MASKED

Chapter Three

Monday was hectic.

It was as if the whole neighborhood had made it to PinOaks that day. Parents were hugging and fussing over shame faced kids. Lexy was almost hit by cars on two occassions and she was always bumping into a bag or unidentifiable hooded person; and once she tripped on a stray lace.

When she finally made it inside it was as if she had just finished running a marathon.

Just before she could reach her locker, the bell, which Lexy had began to find startling, rang abruptly once again announcing the start of a new school week. All too soon the hallways were deserted.

'What's up with these people anyways', she thought to herself. 'Always in a rush all the time. Well, you know what they say, when in Dannexville, do what the Dannexvillains do', she chuckled to herself for making such a dry joke and made for her locker.

It took a while for her to find it but that was the least of her problems afterwards. She had forgotten her pin. She thought hard, a series of keys at her fingertips yet to no avail.

'What was that pin again?', she bit into her lips in frustration.

'4-1-1-8? No, thats not it. 2-5-5-7? No, not that either. It must have definitely started with a 4; yeah that's right. What else? There has to be a six in it somewhere'. 6 was her lucky number after all.

'Two more numbers left, just two. Think!!', Lexy think!'

Her teeth sank deeper into her lips as she tapped noiselesly at the floor. A few minutes brought her sore feet and her head fired up from thinking so hard.

Frustration seeped in little by little.

'No use, here we go.......4-1-1-6, wrong!....4-1-2-6, wrong!......4-1-3-6.......wrong as well........4-1-4-6?.... wrong again!......4-1-.......'

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4-3-2-6, that was the pin.

'Shucks!' 8:19am, she was late. Again.

The clicking of the locker open did nothing to ease her anxiety because when she pulled open the door it refused to budge.

'Aaaargh!'

This Monday was seriously rubbing it in. Balancing her books in her left arm and grabbing the latch with her right, Lexy tugged and tugged. Still shut tight.

She hauled with all her might but the impact sent her sprawling to the ground. She hit the floor with a thud, her books flying over her head and scattered across the floor. Lexy felt stupid at this point and tears of agitation threatened to set in.

That was when she felt it. Him. His presence. It was dark and sinister and it sent spooky shivers down her spine. When she mechanically raised her head to look at him she was hit with a radiance that almost blinded her. How ironic that was because there was nothing lucid about him. His aura was heavy, it seemed to fill her up; cloud her until she could no longer breathe.

He had dark eyes, synchronizing with his jet black hair. He was pale and ghostly. The bangs of his hair hung carelessly over his face almost masquerading them. His eyes.

She could feel the heat of his gaze; like lighted coal they sent austere sparks her way. He was unsmiling and he looked at her with an expression of pure disgust. She could not match his stare yet she managed to notice that he did not blink. Not even once did those long curled lashes kiss his eyes.

He was tall and beautiful; she was lost in the divinity of his discernment.

Lexy did not know whether his regard was that of hatred or disgust or both. If looks could kill Lexy would have definitely visited her great grand parents by now. She did not understand why some random guy she just set eyes on would shoot her such murderous looks. This probably happened only in the movies, perhaps she was in the middle of the shooting of one right now.

'What is wrong with you, Lexy?!', she scolded herself.

'You're late for class and your locker won't budge, you're on the floor with your books all around you and there this guy sizing you up and you're thinking of being in a movie????'

Coming back to her senses, she made for her books, crawling as she did when she could no longer stand his gaze. She just wanted to apologize immediately but the question was, 'What had she done? And still, that sudden urge was there.

She shook her head; he was still standing there.

'Well he doesn't seem bothered about being late for class. What an odd guy.'

There was only one book left. It was only a few metres away from the strange boy. All that time she had been rummaging the ground for her books while all he had done was sneer at her. Nastily.

Somehow she still noticed his handsomeness behind the scowl.

'Handsome and haughty, are we. Why is he staring at me soo much?', she thought to herself as she made for the last book.

For the fisrt time they had set eyes upon each other, the boy moved. His sudden mobility startled her.

He stepped right on the book and without a word, walked away.

'What???????!!!!'

Lexy was shocked to the core.

'Such rudeness! Aaargh!!'.

Her initial amazement turned to fury.

'How could he? Looking at her as if she were an outcast without offering any help and then trampling over her book?! Who the hell did he think he was? And even if he were somebody, what right did that give him to treat her as he just did? Fine! He wasn't polite enough to offer her a hand but was stepping on her Maths Textbook really necessary?'

She had no more time to fret, she was already late.

So she had to push and not pull to open her locker; great! Why hadn't she thought of that?

Now she had to find her class.

She made it, but barely later than on Friday. Fortunately, she wasn't the only late one. No teacher was in yet. But something was off. One would expect that with no teacher the class would be at least a bit noisy. However it was not. Odd as it was Room 6 was silent. Too silent for her liking. All eyes were on her the moment her feet landed in the class. They were not unfriendly like on the first day though. Just blank faces.

Lexy made her way through the thick tension to her seat. On Friday she had had the two seats all to herself much to her contentment. Nothing lasts forever though because today, one seat was occupied.

It was him! The rude boy from before; the one who had stepped on her book.

There and then Lexy wanted to scream. She wanted to slap him, grind him to pulp; if possible castrate him! Anything she could do in her power to wipe of that stupid smirk off his face. Of all the seats why did he have to be next to hers?

Just then, the teacher entered; a tiny jovial man, Mr.Feguerson.

"Good morning class. Sorry for the late arrival. I had a few things to do and...."

His beam lit up the class and there were cacophonies of replies and addresses. He immediately noticed Lexy standing in the middle of the class transfixed to the spot. He warmly addressed her with a smile,

"Miss Lexy, please take your seat".

However, she did not acknowledge his presence. A barrage of thoughts were running through her head.

'Look at him, triumphant and all! Oh, I'll wipe that stupid grin off his stupid handsome face soon enough. There's no way I'm sitting with him, absolutely no way! I'm not going to and no one can make me! I......'

"Hello Lexy? Earth to Lexy!", Mr. Ferguerson called to her. All the while she stood, matching her new found enemy's glare. He wasn't going to be the only one casting ugly looks this time around.

Confused, Mr. Ferguerson looked around the class following her glare, wanting to know the cause of the distraction. He noticed the only seat available but upon catching eye with the person sitting next to it, he was suddenly lost in thought.

"Oh...uhhh...I seee.", he muttered to himself. "Uhmm, Penelope?", he beckoned to a blonde girl sitting a few seats away to the right.

"Mr. Ferguerson?"

"Yes, Penelope, can you please move to that seat over there beside Mr. Orion for the time being?"

The girl made no effort to hide her joy as she literally ran to her new seat. Her used-to-be sitting patner only grinned but the mysterious boy's glare turned to a sour frown. Mr. Ferguerson took no notice of this or maybe he pretended not to have noticed.

'Well now at least I dont have to sit with him anymore'. Lexy sighed in relief and sat down.

"All right class", Mr. Ferguerson begun.

"Now that everything's settled, lets begin. Today's lesson...."