Reunion

Tangent Universe Entry Round 1: Musical prompt: Animal by Miike Snow

Reunion

         The wind was cool against her frons and compound eyes as she zipped through the late evening air.  She was late and more than likely in for a huge telling off, but it was such a rush to fly.  The mosaic of her eyesight showed her a nice quiet place where she could land behind a pair of huge rhododendron bushes.  Perching on a rock, the huge dragonfly began to shiver and shake violently as the though in the throes of death.  Moments later, quivering from the effort and gasping from the terrible sensation, a tall graceful teenage girl sat on the ground behind the bushes.

         “I hope that improves as I get better at transforming,” she snorted under her breath.  Standing and dusting off her clothes she tried to shake off the residual discomfort of her permutation. 

         She looked at the watch that now graced her slender arm and groaned; closing her deep violet eyes in misery… she was so in trouble.

–—

         Edwin sighed as he walked almost aimlessly down the sidewalk, on his way home from the library.  He’d heard the girls snickering behind him before he’d turned the opposite way from where they were going.  Sadly, he knew he was a bit of a nerd and an easy target for those who like to bully and tease… he always had been.  Edwin was tall for an eighteen year old and all of the basketball coaches had tried to coax the six foot six kid into playing ball until they realized he had almost no coordination.    His flaming red hair was untidy, not because he was trying for that look, but because he simply didn’t care to tame it.  Girls never saw the pain and sorrow in his soft caramel brown eyes because they were too busy acting like he was a freak with his ginger hair, geeky brains and strange name.  It disgusted him to think that they were so shallow so he did his best to ignore them.

         Long ago, one girl had been different.  Edwin had a brief memory of a tiny raven haired girl who had not treated him differently because of his hair or his oddly adult vocabulary or because his name was different.  She’d been cute and in that one single day that he’d spent with her at Clyde Hill Elementary, she’d firmly settled herself in his heart for being the kind soul that didn’t tease him for being different… for actually defending him.  Edwin usually didn’t dwell on the single day of her presence in his life but when people, especially girls were unpleasant to him, he allowed his mind to wander back to that day.

         So, Edwin was not really paying attention to where his feet were taking him along this well known path from the library to his home, as his mind was lazily enjoying the visage of the little girl with the pixie face, pert nose and pretty eyes.  Without warning, Edwin hit a solid wall of something definitively warm and feminine.  Instinctively he reached out to steady the girl who’d plowed headlong into him as he regained his own balance.

         He looked into the fathomless depths of deep violet eyes that were wide with shock and was momentarily lost in their strange beauty.  With supreme effort, Edwin broke the breathless contact and gazed at the rest of her lovely face.  She had a heart shaped face and delicate, pert nose.  Her alabaster skin contrasted vividly with her long raven hair and full ruby lips.  A spark of familiarity struck Edwin as he stared mutely at girl.  She seemed to be about the same age as he and was only a few inches shorter than him, making her just the right to lay her head against his shoulder.

         Shaking his head to dislodge the strange notion that he wanted her in that intimate spot against his neck, Edwin blinked.  Try as he might, the sensation of déjà vu refused to be discarded so easily.

–—

         Bella McCann bolted from behind the large rhododendron bushes, knowledge that her father was going to be livid at her tardiness and, probably her flying as well, making her careless.  The sudden presence of a very tall, very cute, in a geeky kind of way, boy in her path shocked her and she didn’t have time to stop before running smack into his solid body.

         Bella felt a rush of excitement when his hands shot out to catch her upper arms to steady her, even as she dreaded this extra delay causing more trouble for her at home.  She was wholly unprepared for an odd memory of a small crying boy to flare in her mind as she melted into the warm caramel of his eyes.

         Bella gasped as she tried to rebalance her mind as well as her body and the intoxicating smell of him rushed her nose and her eyes dilated.  He was young… like her… he was healthy and instinctively Bella knew if she tasted him she’d never be able to stop until he was utterly drained and useless.  She struggled with her urge to bury her face against his neck and take just a sip…

         Shaking her head to stop that thought, Bella reminded herself that she didn’t have time for a snack no matter how tempting. 

         “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to run into you,” Bella said softly.  “I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

         She watched as the vein in his neck pulsed faster, further tempting her. 

         “I’m sure it was entirely my fault… I was hardly paying attention myself,” he said.

         Bella smiled tremulously, “I have to go, I’m very late.”

         “May I walk you home?” he asked and Bella looked at him strangely.  She got the impression that he didn’t want to leave her.  Nonplussed, she nodded.

         “I’m Edwin Sparkles,” the tall ginger haired boy introduced himself as they set off walking in the direction that Bella indicated.  She blinked in surprise and managed to hold back her giggle at his last name.

         “Bella McCann,” she replied.

         “Oh, like in Twilight!” he exclaimed.  Bella fought back the sudden irritation that struck her harshly along with her urge to just drain him and be done for that comment… he didn’t know.

         “I hate that stupid book and those damned movies are worse,” she snarled in a low, cold… ugly voice.  She felt Edwin’s surprise as they walked toward her street in the gathering darkness.

         “I’m sorry.  I didn’t realize…” Edwin stammered.

         “I’ve been teased mercilessly about my name ever since those wretched things have found their way into public.  It doesn’t help that…” Bella stopped herself.  She’d been dangerously close to saying something that she shouldn’t.  He could never know the true nature of her… he’d never accept it… for in his eyes, she’d be an animal… a monster to be exterminated… because Bella McCann was different.

         “Oh I know how that is...” Edwin snorted in disgust.  “My name is just close enough and well… Sparkles?”

         Bella hid her head, not wishing to offend him even though she did think his name was funny.

         “It is kind of strange… your last name,” she admitted once she’d gotten control of her giggles.  Edwin looked pained so she changed the subject.

         “Thank you for the company, I need to go that way,” she said softly, pointing to the right.

         “You seem somewhat familiar to me… have we met before?” he asked as they paused on the corner.

Bella giggled, “Who are you… Jack Sparrow?  Are you a pirate here to rob me of my virtue?”

         “What?” Edwin looked confused.

         “Never mind.” she smirked then added, “I don’t know where we would have met.”

         “Where do you go to school?”

         “I’m home schooled.”

         “Have you ever gone to public school?”

         “I think only for one day, but I got in trouble and my parents thought it would be best if I did not return.” Bella said as she frowned.  The odd memory of a crying boy flared again and a little girl flying through the air after being shoved violently.  Edwin looked funny and Bella’s frown deepened.

–—

         Edwin gaped at Bella, his memories assailing him, making him dizzy.  He’d been on the playground on the first day of kindergarten when Penelope Winter had pushed him to the ground.  She was his neighbor and had tormented him ever since the first time they’d ever met.  He’d been in tears when his mother had cheerfully told him that most of the neighborhood kids would be in his class.  Penelope had always been the worst about teasing him and he truly hated her even at the tender age of five. 

         He’d burst into tears when he’d landed on the hard cement of the playground and Penelope had laughed at him, pointing in her malicious glee.  Through his tears, Edwin had felt a thrill of shock when Penelope had been confronted by the raven haired girl who was new to the area and he’d never met before.  Penelope had taunted the girl and the new girl had shoved the bullying Penelope.  It was with no small amount of shock that the entire playground had come to a silent halt when Penelope had flown through the air to land fifty feet away against the fence.

         Then Edwin had flinched when the new girl had turned to him, her pretty purple eyes ablaze.  She’d smiled at him and put her arm around his shoulders.

         “It’s okay to be different,” the she’d said to Edwin, “I’m different too.”

         Edwin blinked in surprise as he found himself staring at the grown version of that pretty little girl.  Her raven hair was as dark as ever and those purple eyes had deepened to a deep violet, but it was her… his defender… the girl who lived in his heart.

         “It’s you…” Edwin breathed.

Word count: 1645

Music Prompt: "Animal" by Miike Snow