Aven's Dream Read online

  At the nutrition bell, I walked to Lizzie’s desk and told her I would see her after fourth. Then, I headed to Mr. Blake’s classroom to spend nutrition. The door to the journalism room was unlocked most of the time, which allowed students to wander in and out during the day to finish projects for the paper. When I got there, the classroom was empty and dim. Mr. Blake had probably gone to the teachers’ lounge before third period. I was relieved for the solitude as I clicked on a row of lights at the back of the classroom. Setting down my bag on a back table, I took out my copy of Hemingway. With any luck, I would have For Whom the Bell Tolls finished by the weekend. I sat down and flipped to chapter thirty-seven.

  Time running out. Hemingway’s book, described as his greatest work on the back cover, was classified as a war novel depicting the death of an ideal. Maybe I wasn’t focusing on Hemingway’s central message, because I found the story of the two lovers much more pressing than any political statement. My cheeks burned as my eyes continued to move across the page. Required reading had, up until this point, been less than descriptive in certain areas. The curtain always dropped just in time.

  “What do you think of Hemingway?”

  I turned at the sound of an unfamiliar voice and found a man sitting on the edge of Mr. Blake’s desk. His manner was relaxed, almost languid. I suddenly regretted only turning on one row of lights, since the stranger remained partially obscured in the shadows. From where I sat, I could tell only that he was young, early twenties at the most, almost young enough to be a student. But something about him told me he wasn’t. His clothing was casual. Jeans and an informal button-up shirt, leather jacket. His dark—almost black—hair was pulled back into a ponytail, but I couldn’t make out his features very well. I shivered when I realized he was wearing a pair of sunglasses.

  “I’m sorry. Have we met before? Are you one of Mr. Blake’s student teachers?” I squinted, still disarmed by his spontaneous appearance.

  “Yes, I am,” he said, sounding pleased with himself. Without moving, he seemed to sink deeper into the shadows. “And who might you be, my dear?”

  He took off the glasses, and something at the edge of my consciousness clanged. He was oddly familiar, and I strained to remember from where. Is he a student teacher? I wondered. At least half a dozen of them had observed the class during the first week of the semester. I tried to get a better look at him, but it was useless. He was too far away, and the classroom’s windows let in very little natural light, as high up on the wall as they were.

  As the moment stretched out, something about the stranger began to feel off, creepy. He hadn’t moved from where he sat on Mr. Blake’s desk, but the room felt like it was shrinking, becoming almost claustrophobic. My breath hitched in my chest, and I desperately wanted fresh air. The nutrition bell was going to ring in a few minutes, and relief flooded through me at the thought. When I tried to stand, I couldn’t get myself to move, like I was struggling against a current.

  Watching the man across the room, I remembered one of my earliest memories from childhood. It had been an ordinary afternoon during the summer when my parents had taken me for a walk in a state park for a picnic. I had wandered to the edge of the field we had settled in when I came upon a snake—a rattler—coiled tightly, the diamond pattern of its scales fascinating. I remembered becoming completely still, some primitive instinct immobilizing me before I could reach out to touch it. My dad had raced up behind me, carrying me from danger before I had even realized there was any. The feeling of inertia was the same now.

  “Your name, love,” he prompted again, his voice more commanding this time.

  “Aven.”

  I hadn’t meant to answer him.

  “Aven,” he repeated. “Delicious indeed. You realize Aven means fair radiance, don’t you?”

  My mind went blank at his words, and I sat perfectly still as the man stood and began moving toward me in slow motion. I watched, spellbound, as he approached. Seconds or minutes later, a deafening crash shocked me out of my trance. An earthquake, my memories from Southern California told me. Screaming, I dived under the desk. Then I heard someone calling my name. I couldn’t comprehend looking up to find Will’s face above me, his perfect features twisted in a mixture of fear and blood-chilling rage. In seconds, his arms were gripping me, lifting me from under the desk. I sagged against him like my bones had turned to mush.

  He pulled me to him and gripped me so securely that I thought I would faint. My arms wound themselves around him, and without realizing it, I tightened my grip. He smelled so good, and the contact with his broad chest made me dizzy. Suddenly I didn’t want to let go. Not that Will was giving me much choice in the matter. His hands came up to my shoulders, and he shifted me until he could stare into my eyes. Our bodies were still touching, and every inch of mine was burning. Just then I realized that Will was holding me upright.

  “Are you all right?” he asked, searching my face for something.

  My eyes darted around the classroom.

  “Where did he go?” I gasped.

  I looked toward Mr. Blake’s now-vacant desk and then to the main door of the classroom, which was pushed in the wrong way and hanging from a single hinge. I turned again and saw broken glass on the floor behind me. One of the windows above the long counter lining the back wall of the classroom had been shattered, which must have accounted for the crash moments earlier.

  “Did you see who was here with you?” Will asked with an undercurrent of desperation.

  “You didn’t see him? There was a man here. A few seconds ago. At least I think it was a few seconds ago,” I muttered, again unsure of myself. “He showed up while I was reading. He said he was a student teacher …”

  Will froze. His tone was guarded when he spoke again.

  “What else did he say to you?”

  “N-nothing, really. He asked if I liked Hemingway …” I looked around for the book I had dropped. “And he asked my name.”

  Numbness began creeping over me as I thought over what had just happened.

  “Did you tell him?” Will asked, his features still taut.

  “I-I didn’t mean to.”

  And that scared me. My name had just popped out of my mouth, like I couldn’t control it.

  “Did you recognize him?”

  I nodded slowly.

  “I thought he seemed familiar for some reason, but I couldn’t see him very well.”

  Will let out a shaky breath.

  “You’re not hurt?”

  I shook my head, but he looked me up and down again like he was making sure. The nutrition bell rang, the sound of it making me jump.

  “What’s going on?” I demanded. “Wait a second. Was that the guy you were talking about?”

  I thought it over. I had imagined someone older, scarier.

  “It was. I’ll walk you to class, and from now on, I want you to tell me exactly where you’re going to be.”

  “That’s a little excessive, don’t you think?” I asked with a frown. “I mean, if you’re that worried, what about calling the police? Seriously.”

  “Just don’t go anywhere by yourself without telling me.”

  His eyes were still burning into mine, and I found myself nodding instead of arguing. Will picked up my bag and shoved the Hemingway into a pocket before leading me into the hall toward Ms. Gilbert’s classroom. As we walked, I remembered lunch with Sean and Lizzie. I wondered if that counted as going somewhere alone. Did alone mean alone or without Will?

  “I’m going to lunch with Sean and Lizzie,” I said hesitantly, still trying to determine why I felt so shaken from the incident in the classroom moments ago when nothing had happened.

  “Then I’m coming with you.”

  His tone implied that the subject wasn’t up for debate.

  “I’m supposed to be setting them up,” I added. “It would be strange with you there.”

  It would, wouldn’t it? Will smiled genuinely for the first time since I had seen him the eveni
ng before.

  “Trust me, it won’t be awkward. Think of it as a double date, if that helps.”

  He smiled in that way that made my stomach somersault. Then I winced. Because he was joking—obviously. We arrived in front of Ms. Gilbert’s room.

  “Remember, no wandering off alone,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “Promise me?”

  I nodded once, but he had already turned down the hall, floating away, his stride, as always, exceptionally graceful for the speed at which he moved. English passed by unremarkably. I was several chapters ahead in the reading—one of the benefits to having no life outside of school. When class ended, I gathered up my things and walked into the hall. I stopped short, startled. Will already stood outside waiting for me. I noticed with relief that I had—for the most part—passed the point of caring what other people thought seeing me with this beautiful stranger.

  Still, I wasn’t used to the fascination Will attracted. He appeared oblivious to the staring as we walked down the hall, and—really—I could have been invisible next to him. I hadn’t noticed before, mostly because I had been paying so much attention to him, but Will’s mere presence rendered passing students—even teachers—momentarily stunned. They just stared like deer caught in headlights.

  At Mr. Anderson’s class, Will kept his gloved hand at the small of my back. Today I was with it enough to appreciate the look of shock on Allison Monroe’s face as Will guided me to my seat. Throughout the class period, I was able to concentrate well enough to answer when called on, even though ninety percent of my attention was focused behind me where Will sat only inches away. I tried to come up with a decent excuse for suddenly inviting Will to the lunch I had set up for Sean and Lizzie, but I couldn’t think of one. When class ended, Will followed me to Sean’s desk.

  “Hey,” I called as casually as I could to Sean.

  “Hey, Casey. How’s your—”

  I kicked his foot under the desk, and when Sean noticed Will standing silently behind me, he straightened considerably.

  “Sean, this is Will,” I said, my voice superficial and overly cheerful to my own ears. “Will, this is Sean.”

  Sean stood up and straightened to his full height, which was still more than half a foot shorter than Will. I stumbled a bit as Will extended his hand in a lightning fast gesture. Sean flinched as well. I hadn’t yet shared the company of a third party for any length of time in Will’s presence, and it was a peculiar sensation, similar to having a witness after stumbling upon a rare creature. Will’s fluid, unexpectedly swift movements had, in the absence of comparison, seemed natural. For him. But next to Sean, Will’s presence took on an even more extraordinary quality. Like a unicorn, I thought.

  “I was talking to Will, and he’s never been to Ford’s … So, I told him he could come with us.”

  “That’s cool,” Sean said evenly, still studying Will.

  I tugged at Sean.

  “Lizzie is meeting us at your locker. We should get going.”

  I rushed out of the room ahead of them, but Will caught up to me, keeping pace effortlessly. Sean joined a second later on my other side. I breathed a sigh of relief when we turned the corner. Lizzie was already waiting with a nervous expression. Sean’s demeanor shifted as well. Had Will not been there, I could tell Sean would have said something before we reached her. Walking ahead of Sean and Will, I waved at Lizzie.

  “Lizzie, this is Sean, the guy I was telling you about.” I winked at her, and she smiled gratefully. I turned to Sean. “Sean, this is Lizzie.”

  Sean stepped forward, and I smirked when he stood speechless for an extra second.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” he said finally, holding out his hand.

  She blushed as she took his hand.

  “Hi.”

  I almost cleared my throat when neither of them broke the handshake. Instead, I gestured to Will.

  “And Lizzie, this is Will … my History partner,” I sighed.

  Will smiled pleasantly at her, and Lizzie said hi. But she barely took her eyes off of Sean. I was surprised, given Will’s ability to distract and astound anyone in the general area.

  “Sean, Lizzie, I’ll ride over with you guys. Will, you want to meet us there? You know where it is, right?”

  Will shot me a look, but nodded. I really wasn’t interested in having any witnesses to Will’s total disregard for traffic laws, and I couldn’t imagine him in the backseat of Sean’s two-door. When we got outside, I was relieved that Lizzie and Sean chatted while I walked a couple of paces behind. My role as chaperone had already taken on a superfluous quality, and I sighed. Well, three’s a crowd, I thought. We reached Sean’s car, and I climbed into the backseat to let Lizzie ride up front with Sean. I stayed quiet during the drive, thankful that they were hitting it off.

  The parking lot at Ford’s was crowded, but I didn’t see Will’s motorcycle—or the Aston Martin—when we pulled in. Still, I knew he had arrived before us. The restaurant was packed with kids from school, and it took a second before I finally caught sight of Will, who had grabbed a table by the window. He stood as we approached, and my stomach somersaulted—again. I just couldn’t get used to his perfection. It left me gasping for breath every time I saw him, just like the first time he walked into class. Honestly, I was really starting to hate my reaction to him, because it made me feel like a little girl with a lame crush on some unattainable pop star.

  “Why don’t you hold the table while we order?” Will said to me as he gestured to Sean.

  Sean took Lizzie’s order and then turned and winked at me, which I hoped meant that he could remember my usual. I pulled cash from my wallet, but Will was already heading toward the line with Sean. When Lizzie and I sat down across from each other, she squeaked.

  “I can’t take it! He’s so cute!”

  At first I thought she was talking about Will. Then I smiled in relief. Will wasn’t really what anyone would call cute. Delicious, distracting, divine … I blushed.

  “I think he really likes you,” I told Lizzie. “You guys make a good couple.”

  It was true, but it also made me squirm knowing how mismatched Will and I were together. In fact, the only reason we were even remotely connected was because some psycho from Will’s past had decided that stalking me would somehow get to Will—and Will still wouldn’t tell me why, which was the most frustrating part.

  “Serious? You think he likes me?” Lizzie asked nervously.

  I smiled again.

  “Oh, no doubt.”

  Lizzie’s eyebrows rose with expectation.

  “What about you and Will? Are you guys together together—?”

  I shook my head and looked down just as Sean and Will returned to the table, ending our conversation.

  “Oh good. Aven didn’t eat you while we were gone,” Sean said, wiping his brow with pretend relief as he settled next to Lizzie.

  I rolled my eyes at him, but Sean ignored me and continued with a grin.

  “No, seriously. It’s not safe to withhold food from her. She’ll tear your freaking head off. Aven’s a psycho when she doesn’t eat,” he added as he placed a burger and fries in front of Lizzie. “Here you are, mademoiselle.”

  I was going to have to lift my jaw from the table. Sean was being absurdly charming. Will had slid in next to me while I was studying Sean, who was laughing at Lizzie’s imitation of Mr. Morgan’s nasal monotone. I looked down. My food had been arranged in front of me. I looked apprehensively toward Will, afraid he was going to sit through lunch without eating—again. Then I let out a breath when I saw a tray of food in front of him. When his eyes met mine, I lost all train of thought. Somewhere at the edge of my consciousness, I suddenly noticed something different about him, but I couldn’t place it.

  Flustered, I turned back and listened to Sean telling Lizzie a story I had heard a few million times since summer. She laughed and turned toward him as they ate. Trying to be inconspicuous as I glanced over at Will’s tray, I noticed the food seemed to b
e disappearing in increments without me ever actually seeing him eat anything. Lizzie and Sean were too distracted to even notice our presence at the table, and I felt reluctantly grateful that I had a date of my own, even if he wasn’t a date.

  A few more minutes passed, neither Will nor I having said a word, and I finally gave up on relaxing enough to enjoy my lunch and left my food half-eaten. Resting my hand on the bench, I continued to watch Sean and Lizzie, feeling a mixture of victory and defeat as they laughed and leaned unconsciously toward each other.

  Studying the patterns in the Formica table, I let my mind wander into dangerous territory. More specifically to how it had felt being in Will’s arms during those brief seconds in the Journalism room. Looking over at him, I felt my heart rate pick up. I barely knew this guy, and he was way out of my league—but I was totally falling for him. Oh … no. It suddenly made perfect sense why so many songs were dedicated to the subject of unrequited love. I bit my lip. No wonder I felt so out of control around him.

  Without so much as shifting in his seat, Will brought his right hand down next to mine. His finger barely grazed my pinkie, but I jumped a little as a jolt of adrenaline spiked through my bloodstream. Again, my body was sending warning signals to my brain, this time stronger than before—to run away from him. Because I was going to get hurt. When I sneaked another look at him, he appeared engrossed in whatever Sean was saying, clearly oblivious to my freak-out over our fingers brushing. The hammering beat of my pulse continued to sound in my head, and I blushed.

  “Right, Aven? You remember?”

  I looked up. Sean was looking at me, waiting for a response. Tearing my hand away from Will’s touch, I tried unsuccessfully to unscramble my thoughts.

  “Sorry, what?” I asked, still dazed.

  He rolled his eyes.

  “Never mind. Are you guys ready to go?”

  I nodded weakly.

  “Do you mind if I take Aven back to school?” Will asked.

  Even Will’s most half-hearted smile seemed to have the ability to hypnotize anyone in his presence—or was it just me?