Beauty and the Beasts

Impending Distractions

Jasmine opened the door to her home, the darkness meeting her eyes. She gave a small sigh as she walked to the single couch, then lay on it, a small smile taking over her lips. Saturday was just a day away, and then she would be able to work. Not just that, she would be legal. She tried to think of only the positive things that could happen on this particular birthday

It gave her crazy ideas, most that ran along Zane Atlantis. She gave a small sigh and leaned back on the couch, pushing Andrew and the entire assault thing out of her mind. It wouldn't help to think of it now.

She even contemplated skipping school the next day, which would be friday, because she didn't think she could deal with it all.

Suddenly, her phone rang, and she stood up. It was in her bag, and she stretched to it, then removed the phone.

Andrew.

She swallowed, then slowly kept it back, her eyes closing. She didn't want to think of Andrew. But then the phone kept ringing, and ringing so hard, she finally decided to pick it up.

"Hello?"

There was silence on the other end, before a heavily teary voice came on. She could hardly recognize it to be Andrew's.

"Jasmine. Jasmine, please. I swear, I didn't do it. I don't know what came over me, I am so sorry. Please, please forgive me. Please."

He sounded both drunk and hysterical, and she sat up, her hand coming to her forehead.

"Where are you now? Andrew, talk to me. Where are you?"

He gave a small sigh. "I don't know. It is...somewhere. Green...park..."

She stood up and grabbed her jacket, then ran out of the house.

Andrew was lying on. a bench in one of the deserted packs in the area. His hands were clasped between his knees, his hair disheveled. His face had a few bruises here and there, and Jasmine gasped as she saw him.

"Did you get into a fight?" She asked, trying to control the pitch of her voice as she leaned next to him.

"Jasmine...Jasmine, please. Please. I swear, I..."

She sighed and propped him up to a sitting position. "Show me where your home is."

"Jasmine..."

"Just show me."

"No!" He yelled, staggering to his feet. "Do you know how much I want you to accept my apology? I was wrong, I shouldn't have been so violent. I won't say it was for you. All I want is for you to forgive me. What do I need to do, Jasmine? Tell me."

He clasped his hands together in front of him and he almost fell over with the attempt.

"You are drink mow, Andrew."

He sniffed. "Even if I was sober, I would beg you. On my knees, on the floor, just for you to look at me again."

She swallowed as he slowly leaned in to her, his head resting on her shoulders. She wrapped her hands around his back, a small breath escaping her.

She had probably been wrong to avoid him when he jad done that for her. She swallowed, then turned slightly. He was now dead weight on her, and she sighed, then managed to keep him back on the bench.

She ran across and hailed a cab, then got the driver to help her with him.

The man hoisted him over one shoulder, then walked back to the car where he kept him in the back seat.

She got in next to him, and he lay on her lap, his hair sprawled around her. She patted his shoulders comfortingly till they got to her home, and she pulled him out with great effort, then paid the cab.

With great effort, she pulled him to her house, opening the door slowly. She sighed as she dropped him on the bed, his hand sprawled on each edge. He reeked of alcohol, and she sighed, then started to remove his boots and leather jacket.

With a groan, he turned to the other side, then let out a small huff in sleep. Jasmine sighed and turned away, resigning herself to the couch for the night.

Zane's eyes squinted hard as he tried to watch the window. He could smell it, but he wasn't sure if it was an attack. There was no signs of struggle or anything, just the smell. He knew that much.

Suddenly, he saw Jasmine move to the couch close to the window. She turned to his window and he immediately backed away, now willing to be seen by her.

She almost felt like he was there, watching her. She found it weird how she could feel when he was around, how his scent appealed to her. When she had hugged him out of fear, his body had been a place she didn't want to leave.

She shook her head, then lay down on the couch, and before long, she was fast asleep.

Jasmine wrapped a towel around herself, a tooth brush between her lips, another towel wrapped around her head.

Slow music blasted out of the phone, and she moved slowly to it, her feet swaying around the living room. She'd woken up feeling unusually light, a sharp contrast to her normal gloom. So light infact, that she had forgotten Andrew wad in the house.

She danced slowly, waking from the fridge, then the length of the living room, her body swaying with het.

Andrew stood by the door frame of the bedroom, his eyes squinted. She danced like she didn't quite care, and even when the towel wrapped around her hair fell, she hadn't stopped to pick it up.

He swallowed as her fiery red hair tumbled out down to her waist. She never cut it, and he took in a sharp breath.

It looked a lot like blood, and normally, he would want to just rip her neck and take his fill.

But this one time, he was content to just watch her dance. At least for now. He had plans for her later. A lot of plans.

Suddenly, her feet caught in the fallen towel, and she started to reel backwards, her lips parting, but no words coming out of it.

Andrew forgot a little about his front, about how he was supposed to be human, and in a second he was above her, his hand firmly clutching her waist, the other hand holding her towel in place.

He eyes widened as she looked into him, her heart beating rapidly. She swallowed, as his grip on her waist only tightened.

His expression was unreadable, and his eyes drifted across her face to her lips.

Suddenly, she broke into a beautiful smile, exposing a small one sided dimple at the top of her cheek. It gave her a peculiar look, and Andrew felt his breath cease.

"I guess I was right bringing you home last night," she said laughing. "I can't imagine cracking my head open and spending my birthday eve in a hospital."

She chuckled again, but he was a bit lost. Lost in the way she smiled, and in the feel of her body against his. For a moment, they both stayed there, her eyes carrying a bit of humor, his a bit of confusion. He looked like someone who was about to tread unfamiliar territories, and it froze him in place.

She started to reach for his shoulder to try and tap him awake when the door suddenly opened with a loud bang. They both turned to it, and Zane was standingthere, his fingers clenched into fists, his eyes thin with restrained anger.

"What the hell is happening here?"