The Protection

Sixteen

After practice, we had a team building exercise and went out for pizza. We drank sodas and went into carb overload, laughing as if we didn't have a care in the world. For about an hour, and for the first time in a long time, I felt like a normal college girl again. Gossiping about things that didn't even matter. Like our setter Jordan's new bold pink hair style, or Beth's insane obsession with every horror movie on the planet, or the way Kelly liked to line up her parmesan cheese packets in a row before dumping them onto her pizza. The silly little idiosyncrasies that bonded us in a way.

That feeling of comfort quickly dissipated when I walked outside and saw Mr. Brown Eyed "Protector" leaning against a light post about fifty yards away, his arms crossed, looking very serious. I swallowed and quickly turned to Beth, hoping she couldn't pick up on my anxiety. Why was he following me?! Because I knew his little secret and now I was going to be taken by The Protection?! My pulse increased at the thought of becoming another statistic in the already astronomical amount of people missing. I shook my head. I wasn't thinking clearly. I never did around him.

"I'll catch up with you later. I'm going to walk home. I still need some fresh air to clear my head from all the Professor Slagle crap, and Lord only knows I need to burn off all those calories." I lied in reference to the five slices of pepperoni pizza I had just demolished, while Beth had nibbled on her salad. I felt bloated, and dirty, lying to her, but I couldn't exactly tell her I was going to meet up with an extremely handsome mystery man - one who I had a hard time keeping my clothes on around and my hands off of. I noticed a hesitation, but Beth smiled and gave me a quick hug. I could tell she didn't fully believe me, but she didn't press me any further.

"Sure, honey. Be safe. I'll see you at home." I nodded as she spun around and headed to her Mercedes, her cadence was quick - she was annoyed. I would have to do some damage control when I got home. If I got to go home, I thought, trying to suppress the anxiety that gripped my throat. Surely Brown Eyes wouldn't just off me. The Protection was meant to protect people, not kill them if they got too close, right? Maybe that was how they stayed so secretive for so long. Killing people. I shook my head and refocused my gaze on his beautiful, physically demanding silhouette. I was being foolish. He would never hurt me, I just knew it in my bones. I walked slowly down the sidewalk, waiting for Beth to drive away, and when I saw she was gone, I slowly sauntered towards Brown Eyes. I walked as sexy as I could, swinging my hips a little in my spandex shorts while tossing my braid back and forth. It was a feeble attempt at beauty while still suffering from the erotic combination of sweat and carbohydrates. Still, I caught him give me a once over as he walked over to a bench near the lake, motioning for me to sit down next to him. I perched myself as far from him on the corner of the silver metallic bench as I could. I still didn't trust him, and I definitely didn't trust myself.

"Who are you?" he demanded again, not bothering with any pleasantries. I sighed. Why did he care? Shouldn't he already know who I was, if he was this all knowing powerful Protector like he claimed?

"I'm Perry Andrews, daughter of Misty Perry of Portland, Oregon," I said automatically, but he shook his head with blatant frustration.

"No, really. Who are you? What are you? Why were you able to remember me in the alley and when we touched, how could you see my innermost thoughts?" he panted, studying me intensely. I picked at the hem of my black spandex shorts until he reached out a large hand to stop me. I looked up, surprised he could touch me, only to see he had scooted closer to me on the bench. I hadn't even felt him move. I willed my cheeks not to flush, but they betrayed me. The longer I sat here with him, the less I felt as though he was lying to me about being a Protector. I wished the logical part of my mind still believed he was solely insane, because believing him made everything that much more terrifying. I tried to breathe out a fraction of the tense air that was trapped inside of my lungs, watching as the whisps of hair around my face blew in the breeze. A feeling of relaxation suddenly settled over me, and I turned seeing his Brown Eyes now a shade lighter in the setting sun.