Oddily started to shift her weight from one leg to the other, just as Maxim had done, and it was easier than she thought. She frequently glanced over at him and became giddy with joy when he discreetly motioned for her to hold up her head instead of staring at her feet. When the compassionate stranger continued to give her his full attention, she knew in that moment that she was falling in love.
“This is fun,” she shouted at Paul over the loud music. He still stared down at her, but it appeared that something bothered him.
“Is everything all right?” She asked.
Paul nervously glanced around the room. “Yes—no—I’m not sure.”
“What is it?” she eyed him with genuine concern.
“Stop acting so nice to me!” His outburst was riddled with guilt.
“I’m sorry,” Oddily cringed with discomfort.
“No, I’m the one who should be sorry,” he shook his head miserably, moving closer. “Oddily, there’s something you should be aware of about tonight. Kip is planning…”
“You guys seem cozy!” Kip interrupted, smiling devilishly while he wedged himself between them and started to bop with the music. “Let’s hope your boyfriend isn’t watching.”
Maxim had been watching with increased agitation towards Kip. He wanted to continue his watchfulness over Oddily, but someone in a fussy blue dress came dancing up to him. The attractive girl had deep blue eyes and golden hair, all fluffy and curly, and the rhinestones on her bodice sparkled in the light reminding him of a jeweled crown. She smiled at him even though he didn’t smile back. Instead, he wondered why she acted so outright flirty with him.
“I haven’t seen you around here before,” she lied as she flipped her long mane of hair to the side in an enticing way. The movement kept his attention on her and yet he remained unresponsive.
“You’re a quiet one. I like that,” she took a few steps closer. “In case you don’t already know, I’m Starla.”
The pretty girl standing before him finally got the response she desired.
“So you’re Starla.” He spoke with his hauntingly beautiful voice.
“You do know of me,” she smirked, flashing her pretty white teeth at him.
“Your name has come up a few times.”
“I hope it’s all good,” she cooed, trying to sound both innocent and charming, but it didn’t work. He already recognized her cunning ways through her pretty facade, so he returned to his silent stance.
His brooding attitude intrigued her while she continued to probe him for information. “You must be Oddily’s date.”
Maxim gave no answer because, obviously, she knew he was.
Starla closed the small gap between them. “How did you two meet?”
“Our paths crossed.” Maxim gazed over Starla’s head at Oddily, who was onto a new dance with Kip.
Starla’s eyes followed his to Oddily and Kip. “Where did she get that dress? Someone has good taste and I doubt that it’s her.”
“You’ll have to ask Oddily.”
“You’re not very talkative, are you?” she said watching his chiseled jaw line clench and unclench with tension.
Maxim, you’re jealous, His sister’s voice came out of nowhere.
Get out of my head, Nexa. This isn’t the right time.
As you wish, she laughed at him.
Was he jealous?
Yes, Maxim’s sister butted in and answered for him.
Nexa, I’m warning you!
Okay!
Maxim gazed into Starla’s pretty face while she stared up at him with sharp eyes, waiting for his reply. “Talkative?” he flashed back to her question. “No, I’ve never been good at chit-chat—Excuse me.”
“Damn,” Starla cursed after Oddily’s date moved away into the crowd. She couldn’t believe he walked away from her. No guy did that to her—ever! She should have set the plan into action while she had the chance. How could such a thing happen? She was an expert at catching and holding the attention of any boy she desired, no matter who he was.
“You’re not going to ruin my night,” she muttered under her breath. Starla smiled to herself as she scrutinized her future conquest dodge his way through the throng of dancers, but her smile faded when he cut into Kip and Oddily’s dance. Oddily’s remarkably handsome date lifted her high-heeled feet up onto his shoes and moved her around the dance floor. The action reminded her of something adults sometimes did with small children.
Kip joined Starla and dropped his arm on her shoulder, but she shrugged him off. “Don’t. Touch. Me,” she said each word with systematic clarity.
“What got up your butt?” He stepped away, giving her space. “What the hell happened? You had Oddily’s weirdo date where we wanted him, and the timing was perfect. Why didn’t you give me the signal?”
“Stop questioning me,” Starla grumbled.
“Don’t get your panties all in a bunch,” he glowered back at her. “Let’s try again, and this time, don’t mess up.”
“Then I suggest you get to work!”
“You still want to go through with this, right?!” Kip became suspicious, “Or are you chickening out?”
Starla scowled at him.
“You are, aren’t you?!” he teased. “What’s the matter? Is my babe losing her touch?”
“Shut up and stop asking me annoying questions,” she barked. “Just go and plant yourself where you need to be and wait for my damn signal.”
“Everything’s cool on my end,” he laughed. “Oddily’s dress is perfect.”
“Then quit wasting time…Go!”
“First, give me a kiss,” he closed in on her again.
Starla rolled her eyes and clenched her teeth, “Not now!”
Kip made his way back onto the dance floor and stepped in on Maxim and Oddily’s intimate dance. Oddily feared the intrusion of her tormenter, but didn’t know how to handle the situation.
Kip snatched her away from the safety of Maxim’s arms; but before he could pull her to another part of the dance floor, Maxim clamped his hand down on Kip’s shoulder and warned, “Not so fast.”
Kip shrugged Maxim’s hand from his shoulder and turned to glare at him. “Back off!”
“Do you want to dance with him?” Maxim ignored Kip’s warning while his sole focus remained on what Oddily wanted.
Oddily’s young heart pounded so loudly she hoped that Maxim would be able to detect how frightened she was. Or maybe she would muster up enough courage to say, no, no─ a thousand times no!
“Yes,” was her weak reply and regretted it as soon as she saw the uncertainty in Maxim’s guarded eyes. He clearly didn’t understand why she agreed to dance with Kip. If only she could explain to him that if there were to be a chance that Kip had changed his mind about her and would stop bullying her, she didn’t want to be snobbish and put him off.
Maxim stepped back in a moment of bewilderment, and then turned his attention back to Kip. “I’m watching you.” He glared at the cocky grin of triumph on Kip’s face.
“I’m scared!” Kip mocked his warning.
Maxim’s light blue eyes grew dark and menacing, “If you’re not scared…you should be!”
Maxim walked away. He didn’t want to; but Oddily made the choice, and he refused to create a scene and spoil the night for her.
“Oh please,” Oddily prayed after Maxim left the dance floor. “Let this dance be quick, so I can get back to him and try to explain.”
Maxim caught sight of Oddily and for a moment, their eyes met and locked. He could tell her inquisitive green eyes were full of either worry or fear—he wasn’t sure which. What was going on in her head? Obviously, Kip had some sinister control over her, but why did she do his bidding when she had Maxim’s protection? The whole thing remained incomprehensible to his senses.
After planting himself at the side of the dance floor, Maxim continued to survey Oddily from afar. She wasn’t a part of his world, but she didn’t seem to be a part of their world either. In f
act, she always seemed to be in trouble with her peers except for tonight. This delicate creature had told him she was part of the foster care system, currently residing with Starla and her parents. In his opinion, her living arrangement was unfortunate because he knew from observation that this Starla girl hated her. Other than the obvious, who was Oddily? He remained in the dark while he became more and more curious about the unanswered questions.
“Alone again,” Starla cooed sliding her arm through his. It appears as though your date would rather be with anyone but you tonight.
Maxim scowled at her comment as a cruel smile spread across her lips while glancing over at Oddily with Kip on the dance floor. Maxim became increasingly agitated at the beautiful girl’s phony airs and needed to set her straight. “Starla, I’m sorry. Nothing is going to happen between you and me tonight—or ever.”
I thought Oddily had red hair.
Maxim’s body became rigid. His keen mind momentarily blocked Starla’s reaction while he searched the room. It wasn’t hard to figure out his sister’s location because half the guys in the gymnasium had their head’s turned in the same direction. Maxim gave Nexa a look, and if looks could kill, his sister would have died on the spot.
Stop staring at me like that, Nexa scolded him. I told you I was going out.
Go home, sis! I won’t allow you to mess things up for Oddily.
Give me a break. Her pale blue eyes fluttered in surprise at her brother’s words. I wanted to see for myself what all the fuss is about. If anyone’s going to ruin her night dear brother, you are by being in the company of that blonde.
Maxim glanced at Starla and had to admit he was surprised she hadn’t left, and she didn’t appear too happy over his rejection. She had her arms crossed over her pretty dress with her lower lip pushed out in a sexy pout.
“Don’t you have a date?” Maxim asked Starla at the same moment Nexa chimed in, Where’s Oddily?
Sis, you’re interrupting our conversation!
No, I’m not. Nexa smiled at her brother. Miss Blondie just slid into the crowd.
Finally, he sighed. Oddily’s out on the dance floor.
Where?
Take a guess.
Ooh, a game, she smiled.
Nexa opened her mind to all the caddy gossip and chatter and made a face. She found the mental noise hard to sustain, but the challenge was on with her brother. She scanned the dance floor and searched through the minds of various gyrating bodies with no luck. It turned out to be harder than she thought as she poked and prodded through the maze of juvenile thoughts, and was just about to give up when a strong sense of caution flooded her senses.
Something is wrong, Maxim!
Maxim quickly edged his way to Nexa without regard as to who watched. His only concern was his sister’s comment still ringing in his ears. He took no notice of Starla, who remained hidden among her classmates watching his every move. Nor did he notice her irritation when he walked over to the exquisitely beautiful blonde. Since Starla didn’t know the beauty was his sister, Starla gave her new rival a fierce look.
Nexa missed nothing and commented, what a bitch!
Who are you talking about?
I’m not playing a game now, Maxim. Where is she?
Maxim didn’t like the sound of urgency in his sister’s tone and quickly pointed Oddily out on the dance floor.
Surprised, Nexa said, she looks different from our first meeting.
Maxim mumbled something about Oddily’s hair.
Nexa wasn’t satisfied with his guarded response, and she glanced at Oddily with renewed curiosity. She became intrigued when the redhead stared unabashedly back at her with those green eyes shifting from her to her brother.
She thinks I’m angelic. Nexa volunteered with a smile.
What else is she thinking? He prodded.
Mmmm!
What is it?
How strange for her to think you’re interested in me.
Maxim made a disgusting face. Do you hear anything else?
Suddenly, Nexa became anxious. Get Oddily away from that guy—hurry!
Maxim didn’t move fast enough. Raucous laughter along with wolf whistles had already started to fill the room, and the commotion on the dance floor was sheer chaos as Maxim fought his way through the crowd. His heart pounded in his chest while he called out Oddily’s name.
Oddily stood in the middle of a human circle of gawking students. Somewhere near the perimeters of her mind she faintly heard her name called and knew it to be Maxim. She knew it was him because no one pronounced it the same way as he did.
Maxim reached the edge of the circle, and there she stood, in a daze with a portion of her breast exposed. A loud, deep, guttural cry of fury ripped from his throat as he lunged forward, grabbing Oddily’s dress and pulling it back up over her.
Oddily was numb. She felt no emotion whatsoever. She experienced nothing. The world of feeling had just gone blank. She watched as the angelic stranger she had been staring at barge through the crowd and rush to her side, but she remained detached to what was happening around her.
What is going on? Why did the music stop? Why were chaperones for the dance upset with everybody? What was so funny and why did Maxim lose control? Oddily watched him leave her side to prowl the perimeter of the circle with clenched fists, shouting Kip’s name over and over again while searching the crowd.
Then it hit her! She remembered the shoulder strap of her dress snap and dangle forward—broken, and her bodice drooping down on one side. She glanced at the scrunched up paper towel littering the ground; the same one she used to stuff her top, and let out an agonizing scream.
There was no stopping her. Oddily bolted straight for the sea of students, and squeezed her way through the stunned bodies to escape her nightmare. The shocked crowd created a pathway for her until she was free to stumble to the front door.
Oddily’s hysterics continued and her vision blurred from all the tears. She could hear Maxim shouting her name while he pushed through the crowd, but she didn’t care. She heedlessly ran out into the night air, staggering down the sidewalk to the parking lot. She thoughtlessly dodged cars, trying to get to the woods across from the school, but she tripped and fell. While she tried to get up, a car started to back into her, but stopped when bright headlights from a motorcycle turned the corner speeding through the parking lot. It came right at her! Oddily froze as a deer caught in headlights, and screamed when she was grabbed by a strong body that twisted to take the brunt of the fall as they both tumbled onto the grass parkway. She gasped for air as she lay, face down, in the damp sod with someone moaning over her. “Please…be all right.”
Oddily overheard Maxim’s impassioned plea while he carefully turned her over until she came nose to nose with him. His distressed eyes penetrated her large, sad eyes conveying to him her sense of utter defeat.
“No—go away!” She shook her head violently, covering her face with her hands as fresh tears forced themselves free.
“Get away from us!” Maxim roared at the new group of students starting to form. One of the chaperones stepped in and ordered the students to disperse and go to their cars.
“The dance is over,” the man repeated again and again until he warded off the onlookers.
Maxim scanned Oddily’s body for injuries while Nexa came and knelt at her brother’s side. Her eyes became moist when she felt her brother’s pain.
I’m so sorry for giving you a bad time, Maxim. I think I understand now why you want to protect her.
All I wanted to do is make things right for her, sis.
I empathize with you, but please, let’s get out of here.
No, I need to find Kip.
Pepper, from the dance committee, overheard Maxim wanting to find Kip, so she dodged the chaperone to speak to him. “Listen guys,” she bent down to whisper for whoever had ears to hear. “Kip is headed for the ‘After Party’ at his brother’s house on Pinewood Lane.”
Maxim’s head jerked
up and stared at Pepper with eyes full of agony while taking in what she said.
“And you, sister,” she glanced down at Oddily’s sprawled out body. “I know the timing sucks, but I want us to sit together at lunch Monday…okay?!”
Oddily tried to roll over in an attempt to hide her face in the grass, but Maxim wouldn’t let her.
Pepper straightened up and stepped back. “Sorry guys, but we have some immature jerks at this school.”
Before turning his attention back to Oddily, Maxim waited until Pepper left.
“Oddily,’ Maxim stroked her head. “Did you hear that? Pepper was talking to you, and she wants...”
“Leave me alone,” she interrupted with a moan. “I don’t ever want to see you or anyone else again.”
Stunned, Maxim became overwhelmed with pain from her rejection. His handsome features twisted, and a dull ache started to pulse in his eyes as he whispered a throaty, “I’m so sorry.”
Oddily’s lying to you. Nexa squeezed his shoulder. She’s overwrought with humiliation, so you mustn’t take it to heart. Come on, it’s time to leave.
I won’t leave her! Maxim sounded both stubborn and passionate.
Settle down Romeo. That’s not what I’m suggesting.
Maxim stood up with Oddily in his arms and headed for his car even though another chaperone tried to stop him, claiming an ambulance was on its way.
Oddily moved to be free, but he held on relentlessly. She shrieked and struggled beneath his hold, then drooped against him in submission, her body soft and pliant against his chest. Maxim began to tremble, and it wasn’t from the cold.
“What is the spell you have on me?” he whispered.
Maxim barely made it out of the parking lot when the sirens screeched in the distance. He wanted to make sure Nexa followed. He glanced into his rear view mirror, but she wasn’t behind him.
Where are you, sis?
I’m on my way. Do you know where you’re taking her?
I’m thinking of the Stafford Manor for tonight.
Maxim, that’s a heroically stupid thing to suggest.
I’m suggesting just one lousy tonight.
No! Have you gone entirely mad?! You can’t bring her into our world, and that’s final. What if she finds out something she shouldn’t? Are you going to continue to block her memory every time there’s an incident?