Siphon (Siphon Chronicles, Book One) (3 page)

The impossible came out of her mouth. 

“You smell...good.”

Her reaction to me was not what she’d conveyed until now.  As if she were surprised herself, she backed away. Too fast for human speed, I noticed.  Did she? 

My body folded at her own scent.  I landed the apple in her hand, and abruptly, left the cafeteria.  I wasn’t to go anywhere in particular, but rather to move far away from her.  I couldn’t take it anymore.  I wanted a taste. 

When I took years, I could smell the essence they left behind.  That’s the major reason why I preferred females.  Well, that and they were...females.   Taking the guys years was a joke to me to satisfy debts they owed me after I made bets with them, but with the girls it was all about the love.

Unfortunately, not one of them would ever “love” me.  Unlovable, untouchable, unkissable, unwanted.  So that made me what I am.  An ass. 

If I couldn’t have anyone then no one could have me.  I was alone in the world and everyone would be at my disposal.  

Why she acted all haughty and then reacted the way she did only meant she was like the others.  Her toying with me was strange, but it would stop now.  As soon as she heard who I was, she’d do the same as the rest.  Run far away.

Besides, I was here to take her in.  Her time was up in this world.

He leveled our eyes to give me a very steady look letting me gape openly too long at the expressively easy to read dark brows.  I wondered if he purposefully used them to communicate.

He stood there like we might duel it out with only our weighted stares.  My brain tickled at the edges to make the first move.  And why did I smell his edginess?  Smell had never been apart of my connection to taking from others.

What was his deal anyway?  I was suddenly mad with a fever of crazy.  This boy was breaking me down to pieces.  I had to get away from him.  His angry vibes were making me dizzy when he finally broke the spell and left first. 

Sam threw in her wisdom with a hip bump, “And that my dear was guy language for “I’m hot for you and I always get what I want.  Greek god body.  Smoldering eyes that send sexy into a new dimension.  Latch on girl and don’t let go.” 
              I thought she was done, but she had to add one final blow.  “And besides, it will make Foster jealous as ever.”

The rest of the day was a blur.  Since I only had one class with him, I didn’t have to see or be influenced by him again the rest of the day.  I told Sam that Amber was going home with her friend and to catch a ride with Sara Beth today.  She was reluctant, but gave in when I told her my mom texted that I had a dentist appointment.  I hated to lie, but I needed to think.  Alone.

Hooking a left and out the front door of the school, I hoofed it to the parking lot and had the Avenger in drive and squealing out of the space before he could get across the no parking area of the front main doors.  When I knew I was near him as he crossed the lot, I threw my midnight blue Dodge Avenger into the next gear and zipped away.

And I hate to admit that his steady gaze lingered in my mind for the rest of the night. And morning.  And through first period World History class the next day.

Foster was a leech at the lockers trying to prove that I was suddenly interesting again before second period.  His sudden interest was sickening and yet I didn’t like the boy he felt threatened by.  Foster proceeded to ask me out for tonight to the pizza place everyone from school would be at, his idea of a date. I’d sooner eat dirt.  Sam cooed beside me saying, “Oh, she’d love too.”

I shot a glare in her direction.  She widened her eyes and fake yawned, “Or not.  We did stay up late last night with our movies and popcorn night.”

Walking away from Foster is always easy.

Now that it was time for Physical Science class with
him
...I was a complete mess.  I chewed my lip raw trying to focus on both situations.  Life was so uncomplicated just two days ago.

  I just didn’t want to see those eyes.  And that’s all I could see at the moment.

He wasn’t there though. Relaxed and trying to come up with a reasonable excuse to get away from Foster the next time, I watched out the window for
him
to be leaning on a tree watching me like a stalker vampire.   I may have read too many paranormal romances trying to escape my own “paranormal” behavior.  He wasn’t there either.

Classes droned on with more welcome to the science that would help you understand the world around you and other blah...blah.

I calmed down when the next class started and I wouldn’t have to see the light move around in his eyes when he looked my way.  It creeped me out with shivers and goose bumps to know he was like me, or that I was fighting against everything inside me to avoid him.  It wasn’t until right then that I wondered why he was here. 

It couldn’t be good.  And it couldn’t be random. 

Logically guessing I would gain a solitary safe zone lunch eased the tension in my shoulders. Guess again.

Waltzing into the cafeteria I took an apple, a plum, and a fully leaded soda to my spot.  I needed the sugar to make it through another night of dreaming about him.  I searched every direction for his piercing eyes though I knew he wouldn’t be there.  I took a bite into my shiny Red Delicious and did a quick check at the floor to be sure I didn’t lose my balance from eating while walking.  Pulled out of my reverie, I came up flush with two black Doc Martins I was sorely familiar with.

Pish!

“You looking for me?” His sexy voice was turned on high giving the hint he'd done this before.  Girls were not something he was uneducated on.  

Dislodged by the sound, I knew instantly he had a system.  Maybe I was just another girl who blipped on his radar to check into.  If I acted unafraid and kept an “I don’t care” attitude, maybe he’d just go away.

Following the laces up all the way to the eyes and as abruptly as if I’d been hit with a brick, I was hooked all over again. If I were a voting girl, I’d surely pick him for most on my mind for the day.  And night.  And all the dang seconds in between. I rolled my shoulders back and looked to my table for the distraction. 

Okay.  So his face was
too
distracting.  Coming up with a slapstick comment or even casual reply just doesn’t happen with him.  I needed to talk to him with my eyes closed so I wouldn’t be preoccupied with his smirks and watchful gaze.  Yeah, that would go over well.  I blinked them closed and opened them after a deep breath I didn’t know I held too long.

His upper lip spoke the second I did.  It told me I was such a lush.  I hate hormones.

And...I’d had it.  I felt my smile waver, but I bit my bottom lip to hide it from showing.  He
knew
I’d been looking for him.

“I’d appreciate it if you could turn down the charm on me.  It doesn’t work, remember?”  There!  He knew
I
knew
his little secret.  My apple was still in midair from my one bite.

God, he smelled good. 

“So I don’t charm you?” His smug attitude unfurled my indignant anger with a half smile/half laugh.

“You wish.  The thief lord himself wants to feel all fuzzy inside and make a friend.  Malarkey.  Not happening here, buddy.”  He couldn’t have many friends with that snap of a personality...or lack thereof.

His face told me I’d hit home.   A lip snarled up and leaned over for only me to hear, “And do you know what your friends say about you?”

He left me standing there alone to face the said friends he’d just mentioned.  What
did
they say?

“What?” That hurt.  Did they talk about me behind my back?  I fixed my stare on the ground.

He flipped back at last second and his face blanked out.  “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

I shrugged him off.  “It didn’t.  And your words mean nothing to me anyway.  I don’t even know you.”

Or at least I wouldn’t tell him it hurt or that I really wanted to know why his name was so bad in
his
world I'd been left out of.

My loss of appetite returning again with him in my wake, I dropped the food in the trash bin and headed to my oak tree.  I needed alone time.  I needed energy and I didn’t know why.

And there was only one way for me to get it.

I needed to get away.  I was drained after a few minutes with her and needed energy.  A girl was at the picnic bench alone, reading a book.  She looked cute and nice enough.  I sat my books in front of her and bit into an apple.  It reminded me of
her
mouth on the apple.  That wasn’t good.

“Hi,” I took a second bite and waited for her to smile giving the signal she was interested.  They always were.  They made us that way...or rather picked us accordingly for certain jobs over others.  My powers had always outshined the rest and I hated it.

She smiled bright like the sun, then grimaced and eyeballed the schoolyard.

“Why did you sit here?” she inquired doubting herself.  I truly hated that girls were so self-depreciating of their own beauty.  They were not told enough how much they attract our attention and keep us completely under their spell if they really wanted it.

“You looked like you needed a study partner?”

She looked at her book that was obviously not school material and said, “Yeah.  That sounds good.  Aren’t you in my science class?”

Was she?  I wasn’t here this morning and that was my only class with Lark.  I had to report in about retrieving the wayward saint-like taker of years like me.  Well, mostly.  She was better than me.  I was dirt compared to her.

“Ah, yeah.  Physical Science.  I missed it today.”  It was the truth.

“No problem.  You can share my notes.”

I gave her the winning smile that would seal the deal.  When she complied and opened her notebook to let me look over her notes, I took advantage of the moment. 

If I hurried, I could be back to get another word in with Lark to rile her up.  It was just so easy and I needed to hurry this job up and get away from her.  I have no explanation for the apology for hurting her at the lunch area, but her pain ebbed out like a beacon. I just didn't want her to think I said it to be cruel, but rather informative knowledge she might need to know.

I took in a breath, three.  Three years would do.  At the third intake of my lungs I caught her scent.  Something cinnamon and bakery-like.  She had just recovered her notes when I felt the energy soar like a slow typhoon over our heads and into my lungs.  I arched my back from the burst of power feeling much better.

“What the bleepity heck do you think you are doing?”

My head jerked back at the sound of her voice losing the power to form words.  At first she just stood there.  And before I could stop myself, my eyes passed over her angry face, down her bare throat, over her curves, and back up to her taunt mouth.  I’d never had a female approach me with the intention of intimidation.  It was the biggest turn on of the century.

She saddled the bench beside me with her feet and pushed my arm as hard as she probably could.  Her moves were so quick, I did not react accordingly.  I just watched her bedazzled by the fact that she had the balls to walk up to me like no one else would, siphon or not.  No one had ever done that.

“Jealous, Pigeon,” I hid my reaction, speaking in the raspy tone again at her spunk. 

Her face turned ten shades of the sun and like a top blowing she grabbed my hand and pulled me to standing.  I didn’t even feel her pull me up, but I felt
her
.

Snatching my books with the other hand, I told the nameless girl thank you and followed the vehemently spewing beauty beside me who just touched me and didn’t act like I was a leper...w
ithout having to trick her into doing it. 

Alone by the towering, shady oak tree she pushed a finger into my chest and whisper shouted at me, “I saw what you did Daniel Crawford.  I know what game you play.  I was warned about you and always refused to believe it was all true—until I just saw what I saw.  You.Are.A.Monster.”

Her finger still touching me, I didn’t even register that she’d just shared what everyone else had assessed of me.  No, I caught the part where she had questioned its sincerity.  Every part of me admired her for it too.

For just one second longer though, a thought passed through my brain.  The magic genie lamp just granted me the ultimate wish.  A girl was touching me without magic and didn’t completely hate my guts.  My weirdness wasn’t zapping her with electric current.

“You doubted their assessments of what you now conclude must be the truth?” I prodded.  She called me Daniel!  She knew my name.  Was she trying to goad me?

She was caught off guard but stumbled out with, “Beside the point, Daniel. You shouldn’t do that to them.”

She said my name again.  Why on earth I care about this single fact was disturbing.  At the second time saying it, it seemed like she simply wanted to say it.  Like it was an experiment on the tongue.

Worse, I was baffled still watching her finger touch me.  I’d do or say anything to get her to keep saying my name and keep her hand on me.  It’s like the more she said it, the more she owned it.

“And what you do is any better, princess? You think because you take it off the top that you’re better than me?  We are the same make, just different models, babe.”

“WE ARE NOT,” she shoved my chest touching me more, “THE SAME.”

Oh, crap!  She was right.  And she saw right through me.  I couldn’t let her see further in no matter what the lower half of me was shouting out. I tried to reign in the need to take from her, but it was moving in swirls all around us taking away my ability to choose.

“Why did you say you didn’t believe what others said about me?”  I had to know why she didn’t have pity in those green like glass eyes.

She was already turned to leave but she did stop and look up into the array of colors the oak shook over us from the power we both exuberated. “Because I think you are better than that or could be.  Anyone can.  That you just act like you don’t care so others will think you are tough.  I refuse to believe anyone is innately evil unless they choose to do so.  Until you show me you’re like they say, stay away from me Crawford.  I was just fine before you showed up.”

We were back to last names.  I felt myself crash at the loss. 

Did she know she just offered up her own years to me?  Her body was cashing in more than she knew. 

She left by way of class but her eyes told me much.  So much that I had to look away.  Slamming my hands in both pockets, I flashed a million reasons through my brain as to why she followed me outside in the first place.  I stopped to grab a drink from the machine in the hallway and found we were both late.