Remnants
I dream about him. I see his face, his smile, and his deep green eyes. Momentarily, I am in heaven. It usually doesn’t take long for my blasting alarm clock to bring me back to reality. I wish I didn’t dream about him, perhaps then he would be easier to let go. Was he dead? I tell myself every day he’s coming back, that he’s alive and well, but with every passing week, my hope lessens.
“Are you ready yet?” Mila called through the bathroom door.
I glanced down at the remnants of the feather tattoo on my wrist, a tattoo that once bound Eli and I together. It just washed away in the shower like it was nothing more than dirt on skin, leaving merely a scar. I pulled my hair to the front so it draped around both of my shoulders and down my chest. My straightened hair seemed darker against the royal blue fabric of my dress.
Tonight was the school’s dance. I didn’t want to go but it was compulsory and I was still treading on very thin ice. I opened the bathroom door and suddenly felt insecure. Mila looked beautiful. The long gold gown she wore molded to her perfectly slim build and seemed a lot more elegant than my strapless, above-the-knee cocktail dress.
“Wow,” Mila gasped at me.
“Don’t wow me, I feel cheap next to you.”
“If I had the boobs and legs to pull off that dress I would’ve bought a dress like yours. This silly gown is annoying.”
I opened my mouth to protest her ridiculous observation but a knock on the door stopped me. Every time a knock sounds upon my door my heart races and my hope rises, it could be Eli.
“Oh my goddess, you look beautiful.”
It was Gabriel. Gabriel was a student guardian angel we had met a few months ago in the dining hall; he was also Hunter’s best friend.
A fake smile spread across my lips as I hid my disappointment, something that came naturally now.
“Don’t forget to lock the door; I don’t want my new laptop to get stolen. We’ll see you there,” Mila said, closing the door behind her.
Mila and I now share a room. Somehow, she convinced her uncle, Ivan Aleksandrov, that she could help me stay on track and out of trouble. We were moved to the far end of the dorm, in Sam and Cloud’s old room. It was double the size of single dorms; it was perfect.
I pulled on a black pair of heels, they were a lot higher than what I was used to. I wobbled unsteadily to my feet. With the first step, I found my groove and managed to walk confidently over to the door. I switched out the light and locked the door behind me.
“Goddess.”
I turned abruptly, my heart jumping into my throat. “Jesus Christ, Hunter.”
He adjusted the toothpick that hung out of his mouth and smiled. He looked so smart in his black suit pants and long sleeved, button up royal blue shirt. What are the odds that we had both chosen to wear the same color?
“What are you doing here?” I gasped.
His sudden appearance put me in a bit of an awkward situation. We hadn’t spoken since he kissed me and I told him to leave me alone. I assumed he was annoyed with me, like everyone else.
“We’re going to the dance.”
“No, I’m going alone.”
“Well, I’m heading that way anyway, we can walk together.”
“Fine.”
We walked side by side; his black dress shoes hitting the tiled corridor floor with quiet taps. Mine made a much louder click with every step.
“Why are you chewing a toothpick?”
Starting a conversation was the only thing I could do to take my mind off the incessant beat of my five inch heels. They had me wondering if I was walking properly.
“I quit smoking. It helps with the cravings.”
I thought about the time I discovered his smoking spot by accident when I was looking for a subtle place to teach myself how to use my elements. It was only a few months ago, I was impressed by his progress so far.
“You know, at least Gabriel showed up announced like a gentleman. He even told Mila that she looked beautiful. You and your toothpick just show up, scaring me half to death,” I stated as Hunter and I signed out and exited the girl’s dorms.
“You don’t look beautiful.” Hunter smiled as the cool night air hit my face.
“Thanks.”
“You look sexy.”
I rolled my eyes. Hunter was that type of person, I suppose. He was very raw and uncensored. He was a smartass and he knew it. He doesn’t care about boundaries; Hunter knows exactly what he wants and how to get it. He was the exact opposite of Eli. Eli was respectful and charming, a real gentleman. He knew how to sweep a girl off her feet classically and he knew how to make her feel like there was no one else in the world but her. I kind of like that he said that to me, though. I’d been so lonely the last few months here without Eli. Knowing that someone here cared about me was like being given a box of matches when you’re stranded on a cold, deserted island.
We approached the dining hall. My head was thumping along with the club beats pouring out of the open windows and doors.
“Are you ready?” Hunter asked.
“As I’ll ever be.”
The room that was usually filled with long tables was now filled with balloons, streamers, punch bowls, and rows and rows of snacks. It was dim and loud; I could barely hear myself think.
“Enjoy yourself,” Hunter shouted in my ear.
He began to walk off but I grabbed his arm, preventing him from taking another step. I did want to come alone initially, but now that I’m here, I don’t feel like standing in the corner praying for the event to end. Some company would be nice.
“Wait.”
Hunter smiled an impudent smile, like he knew I was going to stop him all along.
“Let’s get a drink.”
We ducked and squeezed past sweaty teenagers and over to one of the many punch bowls. Hunter pulled a small flask from his inside jacket pocket and proceeded to empty its contents into our cups, concealing the clear liquid with passionfruit punch.
“Hunter, what are you doing?” I whispered hastily into his ear.
“Relax. It’ll help loosen you up.”
He pushed the cup closer to my chest. Momentarily, I stared at the strange smelling liquid, weighing the pros and cons.
“Ruby, it’s okay. Who’s going to know?”
I grasped the cup and I thought about the consequences. If this all went wrong, I would no doubt be expelled from Sage, and yet that threat doesn’t scare me anymore; there was nothing for me here. A lot of students still hated me for what I did a few months ago, and guardian angels went out of their way to ignore me or glare. I did get their colleagues and friends killed, after all. If I did do this, then for one night I could forget about everything and have fun.
The smell burnt my nose as I brought the cup to my lips. Surely it doesn’t taste as bad as it smells? As it began pouring down my throat I realized it did taste as bad as it smelled. My throat began burning, it was like I was drinking some kind of cleaning chemical straight from the bottle.
“That’s too much,” I coughed.
Hunter smiled. “That’s the way I like it.”