her sweet chains

Episode 19

Obviously my last conscious thoughts were of Derek as when a dream blissfully entered my head it was of him. It Nothing remarkable he looked just like always my dark brooding little guardian angel who was lounging out on the sofa but his casual posture was some what ruined by the fact that I could see the muscle in his jaw twitching that was something he only did when he was very stressed out.

“Look mate.” Dean’s velvet smooth voice floated over as he leaned his chin on the back of the sofa. “You know what you need.”

“Yeah.” Derek growled “but I’m sure you’ll disagree.” Dean playfully patted his cheek,

“You need a little down time some R and R and I think I have the perfect diversion for you the names Tilly. Very hot little thing who loves the Dark brooding thing your doing so well right now.”

“No thanks.” Derek growled his hand gripping his larger tightly.

“Come on D you stay here much longer your gonna wear a permanent ass groove in the couch. You need a diversion and believe Tilly’s rack is very diverting.”

“Then you f**k her.” Derek snarled spinning around his eyes burning intently as they locked on Dean’s.

           I groaned as my alarm clock beeped irritatingly dragging me reluctantly from my sleep. I leaned over and hit the snooze button, the most dangerous invention in the world.

“Do not press snooze.” Jamie shouted through the thin wood, “You will oversleep and miss the start of the fresher's fair, induction thingy.” I grumbled something indistinct under my breath as I pushed myself up out of bed.

           I cursed indistinct things at Jamie until I was properly awake, but I had to grudging admit that he was completely right I was so lazy given half a chance. But as it was I made the ‘freshers fair, induction thingy’ on time with ease. The university was a huge sprawling campus that still smelt of mustiness from the abandonment of the summer overlaid by the tangy scent of bleach although soon this was further overlaid by the scent of warm excited bodies and way too many hormones! Most people moved around in tiny groups talking excitedly but the crowd still contained ample numbers of hesitant looking loners milling about looking as unsure as I felt. Especially as my sort of shape shifter instincts kicked in, we hated to be stuck in a crowd. our wolf instincts made us appreciate open spaces and being in a crowded hall where my tutors instructions were just to ‘mingle’ and ‘have fun’ was my idea of hell, as this sort of jostling totally invaded my personal space inducing my weird type of claustrophobia. As well as the combination of too much noise from all the newly acquired students and the old ones who were tying to entice us into something. I just wanted to be out of here but knew I had to stick around our tutor group was meeting in a couple hours. I flinched as another group of giggly girls pushed past jogging me. I growled and shuffled to the wall pulling Derek’s MP3 player from my pocket switched it on and shoved the headphones in my ears the blaring rock music instantly and perfectly blocking the noise from the hall around me. I smiled to myself, grudgingly having to admit that Derek had been right well about the distancing anyway. People were still jostling me but the lack of excessive noise meant that ALL my senses weren’t overwhelmed. I jumped as a beaming toothy smile appeared right in front of me. I leaned back as I could see it mouth moving but had no clue what this grin was saying. Leaning back I was able to see this grin was part of a young girl’s face who had excessively blond hair and pale green eyes. She tapped on her ear repeatedly her eyes locked on mine as she determinedly blocked my route. I rolled my eyes and pulled both the headphones out.

“Hi.” The grin said loudly as if meeting me was the most thrilling thing that had ever happened to her, “My Names Emma I’m a student representative for.” I switched off and rubbed my forehead only actually taking in only one word in about five, but enough to understand the gist. It seemed that there was some sort of social function occurring in the student union bar and as the representative Emma was collecting up people who were wondering around alone minding their own business and taking them along. It apparently was a great ‘networking opportunity’, and Emma obviously emphatically believed that as she wouldn’t take any of my subtle ‘that sounds lovely but no’ answers. Hence I fund myself being dragged to the student union bar with another five seemingly equally trapped victims. I vaguely wondered if it was worth just shooting her, If Darius found out he would be furious, he had told me the day that he gave me the 9mm revolver the ultimate rule was that the gun was to just protect myself in the very worst case scenario. Bringing it to our flat of course was fine, but I doubt Darius thought I was in mortal peril at the universities orientation day, maybe the pepper spray ? As we entered the bar my senses all endured another complete overload. “Here.” Emma beamed shoving a questionnaire in my hands. “It’s a sort of scavenger hunt you fill this in first and you win. Emma beamed and I weakly half returned the smile. “Adrian.” She beamed leaping forward and grabbing a petrified looking guy around the shoulders snatching the Questionnaire from his hands “you haven’t spoken to anyone since I left how do you expect to make friends.”

“Well…um...I...err.” he stammered helplessly looking rather like a suffocating fish. Emma sighed heavily her eyes suddenly lit up as she saw me and dragged her captive the few steps.

“This is Adrian.” She said pushing him towards me. “He’s studying law. Adrian this is.” She smiled quizzically at me.

“Jessica.” I muttered.

“Jessica and she is studying?”

“Law.” Emma gasped in pure delight,

“Aren’t I just fantastic you two will get on so well right so just chat.” She beamed and strode off directing the rest of her victims. Adrian locked his gaze on the floor shifting his feet looking completely uncomfortable. I smiled to myself I was stating to like Adrian more and more.

“So your doing law too?” I said pathetically but I didn’t know how else to start a conversation. He raised his eyes to me his pale face was blushing a vivid intense crimson, my smile widened he was such a geek.

“You don’t have to talk to me.” He mumbled rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, “she just won’t let me leave.” I giggled,

“I know exactly what you mean.” I said lightly “so I guess that two things in common law and social awkwardness.” Adrian finally raised his eyes to mine they were green though mostly hidden behind a long fringe that feel into his face.

“Why are you socially awkward?” he asked his features honestly looking confused as he shrugged, “your beautiful.” He suddenly stopped dead his eyes widening in horror as his cheeks again turned a flaming scarlet. I smiled broadly,

“Well thank you.”

“I just…what I mean… it’s just where I came from… looking like that.”

“However I look doesn’t affect how socially comfortable I am.” I said calmly, but I could see why he thought that way. I thought he was cute but he clearly was a pure geek, he had a small wiry frame his skin was so pale it was almost transparent; his black hair was lank as it hung down in his face.

“Always said by beautiful people.” He muttered so quietly I was pretty sure I wasn’t supposed to hear it.

“I have a bit of a unique family situation.” I said gently “it made me a bit of a local freak. And I didn’t have the inclination to sort it out.”

“What were you in a cult or something?”

“No we just have a big estate so I have several cousins and that sort of thing really near by and I’m the only girl there so they are very protective of me and because I had them around I didn’t really have any inclination to mix.”

“I guess that’s three things we have in common now.” He said still shuffling awkwardly his cheeks still a glowing cherry red.

“Both freaks.” I suggested frowning slightly and he nodded and I couldn’t help but smile I really was starting to like him.

“My names Ashton.” He said quietly I frowned at him “I thought it would be impolite to correct her and also I was afraid she wouldn’t leave if I stated making conversation with her.” he said sheepishly,

 “Would you like a drink?” I asked gesturing vaguely at the bar, Ashton gaped. “Haven’t been asked that many girls huh?”

“Well …um… err no.” he stammered, “You don’t have to.”

“It’s just a drink.” I said slowly “I won't expect you repay me with s****l favours.” At this his face really did flush and I couldn’t help but giggle.

“HI.” A voice shouted loudly as a short dark haired girl slapped her hand on my shoulder. “Do you live off campus?”

“What?” I said vaguely,

 “Do you live off campus?”

“yeah.” I said slowly.

“Yes.” She hissed grabbing my wrist tightly “Lauren.” She shouted “I’ve got the last one.” And with that she dragged me away into the crowd.

           It appeared that the ‘scavenger hunt’ list that had been thrust upon me was in fact a human scavenger hunt. That is where the list consists of things like: find a girl who is studying art. A Boy who is engaged. The idea being that this forces you to talk and team up. As Amy (my captor) informed me, as we and the rest of the scavenged people were steered towards the rewards desk which it tuned out was also hidden and had to be found by deciphering a set of cryptic clues. Which seemed all the more agonizing as Amy and her best mate Lauren were flanking me each chattering away in an ear about life off campus and how ‘amazing’ it must be.

“I don’t know.” I snapped pulling my coat around me tighter in an effort to protect myself from the persistent misty rain. “I haven’t ever lived on campus have I?” I said flopping down on the rim of the fountain we had stalled next to as several of the human scavenged ones argued over what some type of clue meant.

“Well how did you persuade your parents to let you?” Lauren began she was so similar to Amy except she was blond with longer hair than Amy’s who hair just grazed her shoulders.

“I only have a dad.” I cut across Lauren’s question

“Well how did you.”

“Darius wanted me off campus.” I again cut across her question,

“Darius?” Amy chirped,

“My dad.” I snapped back.

“Why.”

“I’m living with my cousin.”

“Ooooh.” Amy and Lauren muttered together.

“Male?” I nodded “age?” Amy asked,

“Nearly seventeen.”

“Oh.” Lauren said,

“Legal.” Amy said beaming, “got a photo?” I rolled my eyes but obediently I retrieved my wallet and pulled out the small wedge of photos: Me and Derek at my senior prom, Me and Darius when I was about five years old, and one of the pack . I flicked through these until I found the one I was after me and the boys before one of our meets where we were all lolling in the late summer sun on the lawn; it was only taken a few months ago. I passed it to Amy as Lauren plucked the remainder of the stack from my other hand. I bit my lip but didn’t say anything I was busy suppressing my urge to growl at her.

“Oh my god which one is he.” Amy asked breathlessly. I leaned over and casually pointed out Jamie.

“This is your family?” Lauren gawked at the picture of the pack she held.

“It’s me, my dad a few of my cousins and then a couple of my dad’s associates and their families.” I said casually

“Oh my god.” Lauren said slowly a big grin spreading across her face “I want to come live with you. Who is he?”

“Dean.” I said blandly without even looking at the picture, it was always Dean he was Gorgeous.

“Single?”

“slut.” I said she smiled at the photo.

“He’s cute.” Amy said holding the photo she was holding out. I reached out on instinct and snatched the photo from her hand, as a flash of pure fury shot through me. “What?” Amy said looking blankly to Lauren for support.

“That’s Derek.” I said suddenly feeling supremely stupid. Lauren who had seen the whole incident mutely lifted up the photo of me and Derek at my prom.

“Oh crap, your boyfriend.” Amy said “sorry.”

“No.” I said quickly “not my boyfriend.” Knowing full well that’s what having a photo of us together at prom would make it look like but I just liked that photo. The two of us weren’t even looking at the camera we were looking at each other both of us laughing from some lame joke I remember Derek telling. I don’t remember what it was but it was lame and yet in that instant it had made us both laugh.

“Ex?” Lauren put in hesitantly.

“complicated.” Was all I said but both seemed to take that for a full and complete response as they mutely collected the photos up and passed them back to me.

           It took us several false leads and backtracking to be able to finally reach the ‘Rewards desk’ and we were the first group back, and we were ‘rewarded’ with a Chocolate bar and a bottle of larger each. Both Amy and Lauren seemed a little miffed by their ‘prize’ but to me I was just thankful to be free of them although they seemed to be disappointed that I had a tutor group meeting and informed me that they’d catch up with me tomorrow. I don’t know why but my instincts were to view this as a threat. As well as the fact that tying to detach from the two of them was like tying to ease myself out of the grasp of a couple of octopuses. As such I was a few minutes late for my first tutor group meeting which made me wince but luckily my tutor smiled. I hastily muttered an apology. He nodded at the half empty room,

“Your one of the first ones here.” He said softly gesturing vaguely. I sweep my eyes out over the room suddenly stopping to smile.

“Hi.” I said gently, Ashton jumped clear of his seat as though I had shouted at him.

“Um…um… hi.” He said squatting down to pick up the biro’s he had scattered when he flinched, he had already turned a bright scarlet. I knelt down next to him and helped him collect up his scattered stationary. “thanks.” He muttered taking the pens from my hands.

“Can I sit here?” I asked he nodded uncertainly.

“You can say no if you want.” I said placidly.

“No its okay.” He said shuffling up a little further along his seat as if showing me he’s willing for me to slouch out. I smiled honestly relieved my already assembled classmates didn’t look much like Amy and Lauren but I was now on edge just in case whereas Ashton I could handle, he still seemed to be stuck in those awkward teenage geeky era and I liked that. I settled myself down next to Ashton, who looked if anything even more uncertain by having me next to him. I opened my bag and began taking out the usual items notepad, folder and pencil case which I began methodically laying out on the desk in front of me. I shot a sideways glance at Ashton who seemed slightly more relaxed as he had a similar layout in front of him.