School went by at an instant; all the classes Raven had that day feeling like flashing lights... they came and went.
And now she found herself walking into biology, dreading seeing Malachi again...
She stepped into the classroom, finding him sitting in his seat, looking up to her when she walked in and flashed a fox smile.
She rolled her eyes, settling down next to him.
“You came with a full thirty seconds to spare,” he commented. “Good job.”
“Thanks for stating the obvious,” she responded sharply.
He was silent for a moment. “Well... someone’s in a good mood today.”
She sighed in annoyance.
“And after I was so kind to you last night, as well. I even drove you to your friend’s house.”
“Malachi,” she said, gritting her teeth, “I’m not in the mood for your infuriating comments.”
“When are you ever?”
She exhaled a shaky breath. “Let’s just do class, alright?”
“Do you think we’re partnering up today?” he wondered, making her pinch the bridge of her nose. “Because I had fun doing that last time. I was able to write a paragraph based on your appearance.”
She chose to ignore him as he ranted on about random things, and the bell rattled the room, Mr. Powell rushing through the door, once again.
He stood at the board. “Sorry, you guys... I had a little thing come up, so I have to power on the projector and such. Just do whatever for the next five minutes.”
Raven wanted to smash her head against the table, knowing this would be the perfect time for Malachi to continue strangling her ears.
“So,” he said, proving her point, “how’s life?”
“Good...” she said, “I guess?”
“Anyone I should beat up today?”
She looked to him then, faking an annoyed look. “No.”
“Get attacked by any ‘muggers’ today?”
She looked confused for a moment. “Did Jaelyn tell you that?”
A nod.
“What did you say back?’
“The truth.”
She shook her head, glaring at him despite her insides coiling. “Don’t rope her into this, okay? I don’t want her getting hurt.”
Malachi looked her over for a moment. “What about me?”
She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. “What about you?”
“Aren’t you worried about me getting hurt?”
“You seem the type to do the hurting.”
He smiled in amusement. “You know me well, don’t you?”
She rolled her eyes again. “Let’s stop talking now... okay? He's starting class.”
She felt Malachi’s eyes on her when Mr. Powell started talking, Mal’s gaze burning holes in her skin.
She couldn’t hear what the teacher was saying... pencil paused a centimeter above her paper as she lost herself in her mind... remembering all of Malachi’s words and questioning her sanity.
Is someone snooping?
Don’t scream, alright?
I won’t hurt you.
You’re safe now...
He looked scary... but he looked kind...
He seemed cold... but there were parts of him that were warm...
How could a single person be the opposite of himself...?
His hair was bright gold... but his eyes were almost black...
What the hell?
“Raven,” Mal said, breaking her out of her thoughts, “you like me, don’t you? In a romantic way, of course.”
Shock rumbled through her, and she gave him a concerned look. “What?”
“Malachi,” Mr. Powell said, making him look up with his brows raised.
“Yep?”
“Do you mind explaining to the class the lesson for us?”
Raven smiled inside, loving the fact that he was about to embarrass himself in front of the whole class...
Haha... payback.
“Sure,” he said with no hesitation, making Raven look up in shock. “Today’s lesson is about love. Signs of a crush. For example—me, as a guy—can tell that a girl likes me by her actions.”
Oh, God... where was this going and how did he know the lesson when he was talking to her? He couldn’t do two things at once!
“When she twists her hair around her finger,” he continued, the teacher staring at him in shock, “when she bites her lip unknowingly—avoids eye-contact, and stammers when she denies having a crush.”
How did he know all this?
“Good,” the teacher praised, “good, Malachi. See everyone? Malachi pays attention.” He turned back to Mal. “Do you see anyone with these traits, Malachi?”
He smirked. “Yeah, she’s sitting right next to me.”
The whole class laughed when Raven’s cheeks burned a bright red, and she put her hands in her lap, not even realizing she was doing everything he said.
“Alright, Class,” Mr. Powell said, chuckling, “make sure you do your homework by tomorrow, and don’t be tardy, please.”
The bell rang again, and Raven stuffed her supplies in her pack in a quick gesture, getting up and rushing out of the classroom.
A couple minutes after pushing through the crowd of students, Raven made it to the car she borrowed from Jaelyn, but when she looked up, Malachi was leaning against it, smiling menacingly like he usually did.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he wondered causally, but with a hint of mischief in his tone.
She sent him a glare. “Leave me alone, Malachi.”
His smile didn’t waver, and he didn’t move either. “You didn’t answer my question from earlier.”
She blinked, though kept her place. “What question?”
“Do you like me?” He tilted his head to the side curiously.
She was silent but felt her lungs clamp.
He watched her just breathe for a moment before she narrowed her eyes.
“Go away, Mal.”
“You’re dodging the question, Ray,” he responded, brows raised.
“I know,” she said back, testing him.
“It’s another sign, you know,” he said, shrugging.
She stood her ground, keeping her chin up. “You don’t know me.”
“You sure about that?” he questioned, a fox smile spreading across his face.
“I don’t trust you,” she responded.
“But do you like me?” he asked again.
“You scare me,” she answered.
“Dodging the question again, Ray,” he said, sighing in annoyance.
“Leave me alone. You’re freaking me out.”
She saw in his eyes that he knew she was lying.
“Then why haven’t you gotten into your car yet?” he wondered, making her cheeks flush. “You haven’t even told me to move yet. And you haven’t made any movements to the car.”
Crap…
She thought for a moment, trying to get an excuse. “I’m waiting for a friend.”
“Jaelyn?” he responded. “She has her board game club today, doesn’t she?”
“Huh,” Raven said, faking surprise, “what do you know? I guess I can go then, huh?”
Malachi looked almost bored. “You knew that, didn’t you?”
“Bye, Mal,” she said, shoving him out of the way and getting in the car.
And after she waved goodbye at his neutral expression, she drove off.
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*****
Raven waited thirty minutes after she arrived at Jaelyn’s house for her to end her club before she called her.
“Wassup?” Jae said then.
“You work at Mario’s Diner,” Raven said, “right?”
“Yeppers,” she responded. “Why?”
Raven chose her words carefully. “Do you know when Malachi’s day off is?”
“I think…” she responded slowly, “tomorrow?”
“You think?”
“Yeah,” Jae responded, “he usually has Tuesdays off.”
“Alright, thanks.”
“Hold up,” she said, “what it Rave the Grave planning?”
“I’m going to look up his file,” she said with an evil accent.
“How?” Jae said.
“I have a friend on the inside.”
“Who?”
“You.”
She chuckled through the other line. “You’re evil.”
“I knows,” Raven said cutely.
Jae laughed again. “Anyway—on another note—do you mind if I bring a friend?”
Raven thought for a moment. “Nope, just make sure it isn’t an undercover cop.”
“Thanks, cupcake.”
“Alright, buttercup,” Raven responded, “tomorrow at five.”
“P.m.?” she uttered.
“Yes, dummy. You know they open at ten. You work there.”
“Alright, I’ll be at my house soon. We’re wrapping up here.”
“Okay.”
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*****
After a boring day of Algebra, English, and History, Raven found herself sitting in the booth inside the restaurant, Mario’s Diner.
Luckily, she didn’t have Biology today… she just had those other classes… and she was partly glad she didn’t have science because Malachi would probably know she was planning something…
Mainly because she knew she had an evil smile spread across her face the entire day.
Seriously… people were so scared they gave her a concerned look and took a couple steps back to gain their distance.
“Ray!” Jaelyn called, rushing to the table. “There you are.”
“What do you mean ‘there you are?’” she questioned. “We always sit here.”
Jae rolled her eyes.
“So, where’s your lady friend?” Raven said, glancing behind her to see no one there.
“He’s parking the car.”
“Hold on…” Raven uttered, “he?”
“Yeah,” she said, scooting in the booth across from Raven, “and he brought his friend who I think you’ll really like.”
Raven put her face in her hands. “Two things. One: Can you please tell me before you set up a date for me? And two:” she shot a glare at her, “this is a mission, not a blind date.”
Jaelyn rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Oh! There they are.”
Raven looked behind her when two men stepped into the restaurant, walking casually over to their table.
The first one had short, black hair that curled at the base of his neck, and the second had blinding white locks that fell down to the base of his neck easily.
“The one with the black hair?” Jae said as they stepped casually to them. “He’s my boyfriend, Clay. And the other one is Archer. I think you’ll like him.”
“You’re not one who hides having a boyfriend from her friends,” Raven stated honestly. “You tend to brag about them.”
“I’m not that mean,” she said, glaring. “And I didn’t feel like bringing it up because of all those muggings and your parents and stuff.”
“Hola,” Archer said casually to Raven, “may I sit?”
She scooted to the end of the booth, letting him slide in, and Clay slipped in the booth next to Jae.
“Raven, isn’t it?” Archer said, offering a handshake. “Archer.”
“I know,” she said, shaking his hand anyway. She turned to her best friend then. “So, Jae, did you tell them?”
She blinked. “Oh, yeah. We’re planning on snooping on this guy that’s stalking her.”
“Wow,” Archer said, “you guys are up to mischief, huh?”
“We wanted to find his file and see his records.”
“Who is this guy?” Archer asked.
Raven drew a line across her throat, telling Jae to shut her mouth.
“His name is Malachi,” she said anyway, making Raven put her face in her hands. “He’s been stalking her for over a year.”
“Okay!” Raven said. “I have things to do, Archer can you scoot out, please?”
He gave her a surprised look and did as she said, and she stood, slamming five dollars onto the table. “Buy your boyfriends a drink, Jae. I’m going to go work.”
And she walked off.
“Wow,” Clay said, “she’s in a mood.”
“When is that ever new?” Jae said, rolling her eyes.
Archer just stared after her with curious eyes.
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*****
After sneaking around the back of the restaurant, Raven searched through all the doors behind the kitchen, looking for something that said “file room” or something.
But instead, she found the employees lounge… and she looked around to make sure no one was watching, then the same evil smile spread across her face, and she slipped in.
There was no one in here… the walls painted a light cream, and the floors were stained with black from the shoe prints from the kitchen.
Her eyes darted around the room before they caught on a cubby that had Malachi’s name written on it with his handwriting.
She guessed that would be a good first spot to look.
Raven crept over to the cubby, rolling up her sleeves and shuffling through his jackets, backpacks, and—
Wait a minute… why were his jacket and backpack here? Jaelyn said he wasn’t working today…
“Ah,” a male voice said, making Raven jump and spin around for a moment before her eyes settled on the couch. Sure enough… Malachi was on one of the lounge’s sofas, leaning back casually as he eyed her head-to-toe. “You sure like snooping in other people’s stuff, don’t you, Raven?”
She blinked, heart pounding.
“What were you looking for? Gum? ‘Cause it’s right here.” He lifted a wad of gum in his hand, tossing it and catching it seconds later.
“Umm…” she stammered, still shocked that Malachi caught onto her plans… and somehow got a shift today.
“Go on,” he said, smirking, “take your time. I’ve got the whole rest of the day, Ray. I got off an hour ago.”
Then why hadn’t he left yet?
“I… thought you weren’t working today,” she said then.
He looked her over for a moment. “I usually don’t work Tuesdays, but I had to cover for Sam. He had to take today off ‘cause his mom had surgery.”
She was silent, just breathing shallowly.
He just continued tossing the gum. “Wanna tell me why you were searching through my things?”
She opened her mouth to answer, then closed it again. “I was looking for my....”
He raised his brows.
“Library card…” she finished, seeing his expression remain the same. “I think I left it in your car.”
“Then why didn’t you just ask me?” he questioned. “Instead of going through my things while believing I was gone?”
“I thought you stole it,” she said then.
“Mmm,” he mumbled, searching her over. “Liar.”
Shock rattled through her. “What?”
“I said ‘liar,’” he repeated. “You have clear signs. You were snooping, weren’t you? What are you looking for?”
She was silent, just pushed her hair behind her ear.
He tossed the gum again. “I’d prefer you ask me before breaking the law, Raven.”
She let out a shaky breath. “Fine.”
He sat there, waiting.
“Do you have restraining orders?” she asked.
“Nope.”
“Have you broken the law?”
“Yes.”
She looked up. “How so?”
“Loitering,” he numbered off with his fingers, “vandalism.”
“Anything bad?” she questioned.
He gave her a look. “Because vandalism isn’t bad.”
“Did you hurt anyone?” she said, forcing a glare despite her heart racing. “Kill anyone?”
“If I did that,” he said, leaning his arms on his elbows, “then I’d have a restraining order, wouldn’t I?”
She breathed for a moment. “You dodged the question.”
“Did I?” He pretended to think for a couple seconds.
“Malachi,” she warned.
He smiled at her glare but kept his eyes to the ground.
“Are you planning on killing me?” Her body felt cold after the words left her mouth.
He looked to her then, his face suddenly serious. “No.”
“Are you lying?”
“No.”
She watched him for a moment. “Jae said… you wanted to protect me.”
“I do.”
“From who?”
“Those people who keep on attacking you, Raven.”
“But you knew them…” she uttered, “personally… right?”
A nod.
“So how do I know you don’t work for them?”
He sighed, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. “I threatened them.”
“How do I know it wasn’t a setup? That you’re trying to get my guard down?”
“High class assassins are rare now-a-days, Ray,” he responded. “They even get pissy when you kill little ones.”
She blinked. “How do you know this?”
“Why do you keep on asking me questions?” He mocked her tone.
“Because I don’t understand you,” she answered honestly.
“What about me don’t you understand?” he wondered curiously.
“How you seem like you care… but seem like you want to murder me at the same time… I feel like you’re trying to get me to think I’m safe… and then lock me up and kill me.”
He stood then, faster than she could handle, and walked casually over to her.
Despite her taking steps back, he kept his pace.
Until she was backed to a wall, breathing shallowly as Malachi pressed himself to her, leaning down so his face was inches from hers.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said, black eyes piercing hers like daggers. “How many times do I have to say this, Angel?”
He was so close she was practically panting.
But before she could protest, he caught her wrist, lacing his fingers through hers. “This is you to me,” he said, raising their hands so she could see them. “Stuck to my mind for eternity. You’re so captivating… It’s enraging.”
Her heart pounded hard against her chest. “Enraging? So… you hate me now?”
He looked to her. “I want to.”
“What?”
But he stepped away from her, though still held her hand. “Come back.” He sounded almost desperate.
“Malachi…” she said, “I’m safe with Jae, alright? And… I can’t trust you yet… not when I don’t feel safe.”
“You…” he said, eyes darkening. “You don’t feel safe with me?”
“I don’t feel safe… from you,” she corrected. “You might be able to protect me from others… but I’m not sure why yet so just give me space for a while, okay? I know you’ll try to explain, but I’m not even sure if you’re lying or not.”
He looked almost defeated. “Raven.”
She pushed him away and stepped out of the lounge, not caring that people might’ve seen her, just made her way over to the booth and telling Jae, “I’m leaving. See you at the house.”
“Wait,” she said, “what did you find?”
“Nothing,” Raven answered. “I’m going.”
And she stepped out of the restaurant, walking to Jaelyn’s house.
It was only two blocks from Mario’s Diner, so it’d be safer than walking home from the library.
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