Chapter 1 - First Encounters

A Chapter by ObsidianSiren

Ari meets Hoshi, but is it a dream come true?

"And that's all you remember?" My best friend Zahra asks, taking another bite of her ranch salad. The gold eye shadow swept across the lids of her eyes to accentuate her dark olive skin tone of Egyptian descent. Her beautiful sleek black hair fell down her shoulders and back in a curtain that could made people just want to run their fingers down it to feel their silkiness.
                "That was exactly everything in my dream." I told her, then taking a bite from the lasagna that the school served in the cafeteria.
                "That's heavy, and very sexy." I stop chewing to stare at her. "What?" Zahra asks as she shrugs.
                “The guy was a vampire Zahra."
                “So, He was a hunky vampire."
                “He's dead, what you're daydreaming about now, would be considered necrophilia."
                “Maybe, but this was your dream and you are the one who was getting hot and heavy over the dead dude.” She pointed with her fork at me. I blushed.
                "I didn't mean to." She ate her lasagna.
                "Freud says that dreams are our subconscious desires." I choked on my food.
                "I don't wish to be screwed by a dead person." Zahra just laughed.
                "Sure, sure."
                “I recognized the dress I wore. I don't know where I've seen it, but I am certain that I have worn it or seen it somewhere."
                “ So it was a white dress with copper red embroidery?" I nodded. "Well the red coloring would make sense for you since that's your highlights. I think it must have looked incredibly gorgeous on you." I smiled at her.
                "Thanks." She shot a grin at me.
                "Welcome." The bell rang and we headed to Advanced English together. "Ugh, I'm starting to hate this class."
                “Why, is it 'cause of the research paper that is coming up near the end of the semester?"

“That and because I sit behind the weirdest girl in the whole school." I laughed and jabbed at her with my elbow, knowing that she was talking about me.
We sat in our regular spots and took out our notebooks and folders. The classroom noise was at its usual degree, but it steadily got quieter and quieter until the whole room was silent.
                "Ari, look at him, he is up front." I did, and I froze. Zahra sighed heavily. "Good heavens, he's a hunk." I agreed breathlessly.
                "Good afternoon class, this is Hoshi Terajima. He is from Japan and has recently moved here from there. Please make him feel welcome. The teacher smiled at the class and told him where to sit. "Ariana, please raise your hand to show him that he'll be sitting next to you." I made myself stare down at my table as I raised my hand. I knew my face was burning so I kept it hidden behind the curtain of my chocolate brown hair, smelling my almond shampoo still lingering made me keep my wits about me. I felt my face, feeling that it was cooler, but to make sure I turned to see Zahra.
                "Is my face still red?" She shook her head, indicating that it was not red any longer. Mustering my courage, I turned to face Hoshi, sitting right next to me in the next row. "Hi, I'm Ariana, and this is my best friend Zahra. How's your day going so far?" He barely glanced at me, but stared at Zahra. He smiled a crooked smile that made my heart beat painfully. His brown eyes with a star of dark topaz around the pupil put on a show.
                "Nice to meet you Zahra, that's a beautiful name. Is it Egyptian?" Zahra's eyes widened.
                "Yeah, it means to blossom." Hoshi smiled. Her British accent was flourishing under his flirting gaze.
                "It suits you." He then turned to face the front, towards the teacher. I was dumbfounded, I glared at him, and then stared down at my notebook, doodling some flowers, unknowingly, drawing the scene that had been plaguing my dreams.
                I felt a pinprick at my back, and I turned around. She handed me a note.
                I wonder what was up with his attitude. That was way rude of him. *sigh* But Lordy is he a hunk. By the way, what are you drawing? I rolled my eyes but wrote back.
                Yeah, you are right on both accounts, Idk what his problem is, but oh well. I will not have to deal with him too much hopefully. Nevertheless, did you notice that he looks exactly like the guy in my dream? Here I will hand you the drawing. I gave her the note with the drawing tucked inside. I heard her sigh wistfully. I tried to pay attention the lesson given, but Hoshi's head was in my way. I shook my head at myself, annoyed that I was letting him into my thoughts. On my iPod, I looked up the meaning of Hoshi; apparently, it meant Star. I slanted a sideways look at him, in my dreams his eyes certainly were as bright as a star.
                Zahra handed the note back.
                So beautiful, I wish I could draw like you. Yeah I suppose that he does look like the guy in your dream and your drawing, but maybe you have seen Hoshi before or someone who looks like him and have subconsciously dreamt about him. I mean, I have read somewhere that you can only dream of people that you have already seen. Zahra was big into the meanings of dreams. ; She is also very big into psychology. I wrote back.
                Maybe I have seen him before somewhere, probably on the cast list for an anime or something. I just have never seen eyes like Hoshi’s before. The dark topaz star nestled into the rich brown.
                Yeah, they are the prettiest eyes I have ever seen. I rolled my eyes. Zahra was very into guys, almost as much as she was into psychology; and that was a lot. Anyway, my parents are going out for a hot date. Do you want to come over and have a date of our own? ;) I giggled.
                No, I would love to, but I got to study for World History. : P its Greek Mythology. I am actually excited to learn something more about the history of Ancient Greece. Zahra snorted behind me. I giggled behind my hand as the teacher glared at us.

The bell rang and I gathered my things, watching Hoshi stand up and lean over Zahra's desk. She flashed a grin at him then a shoulder shrug at me. I rolled my eyes, but gave her the thumbs up. I left to go to my locker and grab my homework and backpack. I sent Zahra a text message to tell me how it went, and left to go to my next class.

I walked to my math class, having to hear Zahra giggle ceaselessly while Hoshi just talked, really grated on my nerves. Sure, he made some jokes that even I could laugh at, but I was not giggling as if it was breathing. Zahra did that with every guy she wanted to be with, and foolishly, they all fell for it. She was good at making the guy feel good and manly, she knew how to make him feel wanted. Guys were suckers for that. If guys who pulled moves like that were playboys, Zahra would be the queen of players. Somehow, she is just that damn beautiful that she needs to prey on guys to fluff herself up some more.

Sighing while shaking my head, what was I doing? This is my best friend I was ripping on, sure, she makes choices that I do not agree with or even like for that matter, but it also teaches me something. That, if a guy sleeps with a girl just because she gives a few nice words and is duped, why should I give them the time of day myself? But then again, no guy ever looks at me when Zahra is around and apparently, Hoshi is no different.

Walking into class, I sat at my regular desk, in second row to the front with people sitting in the back two of the five rows. This math class was the smallest in the school since my entire senior class has only fifty kids, give, or take some of the kids that are usually not here or in PSEO. Zahra and Hoshi said goodbye to each other while I wanted to roll my eyes at their annoying banter. Hoshi sat directly behind me in the row that no one sat in, except for when some of the stragglers decide to come in to school. I tensed, feeling that he was behind me, it enveloped my senses, and I could not concentrate. While the teacher was writing something up on the board, I turned to face him slightly.

“Could you please move somewhere else? You are bugging me.” I hissed at him. I saw the smirk on his lips and I just wanted to smack it away. I noticed that a few of my classmates were looking at me weird, as I usually never speak unless spoken to, added with the fact that I was the person that Hoshi was sitting behind. I rolled my eyes at his cocky face and turned to face the front. His pen rolled from his desk to beside me and as I bent to pick it up, his hand was covering mine. I followed the hand to the arm and finally to Hoshi’s face. He had gotten out of his desk to retrieve it.

His dark topaz eyes reached out to me and I stared, just lost within his gaze. He smiled at me and my heart ached. I wanted to touch him more, to trace my fingers along that indiscernible scar on his cheek.

“It’s the same in my dream.” I thought, but as I watched the hair on his forehead slightly move like I had spoken and the way he tensed, his soft eyes had turned harsh and his back went ramrod straight. I groaned as I had ruined the moment. I jumped as I heard my teacher ‘harrumph’ behind me. His eyes never left me as I shot up.

“Sorry Mrs. Robyn. Hoshi dropped his pen and we both went to retrieve it but we grabbed it at the same time.” I shrugged as I looked down at my desk. Stars decorated my notebook cover and I blushed, covering it surreptitiously with a worksheet that Mrs. Robyn had us working on.

“Both of you get back to working on your homework.” She told us harshly before going back to the whiteboard. As soon as I sat down, I quickly flipped open my notebook to a random place in my notes.

“Nice stars.” Said Hoshi sardonically, gritting my teeth I twisted my upper body to face him.

“Shut the f**k up Hoshi.” I hissed quietly. I could see students within whispering distance drop their jaws, then it spread to the rest of the class and suddenly all of them were shocked. I did not realize that I would have gotten this kind of reaction by just swearing, but I did not care. I was seething and Hoshi was not making it any better with his stupid smirk that looked permanently sketched on his stupid face. I swear that I could practically hear it spread across school via text, if the constant buzzing in peoples’ pockets were any indication.

I was so damn close to punching his jaw but thankfully the bell rang and I quickly got up, swept all of my stuff in my arms while having my backpack in my other hand and trying to shove it all in there while walking out of class. Luckily, Hoshi was nowhere near me, luckily, all my stuff went into my backpack smoothly and luckily, students were avoiding me, though I could see their wide eyes. Unlucky for me was the stupid text message that I had gotten from Zahra. Apparently, she is upset with me for telling Hoshi to shut the f**k up and that he was only trying to be nice to me. I scoffed. She begged me to be nicer to, and I quote, ‘the love of her life.’ I scoffed and just deleted her text.

Of course, she would automatically blame me for my actions and not even bother to ask my side of the story. I was so angry that when I walked into class I slammed my backpack down, drawing stunned gazes. I was muttering to myself as I stalked over to my shelf and irritably grabbed my sketchpad and color pencils, I slammed my butt down on my chair at my table that I had to myself. There were twelve tables two tables as a set with three as a row. My table was farthest away and facing the doorway with the other set of tables to my right. There were only ten people occupying three out of the six tables in my ‘independent study’ art class but they grouped up and were usually semi-loud. They sat furthest from me. The tables in front and to the side of me were empty.

Today I was thankful at my loneliness, and thankful that this was one of the classes that I did not have with Zahra. I really did not need her crap, and her spouting nonsense about her ‘relationship’ with Hoshi. Zahra is very beautiful and along with that beauty came popularity, she enjoyed being popular, especially with the guys. Guys loved her, she had this way with them that made them feel manly and wanted, she got them all eating out of the palm of her hand. Do not get me wrong, I am not jealous of her.

Mostly because of the way she chooses to dole out her beauty: one night stands and false proclamations of love. If I was going to be told ‘I love you’ by some guy, I would want it to be for real love and not lust. I guess I am a traditionalist in that sense. I drew the cherry blossom night scene but this time I drew ‘Hoshi’ and myself, with him on one knee and me with my dress pulled up slightly to show off my combat boots. One of my legs was up slightly to indicate that I was going to kick him. I chuckled evilly to myself as I admired my handiwork, adding some coloring to only the cherry blossoms and the copper embroidery on my dress.

Finishing my drawing to my satisfaction I lifted up the next page, stood up to grab different art supplies I sat down to draw again. I was happy that the boys acted that way though, it showed me that if they were so easily swayed by Zahra’s beauty and duped into believing every word she said just so they could get in her pants, then they weren’t worth a second of my time. Sure a guy could change but not around Zahra they could not. She is like some temptress that could steal any guy that was currently in a relationship and never think twice about it. Guys just could not resist her, but I guess that I cannot exactly blame them; I mean girls fall for that sort of crap all the time.

I shook my head at my drawing. It was of a handsome man with orange and black eyes with blood trailing from the corner of his mouth down his chin. There is a red sun in the background and he is holding a cherry blossom branch. Even with the blood on his chin, there was a sense of innocence in his eyes. I sighed. The two drawings represented, I suppose, my feelings toward Hoshi. On the one hand, I just wanted to smash his face in with a bat, and other times, something in his eyes really tugged at me, and at my heart. Ugh my heart, who knew what ever my heart was feeling, she was just everywhere.

I added some color, smudged it some, and sighed again at my drawing, then glanced up at the doorway. I sat back in my seat and raised an eyebrow at the scene.

“Speak of the devil.” I muttered when Hoshi walked in with a yapping Zahra. I swear, when she is with Hoshi she looks like a bouncing Pomeranian. I chuckled blackly to myself as I narrowed my eyes at the two of them. Hoshi introduced himself to Mr. Shore, while Zahra just stared up at Hoshi. Mr. Shore pointed to a chair at a random table. Zahra tried to pull him toward her clique, but he just shrugged her off. Instant anger flashed through her eyes, but she covered it with pretend hurt, she played it off well. Zahra never got angry when it came to guys, she knew that it would turn them off so she just always played hurt.

“Hoshi,” She whined. “Come over and hang out with me and my friends. They’d like you.” Hoshi shook his head and said something that was too low for me to hear. Then he sat at the table in front of me, facing me. I glared at him when he looked at me and flipped to another page and drew some impressive looking ninjas brandishing some wicked katanas and other swords. Zahra glowered at me before turning her gaze to Hoshi, turning up the heat and laying it thick, her dark pink lips pursed into a pout. “Please Hoshi?”

“Zahra, don’t you have somewhere to be? If not, I suggest that you go back to your classroom and do your aiding job.” Mr. Shore interrupted while giving her a pointed look. I smirked at her, watching her try to argue with Mr. Shore. Hoshi was watching me watch Zahra and Mr. Shore but secretly I was watching him too, making sure that he was not going to sneak up on me. Zahra finally left after losing the argument with Mr. Shore and I laughed as she gave Hoshi a pout and sent me a sneer. I gave her a little wave as she gave me the middle finger in secret while sticking her tongue out at me. I grinned at her retreating back, not giving a damn that she was not my best friend anymore.

We had a very rocky relationship even from the beginning. I guess that the only why she had stuck with me for the past two years was because I was not like her other friends. I did not spread rumors behind her back and kissed the guys she was dating. I just was not that kind of girl, but I suppose she figured that having Hoshi was so much more important than keeping me around. I did not give a f**k about her decision about Hoshi and me. Zahra’s friends kept glaring at me while giving apprising looks to Hoshi. I rolled my eyes.

“He’s not a car guys. You all can’t ride him at the same time.” The girls blushed while a couple of guys looked away in embarrassment and the rest glared frigidly at me. Hoshi snickered at them while I chuckled. Their faces are so funny. I saw them whip out their phones, probably to report to the queen, as I finished both of my drawings, putting my name in flourishes in the left hand corner. I stood up to show it to Mr. Shore.

“Hi Ariana, how’s your day been.”

“Meh, it could be better.” I laughed briefly, trying not to roll my eyes. Too much has happened and I am still trying to wrap my head around it, but I feel all right.

“Yeah, I could tell that there was animosity between you and Zahra.” I nodded as I turned to the page that had my first drawing.

“Yeah well you know people like her just can’t keep their claws off the new prey.” I shrugged. I could feel daggers just stabbing into my back from the gazes of Zahra’s friends. Mr. Shore glanced up at me, a sly smile in his eyes.

“Okay, well please keep blood out of my classroom.” I grinned at him. Mr. Shore is my favorite teacher that I had ever known. When Mr. Shore was growing up, he shared many school problems like me, and we just got each other. He is the only person that I told about my past. He is happily married and what we felt towards each other is strictly platonic. His wife also likes me; we would always invite each other for dinner. Mr. Shore, with his silver hair with his bushy goatee and flow-y shirts was the opposite of his librarian wife who, even at her age, was a fox. They treated me like family and I always loved them for that.

I winked at him, “My claws are sheathed Mr. Shore.” He nodded and gestured to my cherry blossom scene.

“Tell me what this represents. I like the combat boots underneath that ball gown.”

“Thanks, it means to me, that when a person is treating you wrong, you don’t have to take their crap even if they are promising you forever.” He nodded sagely. He then flipped the page, turned it over and initialed, then put ten points underneath the column for sketchpad drawings next to my name on his grade book. He flipped it back to my second drawing.

“Wow, nice switch up, and you smudged it, very different from your usual technique. Moreover, you are focusing on the young man. Is this blood coming from his lips? Is he supposed to be a vampire?” I nodded, Mr. Shore knew that I was very into vampires; I researched about them often and read about them from novels.

“Yup, I figured that you would like the change-up, since you’ve been bugging me about trying something different then my regular color pencils.” I teased. The school faculty knew about my relationship with Mr. Shore, and everyone knew that nothing would happen between him and I since anyone who have ever been in Mr. Shore and his wife’s company would know that they were madly in love, even after their forty years of marriage. I always told both of them that I was insanely jealous of their love and wished upon dozens of shooting stars and a few dollars’ worth of coins tossed into wishing wells and fountains. I wanted a love that would last through anything and still have that flame that would keep me warm even though he may not be with me a few days.

Mr. Shore laughed. “I was wondering if you were ever going to get the hints that I kept dropping like atomic bombs on your head.”

“Mr. Shore,” A kid piped up indignantly.

“Yes Matt, It was just a figure of speech. I know your great grandfather was there.” I had to cover my mouth to keep back the laugh that wanted to bubble. I watched as Mr. Shore tried not to roll his eyes.

Suddenly I could feel someone at my back and I stiffened.

“That’s a great piece.” Hoshi stated calmly. Mr. Shore looked up in surprise and watched me carefully. I relaxed a bit, turned my head to look at him, and smiled.

“Thank you Hoshi.” His eyes widened at my response. I stepped to the side and looked down at my oil pastel. “Actually, you were my inspiration,” I said just as calmly, I looked to see that he had scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. “Since, you are as much of a demon as this vampire.” He glared at me as the bell rang. I grinned at him as he walked quickly away. I turned back to see Mr. Shore look at me with a questioning gaze.

“What?” I asked, turning the page and flipping it to the back so he could initial it and showed him my last drawing.

“I’m just wondering what happened to make you more out spoken. You are usually not like this Ari.” He only ever used my shortened name if no one else was around.

“Well, I just decided that I just didn’t give a damn about caring about with people thought. No one likes me anyway so why should I conform to them if it still makes me lonely?” I shrugged and turned my face down towards my hand that was touching one of the masks that someone had made in my first hour 3D class. Yep, I had 3D at the beginning of the day and this independent study class at the end of my school day. He leaned back in his chair and just looked at me.

“I think I like this new attitude, especially that smart-aleck comment you made about Hoshi not being a car.” I laughed.

“Yeah well it was really giving me the creeps. Did you see that some of the guys had even blushed like the girls? Oh jeez, he’s not even that good looking.” He cracked up with me.

“Okay, but just don’t let it get out of hand and you start disrespecting even adults.”

“Won’t happen Pete.” He nodded.

“Oh yeah, Janet wanted me to ask you if you wanted to come over and have dinner with us this weekend. Marcus is coming home from college and he has been mentioning that he has wanted to meet you for a few weeks now. Janet keeps talking about you whenever the kids call. I think Marcus is getting a bit jealous.” Janet is such a maternal character that she has considered me one of her kids now that she has been suffering from empty nest syndrome. I laughed softly.

“Oh, I could never replace any of your kids, Pete.”

“Janet knows this, Ari. But you are the only one who is brave enough to try her cooking concoctions.” I laughed. Janet fancied herself a chef on her off time from the library.

“You know, they are not all so bad.”

“Ari, I’m a meat and potato kind of guy. Janet’s veggie stuff is great sometimes but I couldn’t live that way.” I nodded.

“Yeah I get it. Well, what do you think about this drawing?” He looked down and laughed.

“Nice ninjas.” I grinned, knowing that he was teasing me but I liked them.

“Yeah, I like this one the best.” I pointed to one that looked and had a sword like Ichigo’s Bunraku from Bleach. He rolled his eyes gently at me.

“You and your Japanese anime.” I nodded and allowed him to initial once again behind my drawing.

“Tell Janet that I’ll come over at the usual time, and I’ll wear something other than jeans.” I teased before putting away my sketchpad and colors away.

“Wear that skirt she bought you last week. That will make her really happy.” I smiled and waved goodbye.

prev chapter