4

Ch. 4

 "Hannah?" Peter called and I shut my eyes tightly. No way in hell that this was possible. No way that Kale freaking White was Peter's psychology teacher. 

 Don't get the wrong idea, we're not related, we just have the same last name. Because of that, we were always forced to sit near each other in our senior year, him eighteen and me sixteen. We ended up going to the same college and we always ended up bumping into each other. We weren't exactly friends but we were more than just acquaintances. We didn't even talk to each other that much. He was a typical Golden and I was Gray. 

 I tried to rack my brain to figure out what he was studying in college and it wouldn't be that much of a surprise that he chose to a psychologist teacher. 

 "Is something wrong with her?" I heard him ask. 

 Of course something's wrong, dipshit! YOU'RE what's wrong with me! Maybe he didn't remember me. It's been three years since I've seen him. He probably forgot about me and he would just ignore me. Yes, that's what would happen. Slowly, I took my notebook away from my face. 

 That is not what f*****g happened. 

 I saw recognition in his blue-gray eyes. He hadn't really changed in the last few years. He still had his brown hair and a bumpy nose from that one fight he had in high school. He broke his nose but the other boy was just a twitching piece of meat back then. He had some stubble on his jaw, and he had more muscle on him than I remembered but he was still Kale White. 

 "Hannah?"

 That was it. 

 I threw down my notebook and bolted. I sprinted down the hallways, trying to find the damn stairs. Why the hell was this school so friggin' big. Oh s**t, I could hear him following behind me, calling my name. I look back and see him charging at me like a bull and I was the red cape. Suddenly, he leaps at me. 

 Uh-oh.

 I heard a thud and suddenly I was on the ground, firmly pinned by Kale as he grabbed my hands behind my back. I was gasping for air but so was he. I wanted to die. I didn't care that the floor was dirty with dust and dirt, I just kissed the ground and didn't even care.

 "Hell, Hannah." He panted. "It really is you."

 Well s**t. 

 I felt the vibrations of more footsteps through the floor. Peter. "What's wrong with you, Hannah? Why did you run?"

 Kale grabbed my shoulders and hauled me up to my feet like a limp rag doll. I hung my head in defeat and humiliation. Even if they didn't mean it, the Goldens had set a trap for me and I fell for it. I reached inside my pocket and shoved it at Peter. Just as quickly, I turned on my heel and walked towards the exit of the school.

 They didn't stop me and I walked the streets of Denver with no destination in mind. It was freezing, the fluffy snow that had fallen today was becoming ice. There weren't a lot of people walking, all of them were in nice warm cars or in their cozy homes. 

 What a depressing week.

 I didn't feel like going home, so I went to the bookstore. I had my own key so I let myself in and turned on the lights. It seemed so dim and dusty, desolate. I didn't want to think. I wanted to be a mindless Gray, so I started to dust the neglected books that have made friends with the dust bunnies. 

 Why was I so weird? Why did I like to set myself up for humiliation and disappointment? I didn't want to answer the question but a part of my mind whispered, because you want to get the life that you used to have. You're not satisfied as you are now.

 Well of course I wasn't. Who would be satisfied being a Gray?

 Normal Grays would probably just give up and accept their fate but me? No, I had to go on in life wondering if I'll ever reach the unreachable and hoping unrealistic dreams. 

 I paused in my dusting as I realized that it was hard to breathe. The more depressing my thought got, the harder it was to move on. This was why I hated people. They always made me depressed. I don't like to be depressed, so I stay away from people. I want to blame the Goldens but I know that this was my own fault. 

 Someone tapped on the store window and I looked out to see Louis outside holding one of his store's sack that held sweets in it. He waved as I moved to open the door for him.

 "I saw the lights on and I figured that you'd be here." He said, stepping inside.

 I just stared at him.

 He waved his sack in front of my face and I got the sweet smell of vanilla, chocolate, and other smells. "You hungry? I brought cream puffs and pastries."

 In answer, my stomach made itself known and tried to imitate a whale sound. We both grinned like idiots and just like that, I wasn't so depressed in the world. Thank god that Louis was one of those men who knew how to cheer a woman up. Or at least, he knew how to cheer me up. 

 We both went and sat down at the counter, dragging another stool up for Louis to sit on. Naturally, he did most of the talking, sharing stories about his work day. I never knew that you could burn a crepe that bad and piss of a customer that much. 

 This is why I considered Louis my best friend. He's just always there for me. Sometimes I swear he understands me so well that he can read my mind.

 "So those people were just nothing but trouble, eh?" He said, gently.

 I looked down and picked at a pastry crumb. I shrugged.

 He sighed. "People like them are just people who don't care about other people's feelings. You didn't do anything to deserve this, honey. You didn't know anything either. Its not your fault."

 My lip trembled and I sniffed. 

 Oh no.

 No way in hell was I crying. 

 Actually, I wasn't. I sneezed really loudly and that had Louis rolling on the floor, laughing his a*s off at me. I glared down at him and gave him the finger salute.

 Sometimes it wasn't so bad to be around people that cheer me up like this.

 It was finally Sunday where I had the day off. It was two days after the incident with the Goldens and I was doing just fine. The weather had even warmed up to the low forties. Today, I was hauling all of my old clothes that were too small and not ripped to Goodwill and the Salvation army. I even gave a nice hobo one of my old scarves and gloves. 

 The day was good, I was happy. Well, as happy as a Gray girl can be, but it was still a nice feeling. And then it went bad.

 Of course. Whenever I start having a good day, it just gets worse after a certain point. This was life's way of putting me in my place in the shadows.

 So I was walking down the street after dropping by Louis's shop to say hello and then I was snatched away. Well, I just got dragged into a dark alleyway with a hand covering my mouth.

 "Don't scream." The voice said.

 As if I would. I did the only thing I could think of. I licked his hand. 

 Thankfully, the man had washed his hands and I could tell because he used a lemon soap. And it tasted nasty. The man gasped in surprise and loosened his hold on me. I stomped on his throat and spun around. Quickly, I whipped out the small can of mace I carried in my pocket and sprayed for all it was worth.

 "ARGHHH! S**t Hannah! Stop, it's only me!"

 I immediately stopped and my mouth popped open as I saw Kale White hopping around on one foot and covering his eyes in one fluid motion. If my heart wasn't pounding in my chest, I would have started laughing my a*s off.

 He wore jeans and a thick green jacket with fur lining. He gingerly put his foot back in the ground and glared at me with red, blood shot eyes. This time, I really did start laughing. Shoulders shaking so hard, that I had to lean against the brick wall. Part of that laughter was probably hysteria.

 Kale was still blinking in annoyance when I was done. He still continued to blink as I crossed my arms across my chest and leaned against the wall. His eyes were still red when he finally seemed to realize I was here.

 I raised my eyebrow at him as if to say, Well? I'm waiting...

 He cleared his throat. "We need to talk."

 That was it. He was silent and he pursed his lips as if waiting for ME to say something. I snorted at the thought. As if. I rolled my eyes and walked out of the alley and back down the side walk. He just followed me, limping on the foot I stomped on.

 Jeeze, I didn't know he was such a wimp. I took out my pocket notebook and pencil. *Thank you for washing your hands* It said and I handed it to him.

 Kale gave me a baffled look and I remembered that he didn't know that I had stopped talking out loud. I haven't used my voice in over three years and plan on keeping to my silence. 

 "Uh... your welcome?" He said, unsure how to respond.

 Amusement passed through me as I took my notebook back. *What did you wanna talk about?* Now I know that I'm setting myself up once again, but I couldn't help it. I'm a glutton for punishment.

 He didn't question my lack of verbal communication but I could tell the question would be coming soon. So I headed us back towards Louis's shop and we went in. Kale went in first and then Louis saw me, he had a worried look in his eyes. I just grinned evilly and gave him a signal that only we could understand. Man, I loved to mess with people's heads. It's the only real joy I had in life.

 Like before, the small cafe was empty with a small fire going in the fireplace. It was comforting and it helped me relax. 

 We both sit down and I grinned evilly as Louis snuck up behind Kale and slammed down two plates with gigantic chocolate cookies down on the table. He practically jumped out of his skin and looked up towards a menacing-looking Louis.

 Gleefully, I picked up a cookie and started nibbling away in chocolate bliss.

 "If you hurt Hannah, mister, I will happily scoop your nuts out with a grapefruit spoon." I heard Louis whisper to Kale.

 These cookies were god's creation. I saw Kale looked paler than before. He started to protest, but he was cut off by Louis.

 "But you shouldn't worry about me. I took her up to the ranch my parents own and she learned how to use a goat emasculator."

 Kale made a choking noise in the back of his throat as Louis sauntered away with a wink. He looked at me for the first time with fear in his eyes and he shifted on his seat uncomfortably. 

 He opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, I put my finger to his lips and made a shushing noise and drew it back to my own. Silence. His terrified eyes asked the question whether what Louis said was true or not.

 I nodded solemnly.

 Kale looked like he was about to run out of the place screaming bloody murder and I mentally jumped in glee at his expression.

 Damn, these were good cookies.