My Beating Heart ch. 2

The rose slipped from her hand and fell into the puddle in front of her feet. Her mind wandered back to the day when she realized that there was something special about her; the day she finally woke up. His words had seemed so unreal at the time; meaningless almost. She inhaled sharply, realizing that she had not taken a breath since she last felt alive.

Chapter 2:

         Ravyn opened her eyes to see the sunlight pouring through her curtains. She had fallen asleep a few minutes after Harmony had left and slept through the night. She turned over to see that it was seven a.m., and she let out a very audible groan. She had not woken up so early in a long time, even when it came to school days. She stood, stretching a little and made her way over to her closet to find something to wear. She decided upon a simple ensemble of a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with a less than famous band name on it.

         “Ravyn. We have company.” her mother called.

         Ravyn rolled her eyes and dressed quickly. She tied her long hair back, so as to not cover her green eyes. Her mother had a tendency to complain when her hair was in her eyes. She thought it to be absolutely absurd, but she had lost enough battles with her mother to know that she should just comply for the moment.

         “I’ll be down in a few minutes, Mom.” Ravyn called back down, to buy her some time.

         She walked toward her bathroom, wanting to make sure her appearance did not scream a total mess. She quickly applied her makeup essentials: eyeliner, smoky gray eye shadow, mascara, and a bit of liquid base. She turned, exiting the room gracefully, as if she was about to meet the queen herself. She felt a bit lighthearted, though she was not sure exactly why. The events from the day before were clouding her mind, making it hard for her to focus.

         “Now, Ravyn.” yelled her now agitated mother.

         Ravyn rolled her eyes and made her way down the stairs. Laughter exploded from the living room. She jumped, surprised to hear that joyous noise in the house. The most surprising thing of all was the fact the laughter was from her mother.

         “Come on in, Ravyn dear.” her mother said, motioning for her to sit down.

         Ravyn was hesitant, afraid of her mother’s new found happiness. She looked away from her mother’s stare and almost dropped dead on the floor. Harmony?

         “Yes, Ravyn. Come join the fun.” Harmony said, a gentle twinkle of amusement in his eyes.

         Harmony was dressed in clothes that she could only describe as a prep school uniform. Ravyn had to admit he looked good, but the pure shock of not seeing him in his usual attire made her jaw drop. What had encouraged him to dress as if he were trying to impress someone?

         “Wha-?”  Ravyn replied, trying to come back to reality.

         Her mother pulled her down to the sofa, making Ravyn sit and enjoy whatever Harmony had referred to as “fun”. She smiled weakly, now realizing her mother was not barking mad at her nor Harmony. Did he do all this just to be allowed in her home, or were there ulterior motives she had yet to figure out?

         “I misjudged you, Mr. Brooks.“ her mother said, breaking the silence, “You are absolutely charming and I would love for you to be over here more often. Your father of course is invited also. If he has raised a son like you, I am sure he is a fine man.”

         Her mother stood up and walked out of the living room, muttering something about tea and cookies. Even though it was the twenty-first century, her mother acted like it was still the fifties. Sometimes, it got a bit annoying, but then again she knew you could not choose family.

         “Your mother is easily influenced.”

         His words had snapped her back into reality. She turned to him, a slight frown on her face. He smiled at her, making her weak at the knees. She exhaled sharply, realizing she had been holding her breath. What had he done to her mother? She seemed more cheery and upbeat, and it was starting to scare her.

         “What are you doing here?” Ravyn asked, finally unable to stand her curiosity, “You look like a school boy and I think my mother is eating it up.”

         “You think?” Harmony replied with a smirk, “I told you yesterday. I want you. Your little busybody mother is not going to interfere with that.”

         The words sent chills up her spine. He had actually said it again. She felt her stomach flip, and she instinctively put her hand on her stomach. He laughed at this, and looked into her eyes. Ravyn resisted the urge to keep staring into his eyes, and a blush formed across her face. She looked into the kitchen, seeing her mother moving about, humming as she did so. Ravyn could not help but laugh. Her mother seemed to be in her own little world.

         “Want is a very strong word, Harmony.” Ravyn said, turning back toward him, “And it also has multiple meanings. What do you want me for?”

         Ravyn blushed again, but still stayed turned to him. He seemed amused by the suddenness and bluntness of her words. He placed his cool hand on he burning cheek, which only led her to blush more. What had happened to make him seem so… forward? He was acting like she should have already known his feelings. For the past six months, he had been coming into her home, uninvited and making snide comments before leaving. Why he was acting like a gentleman all of a sudden was a mystery to her.

         “Innocent Ravyn.” he said finally, “You do not even realize what you possess. Your beauty is almost as flawless as your outlook on the world. You see things the way they should be seen, and you do not doubt what is out there. You are not surprised by the lack of beauty in this world, and yet you can see the true beauty of the world. You are such a fascinating creature. For the past six months, I have noticed every little detail about you. The was you tie your hair back when you need to think, or how you stare out the window just so you can dream of something you cannot have. You are a dreamer in disguise, and you do not even realize that you have me captivated.”

         Ravyn jumped from the sofa and walked across the room. He looked surprised at her movements, but he paid them no mind. He stood and walked across the room to where she was standing.  He grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers together. The gesture was enough to make her weak at the knees. He grabbed her waist to keep her from falling. He smiled and stared into her eyes, which only made her even more weak at the knees. He gently walked her back over to the sofa, and set her back down.

         “Have you been watching me, following me even?” Ravyn asked, after the weakness went away.

         He was making her dizzy. He traced his finger across her cheek, and she faintly remembered her mother was in the other room. She pushed him away and stood, trying to push him out of her mind. Why was he affecting her so much? He had always had a somewhat hypnotic affect on her, but it was starting to become like he dulled everyone of her senses and made every nerve a livewire. She walked into the kitchen, stumbling a bit from her lightheadedness. Her mother shot her a warning glance, telling her to go back into the other room, but she did not pay it any mind. She sat down at the table, and paced her head in her hands. He was driving her crazy. His very presence made her heart race and her mind fuzzy. As she started to come to her senses, he walked into the kitchen, flashing her a warm smile. He seemed so sure of himself. He knew what he wanted, and she was it.
         
         “Mrs. Night, if you would excuse me.” Harmony said suddenly, his voice very smooth, “My father has just called me home, but he asked me to invite Ravyn for dinner. Would you care for me to escort her to my home for dinner and to meet my father?”

         There was a hint of delight in her mother’s eyes, and Ravyn knew her mother would not refuse. Her mother seemed to love the idea of her daughter finally going out with someone she thought of as suitable. Never in a million years would her mother have allowed something like this to happen with another boy she had not interrogated thoroughly, but here was a boy that she had hated yesterday but now was completely in love with and allowing her precious daughter to go home with him. Had the world ended while she was not looking?

         Ravyn’s mother had rushed her upstairs to change into something more suitable for the evening. They had argued for twenty minutes on her wearing a dress before her mother finally agreed on black dress pants and a white collared shirt that made her look like she was much younger and much more structured. Ravyn silently cursed her mother, but did not want to argue any further on the matter. Ravyn could see the laughter in Harmony’s eyes as she walked down the stairs. She knew he was silently laughing at her appearance, but he was not rude enough to actually do it out loud in front of her mother. He took her arm and guided her out of her home, waving at her mother as he left. She jerked away as soon as they were out of view of her mother and silently cursed at him.

         “I think you look adorable.” Harmony said, trying to lighten the mood, “Although I like your punk look much better. It shows off your curves.”

         Ravyn shot him a glare that could kill, but he only chuckled. She silently wondered why he had asked her to dinner. Was it just an attempt to make her even more uncomfortable? She shuddered at that thought. He put his arm around her shoulder, maybe to shield her from the chill rising in the air. She smiled a little. He was acting like he cared about her. It was an interesting surprise.

         The walk was short, of course, and they walked up the front steps to his home. She had never really been past this point before. The Brooks’ were very private, and had never allowed her nor her mother past the front doors. She gulped nervously, though she was not sure why. The home seemed as normal as any home, but they thought of it being his home just sent a chill of anticipation up her spine. He unlocked the front door, and guided her through.

         She was pleasantly surprised to see the home had a gothic/renaissance type feel. She found it to be refreshing compared to her boring, straight out of the fifties style home. He gave her a quick tour of the house, hesitated a few minutes in front of his bedroom door but then deciding not to show her. That confused her, but then again, everything he did was confusing her now.

         Harmony led her back into the sitting room, as he called it, and motioned for her to sit across from his. She sat down, unsure of what they were doing but deciding against asking. He stared at her a few moments, before offering her a drink. She declined, not wanting to be rude, but her stomach was already turning flips and she was sure the drink would not help any.

         “Where’s your dad?” Ravyn asked, finally.

         “Not here. He had to work late tonight, but he will cover for me if your mom asks. Do not worry. Besides, would you really want to sit down to dinner with me and my father and listen to him talk about politics? I have a much better idea.”

         Ravyn looked at him curiously. A better idea? He had purposely made her mother swoon with joy just to bring her over to his home. She frowned, not approving at all of his methods. He seemed more and more manipulative every time she thought about it. She crossed her arms and leaned back, trying to get a little more comfortable. The only though she could think seemed to eat away at her. Was he trying to manipulate her?

         “No, but all the same I think I should go home. My mother…” Ravyn started, cut off by Harmony.

         “Do not worry about your mother. She is probably still in a daze.” Harmony said, standing and walking toward her, “Besides. I have a surprise for you.”

         Harmony leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips. Slowly, she slipped in and out of consciousness, his kiss being as light as moth’s wings.