Darkness Within the Light

Chapter 4: The Interaction

I made my way to fifth period World History after lunch. Hannah and Rachel continued chatting with each other, but I was too zoned out to listen to them.

Thankfully, I didn't have either one of them in my class. I needed some quiet so I could think and clear my head. Rachel insisted on walking me to Mr. Burton's classroom even though I asked her multiple times not to, but she had to fulfill her welcoming committee obligations.

As I entered the doorway, I scanned the room for an empty seat. There was only one seat left in a secluded corner in the back of the class and I almost fainted when I saw who my desk neighbor was:

Shadow Dark.

His eyes were locked on me as I moved slowly towards my seat. I clench my books tightly to my chest as my numb feet inched me closer to the desk. My stomach was spinning out of control, and I felt as if I were going to vomit. I felt pale and my mouth was instantly dry as I carefully placed myself into my chair. I could feel his devilish grin burning onto me even though I felt frozen and unable to move my body.

“I guess you're going to be scared of me like everyone else, huh?" His deep and smooth voice whispered to me causing chills to run up my spine. “I thought you would be different." He sighed as he faced forward in his seat.

Angry with his assumption that I was like the rest of these weirdos in this school, forced me to speak. “Who said I was scared of you?"

“We're desk mates and you didn't even look at me or say hello. That leads me to one suggestion." He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

“You're quick to judge." I snapped back as I felt rage build up in my chest. I'm over here practically falling in love with him by just the sight of him and he's ruining it with his mouth.

Typical.

“So, you're not afraid of me?"

“No." I mumbled as I opened my spiral notebook preparing to take notes. “Not for the reasons you think."

“Is that so?" He raised an eyebrow as he leaned into me with flattered curiosity. “No one has ever had a crush on me before." He chuckled as he leaned back in his seat as if he were some girl magnet God.

“Oh, please. Get over yourself."

“Then what did you mean?" he pushed as he bit his bottom lip. That juicy bottom lip that was a perfect shade of pink that matched his pale skin.

Refocus, Katie Anne.

“I pity you."

“Ah, I see. You are new here and your first judgment about me is that I'm the creepy kid that everyone bullies. Is that it?"

“Not exactly."

“Then what is it?" he snapped. I could tell he was getting angry with me. This is not how I wanted our first conversation to go.

“You have no friends and you're lonely." Why was I killing this guy with brutal honesty?

“Well," he whispered as I watched his rage disappear, “I guess I prefer pity over fear."

“Why?"

“Because pity shows you care," he paused as he ran his fingers through his hair, “and no one here seems to care."

Before I could find the right words to say, the final bell rang, and Mr. Burton stood at the front of the class silencing the chatter. We spent the rest of the thirty-five-minute class in complete silence. I tried to focus on Mr. Burton's lecture, but I was too busy studying Shadow through my peripherals. I watched Shadow's jaw clench from time to time. I wondered if he was trying to hold back tears or if he was stewing with anger. Occasionally, he would glance over at me and I would quickly flinch pretending to jot down notes in my notebook.

There was one thing I learned in World History that day: I was mesmerized by Shadow Dark, and I couldn't understand why.

At the end of the day, I waited for my mother in the courtyard at the front of the school. I couldn't stop thinking about my interaction with Shadow. Thankfully, World History was the only class I had with him, but as fate would have it, I saw him every time I walked through the hallways. He was so forbidden and mystifying that my imagination couldn't help but to run wild.

But I saw the truth that lingered within the creases of his eyes.

He was desperate for companionship and desperate for someone to see his true self and fall in love with it.

Or that's just what my foolish and blinded heart saw.

I needed to find a way to connect with him on a personal level. I needed to reach within his soul and find a way to open himself up to me. Maybe my honesty was a good thing. Maybe it showed him that I was down to earth and wasn't afraid of any dark truths he may hide. Or maybe it terrified him and closed him off more.

Who knows?

“May I sit?" his voice snapped me out of my daze. For a moment, I thought I was hallucinating until I saw his soft eyes looking down at me. Goosebumps formed on my skin as I nervously nodded, and I moved my bag from the seat. Shadow slowly sat down next to me as he gazed off into the bright blue sky.

“This place is repulsive, isn't it?" he began as he fidgeted with a large old-fashioned silver ring on his ring finger.

Strange way to start a conversation, but I smiled, “The worst I've ever seen. I had to refrain myself from vomiting a few times." I giggled.

He flashed his killer smile then it quickly faded again. “I hate it here."

“How come?"

“How come?!" he leaned his head back and chuckled as he rolled his eyes. “Everyone here is blind. They only see what they want to see, and they only accept what is acceptable to them." He sighed as he rubbed his forehead. “You don't though. Why?"

I shrugged, “I guess because I was raised differently."

“No that can't be it," he said so sternly that I was shocked by his certainty.

“What else could explain it then?"

Before he could speak, my mother pulled up and frantically honked the car horn. She hastily waved for me to get in the car immediately as her wide eyes darted towards Shadow.

“Proving my point," he sarcastically grinned, “your upbringing doesn't explain how you view this town, the people," he sighed, “or me…" His voice trailed off into a soft whisper as the hair on the back of my neck stood straight up.

“The credit doesn't go to my mother. She's from this town, so she is just like the rest of them."

“Katie Anne! You get in this car this instant!" My mother shouted from the distance, but I decided to stay locked in Shadow's eyes. His dark and soft eyes that I wanted to emerge myself in.

“You better get going before she assumes I casted a love spell on you." He flirted, causing me to blush as I melted from his sinister smile.

“I'll see you around." I mumbled as I turned to walk away.

I leaped into the rusted black car as I avoided my mom's wide-eye glare. I stayed focused on the street straight in front of me as my mom stayed frozen silent in the driver's seat.

“Can we go?" I impatiently questioned as she scoffed at me.

“What did I tell you about those people?!" She said strictly as I rolled my eyes.

“I don't care what you told me about them."

“Stay away from them Katie Anne. If I catch you around any of them, especially the boys, you will be grounded until you graduate college. Do you understand me?"

“No, I will not."

“Excuse me?!" My mother leaned back in her seat as if I had just stabbed her in the heart with a dagger.

“Shadow is a nice person, mom. He just wants to feel accepted, but everyone here judges him based on how he looks. That's not fair. Daddy taught me to treat everyone with kindness and respect, no matter what they look like on the outside," I retaliated as I folded my arms across my chest.

“Well Daddy isn't here, Katie Anne. I am, and as your mother, I expect you to do as you're told." She aggressively put the car in drive and sped away from the school.

“So, you want me to give up my morals and be judgmental like you?"

“If that's what it takes to keep you safe," she muttered into a whisper as she hastily drove us home.

I felt my anger stir inside my gut the entire way to Aunt Verna's house. I wanted to curse my mother. How dare she disregard my father like that? We were a family for seventeen years. Does that not matter to her? How does she expect me to just let go of everything my father ever taught me? Does she expect me to change everything about me just to fit in to her distasteful and incompetent little town?

What is it that this entire town, including my mother, have against the Dark Family?

We sat quietly in a disdainful rage in front of Aunt Verna's repulsive dungeon. Mom tapped her fingers on the steering wheel, keeping up with the momentum of her quickened thoughts. I grew tired of the tense fog that suffocated the car so I began to gather my things, but before I could escape, my mother grabbed me by my arm as if she were holding onto the last tethered string of a lifeline.

“Katie Anne, I'm sorry," she whispered as I watched a single tear struggle to stay within her tear duct. “But you don't understand this town. I do. If the Fellowship discovers you are consorting with the Dark family…" Her voice trembled off as her frightened eyes followed.

“The Fellowship?" I furrowed my brows as she stayed locked in a trance. “Mom, who is the Fellowship?" I demanded as I gently shook her.

“The ones who demanded our return."