Devour (17 page)

I sighed and felt my lips pull back in a sneer.

“Get your facts straight, Brittany. I wasn’t seeing Eli behind Tate’s back, for one. For another, Eli hit Tate, not the other way around.”

“Oh, well, Dee is telling everyone that you were caught at the away showers with Eli and that Tate went ballistic.”

I felt my jaw drop and all I could do was stare. Dee was a real piece of work. How dare she? Who did she think she was? I realized Brittany was still going and I’d missed half of the conversation.

“And so anyway, I was like, Mike, please. There’s no way Eli’s head went all the way around.”

“Ok,” I stopped her. “Now Mike?”

“Yeah. They told the whole cafeteria what happened. Poor Eli. I hope his nose grows back straight.”

I almost laughed.

“Stop listening to them, Brittany. Just because the words are uttered from their lips doesn’t mean it’s golden.”

“So, it’s true? They kicked you out of their group?”

“I left,” I confirmed.

“And Eli and Dee aren’t dating anymore?”

“They never were!” I yelled and then bit my lip.

“Sorry,” she groaned. “Look, you are apparently strung out about this whole thing, so I’ll see you later.”

“I’m not strung out, I’m just sick of it all.”

“They’re your friends,” she reasoned.

“No, they never were. They were just the people I was stuck with.” I looked at her closely. She was a Sophomore. I felt it was my duty to enlighten her. “Brittany, listen. This is going to sound very after-school special but just listen. High school doesn’t matter. I thought it did. I thought being popular was important. I thought having a hot guy be your boyfriend and everybody knowing your name was awesome but it isn’t. It gets old and it gets pointless. Don’t follow them just because you think you have to. Be your own person.” She gave me the weirdest look, like I was shooting green slime from my ears. I sighed. “Ok, thanks for telling me but everything they said was a total lie. Dee’s just jealous and Tate’s pride is hurt. See you at the pep rally later?”

Her eyes lit up again and she smiled.

“Totally! And don’t worry about Tate. Eli is so much hotter anyway. Tootles!”

There was no way to reach her. My old friends were like a tractor beam; a total façade of coolness and success. I couldn’t really blame her. I used to be exactly like her.

I rubbed my eyes as I pushed through the people to get to my locker. Eli was there waiting for me. I sighed in relief and it made me smile that it was an instantaneous reaction. I really did like him and wanted to be with him.

“Hey, gorgeous,” he said languidly and scooted over so I could open my locker door.

“Hey,” I said and looked up at him. “Have you heard the news?”

“About Tate dismantling my face? Yep.” He rubbed a hand down his cheek. “Feels smooth enough to me.”

I laughed.

“Yeah. Smooth.” I shut my locker after grabbing my notebook, took a quick look into my magnetic mirror and shut it easily. “So, how was the rest of your night?”

“Good enough, I guess,” he said and let his arm surround me. He whispered in my ear. “Could’ve been better.”

I pulled back and smiled at him but it faded away. I don’t know how I knew, he looked exactly like Eli. Exactly. He’d even gotten his eyebrow pierced, which was freaky enough in it’s own right. He saw the change come over me and smirked.

“Dang. What gave me away? Was it my suggestive tone or debonair looks?”

“How did you get in here?” I asked and tried to pull away but he held tight.

He gave me a sardonic look. Oh yeah, public school with an emphasis on the ‘public’. Our small town wasn’t bad boned enough for metal detectors or security guards.

“Ok, fine. How did you get a uniform? And what’s up with the eyebrow? It’s creepy.”

“You don’t look happy to see me, Clara,” he sang and when I tried to pull away this time, he let me go. “I don’t want any trouble.”

“Really? Then what are you doing here? And how did you know all about that Tate stuff?”

“Well, I’ve been here all morning waiting for you to come. Everyone apparently knows Eli and have been giving me their condolences all morning. Don’t worry,” he assured, “I kept his precious reputation in tact and acted appropriately shocked at the revelation that a human boy could lay me out flat.”

“That’s not what happened,” I told him, my voice raising in annoyance at the thought that everyone was talking about Eli. I kind of wanted to smile. I’d never been the protective type before. “Eli is the one who… You know, what? Never mind. You still didn’t answer my question.” I crossed my arms over my chest to seem more confident when really I was shaking because I realized I was now in an empty hallway with a Devourer who hadn’t suddenly grown a conscious like another one I knew. The bell must have been about to ring. “What are you doing here?”

“Eli. He needs to come back and stop this ruse. It’s been years. Many. Way too long to play the sullen runaway child.”

“Maybe he doesn’t want to go back,” I countered. “Maybe he likes it here.”

“With a snack like you hanging on his sleeve, I’m sure he does,” he replied wryly, his accent still perplexing me to place it. “That’s beside the point.”

“Why? Why can’t he just be rogue?”

He chuckled.

“I can’t believe he told you everything. It’s so out of character for him.” He moved forward to stand over me, his chest almost bumping mine and my pulse jumped. He licked his bottom lip and smiled. “But as I said before, you are unlike anything I’ve ever tasted. Maybe that’s why he stays.” He twitched his head to the side. “Doesn’t want to lose his little candy store…do you, brother?”

I peeked over his shoulder to see Eli staring daggers into Enoch’s back. I blinked to clear my vision because it seemed like Eli’s veins were standing out…and blue almost… When Enoch looked back too, Eli’s face changed to one of boredom.

“Enoch, leave her alone.” He came forward and pulled me to him. He kissed the corner of my mouth then dragged his lips to the place under my jaw. My breath caught as my heart spiked and they both sighed. Eli then let his tongue touch my skin and he groaned before pushing me a little with his arm. “Go to class, Clara. I’ll see you at lunch.” The bell rang. He smacked me on the side of my thigh right as I was about to turn.

Oh no he-

His eyes pleaded. He begged me with them to just do what he said. Oh yeah. The whole he-can’t-know-how-I-feel-about-you thing. I sucked it up and made my way to class. I even turned at my homeroom door and winked at Eli. Even though I kind of wanted to slap him a little, I also understood. But I so didn’t want to leave him like that. I felt like there was a good chance I’d never see him again. He nodded his head to my class for me to go. I went, begrudged. And I was late.

I felt Tate’s gaze on me but I refused to look his way as the teacher eyed me with pursed lips. Homeroom only had a few minutes left. I was really anxious to see Eli and find out what happened. The school’s morning news was blaring a story about the drinks getting spiked at the last formal and at the upcoming Homecoming Dance, this would not be tolerated. Yeah right.

The bell rang and I dashed to the hall to find it devoid of Eli. Or Enoch. Dang.

Nine

I
jumped and squealed when someone put their arm around my shoulder. It was Eli…I thought.

“It’s me,” he assured and smiled. That genuine smile alone let me know who it was.

“What happened?” I asked and put my arms around his neck. “I was worried.”

“Clara, he can’t hurt me.”

“Then why are you so afraid of him?”

“I’m not afraid of him, I’m afraid of what he’ll do. I don’t want you to be in danger because he wants to play with me.”

“Would he really hurt me?” I asked and leaned back to see his face.

“I don’t want to think about that answer,” he said softly. “Let’s go to class.”

He visibly shook himself as if to be rid of the images or thoughts we had conjured. Then he once again put his arm around my shoulders and we made our way through the throngs of students. I saw Sarah who studiously avoided me, even after I waved at her.

~ ~ ~

We walked to lunch together and once again I dreaded it, but Eli was oblivious and gently led me to the line and paid for my food, once again. We made our way out to the table and Patrick waved us over. I gave in, feeling the heat of hateful gazes on me, and saw Tate there at my old table. Dee wasn’t all over him though. She was all over Mike. Gross. She was kissing Mike, eyes wide open, and staring at Tate, begging him to look and be jealous. Sad poor girl. It must be miserable to live that way.

Eli called me back to reality with a hand on my lower back. He leaned to whisper in my ear.

“Don’t spend another minute of your life worrying over them,” he commanded softy and kissed my cheek.

“Gross, you two,” Patrick chimed. “I’ll have to kiss Ike to keep up with you if you don’t tone it down.”

“Dude. No,” Ike said in horror, as if that scenario would ever actually play out.

Everyone laughed and I took a bite of my mac-n-cheese, leaning into Eli’s side. I laughed as he plowed through his bowl. For a guy that wasn’t human, he could sure put away the food. That thought stopped me in my tracks.

He wasn’t human.

What kind of future could I have with a guy like that? Would we get married one day? Could he have kids? Would they be what he is if we did? Could I be with him knowing I’d get old and die and he’d just watch me do it?

Eli’s arm jerked on my back and he sucked in a long breath.

“Stop, Clara. Please,” he begged in a whisper into my neck. “Why are you all of a sudden so upset?”

“Nothing,” I answered.

“Clara-”

“Not here.”

He nodded and leaned back in his chair. He took a few deep breaths and then smiled uneasily at something someone at the table was saying. I turned back to my plate and tried to relax. I didn’t understand why I was only now thinking of those things. But I was young, why was I worried about them? I didn’t really believe in forever anymore anyway. Things and people can be taken from you whether you wanted them to be or not. I was tired of being attached to things and them leaving or turning out to not be what I thought.

~ ~ ~

The rest of the day was a blur. I tried to not think and just focus on my teachers and schoolwork but it was kind of impossible with Eli in every class. In Art we had to draw a pencil sketch of one of our football teams helmets. You’d think that would be easy but it wasn’t. At least not for me. I peeked at Eli’s as he was done…and it was a masterpiece. If a perfect portrait of a football helmet could be called that.

“What’s with you today?” he asked as he caught me looking.

“Nothing. What?” I said nonchalantly as I began to draw again.

I was struggling to put it mildly. Without a word he put his hand over mine on the pencil. He showed me how to turn it lower and sideways to make my short strokes. It smoothed out the lines instead of it being so fine and choppy.

“Thanks,” I told him. His arm went to the back of my chair, his heat was almost a tangible thing. “I suck at this.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Major suckage,” I disagreed.

He laughed and again guided my hand easily, not cheating and doing it for me, but showing me how to do it myself. He had a way of doing things so sweetly and carefully. It was intriguing.

“Mr. Thames,” the teacher called, “are you finished?”

“Yes, ma’am, I am,” he sang.