'Nikki,' He said it oddly, as if he wasn't certain he should be saying it at all.
I watched the air puff out in front of me with every quick exhale I made. However, when Michael breathed, there were no puffs of frozen air.
That was odd.
'I can prove to you that what I've told you is true.' His brow lowered with concentration and then he looked down at his chest. 'My amulet. It's not from this world.'
His sweatshirt hung open and I couldn't believe he wasn't cold-the morning was just as frigid as last night. He wore a strange pendant that rested over his T-shirt-a gold chain with a large green stone, like an emerald, but I didn't think emeralds came that big. It was literally the size and shape of a flat egg. The strange stone appeared to pulse with light under the gray skies. I tilted my head to the side as I studied it.
It was the exact same color as Michael's eyes. What was it made of? I felt a sudden, overwhelming urge to touch the stone, and I reached toward him.
'Princess, don't-' Michael seemed to freeze in place as I moved closer. My fingers brushed against the softness of the worn T-shirt before lightly touching the stone itself.
ZZAAPPPP!
The painful shock shot up my arm and I jumped back from him.
'What the-?' I held my jarred hand against my chest. I felt as if I'd just stuck my finger into a light socket.
Frowning deeply, Michael took a big step away from me. 'You shouldn't have done that.'
'Why did it do that? Are you plugged into something electric?'
'Just-' His chest moved in and out with increased but non-frosty breathing, and he quickly zipped up his sweatshirt, pulling the hood over his dark hair. I noticed his throat working, the Adam's apple shifting as he swallowed hard. 'Just don't touch me again.'
I didn't particularly like the way he said it. As if I couldn't keep my hands off him.
'Your father will be angry.' He stared at me, and something resembling fear replaced his previously guarded gaze.
'I don't know who he really is or why he sent you, but I don't want to see him. Feel free to tell him that.'
Instead of insisting he escort me to my oh-so-important father/daughter meeting, Michael turned away and stormed off without saying another word.
My hand still stung from touching his amulet.
Not a practical joke.
Not crazy.
He knew my father's real name. What in the world was going on?
I walked to school on autopilot, my thoughts in a million different places, and none of them, unfortunately, on my English test. I was definitely going to fail it.
Accepting the inevitability of that was probably the best approach.
Michael was seriously freaking me out. Was it possible my real father had sent him to get me? And what was his amulet made of? Why would he be wearing something dangerous like that?
I wished that when I looked into his green eyes, I'd just see a crazy guy looking out at me. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that all I saw was sincerity.
'Hey, Nikki!'
I looked to my left to see Chris, hanging out by the lockers with his jock buddies. The ones who I'd convinced myself were playing the practical joke on me.
Of course, now I knew it wasn't a joke.
I really wished it was.
'Hey, yourself.' I forced a smile to my face, trying to push away all other thoughts, and approached him. I prayed that no poppy seeds from my hastily eaten breakfast bagel were stuck in my teeth.
One of his buddies grinned. 'Why don't we leave you two alone?'
The rest of the guys laughed and walked away down the hall.
I didn't know what to make of their reaction to me. Maybe I had one big poppy seed in my teeth. Maybe they were laughing about Chris asking me to the dance. Or maybe it was something completely different. Even on a good day, when somebody laughed around me and I wasn't in on the joke, I assumed that they were laughing at me. Sure, call me paranoid, but when you're the new kid it was true more than not.
Chris smiled at me. 'You look great this morning.'
I guess I looked more relaxed than I felt, but it was so good to see him-a wonderful, normal guy who made me happy just by his presence and didn't give me any problems. 'You look pretty great yourself.'
He leaned closer to me and kissed me. It was a morning greeting I could very easily get used to. After a moment he pulled away and his gaze moved to the right.
'Nikki, we seem to have an audience again,' he said.
I turned around in Chris's arms and tensed when I saw that Michael stood about fifteen feet down the hall on the opposite side. He watched us, his face void of expression.
'Do you want something?' Chris asked.
Michael eyed him unpleasantly. 'Nothing from you.'
I tried to grab Chris's arm as he pulled away from me. 'Chris-' But it was too late. Chris was already moving to stand in front of Michael. They were both the same height, around six feet tall. But where Michael was all sinewy, all lean lines under those loose-fitting clothes, Chris was solid muscle under designer threads. Michael's hair was shoulder length, dark and shaggy, but Chris's was blond, recently cut, and gleaming from whatever hair products guys use to get that controlled-but-tousled look.
'Do you have a problem with me for some reason?'
Michael's attention was now fixed on me. 'I'm not sure yet.'
'You're not sure?' Chris repeated. 'What exactly do you think you're looking at?'
Michael was looking at me so intensely that I could feel it.
'I'm looking at Nikki Donovan,' he said. 'I need to protect her.'
I found that I couldn't stop looking at Michael. It was as if he'd captured me in his green-eyed gaze and wouldn't let go. I wanted to tell Chris what Michael had said-all the crazy things about my father that didn't seem to make any sense. But I didn't say anything. I knew I should be looking at Chris, but the only person I could see was Michael-and that haunted, protective look in his eyes.
'I suggest,' Chris's voice cut through, 'that you look somewhere else and leave her alone.'
'And I suggest,' Michael said calmly, 'that you mind your own business.'
I bit my bottom lip. That was definitely not a good response.
Chris's eyes narrowed. 'You need to leave now.'
Michael's attention finally moved from me to Chris. 'I'll leave when Nikki does.'
'She's not going anywhere with you if that's what you're thinking.' Chris's expression was becoming less friendly with each passing moment.
Michael glared at him. 'I thought I told you to mind your own business.'
Chris grabbed a handful of Michael's T-shirt and pushed him up against the lockers.
'You need to leave now' Chris growled. 'I won't tell you again.'
With one hand, Chris shoved him a few feet down the hallway. Michael's cool, slightly sullen exterior had slipped a bit. Under the line of his dark hair, I could see a glitter in his eyes as he looked back at Chris. Was it anger? I wouldn't be surprised. Nobody liked being pushed around first thing in the morning in front of a growing crowd of students.
But the look in Michael's eyes as he glared at Chris made a shiver run down my spine. It was more than anger. It was the look of a predator. Then he glanced at me for a moment-at my deep frown-and his expression softened.
