Excuse me?

Chapter 2: Excuse me? 

Of course, I’m sitting in the middle of class trying to sort out my feelings when my math teacher decides to call on me.

            “Miss Putt!” She called, and I groaned. Doom was upon me.

            Holding my ground, keeping cool, I looked up from the doodle I was working so diligently on while I was thinking and answered: “Yes, ma’am?”

            She seemed a bit disheartened at my unafraid appearance, but on the inside I was screaming. I had completely missed the problem, and I didn’t have the book open either. I was dead. “Do you know the answer to this problem?”

            I looked at the board, and my face changed to that of relief. My eyebrows lifted, my grey eyes shone, and my lips turned up in a confused smile. “Um… Why an addition problem, Ms. Ferrell?”

            Some of the class giggled light heartedly, but I ignored it. The teacher gave them a hard stare, and I felt a bit uneasy. “Because we are trying to teach Carver how to add.” She playfully hit Carver’s book, and he drew back, face red hidden behind dark brown bangs. He had always been quiet, shy, and a bit of a mess, but that didn’t give her the right to pick on him, or the class for that matter.

            I sighed, and closed my eyes, trying not to think about the poor kid sitting across from me. “Four plus nine equals thirteen. Ms. Ferrell, don’t you think that’s a bit harsh?” Carver looked at me, and I looked at him, smiling softly.

            “I can do what I can to see that he works and pays attention.” She replied dryly.

            She finally turned away from me, and I went back to my picture. Sighing, Carver passed a folded piece of paper in my direction. Taking it I read: “Thanks for standing up for me.”

            I wrote back, “No problem. I couldn’t just leave you hanging, now could I?”

            I passed it back to him, and he wrote back quickly, giving it to me before the teacher assigned the homework. “In return, I’ll tell you one thing.” I rolled my eyes, smirking. “Zane Shyam hasn’t looked at any girl other than you with an actual interest. Watch your back if you hate him. If you like him, good luck.”

            “What?” I snapped, and looked up quickly, Ms. Ferrell giving me a look, and I laughed nervously. “Sorry…” Looking at Carver, he nodded, and then began to pack up his books when the bell rang.

            Sitting in my seat, dazed and confused, I thought over the news, sighed, and got up to go to my next few classes.

            With the news swimming around in my head for the rest of the day, I made it through, just barely understanding what my teachers were talking about. As soon as the final bell rung, I ran out the room, and headed to the choir room. As soon as I got there, I knew Zane was there first by the swarm of girls at the entrance. They only left when the choir instructor shooed them away, and I waited until they all dispersed so that I could go in.

            I walked in warily, and looked around, spotting Zane next to the piano against the wall. Slowly, I joined him, and he sighed, as if this meeting was taking more out of him than his fan girls. “Well?” I prompted.

            “Okay…” He started, looking at me, running a hand through his raven black hair. “Ashira Putt, I think you ought to know that I want you dead.”

            Okay, what? He said it so bluntly that I almost stumbled backwards. “What?” I asked, as if staring at him wasn’t enough of a question.

            “You heard me.” He answered, “I want you dead. I might as well explain before you have to ask me yourself.”

            “Please!” I growled. “Go ahead and continue!”

            He sighed again, moving towards me. “No interruptions. I’m a vampire, and I’ve been alive for almost a thousand years. You’re the reincarnation of a priestess I knew a long time ago, nearly six and a half hundred years, if you want to know. Anyways, what really pissed me off, what really made me hate you: you killed my mate, my lover, my best friend, and my life. Got that?” He asked icily. I gaped at him as if he were insane. “Heh. You’ll start to get it.” He continued confidently. His lips turned from a frown to a smug smile.

            I stared at Zane, trying my hardest not to laugh: it’d be rude even though I hate him.

            “Can I help you? Did I say something wrong?” He smirked and I felt his hand clenching onto my elbow. I glared at him as he chuckled, this one action ticking me off, but I couldn’t understand why.

Yanking away, I snapped, “No! Don’t touch me you freak!”

            He let go suddenly and glared right back. “What’s your problem?”

            “Problem? Are you seriously asking that question? Do you hear yourself?” Zane just looked at me emotionlessly. “You’re not a vampire, or any other stupid mythological creature that people made up! Don’t try to tell me otherwise, because it’s a lost cause! How could I possibly believe that?” I was nearly shouting at him, face inches away from his. I had lost it. “You’re INSANE! And for another thing, I am not a reincarnation of some witch, or something. I’m a normal human being and I don’t have a black cat or broom; I’m not a mage, because I don’t hide elixirs and spell books in my closet; and I most certainly am not a priestess because otherwise, I could see demons!” I stopped abruptly as soon as he started smiling, and my face flushed. I had completely made a fool of myself…

            I was being so close-minded.

            As soon as I came back to myself, his smile started to annoy me. I cocked my head to the side, his look confusing me. I had always had a bad image of Zane in my mind; he was supposed to be a jerk, and a fool that didn’t know a thing. He was supposed to be pampered, a stupid rich kid.

            He was smirking at me, his smirk growing into a grin. He looked so happy… “What’s with you?” I asked, the grin confusing me even more than his stupid harassment I had been on the receiving end of.

            Zane shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets, and then leaning on the wall next to me. “I think I’m laughing at you on the inside.”

            “Why? Because I don’t believe you?” I growled, ready to smack him. How was I supposed to believe a guy I barely knew when he told me I was the reincarnation of a priestess – mage – whatever it was and that he was a one thousand year old vampire that was out to get me because my ‘previous self’ killed his lover? Yeah, right.

            Zane shrugged again, a gesture that made him look stupid, and his eyes traced my neck. I subconsciously covered my neck with my hand, and he chuckled. “I guess that’s why, but I can’t blame you. Not many reincarnations remember until they see or experience a memory.” He replied, his eyes looking over my face, and then back to my neck.

            I looked away uncomfortably, and closed my eyes like I was currently experiencing the pain of being bitten. A blood red flash passed over my eyelids and I gasped, opening my eyes. He began to look at me coldly, and my mind overflowed with stale memories of a maiden in black, and monsters with scars.

            “I think you’re a bad influence on me.” I hissed, turning, and running out the choir room and away to the front of the school like I was being chased by the memories in my head, tears streaming down my face from fear.

            I can’t seem to stop thinking about it! I yelled in my head, frantically wiping my face of any tears. I slowed down as I came to the pick up/drop off area of my school, and glanced behind me, and saw that Zane was walking to his own little corner, but his eyes never left me.

            The words “silent as the grave” are clichéd, and, not to mention, an understatement of what Zane really is. He’s a rock. A quiet, unmoving geode, because some geodes have a surprise hidden inside, and Zane was no exception. Why did I, of all people, have to be a reincarnation?

            Zane was staring at me coldly, but my eyes never made contact. He scared me way too much, and to think, now that I was slowly remembering my past, he was probably going to follow me, then kill me in my sleep.

            I groaned, and glanced at him, but a girl that tackled him distracted him. He didn’t stumble, but stared at her, then pushed her off. I could feel the demonic aura spilling off of him, making me shudder. Why me? I asked myself. Seeing my bus, I checked that he couldn’t see me, but he was still telling the girl off, so I hurried onto my bus, went to the back and held on to my back pack for dear life. Please. Don’t. Follow me. Sad to say, I have a knack for jinxing myself, and as I looked up, he was right there, sitting next to me.

            “What the? Zane! What—Why are you here?” I stumbled, and then growled, my anger rising.

He turned, a sly smirk on his face. Leaning closer he muttered “can’t I sit with my new ‘best friend’?”

I was seething, and embarrassed. He was being so cocky that it made me want to break him so bad he’d never move again.

“Stay away from me, leech.” I snapped quietly, but only to be pushed farther against the side of the bus. He pinned my shoulders back, and I found it hard to breathe.

“So you’ve accepted the fact that I prey on human beings?” He replied, just as quietly, his voice rolling over me like satin poison. So deadly, but I couldn’t help but love it. That’s how vampires have been described as for centuries: beautiful stunning creatures who roamed the night killing and turning innocent bystanders. Somehow, I could hardly believe that a vampire could walk around in broad daylight, but I would have been going along with everyone else’s ideas. I needed my own.

Growling I turned away from him, and closed my eyes, trying to block his face out. He let go of me, and sat back in his spot, watching me. I blushed, and then glared at him. “Why can’t you keep your insanity to yourself? How could I possibly believe you?”

He shrugged. “ Should I just show you my fangs?” He asked, a sneer spreading across his face.

I shuddered and shook my head. “Never mind. But you’re not coming home with me.” I stated, and he sighed.

“Sorry, darling, but you’ll have to bear me.” He replied, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye.

I groaned.

When we finally got to my stop, I got off cursing any one or anything that came in contact with me, not to mention cursing the evil man that had followed me home. As we walked towards my house I thought of Jason and then looked at Zane.

            “I have a little brother. There’s no way you’ll make it anywhere near my house.” I mumbled under my breath, and glared at him.

            He grinned, entertained. “We’ll see about that, won’t we?” He chuckled, and then he was gone. I looked around, spine tingling like no other.

            This is way too weird. I thought, walking across my lawn, when a yell made me jump. I turned to my seven-year-old brother who laughed, running up to me, squeezing my legs tightly. Jason was so cute and still only in the second grade. “Hey little man!” I laughed, and he looked up at me.

            “I scared you right?” he asked. I nodded and Jason made a face, eyes wide and mouth open. “That’s how you looked!” He laughed.

            “That’s a funny face.” I giggled. I took his hand and led him to the house. Since my brother and I had a full time working mom we were almost always alone, but this made Jason and me real close. I was his mom, and mom was my sister, at least that’s what mom says, and my father died in a plane crash flying in from Vancouver on a trip. That was almost three years ago, when Jason was four, but we knew he understood when we told him Daddy wasn’t coming back.

Those were the worst weeks of my life, watching my brother break down like that. I had been thirteen, and slightly able to handle myself on the outside…

            Smiling down at Jason, I seemed to have forgotten all about Zane, and then led my brother inside to make him dinner.

Reviews

[Britt Foster]

I liked this chapter a lot, especially the beginning of it. It picks up almost right where the last chapter left off, so there are no unanswered questions. At the same time, it doesn't ramble on about irrelevant things like a lot of second chapters tend to do. It stuck to the plot and kept my attention.

The dialogue is much more believable in this one, except for a few places. For example, when Zane starts with "No interruptions. I'm a vampire, and I've been alive for almost a thousand years. You're the reincarnation of a priestess..." it seems a bit...random? I guess it happens a little too fast and seems a little fake. I guess that makes sense considering what he's telling her though, and her reaction to his words is appropriate in that she doesn't believe him.

This bit is confusing too: "What?" I snapped, and looked up quickly, Ms. Ferrell giving me a look, and I laughed nervously. "Sorry�" Looking at Carver, he nodded, and then began to pack up his books when the bell rang.

There are too many commas in it and its unclear whats happening. Who nodded? Who looked at Carver? Its just a bit unclear.

The part where the main character runs off crying doesn't seem to me to fit her personality, either. So far throughout the story she seems like a pretty strong girl, steady in her reactions and able to face situations without overreacting. She doesn't seem like the kind of girl who would run off and cry just because some guy told her she was the reincarnation of a priestess and she experienced some flashback. She doesn't believe him anyway, so why would it phase her?

Other than that, again I applaud your choice of words and your style. Carver is a cute character too, like the girl in the previous chapter, and I already feel drawn to him. I think you did a good job with Ms. Ferrel's behavior and speech too -- gives the reader a good idea of what kind of a teacher she is. Your characters are all very relatable, and you did good at making Jason act his age. ^^

This is a good addition and it leaves off in a good place, making the reader want to continue to find out where Zane is and why he followed the main character home. I can't wait for more! Keep up the amazing work~

[...MysteryGirl...]

Aww please write more!
I love this book :P

[Richard]

This just keeps getting better! I don't know what I was expecting at the end of the first part, but it certainly wasn't anything like this.

Keep writing, I'm looking forward to reading the next part. :)