Nolan's Evolution (8 page)

He answered Rachel’s questions and informed us he was there to start a teaching job. All I could think was …Oh dear God not my…school, not the replacement biology teacher, but he was.

Of course Rachel informed him that I also worked there. Told him I was the creative writing teacher.

I wanted to melt into the ground. He’d look at me now; he’d expect me to address this factoid. I could force nothing out.

“Well, I should head in, lots of moving in to do,” he said after an awkward pause... “It was nice meeting you.” His eyes barely flickered my way. He nodded and turned his back to us.

“Wasn’t that cute? Oh my gosh,” she giggled.

“What? How he took to you and completely ignored me? Yeh, real cute, Rach!”

She looked at me as if I were nuts. “He was too shy…. you weren’t exactly welcoming!”

She left me then, and I went for my cup that I’d left on the railing. I dared a glance toward the house next door.

He was standing on the stairs of his home. I could see the cut of his jaw, as if he were clenching it. His gaze went over me, and then held mine. I felt warmth from head to toe. The warmth felt was surprising. Again I felt drawn, but wouldn’t allow my feet to carry me closer once more. I stood still, not backing from his stare

He suddenly looked frustrated. He scowled, shook his head and walked inside his new home. I felt as though I had been dismissed, and that hurt.”

              Raina jumped, as the bell went off, signaling the end of lunch.

              Melinda looked startled too, getting pulled from her reverie. She drew in a breath.

              “So Michael…he was a teacher here too?”

              Melinda nodded, smiling.

              “And obviously it worked out for the two of you…”

              “Oh it was a journey Raina that is for sure!” Her eyes clouded. “One that was very much worth it!”

              Raina smiled shyly. “I’d like to hear more of your story…do you mind?”

              Melinda nodded eagerly. “Let’s have coffee!”

              “Yes,” Raina agreed. “Ever heard of Bitter Sweet?”

              Melinda giggled. “Yes of course…that’s Rachel’s coffee shop!”

              Raina’s mouth dropped open. “This is fate, Melinda! That is my very favorite coffee shop. Emily and I go there all the time!”

              “And I never ran into you?”

              Raina shrugged. “It wasn’t time to meet I guess.”

              Melinda stood, gathering her remaining lunch into her lunch bag. “Well I’m glad the timing is right now. I really could use a distraction.”

              Raina looked confused.

              “Michael…he had to take a trip. A teaching position. I…I don’t know when I will see him again.”

              Raina frowned. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

              Melinda shrugged, not seeming to want to talk about it. “Let’s plan on that coffee,” she continued. “Maybe you can tell me a little about your Nolan.”

              Raina bit her lip. “Well, technically not my Nolan,” she corrected. “But yes…I’d like to tell you more about him.”

              She gave Melinda a parting smile.

“Call me, Raina!”

              Raina smiled, glancing down at the remaining lesson plans she had.

              “Oh, hello,” she heard Melinda greet someone.

              Raina barely glanced up.

              “Hmmm, making friends I see. Very nice.”

              Raina’s head snapped up to find the green eyed one in the doorway. She gave him a smile. “Recess is over Thanatos. My students will be coming back.”

              He nodded, entering anyway. “Just came by to deliver a message.”

              Her eyes widened. “You heard from him?” Her heart rate accelerated. She hurried to meet him halfway. “Is he okay? Tell me where he is.”

              He grinned down on her. “He’s okay Raina. I have told you not to worry.”

              She bit her lip. “Because you know where he is…but I do not! How can I not worry if I have no idea where he is? If he’s safe?”

              He frowned. “You can trust that I am telling you the truth. Would I lie to you beautiful?” His green eyes softened on her.

              Raina sighed. “Old Thanatos or new Thanatos?”

              He growled, but gave her a grin anyway. “Nolan is fine. My message, by the way is not from him. It always comes back to him, doesn’t it?”

              She blushed. “I can’t help it!”

              “I know,” he chuckled.

              Raina sat on the corner of her desk and crossed her arms. “So you have a message from whom? A message you couldn’t leave in a voicemail or a text?”

              The green eyes darkened. “I came by to see you and tell you. That is okay isn’t it?”

              “Sure, it’s fine,” she sighed.

              He nodded. “Good. So, the message is not from Nolan. It’s from Bradley.”

              Her blue eyes lifted to his. “What message does Bradley send?”

              He grinned. “That if you don’t see Emily soon, the poor girl is going to go nuts! Literally nuts!”

              Raina laughed at this. “Well, it just so happens I am planning on asking her to coffee. She has to meet my new friend Melinda!”

              Thanatos looked pleased. “Melinda? The cute little blonde I just saw leave?”

              “She’s married,” Raina growled.

              He held up his hands in surrender. “Just sayin’ she had a pretty little aura.”

              Raina smiled at this. “I knew she would!” She gave him a stern eye. “Now if you will excuse me…I have children to attend to! I promise I’ll call Em after I finish.”

              The green eyes lit up. “Best news I’ve heard in a long time beautiful.”

             
Bitter Sweet

"Now before your new friend arrives, Raina Foster, you are going to tell us what is going on." Emily demanded. “I know Nolan is gone, Bradley told me about the resignation!"

              Raina shrugged and sipped her coffee and she waved them off. "He's just going through something right now."

              "That boy is always going through something," Emily sighed. "I start liking him, and then he pulls a stunt."

              Donna nodded agreement. "Sounds a little fickle to me."

              Raina shook her head. "He isn't. Nolan has just had a tough life is all. He’s kind and beautiful...and everything I could want. He just can't..."

              "Commit," Emily finished for her.

              Raina struggled for the words, and came up empty. How could she explain to them that he would do anything for her, except be with her?

              "There is more," Emily sighed. "And you won't share! I want to know what happened that night! You two were unable to keep your eyes off of each other! Then you snuck off together....next thing I know, you're at your house texting from Thanatos phone that you needed the police! Raina that’s about as messed up of a story as you can get!" Her dark eyes bored into hers, unflinching. "Did he and Nolan get in a fight over you? Thanatos won...and now that’s why he's hanging around?"

              Raina laughed at the idea. "Silly woman. Thanatos is a friend...a really good friend now. He's gone through a lot of changes, and you really should give him more credit!"

              "You digress," Donna accused, patting Raina's hand. "Back to the story...what happened?"

              Raina shook her head. "I...I don't know how to put it in words. Except....well, Nolan came back because he heard someone was hanging around my house, and...well, there was someone, and Nolan was attacked. Thanatos and I arrived, and I used his phone..."

              "Wait!" Emily held up her hands. "You were taking both home?"

              Raina blushed. "Get your mind out of the gutter! Thanatos took me home so we could check on Nolan...that is all!"

              Emily laughed. She knew... she just liked to fluster Raina.

              "After the police took our statements. Thanatos went home. I wanted Nolan to stay the night."

              "No kidding," Emily giggled, she nudged Donna.

              "Emily, you know he's stayed over before, and always on the couch...Nolan is a gentleman!"

              Emily rolled her eyes and smiled at Donna. "It’s true, and weird. He stayed over when Raina was scared, and sleeps downstairs. I don't get it."

              Donna smiled, tucking her hair behind her ears. "I think it sounds romantic," she argued.

              "Thank you," Raina sighed. "And it is, really sweet...usually. That night though...our emotions were high...there was adrenaline going, you know?"

              Emily perked up. "He kissed you?"

              "Oh we kissed," Raina laughed, blushing.

              "And?" Emily leaned forward.

              "And a lot more," Raina whispered.

              "You mean you..."

              "No, almost. He...he..." she shrugged. "It wasn't to be."

              "He couldn't?"

              Raina blushed. "No, Emily...everything was working fine...perfectly fine."

              Emily frowned. "So then...why not?"

              Raina shrugged. "It wasn't the right...time," she finished lamely. Yeah, time, that was good. If it had happened years ago, it would have been perfect timing. How do you say, by the way, the guy I'm crazy about? Yeah, we'll never seal the deal because he's immortal, and it just may kill me?

              "Oh, well honey, maybe soon," Donna comforted.

              Raina shook her head. “Not soon…Nolan and I…we broke up.”

              Donna gasped softly. “Oh I didn’t know! I’m sorry, Raina!”

              Emily shook her head, still on the last subject. "But that doesn't make sense!"

              "Emmy, please...it is what it is. And now Nolan is not around, so it’s pretty much a moot point!" Raina swallowed the last of her coffee, and motioned to the waiter.

              "It is ridiculous," Emily growled. She smiled up at the cute waiter. "Can I ask you a question?"

              He smiled. "Sure."

              "You think the lady is pretty, don't you?"

              "Oh God, Emily," Raina groaned.

              "She’s beautiful," he agreed.

              "If you were, say, dating her...and you got the opportunity to, ah..."

              "EMILY!"

              "Do the deed? Would you ever decline because of bad timing?"

              He flushed, and then shook his head. "No better timing then the moment," he assured her, and hastily grabbed up Raina's cup. He gave her a wink.

              Raina was mortified.

              "See? It’s simply the craziest thing I have ever heard."

              Donna was giggling behind her hand. She wasn’t sure if she should be comforting Raina, or smacking Emily’s hand.

              "Why do I go anywhere with you?"

              Emily smiled. "Because you love me! And I'm real!"

              Raina smiled. "Ok, I will admit it has been nothing but craziness in my life since Nolan came into it. But he made me better...he helped me grow, and brought me out of a place I thought I'd stay forever."

              Emily sobered and nodded. "He did."

              "And it’s not all about sex anyway," Raina pouted. "Not that I'm opposed to it, of course."

              Donna smiled. "Believe me, my husband being gone so long, you really do learn there is so much more than the physical portion to a relationship! Just hearing his voice on those phone calls home is enough to set my heart racing."

              Raina squeezed her hand. She knew exactly what she meant.

              "I should try time apart from Bradley then?" Emily quizzed.

              Raina smirked. "You'd never last!"

              Donna flew into a fit of the giggles. She was still in its throws when Melinda showed up.

              Raina felt a leap of joy at her arrival. Yes, Emily was her best friend, but she felt she was a kindred spirit with Melinda.

She stood to make introductions.

              Raina could feel Emily’s apprehension. She prayed that there would not be an episode of jealousy here. She loved both women for completely different reasons. All she wanted was to see them get along.

              “Melinda, I would like you to meet my best friend Emily.” Raina smiled, as Emily gave a genuine smile, and shook Melinda’s hand. “Emily, this is my new friend Melinda.” She also gave introductions to Donna.