A Love Like No Other

Three: The New Girl

Selene

The alarm clock blared at me yet again until I slammed my hand on it, shutting it off. I dreamed of him again, and being pursued through some weird ass labyrinth by some being darker than the guy I sometimes catch glimpses of, but can never fully see.

I looked around my bedroom, and ignored the clinical cleanliness of it. Other people have considered me too much of neat freak, but I call it simply being clean. I padded to my closet and got out my outfit for the day.



It was a long sleeved black shirt, with a fairly short red and black plaid skirt, black thigh high stockings, and combat boots to set it off. My pearl blonde hair fell to my shoulder blades in artful waves, and I thanked my lucky stars that my parental units, or foster parental units, in my case, were these big time business moguls, and couldn't really have kids of their own, naturally. I have no clue why, something about my foster dad having a low sperm count or something, because of his diabetes. Whatever. But my foster mom is actually kind of cool, and doesn't mind me wearing so much black clothing.

My foster dad Julian Parrish, of Parrish Communications, a big time satellite cable company that rakes in millions every year, was sitting at the kitchen table eating oatmeal, and looking over his portfolio on his tablet. My foster mom Valeria, was bustling in the kitchen, and she handed me a to go coffee cup filled with a latte.

"Thanks, mom," I said, hugging her. "You're a damn life saver."

She chuckled, and said, "Are you nervous your first day?"

"Yeah," I confessed, "But I'm meeting Dells, and Margie, so it's cool. I gotta go. Bye', dad!" I called, hoisting up my back pack, just as my foster dad looked up, and followed me out to the garage.

I picked out my storm gray Corvette, and tossed my stuff in there. He looked over my outfit disapprovingly. "Are you really going to wear something like that for orientation? What about the uniforms?"

I knew what he was getting at, but I honestly did not want to have to argue with him about my short skirts/shorts, or midriff tops this early in the morning.

"Relax dad, they will be handing out the uniforms today," I reassured him. "I'm sure they won't be revealing for the girls." You know that they aren't, but I'll be damned if I'm going to dress like a nun all through my last two years of high school.

My foster dad seemed relieved by this, however, and said, "Yes, well, I would hope that you would make a better impression upon us."

I shrugged my shoulders. "Yeah, okay, dad. I'm seventeen, not one of your employees. Wish me luck?"

My dad sighed, "You know you don't need it."

We hugged, but like always, it was half hearted, like he didn't really care to show affection openly. I turned off the security system to my Corvette, and unlocked the driver's door. I stashed my crap on the passenger seat, and got behind the wheel. Dad stepped back, and I turned the engine on, and the motion detector on the garage door opened up automatically.

I drove up the hill, and input the code for the gate when I got to the end of the driveway. I cautiously pulled out, and when I knew that my dad wasn't watching me, I picked up the speed to my usual fast pace. My phone beeped, and I switched on my hands free set on my steering wheel.

I rolled my eyes in annoyance. "What do you want Josh? I thought we agreed on radio silence."

He chuckled, "Sel, babe, don't be like that. You know I prefer you over Candy."

"Uh huh," I murmured, signaling to pull into the nearest Starbucks. I had no time to leisurely get my stuff like normally. I listened to my ex boyfriend blather on and on about my superior qualities until it was my time to pull up to the drive thru window. "Uh huh, could you hold on a sec? I'm at a drive thru."

"Sure, babe, go ahead," Josh said on his end.

I wanted to punch the guy out, but I couldn't. I gave my order of a hot spinach wrap. "Anyways," I said, pulling up in my que in the line of cars and suvs. "Please don't call me, Josh. You cheated, we broke up, and I can't believe that you're crawling back after a year."

"Selene, come on!" Josh pleaded. Was he crying? It was hard to tell over the Corvette's speakers. "Candy meant nothing, and I was drunk."

Oh my God, I really wanted to slap this boy silly! I forced myself to calm down as I paid for my breakfast wrap. The really hot barista guy who looked like Ryan Philippe, was really putting on the charm as he handed me my caffeine medicine.

I flashed the barista my most winning smile, and said, "Thanks, hon. You um, wouldn't happen to be single, right?"

I could hear my ex fuming on the other end of the phone. The barista grinned knowingly, and said, "Check your receipt."

"I will be sure to do that."

"Cool. I look forward to it."

I carefully secured my items, and pulled out of Starbucks. Josh was still on the line, and demanded, "Did you just flirt with some dude?!"

I laughed, "Uh, yeah. The last time I checked, being single implies that other guys can call me to date or hook up with me."

"What the f**k, Selene?! I thought we were trying to stay friends!" He demanded.

I sighed, "Listen, babe. We. Are. Not. Together. Any. More. Please don't call me any more. Good bye, Joshua."

He was spitting mad when I cut him off. My phone beeped again, and I smiled when I saw that it was Vanessa, my bff since grade school on. She was a foster kid like me, but she had the good fortune of being picked up by only one family. Me? I was not so lucky, but I will get to my reason soon enough.

"Hey, Ness,' what's shaking?"

She laughed, "Oh, not much. Just wanted to touch base with you on going to prom. You know, dress shopping and what not?"

"Ness,' I have a ton of gowns," I said, biting into my spinach wrap at a long red light. "Honestly, my mom is all into that couture s**t. Besides, you know I hate shopping for crap like that, that's what the consultants are for."

"Ugh! Fine!" Vanessa said in exasperation. "I want you to come to the mall to get over your ex. I'll shop, you find a date."

I giggled and looked at the receipt. Sam, the barista's name was Sam. Nope, no more Biblically named dudes for me, thank you, very much, I don't care how cute you are. "I can't, I have to study," I replied lamely.

"Puhleeze! As if! I'm coming over tonight, girl, and that's final!" She yelled, and cut off the call on her end.

No more calls, just texts. Yay. I turned off my phone and let it charge up. I could answer my text messages later if the orientation got too boring, which being a private school, was more than likely.

I took the exit for St. Catherine's High, and as soon as I found the school, I encountered a literal rod iron pair of gates looming in front of me as I pulled up to the security booth. The security guy was a priest, obviously, but one of those obscenely hot priests, dressed in a black Cossack-like robe.

"Visitor, or student?" He asked in a clipped British tone, his green eyes blazing.

"I'm a new student, actually," I informed the cute ginger haired priest/cop, whatever he was.

He nodded, and handed me a parking decal, and an ID lanyard. But just as I thought there wasn't going to be weirdness this term, our fingers touched, and my sight took over. I blinked twice, and the priest guy was revealed to have fiery red wings, and his once green eyes blazed with that same inner fire. But he didn't feel dark this angel, just of the guardian variety, but powerful, like wickedly powerful.

A smirk flashed across his handsome face, and he said to me in a voice like velvet, "Ah, a mortal with the sight. Yes, I was told to expect you...Majesty," He said Majesty in a derisive tone of voice. "I expect you to behave yourself, Selene."

The sight returned to normal, and the priest/guardian angel looked completely normal. I grabbed my ID and parking decal, and tried to drive like a normal human being. I found a spot to park by a beautiful weeping willow tree, but I couldn't get out of the car, my hands and whole body were shaking.

Fuck! It was happening again! My damned powers were resurfacing again. Why? Why now?? I beat my steering wheel as I cried. Then I heard a dark baritone voice in my head, "Shhh...Calm yourself, my love. I will be with you soon..."

I could feel the ghost of a thumb brush over my lips, and I felt my breathing hitch. "Wh-Who are you?" I asked, trembling still, and not necessarily from fear this time.

"You will know soon enough, be patient," He said, and then I knew that I was alone, freaking out in my new high school parking lot in the middle of fall. I gathered my stuff, and fixed my makeup so that I was presentable. When that was done, I locked up my car, turned on my security alarm, and followed the main body of students like me who didn't have uniforms yet.

My trek led me to a large theater, and nuns checked everyone's badges before letting them in. When it was my turn, I flashed my badge, and the nun glared at me like I was a speck of dust.

"Selene Parrish?" The old b***h asked pointedly.

"Yeah?"

"Box five," The nun ordered me. "Make it quick, I haven't got all day to cater to special cases like you."

She pointed to a gold elevator, and I took it. I got in, and I swear an elevator music version of Stairway To Heaven began playing as the car lifted me up five levels. Weird, someone definitely had a strange sense of humor. The elevator dinged, and I got out.

My vision blurred briefly again, and two guys with dark wings I never saw before asked, "Can we get you anything before you settle in, my lady? Food? Drink?"

My vision returned to normal...sort of. I saw their black wings, but even though they looked and felt..dark, I knew that they weren't here to hurt me. If they were...yeah, I would know it immediately.

"Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm Castor," One guard said.

"And I'm Pollux," The other said. "We're twin brothers, but we were sent to guard you discreetly. Your intended--"

"Dude, zip it!" Castor, the first guy/demon said, annoyed. "Her memories have been wiped. She doesn't remember us or him, alright??"

They were both blonde haired, and quite hot, but then again, ginger guard at the gate was good looking too, so I didn't quite get what was going on.

Castor sighed, his blue eyes rolling in exasperation. "You'll have to forgive my brother, but he forgets what has been done to you, by the other side, so to speak."

"I'm totally not following," I pointed out, which was totally true. I honestly had no idea what was going on. "This is a high school, right?"

Both brothers looked at each other, and Pollux said, "For most, yes, but for some like you, let's just say that the other side still thinks it keeps what you can do at bay this place of power. Now, go on inside your box office, someone very special wants to speak with you."

I went inside, nervousness and fear bundled up inside of me as I entered a candlelit room with a place setting for two, and as soon as my eyes laid on my host, that was when my powers came to the fore, and I saw the man who was searching for me all of my life through my dreams...