Sudden Bite

Chapter 2: Useless car

Last period was my favorite class of the day – English. It sounded lame but I loved reading so I ultimately loved the subject, I wasn’t as great at the writing as I was the reading but that didn’t stop me from loving the class. I was one of the first students to arrive as I always did, Sam being one of the last; this was the only class we shared this semester.

He caught my eye and smiled at me before sitting next to be Bear. That obviously wasn’t his real name but Bear was a pretty big guy, he was bulky and tall and honestly a little intimidating because of that. But Bear was friends with a lot of people at the school since according to Sam he was easy to get along with and he was probably the only friend Sam had that I didn’t mind talking to. The rest were your typical jock, player types. While Sam sat somewhere in the middle of the class I stuck to the back, sitting by the window.

The last person to come into the class just as the bell rang was none other than my unlikely lunch buddy,

Alexander went and spoke with the teacher briefly before the teacher (most likely) instructed him to sit in an empty seat; there were two,one next to me and one in between Brianna and her best friend Chloe. They were your average popular girls, top of the ranks, but I had a real reason to have something against them – especially Chloe. She played Sam and broke his heart and I’d never seen Sam so… torn. I couldn’t forgive her for breaking my usually cheerful brother even if he was well over it now.

To be honest I expected Alexander to sit between them, after all he had clearly gained attention and he would easily be welcomed into the popular circle if he just approached them. However, he headed straight in my direction, not having seemed to notice me yet. I don’t know if he sat next tome because we ‘hung out’ at lunch or simply because it was a free desk. Our teacher went straight to teaching us and even though I never raised my hand I paid complete attention to the discussion, silently taking notes and following along. Half was through the class Mr. McMillian gave us the rest of the class to read through the short stories he had assigned. He was my favorite teacher ever because he was incredibly smart, funny, and had such a unique perspective on any and everything making his classes interesting and useful.

When the final bell rang I briefly spoke with Sam before we parted and I said that I’d see him at home. Before I could leave the school I had to make a quick stop at the library to return a couple books that I had been meaning to bring back for a couple weeks not. I still needed to finish the book I was currently reading though before I could think about taking out anymore.

Overnight the sky had darkened and the next day it was raining, a shower of fresh water falling from the sky and watering the many plants that were in bloom. Dressing a little warmer today than yesterday I left the house in black jeans, a yellow hoody and a jean jacket as well as the same black converse I tended to gravitate towards. It wasn’t raining all that much when I got into my car but over the next couple days I expected it to pick up,spring was either a clear sky or rainy. I didn’t mind though – I loved the rain; it was peaceful and fresh, storms on the other hand, not so serene.

Since it was raining I couldn’t spend my lunch up on the roof like I normally would have so I found myself wandering to the back of the library instead. There were a few people plus the librarian in here but they were all occupied in the front and were nowhere near the table I chose to occupy. I was surprised when Alexander was suddenly standing over my table and moving to slide into the seat across from mine.

“Um…” I began uncertainly not sure what to say or do.

“I want to sleep,” he explained before I could continue. I assume he thought it was alright to sleep with me around so no one messed with him, yesterday it became evident to him that I wouldn’t do anything while he was vulnerable and that I didn’t care if he slept while I had lunch. Seeing the logic in his decision (if that even was his reasoning) I didn’t say anything about it as he put his head down on his arms. I wasn’t really sure how I had ended up in this situation yet again but I didn’t think much of it as I ate and spent the rest of lunch getting some homework down.

When it grew closer to the end of lunch I was hesitant to wake Alexander up after what happened yesterday. However, I couldn’t just leave him here to sleep and miss his classes – especially since it was only his second day here. So, I pushed away my hesitation and lightly kicked his foot with my own while calling his name. Subconsciously he must have been prepared for me to wake him up after what happened yesterday before he didn’t pounce and attack, instead groaning quietly. He stretched his arms high above his head and thanked me for waking him up right as the bell rang and we went our separate ways only to reunite in English.

I wasn’t sure what kind of relationship I had with Alexander. I still didn’t know anything about the guy and we never talked yet he trusted me enough to sleep around me, today he even went as far as to seek me out so he could sleep (now that I think about it I’m not really sure how he even found me). For all he knew I could draw on his face or leave him to sleep through class or be tormented by someone else. So no, I didn’t know where we stood in each other’s live, we certainly didn’t qualify as friends but we could be stranger either, could we?

The rain only grew worse through the week as I predicted,falling more heavily without any sign of it stopping soon. I was sure that once it broke out into a true storm that would only last a day the rain would died own after that and the sun would return overnight as it usually did in spring.By the last period Friday the rain was loudly hitting against the windows and the wind had aggressively picked up, pushing trees in one direction and then another the next moment. However, I tried not to focus on the never ending pitter patter that pelted against the glass panels and listened to my English teacher as he began the lesson.

“Seeing as we’ve finished our short story unit I want you all to create your own short story before we write any essays on what we read.I don’t really want to read 40 short stories nor do I have the time so you will be working in pairs of my choice,” McMillian declared, most people groaning at the fact that they couldn’t chose who they worked with. He grinned at the response before dramatically whipping out a piece of paper to name out pairs.

“…Chloe and Blair… Sam and Bear… Max and Sarah…. Catalina and Alec…” I stopped listening as soon as he said my name, but it took me a second to realize what name he had said along with mine. Slowly I turned over to look at the boy whose been spending the lunch hours with me, always taking the hour break to nap as I did my own thing on the other side of the library table. Alexander was already looking at me when I turned to him; he was leaned back in his chair, legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles, arms crossed over his chest. I fell into his eyes like Alice did down the rabbit hole and found it incredibly hard to pull away from the light and dark colors of his irises.

“You will have today’s class and this weekend to work on this project, I want them in first thing Monday,” McMillian explained once everyone had been paired off, some students switching seats with each other so they could sit next to their partner, moving the desks together. When McMillian went to sit back at his desk everyone began to get to work, mostly likely wanting to create the least amount of homework as they could by getting as much done in class as they possibly could.

“So, um, any ideas?” I asked as I flipped my notebook open and began to twirl my pencil between my fingers. Since I loved reading I wish I could write but I struggled to express myself and my thoughts through words instead of images like I did when drawing.

“Let’s start with a theme, what kind of topic or story do you wanna write?” Alexander said, surprisingly taking charge. I only ever saw him sleeping but right now he seemed completely attentive and alert, he actually always was in English, and I began to wonder if he loved this class as much as I did. Not to mention that this was the most I’ve ever heard him speak at once. His voice was deep but smooth, with a husky undertone.

“Um… a fantasy?” Alexander looked at me as if he wanted me to go on and explain myself some more, moving his chair closer to my desk and taking the pencil and notebook from me. I didn’t mind. “Maybe like… about a dragon and a princess. The dragon atop the princess’ tower is always considered bad and gets killed. What if the prince trying to rescue the princess is actually the antagonist?” I spoke slowly as my thoughts came together in real time, saying whatever I thought of on the spot. Alec had been scribbling down what I was saying, the pencil moving quick in his hand until I was done speaking.

Glancing up at me with what looked like amusement in his eyes he asked, “Not a fan of prince charming?”

“Did you just make a joke?” I ask with a dramatic gasp that made him roll his eyes at me; I giggled at his reaction. From then on we worked on the project smoothly, working on the characters and plot until the bell rang. We exchanged numbers so we could finish the project this weekend.

To get out to my car I had to run as fast and as carefully as I could, the pavement slick from the abundance of water that feel from the sky and covered the ground throughout the day. It was hard to see through my windshield because as soon as the wiper cleared it away the water was instantly replaced by the downpour. That’s why I waited until most students had left,worried about backing up in the tight space of the parking lot when I couldn’t see so clearly. However, eventually I was on my way home only for my car to break down half way there.

“Really?” I complain at my car, “You chose now to give out on me?” Thankfully I was in the right lane but it didn’t really matter since there weren’t any cars around for miles. This is what I get for choosing to take the less busy route home. Reaching over to my backpack that sat in the passenger seat I grabbed my phone from the front pocket only to find that it was dead. Could my luck get any worse?

I tried to start my car again but it only coughed out a few sounds that made me cringe before going silent again. There had to be something I could do, my father was a mechanic after all. When there was still no sign of a single car after a few minutes I forced myself out of the car. I was drenched almost instantly but that didn’t stop me from popping open the hood and propping it open so I could look inside. However, once I had the hood open I realized that my dad being a mechanic meant nothing, staring at the inside of my car only made me dizzy with confusion.

My long wet hair stuck to my face uncomfortably to my face when there was a sudden flash of headlight that caught my attention instantly.Thankfully the car pulled up next to me and the driver jogged over to my side with an umbrella over his head.

“What are you doing out here, Kit?” Alexander asked with a hint of worry evident in his voice as he spoke. He held the umbrella over my head as soon as he was beside me but it didn’t really matter since I was already drenched.

“My car quit on me,” I explain having to speak a little louder than normal to be heard over the loud downfall of fresh water. If I were at home cuddled up in bed with a good book or movie I’d be in love with this weather, standing outside in it… not so much.

“I’ll give you a ride,” he offered without hesitation. In a normal circumstance I would have felt bad for being a bother but at this point I was sure that my lips were blue so I wasted no time in gratefully accepting.

“Just let me grab my things.” Alexander nods in response and followed me with the umbrella as I close the hood of my car and crawl across the driver’s seat to grab my backpack, phone and keys, locking the car behind me as Alec lead me to the passenger seat of his car, keeping the umbrella over me until I was inside and he was closing the door behind me. After getting in the driver’s seat he placed the damp umbrella on the floor in the back, placing my backpack back there as well to give me more room. When he sat forward again he had brought something from the back seat with him. He handed the ball of material to me, which turned out to be a massive olive green hoody.

“You’ll get sick in those clothes,” he explained before looking the other way and closing his eyes to give me as much privacy as he could. Grateful to be able to get out of my soaking wet clothes I shed my jeans and sweater onto the floor by my feet, keeping on my undergarments even if they were a little damp. His hoody was like a short dress on me, the excess of fabric combined with the heating from his car warmed me up quickly – another thing that I was thankful for.

Once I told Alexander that I was done he opened his eyes and began to drive, my car being left behind in its broken state. The only time either of us spoke was when I gave Alexander directions to my place or when he asked a question of confirmation.

“Thank you so much Alexander, you’re a life saver,” I tell him sincerely as he pulls up our front of my place. “I’ll wash your sweater tonight and give it back to you when we get together to work on the project.”

“It’s alright, no rush,” he assured me as he grabbed my bag from the back and gave it to me. I smiled a small smile of thanks as I moved to sit on the edge of the seat and pull my backpack on.

“I guess I’ll talk to you later?” Alec hummed and nodded in confirmation. Smiling at him one last time I grabbed my clothes from the ground before bolting out of the car and up to my front door, the patio protecting me from the never ending rain. Turing back I waved at Alexander one last time before heading inside, instantly heading up to my room to hang up my clothes and pull on a pair of sweatpants. The baggy pants and oversized hoody seemed to swallow me up but I found myself liking that, reveling in the warmth it gave me. After pulling my wet hair up into a messy bun so that it was away from my face I headed down to the kitchen where I knew I’d find my father.

“My car broke down,” I told him as I began to set the table.He stopped what he was doing at the stove and turned to look over at me.

“Are you alright? What happened?” He fretted, eyes having grown slightly with worry.

“I’m fine; it’s just sitting on the side of the road waiting for me to call a toll truck. One of my classmates was driving by at the time and he gave me a ride home,” I explained as I helped him get ready for dinner.

“Why didn’t you call me?”

“Oh don’t sound so offended,” I teased, “my phone was dead.”My father sighed heavily, looking at me with minor disappointment.

“You should be more aware of these things Catalina, you were lucky that someone you knew drove by and could help you,” he scolded lightly.

“I know, I know,” I agree breathing out as I plopped down in my seat at the table.

“I’m just glad you didn’t get into an accident,” dad said as he came behind me, placing his hands on my shoulders and kissing the top of my head. I smiled at him before he moved to bring over the food, Sam choosing that moment to come down and join us.

“Ew, why are you all wet?” Sam commented as he slid into his chair noticing the way that a few shorter pieces of hair had escaped my messy bun and clung to the sides of my face.

“Calm down it’s just from the rain, my car broke down,” I explain giving most of my attention to the delicious smelling food that dad was currently placing in the center of the table.

“Woah, wait really? What happened, how’d you get home?” Sam asked, his brotherly concern slipping through.

“Alexander gave me a ride,” I explain with a shrug, more focused on the food that my stomach was not so silently begging for. I really should have brought more for lunch today. However, before I could dig in and satisfy my hungry stomach Sam was gasping dramatically and suddenly yelling.

“You were with Alec Knight!? Don’t you know who he is Catalina?? He burned down a house and got expelled from his last school because of it.”

“That’s just a rumor, the truth is no one knows who he is,” I retort, a little mad that my brother would actually believe such preposterous gossip. Sure he might like gossip because it humored him but actually believing it? That was a whole other story.

“I doubt it, the guy is terrifying,” Sam scoffed in response while I roll my eyes at him dramatic brother – an action I rarely did unless joking around.

“Alexander is completely harmless, besides you didn’t freakout when McMillian partnered us up in class today, why is it such a big deal now?”

“You’re partners with Alec!?” I wanted to roll my eyes a second time at how dense Sam was. For such a smart kid he sure could be oblivious but I guess we had that in common so I couldn’t really say anything about it.

“Stop freaking out, it isn’t a big deal,” I tell him. All this time our father began to eat, simply watching us with minor confusion,ready to step in if anyone said anything out of line. That’s usually how it went.

“Ya maybe now, but just wait until he sets you on fire.”

“He hasn’t hurt anyone,” I suddenly snap. Whether it was Alexander or someone else I hated reasonless hate against anyone, I hated when someone just judged another person by their looks. I just hated it and I kind of expected more from my twin brother than to make such assumptions about someone simply because of rumors; he didn’t know Alexander.

Dad chose then to speak up.

“Alright that’s enough,” he said calmly, “Catalina, calm down don’t let him get to you. And Sam she’s right, you don’t believe rumors, you believe the facts, alright?”

“Yes sir,” we mutter together and he smiled in satisfaction,changing the topic from there.