Beautiful Stranger

Beautiful Stranger

“Vavavoom,” Aiden whispered into Mali’s ear while gazing at our guide for the day. The girl had huge boobs which looked even bigger in the cashmere turtleneck she had on. But aside from that she wasn’t anything to worry about. She had stubby pale legs, fat arms, and her eyes were a washed out brown. And let’s not forget she’s wearing cashmere in 80 degree weather so her jugs would look bigger.

“Your terrible love,” she said squeezing his hand. Mali was terribly nervous but didn’t want to show that to anybody—least some short bland girl staring thirstily at her boyfriend.

In the private airport there were many teenagers that also went to Hayes Academy. There were guys in Hugo Boss t-shirts and jeans and girls in cut off sevens from last year and Dior flip flops. She tended to repress her inner label whore but today she’d dressed especially to impress or in truth—though she wouldn’t admit it to a soul—intimidate.

Her shades were resting on top of my head because Aiden always complained when they were covered. She could understand his fixation, though. Seeing such shockingly blue eyes were unexpected on a girl who was obviously Asian and Black.

She got them from her mother, Schuyler, who’s milky white skin that was pale but not pasty, long blond hair that was never out of place or messy and huge sapphire eyes made her look like a perfect handmade porcelain doll. She’s the daughter of Texas oil and gas typhoon and a pageant queen. She was the ultimate trophy wife and Mali couldn’t help but hate her for it. Her father had family members that included the King of Cambodia and his mother was a member of Rwandan parliament. Her mother was obviously his ultimate prize, even after she’d gone a little loopy from her constant high on prescription drugs. Mali didn’t even bother addressing her any more.

She’d been planning an escape from her parents for months and she, Aiden, and her best friend Kylie decided on a whim (that was greatly encouraged by their parents) to apply to 10 different boarding schools on the east coast because they hated all of their classmates at their private school in Chicago. Mali had deemed them all as posers her freshman year. It was a prestigious school but not prestigious enough for them.

For some reason Hayes stood out to all three of them—piqued their specific interests. Their parents mentioned that some member of their extended family attended the school and oddly enough, they were sold.

“Hi, I’m Sienna your guide,” the girl said extending her hand to each one of them. Kylie glanced at the Cartier tank watch on her wrist and shot a meaningful glance at Mali. The whole flight, both Mali and Kylie shopped online and strongly considered that watch.

“You must be Mali, Kylie, and Aiden,” Sienna said pointing at each of them.

“Do you have my phone,” Kylie said searching though her Lanvin patent tote.

“Nevermind I got it,” Kyle said finally ending her excursion though her purse and tapping away on her iPhone probably ordering the watches. They always paid for each other’s things without thinking about it.

“Umm where’s your luggage?”

Both Kylie and Mali pointed behind them to a collection of different colored and shaped bags.

“We rented a car to take them,” Aiden said smirking at Sienna’s shocked face.

“You didn’t have it airmailed?”

“Oh yeah we had most of our clothes a week ago but we did some more damage in New York this week.”

“I thought you were from Chicago,” Sienna said her brow furrowing.

“Yeah, we are but we spent last week in New York,” Kylie said.

“Oh,” Sienna said scowling probably because she spent her last week before school packing, dreaming about the boys she should have hooked up with over the summer, and organizing her school supplies.

“Hello Sienna,” a boy in a hoodie with a dark green shirt underneath it and black Citizen’s jeans. He seemed to appear out of no where. Kylie noticed most of the people who looked like students were staring at them when he came over.

“H-hi Damien what’s up,” Sienna said obviously shocked that Damien was addressing her let alone knew her name.

“Aren’t you going to introduce me,” Damien said looking though his thick black lashes right at Mali and pulling a hand through his wavy black hair. Mali felt a gasp escape her mouth. He was beautiful.

Without waiting for Sienna to answer she extended her arm and said, “Hi, I’m Mali.”

“Hello Mali, my name’s Damien,” Damien said putting on his lazy smile and taking in the scent of caviar and mimosa on her breath, her Diptyque perfume, and her strawberry lipgloss.

“This is Kylie and Aiden,” Mali said still not breaking his gaze. He was the most beautiful boy she’d ever saw and she felt drawn to him. His skin was like pale alabaster stone; he had sharp features, full red lips and eyes the same color as hers. The word chiseled came to mind. Mali only introduced Kylie and Aiden so that his attention was still on her.

“So you’re new,” Damien said slowly taking her in. There was a voice in the back of his mind telling him wasn’t right for him to stare at her the way he was causing everything else around her to blur. But she seemed to be doing the same thing to him and they couldn’t stop looking at each other. He didn’t realize it would be this intense. He could see her features sharpening and her skin paling before his eyes.

“Damn Mali way to divide and conquer but the next hot boy’s mine,” he heard Kylie think drawing his attention away from her and onto her friends.

“Mali,” Aiden growled bringing her back to reality, his eyes were wild with rage until Mali turned and smiled back at him and grabbed his hand.

“Yeah babe,” Mali said remembering herself as they started walking towards the exit to the airport, “So do you go to Hayes?”

“Yeah, I’m a junior what about you guys,” Damien said avoiding her eyes. The weirdness earlier was odd enough without a repeat. But when he did the weirdness from earlier was gone but she realized that their eyes were exactly the same color.

“Yeah we’re all juniors,” Kylie said. Mali could almost feel Kylie’s annoyance. She was looking at Sienna with malice in her eyes.

“Damien do you think you could take over now, showing them around I mean, I don’t feel well.”

“Sure,” Damien said and Mali and Aiden wondered why she decided to leave and noticed Kylie staring intently at her.

“How are we gonna get to the school,” Aiden said, “That was supposed to be our transportation.”

“You can ride with me,” Damien said, “I have my truck.”

“You didn’t just get here,” Aiden asked.

“No, all the new students usually arrive a day after everyone else I just drove up to pick up my roommate and sister.”

“Why didn’t they come yesterday,” Mali asked blithely although there was nothing in particular to be happy about.

“They missed their flight,” Damien said laughing when he remembered Trey calling him last night.

“Why,” Mali asked.

“Well my sister, Paisley hates taking flights with a hang-over and she wanted to shop some more. So Trey stayed with her.”

She could help but stare at Damien. He seemed so different that anybody else she ever met. But it was the same feeling she had with Aiden and Kyle; she knew they were meant to be friends—that they belonged. There was nothing more she wanted at that moment then to touch his skin to see if it was as hard and smooth as it looked. It was like he read her mind because as she was thinking this he turned to her and smiled. Then she noticed his eyes were changing becoming lighter under her gaze the way hers sometimes did. She wondered if they could change color like hers.

“Your eyes,” Damien whispered. His eyes too Mali thought, they were moss colored now.

“You shifted. Did you know you could do it?”

“I, what? How are you in my head? But my eyes didn’t change yours did. I didn’t do anything. Why—?”

“I’m not in your head you can just hear me.”

“And how and why exactly is this happening?”

“Well I can’t tell you very much now but you and I were um, connected. And when you shifted our connection made me shift too. If you’re feeling an extreme emotion, that might have caused it. Tonight you’ll go to a meeting about everything.”

“What are you? God, what am I? I must be freaking losing it.”

“Well I can’t tell you now. Kylie and Aiden are too. But you won’t believe me if I tell you.”

“It can’t be that bad. I mean, what if I promise to believe you as long as you answer my questions.”

“I promise to tell you later after you get your room and you are alone. I’ll find you,” he bit his lip. He didn’t want her to think he was crazy but he almost couldn’t tell her no. And if she tried hard enough she could dig it out of him.

“If you don’t find me, I’ll come find you.”

“Where’s your car,” Mali asked out loud. Her friends hardly notice any difference.

“It’s here,” he said pointing at a black Mercedes truck where a leggy girl with silvery blond hair to her waist and a boy with long reddish brown hair were waiting. Kylie could tell they noticed them with Damien but it was like they expected him not to be alone. But just then Kylie noticed the sun. It seemed brighter than usual and it was causing an odd discomfort to her eyes and skin. It was a tingling sensation that wasn’t painful but oddly uncomfortable. She slid on her Ray-Ban classic shades at the same time that Mali put on her gold aviator Ray-Bans.

“Who knew there was so much sun in Massachusetts,” Kylie said in a flat voice when they reached Damien’s car.

“I know right Ky. I should have gotten more shades,” Mali said checking out Damien’s sister. She was drop dead gorgeous. She had long silvery blonde hair and very pale blue eyes and was very tall and thin. She was what Mali always pictured Fleur from Harry Potter to look like. She and Damien had the same almost inhuman features that were amazingly beautiful but their colorings were totally opposite. Except for the pale skin.

“Hey,” the girl said and reached out her hand to Mali, “I’m Paisley.”

“I’m Mali,” Mali’s gaze immediately fell on her neck; she was wearing the same Just Cavalli zebra heart and gold necklace that she was.

“Figures Damien’s…mate and I would share the same style,” Paisley said. Mali looked around to see if anybody else heard what she did. They didn’t.

“Did you say—,” Mali whispered thinking she was hallucinating; this heat was stifling.

“Yes sweethearrrt,” Paisley purred drawing rolling her eyes, “Surely Damien has told you, or have you had no time alone? Guess not well I’m sure he’ll clue you in before the meeting tonight.” Mali couldn’t believe this girl, surely she wasn’t serious. She was talking about her and Damien like they were animals. And she looked evil under that sweet façade she put up.

“He did say he had something to tell me,” Mali said as Paisley came and wrapped her arm around Mali’s waist.

“God we are gonna be tight, I just know it,” Mali looked over at her friends who were paying her exactly no attention at all. Kylie was leaning towards Trey to hear something he said then laughing as if he was the funniest adorable thing she’d ever seen. Aiden was gazing at a tiny girl with long black hair at the car across from them. But Damien was glaring at Paisley as if he wanted to growl.

“God I love your hair,” Paisley said stroking Mali’s gold and brass-like hair, “I bet you highlighted it without trying. Damien said you did his eyes on accident. God you have to do mine. This whole blonde thing is getting to be a little monotonous ya know? Your hair is so multidimensional. Love, love, love it.”

“Thanks. Who’s older you or Damien,” Mali ask even though she had an odd feeling that they were twins.

“I am thirteen minutes older then Dame. He tries to act like the older sibling though,” Paisley placed a thoughtful finger on her chin.

“Do you have…one? I mean one. Shit I can’t even say the word. It just seems so final,” Mali spoke in short choppy sentences.

“Well, I don’t have one yet, though your boyfriend looks like a fine specimen. Just kidding, I’d know as soon as I saw him. Did you feel drawn to Damien, like all of a sudden your gravitational pull was not from the earth but from him? And it is final. Even if you resisted him for a million years you would still give in at some point and he would never stop chasing you. You wouldn’t want to either. He will be the exact amount of everything you need. Like you were designed for each other.”

“Oh God,” Mali said under her breath and couldn’t speak until they got into the car. There was no denying she was drawn to Damien. While she was talking to Paisley she longed to touch him or at least speak to him.