****PARADISE SAGAS:  BOOK 2:  HEAVENFIRE****

 

Chapter 2

 

            Kevin slid into his seat in 2^nd period English.  David was already in his seat on the double-seated desk.  He had his head buried in his arms, seeming to be asleep.

            Kendra paused at the door, as Kevin looked up.  The teacher had changed her seat, and gave her a seat partner.  She now sat in front of the two boys.  She gave them a weak smile as she approached and slid into her seat.

            Kevin reclined a little, and stared out the window.  The sun was shining brightly.

~*~*~*~

            “Thank God, Christmas break is coming.”  Daenna muttered as she slouched against the wall in their meeting area.

            “Yeah, two weeks of break.”  Kendra played with a strand of her hair, “We all need a break.”

            “Have you met the new girl yet?”

            “There’s a new girl?”  David muttered from where he was leaning on a tree.

            “Yeah.  Her name is weird.”  Daenna continued as she dug a nail file out of the pocket of her leather coat, “Amaranthine Dusk.”

            Kendra looked up, “Are you serious?”  She coughed.

            “Yeah.  She wants to be called Ama, though.”

            “Everlasting Dark.”  Kevin whispered under his breath.

            “What?”

            Kevin looked startled, “Huh?  Oh.  Amaranthine Dusk means Everlasting Dark.”

            “And you know this…” Daenna waved her hand slightly, “how?”

            “I needed another word for everlasting in an English report, not too long ago,” Kevin shoved his hands in his jean pockets, “I thought it was a cool word.”

            “Interesting name.”

            “Yeah.  Interesting.”  Kevin peered out of the trees, across the campus.

~*~*~*~

            David thought Lexa’s voice sounded more urgent than usual as he sat on the cliff.

                        “Dark rises to force

                        The power of Everlasting

                        Down upon thy world

                        And tries to push me away.”

 

            David accidentally fell asleep, sitting there.  He didn’t get to hear her whisper the last lines of her song.

 

                        “And my warriors won’t win

                        Without me.”

 

~*~*~*~

            There was a girl, with black hair and white bangs.  She was sitting alone and there was a black mist about her.  She stared longingly towards him, but her gaze shifted and filled with hatred.

            He turned to see what she was glaring at.

            Lexa was standing, in her uniform, yelling silently at him.  He started to walk towards her, but found he couldn’t move.  The girl with the white bangs walked up to Lexa and grabbed her hair at the scalp, thrusting her to the ground.  She pulled out a golden sword and brushed it lightly against Lexa’s throat.

            A thin line of blood formed across her neck.  He wanted to call out.  To stop her.  But he couldn’t.  He could only watch.

~*~*~*~

            David shot forward and was greeted by a gust of cold wind.  He took a deep breath.  The dream scared him.

            But now, he saw the sun was rising.  He had to get out of there.  He didn’t want to hear—

            “David!  Don’t!”  It was Lexa’s voice.  There was a pause, “Adam?  Please.  Don’t.”

            David didn’t want to hear anymore.  He ran to his cycle and drove away as fast as he dared.

            He felt so empty.  So…alone.  He drove home and didn’t go to school for the rest of the week.

~*~*~*~

            The next Monday, Kevin sat on the edge of his 7^th period History desk.  He started to say something to Daenna, but was cut off.

            “Hi, Kevin!”  A cheerful voice called from the door, “Hi, Daenna.”  It continued, slightly less cheerful.

            Daenna rolled her eyes as she turned in her desk to face the front of the room.

            Kevin turned around and plastered on a smile, “Hi, Ama.”

            “What are you up to this week? Are you doing anything Wednesday evening?”  The girl stepped up close to him.

            “Yeah.  I’ve got an English test Thursday.  And the rest of the week, I’m working on my truck.”

            “That’s right.  You totaled it, didn’t you?”  She giggled.

            “Yeah.”  He said before sending a message to Daenna, ~Does she ever shut up?~

            He heard Daenna muffle her laugh with a cough, ~She probably talks in her sleep.~

            ~She’s got so much energy, I wonder if she sleeps.~  Kevin’s eyes shifted to the door.

~*~*~*~

            David froze at the door to the History room.  There was a girl talking to Kevin, with black hair.  He knew what she would look like before she even turned around.

            He took a step backwards as she turned.  And he ran into the teacher.  The teacher forced him into the room as she closed the door.

            “OH!  You’re cute!”  The girl squealed.  She turned to Kevin, puffing her white bangs, “I mean, you’re cute Kevin, but you…”  She turned back to David.  She didn’t even finish the sentence.

            David looked at Kevin, ~Is she for real?~

            ~Sadly.~  Kevin gave a slight nod.

            “I’m Ama.”

            “I figured as much.”  He muttered as he started towards his desk.

            “What are YOU doing Wednesday?”  She kept going.

            David gave an annoyed huff as he shoved past her and slid into his desk.

            The teacher started class before Ama could pursue him anymore.

~*~*~*~

            “Need a ride?”  David’s voice caused Kevin to jump slightly.

            “Don’t DO that!”  Kevin said as he shoved his last book in his locker.

            “Sorry.  Do you?”

            “Yeah.  I guess.”  Kevin slammed his locker.

            They fell into step together, “I heard from Kendra,” David began, “That you totaled your truck last week.”

            “Yeah.  My mom and Jo and I went up north Thursday, Friday and the weekend.  They had a bunch of snow and freezing temps.”  Kevin informed him, “I got onto this one patch of ice and it was like ping-pong.  I slammed into three light poles and finally stopped by hitting a tree.

            “Holy crap.”

            “Yeah.  Luckily, I was the only one in the truck.  Had Jo or mom been in there…” He shook his head.

            “If you want, I’ll give you some help.”  David smiled, “Remember, I passed Auto Tech with flying colors.”

            “Really?” He paused, “I mean, I thought about calling you, but I wasn’t really su—”

            “No sweat.”  David pulled out his keys to his cycle as he and Kevin stepped out of the school.

            “Thanks, man.”  Kevin smiled.  It was nice to have at least a sliver of the old David back.

            But would it be enough?
~*~*~*~

            Kendra took a deep breath as she made her running start and grabbed the lower of the two unparallel bars.  She swung up and grabbed onto the higher bar.  She performed the routine as she tried to clear her mind.  It wasn’t easy.

            She focused her mind blandly on her German Language report.  That was a safe subject.

            After she had finished the routine plus one on the rings, she took a shower in the locker room.  As she dressed, she slipped on a necklace.

            Lexa’s silver ring, with the blue paua shell, which was WAY too small for Kendra’s pinky, was hanging on a silver chain.  Kendra fingered the necklace as she stared at her reflection.

            She sighed as she flung her bag over her shoulder and headed out the door.