Chapter 15

 

The sound of chalk scratching the blackboard. The rustle of people uncomfortable.  The occasional cough or clearing oof the throat. The tapping of impatient feet. The whisper of bored students. It was all so grating. How was she to concentrate with all of these irritants around her. She just wanted to stand and scream. She wanted to smack the whisperers and foot tappers. She wanted to rip the chalk from the professors hands and make him lecture.

The dreams were getting to her. They no longer frightened her. She knew exactly when she would wake up, but they were there every time she closed her eyes. Same thing every time and she'd wake in seconds. Over and over and over. She was going insane. She had to see him soon or she was going to have a meltdown.

Liza knew she was making headway but it was not going fast enough. People were starting to notice her bleary eyed shuffle from class to class. The way she yawned constantly and the huge dark hollows growing under her eyes. A student had actually asked if she needed help to the nurses office because she looked like "death warmed over", whatever that meant.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She could do this. She just had to be patient and persevere until she gathered enough information to start putting the pieces together.

Something was bothering her though.  She couldn't quite put her finger on it but it was there, digging at her like her mother's constant nagging. If only she could concentrate, if only her mind would latch on to the idea teasing her. Alas in her sleep deprived and diminished mental state her thoughts were little more than a cacophony of confusion.

The sound of the door opening shook Liza from her stupor. She glanced up thankful for the distraction. For a moment, she forgot to breath, her brain froze, her pupils dialated. The girl who walked was pretty but that was not what put Liza in shock. It was the aura this girl gave off, it was much the same as him.

When she shook the initial shock off and she began breathing again, Liza studied the girl through hooded eyes as the girl took some paperwork to the professor. This girl had the same pale almost translucent skin as he did. She watched the chest for signs of breathing and saw nothing.

As the girl turned away from the professor they locked eyes for but a moment. The same unfathomable eyes, eyes that had seen more than any one person should. In that instant Liza was sure...this girl had some connection to him or to what he was. This was the break she had been waiting for.

 

Larissa studied Liza through the small glass window in the door to the class. She was trying to figure out the best way to broach this closed off and unresponsive girl. It was going to take some work to get her to open up to her. Man did the girl look like hell. Eyes bloodshot, dark hollows underneath, slight crazed look of someone being pushed to the limits of their sanity.

The seats on either side and behind her were empty. The students in front of her kept their heads down and seemed scared to move even a little. These students were obviously aware of the time bomb this girl had become. She needed defusing and quickly.

Taking a deep breath still unsure of her actual plan Larissa opened the door and walked in. Instantly she felt those eyes locking on to her and it took everything in her power to keep from looking at the girl. Larissa nonchalantly walked over to the professor and handed him her transfer documents. He looked them over sighed and mumbled for her to take a seat.

As she turned away she let her eyes find the girl. She was staring back and for a moment their eyes and locked. Though the girl held the physical show of recognition it was apparent from her eyes that she knew what Larissa was or at least had an idea. Maybe she wasn't going to need to find a way in after all. The girl was going to come to her.

Larissa knew she had to tread carefully. If she just came and told this girl everything it would be to much for her already fragile psyche to handle. She had to ease her into it. Calming her mind she walked up the rows of desks and sat beside the girl.

The girl tensed as she sat, so Larissa leaned her toward her just a little and whispered without her lips moving, "You are right. We have a mutual friend....."