05

“Fine !” Hope conceded and grudgingly let Joey pull her along to class. One more day she thought, make it through this day and tomorrow, well tomorrow hopefully all of her dreams would come true. Now that was something that she could really look forward to.

September 15, 2011

Hope was sitting at her desk staring intently at the clock while Mr. Knight continued his lecture on Greek Mythology yet again. She could hear his voice as he spoke but she really wasn’t listening to a word he was saying. Instead, Hope was counting down the seconds to the end of class which also meant the end of the school week and more than that was the fact ther her awesome birthday party was less than twenty four hours away.

At the sound of the last bell Hope was so excited that she literally jumped out her chair and almost instantly took an embarrassing face plant because she hadn’t looked down to see her bag sitting in the way.

Just as Hope braced herself for the hard impact she felt a firm set of arms wrap around her waist at the last minute saving her. Exhilarating warmth spread across her skin from every point of skin to skin contact causing the mark on the back of her neck to slightly tingle instead of burn as it had been doing all day long.

The added warmth to her skin combined with the new tingling sensation at the back of her neck caught her slightly off guard. Hope would have stumbled again if it hadn’t been for the strength of the hands that were now gripping her shoulders tightly. Hope struggled to right herself and gave a nervous laugh as she turned around to face her savior.

“Liam ?” she whispered, not quite believing that it was actually him that stopped her fall. Of all the people in the classroom, he was the probably the last one that she would have expected to help her out. And by the dark brooding look in his eyes, it looked as thoroughly regretted it.

“I’m sorry” she said when he suddenly released her shoulders. He acted as if she had burned him and that made her feel even more uncomfortable. Hope bumbled around only wanting to get out of the stuffy class room when she finally bent down to pick her bag up off the floor. Standing up she told him “thank you” and for a moment it was really awkward between the two of them while he just stared back at her with those piercing dark eyes of his.

Liam narrowed his eyes on the pretty girl that everyone loved. She was the beloved schools’ sweetheart, the cheerleading captain and probably soon to be the homecoming queen. But she was also something else. He felt the undeniable surge of warmth that came only when two lyrics touched. His mark prickled as their bodies made contact also affirming that she was in fact a lyric.

The question Liam really wanted to know was if little Miss Disney Princess was aware that she was a lyric ? He highly doubted it because if she had known then she definitely wouldn’t be the outgoing pixie that she was. If Hope Masters knew the repercussions of anyone finding out that she bore the lyric mark and would soon encompass powers stronger than any human being could imagine, then she definitely would have kept more of a low profile.

Her powers must be getting ready to awaken soon Liam mused as he looked her over from head to toe. It had been all over the school for the last month about her eighteenth birthday bash tomorrow. You were either buried in a deep dark hole or just plain out ignorant to not know about what everyone at Eastern Guilford High School considered to be the ultimate party of the year.

Miss Disney Princess was in for one hell of a rude awakening, Liam thought to himself as he continued to stare back at Hope. When his powers awoke just a little over two months ago he thought that he was going to die, literally. The burning, the headaches and then the temporary loss of vision, all side effects of the lyrics powers awakening. But the things that he was able to do after that night of pure hell was simply out of this world.

Liam shook his head at Hope, “Don’t thank me, just learn how to walk will ya” he stated irritably. Not waiting for a response he turned his back on her and walked away. Good luck kid and good riddance was his last thought about Hope Masters as he fled the classroom.

Liam was the quiet boy who lived three houses down from her, Hope mused as she watched him leave. He never talked to anyone and she had never really seen Liam with any friends. He was a loner. So why in the crap did the mark on the back of her neck stop burning and an incredible warmth flood her body from the inside out when he touched her ? Was he part of the answer to this ever growing mystery on the back of her neck ?

She sure hoped not because after their little interlude he didn’t seem like someone that she wanted to be around. He seemed stuck up, rude and just a plain out ass. So, why did he stop to help her in the first place ? Why not just let her fall ?

“Hope”

Hope turned around to see Bethany standing at the door looking at her expectantly.

“Are we going or what ?” she asked blowing a perfectly shaped bubble with the gum she had been chewing. Before Hope had a chance to answer her the bubble popped and splattered all over her face, nose to chin.

Hope erupted with laughter quickly forgetting all the questions that revolved around Liam. She had better things to do than to worry about some boy who was evidently socially disadvantaged.

“Yea girly, let’s hit it” she told her fleeing the classroom. She was so ready to pick up her dress for the party tomorrow and then go to Victoria Secrets to get a little something special for the after party. Her excitement was growing as the clock to her time for entering a state of womanhood started to wind down.

As Hope slid into the drivers seat and her friend hopped into the passenger seat of her little white Honda she glanced back at the school. Come Monday morning when she walked back through those doors Hope planned on being a different person, she planned on being a virgin no more.

Hope started the car and turned to Bethany, “You ready for this ?” she asked excitedly.

“Oh hells yea” Bethany answered back after clicking her seat belt. She turned on the stereo and started flipping through the stations. Bethany stopped on one and clapped her hands together, “this is my jam“ she said as the music started.

Hope was already pulling out of the school parking lot and heading down the street. “Bethany, every song is your jam“ she replied sarcastically.

Bethany rolled her eyes at her friend but laughed aloud. “You know it“ she stated and started to bob her head along with the music. Seconds later she was singing along with Pink and was about as in tune as an old goat, “Lets get this party started on a Saturday night, everybody‘s waiting for me to arrive…..”.

Hope continued to listen to the music and Bethany’s poor rendition of the song as she drove. The mark still burned at that slow simmer but she was starting to get used to it. It was still a little uncomfortable, enough for her to notice, but she was determined to not let anything get in her way and ruin the events that she had planned for tomorrow. Nothing whatsoever.

Just as the song ended they pulled in front of the dress shop and parked. Hope and Bethany got out of the car and strode into the store.