Beauty, @((Y^!@ Allyvia [books to read in a lifetime .TXT] 📗

a hodgepodge of noise and chatter. It was full of round bright red tables, and bodies. Lunch trays cluttered tables, and notepads sat on corner edges; the intruments in their case by their seats; the skateboards sat underneath them; the drugs hidden in their pockets. It was full of people, each one's thoughts I had heard before. Until now, when all I heard was myself. And no one else's thoughts.

The silence was eerie, and yet kind of nice. Way too nice. I had never been able to block out someone's thoughts, and yet here I was, acting, seeming, being a normal seventeen year old girl. And that was much sweeter than I thought it would be.

Finally, no more thoughts of the lunch lady's possible ulcer or Mr. Finkle's Viagra perscription needing to be filled. Nope, for once it was me and only me inside my head.

 I plopped down in my normal seat, a much peppier bounce in my step, as everyone noted. True, talking about some guy he met in Rage, the local raggedy dance club, animatedly described everything, from the guy's eye color to the size condom he carried in his pocket. Despite how much I loved my best friend, the conversation killed my appetite.

"-and then he like attacked my zipper, I mean, this kid was-"

"True! C'mon, people are eating," I cried, covering my ears with my hands. He just shrugged and grabbed a potato chip from the bag resting in the middle of the table.

"I don't care," he insisted, spraying bits of chip on purpose. I rolled my eyes and stabbed him with my fork playfully.

"Say it, don't spray it," I chastised, handing him a napkin. He chuckled and wiped the corner of his mouth in cheekiness, shooting me a playful glare. Just then, Jake sat down, his broad shoulders brushing against mine. I smiled at him, and he placed a tiny kiss on my cheek.

"So, kiddies, what were we just talking about," he asked, grabbing the edge of his greasy slice of pizza and taking an inhumanly large bite.

"You don't want to know," I assured him, True making a face at me between bites of tuna salad.

"Unless you're ever interested in joining me, Jake, dear," True added, recieving a glare from me. Jake just laughed good-naturedly, despite the feeling I had that True wasn't joking.

"You're not," I told him flatly, recieving a chuckle from him. He looked so handsome, even with a bit of pizza sauce on the corner of his mouth. His brown eyes met mine, winking at me quickly as his hand rested on my knee, and a quirky crooked smile tugged at his lips.

We're almost there.

The thought made pure, hot, silver panic shoot up my spine. The voice was unfamiliar, and I knew almost everyone's voice. My head snapped behind me, looking around the lunchroom until I saw him. Curly blond hair, the color of sunshine; forest green eyes; plump lips. He stood by the red-painted, cafeteria doube doors. He stared at me, with those magnetic forest eyes.

Quirking a brow at me, the stranger smirked.

You heard me, sweetheart. We're almost there.

You know Avery, I thought, never breaking his steely gaze. A sinister smile replaced the smirk, and he shook his head. My insides trembled with fear at the look that crossed his face- it was too dark, too bad.

Sure. Sure, whatever helps you sleep at night. Just don't drown tonight, sweetheart. The twisted smile on his face made a new shade of fear paint my face. Suddenly, he was gone. I blinked, and the dark stranger was out of sight, like a ghost.

~~~

"I swear to God, Karen, if you drop me-"

"Harper, move your foot. It's digging into my collar bone-"

"I'm going to fall!"

"Guys," Casey Thorton cried, making us all look up. Or in my case, standing on top of the pyramaid and trying my hardest not to fall onto the cold hard ground, look down.

Casey was Wickerville High's very own cheerleading Hitler. Instead of an awkward hair part and iconic mustache, though, she adorned the grey and black Wickerville Wolve's cheerleading skirt. She was head cheerleader, or as True called her, Atropos. Like the Greek myth, Casey was infelxible and, like cutting the strings of life, cut people from the team ruthlessly. If it weren't for the fact I was dating her brother, I would have slapped the girl long before.

 My knees began to wobble as Doug and Drake's-- twins who used every oppurtunity to be pervs and creeps-- arms shook under the weight of Hanna Umbridge and me.

"Casey," Drake grunted, his face red with exertion. "Casey, we've been like this for almost ten minutes!"

"Yeah," Doug joined in, his brows furrowing in frustration, puffing out his cheeks as he lifted his right arm, which I was perched upon, just a bit. "I'm tired and hungry."

We had all been starving ourselves when Casey was around. She was a brutal dietitian, shoving salads and protien shakes down our throats. Finally, Casey sighed and waved a dismissive hand. I let out a sigh of relief and crossed my arms over my chest as I fell back into the awaiting cradle.

"Look, Casey," I began, brushing myself off after jumping out of Gina Hendrick's and Lena Franks' arms, and following her as she strut over the bleachers, "maybe we should all take a break. Everyone's tired, and if Drake and Doug don't eat something soon, I'm pretty sure they'll go cannabilistic-"

"Don't tell me how to run my team, Vienna," she spat, narrowing her eyes in my direction. I arched a brow, and rolled my eyes. She honestly had a lot of nerve; she had no idea I knew she had slept with Doug and Drake. Sometimes having the power to read minds was nice.

"I'm just saying, this would be what's best for-"

"Shut up, Vienna! Jesus, I know what I'm doing," she snapped, glaring at me. I bit my tongue, hard, to keep from snapping right back. I studied her, the same blond brown hair and dark eyes as her brother, the look of irritation on her face. I was wondering what she was thinking, which was something I had never really done before.

My ability wasn't back yet, and it had been almost six hours. Sure, it was nice having my head to myself, but I couldn't deny the nagging anxiety that something wasn't right.

Jaw working and clenching, she then turned her back towards me and announced in a loud voice, "Break time, guys! Get something to eat, and we'll start again in ten!"

Just then, the sight of Jake on the horizon lifted my spirits a bit. The sun was setting behind him, and he looked kind of herioc. Well, he was saving me a cat fight with Casey, so in some ways he was my hero. He jogged over, his football uniform clinging to his lean hips and broadened shoulders, large like the Hulk from the pads that were tethered to him tightly. His helmet was in one hand, the other cupping my hip as he held me in a sweaty hug, a smiling Jake greeted Casey with a nod and his signature broad smile.

"Hey, my two favorite girls," he grinned, placing a kiss on my lips quickly. He tasted salty from the sweat. Casey smiled fakely. "Are you two playing nice?"

I opened my mouth to say something, but Casey was too quick. A smug glimmer in her eyes was flashed towards me before she turned toward Jake, a fake grin pasted on her lips.

"Yep. Vienna and I were actually just talking about who you love more," she smiled, suddenly so fake and perky. Ugh, that bitch.

"Yeah," he chuckled, the questioning tone in his voice sounding more and more like doubt when I replayed it over and over in my head. I nodded and leaned into him slightly.

"So, Jake, who do you-," Casey began only to have Jake cut her off quickly, glancing back at the field to see Coach Harding yelling for him to get back to practice.

"Look, Case, I can't drive you home tonight. Get a ride with Tiffany or someone," he said quickly before turning to me and saying, quietly so Casey couldn't hear, "And I am taking you out. I'll pick you up from your house at nine."

I smiled and nodded, and placed a kiss on his cheek before watching him run back into the distance. I did not want to deal with Casey. She seemed to be in mutuality, because she only gave me an eye roll and a snuff before trotting back to the team, back in drill sergeant mode. Rolling my eyes, I sighed. I was in for another hour and a half of this.

~~~

I was sweating, sore, and sour. Casey had been on every one of my back-tucks and bow-and-arrows. With every little twitch of muscle, she'd be on me like grease on fried yucca. My cheer duffle bag, slung on my shoulder, was just another annoying thing dragging me down. Literally. We hadn't finished practice until almost nine, and I had promised Jake to meet him at my house in less than half an hour.

It was oddly cold that night, sending chills down my arms and on the back of my neck. The bright street lamps gave me light, and yet it still felt dark. It was too creepy, walking across the completely empty lot, in the dark, by myself. I practically had a 'Chainsaw Massacre Cheerleader, Right Here!' graffitied on my back.

It wasn't until I made it to my car did I relax. Sure, the crappy twenty year old engine won't be the fastest if a chainsaw murderer does come after me, but at least I had means of transportation. I unlocked my car, the hinges groaning in protest as I swung the back door open, and threw my duffle bag into the backseat. I slipped on my sweatshirt too, the goose bumps on my arm making me shiver. Or, maybe it was the shadow leaning against my car.

I jumped when I saw him. He leaned against the tail of the car, his broad shoulder and lean hips like eclipes in the dim light. I stumbled out of the car, my breathing uneven, staring at Avery Silver in the moonlight.

"Anna, long time no see," he grinned, his white smile breathtaking in more ways than one. He was real, standing before me. I knew, because he was touching my cheek with his rough hand. His rough, right hand, to be exact. I opened my mouth to say something, but instead my words were lost in my throat.

"You missed me, right," he teased, his dark eyes raking up and down my body, an amused smile on his face. I closed my mouth, tellling myself I'd catch flies in there if I kept it open any longer.

"Wh-What're you doing here? I mean, here. A-At the school," I managed, my brow furrowing and my head dizzying. A headache, slight but evident, flared in my brain. I could almost feel my emotions twisting, while looking at him. Old emotions- ones that, even then, were confusing- new anger, and hurt mixed together, and made me feel vulnerable. I hated being vulnerable, as egotistical as it sounded.

"I came to see you, of course," he smiled, this one genuine. Very genuine. I swallowed, and backed away. I could feel him in my head, like a dark cloud hovering in my brain, poking and prodding. I could feel him in my head, like a master puppeteer pulling at the strings, controlling and manipulating.

"Anna, it's not like I'm bending your will or anything," he insisted, real hurt seeping into his voice, his brows furrowing.

Stop. Stop reading my thoughts, I managed, glaring at him from beneath my lashes. His hair was longer, brushing against his shoulders, which were broader. His eyes looked darker, setting underneath heavy brows, which were thick and dark. His skin was creamy Creole, golden and smelling like spices. He had a strong nose, and cheek bones that stuck out slightly. His jaw was strong. Probably strong enough to only bruise when punched.

 "Well, one of us has to do it. And since you've been incapable since first hour, it