Discovering Rowan [on hold]

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

I looked up at him and swiftly looked down again.

"Thanks for, um, catching me." I said and sneaked a peak up at him. He was looking down at me and our eyes locked for a moment. Part of me yearned stay there, in that moment, in his arms.

Snap out of it, Ro!

I went to stand but he got there first helping me up. Boy, did he look good.

And what was he like on the bus?

I gave him a small smile and started to hobble over to my chair.

"Hey, do you want me to help you?" He was right behind me ready to catch me if I fell again. Oh for goodness sake. Wouldn't he just go away? I needed him to back off before I started daydreaming again.

"No, I'm fine." I said through gritted teeth. Surely he knew it didn't work that way. He couldn't just be nice to me one day and horrid the next. I sat down in my chair and started strumming the guitar. I was using the best electric guitar in the school, black with red flecks, which was lovely to play. I ran my fingers over the strings listening to the sound they made unamplified getting lost in the music.

I could feel someone staring at me.

I turned round as saw Skylar watching me from the wings. Well, wasn't I lucky. Hayley came over to discuss chords and strumming patterns. Before she got up she whispered to me,

"Have you seen Skylar? He's been staring at you for the whole afternoon." Of course I knew! But I decided to act clueless.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Maybe he fancies you? I mean he's not exactly bad looking..." Hayley grinned at me and raised her eyebrows.

"Haha, no chance. If he gets near me I'll kick his ass."

"Really? You can only stand on one foot, don't you need both to kick someone?" Hayley and I both laughed.

My first rehearsal in the Becks Art Theatre was one of the best experiences. Seeing the theatre from the stage's point of view was breathtaking. I couldn't believe that I was performing to such a huge crowd. Our band had been practicing hard for weeks and when I entered in the theatre I knew it was worth every minute.

***

I gripped the red pole on the bus so hard my knuckles went white as the bus screeched to a halt. I thanked the driver and maneuvered myself off the bus which wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. I started walking towards my house. I could hear footsteps behind me. It wasn't dark yet but the sun just set. The footsteps were getting closer. Frick. What if it was a kidnapper? A murderer? Horrible images flooded into my mind. A hand touched my shoulder. I whacked whoever was behind me hard with a crutch and dropped it. The person swore. It was a mans voice. I started hobbling away as quick as I could with one crutch but they were catching up.

"Rowan." I didn't know who it was but I wasn't staying to find out. "Jeez Rowan it's me." The person stopped. I turned round quickly to see who it was and did a double take. It was Skylar. What was he, a stalker? I realized he was clutching his leg which I must of hit harder than I thought. He was in skinny jeans too. Ouch. I felt kind of bad. I didn't want to talk to him though. But he was holding my other crutch, the one I had dropped.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, "Can I have my crutch back please?" The wind blew hard in my face blowing my hair everywhere. I hugged my arms to my chest glad I had worn my Fall Out Boy jumper. "Please?"

"Okay." He handed me back my crutch. "But can I walk you home, please? I need to talk to you." Skylar wanted to talk to me? I didn't know if that was good or bad. I wanted to get as far away as possible but something was telling me to stay. We walked for a minute in silence.

"So, you're a savant, hey?" A spike of alarm shot through me and I screwed my eyes shut. I almost tripped over. How did he know? I opened my mouth to say something but nothing came out and I stood there looking like a fish. He might sell you to a laboratory! My brain screamed. Or the newspapers! He might kill you! He might observe you like some wild animal! I opened my eyes and he was standing in front of me debating weather to put his arms around me. Yes do it! Part of me cried but the rest drew me back away from him. "How do you know?" I asked looking up at him. I wanted him to hug me so bad.

Wait, no I didn't!

"Because I'm one too. And Rowan," He looked up and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Oh god how am I going to do this." Do what? And Skylar was a Savant? "Rowan I'm your... argh fuck I can't do it."

"Do what?" I spoke up finding my voice, "Skylar just tell me!" I was getting cold and my foot was starting to ache.

"Rowan I'm your soulfinder." What? No. No! NO! Skylar was NOT my soulfinder.

"No." I said firmly shaking my head, "No you're not." I started walking away from him.

"Rowan please." He sounded desperate. The wind howled. "That day the amp fell on your foot, I warned you, I used telekinesis to try and stop it falling on you and then you said thanks to me and I just-" He stopped for breath, "-I just knew It was you." I was crying now and I couldn't help it.

"NO!" I screamed into the wind, "I hate you! It can't be you! This was meant to solve everything in my shitty life, make everything right! I wanted-" I let out a sob "I wanted someone who would love me. I put my head in my hand. My whole life I was waiting for this something that would fill me with joy something that would complete me. This wasn't joy.

"Rowan!" Skylar looked up at me his face streaked with tears. "I have always loved you."