At First Sight: Special Edition (7 page)

              She looked around, hearing mindless chatter about prom. A few popular people surrounded a booth next to the courtyard. She tried to block the voices wafting over from that area. Prom didn’t interest her. It wasn’t because she didn’t have a date. It was because she didn’t understand the point. You get dressed up for four hours, dance, get blisters on your feet, and then go home. You never wear the dress again, either.

              She just didn’t see the point.              

              “Can you believe all this talk about prom?” gasped Jessica, sitting next to Lola. “Are you going?”

              Lola shook her head and tried to figure out the equation. “No way.”

              “Why not? Prom is a right of passage!” she exclaimed.

              Lola furrowed her brows and looked at her. “Where do you get this stuff?”

              “Don’t taunt me, girl.” She sighed. “You’ve been in such a funk lately. You’re like a wet blanket.”

              “Jessica, I’m sorry. But, I have so much to do before graduation. I have to get my valedictorian speech finished, I have exams to get ready for and I still need to purchase my cap and gown.” Lola sighed heavily after her rant and closed her eyes. The pain was making her snap at her best friend. “And… I can’t stop thinking about Dean.”

              Jessica’s eyes went wide. “I didn’t expect that. When was the last time you talked to him?”

              “The other day. He knew somebody here and found my house,” she explained.

              “Your
house
?! Wait, so he basically knows about your family?” asked Jessica, shocked.

              “Not the whole story, but he knows they don’t live with me.”

              “Well, what are you going to do?” asked Jessica.

              “I don’t know. I shouldn’t do anything because of the… baggage he has. But, I can’t stop thinking about him at the same time. He’s nice and good looking,” explained Lola. She looked at her friend and clutched her hands. “Jessica, tell me what to do.”

              Jessica pursed her lips and hummed lightly. “Go out with him.”

              “You think I should?”

              She nodded. “If you don’t want him, then you can just forget about him afterwards. It’s as simple as that.”

              Lola turned back to her work and sighed, feeling defeated. She knew her friend was right. It made sense to give it a shot, but she just didn’t know if she could muster up the courage to do that yet.

              The bell rang. Lola got up and put her books in her bag, shaking her head. “No. I can’t. I just can’t. I’m going to forget about him now. I have better things to do.”

              She turned around, but found herself alone. Jessica was gone, the desks were gone and everybody else was gone. She was alone in an empty classroom.

              “Jessica?” No answer. Her voice echoed in the empty room.

              She clutched her bag and gulped nervously, looking around. Even the door was gone. She couldn’t escape. What was going on?

              “Hello?”

              Suddenly, a white glow appeared in the middle of the room. It was floating in mid air, as if it was some sort of orb. She was drawn to it for some reason. Her hands fell to her sides as she stared, completely entranced. She walked toward it, holding out her fingers.

              The orb seemed to land directly in her hand, taunting her with its mysterious glow. Her eyes never left the glow as she continued to stare at it. The glow seemed to grow brighter and brighter.

“So, she is human.” The brother hummed curiously and appreciatively.

              He stared at the floating orb in front of him as he watched Lola stare into the orb he had provided for her, obviously oblivious of what was to come for her. It was the next step in completing the task, though he would never tell his own brother that.

              “For now, at least.”

              He held the orb between his hands and smiled. “Oh, I have plans for you little one.”

Freddie was really acting phony. He knew that much. He was yelling at his brother constantly for bringing back the gift, but he wasn’t really angry. He was just jealous and lonely.

“I’m not a bad guy,” murmured Freddie, shaking his head as he walked down the sidewalk in his neighborhood.

He needed to blow off some steam. He needed to clear his head.

Why couldn’t he meet her? Where was his soul mate?

“Where is she?”

He stopped walking, curious. “Hello?” Was somebody mimicking him?

“She just disappeared.”

Freddie’s heart started to race. Was it happening? But, as he turned around in hopes of finding the one who was speaking to his mind, he only found what was bound to be his future.

Nothing.

He continued walking, simply believing it was all mind tricks.

Suddenly, he bumped into someone, sending them both to the ground. He grunted at the impact and held his head, rubbing the spot that was definitely going to have a mark in the morning.

“What the hell?!” exclaimed a high voice.

Freddie stood up and looked down, intending to help the other person up. He held out a hand. It was a blond girl. She was rubbing her head with her eyes closed, obviously feeling the same kind of pain he was currently feeling.

“I’m sorry about that. I really should look where I’m going,” said Freddie.

“Obviously! You don’t own the…” She looked up at him and suddenly they were both propelled into another universe as she stared in his blue eyes.

Freddie stared into her green eyes and was amazed at what was actually happening to him. He was meeting his soul mate for the first time. He was having the first sight. His mind was filled with different colors, noises, and voices that sounded strangely like his own and hers. It seemed to go on forever until he could finally see the world again. He felt strange.

He helped her up, keeping her hand his in grasp. “Are you okay?”

She stared at him, seeming to be in complete shock. “What the hell happened?”

“Uh…” How was he supposed to explain this?

She immediately let go of his hand and backed away, shaking her head. “Oh my God. Oh my God.”

Freddie watched her run away in the other direction. “Wait!”

He watched her leave until she was gone, standing in the same spot for the next five minutes completely dumbfounded. He had never expected this experience to go as it did. He turned around and headed for home, dying to tell his parents what had just happened.

Lola was removing her bandage from her healed hand when a fist pounded on her front door that afternoon. She furrowed her brows and threw the bandage away before answering the door. She was met with a frantic Jessica, who easily let herself inside the house.

“Okay, I have so many things to tell you!” she exclaimed.

“Come on in,” muttered Lola, shutting the door. She turned and watched her friend pace back and forth in the living room.

Jessica looked at her. “First, what happened to you? You disappeared after free period.”

Lola furrowed her brows, thinking back to earlier that day. “Uh, no I didn’t. I remember saying bye to you after free period and going to math class.”

Jessica cocked a brow. “No you didn’t. You were there one minute and then you were gone the next when I looked up.”

“Whatever you say,” muttered Lola, walking back to the kitchen.

Jessica followed her and scoffed. “What’s wrong with you?”

“What do you mean?”

“You are just acting different.” Jessica shook her head. “You know what? Never mind. Something else happened.”

“What?” Lola glanced at her casually as she reached in the cupboard to get a glass cup.

“I ran into this guy outside and suddenly I saw colors, fireworks, and…”

Lola dropped her cup on the ground as she listened to Jessica. No. There was no way Jessica had experienced the first sight.

“Lola?”

“You what?!” exclaimed Lola, her heart beating fast.

“Yes! I don’t know if somebody had spiked my tea at lunch or some shit, but it was weird! He looked at me like I was some kind of fallen angel and he wouldn’t let go of my hand! It was weird!” shouted Jessica.

Lola bit her lip. “Who was he?”

“I didn’t get his name, but he had the most amazing blue eyes.” Jessica shook her head. “It was weird.”

She put her head in her hands and sighed. Now, she had to tell Jessica the truth. “I need to tell you something.”

Jessica caught her breath and put her hands on her hips. “What?”

“I experienced the same thing with Dean.”

Jessica gasped loudly, pointing at her. “No!”

Lola nodded and began to explain to her what had happened between her and Dean, starting from the beginning and ending with where she was at now.

“Now you see why I am so confused.”

Jessica stayed silent until she began to laugh out loud, holding her stomach as she leaned over the counter.

Lola raised her eyebrows. “What is so funny? I’m being serious!”

Jessica looked at her, trying to contain her laughter. “You are?”

Lola stayed silent.

Jessica stopped laughing, finally realizing that Lola was being serious. “Oh my God. It’s real?”

Lola went into the living room and collapsed on the couch, shaking her head in exasperation. “It can’t be real. It just can’t. I’ve rejected Dean so many times that the pain is so unbearable.”

“Pain?”

“It’s like your entire body aches, literally. You’re supposed to be with the person that you’re meant to be with. I’m rejecting the entire idea of it,” explained Lola.

“What the hell for?!” exclaimed Jessica, standing in front of her. “These guys are our soul mates!”

Lola stared at her incredulously. “You’re actually accepting this?!”

Jessica scoffed. “Lola, this world is already crazy. Why not add an entirely different species of the human race to the mix?”

“Jessica…”

“What is really stopping you from accepting Dean?” asked Jessica.

Lola looked away from her, trying to keep her tears at bay. To be honest, she wasn’t that freaked out about the fact he was of a different species. She was scared of somebody else actually wanting her.

Jessica sat down next to her best friend and held her hands. “Don’t let your parents desertion stop you from being happy.”

“Dean told me the same thing,” she muttered.

“I remember seeing you two at that party, you know? His entire demeanor towards you was filled with protectiveness and something that every girl could ever want in her life,” said Jessica. “You can’t let your parents take that away from you. They don’t control you anymore.”

Lola knew she was right. She let the tears fall and sighed, wiping them away. “I know.”

“You need to go find Dean,” said Jessica.

“I know,” said Lola. She stifled a laugh. “What about you?”

“One thing at a time,” said Jessica, rolling her eyes.

Dean was miserable.

It felt like Lola had been erased from his life completely. The pain was still there, but it was like an illness that would go away in a week. He couldn’t hear Lola’s thoughts anymore and it scared him. She was still rejecting him which meant that the gift would go away soon.

He was going to be alone and he was going to let down the entire family line. What was he going to tell them? It made things even harder because he still hadn’t found out the secret they had been keeping from him. Whatever it was, it was something big that could impact the entire family.

              “Dean?”

             
His heart stopped.
“Lola?”

              “Oh. I didn’t think I’d be able to reach you. Can you meet me on the beach? The same place?”

             
He knew exactly what place she meant.
“I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

             
He put his shoes on and went out the back door, being met with the setting sun. He quickly headed in the direction towards the spot where he had taken her after rescuing her from that guy. He stopped in his tracks as he stared at her, standing with her arms crossed as she looked at the ocean.

              “Hey,” he said.

              She looked at him and smiled sheepishly. “Hey.”

              Dean carefully walked towards her until they were merely two feet apart. He put his hands in his pockets. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

              “I just…” She stopped herself and chewed on her lip. “I’m sorry.”

              He shook his head. “It’s not your fault. It’s hard to accept and I’m not going to force you to accept it.”

              She looked at him. “My parents left me when I was thirteen. I haven’t seen them since and I’ve been by myself ever since then. It’s difficult for me to let people in. The only person I have ever let in is Jessica and she’s my best friend.”

              “That’s what stopped you from accepting me?” asked Dean.

              Lola nodded.

              Dean gently held her hands, grateful when she didn’t push him away. “Lola, I would never be like your parents. I’m not going to desert you. I take tradition very seriously and this gift is the biggest tradition that we have.”

              “I’m not good at keeping traditions,” said Lola, shrugging.

              “It doesn’t matter. Soul mates help each other become a better person.” He paused, looking down at their hands. He could feel his pain slipping away as each second passed. “But, I won’t force you to do this.”

              “You aren’t.” She took a deep breath before exhaling slowly. “I’m accepting this. I’m accepting you.”

              Dean looked up at her, surprised. “You are? I mean, are you sure?”

              Lola nodded, squeezing his hands. “Yeah. I mean, you only live once. Right?”

              Dean smiled and nodded, getting closer to her. He looked into her eyes and whispered, “Do you feel that?”

              Lola looked away for a few moments before looking back at him with a smile. “The pain is gone.”

              Dean nodded and laughed lightly. “Yeah.”

              “So, things are going to change aren’t they?”

              “Yeah,” said Dean, remembering the secret that was still being hidden from him. “Things are definitely going to change.”

11

              She was dreaming of something good. She was with Dean somewhere magical. It looked tropical. She was wearing a white dress that caressed her body smoothly. Her hair was in curls and she was barefoot in the sand. The waves crashed against the shore, barely touching her toes.

              She was waiting for somebody. He was coming out of the shadows of the dark night and, for a moment, she thought it might be Dean. It looked like his silhouette. She smiled.

“Dean?”

              She blinked once and was suddenly in her living room. But, it wasn’t her living room. Everything was gray and bland. The only source of something good seemed to be a shining light in a corner. She walked toward it and stopped.

              It was the glowing orb again.

              Her eyes stayed fixed on the orb as she moved closer to it, reaching out to touch it. When her fingers landed on it, it burned her. She jumped back in shock.

              When she blinked again, she wasn’t in the living room anymore. She was lying in bed. The clock told her it was half past three in the morning. She got out of bed and went to the kitchen, getting herself a glass of water.

              She took a sip and sighed, closing her eyes. “It was all just a dream.”

              She opened her eyes and gasped, dropping the glass. Tiny shards from the cup scattered around her bare feet as she stared into the living room.

              A lone shadow was faced towards her. It was pure black from head to toe and she couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman. The only thing she could focus on was the glowing orb it held in its hands.

              “What do you want?” she asked cautiously.

              It didn’t speak. It simply held out the orb and let go, allowing it to float towards her. She watched it, feeling as if she was stuck in her spot. She didn’t know why she was so transfixed on the orb, but her senses told her not to care.

              She took one step and gasped, feeling pain shoot through her foot. She looked down to see a piece of glass lodged in her toe. She carefully pulled it out and tossed it in the sink before looking back up.

              The shadow and the orb were gone.

              “What?” she murmured.

              Everything was back to normal again. There was no shadow. There was no glowing orb. Everything was in full color. She shook her head, believing she must be daydreaming or sleepwalking. She grabbed a band aid from the cabinet and bent down to apply it to her foot.

              There was no injury.

              “Were you dreaming?” asked Dean.

              Lola shrugged. “I must have been. How can an injury just go away?”

              “That’s just odd. But, at least you’re okay.” Dean held her hand and smiled at her.

              That day after school, Dean had invited Lola over to dinner so she could meet his parents. Needless to say, Katherine and Frankie were ecstatic that Lola had accepted their family. They had asked her questions about her life, wanting to get to know her on a personal level. She was hesitant to tell them about her family life, though. She had also asked about their history, promising to dedicate an entire day for that within the week.

              Freddie, however, was still waiting on Jessica to accept him. He was in pain because of her rejection and he knew she was, too. Lola tried to talk to her friend about Freddie, but she kept saying she wasn’t ready to talk to him. Freddie understood, but it still killed him. Everybody could tell.

              After dinner and dessert, Dean gave her a tour of his house. It was a simple beach house with two stories of living space and a beach for the backyard. After the tour, Dean took her to the swing on the porch so they could talk. Lola had decided to tell him about her weird dream.

              “There was something else. There was a… glowing orb thing. I was so attracted to it for some reason. It’s like I just wanted it,” she explained.

              Dean furrowed his brows. “An orb? Like a crystal ball?”

              “Not really. It didn’t show anything. It just glowed,” she said.

              “We have orbs that can show us other people. It’s how we communicate sometimes or if we just want to check on people for a few minutes,” explained Dean.

              “But, who would want to check on me and not talk to me?” asked Lola, looking at him strangely.

              He shrugged. “I don’t know.”

              It was quiet for a few moments until Lola broke the silence. “So, tell me how you do magic with your hands. I mean, do your fingers sparkle or something?”

              He laughed and shook his head. “No, not really. Here, I’ll show you.”

              He cupped his hands together and began muttering words under his breath with his eyes closed. Lola watched in awe as a bright, pink light appeared through his fingers. She gasped when the light dimmed and he opened his hands. In his palms was a blooming, pink wildflower. A faint glow still surrounded the blossom.

              “Oh, wow.” Lola smiled and took the flower. It felt warm and powerful. “Dean, that’s amazing!”

              He smiled at her. “I’ll teach you more later. We have a big book of spells.”

              “What else do I need to learn?”

              “I’ll show you the imprints and what they mean. We can learn how to defend ourselves, too. There’s a lot to learn, but we’ll make time for that,” he explained.

              Lola nodded then sighed, shaking her head. “This is all so crazy. I’m still trying to figure out how to take it all in.”

              “I know. But, hey…” He placed a finger under her chin, smiling at her. “We’ll figure it out together.”

              She looked into his blue eyes and nodded. “Together.”

              He grinned sheepishly and looked down, toying with her fingers. “So, do I still get that first date?”

              Lola stared at the stars rising higher in the sky and sighed, fighting back a smile and failing. “I suppose so.”

              Dean looked at her and grinned widely. “In that case, let’s go!”

              She furrowed her brows. “Go? Now?”

              Dean stood up from the swing and nodded. “The night is still young. Let’s go!”

              She had never met somebody as spontaneous as Dean. Not even Jessica was this spontaneous!

              You only live once, though.

              Matthew glanced up as the door opened, revealing his brother. “Ah, there you are. Any word on the two?”

              He shook his head sadly. “No. She still hasn’t accepted it and the pain is only getting worse. They can’t hear each other’s thoughts anymore.”

              Matthew sighed. “This is going to ruin Dean’s future. Well, keep an eye on the two.”

              “Yes, brother.”

              He walked out and returned to his own room, locking the door behind him. He stared at the glowing orb in the middle of the room and grinned devilishly at the couple before him sitting together on the swing.

              “I’ve definitely got my eye on you.”

              Dean decided to take her to one of the number one locations in the Los Angeles area: Venice Beach. It was the top location for residents and tourists to get a view of the beach and for new artists to get more recognition for their music.

              The lights and stars were shining down on the people walking along the beach and the streets. Somebody was breakdancing next to another person on a keyboard, an old man was trying to get people to find the Queen of Hearts, and another person was singing a cover of Bruno Mars while playing the guitar.

              Lola looked at Dean as they walked together, their hands brushing against each other. He was looking around, randomly smiling at somebody that was displaying talent. She just couldn’t understand how there was a different species out there and they looked completely human, but they weren’t. There was magic, mind reading, and so many different abilities that she had only read in books and seen in movies.

              How was this possible?

              Dean looked over at her. “Lola, I don’t want you to be afraid of me.”

              “What makes you think I’m afraid?” she asked.

              He shrugged sheepishly. “I mean, your thoughts are wide open. The way you’re thinking, it makes it seem like you are just afraid of everything.”