Umbra: Chapter One

"How come you always get A's, Toby?" asked the spiky-haired boy, as he walked beside her.

"I don’t always get A's, sometimes I get B's." October smirked.

The frown on the boy's face disappeared. "Well you always get better grades than me, that’s for sure." While rifling through his papers he groaned at the plethora of big red D’s.

October glanced at Orion’s papers, "If you paid attention like I do and applied yourself, you'd get the same grades."

He looked at her again, "But that would mean I’d have to use energy and that’s something I just don’t have Toby."

She let out a yelp as he hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her to the ground with him. They landed with a thump as she pounded his chest for scaring her.

“Enough energy for that mess! You’re just lazy.” They lay on the campus ground just staring into space until she caught a sight.

She sighed, irritated.

"Orion," she pointed to his left. Orion shifted on the ground so he could see the strange man who was partly hidden behind a tree on the far end of the quad looking their way. "It’s him again." she said in a flat tone.

Orion stood up, trying to look tough, as the man stalked out from behind the tree and began walking towards them.

He looked back at Toby, "Did he send you anything this time?"

Her eyebrows furrowed deep in thought, "No, not this time."

Toby hid behind Orion as the man came closer. He just kept walking, staring at her intently. His long black trench coat billowed in the breeze as he stomped toward them. The flaps of his coat opened just enough by his gait that she could tell he had the same color tank underneath, beyond that he could've been naked under there for all she knew. The man was forced to come to a halt in front of Orion, who puffed out his chest as much as he could in an attempt at intimidation.

"Do you mind?" he said with a deep husky voice as he squinted his dark eyes. The man put a hand on Orion’s shoulder and pushed. He stumbled a bit but managed to get between the man and Toby just in time.

"Can I help you?" Orion glared at the man.

The man's eyes shot to him. Toby was thankful for this. Somehow his eyes reminded her of a demon in a dream she once had where it chased her. She was rightly apprehensive of this man although he had never done anything to hurt her before, just an odd note or 'present' now and again. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t escalate. She still hasn’t confessed to Orion how long the man claimed he watched her- ten years. That might start a fight. Toby also never told Orion that the man had told her to call him Massey. Massey hadn’t told her much about himself except that he was a criminal. What his crimes were, he never said and she never asked. On the loneliest of days she would find him following her or hiding somewhere watching her. She felt sorry for him in a way. His look turned angry.

"You're not her boyfriend now, are you?" The man knew about Orion.

That Orion more than 'liked' Toby. He was competition.

Orion shrugged, "No, but I'm her friend, now what-" he was pushed out of the way once again. This time he stood there watching intently.

"Then he has no say in this." Massey said to Toby.

Fear made her blue eyes glassy. Massey raised a hand toward her cheek and she flinched. He frowned as he withdrew his hand. A glint in the sun brought her attention to the many silver rings on his fingers. When her gaze followed his fingers she noticed tattoos covering his hand and wrist. She also got a closer look as to what was under his trench. Fishnet arm-warmers and long black wide-legs with chains dangling from them adored this strange man. So she would listen for the sounds of chains from now on to see if he was coming up some dark hall or alleyway. If he wasn’t so damned creepy he would've been attractive. He once told her he was six years her senior. She was twenty-one and living on her own in San Francisco, going to The Academy of Art College. The best school for her because she loved the movies.

Massey stood there for a moment staring. She stood there studying everything about her stranger. His hair was short and black falling over his deep green eyes, beautiful. He had one piercing on his eyebrow and bottom lip. Both ears were pierced a couple times and he had a bit of black eyeliner and nail polish.

Then he was gone. She kept staring after him, not used to seeing him up close. Orion stepped in front of her as she tried to look some more. Orion looked over his shoulder but Massey was gone.

"Toby, are you ok?" Toby’s stare was finally broken as she looked at the innocent boy before her.

She let out a relieved sigh, "Yeah I’m ok, let's get the hell outta here."

~~~

Back at her dorm room, with which she had no roommate to share, she and Orion were having great fun laughing at the stupid antics of MXC. They loved that show.

"It’s almost time for Wolfs Rain, Toby." Orion reminded her.

She looked at him like he was stupid, "Of course, I know this."

She picked up the remote as Orion gave her a thumbs up, "Yet another A for missus know-it-all!"

"Shut up."

It was starting; hopefully this would be the new episode Toby had been hearing about from him, the one with her favorite character, Darcia. Of course he was the bad guy- Toby loved the bad guy in everything. Maybe that’s why Massey intrigued her. Part of her knew she should report him but another part was too curious.

Dangerous.

It was that episode so Toby got very excited and kept telling an annoyed Orion how hot Darcia was. At the end of the show Toby turned the TV off.

"So, what now?"

When there was no answer she turned and saw he was sitting right behind her with a makeshift black patch on his eye to match Darcias. He held it there with two fingers like Darcia sometimes did. He had pulled the blankets up all around him to make it look like he had some type of dark cloak on. He smiled wickedly and Toby burst out laughing.

She turned all the way around, "Well then DARCIA, what’s next?''

She tried to keep from laughing but it was hard because Orion looked ridiculous.

"We must find the flower maiden of course." Orion replied, trying to sound serious but failing miserably.

"Oh really? Why do you want her, so you can get into Paradise?" she asked the fake Darcia.

Orion smiled sweetly, dropping the charade, and maintained eye contact, "I’m already in Paradise."

October's eyes widened. Did he more than just like her? Suddenly she got nervous. She stood up and went to the bathroom, leaving poor Orion there to wonder. He had made a fool of himself two different ways. She stayed in the bathroom splashing water on her flushed face, wringing her hands, and running her fingers through her long black hair. When she finally plucked up the courage to come out, Orion had left. The blanket lay forgotten on the floor and the makeshift eye patch was thrown in the trash. Sighing, she got ready for bed. As she got under the covers and was about to turn off the lights she noticed the envelope sitting on her nightstand.

~~~~~Thank you for reading! If you want to know what's written in the note then don't forget to check out Chapter Two: The Note.