Mesmerized (2 page)

“I can’t ever have a boyfriend?”

“Just for a while.” Her mom nodded her head towards the box. "The necklace will help you. It will help keep you calm and reduce anger. It's also a dream stone, so it will help you sleep.” Her mother had paused and looked over at Lily’s father for support. “You do have the ability to visit others in your dreams, however the stone should dampen it. Don't worry you cannot kill anyone in your dreams, I promise. No idea how that rumor got started." She shrugged.

Lily shook her head. Her mind was racing. "I don't understand any of this. How does it work? I'm not any more attractive than half the girls in my school. Why would men not be able to resist me?"

"I'm sure you've learned of pheromones in school? It's sort of like that but a thousand times stronger. Succubi excrete a hormone that instantly attracts males. Our body fluids are poisonous to humans."

Lily looked at her father, a very handsome man. He had brown hair that had mostly turned grey and bright blue eyes that crinkled when he smiled. 

"Are you human?"

"Yes, I'm human." He laughed.

"Well, why doesn't mom drain the life out of you?" She paused. "If this is all true."

"Why do you think I take so many business trips? Distance helps. We love each other, so we make it work. There are also some herbal remedies that I take before we..." His face flushed and he looked at Lily’s mom for help.

"Gross! I get it, Dad." 

A voice startled Lily out of her memory. She glanced at her roommate. 

Hannah was staring at her. “Earth to Lily. Is everything okay?”

“Sorry. I’m fine. I was just thinking about my parents. I still can’t believe they sent me away. They didn’t even fly out here with me.” Lily took off her shoes, so she didn’t have to look at Hannah. 

“I know that feeling. My parents don’t visit much either. They claim they’re too busy, and yet they always find time for my brothers and sisters.”

“That sucks.” Lily didn’t know what else to say. She moved her pillows around trying to busy herself. She wasn't used to this much personal interaction it made her uncomfortable. “What do you do for fun around here?”

“I read a lot and play on my laptop.”

“Oh.” Lily wasn’t a big reader.

“There’s an ice skating rink close by.”

Now that might be interesting
, Lily thought. She didn’t know how to ice skate, but she’d like to learn.

“Dinner starts in a few minutes,” Hannah said. “Do you want me to show you the way?”

Lily hesitated. She really didn’t want to face the other kids yet, but her stomach rumbled and she knew she would have to. “Sure.”

Hannah stood up and slipped on her slippers and a long purple sweater that tied at the waist. They left the room, the door automatically locking behind them. As Hannah led Lily down to the dining hall, they passed a lot of other students, who stopped what they were doing and stared. 

When they walked into the dining hall, a hush came over the crowd. Everyone seemed to stop talking and gawk at them. One dark haired boy looked up and saw them as he emerged from the line. He wasn’t watching where he was going and he tripped over his own feet, sending his food flying.

“Wow!” Hannah muttered.

Lily rolled her eyes. Looked like this place wasn’t going to be any different than the others.

Chapter Two

Lily woke up to the sound of Hannah's obnoxious alarm clock. Stretching she asked, "What time is it?"

"Six.”

She groaned. “Why?”

“I like to get up early." Hannah flung open the curtain and the sunlight pierced Lily’s eyes. 

"Ugh!" Lily rolled back over and covered her eyes with her arm. "Classes don’t start until eight-thirty. Wake me up at eight."

"What about breakfast? You need to eat and then maybe we can walk around campus. I'm trying to lose weight. It would be nice to have the company. Please!"

"Fine." Lily threw the blankets off her and couldn't help but smile. If getting up early was what she had to do to have a friend, it was well worth it. She’d just need to get used to it.

"Let me jump in the shower. I'll be ready in fifteen minutes."

Hannah's mouth dropped. "You can get that gorgeous in only fifteen minutes? Genetics were good to you!"

Ha! If she only knew
, Lily thought. 

Lily showered and threw her hair in a bun. She let it down after it dried and didn't bother with make-up. Taking a look at the tacky uniform—a blue and gold plaid skirt with a white blouse that had a rounded collar—she cringed. She felt like she was in grade school as she pulled on her knee-high socks. 

"Don't forget the vest." Hannah threw a navy blue sweater vest to her when she walked out of the bathroom.

"Ah, how could I forget the vest?" Lily smiled and they both laughed. It felt good to laugh. 

Breakfast went the same way dinner had the night before. After they finished eating, Lily and Hannah walked outside. A strong wind blew the brisk air right up Lily’s skirt. She nervously pushed it back down glancing around to see if anyone had noticed. She shivered and once again wished she were back home in the south where it was warm. 

As they rounded a corner, they came face to face with a bunch of girls. Lily knew that she and Hannah were in trouble when the blonde one stepped forward with narrowed eyes. 

She was pretty in a high maintenance way. She had on so much make up that her face looked painted on. 

“You should leave,” the girl said as she cocked her head to the side and looked Lily up and down.

“We’d be glad to if you move out of our way,” Lily responded.

Hannah’s eyes widened. 

“That’s not what I meant. You should leave the school. We don’t want you here. You don't belong here.” The girls to her left and right nodded in agreement.

Lily looked at her indifferently. She was used to this kind of treatment. It got old and she was bored with it. Rolling her eyes, Lily said, “I’ll leave when I’m good and ready. Now, if you’ll excuse us...” She pushed past the group of girls. 

Lily peeked over at Hannah whose mouth was still hanging open. 

“I can’t believe you just did that,” Hannah said.

“Why? They’re nothing.”

“That was Samantha. She'll ruin you. She's the most popular girl here. She runs this school.” Hannah nervously tugged at her shirtsleeve. 

“I’m not worried.”

Hannah fell silent as they continued on their walk. Lily hoped her behavior hadn’t scared her new friend away.

“It’s time to get to class,” Hannah said a few minutes later. “We have first period together.” 

Hannah led the way. When they reached the academic building, a boy came out of nowhere and opened the door for them. 

“Let me get that for you,” he said with a smile.

“Thanks.”

“Can I get you anything? Drink? Snack? Show you to your class?” the red-haired boy asked eagerly. He gave Lily an infectious smile. Sometimes it was hard to follow her mother’s advice. 

“No, thank you,” Lily responded politely.

He frowned, looking like a lost puppy, and walked away. It only took ten seconds for the next boy to approach them.

“Hi. I’m Wyatt. Do you need help finding your class?”

“Wyatt, you’re not in our class,” Hannah said, looking at him strangely. “Besides I’m taking her.” 

Wyatt looked at Hannah like he hadn’t even realized she was there. “Oh.” He started to walk away, then stopped and turned back around. “Are you sure there isn’t anything I can do for you?”

Lily shook her head. 

Wyatt shoved his hands in his pockets and walked away.

“You weren’t kidding about boys being a problem for you,” Hannah remarked.

Lily shrugged, not knowing what to say. Boys were always a problem for her, in fact, people in general were. Girls couldn't stand her and boys loved her. It was what being a succubus was all about. She was quite surprised—and grateful—that Hannah was still willing to be around her. 

Hannah walked into a classroom and Lily followed. All the talking stopped and the students looked up, staring at her. 

The teacher was sitting at his desk. He stood up as soon as he noticed the new girl. After staring for a few seconds longer than what was appropriate, he said, “Miss Anderson, I presume. Welcome to English. You can pick any seat you like.”

“Thank you.” Lily blushed at the teacher’s obvious attraction to her and took a seat in the back of the room. Older guys gave her the creeps, and he was old enough to be her father. 

Glancing at the chalkboard, she saw his name was Mr. Thompson. She felt his eyes still on her still, so she sat down quickly. Eventually, Mr. Thompson snapped out of it and began the lesson. She made it through the morning without too much trouble. Most of the girls ignored her, and as usual, the boys were tried to get her attention and failed miserably. 

***

Jake had heard all the fuss and wanted no part of it. 

A new girl, more beautiful than anybody they had ever seen. Blah, blah, blah. He intended to stay far away and succeeded until after lunch when she walked out of the academic building and right into him. 

 His heart skidded to a stop. He couldn’t believe it. She took his breath away—literally. This was the girl from his dreams. How could he dream about her having never seen her before? It wasn’t just someone that resembled her—it was her. Each wave of hair, the exact color of her eyes, and even the necklace she wore. Everything was the same from his dream. The only thing that was missing was the white dress she always wore.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention," Lily murmured. Her heart skipped a beat when she looked into his clear sky-blue eyes. He was the most attractive boy she had ever laid eyes on. She moved to the side to pass him and he moved at the same time blocking her way. His hand touched her arm and a strange tingling feeling ran through her body. She had flashes of pushing him against the wall and running her hands through his hair.
What the hell was wrong with her?
She had never reacted this way to a boy before. 

He jerked his hand back as if he had touched fire but couldn’t take his eyes off her. 

Lily gave a nervous laugh. She subconsciously touched her necklace: it made her relax. Feeling more in control, she said, "Excuse me." She brushed past him and willed herself not to turn to get another glimpse of his beautiful face. 

Jake turned and watched her walk away. Her hair swung seductively back and forth as she walked. He had literally been dreaming about that girl for weeks. Every time he closed his eyes at night she was there. In his dreams, she always wore a long, white flowing dress. She looked innocent and sexy at the same time. She never talked to him; she just tried to lure him away. Walking backwards, she would shoot him a sexy smile. When he would advance, she would turn away running and her laughter echoed in his mind. It drove him crazy he was never able to catch up with her. He always woke up feeling empty. 

Get a grip, he told himself. There had to be an explanation. She was just a girl. He had been around long enough to know girls were nothing but trouble. He wasn't about to get his heart crushed again. 

Jake went to his room. He couldn't get her face out of his mind. Maybe it was time for him to move. He had been hanging around this town long enough. It wouldn't be long before he would have to run anyway. The more he thought about it, he knew he couldn't leave, at least not yet. He wanted to find out more about the girl, and why she was haunting his dreams. Maybe it had something to do with the curse that had been placed on his father hundreds of years ago? 

Chapter Three

Lily leaned up against the tree trying to compose herself. What was it about that boy with the shaggy dark brown hair that had her so flushed? She had to stop herself from reaching out and brushing the hair out of his gorgeous blue eyes.
No! I had to stay away from him.
Her mother had warned her that she would only bring him harm. Lily was so confused.
Why did my heart speed up at the thought of him? 

“There you are!” Hannah exclaimed as she approached the tree Lily had been hiding behind. “You okay? Did something happen?”

Lily looked down embarrassed. She certainly couldn’t tell Hannah how she felt. “No, just needed a breather. New schools are always overwhelming at first.”

Hannah studied Lily for a minute. Her cheeks were red and her hands were shaking. Maybe it was just from the cold, or a case of nerves. Hannah really didn’t think it was that cold, but Lily had said she was from the south. “Where are you from again?”

“Texas,” Lily answered. 

“That’s a big move.”

“Yeah. My parents thought they’d try sending me to a boarding school.” If the last twenty-four hours was a clue, this school wasn’t going to be any better than the other ones. She didn’t know what her parents were thinking.

Together, they walked back to the academic building. Algebra was next. She was lucky that math had always come easy to her. She was glad to see it was a female teacher. Lily smiled and said, “I’m Lily Anderson.”

Mrs. Penney was a dark haired woman in a pressed skirt suit. She returned Lily’s smile with a bright one of her own. "Welcome to Emerson Academy. Here's the syllabus.”

Lily reached over to grab the sheet of paper.

Mrs. Penney sniffed the air. "What kind of perfume are you wearing? It's wonderful."

Lily shifted uncomfortably. "I'm not wearing perfume."

"Really? Must be your soap. Please be seated." The teacher pointed to a desk in the back of the room. 

“Thanks.” Lily turned and began walking to the back of the room. She noticed that the mean girl from earlier, Samantha, was in this class.

As Lily passed her, Samantha stuck her foot out into the aisle. Luckily, Lily saw it and stepped over it. 

Lily leaned down to the girl’s ear. “Nice try.” She then continued to her new desk. She was glad to see that she had the seat next to Hannah.

Samantha looked like she was fuming as she tapped her foot on the seat in front of her. Lily smirked. When you had to deal with this stuff all of your life, you knew what they might throw at you.