It's Dark Within

First Step to Recovery

            A loud ringing woke me up like I had been risen from the dead, and with a groan I slid out of bed. I glanced over to my doorway and realized none of my brothers were there to interrogate me about last night. With a shrug, I went to get dressed and headed inside the main house. To my surprise, there was no one there either. So, I decided to go to the spot I told Jack to meet me at.

            When he wasn’t there I started to get nervous, but as I put my nose to the air I smiled.

            “Miss me that much already, rain?”

            I spun around to see Jack leaning against a tree, but something wasn’t right. I could smell a metallic odor to his usual fire scent. It only took a second for me to realize what it was. Blood. I rushed to his side and began examining him all over. “What happened? Jack…”

            He laughed a little as he lifted his shirt to show me three claw marks across his torso. “I’m fine. It’ll heal in a while. Your brothers decided to pay me a visit as I walked home last night. The three of them together are quite fast.”

            I sighed before I took his hand. “Come on, we have to get to school. Tell me about it so I know what to say when I see them tonight.”

            Jack smirked as he looked down to my hand around his. “Okay. After I made sure you were safe in your house I went home, well, on my way they found me. None of them gave me a chance to say anything. The tallest one accused me of trespassing, while the shortest one told me that I needed to stay away from you or he would kill me in a very elaborate way. They all agreed and then the chase began. It’s not that big of a deal, rain. Your brothers love you, and I’m just some random wolf invading their territory and making friends with their little sister to them. They don’t know me, and they don’t trust me.”

            I nodded. “I won’t let them hurt you again. I’m sorry about all this.”

            “Didn’t I tell you to not apologize to me?” He said bumping my hip with his playfully. “This scratch is because I got cocky and slowed down. You don’t need to get all valiant on me, rain.”

            “Whatever.” I said with a wink.

            Jack rolled his eyes. “Hey, seriously though, how are you feeling?”

            I shrugged. “When I’m alone I’m terrible. But with you I don’t feel like I just killed someone.”

            “That’s only half of what I asked. How are you doing, Christelle?" Jack asked as he pulled me to a stop. He lifted my chin like he did the night before to study my face.

            I gave him a faint smile when I looked up to him. “I feel like s**t, Jack. I hurt someone, and there is nothing I can do to change that. I keep playing that incident over and over, trying to find a different way I could have stopped him, but all that happens is…”

            Jack nodded. “I would be dead. That hunter had me in his sights, and he was seconds away from pulling that trigger. I’m not going to say that what you did was an easy decision, killing never is easy, but what you did saved my life. In that moment, it was me or that hunter. There was no other option at that time. I wouldn’t be standing here with you if you would have hesitated last night, and for that I don’t even have words to say. What you did for me, means more to me than you think.”

            I bit down on my lip. That’s the same thing I had said to him last night, and I knew what it meant to me. “I’m happy you’re here, as horrible as that makes me.”

            “I’ll never think bad about you, rain. Don’t worry so much, and let me have some of that load on your shoulders.” He said as he gestured to my makeshift trail to the school. “Come on, we’ll be late if we walk any slower.”

            “Christelle! Oh...hey, Jack…” Janelle looked confused and shocked all in one as her eyes landed on the two of us walking together.

            “Morning, Janelle.” I smiled at my gothic friend. “You’re going to get in trouble for wearing your platformed boots again.”

            Jack looked down at them and tilted his head to the side. “Those are awesomely retro. See you girls in class, I’m going to go to the locker room to change my shirt.”

            When he was gone Janelle rushed over to me and slapped my arm. “What? He! I can’t even find the words to begin my sentence.”

            I laughed a little. “He walks through the forest to get to school too. We bumped into each other on the way here, that’s it, but he’s nice. Give him a chance, Janelle. I actually think you’re going to like him.”

            “That’s not going to happen, but for you I will be peaceful.” Janelle said as she undid the wrapper on her sucker. “Guess who I passed in the parking lot? Mariana, and she’s wearing the sluttiest skirt I’ve ever seen. The only reason she will get away with wearing it is because she’s wearing nylon hosiery underneath it. Who the hell wears pantyhose anymore?”

            I shook my head, trying not to laugh. “Apparently, Mariana. You know she’s wearing it to impress Jack.”

            Janelle nodded. “Yeah, it’s almost sad to see how desperate she can become when there’s a guy she wants. Then I realize she’s a b***h and I don’t feel bad anymore.”

            “You’re so sweet, Janelle.” I said as we linked arms and went into the school building.

            At my locker, Janelle told me about her doctor’s appointment while I got my stuff in order. I paused as I smelled people approaching. With a huff, I turned my head to see Chip and his side-kick Jason heading over to us. Janelle stopped talking when she noticed them too.

            “Don’t even start today, Chip. Just go away.” Janelle said, rolling her eyes at him.

            “Shut it, Victorian slut.” Jason said as he poked Janelle in the forehead. “We’re not talking to you.”

            Chip looked me over from head to toe. “I love the way you always show your legs, it’s very enticing. What are you doing after school today, Christelle?”

            “Not you.” I shut the door to my locker and leaned back against it to glare at him with emotionless features over my pretty face.

            He shook his head. “Witty and beautiful. Man, you’re just a great package. Come out with me tonight, I promise you’ll have a good time.”

            I sighed. “I’m not going anywhere with you. Ever.”

            “Oh, but you’ll run off with that new Irish kid, right?” Jason said as he leaned against the locker to my right. “Mariana said he blew her off to go out with you after school yesterday. So, you let that guy no one knows have a crack at you, but not us?”

            I rolled my eyes, but it was Janelle that cut in. “What Christelle does with who, is none of your business. You don’t own her. We already established this yesterday, didn’t we?”

            “We did.” I said, pushing off the locker, getting right in Chips face. “I’m not what you want, sorry, sugar.”

            I joined Janelle and we went to go to class, but a strong hand grabbed my wrist. When I turned around I saw Jason being yanked backwards away from me by Jack. Chip intervened and swung a punch at him when he wasn’t looking. Jack ate the punch like it was nothing before returning one of his own, knocking Chip back against the wall with a hard thud.

            “Jack! Stop!” I yelled as I rushed forward to get in between them. I pushed Jack towards Janelle and looked over my shoulder at the two football players. “Leave us alone!”

            Everyone that had been in the hallway stared as we went in opposite directions. When the three of us got to class, Janelle left us to talk and went in. I pulled Jack to the wall and pushed him back into it. He let me inspect his face before giving him a shake of my head.

            “Jack, you’re going to get in trouble for that.”

            He shrugged. “I don’t care.”

            I sighed. “You have to care, or I’ll care for you. In about ten minutes you’re going to be called to the office, and they will give you suspension or something.”

            Jack smiled when he watched me roll my eyes. “Come on, rain. That guy started it.”

            “Really? You’re going to tell the principal, ‘he started it’. That’s not good.” I said making him sigh. Feeling like I was over reacting, I closed my eyes. “Never mind. As long as your face is okay, let’s go to class.”

            He laughed, causing me to spin around and go to the door. “It’s sweet to know you don’t want my face damaged, rain. Such a good girl.”

            I flipped him off before we went inside and sat at our table. Janelle turned around to look at where Chip had hit Jack, and winced a little at the bruise forming on the side of his chin. He winked at her as his head rested on his hand, making her roll her eyes and turn back around. I smiled a little before getting out my binder. When I was done I looked over to see Jack’s eyes closed. I focused on the sound of his heartbeat, slow and steady. I couldn’t help letting out a deep sigh, he was sleeping. He was exhausted, that’s why he was late getting to our meeting spot this morning.

             “Just how long were they chasing you?” I asked so low I was sure he couldn’t hear in his sleep.

            I was going to have it out with my brothers when I got home today. To think that they had chased Jack so long that he was exhausted like this. It made me madder than a hornet in a glass jar, and I was thinking about the different ways I could kick my brothers asses. They had no right to simply attack Jack unprovoked, it wasn’t right or fair, but it was something I was going to fix.

            At the end of class, I touched Jack’s arm gently while leaning in to his ear. “Wake up, sugar. Or I’m going to leave you here.”

            Jack groaned. “Yes, master.”

            “Shut up, Jack.” I pushed his arm to knock his head off his hand. “Let’s go.”

            He shook his head at me when he stood to stretch. “That was rude, rain. You’re an unnecessarily cruel woman sometimes.”

            I giggled going to the door. “Aw, you know you like it though.”

            As I left, I could see him smile through the glass in the door. I bit down on my lip as I went to my next class.

            Second period seemed to crawl by, at least now I was in third period, I was back with Janelle and Jack. Unfortunately, also Mariana. She strode in like she was the queen of Shiba, glancing right over to Jack. She sported a short skin tight white skirt and a silk tank top covered by an open jacket. I bit down on my lip to keep from laughing as I looked down to my desk. Jack saw me and raised an eyebrow, never even seeing Mariana coming right for him.

            “Hey, Jack.” She said as she sauntered by him, trying to be as casual about it as possible.

            He shrugged. “Yeah, hi.”

            Mariana huffed and stormed off to her seat completely annoyed with the way he was ignoring her.

            I finally looked up after I knew Mariana was gone, letting out a breath of relief before Jack caught my attention. “What?”

            He gave me a lopsided smile like he knew something I didn’t. “There’s something on your leg.”

             “What?” I looked down and froze. When I looked back up to Jack, he was trying hard not to laugh. “Seriously asshole? There’s nothing there.”

            He just smiled and faced the front of the classroom like he didn’t hear me.

            Janelle rolled her eyes at us as she tossed a pen cap at the back of Jack’s head. “You two are sickeningly cute.”

            “I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve said about me.” Jack said as he spun in his chair to see Janelle.

            The way their desks were created a triangle, Janelle at the top and closest to the back of the room, and to her right was me and to my left Jack. So, I could see what both of them were doing.

            “You’ve only been here for two days, I’m sure it will get worse for you.” She smiled cockily at him.

            “Fun, fun, this school is turning out to be.” Jack said as he winked over to me.

            “I said to try and get along with Jack, Jan. Not verbally accost him at the first chance you got.” I said as we sat in the field during lunch. Jack had been called to the principal’s office shortly into third period, and we hadn’t seen him for the past hour.

              Janelle nodded. “I know, and I’m sorry. He’s just so cocky, I couldn’t help myself. I think Jack is the cockiest, self-confident, arrogant guy I’ve ever met.”

            I giggled. “He is, but it’s kind of how he is. I’m sure you’ll get over it soon. Jack’s okay.”

            “How do you know? We’ve only known him for two days.” Janelle laid back in the grass. “He could be one of the bad ones in disguise.”

            “I don’t think so.” I remembered the way he comforted me after what I did to the hunter. “I think he’s good.”

            Janelle giggled. “That’s just because you like him. I can see the way the two of you look at each other. I’m sure I’m not the only one who can see it. He looks at you like you’re the only thing with a v****a in the world. It’s weird and adorable all at the same time. I never thought you would like an arrogant guy like him.”

            “Nope, nope, nope.” I looked to the sky, trying to relax the best I could.

            “Whatever, Ell. You can deny all you want, that’s only the first step to recovery.” Janelle said with her eyes closed and a smile on her face.

            I left it be. I could smell fire in the wind, and with a smile I glanced behind me to see Jack laying in the grass behind us a little way away.

            “How much trouble are you in?” I whispered low enough to where Janelle wouldn’t hear.

            “Not much, getting hit first worked out in my favor. I have to make sure I don’t get into another fight with Chip and his gang, that’s it.” Jack said back with that cocky accent to his words.

            I nodded. “That’s good. You do need to stay away from them.”  

            He sighed. “So, you want me to sit back and watch them harass you? Do you even realize what you’re asking of me?”

            “Yes, I can take care of them human boys. I don’t want you to get in anymore trouble.” I shook my head at him.

            Jack smirked over at me through his hands. “That’s for me to decide, rain.”

            “Your so stubborn.” I said while looking completely annoyed.

            “And you’re so pretty when your irritated with me.”

            I turned to look over at him with a shocked expression over my features. I watched as he laughed and placed his hands over his eyes to shield him from the sun peeking through the clouds. Flustered and slightly annoyed, I turned back around and looked to the woods to calm myself.

            Lastly, Science Fiction studies. Sitting down in our seats, I did my best to focus. Jack had fallen asleep within two minutes and Janelle was doodling in her notebook while we watched another two dozen interviews. So, with nothing to do, I began to braid my long hair out of boredom.

            The last bell rang and everyone filed out of the classroom, Jack was still in the room when me and Janelle exited.

            “What are you doing today? Are you coming over?” Janelle asked while breaking into another sucker as soon as they were out of the school building.

            I shook my head. “Not today, I have a family meeting with my brothers. It’s probably going to take us until four in the morning to talk everything out. Wanna come? You can be the referee.”

            “Nope.” Janelle said making me laugh. “Your brothers are so fricking hot, but they scare the s**t out of me. You go have fun getting into it with them. Please, come back to me in one piece.”

            “Thanks a lot, Jan. Bring ice packs for me in the morning please!” With that Janelle was gone and I started for the forest.