Demonic Bonds by Claire M (best books to read for self improvement txt) 📕

see you tomorrow! Make sure you take it easy, 'kay?" They waved at me as I got to the front door. "I will, thanks alot guys!" They walked off, Ruby up the street and Maisy and Hayley back the way we came.

I took a step through the door before Rufus jumped up at me, hugging me.

"Lexie! You're back! You were gone so long-What's that on your head?" He looked worriedly at the bandage on my head and raised a hand but stopped. He probably didn't want to hurt me.

"I, uh..." I mumbled. I didn't know what to say. I don't know why I didn't want to tell him...Maybe because I didn't want him to worry. He's such a nice person. He worries too much about me.

"You hurt your head again?" "Yeah..." I sighed. "I had a little confrontation with a girl at school and I slipped on the steps. I ended up hitting my head on a metal cafeteria seat and passing out."

He looked at me sympathetically and hugged me again. It felt like he was trying to comfort me.

"Hey, I'm fine!" I smiled as he let me go. "You hit your head in the same place as before?" Oh great, he'd realised. "You should go upstairs and rest." "But, I need to do the housework, and cook and-" I stammered. "I'll take care of it." He didn't seem playful anymore. He was reassuring me that it'd be okay, that he really would take care of it. I sighed, defeated.

"Okay. Thanks Rufus" I smiled and headed upstairs, sure that I could feel his worried eyes on my back. "If you need help with anything, be sure to let me know." I shouted down before shutting my door and flopping down onto my bed.

The ceiling spun for a few seconds as my brain realised I wasn't stood up anymore. It ached.

I buried my head in the pillow and groaned. Then I remembered. Exams next week! I had no time to be sitting round feeling sorry for myself. I needed to study!

I pulled the revision guide we'd been given today at school out of my bag and began my long afternoon of studying.

I just hope Rufus really will be okay with everything.

It came to 7:30pm when my stomach began to rumble. Maybe I should go downstairs and see if Rufus is doing okay-The door opened and Rufus walked in with a tray in his hands. He looked round after seeing the bed empty and found me at the desk behind the door.

"You should be resting!" He said putting the tray down on the desk next to me. It was food.

Food!

Wow...On the plate was ham and pasta coated in a cheese sauce. It smelt delicious.

Wait, he can cook?

"Sorry but I have exams starting next Monday, I have to study..." I looked away and moved the books to one side, pulling the tray in front of me. "Have you eaten?" He shook his head. "I'm going to cook some ramen now. I'm not feeling too hungry." His face was somewhat annoyed that I hadn't been resting.

He turned pulling the door closed with him.
"Rufus" He stopped. "I'm sorry." I said my voice breaking. He turned back to me. "Hey, it's okay. Just please...promise me that you'll rest once you've eaten." He smiled; his eyes seemed to be pleading with me. "I don't want you to hurt anymore."

"Okay." I blushed and managed a smile back. He bent down and kissed the top of my head. Then he wrapped his arms around me.

I froze. I wanted to hug him back, but I couldn't seem to raise my arms. My heart was pounding. "Rufus..." His eyes suddenly flew open and he let me go. "I'm sorry!" He stepped back but looked at me again. Then he left the room.

I could see what looked like sadness in his eyes.

Rufus...
A Strange Feeling

"Good morning Lexie!" I opened my eyes to find Rufus's face inches from my own. He was crouched on the floor next to the bed and staring into my eyes, a large grin plastered on his face.

I screamed. "What are you doing?" I shot back against the wall, my eyes wide.

Rufus gigged at my stupefied expression.

I exhaled and rubbed my still very tired eyes. I did go to bed after I ate last night but I still feel so tired...

"The clock says its 6am! You'll be late for school!" He pointed at the digital clock beside my bed.

I stared at him for a few seconds and hit him on his head. Baka...

"Its 7am I get up for school and 8:30 I have to be there by!" I said.

Rufus rubbed his head, a goofy embarrassed smile growing across his face. "Ah, I'm sorry Lexie! I guess I thought it was 6:30 you had to be at school by...I'll try and work on getting to know the times!" I stared at him wide eyed again.

Then I sighed and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Silly...look, I really appreciate you trying to help me out and all, but I'll handle it so leave it to me, 'kay?" I smiled and got out of bed, stretching and pulling the curtains open.

"You're getting up now?" I turned to Rufus who was now trying to make the bed. "Yeah, I might as well even though I'm still dead tired!" I reached up to scratch my head and remembered I still had the bandage wrapped round it. I pulled it off and examined my head in the mirror on the wardrobe door.

"Hey, you really don't have to do that..." I turned back to Rufus who had almost finished tidying up the bed, and actually made a pretty neat job of it. For his first time.

"It's the least I can do for Lexie letting me stay here, even if it isn't much and I'm kind of in the way..." He said a bit sadly while putting the pillows on top of the duvet and patting them down.

I giggled at the sight of it. A demon making a bed. My bed.

"Not at all! You're welcome to stay as long as you want! For one thing, you were the first here so by rights this should be your house and I kind of like having you here!" I smiled and he grinned back happily, hugging me playfully. Again.

"You have a real habit of hugging me don't you?" I giggled and he laughed. "He he, sorry." He let go. "It's okay."

I met up with Maisy on my way to school. The others seemed to have arrived there before us.

"So, how are you feeling today? I really should've met you at your house in case you fell or anything-"she asked, looking at my head. We were two streets away from school.

Maisy and Hayley lived on the same street four streets away, I lived five and Ruby seven.

"No, no, it's completely fine, I feel much better! And you really don't have to do that!" I stammered, waving my arms around like a freak.

Maisy giggled and I smiled. "That's good."

I guess I didn't realise it at first until she was right beside me.

A young woman with beautiful medium length wavy raven black hair, which shone as she walked right by me, brushing against my shoulder and sending an electrical feeling through my body.

I froze and shivered. This feeling...

I spun round immediately, to find no-one...

But...I...

"Lexie? Is everything okay?" I jumped and looked back to see Maisy a few steps ahead of me with a worried look on her face. I ran back to her and smiled as reassuringly as I could. "Yeah, sorry, I just thought I saw something..." I looked back once again to see no-one apart from a couple of other students across the street further back. We continued walking.

But my hands were shaking. My shoulder was tingling and my legs felt weak.

Could she have been a demon?

As soon as I got to school, I felt the stares of lots of different people on me.

I got glares, looks of worry and looks of wonder all thrown at me. And of course there were those who'd come up to me and ask me if I was okay which was very considerate of them.

But, I felt like I was the talk of the school. I probably was too. Oh great.

I felt just as bad for being with Maisy. She'd probably end up getting looks as well. Maybe even Ruby and Hayley...Oh now I just feel even worse...

Form was a different matter.

I walked in and already I was surrounded by a crowd of people, all kinds of questions filling the air.

WHY ME?

"Hey, hey, give the poor girl some room!" "Yeah, she's still injured y'know!" I heard Ruby and Hayley's voices over the ruckus and they pushed through to me, grabbing my arms. Maisy joined them in helping making a passage for me to get through the crowd.

I got to my seat and slumped down, exhaling deeply.

"Whew, thanks guys!" My classmates seemed to back off a bit after Ruby announced that I was okay and it was Kylie Samson's fault for what happened to me. She also added in that if anyone had a problem with, they had to deal with her, at which point I told her to calm down. We all laughed over her silliness.

Surprisingly most people were kind about the day before, making sure I really was okay. I thanked them for worrying but told them they really didn't need to. They really didn't have to since I honestly was feeling much better.

"Kylie's been suspended for two weeks." Hayley said before the bell for the start of registration went. We'd got to school a bit early so we had quite a bit of time to talk and all.

"What? Really?" I gasped. "Heh, serves her right, for what she did to you and all." Ruby laughed. "Yeah, she ran out after seeing you fall and hit your head, a couple of her stupid friends joining her. Unfortunately they didn't get suspended but luckily there was a teacher who saw her push you and everything." Hayley said as our form tutor walked in. We turned in our seats and the teacher began the usual lecture to the guys.

We just laughed at them quietly.

It got to English-period 3, which I had with Ruby, but unfortunately we have a seating plan and she sits at the other side of the class while I'm next to the window.

I sit next to the window in a lot of my classes