Plagued: Book 1 (33 page)

All the Club members swiftly came to mean so much to me, most specially the handsome Italian, Savan. Tall, strong, with those drop-dead classic good looks. I couldn't believe my luck. Holding my hand, leaning close to share a joke or confidence. Little intimacies that built up, here on the cusp of spring, to blossom into perhaps something more. This was all so new, heady and intoxicating, the rush to my senses irresistible. I never questioned it. How funny in retrospect.

We girls gathered our wraps and went to the lockers to retrieve our bags. Lilly was attempting to defy the laws of physics and shove her cell phone, wallet, and lipstick into a black, quilted Chanel bag the size of a juice pack.

Vanessa finally took the wallet from her and slipped it inside her slouchy Gucci hobo. “Really Lilly, you're going to break a nail and ruin your evening. How did you get them inside in the
first
place?”

Lilly gave a slightly bleary-eyed smile. She had a fondness for blueberry martinis. “Can't remember.”

Taking my own rather nondescript leather bag from the locker, I pulled a little hand mirror out to look at whatever had alarmed Savan. On my throat sparkled a tiny, red, six-pointed star enclosed in a circle. How had that gotten there? Whatever game the British boy was playing, I didn't think I liked it. Laying a finger to the mark, I could feel the blood pulsing beneath and, I thought, something else. A sort of
buzzing
. There was no sign of the raw swirling pink markings the silver-haired boy had shown me on my face.

Vanessa reached over and moistening a fingertip with her tongue, scrubbed briskly at the mark. “Whatever have you rubbed up against?” Without waiting for an answer, she swept toward the exit. “The gallery is showing this incredible new artist from Finland. Should be great fun,” she said, not even referencing the star. “The Finns are crazy party people! It's party or go mad so near the Arctic Circle.”

Savan was standing near the door and slipped his hand in mine. I gripped it tightly, wanting,
needing
that reassurance after the strangeness. Looking over my shoulder, I saw a flash of silver. It was the emerald-eyed boy. He looked so angry, I flinched from the expression.

In my head, I heard his voice again. “Run, run while you still can. From them and from me.”

Chapter 12

Truth and Dare

The first week of April and Tokyo burst into islands of white and pink clouds. Cherry blossoms took over the city totally transforming its drab contours. The trees changed from gray sticks to sugary confections dreamed up by a heavenly pastry chef. Right now, life tasted just as sweet as whipped cream to me. After such an awful start that cold February day, I had turned my luck completely around. Spring really could be about new beginnings. The encounter with the strange emerald-eyed boy gradually faded along with the tiny six-pointed star on my throat. I still couldn't figure out how he had put it there.

Five wonderful weeks passed in a blur of parties, outings, and fun. Five weeks until I couldn't stand it any longer and decided to tell them I'd lied about college. That I was still in high school. New beginnings, truth or dare.  I loved them for who they were – Vanessa, Savan, naughty Lilly, Anders – and couldn't bear deceiving them any longer.

We were sitting on the terrace of the matte -black Cafe Sacre de' Coeur Cafe, overlooking Harajuku's main boulevard, Omote Sando, and the fashionable crowds beneath. This was a place to stare and be stared at and given the company I was keeping, we drew plenty of stares. A light spring breeze danced through the trees lining the street; tossing the branches. Harajuku didn't have any cherry trees. That didn't seem to bother the spring crowds. They were just as intent on looking at new clothes as new blossoms and the boulevard was packed with shoppers. The whole cafe grew suddenly silent when a lilting bird call sounded from one of the nearby trees.

I looked at Vanessa.

“Nightingale,” she explained.” Rare to hear them downtown like this. Just as much a harbinger of the season as the cherry blossoms. Japanese love their nightingales, which as far as I can tell, never sing at night.” She flashed me a smile that seemed to reach out and give me a hug.

And that was it. The waitress set down our order of tall iced coffees and teas and I told them I was in high school. Of course, as soon as I said it, I burst into tears, startling the waitress who nearly knocked over one of the glasses. People at the tables around us stared even harder.

“I'm sorry,” I sobbed. “Didn't mean to make a scene.”

Savan leaned close – we were sitting next to each other – and wiped away the tears. “Who cares what they think? This has been weighing on your mind, hasn't it? All this time. Poor thing.”

His concern just made me cry harder, “Now you will hate me. I'm just a child.”

They all rushed at once to disagree, “No, we don't hate you. How could anyone hate you? It makes no difference at all. You are so mature.”

“So sophisticated.”

“So adorable.”

“You're our friend!”

“It signifies nothing.” Tossing her long black hair, Lilly snapped her trademark bejeweled fingers to show her indifference at this new information. “Age is just a random group of numbers imposed on us like a prison sentence.”

“However,” Vanessa slipped her tortoise shell Versace sunglasses down a notch to peer at me over the rim, “we
do
have a rule that to become a full member, you must be at least eighteen. You are eighteen, aren't you?”

“I, I didn't know,” I choked out, my heart jumping into my throat.

“There seemed no reason to mention it at the time,” she inclined her head, still looking at me.

The tears welled up in my eyes again, spilling over. Look what telling the truth had gotten me. They wouldn't let me be a member anymore. Lies were better, obviously. Oh God! What was I going to do without them?

Savan took out a handkerchief and dabbed at my cheeks gently with one hand, lifting my chin with the other. “But wait, darling Alexandra, your birthday, it is almost here isn't it?”

“Yes, May seventh.”

“You will be eighteen then, won't you?”

A chance, I still had a chance. Damn the truth. I nodded, stammering, “Yes,
yes
. Eighteen.”

He turned with a triumphant smile to the others, “It is settled. There will be no impediment then. We will have a party,” he announced.

“A party! A party for Alexandra!” The others took up the cry.

“A big party,” said Savan.

“
Absolutely
a party!” agreed Vanessa with a gleeful smile. “We will celebrate your birthday, and on the stroke of midnight, you will become a full-fledged member of the Club. We had been planning your official initiation party anyway.”

“Do I get a secret magical mask with ribbons?” I teased, my mood instantly transformed from despair to joy.

Savan gave a little start and backed away from me ever so slightly. I hadn't even remembered the
carnival
masks until just that moment. Funny. There had been more to it than that. What was it? The image was dancing just behind my eyes. Black. Black eyes. And Savan had looked like an animal. A wolf? Everything was jumbled up. I couldn't seem to pull the memory into focus.

There was a heartbeat of silence before Vanessa laughed her sparkling laugh, light as bubbles, “As many ribbons as you like. More importantly, all new members receive an autographed picture of me, life size!”

“She'd rather have one of Savan!” laughed Lilly.

“Wouldn't we all!” said Anders, a little wistfully, I thought.

Everyone got up from their chairs, crowding around, holding my hands and stroking my hair. “We never would have guessed if you hadn't told us,” Anders said.

“Comes from being an ex-pat,” nodded Vanessa as she sat back down and took a sip of her iced coffee. “They grow up faster.”

April at the Academy meant the Cherry Blossom Ball, as big and important as Prom, maybe more so. Such an event demanded an equally impressive showplace and the school reserved one of the international hotel ballrooms and all the formal, fancy dress that went along with it. High heels, high hopes. I desperately wanted to go, if only to show up Amber Lynne and the Awesome Posse. Maybe now, I could.

Looking into Savan's dark brown eyes, I asked him right then and there if he would be my date for the Cherry Blossom Ball. It was a gamble, I knew it. My real age might come out. No, I thought again. Who would tell him? Nobody even knew who I was beyond the butt of Awesome Posse jokes. And even if he learned I was a Junior, not a Senior, I could put it down to our constant moving. I wanted to go so, so badly.

Jumping to his feet, he gave a formal little bow. “I would be honored.” Then he clicked his heels together old-movie style and we all laughed.

Later, quietly, when the others were talking of this and that, I said to him, “You don't think I'm too young for you?”

Exhaling softly, he brushed my forehead with his lips, whispering back, “Dear Alexandra, I can wait, but not too long.”

Chapter 13

Green with Envy

Every head turned to stare as we descended the grand staircase at the Cherry Blossom Ball. '
And who could blame them?
' I thought smugly.

Savan looked like a prince come to life. Not some smarmy Disney kind. A real prince, as if he stepped out of a royally commissioned painting by Raphael. Tall, with his dark hair shining, the perfectly-cut tuxedo accentuating the strong lines of his body, the mysterious inner light giving him an aura no one could ignore. As for me, I had no doubt I looked every inch a princess. Vanessa and the twins, Stephanie and Cameron, primped, styled and prepped me for this very moment. I was wearing my hair in a high upsweep with a tumble of curls. My dress, a shimmering, sleeveless, floor length sheath of emerald green silk lent to me by Cameron, the long sash trailing behind. I was neither nervous, nor awkward and I walked gracefully down the staircase with Savan, looking out at the assembled students with nothing less than a regal air. I felt strong and powerful, nothing like the Lexie Carpenter of a few short weeks before.

We paused for our picture at the bottom of the staircase and I heard Melanie and Abigail gasp as the photographer declared we were, hands down, the handsomest couple he'd shot all evening.

“This is going to look like a coronation portrait,” he laughed.

We laughed with him, knowing it was true. We gave him our names and walked on.

I only glanced at the ballroom draped in pale pinks, gold, and light spring green, keeping my eyes on Savan. He was the handsomest man in the room. No contest. All the boys seemed gawky and immature next to the power and masculinity radiating from him. It came as a surprise when the red-blond head of Amber Lynne suddenly stepped into view as she boldly inserted herself between Savan and me without a word or nod in my direction. Holding out her hand to him, she said with a flirty tilt to her head, “Well, hello, welcome to the Ball. I'm Amber Lynne.”

Brushing her aside gently but firmly, Savan cut her off completely, not even acknowledging her presence with a look. “Come Alexandra, let us find a less noisome space.” We walked away and I had the satisfaction of seeing her cheeks flush bright red. Amber Lynne was not the sort of girl used to being snubbed by handsome men.

“Was that one of the
awful posse
, the mean girls?” he whispered as we moved away.

I nodded vigorously. “The meanest.” Once the truth came out about my age, well, the
almost
truth, I shared the juiciest bits of my high school drama with him.

“Good.” He squeezed my hand and we shared a conspiratorial smile.

The students seemed drawn to us. People who had never spoken to me in the halls or in class, began crowding around Savan and me, chatting, making eye contact.

Very shortly Mrs. McCarthy stalked over, her round face ugly with anger. I saw Amber Lynne a few tables away smirking.

“Just who do you think you are young man? This party is for members in good standing of the student body. That does
not
include porn stars like you, Miss Carpenter, or your gigolo. You may have fooled your father but not me. I've taken your measure.”

I was mortified. Savan in contrast, seemed completely at ease. With one step, he placed himself firmly between Amber Lynne's mother and me, blocking her from my view. He laid his hand on her arm. My handsome Italian seemed much more mature and confident than the plump Principal.

“I don't think you should speak to me or my friend Alexandra like that.” I couldn't see his face from where I stood. He leaned over, speaking quietly to Mrs. McCarthy. The Principal made a few attempts to interrupt him. Somehow she couldn't seem to get a word in. Savan's broad shoulders blocked my view of her face. Her body posture, however, changed dramatically. She'd been bristling like an angry terrier when she stalked over to us, now I saw her shoulders droop. Then, quite unexpectedly, Mrs. McCarthy staggered back a few steps, white faced. Her hand flew to her mouth. When she looked at me, her eyes were wide and frightened. Turning abruptly, she practically ran to the front of the room and up the stairs. The students nearby stared from us to Mrs. McCarthy and a few “
whoops”
went up here and there. Mrs. McCarthy was not well liked. Amber Lynne did not look pleased, she depended on her mother's powerful position to ensure her own place at the top of the food chain.

“What was that all about? What did you say to her?”

Savan shrugged and laughed. “What an insufferably rude little woman. I told her some truths, that's all.”

“But...”

“
Shhhh.
”

Taking me in his arms he kissed me, right on the mouth, in front of everybody. Never had I been kissed like that. I mean that in a good way. So good. A full kiss on the lips, his sweet breath mixing with mine. Deep and rich and my very first. My emotions surged and all my senses seemed to fill with the weight of Savan. It was happening at last.
This
is what it feels like, I thought to myself. Tonight I was opening the first pages in that most mysterious chapter in the book of life: How it begins between a boy and a girl. Between us.

“Is kissing supposed to make you dizzy?” I said as the world tilted.

Savan whispered in my ear, “Now, aren't you glad we came?”

I was.

We walked, I think I glided, anyway, we ended up at the numbered table that matched our tickets. Savan produced a small bottle of champagne – where he had hidden it I had no idea – and with a
pop
poured it into our glasses.

“My girl must not go without her favorite drink,” he gave me a wink and a wicked smile.

We sipped from our glasses and chatted about the exhibition we had just been to as our table filled up and up and
up
with people. Students I had seen in the halls who never even looked, much less spoke to me, were suddenly sitting or standing all around us. It was “Alexandra this'” and “Alexandra that” and “Introduce us to your friend, Alexandra.” How did they even know my name? Because of Amber Lynne, everyone called me Tod.

A quick scan of the ballroom sometime later showed Amber Lynne, her boyfriend Tony, and a couple of others from the Awesome Posse deserted by their shipmates and marooned on anger island. Savan and I were the center of attention. How had this happened? It was absolutely amazing. Why hadn't I brought my camera to record this? Amber Lynne was staring daggers at me. Oh, for a photo of her face to put up on Cougar Snarls. If looks could kill, I would have fallen, dead on the floor in my gorgeous green gown right there and then. I still would have been prettier than her tonight, even dead, I reflected with satisfaction.

Gemma strolled over. We hadn't spoken since that awful day on the nubby couch, though she always nodded when we passed in the hall. She was wearing a very short, royal blue tulle dress with high-heeled gladiator sandals snaking up her calves right to the knees. Her hair lay flat and shiny on her scalp, all the beads gone. Her eyes looked enormous. Peering closer, I saw she had on some kind of thick false eyelashes. “Are those
feathers?
”

“Cool, huh?” She batted them dramatically.

They could only be from the Eyelash Bar. Isobel told me about the place before I left France and I promised to buy her an outrageous pair. With a start, I realized how long ago that promise was. When was the last time I had even Skype'd Brianna and Isobel? I felt a stab of guilt.

“Well done Tod, you seem to have put Amber Lynne in her place.”

“What?” I feigned surprise. “You're speaking to me now? What happened to the target?”

“Somehow I think things have changed for you,” she said, gently smoothing back a short, stray lock that fell onto her forehead.

Savan and I eventually made our way out onto the terrace where the dancing had spread. Cherry trees ringed the garden and the terrace, the warmth of the evening and the beauty of the flowering trees reaching out to embrace us. A blizzard of blossoms swirled around the dancers, transforming the night into a confection of pink and white. The petals, twisting and turning in the air, seemed caught up in the rhythm of the dance. The music changed to a slow tempo and Savan took me in his arms, holding me close.

For just a moment, as we swayed in time to the music, arms around each other, I thought I saw a pair of emerald green eyes staring at me and the flash of silver hair. The dancers closed in momentarily blocking my view. When I looked again, I saw nothing strange. Must be my imagination. The frightening young English boy with silver hair was not going to be here at the Cherry Blossom Ball. That was just crazy.

Inside the ballroom, the disco ball spun and pinpoints of light escaped out the terrace doors just as we had, illuminating the smiling faces of the people around us. None of them could hold a candle to the incandescent beauty of Savan, I thought.

“Or to you,” said Savan, somehow reading my thoughts. “You are beautiful. All the more beautiful because you do not realize how rare and exquisite you really are.”

“It's the hair and make-up; thank Stephanie,” I laughed.

“No, it is not. Not at all,” his voice was deep and quiet. Bending down, he brought his lips close to my ear, whispering, “The beauty is all yours, inside and out. I love you Alexandra, darling girl. You have stolen my heart.” And he kissed me again, deeper and more intensely than before. It took me a moment or two to get the hang of where to put my lips and chin and head. This was all so new. Luckily he seemed very interested in helping me practice this new skill. He tasted just like my glass of champagne, I thought a little wildly, and his kiss went to my head just as fast.

It was the most perfect evening.