going to wear to the dance?” Jade asks me.
Sitting on the couch in our common area, I stare absentmindedly at the television. Lisa and Jade sat beside me, chatting as I allowed my mind to wander. We were quickly becoming close, and I was grateful that I had found two friends here to rely on. Jade, especially, reminded me of my friend, Macy, back home. I thought about texting Macy, but getting a signal sucked here. Cell phones only seemed to work internally, but it was more than difficult to call outside of the academy. I had zoned out; and once I realized Jade and Lisa were both staring at me, I refocused.
“Umm, I don’t know,” I said, biting my lip.
“Finn asked you, aren’t you going with him?” Lisa asked, perking up beside me.
I had left his invitation hanging in the air last night and I hadn’t had a chance to really talk to him today. Going to a school dance wasn’t really something that interested me. However, Finn was cute and really sweet…
“I didn’t really get a chance to give him an answer. Besides, I don’t have anything to wear,” I added.
Shaking her head, Jade jumped off the couch. “Hey, let’s go down to the events closet. We can find her a dress there,” Jade wildly exclaimed.
Before I could protest, Jade and Lisa had pulled me off the couch and we were downstairs in the main hallway. I had no idea what an events closet was, but they were very excited about it. We rounded a corner and then stopped in front of a large white door. Walking in, Jade hit the lightswitch and as the lights illuminated the room, I caught myself in awe.
Rows of elaborate and beautiful gowns hung all throughout the room. I walked inside, allowing my fingers to run along the soft and silky fabrics.
“What is this place?” I asked in amazement.
“The school keeps these gowns from previous students for those that don’t have any, or who outgrow the ones they bring,” Lisa tells me.
I stopped in front of a silver sequin gown that looked like it was my size. It reminded me of a disco ball and that made me giggle.
“Do you like that one?” Jade asked, as she noticed my staring.
“Yes, but I am still not sure if I’m going or not,” I reminded them.
“Nonsense. Just take it and if you don’t wear it, you can always put it back,” Lisa insisted.
Before I could argue more, Lisa grabbed the gown and draped it over her shoulder. We left the room and as we began to walk through the hall, Finn appeared from the opposite hallway. When he spotted me, he began to smile.
“Look who it is,” Jade whispered next to me.
“Hi, Brie,” Finn stated, approaching me.
A nervous tick struck me and to my dismay, Jade and Lisa rushed up the stairs, leaving me alone with Finn.
“You never did give me an answer about the dance,” Finn stated, eyeing me closely.
Heat creeped into my cheeks from the way he was looking at me.
“Sorry, I guess we got interrupted,” I began.
“Yeah, Ace seems to pop up at the most inopportune times,” he agreed. Taking my hand in his, Finn smiled longingly at me. Butterflies skirted in my stomach from his touch. “So, what do you say?”
I didn’t really have a reasonable explanation not to go. Woodsong Academy was supposed to be my fresh new start and all I had done was worry since I arrived. Maybe going to a dance with Finn would be a nice distraction from my Tracker woes, and a nice way to start this new journey in my life.
“I think it would be fun,” I stated. “Besides, Jade and Lisa already found me a dress.”
Finn’s smile widened and he pulled me in for a hug. His body was cooler than I expected and he felt like stone. I guess being a Vampire, that made sense for him. It’s funny how natural and calm I feel being so close to a Vampire. Knowing that Vampire’s here can’t hurt me only makes this more exciting.
“It’s late and I know that you need to get back to your room,” Finn stated, pulling away.
I noticed that his eyes were cast to the right and as I turned my head, I spotted Ace standing near a set of windows. He looked like he was ready to attack us– and that thought struck real fear in me. Ace was a Shifter– a wolf and that made him dangerous.
Nodding, I offered Finn one last smile before I turned and stormed toward Ace. He always seemed to ruin my moments with Finn. I was starting to think his role as my guide was more of a curse than a help. As I walked past him, I rolled my eyes his way.
“What’s with the attitude?” he asked me, following in line next to me.
Briskly making my way up the stairs, I turned to look at him. “Really, Ace? You are always in a bad mood and then you seem to take pleasure when you ruin my moments with Finn,” I snapped.
Ace let out a hearty laugh and his head fell back, causing his dark, shaggy hair to bounce all around his face. My heart leapt in my chest and that spark seemed to light again. I hated this feeling; it was so intense, yet I had no real way to describe or explain it.
Suddenly, Ace reached out and grabbed my arm. Stopping me in my tracks, I spun around and almost lost my balance. Ace caught me in a flash and I was shocked when I fell safely into his strong arms.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” Ace said, quickly righting me again.
My head was spinning and I was breathless. “What are you doing?” I asked, tears brimming in my eyes.
This push and pull between us was going to give me whiplash. I had enough to worry about, Ace shouldn’t also be a problem for me.
“I need to talk to you, but I went about it the wrong way. I shouldn’t have grabbed you like that,” he apologized.
For some reason, I felt like he was sincere. That still didn’t change my frustration and anger with him.
“Look, this isn’t working out. Tomorrow, I will speak with Electra and see if she can assign me a new guide,” I told him.
I went to take a step, but Ace stopped me again.
“Wait,” he said, this time using his words and not his hands. “Brie, I know that you don’t like me and I’ve been a little…moody…but I do want to be your guide. There is this pull that I have to protect you and be near you. I’ve felt it ever since Electra showed me your picture and told me that you would be coming to Woodsong Academy. Just give me a little bit more time and I will prove to you that I can handle this. I don’t want to let you, my pack, or Electra down,” he stated.
I opened my mouth, but then closed it tightly again. I didn’t really have any words for him right now. It was late and I was just too rattled by everything to think clearly. Nodding, I simply gave him that small gesture before I continued up the stairs.
Thankfully, Ace didn’t try to say anything more. He followed me back to my room in silence. Opening my bedroom door, I paused before entering. Ace stood behind me, his eyes a glowing yellow as he watched me closely. His face was pained and I felt bad for him. He was dealing with a lot, too, and maybe he just needed patience from me. Stepping in my room, I looked back at him one last time.
“Tomorrow, we will try to restart and see how things go,” I offered.
“Thank you,” Ace said, and then he slipped away.
Later that night as I fell into a deep slumber, I heard the faint sounds of a wolf howling and for some reason, that brought comfort to me.