Chapter 2: Beauty and the Beast Within

Chapter 2, finally posted! This chapter revolves around some more mystery behind both Quinn, and newly discovered info about Sophia.

 

As I awoke the next morning, I was ready for the day. I was ready to get to school, and early at that. I wanted to talk to Quinn again; ask him about his aura. Maybe he knew something about the powers that I was sure he had. On the other hand, maybe he didn't, and I could teach him about them. Either way, I hoped that today would be the day I found out the truth behind that glorious aura.

 

I nearly jumped off the bed, calling Riku while skimming through my closet to find what to wear for the day.

 

"Hey, Dare," Riku said groggily. "Why so early, huh?"

 

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty. I am getting to school early today. I have a very important date," I said, enjoying playing with the word "date" when used with Quinn. I could already hear a sarcastic comeback formulating. "And don't roll your eyes," I added.

 

"Well, I did anyway. You know me well, though. I'll give you that," he said, laughing. "Then again, we have known each other since we were in diapers, and--"

 

Come on, Riku!" I cut him off. "Get your a*s up and get dressed," I said, sounding serious. There was a moment of silence, followed by an outburst of laughter from both of us.

 

"But seriously, Riku. Please," I begged, hoping he would give in quickly.

 

"Alright, I'm up. Be here in 10 minutes," he said, hanging up.

 

I clicked my phone off and rolled my eyes. He knows better than to ask me to get ready in less than 10 minutes. So much to do in so little time.

 

I walked to my night stand, plugged my phone into the charger, and then looked at my closet from afar. I found a pair of plain, gray pants and a white button up shirt to wear; one of my favorite outfits. I grabbed it out, ran to the bathroom, turned on my straightener, and got dressed. I straightened my blonde hair, brushed my teeth, and stepped out of the bathroom.

 

I stood in front of my full length mirror, making sure I looked nice. My blonde hair was straight with side-bangs, and went down to my shoulders. My bright blue eyes stood out, and my fit, but not muscular form, filled in the clothes perfectly. I smiled and walked out the door.

 

I pulled up to Riku's house just a few minutes later and honked my horn. He came bounding out of the front door, backpack hanging from his shoulder.

 

“Whaddya know? You made record time,” he said, slamming the passenger side door.

 

“You don't have to slam it, you know,” I replied, rolling my eyes. “Anyway, I told you I wanted to get to school early.”

 

“I guess. Only for Quinn, though,” he stressed, bursting out into peals of laughter.

 

“This is my car,” I replied, “And I can throw your a*s on the sidewalk.” He looked at me and just laughed again. I laughed along, though. We always joked around with each other. We were brothers, its what we did.

 

The majority of the car ride was silent. It was perhaps a little awkward. The silence soon vanished, but the ride only got more awkward between us.

 

“So... Darien... You really like this guy?” Riku asked, sounding a little saddened.

 

“Aw, come on, Riku, don't be like that,” I said. “Quinn is a nice guy... And we've been through this before,” I said, reassuringly.

 

“I know. 'It won't hurt our friendship,'” he said, cracking a bit of a smile. “Sorry I worried about it, Dare.”

 

“Don't be. I am glad that I could tell you that for the millionth time,” I laughed. He laughed too, and the ride continued smoothly until we reached the school.

 

We pulled into the parking lot, and rounded the school so that I could pull into my spot. As it came into view, I noticed a new car parked next to my spot. The sun reflected off of it as the door opened, and it went right into my eyes. I closed them briefly, and when I opened them again, there stood Quinn. My heart felt as though it were going to jump from my chest, as cliché as it sounds.

 

I pulled into my space, and a huge grin spread across my face. I looked at Riku, and he sighed after seeing my face. He then smiled, opened his door, and stepped out, and I did the same. I looked over the hood of the car, and Riku looked back at me. Quinn was standing behind him, but Riku was obscuring my view.

 

“Alright, Dare, see you later,” Riku said, winking knowingly. He turned and walked away, revealing Quinn's handsome form. My breath just didn't seem to want to come to me after I saw him standing there by his car, his emerald eyes sparkling.

 

“Good morning,” Quinn said, his smile dazzling, as it was yesterday. His hair was tied back today, still flowing gracefully down the length of his back. He was wearing a pale green shirt, tucked neatly into another pair of black pants that fit his form well.

 

“Hi, Quinn,” I said, managing to talk without stuttering. “So... I guess today is going to be the first day of real work, huh?” I asked, walking around the back of my car, Quinn doing the same. I was amazed that I wasn't stumbling all over what I had to say. Today, I felt much more relaxed and comfortable around him.

 

“Yeah, I suppose it is,” he laughed as we began walking toward the front doors. His laugh was light and carefree. He sounded just as at ease as I had suddenly become, possibly more so.

 

We got to the front doors, and he opened the door and waited for me to enter before doing so himself. “Very gentleman like,” I thought to myself, smiling.

 

“Oh, hi, Quinn,” I heard a crisp, female voice say from behind us. We both turned to see Sophia standing there, clutching her books to her chest. My heart sank. Surely Quinn would be off to talk to her, considering she got whatever she wanted.

 

Quinn's face was blank, save for a look of slight confusion. “And, you are?” he asked her, one eyebrow slightly cocked.

 

Sophia's face was full of shock for just a split second, but it was noticeable. “Oh, um... I am Sophia.” The look of confusion stayed on Quinn's face. “We met in first period yesterday,” she said, sounding hopeful. No reaction. “I gave you my number,” she said flatly, her aura showing her anger, and becoming more flame-like.

 

There were a few seconds of silence, and then Quinn began to speak. “I'm sorry,” he said. At that moment, the bell rang, and I breathed a sigh of relief. “But I think we should be getting to class.”

 

“W-why don't you walk me to class, Quinn?” Sophia stuttered, panicking. “We have the same first period class!” She exclaimed, trying desperately to get Quinn's attention.

 

“Sorry, Sophia, was it? I need to have a talk with Darien,” Quinn replied, motioning to me. “See you around,” he said smoothly, as we turned to walk away.

 

I looked at Quinn with a shocked expression. Had he really just blown Sophia off? No one had ever acted that way toward her. No one. And yet this amazing boy who had just moved here had done so, and for me, no less.

 

“Now, what were we talking about?” Quinn asked, as though the whole thing hadn't happened.

 

“Quinn... You realize that you just pissed off the most popular girl in this whole school?” I asked, still in shock.

 

“And? I don't care about popularity. Never have. And besides, in a school with 300 students, how much does popularity matter?” He asked, laughing, shaking his head. All I could do was smile. This guy had his priorities straight.

 

“Oh!” I exclaimed, “This is my classroom.” I didn't want to leave, but I knew that the bell would be ringing any second, and Quinn would have to get to class.

 

“Very well,” Quinn said, eyes bright. “I will see you third period, then?” he asked, a smile spreading across his face.

 

“Of course,” I said, all too quickly.

 

“Good. See you then.” A small laugh.

 

“Bye,” I said, turning to enter the class that I had gotten out of yesterday, Pre-calculus.

 

Walking in, I noticed Riku right off, moving his backpack out of the seat in front of him, opening a spot for me to sit. I moved across the room and sat down, acting like I didn't see him, just to see his reaction.

 

As I leaned over to get the my binder out of my bag, Riku smacked me on the back of the head with his text book. “What's this all about, Dare?” he asked, sounding serious. “You leave me for the most popular guy in school this morning, and then you have the nerve to walk in here like you are some kind of celebrity? I am hurt, bro. Deeply, deeply hurt.”

 

I turned around in my chair, looked him straight in the face and whispered, “Horseshit.” He struggled not to burst out in laughter, but he wasn't able to hold it in. He smiled wide, and then laughed loud enough for the teacher, Mrs. Roberts, who had just walked into the room, to hear.

 

“Mister Tachibana,” she said sternly, “I would appreciate it very much if you would refrain from that behavior.” She then moved to her desk.

 

“Yes, ma'am,” Riku said, still grinning. “Why is it that I only get in trouble when you are around, Mister Balfour?” He asked, mimicking Mrs. Roberts. He laughed at his own imitation.

 

“Only when I am around?” I asked, snickering, “Please. You don't need me to get into trouble, Riku.”

 

Mrs. Roberts cleared her throat again, signaling the beginning of class. “Since you all missed yesterday, today, it is imperative that we get start immediately. Today, you will be taking a test of your basic Algebra II knowledge,” she said, eliciting a groan from most of the class. “It will be the base of a majority of what we will be doing in this class,” she said, raising her voice to talk over the complaints. “Everyone spread out and face the back of the room.”

 

After wishing each other luck, Riku and myself turned around and spread from everyone else. The test was not too hard, but it was so time consuming that I realized the class was almost over as I finished. I walked to the front, and handed Mrs. Roberts my test and the scrap paper I had used.

 

“Pencils down,” she commanded of the class. Everyone sat their pencils down, then turned to look at Mrs. Roberts. “Darien was the first person done, and you all should be near finished, seeing that he is done.” Groans arose from the class again. “Good thing I don't care what people think,” I thought to myself as I made my way back to my desk.

 

Then right as I reached it, the bell rang, so I picked up my bag and waited for Riku to get his backpack. He stood up and laughed. “Hey, whats so funny?” I asked.

 

“Nothing. You should have seen the look on their faces. They were so mad,” he said, chuckling again, snatching up his paper and following me to the class' front.

 

“Its not my fault,” I said. “How far did you get?” I asked as he laid his paper with the rest of the stack laying on Mrs. Robert's desk. We walked out of the room, and Riku just smiled.

 

“Honestly, I got finished.” I looked at him confused. “I knew she would pull something like that, so I just waited,” he said, shrugging. “I heard it from yesterday's class.”

 

“You are so sneaky,” I said laughing. “Anyway, now that the people in there hate me more then they did, I guess its off to American History,” I said as we neared the classroom. As we were about to walk into the room, a wave of golden hair swooped in front of us, knocking me back slightly.

 

“Watch it,” a harsh tone came, overflowing with malicious intent. Sophia turned to shoot me a venomous glare. The event from this morning were obviously still taking a toll on her already better-than-you attitude.

 

“You're the one that needs to watch it, Sophia,” Riku shot back, his tone matching hers.

 

“I don't think I was talking to you, was I, you arrogant Asian a*****e,” she spat, face reddening.

 

“Sophia,” a voice came from the classroom, “Watch your language. You can stand out in the hallway, I need to have a talk with you. Darien, Riku, find your seats,” Mrs. Rosen said sternly, but her voice softening when she addressed Riku and I.

 

I nodded as I walked by, a silent “thank you” for her breaking up what could have possibly gotten Riku detention. He has always had a tendency to been outspoken, and would tell someone if they were wrong. I was also thankful for my passiveness, which kept me out of trouble. The whole class watched as Riku and myself walked to our seats and sat down, and Mrs. Rosen walked out of the room.

 

The class resumed its dull roar of conversation after she shut the door behind her. Riku turned to me and smiled, proud of the stand he took for me. “Thank you,” I said gratefully.

 

“Don't mention it,” he replied, crossing his arms over his chest and grinning, “I know I'm your hero.”

 

All I could do was snicker. The doorknob turned, and a still red-faced Sophia stormed into the room, dropping her books with a loud smack as they hit the floor. Mrs. Rosen walked in, looking rather frustrated, and closed the door behind her.

 

As she began her lecture for the day began, my thoughts drifted to Quinn. She went on with historical facts about Native Americans and their involvement in the lives of Americans, which I would normally find interesting. However, I was on autopilot, so to speak, and jotting down notes, even though they were the last thing on my mind. Before I knew it, Mrs. Rosen announced that she was done, and the bell would ring in just a few minutes.

 

After a few minutes of silence, Riku turned around and looked at my paper. “Dude... Are you okay?” he asked, a look of slight concern plastered on his face. I looked at him questioningly, wondering why he would ask that. He looked at me, and then pointed down to my paper.

 

As I looked down, I realized that over the past few minutes, I had written Quinn's name all over my paper. There was another name with it, and I had no idea where it had come from.

 

“Akira,” I whispered. The name sounded so very familiar to me, but I couldn't place it. The feeling of incompleteness washed over me. That memory on my mind's edge was dancing more vigorously now. It was almost within sight, but I still couldn't remember.

 

“Akira?” Riku asked, confused. “Where did that come from?”

 

“I have not the foggiest,” I said back, weakly. The bell rang, and there was a large amount of noise as students rushed to gather their things and leave as quickly as possible. Riku gathered his things, then turned to me.

 

“Come on, Dare,” he said quietly, grasping my shoulder. “You have to explain this later. I'm sure its one of your psychic things.”

 

“Yeah, it is,” I replied, standing up and putting the paper in my binder. I reached for my bag, and Riku and I were the last out of the room.

 

Just outside of the door was the last thing that I wanted to see after having such an odd occurrence happen. There in her brand name clothes, perfect, golden hair, and slitted eyes was Sophia, menacing yet again.

 

“Alright, you listen, you freak. Quinn is mine. And I will have him, mark my words,” she hissed, her aura flaring up, as it did earlier.

 

“Sophia, I have not the patience to put up your games right now. People can't be owned like your expensive jewelry, clothes, and cars. Quinn is a person with his own will. He's not shallow enough to be lured in by your money,” I said, turning on my heel and starting to walk away.

 

“What makes you think he could be interested in someone like you, hmmm?” She said suddenly. Her voice seemed to echo, as if it was being said by two people. Just like the day before, an image came into my mind's eye.

 

A beautiful Asian woman appeared in front of me, and the rest of the world faded away. Her hair was long and black, her eyes the traditional brown that Asians are known for. Her wardrobe was a beautifully decorated pink kimono, a traditional floral design. “What makes you think he could be interested in someone like you, hmmm?” the voice repeated; multipling and reverberating all around me.

 

“Because if you think you have a chance, then I sure as hell do,” I said, continuing to walk. The response was automatic, as if it hadn't come from me directly. Its as if I was talking to both the woman and Sophia simultaneously. The woman disappeared, and I regained my sense of surroundings, realizing that Riku was beside me again.

 

“Way to go!” Riku exclaimed. “I didn't know you had it in you! You should have seen the look on her face,” he said, getting excited.

 

“Oh, I did, believe me,” I said back, quietly, reflecting on what happened. We were nearing my third period class, and I would be seeing Quinn in just a few minutes. I had made up my mind; Today, I would talk to him about what was going on. I would find out everything and answer my questions.

Author's Note

If there are any inconsistencies , just let me know so I can fix the book! Also, any grammatical errors or spelling errors are possible, so keep your eyes peeled!

Reviews

[Aiden- Aiko- Kiyomi]

Not cool dude. lol. You said there was going to be a lot going on and I would be content for a while. Just about the only thing that happened was Darien told Sophia off. . . COME ON!!!!!!!! It was well written though. But you will probably have an angry mob beating down your cyber door... 2 months and then THIS?! I must say Riku reminds me a lot of me except for the fact that I probably WOULD have gotten detention,haha. Sophia reminds me of "who what?!" just her better than you attitude. Post more please. Overall very well done.

[Sseoni]

Cool chapter! The drama was good! The dialogue is great and funny at that! :D

[Orahemae December]

very nice. i agree with Nikki about 'who what...' i love it but I WANT MORE!!! ( knocking on cyber door lol)

[Orahemae December]

very nice. i agree with Nikki about 'who what...' i love it but I WANT MORE!!! ( knocking on cyber door lol)