Discovering Rowan [on hold]

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"I think," I said between breaths "I think we've lost them." I collapsed on the grass verge from sheer exhaustion. I really needed to do more exercise. I bet, for Skylar, this was a piece of cake. He stopped running and started pacing. I bet, on a busy main road, we must've looked a sight. Finally Skylar sat beside me. He put his arms around me and we sat there for a few minutes.

"People are staring at us funny." I looked up at him.

"Let them stare. But are you okay?" He looked down at me concern in his eyes. "You're aura went a brown colour, which means fear. What was it?"

"Someone wanted to get us." I closed my eyes and focused on the voice I heard, the intention. I felt a sensation like I was rewinding what had just happened. Pause. The bus. Who's intentions? I looked around the frozen scene of the bus. Who was rising from their seat?

Eric stood half up from his seat staring straight at me.

I opened my eyes. "It was Eric. He wants to get me."

***

The days passed quickly after that. I only got to see Skylar briefly as all my time was spent practicing for Band Act so my mind wasn't really focused on the Eric-wants-to-get-us problem. Hayley, Soph and I got through almost 7 massive packets of double chocolate cookies while rehearsing (El couldn't have any as she was singing). We spent whole school days and weekends practicing our songs to the point of perfection. Mr D suggested we should come and live in the music block as we were spending so much time there. We spent a day getting our outfits together, sorting through a multicoloured array of tops and an insane amount of patterned leggings and jeans in every colour you could imagine. We arranged the lighting for our set with Marcus deciding what colours to have for our set to reflect the different mood for each song. We had occasional breaks to catch up on work but we stayed in the music block, played music in the background and could chat all we liked so doing work wasn't a complete bore. I spent a lot of time sleeping over at El's as my bus didn't run late in the evenings and we were usually in the music block up until eight in the evening. She lived in the middle of Chiltern meaning her house was only a five minute walk away. It was constantly raining that week making me happy that I was holed up inside the music block and not in music. A cat appeared from nowhere and decided the music hall's massive windowsill was the best place to shelter from the rain and watched us rehearse with curious green eyes.

The cat was there today watching me from it's corner of the window. We'd been through most of our songs, All Time Low - Love Like War, Paramore - Decode, You Me At Six - Reckless and Fall Out Boy - Just One Yesterday. We were just about to go through our last song, House of Wolves by My Chemical Romance. I loved doing the intro, it was tricky but fun to play, you had to play a power chord from the seventh fret to the fifth to the third and then the second in super quick time. We ran through the song perfectly. I let the last note ring out around the room with my eyes. I opened my eyes and smiled at the cat. I felt arms behind by back as someone lifted me up and spun me around.

"Hey!" I protested "Put me down! Watch out for the guitar!" They put me down and I felt him rest his chin on the top of my head. Skylar. My face lit up. "Hey" I grinned.

"Hello." He turned me around to face him. "That was amazing. I wish I could play guitar like you do."

"Thanks." I could feel myself blushing. "Can you play guitar?"

"A few chords, not very well. But, hey, can you play the drums?"

"Nope."

"Well then I'll have to teach you then." He took my hand and lead me to the drum kit.

"We'll be back later!" Shouted Hayley from the door, "Leave you two alone for a bit!" I realized then that Hayley had heard all of that. Aw damnit.

"No, no, it's okay come back!" I yelled. "Skylar was just leaving!" I raised my eyebrows at him.

'I don't particularly want to leave.' The cheek, talking telepathically to me!

'Skylar! She won't shut up about us and I've just about managed to deny it and then you come waltzing in here and twirling me around!'

'Well I'm obviously the complete opposite. I quite like to boast to my friends about how I have the best girl in the entire school."

'Skylar!' I felt myself blushing even more.

"Yep you two definitely need to be left alone," Said Hayley emphasizing the words as she said them, "giving the way you were staring at each other just now! Also, Skylar, check for me if Josh is single!" She grinned and slammed the door.

"Well."

"I told you she was a handful."

"Mmmhmm. Now I need to teach you how to use the drums." He sat on the stall and patted his lap for me to sit there.

"I'll kill your legs."

"I don't care." He smiled and started playing a gentle beat and I rested my head on his shoulder.

"Weren't you going to teach me?"

"Mmm, but I prefer it like this."

CRASH.

The door burst open and in came Eric with some of his friends. One of them grabbed my shoulder and dragged me across the room his nails digging into my skin. I kicked him in the shin trying to get away.

"You little bitch," He growled but kept a tight hold on my shoulder. Across the room I saw Eric shove Skylar against the wall.

"I wouldn't try that mate." Eric sneered as Skylar clenched his fist ready to punch Eric. Skylar was taller and far better built than Eric, "Look, I don't want to pick a fight but you stay away from that bitch there or we'll have to assume things because her relationships aren't normal."

"What are you on about mate?" Skylar shoved Eric away from him, "Because if you don't get that fucking jerk's to take his hands off her right now then I will kill you."

'Are you okay?'

'I'm fine.'

Eric then laughed. "Biggest mistake mate. You don't even realize it do you? But you've told us all we need to know. To believe I was friends with someone like you." He flicked his hand in the air and the guy who's hands were digging into my shoulder let go and I stumbled backwards. He left the room slamming the door as he went.

But I realized, as Skylar was hugging me, that it was my fault that he had been targeted by Eric.

Because soulfinders were bad.

My parents were soulfinders. One of them isn't alive.

If it wasn't for Skylar's mother finding her soulfinder she would still be there for him.

So I decided I had no choice.

I had to leave Skylar forever.