Escaping Fate

If you haven't read part one yet be sure to follow the link so you don't get lost in the story

Memory: Part 2

My mouth dropped but I was too flustered to speak. I turned to the book and read the final pages of the ninth chapter and answered the questions in silence. I could feel him watching me. He made me feel like a rabbit staring down the fangs of a lynx. Despite the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end I ignored him and waited for the bell to ring.

   I jumped out of my seat and hurried to turn in my paper. Madison was biting her lip at the door. I grabbed her arm and hauled her out of class, taking one last glance toward where Scorpio still sat in his desk, watching me. 

"That was nerve-wracking," I said as we walked through the crowded hall.  

"Why," she giggled, "because you had to share a book with the next star of the First 48".  

"It's not funny Madison," I scolded her, "you know he already read the book," I asked angrily.  

"Then why did he want you to share with him," she looked as puzzled as I felt, "and more importantly, why did a guy like him want to read a chick book".  

I couldn't answer her first question. The answer couldn't have been any less clear to me and I didn't know if it ever would. The second question somewhat annoyed me, "Are you stereotyping him based on appearance? What happened to being an objective journalist?"  

Madison huffed as if she had annoyed herself and changed the subject, "At least you have all AP classes, so you won't have to worry about him anymore."  

Her optimism was contagious and I let it fill me. If only I had known how wrong she was.  

** * **

I traded my grammar book and binder for the calculus book I would need for fourth period and preceded to the choir room. As I got closer to the entrance soft notes strummed off an acoustic guitar filled the hall. Mr. Greene leaned against the wall listening intently to "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica being played by the new student.  

He always tested our vocal skill and range to determine where in the choir we belonged. Scorpio's baritone voice filled the room. Not only was he dangerously attractive, his voice was smooth and even. He never missed a note or lost key.  He was infuriatingly perfect.  

Mr. Greene saw me idling by the doorway and smiled in my direction. I hated the way he smiled at me. I used to enjoy it, at least until the rumors started. 

Mr. Greene was the youngest teacher at our school, only twenty-three years old. He started working as the choir director my junior year. He had worked at my grandfather's orchard while in college so he had known me personally for two years prior to becoming a teacher. When I walked into the classroom his first day, he was happy to see a familiar face. His nervousness was obvious and he took comfort in being able to talk to me. It wasn't long into junior year that I heard the rumors of my illicit relationship with Mr. Jason Greene.  

There was an investigation by the principal and police into the legitimacy of the rumors, but when no evidence was found to support the allegations he was cleared to continue teaching. There was even an assembly held in the gymnasium to discourage the spread of untruthful stories. Especially those that could result in legal action being taken upon the rumor mill victim. Despite the truth winning out my friendship with Mr. Greene had been tarnished and I tried to limit the social time I spent with him.  

"I think we may have found you a supporting vocalist for the Christmas concert" Mr. Greene smiled jovially.  

"Great," I smiled and tried to disguise my sarcasm was elation. The look in Scorpio's eyes let me know quickly he was well aware of my malcontent.  

That was just what I needed. Not only do I have to spend my first three classes of the day with the mysteriously dark new student, Scorpio Volkov, if he becomes my supporting musician I will be spending two days a week with him after school and then performing with him in the Christmas concert. If I couldn't even read a book with him next to me how was I supposed to play the piano or sing?  

He intrigued me and that scared me. I’d never been in a serious relationship. I'd never been in a relationship period, serious or otherwise. I spent all my time focusing on school and cheer-leading. I didn't have time for a trivial relationship that wouldn't last past graduation. High school relationships were a set up for heartbreak and depression and I wasn't going to fall for the hype. Now this new student waltzes in off the pages of a Karen Marie Moning book and throws my priorities for a loop.  

Mr. Greene gave me permission to spend the class period working on my solo for the concert. I sat at the piano in the back of the classroom. Despite the distance Scorpio still held my attention. His storm cloud eyes and devilish grin destroyed my judgment and enraptured my senses.   

The bell rang, signaling the end of yet another class. Lady luck was quite obviously not on my side as Scorpio stalked me to yet another class. Calculus. Thankfully Mr. Martinez had called in sick so we were spending the time reviewing our chapter and I could sit as far away from Scorpio Volkov as possible.  

The lunch bell rang and we filed out of class to the cafeteria. Madison quickly caught me, glanced at the new boy and raised her brows at me giving me a look that always meant there was a cheesy Sherlock Holmes quote coming. Not in the mood, I raised my hand to silence her. She pursed her lips and widened her eyes. I could swear she learned her facial expressions from an emoji keyboard.  

I sat at my usual table with Madison eating her ever so simple PB&J. Mei-Ling, who came here as an exchange student and stayed when her parents moved here after her father was offered a job, picked through a carefully packed bento box. Grayson, who had been deemed the African Prince was chowing down on the school's gross cardboard pizza.  

Grayson was a handsome biracial boy with long well-kept dreadlocks. His mother was an American Baptist that had gone to Cape Cod on a mission trip. She quickly fell head over heels in love with the leader of a small village and choose to stay in Africa. After her husband, Grayson's father passed away in 2008 she moved back to Bryson City, North Carolina to be closer to her family, though that hadn't turned out the way she had hoped. It was well known that Grayson and Mei-Ling were an inseparable couple. They were probably the only exception to the high school romance never lasts rule.  

Being ever so taken with curiosity I peeked over my shoulder to where Scorpio sat alone, not eating. I couldn't help myself. I got up and strode over to where he leaned against a pillar and tossed my untouched apple in his direction.  I half hoped it would hit him as payback for playing games with me in first period. To my surprise, without so much as a glance up he caught the apple midair by just raising his hand. He cocked his head in my direction, raised a single brow as a condescending half grin played at the corner of his mouth. Scorpio spun the apple in his fingers before taking a bite as I sat across from him.  

"You don't have to sit so far away. I won't bite… unless you ask me to.” His smile was malevolent yet charming, like a forked tongued devil, handsome enough to tempt you yet shadowed enough to warn you away. 

"I guess you don't bite then" I quipped back. 

"Ouch" he hissed placing a hand over his heart fainting injury. 

I rolled my eyes, "why didn't you tell me you already read that book?" 

"Why was I such a distraction," he smirked raising a brow before taking another bite. 

"Because," I stuttered, "I'm not used to being that close to some random boy".  

"Is that so?" He looked genuinely amused. I couldn't help but blush realizing exactly how that sounded. Even though I hadn't meant to out myself as the picture of purity that's exactly what I had done.  

"I didn't mean..." I stammered trying desperately to climb out of the embarrassing hole of TMI I had surely buried myself in.  

He chuckled for a moment before fixing his eyes on mine. He leaned forward, his eyes like glaciers, his Fox like, teeth baring, smile wider then I'd seen all day. He purred his words with a trace of sensual enticement, "would you like to get used to it?"   

I swallowed hard against an invisible lump that had suddenly formed in my throat. A chill went down my spine and caused me to visibly shake. He seemed satisfied by my response, as if my discomfort pleasured him in some sadistic way. With a single fluid movement he pushed himself up to a near standing position against the pillar and tossed the apple core, over hand, towards the garbage cans.

To my amazement he rung the center can at more than twenty feet away. Taking his lead and thankful for an escape I rose from my seat and attempted to not look as if I was trying to flee.   

I, however, escaped one predator only to be snared by another.  Michael Owens, star athlete of our school and well known player. By "player" I mean lecherous pervert that couldn't care less about a girls feelings and relished female attention. I was one of the only cheerleaders who hadn't been on a "date" with him and rumor had it he was planning on making me the next notch in his belt. As I passed by his table, he reached his hand out and took hold of my arm.   

"Hey there Kitty Cat, I was just thinking about you," the way he purred my unwanted nickname made my stomach churn. 

“Nothing I want you to say out loud, I'm sure." His presence annoyed me. His voice annoyed me. His existence annoyed me.

He was a misogynistic, chauvinist pig that treated girls like sports trophies. He wanted as many as he could get his hands on and he bragged about every moment. I could name three girls off hand that had to transfer schools after he leaked pornographic photos of them to all his football buddies. I may not have had the intent to save myself for marriage but I sure as hell wasn't giving it to him.  

"I was just thinking about how I'd love to take you out to dinner tonight."

 "Sorry, already have plans," I lied hoping he'd settle for the polite rejection. Of course in his normal fashion he did not.  

"Miss Homebody has plans? Maybe I could join you."  

I paused. I didn't want to seem rude or hateful. Many girls said that straight rejection only causes him to pursue harder. Rumors had spread that he had even taken what wasn't offered to him willingly. As I thought of my rejection strategy, I felt an arm wrap around my shoulders and pull me backwards. Scorpio had positioned himself between Michael and me.

 "You can't take a hint can you?"  

Michael rose from his seat and squared off with Scorpio. Michael was tall but Scorpio was far taller and much more muscular. Comparing the two was like comparing an alley cat to a lion, Scorpio being the lion.  

All eyes in the cafeteria were on them. Michael huffed, "nope, I'm persistent when I know what I want."  

Scorpio's voice lowered to a thunderous growl, "you might want to change your mind about what you want then,"  

"And what are you going to do if I don't," Michael dared.  

Scorpio answered by grabbing the front of his shirt and sent him skidding across the floor into the frame of a folded table. The bell sounded signaling the end of lunch and Scorpio possessively gripped my arm and lead me out the door. No student so much as stepped in his path after the display of brash defensive aggression and strength.

Scorpio didn't speak as he lead me back to the math room but the primal rage that swelled in his eyes was almost palpable. The bell rang once again and I literally prayed I could walk into my next class and not hear the sound of his heavy weighted combat boots behind me.  

My prayer was NOT answered, and if it was the answer was a clear "no".   Mrs. Gayle, the AP History teacher, was known for two things: weekly exams and intolerance. If there was one thing I had learned from the little time I spent with him it was that he seemed to enjoy confrontation and had an attitude problem. I wasn't sure how class would play out. I was almost sure there would be a showdown between Mrs. Gayle and the impetuous new kid.  

I walked into the classroom and took my usual seat in the middle of the classroom. Scorpio strutted passed me to claim one of the two empty desks at the back of the room closer to Mrs. Gayle's desk. He leaned casually against the bar connecting the back of his chair to the desktop. He was so nonchalant and yet his body was always tense, like a coiled spring that had been held for so long it no longer felt tense but was ready to bound as soon as it was released. It was disconcerting. It didn't take Mrs. Gayle but a moment for her to spot Scorpio in the back of the room.  

She paused at the door before exiting and turned to address Scorpio, "I assume you're Mr. Volkov. The new student everyone has been raving about. Heed my warning, I do not care that you are joining our class mid semester. You are in AP History and I will neither coddle you nor hold your hand. We will have an exam in three weeks on everything we have covered up to this point. It would behoove you to take notes and study with one of our more responsible students. I suggest Miss Angelus." 

Scorpio scoffed, "of course," and rolled his eyes at the mention of my name.  

What was his problem? He had just met me today and acted like he couldn't stand me. He constantly watched me as if fascinated by my existence. He protected me from Michael's ruthless, vile, sexual pursuits. He didn't act this way towards other students. To be entirely honest, he hadn't made a single attempt to socialize with anyone. I had been the only person he had spoken to and the extent of our conversation had been the brief and embarrassing one during first period literature and lunch. Was he really so antisocial that he couldn't even stand the close proximity, and if so, why had he defended me?          

Mrs. Gayle dismissed him with a huff and exited the room with her nose in the air. The historical documentary on World War II began playing upon her exit. I had written my name and dated my paper when a football shaped folded piece of paper flew over my shoulder onto my desk. I unfolded the paper. It was an ornate customized stationery. Faint rose design edged the page like a delicate, simplistic gold inked frame. His initials were embellished on the bottom of the sheet in what appeared to be gold leaf. The texture even felt expensive, like cotton fiber or hemp. This was the type of paper you would mail in a wax sealed envelope to a dignitary, not fold into a football and flick across the classroom to a girl you didn't even like.  

Are you going to come back here or are you tired of me already? 

S. L. V.

 I sat in my seat too flabbergasted to even form a rebuttal in my mind. He scoffed at my name, hardly spoke when he was near me but acts as if he's been the friendliest person in the world and I've been the standoffish one. I was tired of being a rabbit. I wrote out my address and phone number in response and as the bell rang, I gathered my belongings quickly, strode to the back of the class and placed my response on his desk delicately before turning to leave.  

The rest of the day Scorpio preceded me to all my classes but Family Consumer Sciences and even then, his class was right across the hall so the looming shadow of my newest classmate continued to stalk me. Even in Athletic P.E he sat from the bleachers and watched with an intrigued smirk as I went through the routine with my fellow cheerleaders. Coach Gates, the male physical education teacher stormed from his office. He did everything like he was angry. Majority of the students believed that he was using illegal steroids, but that could never be proven. 

"Volkov," Coach Gates exclaimed. Scorpio didn't even move but did look in the direction of the teacher. "You think just because it's your first day you get to sit and do nothing," coach practically yelled, face red with the effort.  

Scorpio shrugged and prowled down the bleachers to stand toe to toe with the coach, "Was I supposed to join the cheerleaders or did you think of something for me to do and assume I could read your mind". 

My jaw dropped along with everyone else's. No one had ever dared to speak to Coach Gates in such a disrespectful and confrontational tone. 

"Oh, ya got a mouth, do ya," Coach got the same look in his eyes he always did when he was about to humiliate one of his students. He would call it a physical fitness test but really all he wanted was to push his boys to the point of breaking, then yell at them, calling them weak and pathetic. He even threatened to transfer one of his boys to the girl’s class. "Owens, get over here" Coached yelled and Michael darted across the gymnasium. "Let’s see if that big mouth of yours can be backed up, ya got two minutes to do as many sit ups as you can. We'll see how you pair up against a real athlete," Coach patted Michael on the shoulder as he got down on the matt to begin the test.

Coach asked for volunteers from our side of the gym to count for the competitors. Savannah Brighton, Vannah to her "friends”, the bleached blonde, spray tanned Queen Bee of the mean girl’s clique leapt at the opportunity to be Michael's spotter. Around the halls they were a couple, but the title was only in name. Having a girlfriend did nothing to stop his pursuit of other girls, though Savannah denied that he was a chronic adulterer. She wasn't an innocent victim by any means. Aside from social gatherings and school functions she spent the majority of her time entertaining the occasional linebacker or center fielder while Michael engaged in similar though less honorable extracurricular activities. None of the other girls seemed willing to get close enough to Scorpio to be his spotter.

Reluctantly I walked over to kneel beside him. The test began and the two took off. I counted forty and Scorpio showed no sign of slowing down. By sixty Michael had begun to struggle. Scorpio knocked out an additional twenty effortlessly while Michael huffed and strained to keep up with Scorpio.  

Scorpio had done one hundred and ten sit ups in the two minutes without even breaking a sweat. I glanced over at Michael. he was out of breath and gripping his abdomen. He barely got to eighty-six before he could no longer force himself upwards. His face was twisted with pain and frustration at being so thoroughly beaten. He was supposed to be the star athlete, the only student from our small county school to be offered a full ride athletic scholarship in fifteen years. Coach Gates looked irritated yet somewhat impressed.  

Scorpio and Michael moved to the pull up bar for the next test. Expecting to come out on top, Michael knocked his shoulder against Scorpio’s and strutted to the bar ahead. Scorpio scoffed and readied himself. Scorpio was already to eight pull ups before Michael even reached five. Scorpio changed his grip after the first ten and continued effortlessly. Michael was distracted. He kept glancing to the side at Scorpio in shock at the ease at which he pulled himself up and lowered himself down over and over. He completed twenty in the given time. Scorpio lowered his feet to the floor and strutted to the Coach. He towered over Coach Gates just as he did everyone else, he came across.

"I would suggest you be done humiliating yourself before you cause your star over there to tear a muscle". His tone was calm but frightening, like when the wind stops and the world is quiet just before the chaotic vortex of a tornado rips through the landscape. 

I was relieved when the final bell rang. I left the building for the parking lot as quickly as I could. From the passenger's seat of my mother's Land Rover I could see him gracefully mount a black and cobalt Harley Davidson. The engine roared to life beneath him. His helmet was sleek black and the leather jacket he pulled over his muscular arms fit the thuggish first impression I got from him.  Everything from his clothes to his crooked smirk had me puzzled as to how he could possibly be in all AP classes.

I felt secure in my theory that he would not take me up on my offer to tutor him. He was probably rushing off to a party or to buy beer. I'm sure it hadn't taken him long to learn which of our small-town Spirits shops didn't ID.  When I got home, I got comfortable in my favorite fuzzy pants and cotton tank top. I pulled my hair from the elastic band that help it in place and lounged back on my mountain of pillows to watch Criminal Minds reruns on television. I was only halfway through the first episode when my mother's voice sounded from the first floor.

I hope you enjoyed the second half of the first chapter of my novel, Escaping Fate. If you enjoyed this preview and want to know how the story progresses you can read it free on Kindle Unlimited or purchase at the link. Or if you don't mind waiting hit subscribe and keep a look out for the release of the next chapter.