Chapter 1 : Wake Up

 

She tried to smile at him through her tears. “Hey, don’t worry okay? One day, I’ll come back. And we’ll live forever and ever in that castle up above. In the clouds, with God, just like I promised you. We’ll live together, you and I, no one messing with us,” he whispered, pulling her into a hug as he felt his own cheeks grow damp. She just continued sobbing.

 

Leanna grinned as her best friend Robyn dozed off on her desk during Physics. No doubt about it, it was most definitely not Robyn’s best subject. It was the start of the new year. The end of a life and the start of another. She was turning sixteen soon and she couldn’t wait. Soon, she’d be eighteen and she would then be rid of this town and all the troubles that came along with it. Then maybe, just maybe, he’d come back to her, just like he’d promised all those years before. 

 

“Miss Leanna,” Mrs. Robert called, “Miss Leanna,” she called again, in a louder voice. Leanna hastily awoke from the daze she was in. “Yes?” “The principal would like to see you in his office.” Erudite’s golden girl, people teased her. It was true, that Erudite High, an elite private school, couldn’t find a better example than her. She wasn’t athletically inclined, which was a plus point, she had the highest GPA in the whole grade, and she was continuously crowned Prom Queen. 

 

Slowly, Leanna stood up and made her way through the maze of desks and walked out the door. She passed rows and rows of endless lockers and finally stopped at the Principal’s office. Casually, she asked Miss Peters, the secretary if she were to go in now. The young lady behind the computer just shrugged and said, “Whatever.” Taking that as a yes, she quietly knocked on the door and stepped in. 

 

“Ah, good morning Miss Leanna. I trust that you are well today?” the stout man sitting across from a large mahogany desk asked her. Leanna gave him a curt nod of her head and hastened to sit in the leather chair which was usually reserved for students who were to meet the principal, and realized it was occupied. 

 

He had lovely creamy white skin, and his hair was jet black, like hers and it was lightly tousled, giving him a ‘just-got-out-of-bed’ look that suited him just fine. He had nice, full pink lips and his eyes. Oh, his eyes. They were a lovely golden brown that looked extremely welcoming and warm. Staring into them, Leanna felt sure that she was sinking, sinking into something so deep. But she never wanted to resurface. Now where had she felt like that before? she asked herself. Oh no, she thought. It couldn’t be. His eyes softened a little as they took her in and his lips curled up, but in a flash the smile was gone, replaced by a smirk.

 

“Miss Leanna, I’d like you to meet our new student, Mr. Edmund.” At the word Edmund, she immediately blacked out. 

 

Everything was black, pitch black and she couldn’t see a thing. She could vaguely hear voices, but there was one voice that appealed to her most. It was a lovely, velvet-like voice, deep but not too deep. It was almost like it’s owner were singing. Wouldn’t it be lovely, she thought, if the voice would sing to her. 

 

He hummed quietly as he gently stroked her head and let her continue crying. “Shh,” he hushed her. “I’ll always be here, always.” “You’re just saying that,” she protested glaring at him with her black irises. “No I’m not,” he teased and took his best friend’s hand. I’ll tell you a secret.” He whispered. “There’s something hidden here. In this garden. If you find it, you get to keep it. Remember, finders keepers, losers weepers,” he grinned with a twinkle in his eyes. 

 

Eventually, her eyes fluttered open and she saw the same beautiful face that she’d been gawking at before, right above her own. “Hey,” he grinned. My God, she thought. It was the exact same grin! The exact same angle, same brilliant teeth. Heck, he even had the same twinkle in his eyes. “Hi,” she breathed. 

 

“Principal Harris told me to wait for you to come to before going to class. He had some errands to run,” he smirked. “Oh.” 

 

“Yeah. So, anyway, I’m Edmund.” he offered his hand. She took it warily and he pulled her up. It was only then  that she realized that she was in the nurses office. “I’m Leanna,” she smiled shyly. “I think I kinda figured that out,” he sneered. “Was it my charm or my looks?” 

 

“What?” she stared at him incredulously. “Which part of me took your breath away? Was it this?” he asked as he gestured to his face She immediately knew he was mocking her. “Excuse me?” This was definitely not her Eddie. No way in a million years would he have said anything like that to her. 

 

He just raised a perfect eyebrow towards her. “Whatever,” she snapped and stalked out of the room to join the crowd. “Wait,” Edmund called after her. She pivoted neatly and glared at him. “You’re supposed to be showing me ‘round,” he reminded her. Leanna sighed and rolled her eyes. “Come on, it’s lunch now. I’ll show you to the canteen.” 

 

“This, is Erudite High’s canteen. Today, they’re serving mystery meat,” Leanna informed him tersely whilst gesturing towards the large dining room filled with students. She quickly joined the line of people buying food and Edmund joined her silently. She paid for her food and scanned the crowded tables looking for her friends. 

 

“So, where are we sitting?” Edmund asked her. “Well, I usually sit with my friends.” “Do you mind if I join you today?” he asked Leanna quietly. “Um, sure.” “Guys, this is Edmund,” Leanna introduced. “Edmund, this is Robyn, Lynda, Trent, Alex and Owen.” 

 

Everyone around the table took turns greeting him and as Leanna took her seat next to Robyn, she murmured into her ear, “Whoa, how’d you get to know the hottie?” “He’s new. I’m his student guide,” Leanna snapped back. “Ouch, touchy much?” Robyn held a hand to her heart. The boys were deep in conversation with Edmund whilst Robyn and Lynda were talking about a new kind of make up they’d just found. Leanna just sat quietly eating her lunch. 

 

He let out an astonished gasp and let go of her. “What’s wrong?” she stared up at him with tear-rimmed eyes. “I--I have to go now.” “Why?” she mulled. “Time to say good bye Anna.” She wiped her cheeks roughly with her hand and looked him bravely in the eye. “Bye Eddie. I’ll miss you. You won’t forget me right? No matter what happens?” “Yes. I will never forget you.” ‘Good,” she said with a contented sigh and gave him a little kiss on the cheek. The two eight year olds stared each other solemnly in the eye and knew that this was their final good bye. 

 

Leanna stumbled past the thicket and disappeared. When she reappeared, gigantic oak trees that have stood there for a few hundred years greeted her with a gentle wave. A beautiful array of flowers took her breath away. The air was cool and calm, not a single trace of pollution. The sky was a beautiful blue and several birds could be seen flying. The perfect way, she thought, to forget a perfectly horrible day. 

 

She fished her geometry homework out from her bag and started to solve the first question. Within minutes, she was done. Nothing like a little peace and quiet to work wonders. She stretched a little and walked around. 

 

“You still come here?” a familiar voice asked her. She whirled around and saw a figure standing amidst the shadows the trees cast. 

 

Edmund stepped forward and sunlight bathed his handsome face. “I told you I’d come back didn’t I?” Leanna looked into his beautiful golden brown eyes and felt all the pain and hurt that she thought she’d pushed away come back, flooding her memory.  “Took you long enough,” Leanna whispered, thinking she might cry. He wrapped his arms around her.

 

“I-I wasn’t safe for you at that time Anna.” he murmured into her hair. “And you’re safe for me now?” she wrenched herself free from his grip. “I waited eight years for you Eddie! Eight freakin’ years!” 

 

“I know. I waited that long to see you again too.”