Chapter 2 part 1

The man from last night looks even creepier in the daylight. His dark black hair falls across this face as he glares at me with is beady eyes. 

I can hear Stephanie ramble off about the school mascot and something about a game this weekend. But I don’t take my eyes off of the man. There is something about him- something that makes the color in face flush out. I feel dizzy and mystified. My legs twitch and scream for me to run.

For a brief  hope moment I thought the star on my necklace would be a since of strength for me. At the very least hope. But the star starts to tickle my neck; as if it’s ready to jump off my neck.  He takes a step forward on the street and I jump out of whatever trance I’m in. My eyes leave him and I quickly step towards Stephanie and gasp.

“Stephanie, do you know who that man is?”

“What man?” She turns quickly to look at me, and then across the parking lot.

“The one across the street.” My voice brakes with nerves. But I couldn’t look back towards him.

“I don’t see a man across the street.”  Her voice sounds worried as if she expects something to happen.

I can feel the stunned expression on my face, I inhale deeply before she notices it.

“He’s right there.” I turn back, pointing my finger to where he was. But he isn’t there any more. I scan around like a bee searching for its flower. But there’s too many kids walking across the street. 

“He was…”
Gone, I can’t see him anywhere. My eyes franticly scan the road once more. Did he move closer?  I can’t see… kids from every direction start to storm the street. 

“He was right there.” I stumble to stay.

“What did he look like?” She said quickly.  She pauses and took a breath.  “Maybe I know him.”

Suddenly I feel ridiculous, foolish to the point of no return. How could I be so stupid? It's my first day and I'm already making Stephanie panic. Before you know it, she’ll be looking over her shoulder for a creepy guy. She’ll end up too scared to go home alone. Insist everyone have a code when we call her on the telephone. She’ll end up crazy in the loony bend and Wade will blame me for this moment, this time, when I said I saw a man across the street that really isn’t there.  okay , this isn't rational thinking.

I clamp my teeth and hold my breath for some sign that I'm going crazy. But the longer we stand there,  the more I think I am. I must be crazy... right?

“Mrs. Erickson, Mrs. Erickson! I have a great idea for the Play!” A girl with long blond curly hair comes running up to us and I can finally breathe again.

“I found this blue scarf online and I think it would be really cool if all of the pinks ware them. Then we could change them from the pinks to the blues and make them all sing blues songs. What do yu think? Great! Isn’t it???” She says quickly,   barely taking a beat.

“Wow Shelly that’s an idea. Why don’t you bring it up in group today?”

Stephanie’s voice is a little sharp in the end, although she doesn't notice Shelly being taken back by her abruptness.  I’m guessing shelly isn’t used to being blown off. Around Shelly stood about ten other kids who seem to be listening to every word she says.  Shelly tosses her hair off her right shoulder and rolls her eyes at Stephanie.

“But Mrs. Erickson I’ve already talked to the group and they love the idea. You would too if you just listen to me. I know you’ll see that it’s the best idea for the Play.” Shelly demands. Shelly’s last comment startles me. I can’t believe anyone would talk to a teacher like that – let alone Stephanie.  But Stephanie doesn't respond to Shelly’s rudeness.
“Mrs. Erickson?” Shelly sighs “Hello?”

Stephanie isn’t even looking at Shelly by now. Her eyes were scanning the parking lot just as I had been before Shelly came up.  Great

“Shelly. We will discuss this matter in group. I don’t care if you told everyone to love the idea- we always discuss new changes in the proper way.” Stephanie snaps at Shelly- but her eyes never leave the crowd. 

“Fine!” Shelly rolls her eyes- looks me up and down with discuss, and turns to leave. Stephanie grabs Shelly’s shoulder before she gets to far. 

“Shelly, this is Jazlyn and she’s starting her first day.” Stephanie gives me a quick wink. “She’s from Seattle.”
Shelly’s face went from discuss to sparkling. Her eyes shine as if she just found a shining new penny.

“Really? What’s it like? I bet you had so much to do there. There’s nothing to do here, you’ll see. Why did you move here anyways? Did you go to the theater a lot? Were you in a band? Did you see any of those underground concerts? You have to tell me everything! That’s where I’m going to go after high school. I would go now, -my older sister lives there. But my mother says there’s no way she would let me quite school. So I’m stuck here for another two years. Can you believe that? I mean I could go live with my sister and then I could take acting classes at U-Dub. And start my real life. – no offence Ms. Erickson, but I could be such an amazing actress with professional training.”

“None taken, Shelly. But we really should get Jazlyn to the office.” Stephanie interrupts.

“I’ll take her. I am a school ambassador; they’ll probably just call me anyways.”

“That’s up to Jazlyn.” Stephanie said with a quick look to me.

They both stand there waiting for me to say something. It’s silly of me. But I didn’t want to leave Stephanie alone with the creepy guy lurking around. Although part of me still wonders if he’s real or a figment of my imagination.

“Sure, that’s fine.” I blurt out, trying not to think about creeper.

“Sweet! I’m sure we’ll be great friends. Maybe we could be roommate in Seattle.” Shelly giggles at the thought

“First just get her to her classes….Okay?” Stephanie said as she bit her lower lip.

“Don’t worry about it Mrs. Erickson, she’ll be fine.” Shelly grabs my arm as we walk past Stephanie. “So, this isn’t Seattle or anything, but we have a pretty good drama group, if you like drama, we also have the best football team in the town. Go lions, you could try out for the cheerleading team…. Well next year. You have a great figure, you should really try out.” 

In the back of my mind I can hear Shelly ramble on as we walk up to the front Hall but I stopped listening as my eyes caught another glimpse of the deep blue eyes from last night.  Hypnotized, I take in a closer look. If he wasn't staring me down, and completely creaping me out right now. I would find him handsome. -Tall, dark with a mysterious touch. Dressed in a black leather jacket,  that makes his 5 o'clock shadow seem like it's ment to be there.

He reached the school before us and now he is leaning against the wall judging every movement I make. My heart starts to raise, as he keeps his eyes on mine. Luckily the kids that are following Shelly seem to suddenly be in a hurry and storm pass us. Right in between me and the guy in black.  I pick up the pase, and somehow I make it into the school. 

“Shelly, do you know who that man is?” I whisper as the doors of the school closed behind us.

“No but he’s the next pedophile if you ask me. He couldn’t keep his eyes off of me.  Did you see that?”

“Um.. yeah it was creepy.”

“Oh my gash!” Shelly drops her arm from mine and holds her breath.

“What?” I quickly turn around to look behind us.

“It’s Tom, he’s so gorgeous! We’re in drama together, and I just know he’s going to ask me to the winter formal. It’s just a matter of time.”
The last part of what Shelly said came out in a whisper. 

“Hey Shelly what’s cooking?” a boy from behind us came walking up.

“Seth, guess what! Jazlyn saw the pedophile too!” Shelly face is smug and proud as she continues. “I told you he was real!”

Seth is about the same height as me with black curly hair. His hair style makes him look like he was just dropped off at a California beach.

“Oh… so, now there are two crazy chicks here…. Cool!” Seth smiles and sticks his hand out. “I’m Seth.”

“Well, I am starting to feel crazy that’s for sure."

I take his hand and he gives me a small wink. The star on my necklace suddenly starts to burn and jump on my chest again. I jump back and pull away from Seth as fast as I can. Neither Shelly nor Seth notices me jumping backwards. Because another boy, that looks exactly like Seth, came running up smacking Seth in the back of this head. Seth barrels behind chasing the other boy.

“That was Russ. His brother if you couldn’t tell.” Shelly’s eye lingers back to Tom across the hall.

Tom looks a bit smug to me. He's handsome that's for sure,  but he it seems like he knows thats.  Which I hate guys like that. At the moment that Shelly is dreamily staring at him, he’s talking to some blond hair blue eye girl. -And with a cocky smile on his face too. Good luck with that.  I think to myself.

“Yeah, I can see the resemblance.” I answer Shelly. I turn back to the front doors.  Tangling the star in my fingers, as I peer around looking for anything in black. I sigh in relief that creepier is no where to be seen. He’s not even lingering in the doorway anymore.

“I would hate to be a twin. You never have any time alone. ya know?  Then again, you’d always have a friend around… that would be pretty cool.” Shelly seems to be talking to herself at this point.

We walk into the school office just off to the left. There’s a frumpy redhead woman setting at the front desk.

“Hello Shelly. What’s it this morning?” the red head women says without looking away from her computer. I get the feeling she’s expecting Shelly.

“Miss Oak. The pedophile is back. Even Jazlyn saw him this morning.”
“How many times have you seen him?” I whisper so only Shelly could hear me.

“He’s been hanging around the school for a week now, just waiting for some poor weak kid to follow him home.” Shelly raises her voice so that everyone in the office could hear her.

“Calm down! I’ve already told you that he’s a parent of one your classmates. But I will have Principle King go out and have a talk with him, again.”

Miss Oak still doesn’t look up from her computer. She bits her nails on her right hand and tightens her eyes at whatever she’s reading. Yep. Shelly annoys her every morning. Awesome. 

Miss Oak continues without missing a beat.  “Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“Yes!” Shelly snaps back.

Miss Oak whips her head around to look at us. I can see the annoyance in Miss Oak’s face, become more instance.

“Um, Yes Please.” I interrupt Shelly, before she has time to say something rude and impropriate. “I’m Jazlyn Love. Today is my first day here. My foster mother said that my transcripts should be here.” I throw in a smile to make up for the fact that I am with Shelly.

“Oh, good heavens child. Why didn’t you say so in the first place?” Miss Oak starts grabbing paperwork “Your not Ms. Erickson’s new foster child, are you?”

“Yes of course she is. How many new students do you have starting today?” Shelly pips in.

Truth be told, I’m glad Shelly said something even if it was rude. I didn’t know much about the new family I’m living with and for the life of me, their last name just popped out of my head. But I still gave Shelly a stop it look with my eyes

“Oh! She has been waiting to find you for such a long time!” Miss. Oak ran over with a pen in her hand grabbing forms that hung in bends along the way. “Tell me. Don’t you just love her already?”  Miss Oak lays the forms in front of me and places the pen down for me. She leans her elbows on the desk with starlight eyes. At least she isn’t annoyed by me. 

“Yeah, Stephanie seems cool.” I say without thinking as I start to fill out the forms, which most of the information, I don’t know. Like the phone number and address.

Miss Oak clears her throat “Its Mrs. Erickson here dear.”

“Right. I’ll have to get used to that. I’ve never lived with a teacher before.” I feel a bit uneasy, stupid and nervous, as I look over the forms again. The only thing I know is  my name. “I’m sorry” I blush. “I don’t know the rest.”

“Of course dear, we’ll get all of that from Mrs. Erickson.” Miss Oak reaches down to grab a printout from the printer. “Here are your classes. Shelly will pick you up from each class and take you to the next. – Shelly here’s your pass.”  Miss Oak hands Shelly a big green pass that says. “I’m with the new kid.”  Shelly wraps it around her neck like she has done this a million times.

“Jazlyn please let me know if there is any problems with your classes.”

“Um, thanks.” I take the list from Miss Oak and start to head out.

“Be sure Mr. King, talks to the freak outside.” Shelly adds before we leave the office.

“That was strange.” I mutter.  I look over my classes that Miss Oak gave me. They were the same classes I had in Seattle- Chemistry, World History, French, English, Algebra, and Biology. – All the same and in the same order.