Love Me Senseless, Chapter 2

Love Me Senseless 1

Chapter 2: Crystal 2

Down in the boring part of school at the nurse’s office, Dani was examined thoroughly and the nurse didn’t find anything worth keeping her in the office for. Explaining why her blood pressure was so high, why she was sweating and obvious exhaustion away was REALLY hard, but she managed to escape having only missed five minutes of her Algebra class. When she stumbled, breathless, into the open doorway three halls down, Mr. Taft looked over from the board and gave her his famous crooked smile.3

“Ah, there you are Miss Parker. Miss Hamlin had told me of a possible absence on your part.” 4

The class snickered, and Dani flashed a glare over at the front right corner where Arai was sitting. The other girl just shrugged. 5

“But I am glad you could make it,” Mr. Taft continued. “Please take your seat. You’re just in time for the lesson itself, actually.” 6

Great, Dani thought. She ignored her teacher’s creepy smile and slid quietly into her seat at the back of the room. Some of the girls in front of her looked at each other and giggled. This happened a lot. Attempting to ignore them, she pulled her textbook from underneath her seat and tried to concentrate on the lesson. 7

Algebra class was no one’s favorite. In the teenage normality it never is, and of course, all the students became restless from the very instant the math lesson began. Although she tried to pay attention, Dani was no exception. Whenever she got fully settled into something at school, her mind always tended to wander. And on this day, it had something in particular it wanted to wander to. So the Pythagorean Theorem long forgotten, Dani just sat there daydreaming. She drew flowers and stars on her math notebook and tried to remember the words to the only poem she’d ever read that she liked, She Walks in Beauty by Lord Byron. Right now, it reminded her of a certain someone. 8

Suddenly, something happened that made Dani think she had walked into a reality shift. Her Algebra teacher switched off his projector IN THE MIDDLE OF A LESSON and stood beside it, glancing out. The whole class just stared. Mr. Taft had been teaching at Sunny Hill High for over forty years. He was known by everyone, as were his very strict methods of the world of triangles and words. Even if you didn’t like the guy (and nobody did), you wouldn’t break his rules because there was an air about him, perfect white hair, weird crooked teeth and all, that showed just how much he could hurt you. Dani had heard about some kid who had pissed him off a few years back. Mr. Taft had asked to see the kid after class, and those who saw it said that the kid had left the classroom limping. This teacher ALWAYS went through his math lessons from start to finish without interruptions. Suddenly breaking his own rules was something to be worried about. 9

However, what happened next was even stranger. Mr. Taft looked around at his class and flashed his crooked smile…before looking at his watch. Dani’s eyes narrowed and she titled her head to the side. What was going on? 10

Then Mr. Taft spoke up.11

“Class, I apologize, but I have a short announcement before we continue. Something unexpected, yet quite exciting, happened while you were on lunch break today. I got a call from the principal. This class shall be the first to accept our fine school’s newest student!”12

The news shocked everyone. Immediately all the students huddled into various whispering groups. It took Dani a moment to process what was really being said, and then she sucked in a shaky breath, her heart aching with hope. 13

A soft knock came at the door, and Mr. Taft clapped his hands to get back everyone’s attention. Then he walked over to the classroom door, and opened it. The new student gracefully stepped inside, and the giant clock of the universe stopped cold.14

Dani’s eyes flew open wide, turning from their ordinary calm shadow of gray to a light, clear misty gray. Her heart started palpitating with a mixture of shock and joy. She could hardly believe it. It’s her, she thought, barley containing herself. It’s really her! Dani looked away briefly and met Arai’s eyes across the room. 15

Sunny Hill High’s newest addition to the student body was a girl that reminded everyone of their younger days. She looked younger than she was obviously, but not so much that it caused problems. She was about 5’4 with fiery red, curly hair, and soft eyes the color of caramel and gold. Somehow, the light pink tank top and white jeans she wore didn’t fit with her, Dani couldn’t help but think. The new girl smiled shyly upon entering the room, and with everyone’s eyes on her, her cheeks painted themselves a light magenta pink. Mr. Taft beckoned her to the front of the room. She hesitantly obeyed, looking down at her hands, which were tying together nervously.16

“Class, this is Miss Crystal Change. She just moved here from Las Vegas. Please make her feel welcome here,” said Mr. Taft. 17

Dani ran the name over in her head at least a thousand times. Crystal Change. How unique and beautiful it sounded. Crystal wasn’t a terribly rare first name, Dani had met some girls named that before, but she had never stumbled upon anyone with the last name Change. Now THAT was cool. She looked up at the new girl again…and unexpectedly, Dani met her eyes. Miss Crystal Change was looking at HER.18

Dani didn’t know what to think, or how to react. Her breath caught, and time seemed to stop. What to do, what to do! her mind was screaming at her. Dani could feel a hot blush spreading over her cheeks, and knew she must look like a complete moron. She took a chance though, and glanced carefully up at Crystal Change one more time. What waited for her there was not a glare or a look of disgust as Dani had expected. Instead, when this gorgeous young woman actually locked eyes with Dani, her youthful face broke into a warm smile. It was hypnotizing. Dani felt her face overheat, and quickly tore her eyes away.19

“Uh, excuse me Mr. Taft!” Out of nowhere, a student’s voice suddenly spoke up. Everyone glanced over at the other corner of the classroom where a goody two shoes boy named Jordan Meaks was sitting with his hand raised. Most of the students rolled their eyes, and Dani suppressed the urge to growl at him. She looked over at Arai, who mimed shooting herself. Jordan was not popular among the student body, despite all his efforts. He was one of those 4.0 students who never missed a step. His grades may have been perfect, but his social life never would be. 20

Mr. Taft was the only person in the room, besides Crystal, who didn’t want to puke at the sound of Jordan’s voice. “Yes, Mr. Meaks?”21

“Isn’t it a little late in the year for the school to be accepting new students?”22

It was clear that Jordan had struck a nerve with Crystal. All of a sudden she looked sad, her hands tying themselves in knots again. Dani saw the light weaken in the new girl’s eyes, and clenched her fists. She wanted to rip Jordan to pieces right now. But asshole or not, the kid did have a point. It was March, almost April. Spring had just barely begun.23

“Thank you for pointing that out Mr. Meaks, you are correct. And I suspect that you would like an explanation?” Jordan nodded, and no one else said it, but the rest of the class wanted one too. It was an interesting point that Jordan had brought up. 24

But Mr. Taft surprised everyone again. The teacher who always claimed that details were the best conversational tool, in any case, simply smiled at Jordan and said, “I am sorry, but this shall go unexplained. Obviously, the school made an exception in Miss Change’s case.” He turned to smile creepily at Crystal, who fearfully smiled back. “But enough time has been taken out of our lesson today, don’t you all agree? Miss Change, why don’t you take the last seat in the back next to Miss Parker? There’s a textbook already under the seat. If you need help with anything, just ask Miss Parker. Okay?” Crystal nodded, and the next thing Dani knew, the seat that was always empty to the left of her was now occupied by the most beautiful girl in the world. 25

As if nothing had ever happened, Mr. Taft continued the Algebra lesson and the class settled back into the flow of things. Crystal sat quietly like everyone else, only unlike everyone else her mind was completely absorbed in Algebra. Every now and then someone would throw a look her way, usually a curious one. She must have had lots of practice with looks like that, because as Dani observed, her soft caramel eyes would look up and lock with every single one. She even caught Arai looking at her, and eventually, Crystal turned to meet Dani’s gaze once again. That’s good, Dani thought to herself when she felt her blush returning. She’s not a stuck up know it all like Meaks. 26

“Hello Miss Parker,” Crystal whispered to her in a chilling, sweet voice that reminded Dani of fresh spring rain. She tried to ignore the sharp shivers that skittered up her spine. Although she was blushing something fierce, Dani wanted more than anything in the world to get to know this girl. Just please don’t let me screw up too bad! she silently prayed. 27

“Uh…um, hello Miss Change,” Dani whispered back in a voice that she hoped was stable. She even forced herself to meet Crystal’s eyes full on. “That’s a very cool name. Change.” Oh yeah Dani, that was great! Stupidest thing to say ever! She mentally smacked herself.28

But Crystal didn’t seem to mind the stupidity of it all. She just gave Dani that warm smile again, and said, “Thank you.” Dani returned her smile. 29

“I know that Crystal is nowhere near as cool as Change,” Crystal continued, “but I’ll let you call me by my first name if I can call you by yours.” Dani’s heart fluttered at the words. Just an hour ago she had seen this girl in front of the school and thought it had all been a dream. But now here she was, sitting beside her in Algebra class, and Dani was allowed to call her by her first name. 30

“Sure,” she whispered softly, so softly she wondered if Crystal had even heard. “My first name is Dani.” Please say it. Say it and like it…PLEASE. 31

Crystal looked at her for a second, then gave her a small, shy grin. Dani lowered her eyes in embarrassment, and was surprised when Crystal suddenly put out her hand. A handshake? An excuse to touch her fingers…as if in slow motion, Dani reached forward and took Crystal’s hand gently in her own. Her skin was as soft and as smooth as rose petals. 32

“It’s very nice to meet you, Dani Parker.” With the almost silent words, Crystal slipped her hand out of Dani’s grasp, leaving a small piece of paper behind. That was when the bell rang for the end of Algebra class. The new girl gathered her things and calmly walked away.