Soul Searcher by D.M. Richardson (novel24 .TXT) 📕

I smiled up at him and he smiled back in relief. We indulged in one more kiss then it was time for me to leave. We still had Sam, Chase, and Megan to worry about. We couldn’t afford to explore these new feelings too closely just yet.

It wasn’t until I was laying in my own bed that I started to worry again. With my abilities growing like they were it was only a matter of time before I had to leave. What would happen when our new relationship suddenly turned long distance? I sighed and rolled onto my side.

Zeke

I couldn’t help my smile as I watched her walk out the door. I turned and started up to my room when my dad stepped in front of me. He had a self satisfied expression and I was hard pressed not to roll my eyes.

“It looks like that went well.” I lifted a shoulder.

“Yeah” I moved to walk past but his next words stopped me.

“You realize she’s going to panic right?” I turned back to him.

“What do you mean?”

“She’s been shipped from place to place all her life because of an ability she can’t control. She’s been forced to leave everything behind time and time again. She already feels like it’s only a matter of time before she gets sent away.”

“If it happens then we’ll just work it out.” he shook his head.

“It’s not that simple. There’s no telling where she would end up and how long it would be between each time you saw each other. Long distance relationships rarely work for a reason. And you have to remember: to her it’s not if, but when.” he left me with that lovely thought as he climbed the stairs to his own room.

I sighed as I laid down on my bed. Everything happened so quickly tonight. She went from wanting nothing to do with me to kissing me with so much passion I almost melted. I didn’t want to let her go when she decided to leave, but she was right we needed a little more time.

I woke up the next morning and Sam was the first thing I thought about. I knew he had some kind of trouble in mind for Rayne. I was terrified of what he might do to her, and since he apparently had accomplices it made him even more dangerous.

I pulled into the school parking lot a few minutes ahead of her. The guys gave me an odd look and got out of the car. I climbed out after them and told them to go on I’d catch up.

I only had to wait a couple minutes before Rayne pulled in next to me. I walked around and opened the door for her. She stepped out and looked up at me with amused expression.

“Am I unable to open my own doors now?” she asked. I shrugged.

“Of course but I have to show chivalry in public at least.” she laughed.

“Well then maybe you should make sure there are people around to see it.” I looked around and sure enough no one was around.

“How did that happen?”

“I’m almost always close to being late. Everyone’s inside the first bell is about to ring.” she swung her bag over her shoulder and started walking inside.

I walked her all the way to her first class sneaking a kiss right before she walked in. I was a couple minutes late to my own class, but the teacher didn’t mind. I was always the first one in so one day didn’t make much of a difference. It helped that she was a friend of my dad’s and was currently trying to be more.

Five minutes before the bell rang I asked to go to the bathroom. I grabbed my things and the bell rang just as I got to Rayne’s class. She walked out with her eyes on the floor and her ear buds in. I followed her for a few steps then reached out and tapped her on the shoulder. She jumped and spun around wide eyed. I couldn’t help laughing and she shot me a rueful look before turning around to keep walking leaving me to catch up.

Her posture said she was angry, but she pulled out one of the ear buds as I reached her side and gave me a small smile.

“What are you doing here isn’t your class on the second floor?” she asked. I slipped my hand in hers. She tensed like she was going to pull away so I tightened my grip slightly. “Relax I’m just still getting used to the whole reader thing.” I did as she said and relaxed. She wasn’t going to pull away she was just fighting the desire to read me. It amazed me that she felt the need when she already went through the searching last night.

“So even when you search someone you still want to read them too?” I asked quietly.

“Yeah I had already went through it with Sara before I ended up back in her head again.” I nodded in thought and then changed the subject to something trivial.

When we walked into our next class our hands were still linked, earning several amazed stares. I never dated anyone in school and for me to start now with the mysterious new girl was front page news to several girls. We split and went to our own desks.

Rayne walked past Liz and Donna and they both graced her with the most heated glares I’ve ever seen. She just smiled at them politely and continued on her way.

The hour passed slowly with me stealing several glances at her. She kept her head bent over her book and never looked up. When the bell finally rang she grabbed her bag and stood. I met her at the door and slipped my hand in hers again. Both Liz and Donna pushed past us slamming their shoulder into hers. I looked down to see her smirking at the floor.

“I’m lost is that funny?” I asked outraged on her behalf. She met my eyes without fear and I almost forgot what I was angry about.

“Yes it is. You see both of them have obviously been trying to land in your bed for awhile. I’ve only been here for a couple months and have earned both of their dislikes before now. And suddenly we make an appearance as a couple. High school drama can be very amusing.” she answered.

“What if they try coming after you?” she snorted.

“Yeah right. There is nothing either of them can do that I haven’t gone through times ten. Besides I could make them regret everything they’ve ever done. Knowing that can get me through a lot.”

“Oh” was the only answer I could come up with. We walked into our physics class and walked to our table not bothering to separate. She sat down and turned to me. She got a confused look.

“What?” I asked.

“Where are your glasses?”

“In my bag.”

“Why aren’t you wearing them?”

“I don’t need them in here.”

“But you were wearing them my first day.”

“I only wear them inside if I plan on sleeping.”

“So then why aren’t you wearing them today?”

“I only wore them so much because it was the only way you would look at me.” she stared at me for a moment then mumbled something as she turned away.

We sat quietly me doing the days homework and her leaned back in her usual way reading. I dreaded when the class would be over. Then I would have to go two hours before I saw her up close again.

The bell rang and we both walked into the hallway. Chase, Megan, and Sam were walking by and looked at us. Chase winked at Rayne causing Megan and Sam to laugh hysterically. Sam and Megan were walking arm in arm and it was obvious we weren’t the only new couple.

I turned to Rayne and she looked calm but slightly pale. She leaned up and kissed me a little too much to be appropriate for school, then she started to go to her next class.

At lunch she sat where she normally did, but it wasn’t close enough for me. I reached out and grabbed the back leg of her chair, pulling it towards me causing her to yell out. The guys chuckled, but she settled in against my side and I had to repress a sigh of contentment.

Rayne

Chase and his new friends walked by, and I watched them struggling not to show how much they had shaken me. I didn’t know what they planned to do with the knowledge of what they thought I could do, but I knew it wouldn’t be pleasant.

I leaned harder against Zeke and he squeezed my shoulder slightly. I smirked when Chase glared at him showing the first sign of jealousy I had ever seen out of him. I went through the lunch hour in relative peace ignoring Chase’s group when they laughed too loudly obviously trying to get my attention.

The next week went like that. Me and Zeke walking through school showing off the relationship we were now in. Chase and his friends would taunt me every chance they got, and we would ignore them the best we could. I would go over to Zeke’s house after dinner or he would come up to my room. We would always leave the door open so we didn’t rouse suspicion, but we also always snuck a make out session before one of us had to leave for the night. After I was away from him I would lose sleep from worrying about how we were going to work, and what Chase was planning. Other than the worries though I was reasonably happy.

Then the other shoe dropped. It happened while we were in physics. Zeke was done with his work and we were holding hands under the table like we always did. Suddenly Sara ran into the room followed closely by the secretary from the front office. She looked terrible. Her mascara was running so I knew she had been crying, and her hair was a mess like she had run her hands through it more than twice.

I stood quickly and went to her pulling her into the hall. Whatever had her this upset should not be told in front of a room full of gossiping teenagers. When I had her in the hall I pushed her back so she was leaning back against the wall. She was crying so hard I couldn’t understand anything she said.

“Sara calm down breathe.” she did as I instructed and when I felt she was coherent enough to answer my questions I started in on her. “What happened? What’s wrong?” she looked like she was ready to burst into tears again, but she took a deep breath and let the tears fall silently instead.

A few students were walking through the halls and stopped to look at her until I glared at them hard enough that they kept walking.