Awake by Nightfall by Emilia Sherman (well read books .TXT) 📕

nibbling on my hoodie sleeves. How could one day have gone so wrong so fast?

I heard rustling, footsteps coming towards me. I turned around to see who it was, kind of hoping that it was Aria or Darien. It turned out to be the jock from the lunch line. I glared up at him.

“What do you want?”

“So, you must be new here?” He said stupidly.

“You think?” I said sarcastically.

“Just listen.” He sat down next to me. He was sitting too close to me, because his cologne was overtaking my area. “I know how it feels to be new, I’ve been there.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. “It’s a party at my cousin’s private beach house, this Saturday.”

“And you are inviting me because…” I know what happens to new kids that go to parties. They usually get publicly embarrassed in front of the whole entire school. I have seen a lot of movies knowing perfectly well that I am not going to be at this party.

“Because a party is a relaxing way to get to know people, there are no limitations, no rules.” He bumped his shoulder against mine. “Not everyone at this party goes to this school, so it’s not like you will have to ever have to see them again. Unless, you know you like them.” He winked.

I couldn’t help but laugh. The way he said it, it sounded like a cheesy line he ripped off from a romantic movie. I really hated those types of movies. I handed his invitation back.

“Thanks but I have plans.”

“Liar. You are a new kid in school, how can you have plans?” He said kind of angrily. He saw my face and added. “Sorry, I didn’t mean no offense, it’s just I’m jealous. I didn’t become friends with anyone until I joined football. I didn’t have any plans until after my first game.”

“Oh.”

“Look you can ignore me at the party, but this is a really great place to hang out. You can bring anyone.”

I could bring Gabriel, just in case, I did get in trouble. But would he even want to go? Especially, with me? I took the invitation back and finally decided that my new life needed a little change.

“I will think about it.”

He smiled.

The lunch bell rang in the distance.

“Shit, I don’t know where my next class is?” I hurried and grabbed my schedule and map out of my pocket. “I have Chemistry next with Mr. Johnson, Room 206.”

“Here let me see.” He searched the school map, and showed me. “It looks like you are upstairs, next to the bathrooms.”

“Thanks.” I almost left, but then turned around. “Wait, I don’t know your name.”

“It’s on the invitation, silly.”

I paused and didn’t know what guy ever said silly before. I looked down and saw at the top, Travis Newman.

“Okay, see you later Travis.”

“Later, Marina.”

I ran to the front of the school, and as I turned the corner, I peeked behind me. He was still standing in the same spot, smiling. I waved goodbye to him, because he saw me staring and I didn’t want to look like I was crushing on him. As I entered the school, something just occurred to me. I never said my name to Travis. So, how did he know my name?

Chapter 06: Prepare For The Worst
Darien

We had no choice but to leave her.

We had made a promise to Gabriel that we keep our distance from the girl.

This, of course, was not our plan.

We spread out our schedules to have some classes with her. I choose only to have British Literature and World History with her. I let Aria and Tamara decide on the others. I knew I couldn’t last watching her all the time. I was already having a horrible time in this so called school, that I didn’t need any other distractions.

I saw how disappointment fell across her face. She was confused about our negative response to her invite.

“I’m sorry, but we are needed elsewhere. I apologize.”My effort to make the blow less hurtful.

“It’s okay, see you guys later.” She forced a smile and left the room.

I watched her light, brown head disappeared amongst the other students heading to lunch. She was avoiding our stares. Maybe, Gabriel would meet with her at lunch. I shouldn’t have to worry about her every second of the day. I sighed and motioned for the others to follow. We headed over to the spot where we usually relax. Off campus. Behind the school, there was a little wooded area by a small creek. We hanged out there so no one could bother us.

Aria was checking out the sight for any plants, walking around picking at things. Tamara was playing with water, twirling it between her nimble fingers. I sat down on a mossy rock and closed my eyes. Aria was first to interrupt the silence.

“Did you see what she was wearing? She looked like she was freezing.”

“Maybe you should start dressing warmer.” Tamara suggested.

“I rather look cute.”

“Yeah but it’s going to be raining this weekend for sure. Maybe you should start wearing a jacket and some pants. Enough with the dresses.” Tamara said.

“Well, I helped dress all of us.”Aria sounded hurt. Ah, here we go. “The Radiant really need to upgrade on their books about humans. We were so out of fashion. You guys are lucky to have me to dress you. We would have stood out horribly.”

“You cut off most of my hair though.”Tamara pulled on her hair. “I liked mine long.”

“At least, she didn’t make you take a potion to grow out your hair. I don’t care about scene hair, or bangs or whatever. This hair in front of my eyes is annoying.”

I blew the hair that hanged over my right eye. We all laughed. I coughed when my Attain necklace started burning against my skin. This wasn’t normal warmth. Someone was using their gift and it was powerful. I got up abruptly and didn’t look at Aria or Tamara. I just ran towards the school. If the girl was using her gift, we had to stop her.

I wanted Leon to be close enough to get her. I wasn’t even sure if he was near here to find her. If she was using her gift now, someone else would find her. I needed Leon to find her, not any random Seeker.

“What’s the matter?” Aria asked as they came chasing behind me.

“The Attain necklace. It’s strong.”

We entered the hallway and tried to walk casually into the cafeteria. I searched the many students and spotted Marina. She was standing beside a full table, holding her tray. By her intense stance, and her forced smile, I concluded that she was angry of course. She must have triggered her shield without even noticing. I concentrated on her area and listened in on the conversation.

“So you are saying that you would rather put your purse where, probably I don’t know, hundreds of butts have touched and rubbed on that chair, instead of letting me sit there.” Marina asked a bleached hair girl. Some guys behind Marina laughed.

“Gross!” The girls at the table all jumped up. They all gave Marina dirty looks. The bleach hair girl looked up at Marina and just turned away. As she passed by us, she muttered to her friends. “What a freak?”

They all laughed and exited to the main hallway.

We all looked back at Marina, and everyone else in the school was also staring. Marina obviously heard them. She dropped her tray on the table and left through a back door. Aria was about to follow but I stopped her. My Attain was still pointing towards the guys table. I watched as a boy got up and followed after Marina. The arrow slowly followed him. Shit, this was not good news for me. It was definitely not Leon.

We followed after them and stood by the corner of the building, watching them. Marina was sitting on a hill which leads down to the forest which we just had left a few minutes ago. The boy walked slowly up behind her. Gabriel had warned us that Marina wouldn’t know anyone here, so who was this boy. I concentrated again on her area and listened in.

“What do you want?” Marina said, still clearly upset. By the sound of her tone, she must have met him before. But the possibilities of how they met could have been endless. Clearly by her tone of voice, she did not want him there. The boy should have taken this as a clue to get the hell away.

“So, you must be new here?” So, he wanted to start a conversation.

“You think?” Marina looked up, slowly rolled her eyes, annoyed.

“Just listen.” He sat down close to her. It was a human tactic to show that he was interested in her. I have observed this exact move on many of the humans here. That one move usually worked. Hopefully, not this time.

I couldn’t see any reason why anyone would have any interests in Marina. She didn’t have any qualities like a normal Nephilim would have. We were god like, and everything about us made us more inviting to humans. Our scent was appealing to humans, you got too close and it would throw off your senses, making you weak. Our voices were soft, and calming, making humans feeling relax. Our skin looked really pale in bright light, but in the dark we sort of give off our own glow. Our bodies never got cold. We give off everlasting warmth, which kept us warm in flight.

Marina, on the other hand, looked like a normal human. She appeared to be cold. Her hair was dark brown, and dry. Her voice was a nervous wreck and sometimes out of tone, nothing like ours. As for her scent, it smelt like spices and wet dog mixed but her hair gave off the slightest smell of tropical fruit. And her skin was, well, tan. None of these seemed appealing to us Nephilim. She was too human for my taste. But then again, some have fallen for these types before.

The guy reached into his pocket. It brought me back to reality and alert. I stared intently at his back. “I know how it feels to be new, I’ve been there.” He pulled out a card. “It’s a party at my cousin’s private beach house, this Saturday.”

Oh so he was trying to get her alone. Clever.
“And you are inviting me because…” Marina asked.

So, she didn’t have the usual human stupidity.
“Because a party is a relaxing way to get to know people, there are no limitations, no rules.” He touched her shoulder with his. “Not everyone at this party goes to this school, so it’s not like you will have to ever see them again. Unless, you know you like them.” His right eye twitched or maybe he winked.
To my surprise, Marina laughed. He smiled, his right eye sort of twitched again.

“Thanks, but I have plans.” She answered and handed back his card. I already knew she didn’t but he didn’t know this. He was taken aback by her answer.

“Liar. You are a new kid in school, how can you have plans?” He said intensively. He stopped and glanced at