Catching Temptation (In Darkness She Fades (Book 1) (4 page)

The car arrives at Rosewood High
School. Daniel and I hurry out. We shut the car doors and Aunt Sally drives off
to Nathaniel’s school, leaving the two of us in a cloud of suffocating dirt and
crushed gravel. I swat the dirt from my clothes while Daniel rushes to the
school with a harsh warning to, “Stay away from me!” He struts to the school
doors and disappears behind them.

With a doubtful frown, I amble up
to the front doors and step into the dully-lit hallway. Pleased to see multiple
lines at the registration booths, I wait at the nearest one to the exit. The
damning eyes of the female students cause my fears to rise. No friends will
come from this crowd. Daniel slouches in the back of a line talking to a couple
of guys dressed like heavy metal rock stars.

“What a little hypocrite,” I
mutter.

Only the side profiles of the two
guys are visible, but I immediately know they are twins. Shoulder-length hair
feathers out around their faces. The singular distinct difference between them
is one has lightning orange hair and the other, onyx hair.

Daniel and the twins roar with
laughter.

I cannot contain a budding twinge
of jealousy toward my cousin. A few girls behind me whisper and cackle to each
other. It appears they think I cannot hear their mock whispers. They are dead
wrong.

“Look at the way she’s dressed.”

“–Probably worships the devil or
some Hindu God–”

“–Jenkins is going to have his
hands full with this one.”

Their whispers confirm my fears
of prejudges toward new students. In the crowd, I cannot see a difference
between any of the girls. No Goth chicks. This sucked.

“Next!”

I step forward, inspecting the
older woman sitting behind the cheap foldout table. Her gray hair frames her
oval face, while a pair of tiny spectacles rests on the tip of her pinched
nose.

“Mercy – look at you!” The old
woman removes her reading glasses to get a better look at me. Her nails, the
color of dirt and mustard, distract me from the taunts of the crowd. “I
declare, this is the first time in years since we’ve had someone who has shown
a spark of individuality. Love the nose ring. Unfortunately, it’s not allowed
to be worn in school, but I’ll not make you remove it. It’s not my job.” She
winks. “By the way, I’m Mrs. Peters. I work as the librarian and after-school
choir teacher. What’s your full name, Dearie?”

“My – Oh.” Slightly taken aback
by the speed at which the old woman spoke, I shook my temporary confusion away.
“Temptation Belladonna Falls. It’s nice to meet you Mrs. Peters–”

“What a poisonous name.
Delicious. It delivers a ring of death to it.” The black haired twin speaks
softly over my shoulder. The noise from the other students mutes as if someone
turns the volume down so the surrounding voices are almost inaudible.

I crane my neck to observe his
face, but he departs as swiftly as he arrived. The noise spikes back to
normality. “Weird.”

“What, Dearie?”

I jab a thumb behind me and say,
“That guy is weird.”

“What guy?” Mrs. Peters’ eyebrows
scrunch together, while observing the awaiting students in line.

“The heavy metal guy who spoke in
my ear a second ago.”

“I didn’t see anyone. You glanced
over your shoulder, but no one was there. Oh! You must have heard one of the
students nearby and thought they were talking to you. Happens to me all the
time.” Mrs. Peters smiles and extends her withered hand for my transcript
papers. “Getting down to business, we’ll have you registered in no time. What
electives would you like to take?”

“Art. I love to draw and paint.
Guess I wouldn’t mind taking a dance class as long as I don’t have to do
anything in front of the school.”

“What about choir? Do you sing at
all?” Mrs. Peters pierces me with her hypnotic gray eyes.

A chilling wave of memories
prickles the hairs on my skin. Flashes of the car crash speed through my mind.
My sheet music for that night’s performance flying all over the car, dotted
with flecks of blood. “No. I’m sorry Mrs. Peters, but I’m horrible at singing.”

“Shame, we needed another
singer.” Mrs. Peters finishes her scribbles on the paperwork. “Here’s your
class schedule. You will need to get your photo taken for your school ID.
Please take advantage of the library; we have an excellent young adult
section.” She winks.

“Thank you.” I abandon the
foldout table and stroll over to the line for photo ID cards. Ten minutes
later, I clip the ID tag on my black widow pendant. A group of skaters chill
out on one of the lunch tables. Marching up to the group, I say, “What’s up?”

An awkward moment of silence
causes me to feel like an idiot. The skaters’ blank stares do not help the
numbness pumping through my veins. “Could one of you tell me where Mr.
Hollenbeck’s Biology class is? I’m sort of new.”

“Sort of new.” The girl with
brown dreadlocks speaks up. A nasty smell wafts off her hair. “No. You’re
either new or you’re not. There’s no
sort of
about it. Dang, I’m not
even that stupid when I’m stoned. Pathetic.” The girl’s sinister eyes square me
off before disregarding me altogether.

The boys do not interfere, but
their anticipation for a catfight reflects from the eagerness in their eyes.

I am not amused. “Look,
miss-reeks-a-lot, I didn’t come over here to get a stupid answer of what you
think of me. I asked where Mr. Hollenbeck’s class is. But I guess a pothead
like you already smoked yourself stupid if you can’t even recollect one question.”

Skater girl jumps up. “I’ll drain
you for dinner–”

One of boys, scrawny and tall,
snatches the skater girl’s raised fist.

“Whelan let me go!”

Whelan ignores the fidgeting girl
and points down the jammed hallway. “Go out into the courtyard in the middle of
the school and you’ll see the sign on one of the doors.”

“Thanks.” I desert the harassed
skater girl to the encouragement of her friends. Abandoning the cafeteria, I
stride toward the courtyard. “So much for starting over.” Pulling out my phone,
I insert my earphones, and tune out the material world suffocating every happy
emotion left within. I do not understand why the drumming rock music calms me
down, but I embraced it. Arm and hip shove the metal door, and I enter the
sunlit courtyard. The chains on my pants ping together while I stride down the
sidewalk. A giant maple tree shades the middle of the courtyard. A group of
students congregates beneath the bushy branches. Surveying the crowd more
closely, I notice Daniel in the group. A snooty-looking girl sneers in my
direction. The orange-haired twin wraps his arms around the girl’s waist. His
eyes find mine. He smirks.

I returned my attention to
seeking out the Biology classroom, ignoring the couple. Arriving at the door, I
reach for the smudged handle.

“New girl!”

I freeze. Twisting my rigid body
back to the gathering students, I remove the earphones.

Slightly above the
crowd, the other twin lounges on the stiff bark up in the tree. He slouches
forward on a curvy branch. His muscular arms bulge against the branch. No
wonder he’s so popular. Probably has a big…ego, too.

           
“If you’re depressed, I know a way to make your troubles disappear.” His
bewitching grin seems as sweet as frosting and as deadly as poison. I know I
cannot trust him.

It must be
mess-with-Temptation-week. The gleam in his eyes causes a burst of blush to
redden my cheeks. Daniel laughs with the rest of the crowd.

The girl with the fire-haired
twin yells, “I’ll give you something to make you hallucinate, then you can
pretend you have friends.”

The crowd snickers. Daniel
shouts, “She doesn’t need any help with hallucinations. Two days ago she swore
she saw monsters in skeleton masks.” Daniel and most of the crowd laughs; the
twins, however, stare at me as if frightened and fascinated by what they heard.
The brunette girl shifts and wraps the orange-haired twin’s arms tighter around
her pale shoulders.

The restraint in me snaps. “Go to
Hell, Daniel! The rest of you can join him.” I thrust the classroom door open
and inwardly curse the creatures who resurrected me from the dead, as well as
the monster who scolded my suicide attempts. It’s not fair.

Chapter Three

Tormented

The bell rings, excusing me from
the teacher’s monotonous lecture. I sigh. Murmurs and tantalizing stares never
cease. Several of the girls snickered behind me in class and I vowed I would
start sitting in the back row to avoid their repetitive taunts.

My phone rings.

Crap. I forgot to change the ring
tone to vibrate. Rushing into the nearest bathroom, I hide in one of the
stalls, and check my messages.

Karma sent me the text,
What’s
wrong? Call me.

It still amazes me that Karma
knows when I am upset, even at a thousand miles away. A few months after I
befriended Karma, I hit another wave of depression, and seriously debated
jumping from my third-story window. Karma arrived in ten minutes with pizza and
soda to drown my sorrows. Once she brought over an Ouija board when I thought
about using one to talk to my parents. It ended in disaster. Turns out it is
the creature’s favorite tool for pranks.

I punch in Karma’s number.

“Hey, is everyone really that
mean to you today? I swear my heart is bleeding and turning to stone at the
same time. I know it’s you.”

“Karma, I hate it here. These
people are weird. Weirder than us in some ways.”

“Who on earth could be weirder
than us?”

“These twin guys. They freak me
out. Everyone idolizes them.”

“Typical high school jocks.”

I lean against the metal stall,
trying not to inhale too much. “No. They’re not full Goth, but they have a Rock
star edge.”

“Maybe it’s what’s cool in
Michigan. Remember you’re in another state.”

Voice shaking, I say, “They know
something about the creatures.”

Silence.

“Daniel kinda blurted out my
hallucination problem in front of half of the students–”

“The little punk! Oh, I wish –
no. No. Sorry. I’m not evil.”

Karma carries a deep fear of
wishing harm on people. I suspect the things she wishes will actually come
true, but I never press the subject.

“Sorry. Had a moment. Tell me the
rest.”

“Everybody in the crowd laughed,
but not the twins. Karma they looked scared. Like I’d discovered some huge
secret.”

“Maybe you did. Didn’t the
monster from your dream say Rosewood needed you? It might be a good idea to
snoop a bit. See if you can find any info out about Rosewood’s history. Never
know. Might find something about witchcraft or even paranormal sightings.”

“Good point.”

“Are the creatures at least
staying away.”

I stop fiddling with my hair.
“You know, I haven’t seen any except for the one in the woods and the one in my
bedroom. But I haven’t seen them anywhere in school. I didn’t even realize it.”

“Guess it’s a small blessing.
Since I’ve calmed you down, I gotta go. Late for class.”

“Didn’t mean to get you in
trouble.”

“Anything for you, Temptation.
Miss ya.”

“Miss you, too.” I stash the
phone back in my bag and exit the bathroom. I stroll into the school library
prior to my last class before lunch. Thousands of adventures locked away in
crisp yellow and white pages greet my aching eyes. The scent of the aging books
drains my problems away. My books at home are still stashed away in a box. At
least one way to escape from reality without getting stoned encircles me with
endless options.

Picking out a couple of books, I
make my way to the checkout where Mrs. Peters greets me. “Wow! Seven books.
Sure you’ll be able to read these in a week?”

“Be done before the end of the
week,” I state, cheeks flaming with embarrassment at being a bookworm. “Fast
reader.”

Mrs. Peters holds up one of my
books. “Paranormal Creatures: Are They Real?” She studies me over her thick
reading glasses. “Interesting subject.”

I began twisting the ends of my
hair. Mrs. Peters’ stare intimidates me, but the biker gang still holds first
place in the freak-out department.

“Tell you what.” Mrs. Peters
hands me the books. “I own an old but one-of-a-kind novel about a very strange
tale of paranormal accounts. I’ll let you borrow it if you’re careful with it.
I have the only copy that I’m aware of.”

“Are you sure? I mean – I’d love
to read it, but why would you trust me with it?”

“You are very different,
Temptation. And different is what this town needs; now…here’s my address.” Mrs.
Peters hands over a business card. “I’m leaving to go home and I’ll be there
until six tonight. You can come by after school to pick it up.”

“Cool sh– I mean, cool.”

The bell rings, signaling my next
torture session. I give a rushed, “good-bye,” to Mrs. Peters. I deposit my
books in my bent locker. Slamming it shut, I merged with the crowd. Students
budge one another in an attempt to make it to their last class before lunch.
The revolting aroma of perfume and musty bodies floats in the air.

Disgusting.

As I tiptoe along the side of the
hall to avoid trampling feet, a backpack knocks me off balance, forcing me to
grab the nearest person.

“God! Learn how to walk, Freak!”

“Sorry. Didn’t see you–”
Recognizing whom I collided against, I stop my apology at once.

The girl from the courtyard with
the vicious attitude sneers. “Maybe you ought to get some glasses, and then we
can call you a freak and a nerd.”

A couple of girls giggle behind
the brunette-haired girl. “Come on Victoria, you don’t need to waste your voice
on trash.”

I open my mouth to apologize, but
at the word “trash,” I do not feel quite so remorseful. Victoria and her clique
walk away, abandoning me in the hectic corridor. Knocking Victoria out before
the end of the week now tops my list of things to do in Rosewood. Groaning, I
push myself away from the wall, and resume my attempt to make it to class.

A few minutes later, I enter the
speech classroom while still inwardly fuming about my uncomfortable run-in with
Victoria. Gossiping voices seal my trained ears. Victoria points and laughs in
my direction. I roll my eyes at the group and sink into a hard plastic seat on
the opposite side of the classroom, in the darkest corner I can find.

A couple minutes later, whoops
and howls erupt from the doorway. Two boys, identical except one has
neon-orange hair and the other black, enter the room. They sit on either side
of Victoria.

Great. My day keeps getting
better and better.

Victoria smiles flirtatiously at
the orange haired twin and snakes her arms around his neck. She calls me a
freak, but those two look like they escaped Cirque du Soleil!

“Good morning. I’m Mrs. Kindal.
Today we’ll take turns introducing ourselves to the class. I want everyone to
take out a piece of paper and brainstorm a speech introducing your name, how
old you are, your hobbies, and most importantly, if you’re new to Rosewood.
Then, I’ll call you to the podium to give your introductory speech. Afterward,
you’ll take questions from the rest of the class. Okay, any questions about the
assignment?” Mrs. Kindal asks.

No one moves.

“Very well, you can begin. I’ll
be calling you in alphabetical order in ten minutes, starting with Miss Blare.”

Dreading this might happen; I
mentally began inventing wild excuses to leave the classroom. Pencils scratch
against paper. The clock in the corner ticks like a countdown to doomsday. As I
survey the students, my gaze lands on the black haired twin. His violet eyes
narrow in on me. My stomach weighs heavy. Breathlessness brings the spidery
chills across my skin.

The twin grins.

“Victoria Blare. You’re the first
one up.”

I gasp, but quickly put a hand to
my mouth. Ignoring the twin, I watch Victoria detach herself from the twins and
sashay to the podium. Her stylish brunette hair accents her green eyes. She
straightens her tight shirt over her short-shorts and displays a dazzling smile
at the applauding class.

“Hey, everybody!” She laughs.
“Thank you, thank you. I turned seventeen a week ago-”

The class applauds,
while the twins whoop.

“Thank you. I moved to Rosewood a
year ago and I am the top student in choir. My parents are both recruiters–”

The class erupts in cheers again.

I remain silent in the back of
the class. I did not know there are any military bases near Rosewood.

“–and I’ve best boyfriend, Herald
Jenkins. His brother, Jerald, is a great friend too.” Victoria adds when Jerald
pouts.

Both of the twins stand and take
a bow at the applauding class.

“I’m also in charge of organizing
the Halloween Mask Ball, which I promise will be entertaining, but not as much
as last year because of the new people this term.” Victoria briefly glances in
my direction. “Any questions?”

“Oh, please.” I secretly wish I
had paid more attention to Karma who tried to teach me a hex last month. Even
if it did not work, I would have felt better knowing I tried.

A couple of girls raise their
hands. Victoria points to one of the trembling girls.

“Are you singing at the Ball
again this year?”

Victoria glances at the Jenkins
twins, who nod. “Of course! Who else could do better than I could? Come on
people, give me some serious questions.”

Another girl’s hand stretches
toward the ceiling.

The smile on Victoria’s face
falters for a split second. “What, Christine?”

“I thought Mrs. Peters is
supposed to make those decisions, not you. From what I understand, she hasn’t
even held auditions for that honor yet.”

“Victoria is singing. Period.”
Herald folds his hands behind his head, making the muscles along his arms bulge
out. His dark glare causes the surrounding students to shift in their seats.

I stare. His eyes look different.
It maybe the lighting, but they are a crimson color. Herald glances my way. I
bend my head down, pretending to be engrossed with my phone.

“You can try out if you like, but
everyone wants to hear a beautiful voice, not an amateur. Even with
professional training, you don’t compare to me. It’s sad and embarrassing. Take
my advice and forget about auditioning.”

Victoria’s mocking smile and
Herald’s smug expression tests my self-control. How I wish I could try out for
the audition to show Victoria some humility.

But I cannot. I will not.

Those actions will attract
predators and I do not want to present myself as easy prey. The teacher appears
oblivious to the insulting comment directed at a flushed Christine. No more
hands raise and the class applauds Victoria off the waxed stage.  

When the noise calms, Mrs. Kindal
calls out, “Temptation Falls.”

I lock my plum eyes on the floor.
I receive a small applause, followed by low murmurs as I advance to the head of
the classroom. An angry hive of bees cannot compare to the buzzing going
through my head when I reach the podium. To further my discomfort, I realize I
left my notes on the desk. As I gaze out over the classroom, my mind goes blank.

Victoria snickers loudly.

My eyes dart to the teacher,
whose best encouragement transpires as, “Hurry up, Miss Falls, we’ve other
students waiting to do their speeches.”

Blood rushes to my cheeks and the
fury I felt earlier returns. “My name is Temptation Belladonna Falls–”

“Duh!” someone yells from
Victoria’s table. The pitiless students explode into echoing laughter. A few
bugs on the ceiling, scuttle about in panic. Again, Mrs. Kindal seems too
preoccupied painting her hot pink nails to notice the rude behavior of her
students.

“I’m sixteen and moved to
Rosewood with my family two days ago,” I finish in one breath.

“Come on Miss Falls, you haven’t
given me five seconds, let alone five minutes of speech.”

I stare at the watch on
Victoria’s wrist. “Five minutes.” The watch resembles the one I lost in the
accident. I died for five minutes in that accident. Part of me wonders if I
still might be dead and I am lost in limbo.

“What are your hobbies?” Mrs.
Kindal asks, using a nail file to scratch her head.

Still spellbound by the watch, I
say, “I like to read.”

“Nerd!” Herald coughs in his
hand.

I depart from the podium. My
metal D-rings clank together when I shift my way past the crowded desks. No way
will I take any more of their verbal taunts.

Victoria’s voice calls out from
the crowd. “I heard you moved here because you went all crazy after your
parents died and your last school requested you have psychiatric help.”

Muttering spread out across the
classroom. “How did your parents die?” someone asks.

I return to my desk. “Car crash.
I survived and since then everyone seems to think I’m a walking tragedy.” I
bite the tip of my tongue and shake my head. “They think I’m still depressed.”