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

She had copied the problem shown in the book. Then solved it in a neat column. Her handwriting was small and neat. Next to the answer she had written three words, trace it backwards. I did as she said and realized my mistake. It took me ten minutes to finish the fifteen problems I had left following her example. A personal best.

The bell rang and I watched her stand and head out the door. I hoped I had more classes with her. She was intriguing. I continued on to my next class hoping I would be able to concentrate.

An hour later I walked into the lunch room. I scanned the room then realized I was looking for her. I walked to my friend’s usual table. It was on the left second to the last table in the impossibly square room. I sat down and waited. I didn’t eat school food. I found it inedible.

I didn’t have to wait long for my friends to show up. All three of them walked in joking and shoving each other. They were a bunch of morons, but you couldn’t find more loyal friends. Jason was the smallest and the most picked on. He was the last to join our group. Courtesy of us saving his ass from a few boys twice his size. Frank was the largest. Built like a bulldozer. He was about six five with shoulders about the width of the most standard door frames. He was also the kindest. He didn’t like saying a bad word about his most hated enemies. William was average. Average in everything he did. An average six feet, an average build, average brown hair, average grades.

The came up to the table and Jason plopped down in his seat. He always sat with his back to the forever empty back table. Frank pulled his out and turned it so it faced the majority of the room. He always sat in the seat closest to the door. Will plopped down in his directly across from me. I always kept my back to the wall so I could see everyone. I liked to know everything that was going on. I suppose that’s why I was interested in the new girl. She presented a challenging mystery.

I looked up at the door just in time to see her walk in. Several people turned to look at her. Including my friends.

“Hey there’s the new girl. Any of you know anything about her?” Will asked. Jason was the first to answer.

“She’s in American history with me. She never said anything and the teacher didn’t introduce her.”

“I haven’t seen her yet. But everyone’s talking about her.” Frank said in his soft voice. Sometimes I wondered if he softened his voice intentionally so he wouldn’t seem quite as intimidating.

“She’s not in any of my classes, but Donna is. She sits in front of me in algebra. She was bitching at her friends. Apparently she had tried to talk to the girl, and she just looked at her like she had some kind of disgusting disease, then turned and walked away.”

Donna was the Barbie clone. Homecoming queen, head cheerleader, big boobs, fake blonde hair. The works. She slept with any guy she thought she had to to get her crown. She tried it with me once and got the preverbal smack down. Ever since she flirted with me every chance she got. To her I was the one she couldn’t have and it drove her crazy.

“Her name’s Rayne.” I said and they all turned to look at me with varying degrees of surprise. I never participated in their student gossip. I new that each of those people they loved to talk about had a past and a personality. Even if they all weren’t gems.

“How in the hell did you find out more than we did?” Will asked with a fair amount of indignity. I lifted a shoulder.

“She’s my physics partner.”

“Good maybe then she can help you pass the class.” I gave him my middle finger and they all laughed. Although I had had the same thought more than once in the last hour.

She stood near the door and scanned the room. My laughing friends caught her attention and she headed in our direction. I watched to see what she would do. She walked past us to the table behind us. She pulled a chair the couple feet so her back would be to the wall. She propped her feet on another chair and crossed her ankles pulling her book out of her bag that she leaned against her chair.

I watched her for a second then turned my attention to the rest of the room with difficulty. If I kept staring at her then she might not want to talk to me. I listened to my friends talk and laugh at each other’s expense. About ten minutes later someone walked over to her table and sat down in the chair closest to her. It was Sam.

Sam was the token pretty boy of the school, as well as the cruelest. I knew what would happen before she even acknowledged him. He would do what he always did. He would turn on his charm, and convince her to do something with him. She, being the new girl and alone, would be flattered and agree. He would woo her for as long as he needed to until he had her in his bed. He’d use her once, twice, maybe three times if she was lucky. Then he’d throw her away leaving her heart broken and lonely. Then he would trash her to the rest of the school to make sure she stayed lonely.

“Hey I’m Sam.” to my surprise she ignored him. His smile fell a little at the corners. “So there’s a party tonight. I was wondering if you’d like to go with me. Maybe meet some people?” his demeanor never changed but instead of answering she pulled a cell phone out of the side pocket on her bag. She checked the time and slipped her book into her bag. Finally she spoke.

“You know, I’ve been to a lot of schools. I’ve met a lot of people, and every school is typical. After meeting all of those people I’ve learned one thing.” she bent down and picked her bag up standing at the same time.

“Oh and what’s that?” he asked with a flirty smile meant to disarm. She walked around the table opposite him and looked at him for the first time. She didn’t meet his eyes, but looked at his forehead instead.

“That guys like you should be neutered at birth.” she turned and walked away leaving him with his face turning red. She walked till she was about three feet past our table then stopped. She looked at the time again and looked around with a perplexed look. She turned to look at our table and looked at Frank. She walked over to him. He had his head turned and was talking to Jason. She reached over and tapped his shoulder with her index finger. He jumped a little and turned to her.

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to startle you.” in her hast to apologize she looked him directly in the eye. She froze and her eyes dilated completely. It only lasted for a moment but a moment was long enough for me to see it. He stood in front of her. Forever the southern gentleman his dad taught him to be. Her head didn’t reach past his shoulder, and when he stood so abruptly it left her looking directly at his chest. Her eyes lifted slowly going from his chest to his shoulder to his chin then finally meeting his eyes again. Her head was tilted back so she could see his face. She wore an expression of slight surprise. No fear, no intimidation, no self consciousness just surprise.

“Umm, hi.” she said apparently at a momentary loss for words.

“Hello” he answered his voice softer than usual.

“I was just wondering if you could tell me where the library is?” she asked.

“Oh yes you go into the hallway and turn right it’s the last door on the left.” she nodded.

“Ok thank you” before she could walk away Frank stuck his hand out.

“My name is Frank.” she looked at his hand the look of surprise returning. She took his hand slowly. For the first time I noticed that she had small hands with slender fingers. It looked like a child’s in his large hand.

“Rayne”

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“You too.” she gave him a small smile and turned to walk out of the room. I was momentarily stunned. She looked stern and guarded always making her features severe. But when she smiled she looked completely different. All of her features softened and lightened like a light was shining from under her skin. At that moment I would give anything to have that smile directed at me. For the first time in my life I was envious of someone.

Rayne

The bell rang and I couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief. The school day was over. I wouldn’t be near the novelty tomorrow. Eventually everyone will pretty much forget I exist and I can go back to a more relaxed life.

I hunted through my bag for my keys as I walked down through the hallway to the door that led to the parking lot. I was listening to my mp3 player so I couldn’t hear everyone’s incessant chatter.

I opened the door with my eyes still on my bag. I took the stairs by instinct and three steps forward when I ran into someone’s back. I had just managed to pull my keys out and dropped them at impact. The person I ran into was sturdy. I bounced back half a step but let my momentum take me back a couple more steps. I looked up to see it was Zeke. He bent and picked up my keys handing them to me. I took them hesitantly. He had his glasses on so I was safe but he still unsettled me.

He was standing with his friends the same ones he had been sitting with at lunch. It was just my luck that his table was right next to the only table far enough from the masses. The was a small mousy girl practically hanging on his arm. Whether she was his girlfriend or not I couldn’t tell. He didn’t seem to pay her much mind.

I mumbled my thanks and moved past them to the back corner of the lot where I had parked pulling my headphones off as I went. His friends had returned to their conversation but I could still feel Zeke’s gaze. And the girls. I heard her huff once, twice. The only thought I had was ‘Don’t do it. Just let it go. I’m no one to worry about.’ I was about six feet past them when it became apparent that unfortunately it she couldn’t read minds.

“How rude!” she said it with the intention of me hearing it. I turned and looked at her in the eye. Not something I did often at least not on purpose. But I hated high school girls with attitude. Even though I’ve been accused of having an attitude myself. Though when pressed they admitted that it was more a problem with authority.

I met her heated gaze with a hard one of my own. She took a step back out of reflex. I raised an eyebrow at her, and she dropped her eyes to the concrete. I turned and finished my walk to my car.

The drive to the new house where I lived took all of five minutes. I parked in the spot my new foster father told me to and got out. I left my bag in the car only grabbing my mp3 player and my book. I didn’t bother with my bag I didn’t have any homework.

I walked through the front door and