Frozen Heart (ch. 3: A conversation)

When I got back to class the bell had already rung and I was disapointed to see that Erika had already left to go to her second peroid. I grabbed my backpack and hurried out the door. If I was late for English again I'd probably get detention, and that I didn't want.

But even as I was running down the hall (at a much slower pace than I can actually run) I was looking for Erika. Though, of course, that didn't mean a thing. I was just making sure that ... that... there isn't a lie that I can think of, so I;ll just say that I was not looking for her because I was in love and we'll move on.

Unfrotunatey, my searching eyes found her outside the Biology class, looking down at a schedule. For the first time I actually stopped and really looked at her.

She wasn't very tall, and she was anorexically skinny. Her brow furrowed over her firey grey eyes, it was kinda cute, actually. Her lips were thin and pressed together tighty, she was extremely pale. She was beautiful in a very differnt way. It was like she just had some kind of aura about her. But despite her beauty, she was dressed shabbily. She was wearing two thin, worn, long sleeved shirts and a pair of exremely worn jeans under a tattered, black overcoa that was too big for her. Her shoes were worn down to the soles and her short black hair was hanging in her face and behind her ears messily. The only really ... um, expensive lookig thing she was wearing was an black satin ribbon around her neck hlding a siver moon pendant with onyx and diamonds set into it.

She was unconsiusy holding the pendant in her hand as she examined her schedule. I frowned and couldn't believe that I did what I did at that moment.

I walked over to her and smiled, "Hi." I said.

She blinked and looked up at me; I had to fight not to get lost in her swirling eyes. "Hi." she said, looking confused. "Ian... right?"

"Yeah. And you're Erika." I said. "I was just wondering if you needed help finding your next class."

"Well... I"

I took the schedule from her hands and looked over it. "Your next class if Mrs. Bring." I told her. "I know where she is, her class is right next to my next class. I'll show you the way."

Erika blinked, still looking confused. "You don't have -"

I was already walking away though, down the hall. I knew she would follow. "Hey!" she snapped. "I was talking to you."

I stopped and turned to look at her again. Then I started walking. "So you can talk like a normal person?" I teased.

Erika rolled her eyes and took the schedule from my hands. "Look. Ian, thank you for the help, but you really don't have to."

I smiled, "It's not a problem, seriously. Mrs. Brings is right next door to Ms. Terrioe, the English teacher."

She frowned, "I got that, but, really, you don't have to help me. I can find my own way."

"Sure, but it's not a problem, Erika. This way, you'll get there quicker."

Her jaw set and her eyes lit up. That was something I hadn't expected. This girl had a temper. "I don't care, Ian." she snapped. "Do you think I'm stupid?"

I frowned and looked down at her, still walking to English. "What are you talking about?"

"You're ony helping me because you wanna get in my pants. I'm not and idiot and the answer is no." she snapped, walking faster than I was to get away,

I caught up easily. "What are you talking about? I'm just trying to help you. Sure, I think you're pretty, but I would never do something like that."

She laughed humorlessly, "Whatever."

I sighed, "Look, Erika, I'm not lying to you. I was just trying to help you. If you don't want my help only because you think I'm trying to use you, then you're wrong. If it's for any other reason, tell me and I'll go away."

She frowned, "You're sure you aren't just trying to get lucky?" she asked. "Because there is no way that I would ever -"

"I'm positive that I'm not trying to use you that way. Trust me on this one: for me, sex and love have to go together. If I don' love someone, I'm not gonna have sex with them"

She nodded, "Good. It's nice to meet a guy who has morals."

I smiled, "Yeah, there are more of us out there, ya know."

She shurgged, "I haven't met them" she said almost bitterly. Clearly she'd been in at least one bad relationship.

"Well, that doesn't mean we aren't there." I stopped and motioned to the next to us, "Here we are, Mrs. Brings American History."

She smiled at me, "Thanks, Ian."

"You're welcome." I grinned back, before hurrying into Ms. Terrioe's class. We had talked. Actually talked. Had a real conversation. A ery interesting conversation too. But why did that matter? My mind wasn't thinking clearly. But that meant nothing at all. I did NOT like Erika that way. She was cute, and she seemed nice, though maybe a little untrusting. But I didn't like her. No, no NO.