The Cheshire

(Alright. This is my first story. Tell me what you think)

Since I can remember, he has always been there. He would stalk me, chase me, hunt me...love me. His name is Luke, and as a child he was my friend. He was my protector and the best friend I ever. The friend who I didn't care whether or not anyone else liked. We did everything together throughout elementary school and as innocent kids we loved each others company and were nearly inseparable. But as I grew older, I noticed the glances other people shot at him. I couldn't understand why. He wasn't ugly, nor was abnormal in ant physical way. In fact, he was quite handsome and still is. There just seemed to be this weird air about him that I never noticed when I was a child and didn't notice until I hit twelve. That was when I stared noticing the weird looks from others and I started to get this weird creepy vibe from Luke. It was then that I stopped being his friend.

I had started hanging with a group of girls and when they started talking about how creepy he was, I felt embarrassed that I was friends with him. I remember the evening that I told him I didn't want to be his friend anymore so vividly:

"Look, Luke, we can't be friends anymore. You creep me out a bit and I...I just find it awkward to be around you," I had told him in a soft, innocent voice. It wasn't true. I was the most comfortable around him than at any other time in my life. His eyes dropped to the ground, and I saw his jaw clench for a moment. Then he looked back up and his eyes met mine. They were emotionless at first and for some reason I felt my breath catch on a sudden lump in my throat. I bit my limp to keep it from trembling and it was at the moment that I noticed a soft smile come to his lips. It was only for a half a second and it was so slight I almost missed it, but I could see the way his eyes lit up for that quick second. Shame, mixed with anger, flooded me and I burst out crying.

"Geez Luke, you're such a freak! I never want to talk to you ever again!" I shouted rather suddenly at him before I ran off because I thought he was mocking me and making fun of me with that smile. I realize now that it was simply because he knew that what I was saying wasn't true. It broke my heart to tell him off the way I did.

I cried myself to sleep that night, holding myself as I curled up into a tight ball in my bed. Through middle school and high school I kept my eye on him. He took on a goth look and he seemed to attract some strange kids without meaning to. Meanwhile, I was a cheerleader. I lead a preppy life and was one of the most popular girls in my school. Both of us graduated in the top ten of our class and wound up going to community college together. I don't know if he'd planned it or not, but I thought he was stalking me. I started to feel differently though when I rarely saw him around, and I almost forgot completely about him. I wound up pledging to the top sorority on campus, passing with flying colors, despite the hazing. Especially event one in particular that I thought I would have been kicked out for.

They had us stripped to our undies, which made me glad that I'd put on my peach silk panties and bra to reduce embarrassment of ungodly undies like granny panties. Then they blind folded us and bound our hands behind us before covering us in silk sheets. They marched us to somewhere and then the blind folds were removed. They gave us a moment to realize we were on a stage in front of the entire male population of the campus before they ripped away the sheet to reveal our bodies. Though I'm in shape, and in no way ashamed of my body, the moment the sheet was pulled away, my eyes met with Luke's and I suddenly wanted to hide. He was no longer a little goth boy. He was no longer dressed in black and such, but he was what was considered normal by the rest of the school. My body suddenly felt like it was on fire but I was trembling heavily as though I was freezing. Whether I was actually cold, or it was something else, I don't think I even know at the time. His eyes were glued to mine and I couldn't figure out what he was feeling, but I knew how I was feeling as I looked back into his devilishly handsome face. I felt lust, desire, and a terrible ache to be in his arms. My body cried out for him and then there was darkness. When I came to, I was surrounded by the sorority sisters except for one girl named Sara.

"What happened?" I grumbled groggily and rubbed my head.

"You passed out. Dropped like a sack of potatoes right there on the stage," one of the girls named Texas replied. I sighed and looked at the ceiling. Why had I reacted like that?

Life went back to normal, or at least as normal as it could be. I saw Luke occasionally, in a class, around campus, or while eating at the cafeteria. I ignored how my body reacted to him and acted as though he wasn't there. The closest we ever got to each other was in the classroom. He would sit in the back right corner, while I sat in the front left corner of the rows of seats. Part of me expected that he would try to get closer but he never did and I felt strangely disappointed that he didn't. A few months after the incident, I started going out with this guy named Andrew. He wasn't in a fraternity, but he knew everyone on campus, and everyone knew him. He was liked by all the fraternities and sororities and he'd grown a fancy for me. He was pretty cute, but for some strange reason I never found overly attractive and I in no way wanted to see him naked. I often used the excuse that I wasn't ready when the topic of sex came up. I was ready, just not for him; however I did find him to be very sweet and I quite enjoyed his company, until I found out he was close friends with Luke.

I discovered this at one of the parties he threw. I was chugging a cup of beer, sitting on Andrew's lap, with guys chanting, "Chug, chug, chug," all around me. I took the whole thing and amidst the cheers when I had finished, my eyes landed on Luke. I felt frozen in time until Andrew suddenly pulled me back against his chest and kissed me deep and long. I suddenly felt disgusted and sick and I elbowed Andrew in the ribs. He grunted and pulled away.

"What the hell cubby?" he asked. I'm not quite sure how I earned that nickname, but he loved to call me that, and soon others picked it up.

"Sorry,"I mumbled. Then I leaned into him."What is he doing here?"I asked him as I nodded towards Luke.

"Hmm? Oh. You know him?"he asked me. I hesitated and shook my head no. I felt a little bad about lying but something in me didn't want to own up to the horrible way I'd treated Luke. Much to my dismay, he waved to Luke to come over and he did. He looked directly at me and raised an eyebrow before he looked at Andrew.

"What's going on Drew, how's the party?"he asked. His voice was deep and luxurious. I hadn't heard him speak since we were kids and I nearly melted at the sound of it.

"It's great Lu. I want you to meet some one though,"he stated and he nudged for me to get up. Reluctantly I did so, my eyes glued to the ground and my cheeks a deep red color."This is Alice, my cubby. Alice, this is Luke. We met at one of the Greek functions,"I looked up as he said that.

"Oh. Are you in a frat?" I asked innocently. Luke narrowed his eyes at me before shaking his head.

"No, but I'm surprised you asked. I should think you'd know all the frat brothers,"he replied in and almost nasty tone and with that it was over.

I tried to forget to awkward encounter by drowning it in alcohol. Later, Andrew took my drunken self to his room and left me there in the dark, fighting to get my shirt off so I could get comfy for bed. I was losing the battle. Some one entered the room and I assumed that it was Andrew coming back and so I continued my struggle. Two warm hands settled my writhing body and then helped the shirt up over my head. The brightness from when the door had opened and then shut left me blind and no matter how hard I searched, I could not make heads or tails of his face.

I accepted his helping hands to get me out of my skirt and heels. For some reason I kept getting this feeling that it wasn't Andrew, but I didn't feel threatened or scared, just tired, and then cold as well.

"Thank you Drew,"I mumbled and I felt two warm, strong arms pull me close and wrap around me. I moaned softly at the feeling and happily whispered, "Andrew," I was pressed against the warm body for almost a minute before I was swept off my feet, cradled in those strong arms, and carried over to the bed. He laid me down and I was so close to sleep that I hardly cared that the guy had climbed over top of me and had carefully laid his body over mine, being careful not to crush me. I simply moaned and snuggled into him. I felt sleep tugging at my last conscious thoughts and I looked one last time at the man above me. I thought I was dreaming when I saw Luke's handsome face gazing down at me and I closed my eyes, Luke's name slipping past my lips. The last thing I remember was feeling the man above me shudder and then I was out.

When I woke, Andrew was on the complete other side of the bed and he had all the covers. It was one of the two things I hated about him. That and PDA. He loved it. I groaned at my hangover and looked at the time on the night stand but the view was obstructed by a mug with a note in front of it. I sat up and quickly grabbed the note. Something fell to the floor as I did but I read the note first. Elegant handwriting was on the page:

Alice,

I'm sorry about last night. What I said was cruel. When I came to apologize you looked liked you were going to strangle yourself with your shirt. I tried my best to control myself, but I just had to hold you. Please accept my gift and my apology. You don't have to where it, but I want you to have it.

Your Freak

I blushed at the last few memories of the night. So it hadn't been Andrew and it had in fact been Luke. I glanced at the ground and picked up a locket, attached to a simple ribbon of a material that felt softer than the finest silks. I hum of pleasure slid through me as I stroked the material and I considered it a moment. Glancing toward Andrew I bit my lip. It was simple in shape, only a round locket, and on the front was a crest of some sort, engraved into the silver. I couldn't make it out completely because it seemed a bit worn and old. I shrugged. If anything, I could just tell Andrew it was a family heirloom. As I slipped the latch into place I smiled when I found it fit like a choker; however when I noticed something at the window the smile disappeared, but whatever had been there disappeared before I could get a good look at it. I simply shrugged and got dressed before heading back to the sorority house.