Making Bonds

*Chp 8*

Monday mornings are never good and today I felt particularly distracted. Today I would find out if Brendan'a interest in me was genuine or malicious or just extremely short lived and he'd be over me by now. After a quick shower and speedily dressing I just plaited my hair and put on minimal makeup but still put effort into my eyeliner, it was more subtle today but I almost always wore it and couldn't be bothered to make a huge effort today. Then I realised that if Brendan was going to approach me to apologise and tell me he wasn't interested maybe I should make more of an effort so I decided to compromise and plaited my waist length hair in a more intricate braid with a silver ribbon through it to match my eyes. This way I would look a bit more presentable without practically screaming 'I made an effort'.

I walked to meet Taylor by the main school building and when I saw her standing beside the steps we made a big dramatic slow-mo running into a hug scene which was fun and we giggled over it as we walked to registration. She asked me all about my weekend, asking for piles of details, and said she couldn't wait to meet my little sister but whenever I asked her about her weekend she just replied, "Same as usual. Nothing really interesting happened."

I spent my lonely morning classes deep in thought and sketching in my art book as I had covered almost everything we learned about in my classes at my old school. By lunch time I noticed I had an entire sketch pad full of drawings of Brendan and blush at my actions as I packed up after History and meet Taylor outside the classroom. We decided to just grab some sandwiches from the canteen today and just go sit outside at a picnic bench because it was a nice day but just before I could pay for my lunch a hand swooped in with a black credit card and paid for me before the hands in question wrapped around my middle and Brendan's chin rested on my head. It must have been quite a funny sight to see him stooped so low to be level with me but of course I couldn't see it but did my best to glare up at Brendan as he grinned at me mischievously.

"I am more than capable of paying for my own lunch you know."

He just keeps grinning at me, "So?"

I just give him a you-know-what-I-mean look as he drags me towards a table in the middle of the room and I just manage to grab Taylor's hand before we're swept away.

When we get to the table Brendan sits down and pulls me into his lap and I pull Taylor down to sit beside me. She looks a little uncomfortable and I can't blame her because I'm really uncomfortable too. I don't even know this guy's second name!

"Brendan? What's your second name?"

He looks at me confused but answers," Thompson. Why do you ask?"

I just shrug against him, "I just realised I didn't know was all."

He smirks at me before turning to the 2 other guys at the table I hadn't noticed before," This is Daniel and Ezekiel, aka Kyle. Liam usually sits with us too but he isn't in today."

They are obviously twins and look almost exactly identical with baby blue eyes and welcoming smiles. They also have a pile of muscle but their muscles seem more subtle than Brendan's, like the muscles of a rower or swimmer. I smile at the guys, "Hey, I'm Allie and this is my friend Taylor." She nods at them nervously and just then I realise that this guy has just pulled me into his lap and is nuzzling my neck and we have only talked once. That's not even enough time to learn his second name let alone time enough to set boundaries on our relationship. So, though it seems to pain the deepest part of my soul, I get up and move away. He looks at me with emotions a cross between pain and slight anger or at least frustration and I tell him the situation straight. "We've only just met and you feel you have the right to drag me over here and just sit me in your lap like we've been going out for months? We aren't even going out!"

I go to leave and stick to our original plans of eating outside when I remember Taylor. I look at her for approval of my decision and she nods and gets up to follow me. She warmly smiles at all the boys while I politely wave at the twins and completely blank Brendan, serves him right for being so presumptuous. At least I know he's still interested and he isn't ashamed of me at all.

********

In Art I paint the picture I drew of Taylor the other day and completely ignore my impulse to recreate Brendan's for in every medium at my disposal. I shouldn't feel that and if I ignore my inclinations maybe they will settle. During PE I got placed in the same team as Brendan for Basketball and he very helpfully lifted me up for a slam dunk and he made sure no tall guys came barrelling into me for which I was grateful and I sort of lost any anger I had accumulated at Brendan there and then; he was trying his hardest to spend time with me and help me so it was the least I could do, to be honest.

After saying goodbye to Taylor I decided to walk straight to my dorm and finish my homework. It was around 9pm when I finished and I decided to quickly visit Molly's dorm to leave off some of the bridesmaid dress plans mum had sent me for her wedding. I wasn't very interested in what I would be wearing but Molly loves that sort of thing and I think it will make her feel more included in the whole process.

It was quite a dark night with clouds covering the stars and the moon. Unfortunately the site the school was set on doesn't have many sources of artificial light outside and the way that does have some degree of lighting would take another 10 minutes to walk at least so I just decide to take the quickest route I can remember to the junior girls' dorm. The heels of my school shoes click ominously against the concrete walkway and I decide to speed up because this night just had a tense feeling to it, almost a feeling of dark anticipation. I turn a corner around one I the lesser used buildings when a shadow jumps out from a doorway of the structure and grabs me. He holds my arms securely to my sides and I struggle to escape his tight unyielding grasp until I feel sharp cold metal kiss my throat.

"That's great now my sweet child. Stay still. I just need to get the formalities over with quickly as I search you for valuables," I feel one of his heads start to wonder my body and hoak in my pockets," then we'll have a little fun. I wouldn't usually do this but you're a particularly pretty one with that silly hair in that braid and a body like that. Shame about your eyes though, they show you for the devil child you really are. Maybe that'll make this whole experience a little more enjoyable though, I hear the spawn of the devil like it a little rough." The hand then gropes my breast and it hits me what all those 'fun' analogies are alluding to but still I remain frozen. As much as I don't want to be taken advantage of he is still holding that knife to my throat and there isn't a lot I can do as silent tears drip down my face.

Suddenly the figure releases me and I fall forward from having to support my body weight again. I hear a scuffle behind me and a few squeals of fright from my attacker but I don't turn around. I try to pull myself to my feet and just as I manage it, which isn't easy considering how much I'm shaking, and start to turn around I hear my attacker say," She would've had fun tonight with me and we would've both enjoyed her last night on Earth." That last statement hits me hard and I start to black out.

"Aless!" Shouts a seemingly far off voice as I collapse. The last image my brain processes before my dead faint is a dark silhouette holding my attacker by the throat in a position that suggests just moments before it was beating him senseless. A silhouette with glowing inhuman green eyes.