Chapter 3: Don't Call it a Date Until...

Quite a long chapter. Maybe this will hold you over a bit better. Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I gotta keep you coming back for more!

 

“See ya,” Riku called as I walked toward my third period class. I felt bad for leaving him in such a hurry, but I felt a sudden burst of confidence, and I wanted to get the most out of it while I could.

 

“Later,” I replied, still looking straight ahead to my destination. I saw past the swirling auras, and locked onto the one that I was looking for. Its deep metallic color, with bright, shimmering swirls made my heart flutter. It was approaching the door as well, and my head began filling with questions.

 

I reached the door, and I felt him walk up behind me. His aura was very active today, flaring out from his body, making me aware that he was happy and energetic. I walked through the door, and I felt his aura following me still, all the way to my seat. I turned to sit my books and bag down, and there he stood.

 

“Hello, Darien,” he said, his voice possessing the same velvety sound that it had yesterday. His eyes were bright, tipping me off even more about his good mood. I scooted out my chair and sat down, as he did the same.

 

“Hi, Quinn,” I said, trying to make it sound casual. “So, about this morning,” I started, “You really blew Sophia off,” I said, motioning to the flowing blonde hair at the front of the classroom. “It kind of made me wonder why.”

 

“Well,” his smile faded ever so slightly, and his eyes became, for a moment, more serious, “I learned about her type a long time ago. There is no point in such beauty if it is wasted on the tainted soul.” Another flash of “Akira” flooded my vision. It faded as quickly as it had come, and I saw him smile a little more broadly, and his eyes brighten back up.

 

“Sorry, I didn't mean to start the conversation talking about Sophia,” I said, realizing that I had brought that up out of the blue. “So, why don't we talk about something a little less... sickening,” I pressed, pausing to search for the right word to describe her.

 

“Alright, then,” he replied, laughing lightly. “What would you like to talk about, Darien?”

 

“Well, honestly, there were somethings that I wanted to ask you,” I started, my confidence slipping, and I realized how stupid I was going to sound if he didn't know what I was talking about. “I don't really know how to say them without weirding you out though,” I confessed, shrinking back into my seat slightly.

 

“Don't worry about that,” he said, his eyes glinting peculiarly. “You can tell me whatever you want. I doubt there is anything that you can say to scare me away,” he reassured me. His words made my heart pound in my chest. I felt light-headed, and it was as if I was in a dream, but I knew I had to focus.

 

“Well, I'll just start by saying that I have always been different. I see things that no one else does.” I looked down at my books, still wondering why I was telling a near complete stranger these things.

 

“Go on,” he urged, curiosity detectable in his voice.

 

“I can see auras, Quinn,” I admitted. This was something that I had only said out loud one time, to Celia. Riku had known since we were children, and he never doubted me or asked anymore about it. He accepted this ability without question.

 

“Amazing,” Quinn said, sounding astounded. “I have never met anyone with any abilities like my own,” he trailed off, deep in thought.

 

“Like... Like your own?” I asked, hoping he would tell me what he meant. My mind was racing. Of all the people that were in this school, the one that is like me, the one that has powers like mine, was the most beautiful boy I had ever seen.

 

“Well, somewhat,” he responded, snapping back into the present, a flash of his white teeth dazzled me into a momentary stupor. “I will have to explain another time, though,” he added. “School is not the safest place for discussing our... Gifts,” he finished.

 

“Oh, right,” I said, laughing nervously. I hadn't thought about the many people that could overhear our little talk. “Well then,” I said, “When and where do you think we should talk? You could call me tonight, or...” I trailed off and waited for him to speak.

 

“Well, honestly, I wanted to talk to you about this in person,” Quinn said, smiling. “Not on the phone. This is a rather important thing to talk about. Let's discuss it over dinner on Friday night.”

 

My heart stopped. I hoped that I had heard him right. “Um... Yeah, sure...” I managed, trying to clear my head. “Just let me know when and where, and its a sure thing,” I said, surprisingly, without any stuttering.

 

“I was thinking about a little Italian restaurant about an forty-five minutes away in Portland,” he said, nonchalantly. “Would that be alright? I could pick you up at, say... six o'clock?” His eyes gleamed again, making my head swirl even more that it already was.

 

I nodded, and tried to smile normally, without looking like a creep. It must have worked fairly well, because he smiled back at me.

 

“Alright, it's a date,” he said, smile widening more. Hearing these words started my heart again, and it began to pound as it was a few minutes ago, pumping my blood hard in my veins, shading my face red.

 

“Today, we will be reviewing your past knowledge from Biology One,” Mr. Parlier's voice said, drawing everyone's attention. What timing that was. I told myself that my face wasn't red, and that Quinn didn't notice anything about it, but I knew he did. I knew that he had to have noticed something odd about my behavior. It was practically impossible for him to miss it completely, thanks to my stutters, awkward smiles, and suddenly crimson cheeks.

 

The rest of Biology was spent on reviewing the Periodic Table, mixtures and solutions, and atom bonding. Science had always been my strong point, so I barely listened to the review, seeing as I remembered it all from my Biology class.

 

I was lost in thoughts of Quinn and what this “date” could bring. I didn't want to get my hopes up too high, because as far as I was concerned, my chances were like a snowball's in hell.

 

However, impossible romantic thoughts aside, I wondered how interesting it would be to have a friend that had powers similar to mine. We could both finally have someone that understood what it was like to be like us. The thought of making a good friend like Quinn was amazing in itself.

 

While these thoughts twisted around in my head, fighting for dominance in my mind, I felt a nudge on my right side near the end of class. I looked down to find that Quinn had slid his notebook over toward me, with had lightly printed writing on it.

 

“I assume you picked up my number when I left it for you yesterday,” was written in an elegant, cursive script on the page, near the bottom.

 

I picked up my pencil and responded: “Of course. I couldn't very well let Sophia have it. You would have never heard the end of her.” I then nudged it slightly the the right, alerting him that I had written him back.

 

I saw his eyes skim over it, and a smirk broke to the surface. He scrawled his response, and slid it back my way.

 

“I can't thank you enough for that. So, just in case an emergency comes up about Friday, I may need your number. Would you mind?”

 

I smiled and wrote back, “Of course I don't mind. And don't hesitate to call me if you need anything.” I followed up by writing out my number, and letting him know that I had a texting plan if he didn't feel like calling.

 

“Thank you, again. I would rather call though, if you don't mind. Hearing a familiar voice is nice sometimes,” he replied. That puzzled me slightly, seeing as we had only talked a handful of times. I shrugged it off and he slid the notebook back over toward himself, letting me know that Mr. Parlier was looking our way. I nodded in acknowledgment, and straightened my pose, feigning attentiveness.

 

The bell gave its shrill, startling sound, and everyone scattered from the classroom, with Mr. Parlier warning of a quiz tomorrow.

 

I stood, gathering my things, and grabbing my bag. I turned to leave, and unlike yesterday, I found that Quinn was still standing there, waiting for me. I smiled, and he smiled back.

 

Again, “Akira” came to my mind, but the image stayed longer. In my vision, I looked up to the great cherry blossom tree that hung over me, the pale, pink petals falling all around. It faded, and I found myself staring at the ceiling of the classroom.

 

I shook my head and looked back at Quinn, and it was apparent that he had seen it as well. All of this was very confusing. Though I had always seen and felt things that no one else could, nothing of this measure had ever happened before.

 

“Come, Darien,” Quinn said, softly, “Let's go.”

 

I walked to his side, and his aura seemed to reach out for me. Its warmth seemed to wrap around me, taking the odd chill from the air. Though the vision had seemed bright and happy, the aftermath left me chilled and empty. That was taken away thanks to the oddity that was Quinn's aura. I didn't know whether it was intentional or not, and I doubted that I ever would, but it helped, and I smiled again.

 

“From the looks of it, you saw that too,” he said coolly, walking down the hall next to me. The people seemed to part around him, something that was strange to me. Being the outcast that I was, I was used to pushing through the crowds.

 

I simply nodded to answer his question, not knowing what to say in response. We walked along in silence, our auras mixing together, overlapping each other. It was not an awkward silence, but one of knowing and understanding that we were alike.

 

We reached the Spanish classroom in a considerably shorter amount of time than what I was used to. Celia stood at the door, ever vigilant, eyeballing Quinn up and down when we arrived. She didn't look too happy, but that was Celia for you.

 

“Good afternoon, Celia,” Quinn said, smiling brightly at her. Her expression changed almost immediately to one of surprise. She seemed very skeptical about Quinn, and this small gesture seemed to sway her quite a bit.

 

“Hi, Quinn,” she said, burying her surprise under a veil of uncaring. Part of me was agitated at her for this uncalled for action, but it was how Celia was, and I accepted that a long time ago.

 

“I just thought I would help Darien to class. We left third period late, and I didn't want him to be tardy to Spanish. I guess I should be heading to my fourth class. Talk to you later, Darien,” he said, shooting me a knowing glance. He turned and walked away, black hair spanning behind him. I noticed that his aura had taken on a warmer tone. It looked happier, much like the difference between a smiling person, and a person with a blank face. I wondered if my aura ever did the same. I'd never paid too much mind.

 

“Alright, talk to you later,” I said, smiling. I turned to Celia to find her with her arms crossed, foot tapping the ground. Her eyes were ablaze, aggravation apparent. I wondered to myself “Why?”

 

We walked into the classroom, and found that there were two adjoining seats today. I wasn't sure whether or not to be happy with this or not. I walked over to the seat nearest the wall, and sat down. She sat next to me, sitting up straight, then said to me, without turning; “I didn't know that you were friends with Quinn, let alone head over heels for him.”

 

“Well, I very well couldn't talk to you yesterday, Celia. You stomped away without a word twenty-four hours ago,” I replied, shaking me head. Celia had to be handled in a certain way. This way consisted of returning what anger she dished out back to her.

 

“Alright, fine,” she said, now turning to look at me, “Tell me everything.”

 

“Everything? Define everything,” I replied simply.

 

“I want to know where you met, how you met, and what is going on right now,” she said, voice full of curiosity.

 

I sighed and explained the happenings of yesterday, being sure to include the bit about his aura. I explained that I was thinking that there was something special about this aura of ours.

 

“That's it? That's all that is going on? Are you sure?” She asked in quick succession, not allowing me to answer in between.

 

“That's about it. Well... Except one detail,” I said, my face flushing. Celia looked like she was about to jump out of her seat. “He... invited me to dinner to talk about things.” Her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped. She began to talk, but I held up my hand, anticipating what she was going to say. “Don't say it, please. I don't want to get my hopes up too high. There is something that we both have in common, and that thing happens to make up different from everyone else... That doesn't mean that we are meant to be together.”

 

“You know, you are really good at hitting the nail on the head when it comes to what I am going to say,” she said, eyebrow cocked. Mrs. Rosen walked into the room, smiling. She was apparently in a better mood today than she was yesterday.

 

The class was pretty calm and easy. It flew by, and when I looked at the clock, I realized that it was almost time to go home. The bell rang, and I got up and told Celia goodbye. I grabbed my bag and headed outside, trying to catch up with Quinn before he left. I walked quickly out the doors, and turned to walk toward the parking lot.

 

“In a hurry, Darien?” I heard a soft voice ask. I turned to see Quinn leaning with his back against the wall, smiling broadly, arms crossed over his muscled chest. He pushed himself off of the wall and walked toward me, his aura still holding that warm glow.

 

I smiled, my heart fluttering in my chest, but I was surprisingly calm. I walked to meet him half way, still smiling.

 

“Would you like me to walk you to your car?” He asked, laughing, beginning to walk toward the parking lot, since we parked next to one another.

 

“Sure, why not,” I said happily. I spotted Riku waiting at my car, and I just knew that he was rolling his eyes at me.

 

“Friday is a couple days away, and I don't know if I can wait that long to talk to you about this... But I guess I must,” Quinn said suddenly, catching me off guard. I looked at him, and his smile had faded slightly, his eyes holding a certain sadness.

 

“Is something wrong?” I asked, worried about what he was thinking.

 

“I'm fine,” he assured me, looking up and smiling again. The smile didn't quite reach his eyes, as they still looked somewhat saddened. “It's just been a while since I have been able to talk to someone about my powers,” he confessed, making my heart sink with curiosity.

 

By the time he had said these words, we were already in the hearing range of Riku. Quinn seemed to brighten back up to keep Riku clueless about our talk. We stood at the back of my car, and we looked at each other for a brief moment, but it seemed to last ages.

 

“Let me know if you need anything,” I said softly, smiling. “You have my number.” I realized that it had sounded very feminine of me, but I shrugged it off.

 

“Of course. Thank you, Darien,” he replied, smiling again, the sincerity of the smile proven, with it finally showing in his eyes. “I will talk to you later, then,” he finished, walking over to his car, eyes glinting one last time before he shut the door.

 

I walked to the driver's side and hopped in, Riku already waiting in the passenger's seat. He looked at me with a smirk on his face as soon as I shut the door and put my stuff in the back seat. I put the key into the ignition, and started the car. I placed my hands on my lap, then looked over at him. We stared at each other for a few moments before I couldn't stand the silence anymore.

 

“What?!” I exclaimed, then shifting into reverse and pulling out, watching Quinn's car streak off down the road ahead.

 

“Nothing. Just watching you fall for this guy. And wondering what happened while I wasn't around,” he added, wiggling his eyebrows.

 

“Well, I am going to dinner with him Friday night,” I said plainly, trying not to show my nervousness.

 

“Dinner? Like... A date?” he asked, grinning. “I knew it!”

 

“No, Riku, not a date. We are going to talk about his aura and powers.” I rolled my eyes. “You seem more excited than I was. Calm down,” I finished, gripping the wheel hard.

 

“Okay, if you say so. But still, Quinn has the hots for you,” he muttered, folding his arms over his chest.

 

“Don't go there,” I said flatly.

 

“No, really. I can tell that there is something there. I admit, I doubted a little yesterday, but today... I am a believer,” he laughed.

 

The rest of the car ride consisted of me explaining what had happened in detail, and his usual joking around. We were both laughing by the time that I pulled into his driveway. He grabbed his stuff, and said a quick goodbye, making a face at me after he shut the door. I just smiled and shook my head.

 

I pulled up to my house and got out, smiling at the events of today. I walked up the stairs and into my room, shutting the door behind me. I got out my homework from Advanced Bio, and began work on it. It was very simple stuff, so I was able to let my mind wander for a little bit.

 

Mom came home, made dinner, and asked about my day. She was very happy that I was going to dinner on Friday. She was as eager as Riku and Celia to pair Quinn and myself up in her mind. She was extremely happy for me, and wanted to meet Quinn “if things got serious”. I reassured her that I would bring him to meet her if anything “got serious”. It was a very laid back, relaxing talk for the both of us.

 

I went back up to my bed room, picked up my cell phone, and flipped it open. My heart began to race when I found the “1 Missed Call” notification covering my screen. I checked the number, and sure enough, it was Quinn. He had left me a message, so I quickly dialed my voice mail box, and waited for the operator's recording to get through its normal mumbo-jumbo.

 

“Hello, Darien.” I almost melted at the sound of his voice. “I just wanted to call and thank you for today. I had been wanting to ask you about yourself, but I couldn't find the proper time. I am glad that you brought it up though. Also, I wanted to apologize if I acted strangely after school. It is something that I will explain to you Friday at dinner.” Another one of those in-person things, I thought to myself. “Either way, I guess this message is long enough, so I will leave you be. See you in the morning.”

I smiled and sighed, happy to hear that. Knowing that I would see him again tomorrow made everything that much more perfect. The rest of the night went by in a flash as I prepped for the next day of school, and thought about Quinn.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Thursday~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Friday~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The last two days had been a giant haze for me. I remember getting up, going to school, talking to Riku and Celia, coming home, and talking to Quinn in between, of course. The days had just flown by, and before I knew it, it was 4 o'clock Friday afternoon, only 2 hours before Quinn was to pick me up.

 

I almost panicked when I realized the time. In just a short amount of time, I would be in a car with Quinn, on a forty-five minute drive to Portland, and having dinner with him. I rushed to my bathroom and hopped in the shower, just to be safe.

 

I got out and threw on a black, button-up shirt with gray pinstripes, and a pair of black jeans. I put on my black boots, and topped it all off with a silver and black pendant necklace. I straightened my hair and pulled the back into a ponytail, brushing my side bangs down on the side of my face.

 

I looked at the clock again, realizing that I had taken a while and that it was already 5:30. I double-checked my mental checklist, making sure that I had deodorant, cologne, gum, my wallet, and cell phone.

 

“Speaking of cell phones,” I muttered, feeling it vibrating in my pocket. I wedged it out, and checked the text message. It read:

 

“Heya, bro. Don't forget your cologne. You smelled pretty funny in the car after school. Have a good time. ;)

 

I laughed a little, sighing afterward. I checked myself in the mirror, and headed down the stairs. Mom had just gotten home, and looked at me wide-eyed.

 

“Darien, you look so handsome,” she said, smiling widely. “If this boy doesn't fall in love with you tonight, then there is something wrong with him,” she joked. She then noticed the pendant I was wearing.

 

“Your grandmother's good luck charm,” she smiled, her eyes misting slightly. “You know, it is supposed to be a woman's necklace, but I think it is perfect for you.”

 

“Thanks, Mom,” I said back, walking over to hug her.

 

“Your grandma wanted it to be left for you,” she said. “Told me that it would come in handy for you one day.”

 

“I know,” I said, smiling, recalling back when I was younger and my grandma was still alive.

 

“Well, I won't keep you,” she sighed, patting me on the back. “Because it looks like your ride just pulled in,” she smiled.

 

“Already!” I exclaimed, realizing that it was now fifteen till 6. “Okay, Mom, I love you. Be home later!” I yelled, walking out the door. I walked out to Quinn's car, opening the door and sliding into the car. I noticed Mom peeking out the window on the second floor of the house, smiling down at me, trying to catch a glimpse of Quinn. Thankfully, he didn't see her.

 

“Hi, Quinn,” I smiled at him, buckling up.

 

“Hello, Darien. You look nice,” he said, looking at me with a smile, backing out of the drive way.

 

“So do you,” I said, guessing that it wouldn't be too creepy since he said it first. There was some faint music playing, and I quickly recognized it as Gackt's “Suddenly”.

 

I looked at him, and examined him, trying not to look suspicious. His hair was down, which was a nice change. It was straight as a board, and shining in the light. It flowed elegantly over his shoulders, and down his back. He wore black pants, very similar to mine, a white, long sleeved shirt, and a black vest with silver patterns blazen on the front. As usual, his eyes were bright, as was his aura. He was breath-taking.

 

“Tsudzurareta kotoba wa imo mo itoshikute. Mou otzozureru koto no nai mirai wa zankoku da ne,” I sang softly along with Gackt, enjoying the song. Quinn's deep, soft voice followed.

 

“Kimagure na ano koro to onaji you ni, soba de neru anata ga isou de,” he sang, perfectly. He glanced at me and smiled. I was entranced by his voice. It was so soulful. He knew what the words meant, that was obvious.

 

“Those words you wrote are still dear to me. The future where I can't visit you again is cruel, isn't it? Just like that capricious time, its like you are here sleeping next to me,” he said, seeming to know what I was thinking. “The translation,” he finished, simply, confirming the suspicion in my mind. Those lyrics struck a nerve in my heart, and I almost teared up. I wasn't sure why, but holding back my tears was a formidable task.

 

“You know Japanese?” I asked, wondering how many more talents he possessed on top of an amazing singing voice.

 

“Oh, no,” he replied quickly, laughing. “I just know the translation by heart.” And I thought that I loved Gackt. “It's a beautiful song, really. Not that he has any that aren't.” Another light-hearted laugh.

 

“I agree. And I have looked up the lyrics for many of the songs before, but... I have a hard enough time remembering the Japanese lyrics, let alone both the Japanese and English.” I felt as though I was talking way too much, so I decided to stay silent for a while.

 

The majority of the ride was spent in silence. It was not an awkward silence, but a comfortable one. The feeling of his aura wrapping around me returned. It felt so warm that it almost lulled me into a slumber. I closed my eyes and sighed, happily.

 

“I don't want to disturb you, but we are almost there,” he said, smiling over at me.

 

“Already?” I asked, opening my eyes again, and looking out the window at our surroundings. He was right, we were just outside of Portland.

 

Quinn's eyes were fixated on the road, so I dared to steal yet another glance. I gasped as I looked at his chest. On his chest, there sat an identical twin to my grandmother's pendant. It's shining, tear-shaped, onyx stone set in a brilliant silver base. My exclamation caught his attention, and he followed my eyes to his pendant, then looked at mine. I looked up to find his face with the same look that I was sure mine held.

 

“Quinn... Your necklace... Where did you get it?” I asked, still stunned. His eyes returned to the road.

 

“It was passed down to me. An heirloom from my grandmother. Her mother had left it for her, who's mother had left it for her, so on and so forth. My great-great-great-grandmother received it from a dear friend of hers before he passed away,” he said. I was shocked.

 

“The same with mine,” I said in disbelief. Wasn't sure how far back the necklace had come into my family's possession, but it was basically the same story. “What are the chances of that?” I asked, turning to him again, shaking my head and chuckling nervously.

 

We pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant, and sat there for a minute, looking at each other. Once again, it wasn't uncomfortable. Finally, Quinn broke the silence.

 

“So, shall we?” he asked, reaching to open his door. A smile spread across his face as he got out. I could swear that his cheeks were slightly red just before he got out, but I let it go. Who knew what kind of illusions my mind could create in these situations?

 

I reached for the door handle and opened it, stepping out and looking over the top of the car at Quinn. My heart skipped a beat as I looked into his eyes. “Akira,” a voice in my head told me. “No, this is Quinn,” I pushed back, not wanting to have an inner battle with the visions all night. We walked across the parking lot and into the restaurant.

 

The atmosphere was amazing. The tables were spread far enough apart for each party to be comfortable, and there was soft classical music playing in the background. It smelled of all kinds of Italian foods; Spaghetti, Alfredo, many different pastas. It wafted around the room entirely, adding a good deal to the setting.

 

“Quinn Alexander, table for two,” Quinn said, walking toward the podium with the guest book on it. A smiling, short, middle-aged greeter nodded, made a note in the book, then lead us to our table in the corner of the room.

 

“Your waitress will be with you shortly,” he said, as he smiled and walked away. We both smiled and nodded politely to the man as he left.

 

“I thought that this would be a nice spot for us to talk,” Quinn said, taking his seat. “It's far from the other tables, and I think that can speak freely without worry.” I sat down across from him.

 

By this time, I realized that the setting of this restaurant was more romantic than anything. There was a small candle set in the middle of the table, which brilliantly lit up Quinn's face. I quickly shook off the thoughts, telling myself not to assume too much.

 

“So, I suppose I should start,” he told me, flame dancing in his eyes. “To put it bluntly, I can read thoughts,” he confessed. My heart raced. I hoped that he hadn't been reading my mind all along. He studied my face carefully, judging my reaction.

 

“You can read minds? E-everyone's?” I asked, attempting not to sound desperate for an answer.

 

“Well, mostly.” I wanted to kick myself in the a*s for thinking about him so much. “However,” he said with a smile, “You are partially an exception.” I breathed a sigh of relief, and just hoped he hadn't heard.

 

“I can read your mind to an extent,” he began, “But only when it is something that you want me to know.”

 

“That makes sense, I guess,” I said, heart still pounding, head still spinning.

 

“For example, I knew that you wanted to talk to me about your abilities, therefore, I knew,” he replied simply. “I knew of your silver aura, the one like my own.”

 

“So, you can see auras, too?” I asked, feeling ripped off. If I was going to be an outcast because of these powers, I wanted to have Quinn's power, too. Or at least have better control of my own.

 

“Technically, no,” he laughed. “I could see my aura through your eyes.”

 

“Hello, Quinn” I heard a familiar voice say. My heart dropped into the pit of my stomach. “What can I get for you?” It continued, confirming my suspicion. I turned to see a head full of beautiful blonde hair and green eyes that shot a venomous glare despite the happy tone.

 

“I will just have the chicken Alfredo,” he said simply, not looking away from me. I laughed on the inside as she scrawled his order down on her notepad.

 

“And you,” she asked, turning to me, voice losing the happy ring that it held moments earlier.

 

“The same.” I just wanted her to leave so that I could continue our chat. I tried to focus on the emerald green of Quinn's eyes.

 

“Alright, your order will be out shortly,” the blonde said, looking at Quinn, then turning to walk away.

 

“Of all the people to serve us tonight, it had to be Sophia,” I said, shaking my head.

 

“It will be fine, she won't bother us,” Quinn reassured.

 

“Well, I guess you need to know about what I can do,” I said, sighing. “I am an empath,” I told him. His eyes brightened.

 

“I know,” he said. “It was one of those thoughts that you sent to me subconsciously. It's an interesting ability, feeling what others feel. Very stressful though, I assume.”

 

 

“More than you know,” I said, realizing that the whole point of this dinner was done already. I knew his abilities, and he knew mine. What else was there to talk about?

 

“We could talk about normal things,” he said. I looked at him confused, and he laughed nervously. “Sorry,” he said. “It was another one of those subconscious things.”

 

“It's alright,” I assured, “It's just going to take time to get used to that.” I smiled at him, happy that this might not be so bad after all.

 

The remainder of the dinner went well. We talked about music, why our favorite songs meant so much to us, and anything else that we could think of. Sophia tried to sound happy when addressing Quinn, but that was out the window when it came to me. I was fine with that. I was sure to check my dish for any tampering she may have done, and Quinn reassured me, thanks to his mind-reading, that she hadn't, as much as she had wanted to.

 

We got up to leave, and I felt a little sad that our night was already over. It was only about eight o'clock, and I had no particular curfew, being the beginning of the weekend.

 

“You know, I just remembered something that I wanted to talk to you about,” Quinn said suddenly, on our way out the door. “Would you have any complaints about going to the park?” He asked, politely.

 

“Of course not,” I said, smiling. I was cheered up once again, thanks to Quinn.

 

We got in the car and drove for about 5 minutes before pulling into another parking lot. The park here was beautiful. There was a walking trail that seemed to go back into a slightly wooded area, and benches were scattered along the trail.

 

We climbed out of the car, and started along the walking path, slowly, enjoying ourselves as we walked along.

 

“I wanted to ask about your past, and tell you about mine,” Quinn said rather suddenly and bluntly. “I don't mean to pry, but I was curious,” he confess.

 

“Well,” I began, “I never knew my father. He left my mom while she was pregnant with me,” I said.

 

“I'm so sorry,” he said, looking to the ground.

 

“Don't be,” I told him, softly. “He wouldn't have been a good father if he were around anyway.” He looked over at me, and I smiled to show him that I really was okay. “Could I ask about yours?” I asked, as curious about his as he was mine.

 

“Of course,” he said, eyes darkening slightly. I prepared myself for his story. “When I was 16, my parents died. No explanation. No records. Nothing. I lived with my grandmother for two years after. When I turned 18, I got a huge sum of money from their wills.” He laughed bitterly. “People acted as though that could make up for their deaths. Just a few months ago, my grandmother passed away, leaving everything she had to me, just as my parent had. She specifically hid away this necklace for me, though I don't know why,” he finished, fingers caressing the black pendant.

 

“I... I don't know what to say, Quinn,” I said, eyes misting, inevitably saddened by the story.

 

“You don't have to say anything,” he said, eyes brightening, as we walked underneath an arch of trees. He smiled at me, reassuring me that he was okay, too.

 

I looked back down to the ground. I felt his aura engulf me again, draining the sadness away. I was happy again, and his aura seemed to take on that warm tone. My skin tingled slightly as it his aura warmed me. Suddenly, I felt a shock go through my body. It traveled through every limb and nerve I had. I felt light-headed, and the ground seemed to disappear from underneath me. I saw Akira, but now, he was kissing another boy. I realized what caused this chain of events.

 

I came back into reality, Quinn's arms wrapping around me, as his soft lips pressed hard against mine.

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

[Sseoni]

Awesome chapter! You never cease to amaze me with your writing! I loved it so far! I can't wait until the next one! :D

[Aiden- Aiko- Kiyomi]

YAY!!! This was wonderful... and this wasn't really that bad of a cliffhanger... I mean after Sora's stories you want to take her head off. But its a wonderful story no doubt and I am looking forward to the next chapter!

[Kaiko]

I'm supposed to be doing homework right now but I chose to read this instead. Sorry I didn't read or review the previous chapter I've just been far too busy with schoolwork. I just read both the second chapter and I think it's a great storyline! You keep me wondering what's going to happen next and I can't wait for the next chapter! Love the romance! Great job!! Also: "She didn't look {too} happy, but that was Celia for you"

[Ashen Raine]

Oh my God! You are amazing! x3 I loved it... So much! SO MUCH!!!!

I don't know what else to say. It was amazing! xD I don't care what you say, you are a brilliant writer.

*hugs*

Get the next chapter up soon! x3

-Love, Ashen-