THIRST

Chapter Twenty: Back at School (Bane)

The next morning, I emerged from the shower wrapped in a towel as I hung it on top of the mirror in my closet. From there I slipped into a pair of dark ripped jeans, a black t-shirt and a pair of sandals. As I walked into the bedroom, I heard my phone start to ring from the corner of my desk. I picked it up and swiped my thumb across the screen as the call went through on the fourth and final ring. It was from Setekh.

"Hello. Good morning."

"Good morning to you, too. Are you all set for school?"

"Unfortunately, yes," I replied. I'm just about to leave the house right now."

"Do you want me to swing by and pick you up?"

My smile widened. "No, that's okay. But thank you for the offering."

"I'll be waiting for you out in the parking lot, then. See you shortly."

"Bye-bye."

When the line went dead, I pressed the small button up top to re-lock my phone before slipping it into the front pocket of my jeans. My bag sat on a chair next to the bedroom door as I slung it across my chest while reaching for a set of car keys with my left hand. Out in the hall, the sun shined in through the thin curtains while another door brought me straight out onto the second-floor landing. Across the way, an oil painting of my parents hung directly above the fireplace as I said my good morning routine to them and jogged down the main staircase.

Outside on the grounds, a light fog blanketed my footsteps while the air felt chilly against my bare arms. I headed for the garage as I pushed a button for one of the doors to open. It was always a tough choice to choose which I planned on driving each and every day. Some days it was a sedan like a Ford or a luxury sports car like a Porsche. But today I was feeling in the mood to drive one of three SUVs that I now currently owned. Picking one completely out of thin air, I slid into the driver seat of a polished black Chevy Tahoe.

The drive to school took about ten minutes, give or take, depending on traffic. But when I arrived and pulled into the student parking lot behind the school, I saw Setekh and his heavily modified Jeep waiting for me. Taking the last available spot at the end, I reached for my bag and stepped out as I shut the door and pushed the button on the key-fob to lock it when I felt a pair of strong arms wrap around me.

But before I could even get the words out, he pushed me up against the driver side door and leaned in for a tender kiss that caused my heart to flutter.

"What was that for?" I asked, feeling breathless. He wore dark sunglasses to cover his eyes and it was clear to me that he didn't sleep very well last night. "I take it you had another nightmare. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's just my past coming back to haunt me."

"I just wish there was something I could do to help you forget about it."

"You already do, little one. Whenever I'm around you and asleep beside you, my dreams are crystal clear. It's like you block them."

"Well, you did say that I am your little dream catcher."

He grinned as he went for another kiss. "That you are, babe."

In the background, the morning bell sounded throughout the parking lot as the students quickly huddled inside and ran for first period. Mr. Truman was already underway in mid-sentence and looked at us without saying a word, but gestured for us to take our seats at the back of the classroom. I sat with my back against the wall as Setekh took the empty seat on my left and reached into his backpack to pull out his textbook and notebook as I did the same.

And that's when things got scary for a minute. Mr. Truman kindly asked that we turn in our homework, and my eyes went wide as my mind went completely blank on the subject. I hadn't done any of it since Friday when Setekh took me home to meet his family. Shit! Scrambling through the small stack of homework assignments in my haste, I felt a gentle tap on my arm as I glanced at Setekh who handed me his with the answers already on it in very neat handwriting.