This ride isn't as bad as I thought it would be, as Eve is riding through the snowy mountains of Holland Peak, Condon (Montana) hanging tightly to her cousin, Lara who's driving a snowmobile. I mean, it's not good but that probably has more to do with the fact that I've been travelling all day to get here Eve is in the middle of trying to figure out how to wake up her butt too when all of a sudden the snowmobile veers off the trail when Eve finally sees lights up in front of her, she asks Lara "Is that never moor academy" excitedly Lara says "yeah! We should be there in a few minutes". As Eve and Lara finally clear the thicket of trees Eve finds it difficult to focus on anything else but the huge ancient building that is looming over them, "umm, am I dreaming?" "If so, now would be a good time to wake up" or a not so good time thought eve as they pull up to the academy a better time to wake up would have to be in Ohio before I even got on that first aeroplane, I wish I was walking on the beach in Ohio right now instead of doing my best not to freeze.
Lara pulls up to the front of never moor academy with a spray of snow and climbs off, Eve follows numbly. "Told you it wouldn't be that bad." Eve nods at Lara and gives her a small smile it's just easier to pretend like my stomach isn't in knots than to have a conversation about this, pretending like my whole world hasn't just been turned upside down for the second time this month. "Let's bring your suitcase up to your room and get you unpacked, it'll help you relax." Lara turns and says to Eve while making quick work of unloading the suitcases while Eve grabs two of them. Eve only makes it a few short steps up the very long walkway to the castle's daunting front doors before she starts struggling to breathe, "it's the altitude" Lara says while looking concerned "Since you're coming from sea level it will take a few days for you to adjust to how thin the air is here." The idea of not being able to breathe sets off the beginning of a panic attack for Eve closing her eyes she takes a deep breath and tries to fight it, just like how Dr.James taught her.
Dr James' has been giving me tips on how to deal with my anxiety since the accident but I'm not sure her tips are up to combatting this any more than I am. "Eve, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Eve takes one more deep breath and opens her eyes again shooting Lara a smile "Fake it till you make it, right?" No one needs to know how upset I am "Whining never solved anything" especially when Lara is doing her best to make everything okay, as Eve watches Lara carry her suitcases up to the front door, a flash of colour way above her head catches her eye. A flare of red in a lit window of the tallest tower, Eve stops where she is but she can't it clearly, she gets a strong impression of a strong jaw and a red leather jacket against a background of white light. Lara shouts "Ready to try again?" And just like that Eve is pulled from her meditation to look at Lara to see her with all 3 of eves suitcases at the top of the stairs "Oh, yeah. Of course" Eve starts up again ignoring the way her head is spinning by the last 30 or so steps, one more thing I never had to worry about in Ohio - altitude sickness.252Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvrdqFxMjOq
Lara pushes open one of the doors and Eve walks inside "Holy crap!" eves mouth drops open at the sheer sight of never moor academies entrance hall I don't know where to look first... maybe the tapestries however Lara is moving too fast, she's definitely on a mission "is that a tapestry with a dragon!? It looks so old, I bet it's been here nearly as long as the castle itself, Lara this place is unbelievable I'm beginning to wonder if I'm in shock or maybe suffering from mass hallucinations" because this place can't be real, it just can't be. The building looks like it belongs in a fairy tale and if there's one thing Eve knows is there's no such thing as happily ever after, Lara looks at Eve with a smirk and a raised eyebrow before saying "Want to see some more?" eve nods and follows lara past the stone walls and detailed tapestries into some kind of common room. The deeper Eve and Lara move into the school, the more students Eve comes across and as she gets closer she realises they're all looking at her as Lara leads her through the centre of the room. eves stomach clenches I want to duck my head and make myself invisible, "is there another way to get where we're going? One that's less crowded?" "Don't worry about them, they just want to check out the new girl" What happens if the new girl doesn't want to be checked out?252Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX8I2PS82ew
Lara leads Eve out into a stairway and points to a bay with a plank across it for chairs and a small chess board carved into it "Why don't you hang out here and I'll go and get Dad? I know he wanted to see you as soon as you arrive eve " She nods and sits down by the chessboard on the plank. To keep herself from drifting off Eve looks at the intricately carved chess board, her eyes widen as she realises what she's looking at is this a vampire and dragon board! I love it! Its so whimsical and unique Eve picks up a small dragon it has sleepy eyes and folded wings with lots of details looking at this makes me want my very own dragon, I've never played chess but this might change my mind. "id Be careful with that if I were you, it has a nasty bite." eve jumps just from the seat while slamming the piece back on the board then whips around (a tall dark-haired boy with tanned skin and a scar running down his eyebrow) his all-knowing eyes are lasered onto eve as she tried... and fails to duck her head forcing it out the way of this boys gaze.252Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1YblEfPHLj
He grins one corner of his mouth turning upwards into a little evil smile, Eve doesn't smile back but instead says "Who's got a nasty bite?" This mysterious boy reaches past Eve and grabs the piece she slammed down "Umm that's a chess piece" Eve looks shocked and confused, "your point?" Continues the mystery boy "My point is it's just a chess piece, because if so maybe you should see a doctor" his eyes narrow dangerously and it sends a shiver through the eve. Eve turns mad I don't want this guy knowing he's getting to me, he inclines his head " 'There are more things in heaven and hell, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.' " However the correction is out of eve mouth before she can even think about it "Earth" This boy crooks his eyebrow again In question so eve continues "The quote is, there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio than are dreamt of in your philosophy' " "is it now? I think I like my version better" the boy just stares at her "ummm even though it's wrong" eve looks at him as he responds "especially because it's wrong" I have no idea what I'm supposed to say to that or him "I need to go" "yeah, you do. The doors that way" the unexpected response throws eve off guard "so what, I shouldn't let the door hit me on my way out?" The boy just shrugs "As long as you leave this school, it doesn't matter to me if it hits you or not, I warned your uncle you wouldn't be safe here but he doesn't like you that much." Anger flashes through Eve at his words, burning away the last of the numbness that has plagued Eve what the hell? Who the hell does he think he is, speaking to me like that I'm going to stand up for myself and tell him off. "Who exactly are you supposed to be anyway? Nevermoor's very own unwelcome wagon?" "Unwelcome wagon, believe me, this is the nicest greeting you're going to get here" Eve raises her eyebrow and spreads her arms out to the side. "This is it huh? The big welcome to Montana?" "More like, welcome to hell, now get the fuck out" The last thing this mystery boy said is more in a snarl that yanks at eve heart and into her throat. 252Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKozN2kFPqz
It also slams eves temper straight into the stratosphere. "Fuck you, dude, you don't get to tell me what to do" Shock flits across the boy's face taking away his annoying smirk then he fires back "I've got to say if that's the best you've got I've to give you about an hour" eve Now angry replies "before what" "before something bites you"... he doesn't say it but eve can hear the implied obviously which only pisses her off even more "seriously? That's what you decided to go with, bite me dude" he looks even up and down "you wouldn't even make a full meal" then he steps closer, leaning down until he's all but whispering in eves ear "maybe a quick snack, though" his teeth close with a loud, sharp snap that makes you jump and shiver all at the same time. Eve glances, curious if anyone else is witnessing the mess but where everyone only had eyes on Eve earlier they seem to be going out of their way not to glance in her direction now I think I know everything I need to know about this guy. Determined to regain control Eve takes a big step back "You know what? You don't have to be such a" "Don't tell me what I have to be. Not when you don't have a clue what you've wandered into here
"You don't scare me, I can handle anything Montana sends my way" The mystery boy steps forward, closing the small distant Eve managed to put between them.
There goes my heart again beating like a caged bird, desperate to escape I hate it I hate that he's bested me, and I hate that being this close to him makes me feel things I shouldn't. Eve takes one trembling step back, then another and another but this boy follows suit moving one step forward for every step Eve takes back until she is caught between him and the plank he then leans closer until all Eve can feel is his warm breath on her cheek and the brush of his silky hair against her skin, "what are you doing" he doesn't answer at first but when he pulls away, he's holding one of the dragon pieces in his hand "you're the one who wanted to see the monsters "umm I'm not afraid of a 3inch dragon" "yeah, well you should be" "yeah well I'm not" this unknown man is standing too close, one deep breath from him and they will be chest to chest the thought sets off a whole new spiral of butterflies deep inside of eve she leans back over the plank a little "so if you aren't afraid of thing ps that go bump in the night, what are you afraid of?" Images of the mangled car flash through eve mind followed by the battered bodies "There's not much to be afraid of when you've already lost everything" mystery man freezes at eve words, his whole body tensing so much that it feels like he could shatter even his eyes changed, the wilderness disappears between one blink and the next until only stillness remains.
There's an agony so deep I can nearly see it behind the layers of defences he's projecting but I can see it, more I can feel it calling to my pain. Eve stays like that long enough for the rage to drain right out from her long enough to get her rampaging heart under control until he reaches out and takes hold of a lock of Eve's hair and just like that she forgets how to breathe again five minutes ago, this guy was being a total dickhead to me and now? Now I don't know anything except that I need a chance to breathe everything is happening so fast, I can bearly wrap my brain around it can I just get off the ride for a second, please? Eve places her hands on the mystery boy's shoulders to push him away and get her some space but it's like pushing against a solid wall, he doesn't budge until Eve whispers "Please". He waits for a second longer before he takes a step back and Eve's hair slips through his fingers "Okay" As he does he wipes his forehead with his hand showing a jagged scar that runs from the centre of his left eyebrow to the left corner of his mouth, that scar should make him less attractive, instead combined with his anguish it makes him look like a fallen angel. One with a bad boy vibe for miles and a million stories to back up that vibe a scar like this only comes from an unimaginable experience, I hate that he suffered like that, I wouldn't wish it on anyone.
He notices looking at his scar and his eyebrows narrow, his shoulders stiffen and his hands cleaned into fists. He ducks his head to hide it from Eve I hate that he thinks he has to hide something that he should wear as a badge of honour I should comfort him, that scar is nothing to be ashamed of Eve Reaches out before making a conscious decision to do so and cup his scarred check in her hand. "It takes a lot of strength to get through something like this and you should be proud of that strength not ashamed of the mark it left" his eyes blaze and Eve braces for him to shove her away but instead he just stands there and lets her stroke her thumb across his scar, "I'm sorry, this must have hurt horribly" he doesn't answer, just closes his eyes and sinks into her palm, taking one long cold shuddery breath before pulling away and stepping back putting real distance between himself and eve. "I don't understand you Eve" his voice is so quiet that Eve has to strain to hear him "There are more things in heaven and hell, Horatio than are dreamt of in your philosophy" he shakes his head as if trying to clear it and takes a deep breath. "If you won't leave" "I can't leave. I have nowhere else to go" "Fine if you're not going to leave then you need to listen to me very very carefully, keep your head down, don't look too closely at anyone or anything" he leans forward, his voice dropping to a low rumble as he finishes "and always, always watch your back." Is that...a warning.
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