and thankfully played it cool.

"Hey," he said to us collectively, "I am Luc."

I glanced sideways at him and listened to my friends. They introduced themselves and then bombarded him with questions. I kept my mouth shut and listened. Luc's answers were vague, but my friends didn't press him, willing to fill in the blanks with their own stories. Kelly and Katie had stayed pretty quiet after saying hello. Katie because she probably didn't like him, Kelly because she was just quiet. Me, because I was observing, calculating, and deciding if I liked him. If I wanted to like him.

Eventually, he called me out, "So. What's with you?"

He was smirking at me and his eyes held some sort of mockery. I realized then that I was half afraid of him. That something was telling me to get the hell away from him as fast as I could.

"I don't have a problem. Sorry I'm not drooling over you like everyone else," I say characteristically.

Alright. I am a blunt person with almost no sugar coating abilities. I don't understand the compliment sandwich and I am an extreme smart ass.

"Ah, then I see you are the smart one," he says chuckling at me. I warm at the compliment. Being smart was better than being pretty.

Amazingly, my friends had lapsed into their own conversations with each other and left myself and Luc to talk to each other.

"So what are you into," he said, mockingly, "indie music and art? You have a spot of orange paint on your jeans. It will never come out."

I knew there was orange paint on my jeans, but I didn't know he had looked that closely at me. It was discomforting.

I was coy, however, "And what about you? Hm? Are you into Calvin Klien underwear or are you just gay?"

He graced me with a throaty laugh, "No, I enjoy my women throughly."

I swear his eyes flashed with something and the comment make my cheeks warm.

"You are very different. I like you," he paused, "I think."

I grunted in response, gathered my things, and swept away from the table. It was dramatic and perfect until I bumped into someone and made them spill water all over the floor and all,over my sweater. I muttered my apologies and retreated to the bathroom and took off my sweater. I held it under the hand dryer desperately trying to dry it and cursing myself for my lack of dramatic suave. God, it sucked to suck.