We walked out of the office leaving Joseph and Michael to discuss riding together to the restaurant. Mr. Claypool walked ahead of us. I leaned against John as he took my hand in his. Almost immediately, I felt the current grow stronger. It seemed to be doing it every time we touched, and far more when we concentrated fully on one another.
We were like the circuit board of a powerful light with its current at full blast. We neared the assistant principal’s office and Mr. Claypool stopped right outside the door.
“Go right ahead, kids. I’ll meet you at the house,” he said. “I need to lock up and get my things. No sense in waiting on me if we’re driving separately.”
John and I both nodded.
“John, make sure you drive safely. I’ll see you both there.” He entered the office, leaving us alone in the hall.
“Yes, sir, Mr. Claypool,” John said like a polite young man.
I giggled when Mr. Claypool let the door shut behind him.
“I think he trusts you, too. You seem to impress everyone you come across, John Slater. What is it about you?” I asked.
John grinned. “I don’t know.” He came close. “What do you think makes me so interesting, Miss Belle?”
I wrapped my arms around him. A flash of Rachel’s face consumed my vision, hate-filled rage and fear overcame me. Our connection seemed to suddenly become disrupted, like a short circuit fusion gone out.
I pulled away, unable to reconnect to John, and far worse, I was unable to disconnect from the horrible, ugly feelings that were trying to control my emotions.
“Claudia, what’s wrong?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I’m feeling that same ugliness as before.”
The lights above flickered. John grabbed my hand and led me out immediately. We came out into the parking lot and made our way to John’s car. He opened the door and helped me inside, then climbed into the driver’s side.
Once we were away from the school, I felt a little more like myself again. I exhaled deeply looking back at Milton with sadness. I was trembling. My hands were shaking.
“You okay?” John asked, reaching a hand over at me.
I didn’t flinch this time. It felt good to feel his touch and energy return to me. I felt the current between us, not the overwhelming hatred I had felt before toward him. The desire to lose control and destroy everything in my path had disappeared.
“I think so.”
“What happened?” he asked.
I folded my fingers around his hand so I could feel the flowing desire closer. I wanted to drown out anything that would attempt to take control of me again.
“I hate those feelings. I felt myself out of control,” I said. “Take me home, please. I want to get away from Milton for now.”
John nodded and turned on the car. We drove out of the parking lot and made it quickly to the house.
He parked on the side of the street. The house looked frightening from where we sat, all dark and quiet. I was immediately afraid to be alone.
“I won’t leave until Mr. Claypool gets here,” John promised. He must have felt my anxiety.
I was relieved. “I don’t ever want to lose control like that again,” I admitted as we sat there quietly.
“What happened?” John asked again.
In truth, I remembered very little. There was the vision of the spinning vortex waiting just behind my eyes. The colors of its beautiful opening were unforgettable. It was a dream I could so clearly see and describe in vivid detail. I remembered wanting to go in. There had been something pulling me towards it. It was after that I didn’t know what happened.
“Rachel and her friends,” I said then paused. “They attacked me while I was in the restroom. Then, something happened, and I felt free for the first time. It called to me, leading me away. I blindly followed, it took me to a beautiful doorway.” I released a breath recalling. “All I can remember is a voice in my head calling to me, telling me what to do. The feelings in me grew by command from this voice, overwhelming love and hatred. It pushed these emotions on me. It wanted me.” I finally said, gazing at John.
Tears pooled in my eyes. I felt the disgust, the fear as if its breath was there whispering into my ear. John squeezed my hand tightly.
“I’m here,” he reminded.
I exhaled when he spoke and wiped at my eyes. “I’m afraid,” I admitted. “I’m afraid that the next time, I won’t be able to fight it. I won’t be able to stop.” I took another breath. “I tried calling to you. I tried to break away, but it wouldn’t let me. I kept seeing Rachel’s face, alongside you. It made me angry. It made me hate you, and I couldn’t fight. All I wanted was to be in this light,” I said as I sobbed. “And that’s as much as I remember until I awakened in the office later and felt like that.”
John reached for me.
I pulled away. “I’m afraid I might hurt you.”
“You won’t,” he boldly said. “You love me, and I love you.”
I knew that was true, his connection to me had returned me to myself. It had freed me and given me the strength to come back. If that thing was the darkness that consumed me, then John was my light. I loved him.
“All the time I was under that spell, I felt this was all your fault and I hated you. It wants me to feel these things for you. It’s angry. But I didn’t …I love you.” I wept. “I just felt it that I had to. But I don’t feel that way. I love you. I love you so much.”
John smiled. “I know that. It’s alright now,” he reassured me while caressing my cheek softly. “You were under its control when you felt that. I know how you truly feel about me. I would never for one second believe anything else.” He put my hand on his chest. I stirred uneasily, desires soaring in the center of my chest. “What we share is deeper and far more connected.”
I reached over to hug him tightly. He pulled me away and kissed me. The sparks were there again.
“I wish you didn’t have to leave,” I whispered as I exhaled.
“I know I feel the same.” His green eyes flashed at me. The gold was dancing, sparking like live firecrackers. “Shall we go inside and wait for Mr. Claypool? It’s a little hard to be close to you in this car.”
I laughed. “Whatever you say, Mr. Müller.”
“You’re glowing again, Miss Belle,” he whispered. His lips brushed against my cheek.
“So are you, Mr. Müller.”
We got out and walked the short stone path up to the house. It was getting dark. John looked over at his watch. I sensed he was a little worried, but he was more worried about leaving me alone than being late for dinner. I unlocked the door and we walked in. I motioned him to the kitchen with me, grabbed a hold of his hand, and led him away with me.
Coming into the kitchen he pulled me close, kissing my lips again. My fingers raced to tangle themselves into the strands of his hair. I pulled his head closer keeping his lips against mine.
He exhaled losing himself in the side of my neck and began covering me with warm kisses. After a moment, he pulled away. His watch was going off with a slight beeping.
“We’re off the chart, Miss Belle,” he said breathlessly. “I better stop before I can’t.”
I grinned pulling him back to me, caressing his cheek and a portion of his hair. He slowly exhaled and pulled away again.
“Would you like something to drink?” I asked him nervously. I was alone with the handsome John Slater.
John’s eyes locked with my momentarily, as I moved to grab a glass from the cabinet before he could say a word.
“Sure, baby.”
He neared, and I realized just how much taller a man he was then any of our peers. So much mature as well I wondered if the company he worked with, bred men like him. I often wondered that myself. He smirked, winking.
John’s eyes caught me, and he smiled slightly back. If I hadn’t felt the warmth consume my face before, I certainly felt it this time. I was caught. He knew what I was thinking.
I put the glass on the counter and opened the fridge hoping the cold air would help.
“Lemonade okay?” I asked, shuddering like an idiot.
“Lemonade is fine, sweetheart.”
I got the pitcher out. “So,” I began, pouring the liquid into the glass. “You think Michael is going straight to dinner after school?”
I put the pitcher back into the fridge and grabbed the cold glass in my hand, its icy surface was a relief that I thought would help calm my nervousness just as well as the color on my cheeks. John was so well put together I doubted anything made him nervous.
You’d be surprised, darling.
“More than likely. Dr. Nicholson is a man of schedules. Knowing him he might even send a car for him. Unless, of course, he rode with Joseph.”
At that moment John’s phone buzzed. He reached into his pocket and set it on the kitchen table. I came to take a seat nearby. I had a clear view of the text from Joseph. He smiled over at me as he clicked it to read what it said.
Joseph: Heading to dinner in a few. Just a heads up, Dr. Nicholson sent a vehicle for Michael.
“Poor Michael,” I muttered. “That’s one way to keep him from changing his mind.”
John’s phone chimed with another message from Joseph. Oh, and don’t be late. You know how Dr. Nicholson despises tardiness.
“Wow, you were right,” I said again.
John grinned. I guessed he would know the man he worked for.
“Can I ask you something?” I said softly.
“Anything.”
I smiled as he took a seat beside me and put his hand on mine. “Can you make sure Michael is okay.”
John seemed surprised and also alarmed by my request.
“Claudia, are you afraid something will happen to Michael?”
“I’m not sure what to think,” I honestly said. “Your boss, this Dr. Nicholson, seems like a monster to me. It’s a fact I’ve never known what his thoughts are, but I just look at him and I know he’s bad news. I’m just worried about Michael. He knows nothing about all this. I feel I have betrayed him by not telling him anything. Especially about this man.”
“You know it’s for his safety, baby,” John said.
“I guess. I don’t know, maybe it’s best to tell him, so he knows ahead of time what he’s getting into.”
“If we did, it would be so much worse for him, Claudia. That’s why you’re not coming along. Alone you’re dangerous, but together? Can you even imagine? I don’t even want to consider that.”
“I understand.” I said.
John kissed my cheek.
“I know he’ll worry. Maybe you’re right, John.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll keep him safe.” He assured me. “Oh, by the way, I’m taking you out after this, just you and me.”
My heart lit up. “You promise?”
“Of course, Miss Belle. I’d never lie about that.”
I reached up and cupped his cheek. “Can you come back tonight?” I begged.
“I thought you’d never ask, Miss Belle.”
I laughed.
“You need to turn down that watch Mr. Slater, you’re missing my signals.”
John laughed. “Ah, is that it?”
I nodded, putting my hand in his lap. A tingling sensation raced off his body. He was on fire. My lips brushed against his mouth then, across his cheek slowly. John’s breath became heavier, his heart echoed in my head.
I raced my hand up his leg, my other rested on his chest. I grabbed his hand and placed it on my breast. He immediately exhaled and kissed me deeply, allowing his hand to squeeze the tender flesh. I moaned softly. The vibrations in our bodies bounced current against current. Our energies were flowing with such acceleration.
Suddenly, I stopped and pulled away. John looked confused until he heard the door unlock and pop open.
Steps echoed softly on the wooden floor. Finally, Mr. Claypool entered the kitchen. He was a simple man in his late 30’s with thinning blond hair and blue eyes, dressed in a single white shirt and slacks. He looked right over at us from the entrance. He was holding a pizza box.
He gave us that look as if asking what we had been up to. Not that we had been alone long enough to do anything. Still, it was that look adults give kids when they suspected something had been going on without their approval.
“Hello, sir,” John said running a hand over the back of his head.
I wiped at his lip discreetly. “Hello, Mr. Claypool,” I greeted.
“Hi, kids. Anything interesting going on?”
“Nope,” we both said very innocently.
He nodded. “Okay then,” he said before walking over to the table and setting the pizza down in front of us. He moved over to the cabinets to get plates.
John winked and kissed my hand before he stood. “Well, I have to go,” he said.
I rose to follow him as Mr. Claypool set the plates on the table. “Oh, you’re not joining us?” he asked.
I glanced back at the man, although I liked the fact that he thought he would, I knew John had to be at the very important dinner with Dr. Nicholson. “Mr. Claypool, remember he has that important dinner with his father.”
“Oh, that’s right.”
A buzz came through John’s phone again. It was another text. He looked down, tucking a lip back, and furrowed his brow.
It was Joseph. He was just pulling up the restaurant. I glanced at the message. Joseph’s text continued. Michael and Jonas had just arrived as well.
“I need to go, baby,” John said. He kissed me quickly and raced out. “Good day sir,” he said.
Mr. Claypool turned slightly over and barely raised a hand before John disappeared from the kitchen.
“Bye.” He managed a single word.
I heard the door from the house close and knew he was now running to his car.
I’ll see you tonight baby, I heard him in my head. I got a flash of him in his car then, he pulled away.
“Pizza?” Mr. Claypool offered when I turned. He was sitting at the kitchen table looking at me with a slice of pizza on his plate. I took a seat to face him.
This was going to be a long night.