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Corey Ryder

"How happy you are is up to you."

0 · 1,176 views · located in Louisiana

a character in “The Wicked Beautiful”, as played by desire99600

Description



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"If you want something, get it. If you don't like something, change it. If you love something, protect it."



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āThe Basicsāž


Image| Full Name |
"Nothing out of the ordinary." Corey Ryder

| Nickname |
"Not a lot of things you can shorten Corey to." Most people call him Ryder, few actually know him as Corey.

| Age |
"Old enough to do what I want." Twenty-four years-old

| Gender |
"You have eyes." Male

| Role |
"I only came back for my sister." Human | Falls for December



āThe Disguiseāž


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| Eye color |
"Women like them so, whatever." Ryder has some pretty amazing eyes. They're a nice hazel color, and seem to grab your attention as soon as you see him. Women are always obsessed with his eyes, and he's continually getting compliments for them.

| Hair Color |
"I got my mother's hair." Ryder's hair is a dark blond that some might even say is brown. However, in the summer, when the sun is always out, it takes on a lighter tone, as the sun's rays bleach sandy highlights in it that make it unmistakably blond. He usually keeps it short because it's just less hassle.

| Skin Tone |
"I like being outside." Corey has darkly tanned skin. He's always loved to be outside, even when he was young, and the only things that take him indoors are weather or nighttime. As such, his skin is resistant enough to the sun that it gets very dark without burning. During the winter months though, he is actually naturally pale.

| Height & Weight |
"You know you want me babe." Corey is not insanely huge, but he does keep himself in good shape, so he's got large arms and perfect abs. Heweighs 190 lbs and stands at a hieght of 6' 1"

| Distinct Markings |
Scars
Being as Ryder has been working with machines and tolls since he was a kid, he has had more than one unfortunate accident, leaving him with various scars. When he was a teenager, he was shot once, so his most traumatic scar is on the front of his right shoulder. It just missed his heart. He also has a scar that runs from the webbing between his thumb and pointer finger across his palm on one side and across the back of his hand on the other. He got this using a saw, and nearly cut his thumb off. He has a couple of burn scars on his left arm from a welding accident, but other than this, his scars are small and not too noticeable.
Piercings
Ryder had his ears pierced as a teen, because he thought it was cool, so he still has the piercings, but he has long-since stopped wearing them.
Tattoos
Often, Ryder thanks that, as a teen, he didn't get any drunk tattoos. He's open to them, but he has none.



āGetting to know meāž


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| Likes |
"I like to travel."
ā™„ Dogs | Bloodhound, Duke | Bulldog puppy Tubs
ā™„ His family
ā™„ Working
ā™„ The shop
ā™„ Cars
ā™„ Drinking
ā™„ Sex
ā™„ Women
ā™„ Fighting, though he tries not to
ā™„ Learning new things
ā™„ Classic Rock
ā™„ Cars
ā™„ Anything mechanical
ā™„ Travelling
ā™„ Smoking/cigarettes

| Dislikes |
"Don't throw yourself at me, baby, it won't work."
āœ˜ Easy girls
āœ˜ Being told what to do
āœ˜ Being in one place too long
āœ˜ Liars
āœ˜ Annoying people
āœ˜ Clingy girls
āœ˜ Having too much expected of him
āœ˜ Being sober (though he stays that way)
āœ˜ His temper
āœ˜ When people get in his way
āœ˜ People with an attitude
āœ˜ Kids, especially teens
āœ˜ Sarcastic assholes, though he is one
āœ˜ Being ignored
āœ˜ Pessimists

| Fears |
ā˜  Failure ā†’ All his life, Corey has been especially talented at everything he did. He's just always excelled. Should he fail, it upsets him, and brings out his temper, whether or not this means literally failing to do something, or failing a family member.
ā˜  His old ways ā†’ Ryder is not proud of the person he was when he was younger, and this person is part of the reason he left home when he was eighteen. He had to protect his family from who he was, and get away to make himself a better man. However, he feels he's not totally free of the old him, and often slips back into his old ways.
ā˜  Losing his family ā†’ Ryder loves his family dearly, and, if it weren't for his sister, he wouldn't even be home, so he fears that something will happen to them, for he's extremely protective of them.



āDelve a little deeperāž


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| Personality |
"All you need to know about me is that I strongly believe everything can be turned around. No matter how bad." Corey is a strong optimist, or at least tries to be. He doesn't believe in dwelling on the bad. His philosophy for life is to enjoy it. It's that simple. If there's something you don't like about yourself, change it. You can be who you want to be, and your life is only as bad as you think it is.

Ryder believes that, simply by changing your outlook on life, you can change yourself. If you're constantly hating life, and live in fear, you won't ever be happy. He believes that everyone should try to find happiness, and, to do so, you just have to do what you want. Don't care what others think.

Which can get him into trouble sometimes, because, if there's something he wants, he gets it, and if there's something he doesn't, he throws it away.

He does his best to be a good guy. To help out with the community and treat people fairly. To be the person he wants to be, an honest, hardworking man who protects his family above all else. He's trying to make up for the things he's done in the past by being a better man, but it's an ongoing struggle when you're so easily lead astray.

To understand Ryder, you must first realize that he hasn't always been an optimist, and he hasn't always been a good guy. He had a horrible life when he was younger, and it affected him badly. He went through his younger years hating everything and everyone around him, hurting people who were only trying to help because he was afraid they'd give up on him.

However, he changed himself, which is why Ryder believes there is good in everyone. That everyone can be good, but only if they really want it.

This is not always the case for him though, because he can slip. He still falls into his old habits from time to time, and this is his biggest fear. That he'll go back to the person he was. He works every day of his life to avoid ever being that person again and keep his family safe.

Ryder is not unfriendly. He can be sarcastic and blunt at times, telling you flat out if he doesn't like you or your attitude, and this often leads others to believe he's an asshole, but this is not the case. In fact, he's very social, and one of his loves is people.

He's very curious. If there's something that interests him, he'll research it, and learn everything he can about it, and then he'll try to master it. He likes to learn new skills, and can do everything from build an engine, to fold delicate origami. He's a master of all trades, practicing something that interests him until he perfects it, for no other reason than curiosity.

This also applies to people. He's very curious of people, and loves to figure them out and get to know them and, if he can, administer help, because he loves helping people. He finds that helping others is the best way to make up for all the shit and pain he's caused in his life.

Ever since he was young, Ryder has been extremely smart, and, as such, has a keen knowledge of how things work, as well as an eye for detail. He can read people like an open book, registering a small twitch of the fingers as nervousness, and his mother often used to joke that he would have made a very successful cop.

To know Ryder, you must realize that he comes from dark places, but this only means he has experience when he's saying that living negatively is no way to live. He's not simply preaching. He's been there.



āWelcome to my lifeāž


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| History |
"I may bee young, but I've done a lot and seen a lot." Ryder's life was never easy. In small towns like theirs, everyone knows everyone, and there are certain people who fit stereotypes for the whole town. His father was the town drunk while his mother was the town whore.

Only he thought his mother was the best person in the world because, she may have slept around a lot, but she loved her children dearly and provided for them as best she could with what she had. She slept around because of lack of love, and to provide for her family.

His father was a bitter drunk who beat every member of the family often. He treated his mother like shit, and beat the children to punish her.

He was the second child of three in the family. He had an older brother and a younger sister. They were the poorest in town and the children were treated as charity cases wherever they went because they didn't always have food, or because of their drunk of a father and slut of a mother. They were looked down on.

As a child, it was clear right away that Ryder was brilliant. More than brilliant. He had the makings of a protege. He could teach himself anything in a manner of days, and loved to tinker with things, and understand them. He liked learning how things worked, and loved his schoolwork because he was eager to learn. Building and tinkering were his favorite past times and, by the time he was ten, he'd taken apart, and put back together his first car. He was exceptional, and it became clear early on that he excelled at everything he did.

Only his home life got to him and he started skipping school and hanging with the wrong people. He became perpetually angry at the world for dealing him the hand he'd gotten, and was almost never home. His mother reported him a runaway six times in one year at one point, until the cops no longer took her seriously.

He was into drugs and drinking, and never listened to authority. He was a bitter asshole and hit people and things often to let out his frustration. He took pleasure in hurting people in the worst possible ways, and it was clear that he was more than just a rebellious teen. He was downright out of control. The people he hung with were the bottom of the barrel, shadiest figures in New Orleans.

He was, in all, a horrible person with a terrible temper.

His grades plummeted, and teachers were disappointed in him because, the work he bothered to do was perfect, and tests he actually showed up for were all finished within minutes, and were completely right. He would have breezed through school effortlessly, probably skipped a few grades, had he bothered to show up.

His father died when he was sixteen, leaving the family broken and unable to repair the damage he'd left in his wake. His older brother was twenty at the time and took up ownership of their father's mechanic shop, and the fact that he was using the money to actually help the family instead of buy booze helped quite a bit for the next year.

Then, when he was eighteen, just after graduating, he stumbled home drunk and his mother slapped him for it. He hit her back, causing her to trip and hit her head on a shelf, cracking her skull and killing her.

And that was the end of it.

He couldn't go on living the way he was, because he was a danger to the only people he'd ever loved. Now, the only minor in the family was his younger sister, and his older brother took custody of her, seeing as he was considered "unfit" to care for a child.

Fearing the law, Ryder ran away. He left the country, and never looked back, and never intended to. He went to college, studying for a degree in engineering, but he couldn't commit himself to one place long enough to finish college, so he eventually gave up.

He changed himself during these years, refusing to ever be the person who'd killed his mother again. He quit drugs completely, save for cigarettes, and he tried to quit drinking, but it proved too hard, so he limited himself to a couple of drinks every now and then. Not enough to get drunk. He became a better person, and, as a result, a happier person.

When he was 20, he fell in love, and he thought he was going to marry this girl. She was everything he wanted.

Only she died of cancer before he could propose.

When he was 23, he got a horrible phone call from home. He hadn't heard anything from his hometown in five years, as he refused to make any sort of contact and what he learned floored him completely. His brother had died and his sister was dying of cancer and was only 13. With her legal guardian dead, they needed someone to take custody of her, so Ryder moved back home to care for his sister and take up ownership of his father's shop again.

His return was huge news for the town, as him and his family had caused quite a stirring and had always been the topic of local gossip, and they were curious to see if he'd followed in his father's footsteps. Only he hadn't. He earned respect in the small town, and is looked up to by many. He's very popular among the townspeople as the man who overcame his horrible life and is now, out of the goodness of his heart, taking care of his sick little sister and also taking young men who get in trouble with the law in, allowing them to do community service in his shop so that he can have some influence in their life, seeing a lot of himself in them.

Only, he can't help wishing to be anywhere but stuck back home. All he ever wanted was to get out of the swampy little Louisiana town that seemed to keep people stuck for their entire lives, and he did, and was immensely proud. Now he finds himself right back where he started and is afraid the memories of the place will send him back to what he was before.



āThemesongāž


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Believe

The Bravery

The faces all around me they don't smile they just crack
Waiting for our ship to come but our ships not coming back
We do our time like pennies in a jar
What are we saving for [x2]

There's a smell of stale fear that's reeking from our skins.
The drinking never stops because the drinks absolve our sins
We sit and grow our roots into the floor
But what are we waiting for? [x2]

[chorus:]
So give me something to believe
Cause I am living just to breathe
And I need something more
To keep on breathing for
So give me something to believe

Something's always coming you can hear it in the ground
It swells into the air
With the rising
Rising sound
And never comes but shakes the boards and rattles all the doors
What are we waiting for [x2]

[chorus]

I am hiding from some beast
But the beast was always here
Watching without eyes
Because the beast is just my fear
That I am just nothing
Now its just what I've become
What am I waiting for
Its already done

Oh

[chorus]

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____________________________________________

Last Night

Skillet

You come to me with scars on your wrist
You tell me this will be the last night feeling like this
I just came to say goodbye
I didn't want you to see me cry, I'm fine
But I know it's a lie.

[Chorus:]
This is the last night you'll spend alone
Look me in the eyes so I know you know
I'm everywhere you want me to be.
The last night you'll spend alone,
I'll wrap you in my arms and I won't let go,
I'm everything you need me to be.

Your parents say everything is your fault
But they don't know you like I know you they don't know you at all
I'm so sick of when they say
It's just a phase, you'll be o.k. you're fine
But I know it's a lie.

[Chorus]

The last night away from me

[Bridge:]
The night is so long when everything's wrong
If you give me your hand I will help you hold on
Tonight,
Tonight.

[Chorus]

I won't let you say goodbye,
I'll be your reason why.

The last night away from me,
Away from me.


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So begins...

Corey Ryder's Story

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Bellatrix Valentine Character Portrait: December Valentine Character Portrait: Mitchell Sullivan Character Portrait: Corey Ryder
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December and her sister had only been at their God-Fatherā€™s house a week and she already hated it. She didnā€™t think it was possible, but her nightmares had gotten worse, to the point that sheā€™d only slept a maximum of five hours since sheā€™d gotten to Louisiana.

Her scar on the palm of her hand started to burn more and more, which meant there were other Casters, she just hadnā€™t been able to pick out who they were yet. Not to mention her and her sister only had a total of eighty-five days until they chose a side or it was chosen for them.

It didnā€™t help that everyone else in town was already terrified of their god-father, who Emmie was sure was there actual father, she just hadnā€™t brought it up, because if she was wrong sheā€™d feel stupid, but if she was right, sheā€™d probably keep it from Bella.

Their god-father already had rooms ready for them, as if heā€™d been waiting for them for years. He had a room especially for each of them, one for all of Bellaā€™s photography and art and one with a piano just for Ember, like he knew them despite the fact heā€™d supposedly never meet them. Which gave her even more reason to believe he was their father and that their mother had been in contact with him all these years.

Her piano room overlooked, the swamps just outside and when she wanted it to be dark she could easily make it pitch black in the room. Sheā€™d barely left the room since sheā€™d gotten their only to eat at the table, like their god-father requested of them and to talk to Belle when she needed her.

Other than that sheā€™d been in the room, not bothering to sleep. Sheā€™d been playing the same song on the piano for the past three days. The same songs she was playing at the moment. Sheā€™d heard it in one of her nightmares and she hadnā€™t been able to stop playing it since.

She knew the song by heart, even though sheā€™d only heard it in her dream. She closed her eyes as her fingers drifted across the piano in a flawless, fluid motion. Her and Arthur were the only ones home, because it was Belleā€™s first day of school and sheā€™d already left.

December felt bad not telling her sister goodbye, but she couldnā€™t pull herself away from her piano, nor could she stop playing the damn song. It was like someone had hypnotized her. Despite their only being two people including herself home and the rule that no one came into her piano room and no one went into Bellaā€™s art studio, she felt someone sit down beside her on the bench.

She fought the urge to shiver, because she could feel the darkness that radiated off of whoever was sitting next to her. She didnā€™t stop playing though, she continued to play the sad, intoxicating melody, even as the person sitting next to her didnā€™t speak.

Finally she finished the song and she feared opening her eyes, because she was scared to see who was sitting next to her. She sighed opening her eyes, seeing a familiar Caster. She didnā€™t smile, she just looked at him as if to ask what he wanted.

ā€œYou never cease to amaze me Ember.ā€ She winced at the way he said her name.

ā€œPeirceā€¦what are you doing here?ā€ She asked as she stood up suddenly wanting to move away from him. She knew why he was their heā€™d been following her around for the past year, since before her mother had died.

ā€œOhā€¦Emmie I think you know why Iā€™m here.ā€ He with a wicked smirk. ā€œYou and Bella canā€™t hide from us.ā€

December just shrugged pretending to be unamused, she hated the fact that both sides had sent someone out to try and make her sway in one direction. Only she hadnā€™t met the Light Caster and she was beginning to think the Light Casterā€™s had given up on her and that terrified her.

She felt him behind her and his energy was so dark and menacing, it was intoxicating to her, because sheā€™d always been drawn to the dark side.

ā€œPeirce, I think you should go.ā€ She whispered, the room fell silent and she turned to see he was gone, heā€™d disappeared in thin air and she finally let out a breath, relived he was gone.




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The early morning sun light had barley started to show through Mitchellā€™s blinds as he lend as he lend against his head board, he used his knees as an easel to hold his sketch pad as he, shaded the final touches on his most recent drawing. It had taken him most the night.

He should have been asleep considering it was the first day of his senior year and the first day of his community service. But the idea had come to him late last night and heā€™d lost himself in his work and completely lost track of time.

The familiar sound of The Eagles, sounded through the house which meant Annika was up and making breakfast for his family. Sheā€™d taken over every role in the house, since his mom had become paralyzed. She wasnā€™t getting paid for it, she just did it to do it.

He smirked and rolled his eyes, it was such a good feeling and a routine heā€™d gotten used to over the past year and a half. He finished the final touches on his sketch before pinning it up on his wall next to hundreds of other original pieces heā€™d done.

He stepped of his bed and all three of his catā€™s glanced up at him lazily, from their normal spot at the foot of his bed. Mitch glanced over the wall as if admiring all of his work. His eerie black cat, jumped fluidly from the bed, stretching as he went and sat next to where Mitch stood, looking at the wall as if admiring it with his owner.

ā€œWhat do you think Binks?ā€ he asked crossing his arms across his chest. The cat let out a small meow. ā€œMe too.ā€ He laughed.

He slipped on a pair of jeans and a simple white shirt before grabbing his backpack that he hadnā€™t touched since the last day of school. He shoved an empty sketch pad and his drawing pencil in before slipping out the door.

The smell of coffee and pancakes, hit him right away. He was hoping to sneak out without having to stop for breakfast. So quietly he made his way towards the door, Annika had her back turned to him and his cousin rolled his eyes, he silently reached for the door.

ā€œI donā€™t think so Mitchell Sullivan, you get you scrawny ass in here and eat.ā€ She said with her thick southern accent.

He sighed, but didnā€™t argue as he joined his cousin at the table, Annika sat a plate in front of him, before she headed to help his mother out of bed, like she did every morning. The table was quiet as both boys ate.

ā€œSo Mitch, you hear old man Ravenbourne took in two weird orphans?ā€ he mumbled with a mouth full.

Mitchell raised a brow, but shrugged as he took a drink of his orange juice, he didnā€™t know much about the man in the old plantation house that no one ever saw. All he knew was his ancestorā€™s had founded the town and that he never came out of his house.

ā€œYeah their probably just as creepy as him.ā€ He smirked as he stood up ā€œTell mom I love her...ā€ he said ruffling Tysonā€™s hair as he headed out the door while he could.

He slung his backpack over one shoulder, he wasnā€™t really looking forward to going to school and more than anything he wanted to ditch, but he was only going because his mom had begged him to. He pulled up the garage door, before hopping on the back of his motorcycle.

When he pulled up to the school, the parking lot was already filled. Students wondered about gossiping and talking about how great there summers had been and of course all eyes were on him as he pulled in. Everyone except for him dress in the schools purple and gold colors. He cut the engine of his motorcycle and everyone went back to talking amongst themselves.

Mitch didnā€™t waste time trying to find his friends, because he knew if he did heā€™d end up ditching and just hurting his mom again. Instead he headed inside, straight to his locker. He shoved his backpack inside haphazardly.

ā€œFucking loser.ā€ He heard the jocks say simultaneously as they passed him.

Mitch ignored them, they were only upset because heā€™d quite the team and heā€™d been the only reason theyā€™d gone undefeated last year. He shut his locked only to be greeted by his ex as she lend against the lockers. He sighed, sheā€™d been his longest relationship, but all she wanted to do was save him.

ā€œYou never called me like you said you would.ā€ She pouted.

ā€œYeah well I got busy.ā€ He shrugged as he turned to walk away from her, headed towards his first period class. She didnā€™t get the hint and followed after him.

ā€œMitch, what happened, I thought we were good together?ā€ she said, he didnā€™t bother to look at her he just continued to look straight forward.

ā€œWell your dad thinks Iā€™m a Satanist and your mother threw holly water on me.ā€ He said simply.

ā€œOh baby, I talk to them, if you just come toā€¦.ā€ He cut her off.

ā€œSavannah listen, Iā€™m not going to church.ā€ He said finally looking at her as he stopped outside his class room. ā€œDonā€™t you have cheer practice to get to or something?ā€ He said bluntly.

She bit her lip as if she was about to cry, Mitchell just sighed, heading into class, smirking to the teacher as he headed to the back of the class, he wasnā€™t the first on to class thankfully. He sat down at the desk that he claimed his, dropping his back pack lazily, before throwing his feet on top the desk, preparing himself to sleep threw all of first period.




Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Bellatrix Valentine Character Portrait: December Valentine Character Portrait: Mitchell Sullivan Character Portrait: Corey Ryder
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Bella had spent a good part of the morning glaring at herself in her mirror, trying not to freak out. She hadn't been to a real school in since she was fourteen. She hadn't really wanted to go to high school so her mother had taken over her education after middle school and she was okay with that. Her mother taught her things that were relevant, like how to control her power, or the history of witches. School taught her how to graph parabolas and interpret the words of some anit-racist who'd died years ago.

Then her mother had died and they'd been forced to move in with a man they'd never met who was supposedly human, but knew way too much about them. The first week have been bad, and she hadn't even had to go to school then. Ever since her mother's death, her illusions and visions had flared up again, and she was having a hard time getting control of herself. The move hadn't helped either, and neither had trying to get settled in a town where they treated her hostilely.

Her God-Father had basically given her the choice of public school or home school, so no one was forcing her to go to school. Only she didn't have the stomach to let her God-Father educate her. It would remind her too much of her mother's teaching, and he'd never compare to her, and she'd feel bad for thinking it because he was only trying to help them, and, in the end, she'd learn nothing because she was too busy with conflicting emotions.

So she'd chosen public school. Less emotional pain. She could do it. She'd been ignoring people all her life, shutting them out. It was easy, she should be able to breeze through the day without having to say a single word, save for her name to teachers.

Unless they ridiculed her, which they were likely to do. Then she was afraid, but not for her feelings. For their safety. Her power might lash out, and she didn't want there to be an "accident" her God-Father would have to explain, on the first day. She should at least give it a week before she started freaking people out.

Bella glared at herself harder. She wanted to see December. She needed her, because she was afraid the stress would cause her to have a vision or see things, or worse. Make other people see things. She needed to be centered. Needed her sister to help her through the practices they did when Bee was freaking.

Only December was in her piano room. She'd already checked. So there was no going in there. Instead, she settled for the mirror, keeping her eyes firmly on her reflection and forcing herself to focus on what was there. As in what was really there. It seemed like a simple exercise, but taking a moment to focus on reality, even when she wasn't seeing things, always helped her relax.

So, in her mind Bella counted the things in her reflection that were real. Her dark hair, the scar on her jaw, the tattoos that were visible, the feather dangling from her right ear, the scar on her collarbone, the blackness of her eyes, and so on. She mentally counted her tattoos, but only the ones that were visible, because counting things that weren't right in front of her defeated the whole purpose.

Suddenly, there were hands on her shoulders, and she glanced behind her in the mirror, but no one was there. The hands on her shoulders rubbed gently, as if trying to loosen her up and the motion filled her with an unexpected warmth, and instantaneously settled her rattling nerves. "Ben." She whispered, knowing who it was by the sudden shift in the air around her, and the way her mood lightened some. "Get out of here."

"I sensed you needed me. You seemed stressed, so I came." The Light Caster that the witches of Light Magic had sent after her said softly. She still couldn't see him in the mirror, and it unsettled her so she broke his touch and pulled away, heading into her room and grabbing her bag.

"Alright, well you helped." She admitted, though she was only doing it to get him to leave. "Now get out of here." He didn't seem convinced so she sighed. "You can come back after school."

With a shrug and a "good luck", he disappeared and she sighed and slipped down the stairs and out the door. Her God-Father was outrageously rich, and, as such, he'd bought her a red camaro. Most kids would have been excited, but Bee loathed the car. Not only was it cherry red, but it was a nice car in a town where most the kids would be driving pick up trucks. She'd stand out even more than she already did. She'd have rather rode the bus, but the bus didn't come all the way out to the plantation, and it would hurt his feelings, so she'd accepted the car, pretending to be excited.

Or as excited as a girl could be less than a week after the death of her mother.

Once at the school, Bella went to the office and got a schedule as well as a parking spot and other school documents. They asked her if she wanted them to assign someone to show her around and she declined. The school was small, as it was a small town, so it'd be easy to get around.

By the time she was done, it was already second period, and she was thankful that the halls were empty as she went to her locker, and then walked to her first (or well, actually second) class, knocking gently on the door.




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Corey woke with a groan. There was someone banging on his door, and he sat up suddenly. Only he wasn't at home, in bed, and he looked around, confused for a minute as he rubbed the sleep from his face.

He was in his office at the shop. He'd passed out with his face on the desk and a beer in his hand. He glanced around. Thank god he hadn't fallen asleep with a burning cigarette. He'd done that before and it wasn't pleasant. His skin hadn't been the only thing that had gotten burned. He was kind of a mess, and, was incredibly skilled and multitalented, but seemed to attract accidents like a magnet.

"Ryder! I know you're in there, get the fuck up!" Ryder groaned and sighed, standing tiredly and going to the door, whipping it open.

"What Roody?" He glared at the man who'd been his brother's partner in running the place, and was now his. He'd been there for a little less than a year, and he wasn't sure he'd ever get used to the guy. He didn't like having to share management of the shop and so, as such, he didn't like this man.

"You've got some shit needs signed from the courts, new JD coming in." He shrugged and shoved him the papers before taking off.

"You sign them! You run this place too don't you?!" He called after him. "Why do I have to do all the paperwork while you work on the cars?"

Roody didn't stop, just waved his hand dismissively and kept going, calling over his shoulder. "The JD program was your idea. I hate those brats."

Ryrder groaned and ran his hand down his face. "So do I." He muttered, but sighed and went back in his office, tossing the papers on his desk, throwing himself down in the chair. Tiredly, he tried to make sense of the words on the paper, but his eyes kept drifting down to the signature line.

JD's were what they called the teen boys Ryder allowed to work off community service in his shop. It was short for Juvenile Delinquent. In all honesty, Ryder hated teenagers. Especially these types of teens. They all had huge attitudes, and acted like they owned the world. However, the program had been his idea because he wanted to try and help them.

Because he saw a lot of himself in them, and he didn't want them to have to reach the point he had before they realized that, the things they were doing were going to fuck up their lives.

Ryder groaned again and ran his fingers through his hair. He was too tired, the words weren't making any sense to him. So he just sighed, signed the papers and stood, opening his door to go on a mad hunt for decent coffee.

Only he was stopped because there was someone standing there. "Madeline?" He asked, turning his head and looking at her as if to be sure she was really there, confused as Hell as to why she was. He hadn't seen her since he'd dated her back in high school about seven or eight years ago.

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December continued to look out the window as if she was scared to turn around because she thought Peirce might still be behind her, even though, she knew he wasnā€™t because the palm of her hand wasnā€™t burning near as bad and she could no longer feel his black energy.

She hadnā€™t left the house since sheā€™d gotten there a week ago and she wasnā€™t planning on leaving, but she knew if she stayed in the house any longer, sheā€™d just continue to play that damn song and never stop.

She slipped out of her piano room and the house was silent, save for soft classical music that that drifted from the living room throughout the large house. The house was familiar to her and she knew the layout.

She debated on whether or not to go and lock herself in her room and try to sleep, but then she knew she wouldnā€™t sleep, despite how exhausted she was. Sheā€™d only be inviting Peirce to return and keep her company.

She found herself leaning in the archway of the living room. Arthur sat in in his chair reading the newspaper as he sip his cup of coffee, while listening to his music.

ā€œIā€™m going into town.ā€ She sighed ā€œDo you need anything?ā€ she offered hoping heā€™d say no. Arthur never left his house, he had people who ran all his errands for him, heā€™d earned quite the reputation.

It was quite for a moment and she was getting ready to leave before he spoke. ā€œActually yes, I owe a bill down at the mechanic shop. Would you stop by and just drop off the money?ā€ he asked. She didnā€™t want to have to talk to anyone, but she agreed anyways.

She headed upstairs changing into an outfit she knew would cause people to look at her like sheā€™d stepped straight out of a horror movie. But, she didnā€™t care. Her raven colored hair hung pin straight, stopping at her hips, causing her skin to appear paler against her black hair.

After she was dressed, she headed slipped out of the house, opting for her god-fatherā€™s black BMW. She wasnā€™t completely sure why he had cars if he never left.

Town was a five minuet ride from Arthurā€™s house and it was a stretch of small family owned business. Sheā€™d initially wanted coffee, something strong that would keep her awake for at least a few more hours, but she spotted the mechanic shop before, the coffee shop and pulled in, cutting the engine, tossing her hat in the passenger seat, before stepping out of the car.




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Like heā€™d predicted heā€™d slept through first period, the teacher didnā€™t bother interrupting him, because sheā€™d had him before and she knew there was no used in pushing him, in the end he did what he wanted.

Finally the bell rang for second period and as he headed for his next class he caught up with a few of his friends, who told him thereā€™d be a back to school party Friday night and while he wanted to refuse for his motherā€™s sake, he couldnā€™t pass up the opportunity to party.

He was dreading this next class simply because he had a feeling, Savannah and her band of Holy Roller girlfriends would be in his second period class, because it was a small school, you saw your classmates at least once and when it came to Savannah, he was unlucky enough to almost always have the same classes.

He slipped into class and there she was with two or three of her cheerleader, holy rolling, stuck up friends he rolled his eyes when they called him over, but he didnā€™t join them, to avoid them he was forced to sit in the front of the class.

He hated history, so to have to sit in the front for the entire period was torture. All they ever talked about was how the town was founded on old man Ravenbourne and then they debated whether or not he was still alive. Then theyā€™d get into the topic of how there particular town had been home to witch trials. Heā€™d heard the stories one hundred and one times.

Finally the late bell rang and a few more students filed in before the teacher started his ā€œwhat he expects from the studentsā€ lecture. Mitch pulled out his sketch book, pretending to take notes, there was a soft knock on the door that grabbed everyoneā€™s attention as their teacher answered the door.

Mitchell was surprised to see an incredibly beautiful girl, who was completely alluring, heā€™d never been so taken before and he immediately had to know who she was. She looked exotic and she dressed completely different.

ā€œEveryone quiet down.ā€ The teacher ordered. Mitch had been so busy looking at her he hadnā€™t even noticed the quite chatter that had broken out around him. ā€œWe have a new student.ā€ He sighed as he glanced around the room gesturing for her to take the open seat next to Mitch. ā€œMind telling us a little about yourself?ā€ the teacher said leaning against his desk, waiting for her to answer him.




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The door opened, revealing her history teacher. She briefly flashed him her schedule and kept her eyes on him, not looking at the students. She knew what they were thinking looking at her. They were thinking she was a freak. Or something in that vicinity. The orphan who'd moved into the old plantation house they weren't even totally sure was inhabited yet. She was creepy. Different.

It wasn't their fault, and she tried not to blame them too harshly as she tried to ignore their whispers and keep herself from freaking out. She was the one who'd been born a witch, and, while that normally wasn't a problem, she'd been born one of the most powerful witches in centuries. Which meant they could sense her power and it made them nervous, even if they didn't know what exactly was agitating them.

So it wasn't their fault. They couldn't help their uneasiness, and she tried to forgive them for that, but there was something else in her screaming that, while they couldn't help that they were nervous around her, they could help treating her like an outsider. That they could help whispering in not-so-hushed tones about her. And worse.

That every single one of them deserved to know exactly what it was about her that made them so nervous.

ā€œEveryone quiet down.ā€ The teacher ordered, bringing her from her conflicting thoughts, and she realized she'd had her fists clenched tightly. Bella sighed, hating to think of what might have happened had her mental tirade gone on a minute longer. Which side would have won this time? Light or dark? ā€œWe have a new student.ā€ He sighed as if he was just as unhappy about having her in his class as the students were about having her in their school.

He gestured to a seat right in the front of the class next to a guy she knew was trouble just by looking at him. ā€œMind telling us a little about yourself?ā€

Bella looked at him before sitting and looking around the room, making sure to make eye-contact, so she didn't seem frightened. The worst part of being a new student was having the teacher single you out, and it only continued all day, every class. As if adjusting wasn't hard enough being anonymous, they had to put you in the spotlight.

It was nerve-wrecking to come up with the right thing to say. She had to seem hard so they wouldn't pin her as a target for ridicule, but she had to seem unapproachable so they wouldn't find her hardness intriguing and want to test it. She'd have to shock them.

Bella let a wicked smirk come to her lips as she let the silence hang there for a second, only deciding to speak when the teacher twitched nervously, like he felt awkward, and wasn't sure if he wanted to take that as her ignoring the question and move on with class, or force her to answer. "I'm Bellatrix Valentine." She said with a shrug. "That's all you need to know about me." the teacher gave her an expression like he wasn't sure how he wanted to handle her blatant refusal to answer her question before shrugging and sighing.

"Well then, welcome Bellatrix." He said, though it didn't sound welcome and she just shrugged. It was going to be one long ass 85 days. After she was claimed she was going to use her new control over her power to disappear. None of them would ever see her again.

No matter what side Claimed her.




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"Yeah that's right Ryder, I'm really here." Madeline said with a soft laugh as she raised her eyebrows and looked at him. "Damn, it's been such a long time." Her eyes trailed slowly from the top of his head down to his feet, taking him in. "Last time I saw you, you were drunk off your ass, smashed a beer bottle over my head, and called me a whore." She smirked at the painful flash in his eye at the memory. "Nice to see you've got your sit together."

Ryder rolled his eyes. "Madeline... Nolan?" He asked, glancing at her hands.

"Yeah." She said, raising empty hands to show him her fingers. "It's still Nolan. I haven't gotten hitched yet." She explained, her southern accent twanging her words. She'd been born and raised in Louisiana and had one of the strongest accents he'd ever heard. His mother had been the town whore, his father the town drunk, while her mother had been the twon addict, and Madeline had followed in her footsteps, just as he'd followed in his father's. Everyone had thought they were going to get married and repeat history, so to speak.

Then he'd killed his mother and fled the country, and everything had changed.

Ryder looked her over once, then twice. The first surprising thing was that she didn't seem to be high or fucked up. The second was that she looked different. Last time he'd seen her, they'd been in high school, and, while she'd never looked innocent, no one with a background like theirs ever could, she'd definitely looked softer back then. He'd easily been able to push her around and she'd been fine with it, so long as she had an excuse to get out of the house, even if it was to see her abusive, unfaithful boyfriend, catch him cheating, and then have him hit her and call her a slut.

Now she looked tougher somehow, and he caught a glimpse of a scar in her eyebrow under her bangs that hadn't been there before. Silently, he wondered what'd happened to her to make her that way or, if like him, she'd shaped up. "You're not high." He finally said stupidly, and it made a grin stretch across her lips as she took a step towards him.

"Yet." She smirked as she looked up at him. "When I decide to light up, you'll be the first to know, Corey." She said, using his first name, which nearly no one knew.

Ryder shook his head. "What are you doing here Madeline?" He kept repeating her full name instead of using nicknames like Madi, because he didn't want her to think they could get reaquianted. Especially if she was still hooked on drugs. She'd always had a way of making him crazy, and he didn't need that. Not anymore.

"Unlike you, I can't seem to get out of this stupid town." She said with a roll of her eyes like that was the obvious answer and he shook his head, trying not to lose his patience.

"I mean what are you doing here? As in, in my shop?" He asked, making it more clear.

"Right, well I work here now I guess." She said, holding up a paper with a smirk and he swiped it from her, skimming it. "Community service. Apparently drugs are illegal, not like officer Reynolds doesn't shoot up with my mom every Thursday."

Her sarcastic tone was starting to drive him nuts. "That doesn't make sense, this program is community service for teenage boys, not adult drug addicts."

"Ouch." She said with a shrug and a raise of her brow. "Well I'm sorry I don't suit your new fetish for teenage boys Ryder, but I was able to do a little sweet talking. When you've got one judge and you pretty much live in handcuffs, you learn a little about the man." She shrugged and smirked wickedly. "I've got so much shit on him, I could murder someone and get away with it. Anyway, what do you want me to do?"

Ryder shook his head and sighed. "Nothing. You don't know anything about cars. Unless you want to answer the phone and get coffee." He raised a brow and smirk.

"I knew nothing about cars when I was a stupid sixteen year-old. The only thing I knew about them was the best position to get down in the back seat." She rolled her eyes. "But I was off-and-on dating your brother until he died." She said it like it was no big deal, but he saw the flash in her eye. "And he taught me everything he knew."

Ryder sighed in frustration before hearing the familiar sound of car wheels on the gravel parking lot outside. He had a customer, thank god. "Just..." He said, trying to figure out the best way to get away from her. "Just sit in my office until I figure out what I want to do with you."

She raised a brow. "Mmm, hot." She smirked, making him roll his eyes and push past her, eager to have a customer to take his mind off her.

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December lend over the door of the black convertible grabbing the envelope that held the money she was supposed to be paying the owner. She sighed as she glanced to the open garage door of the shop debating of just getting back in the car and leaving.

She clenched her fist as her palms started to burn again. The burning was almost consistent since theyā€™d moved here and she figured it was because Peirce hardly left her alone now, not to mention other casterā€™s were following her and her sister. Hoping theyā€™d slip up so they could see just how powerfully they really were.

Her and Bella were said to be the most powerful witches theyā€™d seen in centuries, maybe even the most powerful to have ever existed and there powers were only stronger when they were together. But, a part of her wonder how that was even remotely possible when they werenā€™t even full witches, she knew their father was human, her mother had told her when sheā€™s told her that falling for a human was forbidden.

She ran her fingers through her long silk hair, footsteps on the gravel bringing her from her thoughts, meaning sheā€™d lost her chance to leave, sheā€™d wasted too much time lost in her thoughts and she sighed, now if she got in the car and left while whoever was walking towards her, sheā€™d look like more of a freak then she did all gothed out.

She glanced up for the first time, the guy who was walking towards her, was familiar to her. Not cause sheā€™d ever meet him or seen him in person, but sheā€™d seen him in her nightmares, at least someone who resembled him, which nearly made her heart stop. If her nightmares started to become a reality, sheā€™d have a mental break down.

Thought she played it off cooly on the outside as if nothing was bothering her, she was good a pretending. Her smile thought was nothing short of forced, it was obvious she didnā€™t want to be there.
ā€œRyder, right?ā€™ she asked as if she already knew the answer, she lend against the car as if letting him know he had to come to her.

She wasnā€™t sure how she knew his name, but it wasnā€™t all that surprising her and Belle knew things about people theyā€™d never met, it was just something that came along with their powers. Once he got to her she held the envelope out to him, that felt thick, with what she assumed was a lot of money.

ā€œArthur said he owned you some money.ā€ She raised a brow looking to him.

He was close enough, she knew heā€™d be able to feel her energy, that she was different, thatā€™s why most humans avoided her and her sister, because they could feel there power. Though they werenā€™t smart enough to actually figure out why they felt that way around them, but it scared them. One thing sheā€™d learned about the humans is they didnā€™t like what they couldnā€™t explain. She sighed as she waited for his judgmental look or his nervous thank you before quickly leaving her presence.




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He smirked as the teacher gestured for her to sit down next to him. There was something, beautifully off about her something he couldnā€™t quite put his finger on, but it excited him and intrigued him. He suddenly had the urge to draw her as if he wanted to remember her forever.

"I'm Bellatrix Valentine." he raised a brow at the way sheā€™d said her name and had left it at that "That's all you need to know about me.ā€ he smirked at how blunt she was.

He could hear Savannah and her friends whispering behind them and he rolled his eyes. It was obvious she wasnā€™t from around her, so he already knew Savannah would take it upon herself to talk to her about going to church, because she would think she needed it.

The teacher once again told the class to quiet down before he started his lecture, just like Mitch had called it, heā€™d gone straight into the topic of the Ravenbourne family and how they founded the town. Mitchell turned to his sketch book using his pencil to quickly outline the structure of her face, so he could finish it later.

ā€œMr. Sullivan.ā€ The teacher spoke causing him to glance up with a smirk as he shut his sketch book.

ā€œMr. Peterson.ā€ He mocked causing a few of the kids he hung out with to laugh.

ā€œSince you want to focus more on practicing more of you graffiti skills, would you care to enlighten us on the history of our quaint little city?ā€ the teacher smirked as if he knew heā€™d stumped Mitchell.

Mitch rolled his eyes ā€œRaven, Louisiana was founded in 1814ā€¦by the creepy ass Ravenbourne family.ā€ He said bordely having heard the story a million times.

ā€œWatch your language Sullivan.ā€ He said before returning to his lecture.

ā€œSo new girl, need a tour guide.ā€ He asked in a hush tone with a wicked smirk. ā€œAs you can see Iā€™m pretty informative.ā€ He winked, referring to his answer to the teachers question.




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Bella could hear the girls behind her, near the back of the room whispering in hushed, excited tones, and Bee had to struggle to keep herself from getting too hung up on it. She was in a small town, of course they were totally freaking out at the sight of her. Anyone who's buisness they didn't know, they made it their job to figure out, so she wasn't stupid. Her naturally secretive nature would peg her instantly as a common subject for gossip.

But she'd done it a hundred times. She'd been living with the whispers her entire life. She could do it again.

Only this time she wouldn't be skipping town in less than a month for some foreign, exotic country. She'd have to stick it out for 85 days. Almost three months. Much longer than she'd ever been in one place. It would be absolutely agonizing to be the subject of gossip in the town for 85 days. She picked the edge of her black velvet dress, one of her more normal clothing choices though still pretty gothic, as her mind went back and forth between trying to ignore them, and wanting to hurt them.

Finally, the teacher hushed the class to start the lecture, though Trix was no idiot. She could still feel their eyes on her, and it made her a little on-edge, but she didn't do or say anything. As long as they kept their distance things would be fine. If they decided it would be fun to screw with her, she was afraid of what might happen. B sighed as she glanced at the clock, wincing when she realized this was only the beginning. She had five more periods left to go, plus the first one she'd missed the next day. She couldn't even focus on the teacher's voice, she was too on-edge, waiting for passing period. During that time, she could slip into the bathroom and relax for a second before her next class.

ā€œMr. Sullivan.ā€ The teacher said, interrupting her mental stress as he addressed the guy sitting next to her. She glanced over just in time to see him slap a notebook closed, but she caught a flash of the paper before he did so. She didn't get what was on the paper, but she had seen that it was lineless. So it wasn't a normal notebook. Was he an artist? He didn't look like it. He looked like the kind of guy who smoked in the bathroom during passing period, and liked to piss teachers off just for the hell of it. Not the kind who spent his free time sketching.

ā€œMr. Peterson.ā€ He mocked, proving Belle's thoughts right. He was a trouble-maker. Maybe she'd missed the lines on the paper because the pages were moving too fast.

ā€œSince you want to focus more on practicing more of your graffiti skills, would you care to enlighten us on the history of our quaint little city?ā€ The teacher asked in that way that had always irritated Trix. Why did teacher insist on pointing kids out who clearly did not want to answer their question? As if mocking them in front of the class is going to encourage them to like the class more, or get interested in the subject. It was just downright cruel.

However, the guy next to her didn't seem fazed, merely rolled his eyes. ā€œRaven, Louisiana was founded in 1814ā€¦ By the creepy ass Ravenbourne family.ā€ He said and Bella's shoulders tightened some. He'd called her God-father and his family creepy. Sure, she wasn't directly related to him, and she'd only known him for a week, but he was her family now, so by insulting his family, he was insulting her. Besides, the only thing Mr. Ravenbourne had ever done was try to help her and her sister adjust. He was a good man. He owned more than half the town, but didn't flaunt it, and yet, all anyone in the town ever did was spread cruel rumors about him. No wonder he never came outside. These people were downright hateful of anyone or anything that didn't go to church and fit with their ways of living. It was ironic that the swampy ass little town full of dead beat fuck ups had such high standards, and so harshly judged the only one among them who had class.

Sure, there were a few rich, pompous families who's ancestors had been living there since the start of the town. But most of the people there were some form of addict or dealer. They partied too much, and had little money. The town was once rich, but the glitter of New Orleans not too far away had taken that from them. The people that inhabited the town now were people that had lost a lot of business in their shops due to the city and the highway that seperated them from the traffic coming to and from it. It was a pretty town, but it was the kind of place people got stuck in, and, though they may not like it, never seemed to be able to get out.

Ironic that she'd been travelling her entire life, and was the last person to take up a permanent resident, and yet, she too had gotten stuck.

ā€œWatch your language Sullivan.ā€ The teacher scolded, dragging her from her thoughts, before going back to his lecture and Bella tried to pay attention, but the guy next to her spoke.

ā€œSo new girl, need a tour guide?ā€ He asked and she looked over at him to see the wicked smirk on his lips. She wasn't dumb enough to think he was actually wanting to show her around. Anyone who talked to her wanted to, either ridicule her, get gossip for their friends, or had some ulterior motive or prank in mind. ā€œAs you can see Iā€™m pretty informative.ā€ He winked, and she rolled her eyes.

"Actually, you're a dumbass." She said bluntly. He knew nothing. He didn't know what he was talking about when he'd called her family creepy. "And you know nothing." Trix smirked. "So no, I don't need your help." She shrugged and rolled her eyes. "Besides, the plantation is bigger than this school. I think I can manage." She said, making a point not to call her God-Father's house her home.




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Ryder ignored his ex as she went into his office and he walked past her, heading out the the garage and out the open door, eager to get to the customer before Roody did and he was forced to go back and deal with Madeline. Of everyone he hadn't wanted to see when he moved back, Madi was probably at the top of that list because she was the most likely to drive him nuts.

Outside, he saw the person who'd pulled up. It was a girl, bending over to grab something from in her black convertible. She was dressed fully in the most gothic attire he'd seen anyone in the town ever wear. Her long dark hair and pale skin made her look like something out of a dark fantasy, and she was eerily beautiful. ā€œRyder, right?ā€™ She asked from across the lot as she leaned on her car and he nodded and finsihed closing the distance between them.

It wasn't too unusual for someone he didn't know to know his name. Everyone in the town did. For one, he owned the only mechanic shop and most residents of the town owned old beater pick-up trucks, so nearly everyone had come in at least once. However, if you didn't know him personally, you heard about him from someone else.

He was a local celebrity. His life had been a popular subject of town gossip since the day he was born. It used to be all negitive gossip, but lately, now that he was back, it was positive. People in the bored little town who had nothing to do but drink and smoke saw him as a saint or a hero, because, unlike them, he'd managed to get out of the town and turn himself into a decent person, and because of the JD program, and the fact that he was caring for his little sister.

He was used to strangers smiling and waving at him like they knew him. This girl held an envelope out to him, and he took it. There was something off about her that he couldn't explain, and just standing near her jangled his nerves, though he wasn't sure if it was in a good way or a bad way. There was something dark and mysterious about her that would make most people shift nervously, but only made him curious. He wanted to get to know her. To learn the secrets that made her so mysterious.

ā€œArthur said he owned you some money.ā€ She said simply, and he raised his eyebrow at her. The envelope was thick, so he should have guessed it had to be the old man paying him. Only a few others in town had that kind of money. 70% of his work had to be done as "favors for a friend", or "I owe you"'s. If he had a dime for everytime someone brought their truck in and promised him they'd owe him a favor, or they'd pay them later, it would add up to more money than he'd ever made when he was actually paid.

However, he liked working too much to send them away, and if he sent them all away, he'd have no buisness because they'd tell their friends who were actually willing to pay, and, not only would he not get to do anything, but he'd also be making no money.

So in the end, Arthur was the first person who'd ever paid him fully. Ryder was fair, and had tried to offer the man he'd sent the same price he offered everyone else, not wanting to cheat the old man just because he had money, but he'd just sent the man back the next day demanding to know the real price.

"Yeah, had to fix up that camaro for him." He said with a grin, remembering it. Mostly, he had to work on rusty old buckets of bolts, so it had been a treat to get to do work on something powerful and expensive. And it had needed a lot of work. "Tell him if he ever needs someone for any of his other cars, I'm his guy. Don't go to the city like most of the rich folks around here do. They'll charge double, and won't have half as much fun doing it as I will and you'll just have to take it back a week later because they didn't do it right."

He looked her over for a second. "Thanks for bringing it over." He wanted to ask her a hundred questions about the man in the house at the edge of town, but he didn't want to offend her. "You must be one of the girls he's taken in?" He asked, looking at her. She looked too old to have to live with Mr. Ravenbourne, but who wouldn't want to? The man was loaded. "The whole town's been talking about it for a week."

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She was honestly surprised when heā€™d taken the envelope and didnā€™t look over her like she was some kind of circus freak or run away like she had some kind of disease, like everyone else did. She was getting ready to leave before he spoke to her.

"Yeah, had to fix up that camaro for him." she glanced back to him surprised he was talking to her like she was a normal person so she decided to listen. "Tell him if he ever needs someone for any of his other cars, I'm his guy. Don't go to the city like most of the rich folks around here do. They'll charge double, and won't have half as much fun doing it as I will and you'll just have to take it back a week later because they didn't do it right."

She wasnā€™t really listening to his words, because there was nothing intriguing about them. She was pretending to listen to what he had to say simply because heā€™d been civil enough to treat her normally an she figured she odd it to him.


"Thanks for bringing it over."he said and finally she started to listen again as if his thank you was her cue she could finally leave. "You must be one of the girls he's taken in? The whole town's been talking about it for a week." but then he continued asking her a question that the answer was bluntly obvious, if her and her sisterā€™s unnatural beauty didnā€™t give them away, the way they dressed certainly did.

She sighed, running her fingers through her hair again before nodding as she glanced to him, giving him a more natural and not so forced smile.

ā€œYep, the older one.ā€ She said crossing her arms in front of her, she wasnā€™t stupid she knew everyone had a million questions about her god-father, they were just too scared to ask. ā€œSo you better run before I steal your soul.ā€ She said sarcastically, before sighing, she was cold and fairly bitter towards the humans, so even when one was trying to be nice she still seemed to have some smart ass remark. ā€œDo you guys buy chance have a coffee shop or something?ā€ she asked trying to change the subject.

She figured asking a local instead of spending the next hour looking for it would probably be a better idea, she was exhausted and her five measly hours of sleep was catching up to her, she knew coffee would only fight off sleep for a few more hours before sheā€™d eventually have to give in.




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He waited for her answer and he knew any minuet heā€™d get yelled at by the teacher, because he was always getting yelled at, it was something the teacherā€™s and Raven High had gotten used to. Mitch was practically on of the only none religious, trouble making, back talking rebels who stepped out of line all the time.

"Actually, you're a dumbass." he raised a brow not expecting that answer, but he couldnā€™t help but laugh. "And you know nothing. So no, I don't need your help." he wasnā€™t used to having a girl, talk to him the way she was and it amused him "Besides, the plantation is bigger than this school. I think I can manage. he sighed realizing that she was one of the orphans his cousin had been talking about.

ā€œDamn girl, put the claws away.ā€ He smirked not offended by what sheā€™d said. ā€œIā€™m sure that house is bad ass, but just for the record, a guy who never comes out of his houseā€¦itā€™s a little creepy.ā€ He shrugged.

ā€œMitchell Sullivanā€¦.do you want detention?ā€ the teacher scolded

ā€œThe full names is only terrifying when my mother says it.ā€ He mocked yet again ā€œIā€™d love itā€¦give me my pink slip so I can get out of here.ā€ He smirked up at the teacher.

The teacher rolled his eyes, but he didnā€™t wright him the slip because he knew it wasnā€™t really worth it, it didnā€™t faze Mitch and heā€™d only be making it harder on whatever teacher was in charge of detention.

ā€œDidnā€™t mean to offend you.ā€ He said opting to leave her alone as he turned his attention back to his sketch book opening a blank page.

ā€œMitch.ā€ The teacher said yet again and Mitchell rolled his eyes.

ā€œWhat?ā€ he said starting to get irritated.

ā€œSince you seem so smitten to talk to Miss Valentine you two will be partnered for the project.ā€ The teacher said looking between the two of them. ā€œMiss Holbrooke?ā€ Mr. Peterson said looking to Savannah.

ā€œWell, I donā€™t think itā€™s such a good idea to put someone like Mitch whoā€™s already lost, with someone who canā€™t be saved.ā€ She said in a voice so sweet it made you want to puke.

ā€œThank you for your input Savannah, but this isnā€™t church.ā€ Mitchell was quick to interfere, not even bothering to look at her.




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ā€œDamn girl, put the claws away.ā€ He smirked and she ignored him. It was a typical response. That, or sudden hostility. Usually it started as general defense against her sharp words, then anger and cruel words, then they finally got the picture and left her alone like she wanted. ā€œIā€™m sure that house is bad ass, but just for the record, a guy who never comes out of his houseā€¦itā€™s a little creepy.ā€ He shrugged and she rolled her eyes, not wanting to answer. She wanted to defend Arthur, but she didn't want it to open up more conversation.

ā€œMitchell Sullivanā€¦.do you want detention?ā€ The teacher scolded and she half hoped he'd follow through so he'd leave her alone, but Bella could tell just by looking at the man that it was an empty threat. He looked almost exasperated, like he was already dreading a long year of having the guy in his class because he didn't know what to do with him.

ā€œThe full name is only terrifying when my mother says it.ā€ The boy mocked. ā€œIā€™d love itā€¦give me my pink slip so I can get out of here.ā€ He smirked up at the teacher and Bella couldn't help but smirk herself at the fact that he'd called the teacher out, knowing he wouldn't do it. And he didn't. Just like Trix had guessed.

ā€œDidnā€™t mean to offend you.ā€ He said simply and she just shrugged and didn't look at him, glad the conversation was over as he went back to his notebook.

ā€œMitch.ā€ The teacher said and B glanced over that the notebook he had was a sketchbook, because the page he had it open to was blank. That was interesting. She raised her eyebrows and studied the guy's face as he went back to arguing with the teacher.

ā€œWhat?ā€ He said, clear irritation in the tone of his voice.

ā€œSince you seem so smitten to talk to Miss Valentine you two will be partnered for the project.ā€ The teacher said, causing her to whip her head back to him. Fuck! How'd she manage to get partnered with someone for a project on her first day? She hadn't even talked to him.

ā€œMiss Holbrooke?ā€ Mr. Peterson said, and Bella glanced behind her to see a perfect-barbie-blond had her hand raised.

ā€œWell, I donā€™t think itā€™s such a good idea to put someone like Mitch whoā€™s already lost, with someone who canā€™t be saved.ā€ She said in a sweet voice and Bella raised her eyebrows before turning back around and looking at the teacher. Preacher's daughter, that's who she was. She could tell already. Not only because of her powers but because she had an eerie way of reading people. A comment like that only came from someone highly religious and the way she seemed to be the center of her little clique of girls in the back meant she was their leader so she had to be the preacher's daughter.

ā€œThank you for your input Savannah, but this isnā€™t church.ā€ Mitch countered and Bella chuckled and glanced at the gitrl.

"We'll try to refrain from doing our history project on spell casting." She spat sarcastically, not about to let her get away with her comment. "But if we need you and your bible to come help us, we'll call." She smirked before turning back around.

The teacher was frowning at her, like he wasn't sure if he wanted to yell at her on her first day or not and she just shrugged. "Are you going to yell at me or teach?" She asked, breaking the stunned silence. Normally new kids were all shy and just trying to fit in, but she didn't take shit, and she didn't want to fit in. Fitting in meant trying to make friends and she wasn't there for that.




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ā€œYep, the older one.ā€ She answered and he nodded, looking her over, wondering if her sister was the same as her, with the mysterious aura about her. ā€œSo you better run before I steal your soul.ā€ She said sarcastically, and he raised his eyebrows. He'd heard the rumors.

People thought her and her sister, as well as the old man, were some sort of devil worshipers. Mostly because so far, they'd been there for a week and no one had seen them, and Arthur had been living in that house his entire life and never left. When he was younger, they used to dare each other to break in and make sure the man wasn't dead, and he'd done so about a million and one times.

However, their rumors of magic and darkness hadn't really caught on with him. The town liked to shove religion down people's throats. They were avid church-goers, and anyone who didn't attend was considered a Satanist. Despite the fact that the whole town was high at any given point during the day. So he tended to ignore their hypocritical rumors.

Still, now that he was standing a few feet from her, he couldn't blame them for some of their thoughts. She was strangely alluring and terrifying at the same time. ā€œDo you guys by chance have a coffee shop or something?ā€

Ryder nodded. "Yeah, it's up the street, I was actually just headed there." He said, glancing over his shoulder at the shop, seeing Roody come out.

"Hey, why's Clayton's crack whore of a fiance doing here?" He asked before he saw the girl and Corey winced. She was a customer, but he was confused. Clayton was his brother. He'd had a fiance.

"Who? Madi?" He asked, glancing at him. "She was his fiance?"

He nodded and Ryder rolled his eyes, and, as if on cue, she came out behind Roody. "Ah shit, guess I forgot I was supposed to marry your brother before he had to die on me." She said with a smirk as she placed her hands on her hips and looked at him, though he knew that she wasn't as nonchalant about it as she seemed because of the flash he'd seen in her eyes earlier when she'd said something about dating him. He shot her a look from across the lot. "What? I got bored waiting around for you in your office."

Then she saw the girl he was talking to and her eyes widened. "Is that-?" She started before jogging over and laughing. Ryder saw Roody roll his eyes and scoff before slipping back inside. "It is. It's one of those freaky sisters that moved in a week ago." She smirked as she looked the girl over and he winced at how she was talking about her like she couldn't hear.

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"Yeah, it's up the street, I was actually just headed there." he said and she cursed herself for having asked because, now she felt slightly obligated to go with him, although she wanted nothing to do with anyone in the town.

She was glad when his attention was taken from her and she let out a breath, she hadnā€™t realized sheā€™d been holding in as another guy came out yelling about someoneā€™s low life fiancĆ©.

She rolled her eyes, getting ready to leave for a second time before she heard a girls voice, saying she was tired of waiting on Ryder. She felt more than a little out of place not that, that was anything new.

"Is that-?" the girl said as she jogged over and Emmie already knew what was coming next and she braced herself "It is. It's one of those freaky sisters that moved in a week ago." the girl said casually as if Em wasnā€™t there. She clenched her fists, she had to keep her powers under control, or she really would prove to them that she was really a freak.

ā€œI may be a freak but at least Iā€™m not a slut.ā€ December spat back in a poisonous tone and she could feel her anger rising. She shook her head ā€œNow I know why he locks himself away.ā€ Ember said more to herself referring to her god-father.

She turned to get into her car, before she really lost control. If she stayed there any longer, she knew sheā€™d end up hurting the girl.
ā€œYou should really learn to put a muzzle on your bitch.ā€ Ember said bitterly as she got into her car.




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"We'll try to refrain from doing our history project on spell casting. But if we need you and your bible to come help us, we'll call." She said with a smirk and Mitch glanced back to Savannah who looked completely offended and he just shrugged. "Are you going to yell at me or teach?" she said and he brought his attention back to her for only a second as the teacher sighed and went on with his lecture.

The rest of the period was fairly boring as he doodled in his sketch book, not really drawing, because heā€™d never actually do that at school, finally the bell for break rang and although it was only ten minutes, it was still better than nothing before their third period.

He shoved his crap into his backpack before glancing to the new girl, he debated whether or not to just leave well enough alone, but a part of him wanted to know everything about her and that part always won.

ā€œSo miss lady, you canā€™t be having funā€¦and I know you said you donā€™t need a tour guide, but what do you say to a cigarette behind the school?ā€ he asked with a wicked smirk ā€œJust me and you.ā€ He said with a shrug.

He was already preparing himself for a no, because heā€™d only known her for the past forty minutes and he already knew she wanted nothing to do with him or Raven, Louisiana and he didnā€™t blame her, because in all honest, if he was the new kid, he wouldnā€™t want anything to do with anyone in the damn town.

ā€œPromise I wonā€™t bite.ā€ He smirked, his southern accent wasnā€™t strong, but it was still there and somehow even with his bad boy persona, his light accent seemed to make him a little more of a gentlemen.




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Finally, the teacher went back to teaching, and attention was taken off her, though she could still feel the piercings glares of the girls behind her and was still able to hear their not-so-secret whispers. Inside, she told herself she could do it because she'd done it before. It was easy, she told herself.

Only her fingers where white-knuckling her chair as she sat there, trying to keep control of herself so she didn't lash out. Physically, verbally, or magically. It was easier to tell yourself you could do it when you knew you'd be moving in less than a few weeks. It was easier when you could run home and cry to your mother about how awful the kids had been and then, without a second's hesitation, she'd pack everything and you'd hit the road just because your feelings were hurt and she hated seeing you that way. No matter how withdrawn she'd become, her mother had always moved if Bella had asked.

Only she didn't have any of that anymore. Now she was stuck and would have to deal with a whole school filled with hateful kids for the next three months no matter what. There was always letting he God-father home-school her, but she'd already decided against it. She couldn't do that to her mother. It would feel like a betrayal of the worst kind to let someone else home school her because, even though her mother had drawn into herself more and more near the end of her life, she'd always seemed to genuinely enjoy teaching her. It had seemed to be the single activity that could ground her, and bring her back to earth. And her mother had been a spectacle when she taught. She wasn't dull, and didn't lecture.

She was full of life, and you could see in her eyes as she danced around, voice varying between wild shouts of passion and soft whispers, like she was sharing a secret, that she truly loved to teach. So that was how Bellatrix blocked out their hateful comments.

With thoughts of her mother.

December had been her mother for a lot of her life, during the times their true mother couldn't perform her duties of caring for her, but, in the rare moments her eyes would focus, their real mother would look at them with so much love, you'd know there was no way in hell she was reserved because she was abandoning them.

Finally, the bell rang, and it woke her from her thoughts, and Bee was happy she hadn't cried as she gathered her things and moved to duck from the room, wanting to get to the bathroom.

The good thing about a bottle of vodka was, not only did it make her emotionally numb, but magically as well, and she had a water bottle filled with the clear liquid for that exact purpose calling her name in her back. She wouldn't be able to hurt anyone, and they wouldn't be able to hurt her. She had ten minutes to get herself buzzed and get to her next class.

However, the guy that had been sitting next to her was in her way and looking at her like a science project he could pick apart.ā€œSo miss lady, you canā€™t be having funā€¦and I know you said you donā€™t need a tour guide, but what do you say to a cigarette behind the school?ā€ He asked and she raised a brow. Did he think she was stupid? He was either going to get her alone so he could see if he could get any good gossip on her, or he was leading her into some prank. Probably something stupid too, like an egging. All human teenage pranks were stupid.

Nothing as spectacular as she could do, that was for sure. ā€œJust me and you.ā€ He said and she looked him over carefully, trying to figure out if he was sincere or not. He probably wasn't, she knew that. No one wanted to spend time with her unless they were going to run off and tell their friends about it twenty minutes later. Her power had a strange allure to it, but it was also tinged with darkness and that tended to repel people. ā€œPromise I wonā€™t bite.ā€

Bella sighed, unable to believe she was going to go along with it, but, if he was sincere, she could really use a cigarette. "Alright." She said, eyes on his. "But I swear to god, if this is some dumb prank, I'll fuck you up." She gestured to the door. "Lead the way, tourguide." She said with a smirk.




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Ryder was seconds from telling Madi she better shut up before he shut her up, because she was acting like a rude bitch to this girl who she didn't even know, talking about her like she wasn't there and calling her a freak. However, the new girl beat him to it. ā€œI may be a freak but at least Iā€™m not a slut.ā€ She spat and Ryder had to stifle a laugh as he raised his eyebrows. Ah shit, that was a good one, and Madi would be pissed at him later for smirking, but he couldn't help it. Anyone who made fun of Madeline was a friend of his, and the fact that she'd so bluntly called her out made her twenty times more attractive. If that were possible.

ā€œNow I know why he locks himself away.ā€ The girl said, and he raised an eyebrow, wondering what she meant by that, though it wasn't exactly directed at him or Madeline, it was more of a personal comment, so he ignored it.

He watched as she turned to get in her car, looking pissed, and Ryder couldn't blame her. "You should really learn to put a muzzle on your bitch.ā€ She said, and this time Ryder did laugh, earning him a dirty look from Madi.

She lunged forward, like she was going to say something, but he just pushed her back effortlessly. "She's not my bitch anymore." He said to the girl, and he could practically feel Madi seething from where he held her back. "She was my brother's before he died." He shrugged and looked at Madeline, like he was considering something, before looking back at the girl with a smirk. "But thank you, I'll consider your feedback."

At this point, Madeline looked utterly outraged and Ryder simply chuckled and rolled his eyes, calling Roody over from where he was still standing in the garage doorway to drag Madi back inside before she did any further damage.

Finally, he turned back to the girl, who was in her convertable, but he didn't step back. Actually, he stepped closer to the vehicle, looking down at her with a smirk. "Sorry about her. She can be a real bitch." He said with a shrug. "But, hey, you still going to that coffee shop? Maybe we could carpool?" He smiled his charming smile that had all the girls in Raven, and even some of the older women, pining after him. "If not it's cool, I just think anyone who can piss Madi off like that is worth having a cup of coffee with." He shrugged. "I'll even pay."

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"She's not my bitch anymore. She was my brother's before he died." Ember rolled her eyes as she got into her car she was scared if she stayed there any longer all of them would get hurt. "But thank you, I'll consider your feedback."

She wasnā€™t mad at what the girl had said because, he couldnā€™t count how many times sheā€™d been called a freak or something ten times worse. Freak was among the nicer things people called her and Belle. It was the simple fact that she hadnā€™t been decent enough to wait till she left or at least whisper about her. No matter where her and her sister went they were always the center of attention in a bad way and she hated it. She put her keys in the ignition, starting the car.


"Sorry about her. She can be a real bitch." he said bring her from her thoughts "But, hey, you still going to that coffee shop? Maybe we could carpool?" she glanced up to him realizing for the first time how close her had gotten "If not it's cool, I just think anyone who can piss Madi off like that is worth having a cup of coffee with." she sighed, she wasnā€™t exactly wanting company, plus getting involved with a human even for something as simple as a cup of coffee, was not a good idea "I'll even pay."

She looked away for a second, she should say no, but at the same time, he was the only person whoā€™d treated her normally in years. She glanced back to him with a smirk, gesturing with a simple side nod of her head for him to get into the passenger side. She tossed her hat to the back seat, as soon as he was in the car, she backed up and peeled out of the parking lot heading further into the small town.

She didnā€™t talk to him, mostly because she rarely ever talked to anyone but her mother or her sister. She wasnā€™t awkward, there was no possible way a witch could be awkward, they were too alluring and beautiful. She drove faster than the speed limit as if she wasnā€™t worried about cops, like she owned the road.

She finally pulled into the parking lot of the small coffee shop, getting out of the car pulling her long dark hair to her side glancing to him with a wicked smirk.

ā€œNo questions about him. No questions about me or where I came from.ā€ She said crossing her arms in front of him ā€œThe less we talk the better.ā€ She said coldly although she didnā€™t really mean it, that way, it was just how she was use to talking to anyone that wasnā€™t Belle or her God-father.




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He waited patiently for her answer as if he had nothing better to do. He fixed the strap of his backpack, securing it on his should, as he lend against his desk cooly. Finally she sighed and he already knew that meant yes, causing him to smirk.

"Alright. But I swear to god, if this is some dumb prank, I'll fuck you up." she said gesturing to the door and he wanted to ask why she thought it would be a prank or more importantly why he looked like that kind of guy, but he figured it be best if he just kept his thoughts to himself for now. "Lead the way, tourguide." he nodded as he walked past her heading out the door.

He walked next to her through the halls of their school, earning looks from everyone, but he could care less what anyone thought about her or him, make that clear as he flipped of the jocks as he passed them, causing a few of the cheerleaders including Savannah to gasp. He knew heā€™d get shit for immediately befriending the freaky new girl, but the only made hanging out with her that much better.

He led her out the back doors of the school, holding them open for her and making a gesture that said after you, before glancing back to where Savannah and all the rest of the popular kids that used to be his friends stood shocked, shooting them a cocky smirk.

The two of them walked past the football field and around the back, to an empty parking lot, where a few other leather jacket, pierced, punk looking misfits were gather. There were four of them who nodded casually to Mitch as they saw him.

They were Mitchā€™s new group of friends, other kids from fucked up, shitty homes, who didnā€™t care who you were or what brand of cloths you wore, they liked you for who you for the misfit you were.

ā€œOkay so I lied.ā€ He smirked ā€œItā€™s not just the two of us.ā€ He shrugged as if it was no big deal.

ā€œAlready harassing the new girl, Scully?ā€ one of the guys smirked.

Mitch rolled his eyes, stopping in front of the group of four, grabbing the back of cigarettes and lighter from the guy, before sipping his beer. He lit a cigarette for himself before passing the pack to Bella as he took a swig from the beer.

ā€œFuck you.ā€ He spat before taking a long drag off the cigarette and blowing the smoke out in perfectly practiced Oā€™s He glanced to Bellatrix ā€œThe ass hole who supplied our cigarettes is Tommyā€¦ā€ he gestured to the guy whoā€™d said he was harassing Bella ā€œThen you got Derrick, Tony, and Rus.ā€ He said gesturing to three other guys who looked like they stepped straight out of grease.

He paused for a moment to take another drink from the beer before he glanced to a strikingly, beautiful girl, with black hair and piercing silver-blue eyes, gothed, like sheā€™d gone shopping in Decemberā€™s closet.

ā€œAnd, that hot little number there is Aurora, but don ā€˜t be fooled sheā€™s nothing like sleeping beauty.ā€ He smirked wickedly as the girl flashed him the finger. ā€œSheā€™s the only girl in this whole damn school whoā€™s rejected me.ā€ He sighed as if it really hurt him.

ā€œFuck off Mitch.ā€ She spat before glancing to Bella with a smirk ā€œDonā€™t be fooled by him sweetheart. You should get out while you still can.ā€ She said bluntly to Bella, not at all bothered by the energy she felt or the rumors sheā€™d heard about the girl. ā€œAnd I swear to god Mitchellā€¦if you call me Aurora one more god damn time.ā€ She shook her head irritated

ā€œSorry itā€™s Rory, now.ā€ Mitch corrected rolling his eyes. ā€œAnywaysā€¦thanks for the pack.ā€ He said flashing Tommy the pack of cigarette ā€œBut, I kind of promised her weā€™d be alone.ā€ He smirked as he grabbed Bellā€™s wrist pulling her away from his group of friends. ā€œSorry about them.ā€ He said once they were out of ear shot, realizing his wrist and offering her the rest of his beer.




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Bella sighed and followed him outside and around to the back of the school. They were in a mostly deserted parking lot, however there were a few kids hanging around. She looked at Mitch for a second, before back at the kids. They all looked like leather-clad delinquents. Not that she cared, she was the last person to judge based on appearance. But Mitch had told her it would be just the two of them.

ā€œOkay so I lied.ā€ He smirked and she rolled her eyes but didn't turn away like she probably should have. ā€œItā€™s not just the two of us.ā€ He shrugged and she was about to say something when one of the guys spoke up and she turned her attention on him.

ā€œAlready harassing the new girl, Scully?ā€ He smirked, and Bella sighed. She hated that label. "the new girl." Sure, it wasn't inaccurate or anything. She was the new girl, but she hated always being the new girl. She watched as Mitch swiped a pack of cigarettes from the guy before taking one and then handing it off to her. She smirked and lit herself one, inhaling deeply as she looked around at the group.

ā€œFuck you.ā€ Mitch spat back before turning his eyes back on her. ā€œThe ass hole who supplied our cigarettes is Tommyā€¦ā€ He introduced and she nodded at him, but didn't say anything as she exhaled a cloud of smoke. ā€œThen you got Derrick, Tony, and Rus.ā€ He said gesturing to the other guys.

She watched as he paused for a minute to take a swig of his beer before going back to introducing her to the last person in the group. An extremely pretty gothically dressed girl with dark hair and bright eyes.

ā€œAnd, that hot little number there is Aurora, but don ā€˜t be fooled sheā€™s nothing like sleeping beauty.ā€ He smirked at the girl as she flicked him off, and Bella raised her eyebrows and took a drag off her cigarette, glancing between the two. ā€œSheā€™s the only girl in this whole damn school whoā€™s rejected me.ā€ Belle had to keep herself from scoffing out loud and saying something bitter and sarcastic. So he was that kind of guy? The kind that's gotten with the school's entire female population?

ā€œFuck off Mitch.ā€ The girl spat quickly. ā€œDonā€™t be fooled by him sweetheart. You should get out while you still can. And I swear to god Mitchellā€¦if you call me Aurora one more god damn time.ā€ She smirked.

ā€œSorry itā€™s Rory, now.ā€ Mitch corrected before thanking his friend for the pack of cigarettes. He stepped forward and grabbed her wrist to pull her away. It was a simple touch, nothing intimate, but his fingers on her skin caused a strange tingling sensation that almost made her yank away from him.

However, she didn't want to have to explain to everyone there why she'd suddenly pulled away like a freak, so she let him pull her. ā€œSorry about them.ā€ He said after they were out of earshot and he released her wrist.

She sighed and shrugged, choosing to pretend she'd imagined the feeling. "Nah, don't apologize, I like them." She said simply as she took a drag off her cigarette and ignored his offer for the beer and, instead, reached into her bag and pulled out her vodka-filled water bottle, taking a drink.




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Ryder smirked back at her when she gave him a nod to get in and went quickly around to the passenger side, hopping in before she had the chance to change her mind, seeing as she seemed rather reluctant. However, she didn't kick him out, merely took off and he smirked at her. She liked to drive fast. In a small town like theirs, some cop who thought he was the FBI was bound to pull them over.

But strangely, no one did, and moments later, they pulled to a stop in the parking lot of the coffee shop. ā€œNo questions about him. No questions about me or where I came from.ā€ She said as he raised a brow and got out of the car, watching her. ā€œThe less we talk the better.ā€

Ryder chuckled and sighed. "Alright, we wont talk about you." He shrugged, though he was dying to know more about her, he didn't want to piss her off. "We'll just get coffee and sit there in awkward silence." He laughed and rolled his eyes before heading into the shop.

The cashier, a young blonde who's younger sister was friends with his sister grinned when she saw them. "Hi Ryder!" She piped, like seeing him was the highlight of her day. "How are things at the garage, and with your sister?" She asked nicely.

Ryder chuckled. "The garage is running the same way it always has. By the skin of my teeth." He said with a shrug. "And Milly's not doing great, but so far, she doesn't seem to be getting worse." He sighed, not really wanting to talk about his sister, in the New Orleans hospital with cancer. The same sickness that took the woman he'd wanted to marry, not too long ago.

"Well I hope she gets better, Ava really loves her." She said, referring to her younger sister. "We all do, and we pray for her every Sunday at church." He just shrugged and she seemed to understand that was the end of the conversation, so she smiled. "So just your usual black coffee?" Ryder shook his head and smirked.

"Nah, actually, I have a guest today." He smiled charmingly, glancing back at December. "What would you like?"

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"Alright, we wonā€™t talk about you. We'll just get coffee and sit there in awkward silence." she couldnā€™t help but smirk.

She followed him into the coffee shop, it was small, dark, and exactly what youā€™d expect from a small town. She didnā€™t mine it though, sheā€™d rather be in a small town then a big city. Casterā€™s tended to stick to big cities as opposed to small town like Raven.

"Hi Ryder!" a peppy voice sounded from the register, bringing December from her thoughts.

But, she was only able to catch the very beginning of their conversation, before her attention was pulled away from Ryder and the cashier to the black snake with ruby red eyes the slithered across the floor.

She fought back a shiver as it slithered across her boots, nearly blending into the blackness of her shoes. She struggled to keep her breathing under control as everything around her disappeared suddenly.

She knew what was happening and yet she couldnā€™t stop it, her reality and dreams were colliding, because she hadnā€™t slept for days and it was all catching up with her. Normally she could keep her nightmares separate from reality, sheā€™d spent her whole life keeping the two of them separate, that was the only reason she could help Belle control her own visions. But, everything had gotten increasingly worse since sheā€™d gotten to Raven.

ā€œJust give in Ember. Your only hurting yourself, by refusing to sleep.ā€ The voice was eerie and she couldnā€™t fight the shiver that the voice provoked, it was Peirce, the palm of her hand was on fire. He was always trying to get her to give into her nightmares, because he knew if anything could turn her to the dark side itā€™d be the contents of her dreams.

She glanced up to see that she was standing in the center of a circle made up primarily of guys, their eyes were blacker then her hair and their faces were frighteningly distorted, they would be terrifying to any normal person and could easily drive them to insanity, but they didnā€™t faze Emmie, because sheā€™d seen them so many times.

She knew she was slipping further and further into an unconscious state and she knew any moment, sheā€™d be pass out in the middle of the coffee shop, everyone would start freaking out and theyā€™d call the ambulance and sheā€™d be stuck inside her head for the next twelve hours, it had happened before.

And once she was as far gone as she was at the very moment, there was no pulling her out of it, if you tried waking her up, it risked her using her more dangerous magic, without being able to control it. But, no one short of her father had ever been able to pull her from her from slipping into her unconscious, brutal nightmares.

The hands of the demonic looking people around her reached out gripping her tightly as if they were getting ready to pull her down to the darkest depths of hell and she braced herself for it because it was something that happened often, she fought back tears, because the things she saw made her physically sick, the things that happened to her were more terrifying than any black magic caster.

But despite the adrenaline that pump through her veins from the fear that took over her body, her facial expression and body language remained unchanged as if nothing that was happening to her fazed. She wasnā€™t sure how sheā€™d always managed to stay strong and keep her fear hidden, but she was grateful she did.

The floor opened up underneath her and she could literally feel the heat on her skin, like she was standing right next to a fire. Out of the corner of her eye Peirce stood with a smirk, he was the only person on the face of the planet, human world and her world that knew what she saw in her dreams, heā€™d been in and out of her nightmares ever since sheā€™d met him and she blamed him for them getting worse. She closed her eyes, seconds away from collapsing on the floor in front of everyone in the coffee shop.

"What would you like?" his voice cut through the darkness and the demonic humans that were seconds from pulling her into the darkness of her hellish nightmares, let out a screech as if they were just sprayed with holy water. It was a haunting sound that caused her to tremble.

She glanced to Peirce, who was completely shocked himself as if he didnā€™t think it was possible. He looked to before glancing to where Ryder would be, then back to her, like her was trying to figure out how the guy had managed to break through and pull her out.

The snake, Peirce, the demons, and everything else vanished into a haze and the coffee shop quickly came back into focus around her and it was time had slowed and it all caught back up to speed. Air filled her lungs at a fast rate and she had to control herself from gasping for it like she normally would.

Heā€™d brought her back, just his voice had saved her from slipping away into her own personal hell for however long she was stuck there, until her body allowed her to wake up. Her father was the only other person that had ever been able to bring her out of it without there being any dangerous consequences. Her mother was always terrified of her condition and Belleā€™s for that matter. Bella on the on the other hand was normally the one to warning people not to wake her up or to just let her sleep, because she knew it was dangerous to try and pull her out of it or wake her up.

She wondered for a brief moment if her was the light caster that was sent to convince her to come to the light side, but she knew that wasnā€™t the case because her hand didnā€™t burn and he didnā€™t have the aura of a witch, he was human.

She knew she looked surprised, but she quickly whipped the look of her face and returned her normal bored, bitchy expression. She sighed hoping and praying neither of them would ask questions, because she knew even though she was hiding it fairly well she looked a little shell shocked and a little out of breath.

ā€œThe strongest thing you have.ā€ She finally said looking to the girl ā€œIā€™ll find us a seat.ā€ She said glancing to him for a second before heading to an empty seat towards the back.




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Mitch felt a small buzz of energy between them when his skin was touching hers, but he ignored it and quickly pushed it from his thoughts, when he released her. He knew when sheā€™d walked into class there was something between them, he could just feel the energy.

But, he wasnā€™t willing to admit that he didnā€™t know if heā€™d ever admit it simply because, he didnā€™t want to be let down if he was only imagining it. He was the type of guy who didnā€™t let anyone in or let anyone love him, even his own mother had a problem getting through to him.

""Nah, don't apologize, I like them."" she said pulling him from his thoughts reminding him that heā€™d apologized for his friends.

ā€œYeah thatā€™s cause you donā€™t know them.ā€ He smirked.

He sat down, watching as she took a drink from her water bottle and he wasnā€™t stupid he was well aware it wasnā€™t water. It was a trick most the kids used, but they normally couldnā€™t handle their liquor well enough to hide it so they were always getting caught.

ā€œYou like the hard stuff huh.ā€ He smirked wickedly ā€œAny friend of Vodka is a friend of mine.ā€ He said casually as he finished his cigarette.

He tried his best not to look at her, but it was a little hard considering she was naturally alluring and she was so different. She was very quickly become his new muse. He had the urge to ask if sheā€™d mind if he sketched her right there, but he decided against it. Then sheā€™d think he was some kind of freak.

Thunder sounded overhead, followed by a bright blue strike of lightning overhead. He ran his finger through his hair, as the bell warning them that break was over followed the sound of the thunder. He wasnā€™t planning on going back, he didnā€™t want to sit through four more classes with Savannah and her friends.

ā€œThere blaming the weather on you and your sister.ā€ He rolled his eyes as he flicked his cigarette away casually, not bothering to get up making it obvious he wasnā€™t going back to class. ā€œSeeing as according to locals we havenā€™t had lighting her in sixteen years.ā€ He shrugged

He pulled the pack of cigarettes out lighting another one and taking a long drag. Thinking about it now it was true, heā€™d never seen lighting as long as heā€™d lived in Raven, which he always found a bit weird, but it had been almost every other day for the past week. He glanced back to her, with a wicked smirk.

ā€œWhatā€™s the deal with you and your sister?ā€ he asked casually not bothering to be polite, being blunt like he normally was. ā€œI mean itā€™s none of my business.ā€ He shrugged as thunder rumbled loudly above them silencing the second late bell.




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Character Portrait: Bellatrix Valentine Character Portrait: December Valentine Character Portrait: Mitchell Sullivan Character Portrait: Corey Ryder
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ā€œYeah thatā€™s cause you donā€™t know them.ā€ He smirked and she watched him. She wasn't exactly used to people treating her like a person instead of a freak show, so she was still having a hard time believing he merely wanted to talk and smoke. He had to have some sort of motive. Problem was, she wasn't sure what it was.

ā€œYou like the hard stuff huh.ā€ He smirked and she realized he was talking about her bottle. ā€œAny friend of Vodka is a friend of mine.ā€ He said casually, causing her to merely shrug. It wasn't like she could tell him why she liked hard liquor. Because it kept horrible visions and hallucinations from creeping up on her. Or because it kept her from snapping and hurting someone with her magic. And she sure as hell wasn't going to look weak and tell him it would also loosen up her nerves and relieve the stress of being "the new girl" again.

Thunder crashed loudly suddenly, making her jump as she looked up at the sky. A bright blue bolt of lightning cracked it's way across the sky, and black, ominous clouds were rolling in at an unusual rate, tumbling over each other like they wanted to be the first to arrive at the small town.

The sight made her heart beat pick up. Was it an illusion. Had Mitch heard that lighting? She was always wary and unsure of weather because it could be a sign, or a reflection of her emotions, meaning it wasn't always real. Sometimes, when really worked up, her inner turmoil turned itself into the physical form of a storm, and sometimes it was all in her head. Was she just seeing those clouds, or were they really there? That was what was so confusing about her power. Sometimes, it had the ability to actually manifest something, and other times, it was all in her head, and the tricky part was figuring out which was which.

Bella's breathing picked up as fear filled her suddenly and she took a long drink from her bottle to hide it. One of her hands touched her bag at her side, and she was contemplating pulling out her camera, just to be sure, but then Mitch spoke up and he made her turn her eyes to him and off the storm, though it was hard.

ā€œThey're blaming the weather on you and your sister.ā€ He said casually, and she was glad he hadn't noticed her freaking out as she pulled her hand away from her bag and took a drag off her cigarette, relaxing. So he could see the storm too. It wasn't just her, it was really there. But had she created it? What about Ember? Had she done it? It was probably both. Their power seemed to be stronger when they were both feeling the same emotions. ā€œSeeing as according to locals we havenā€™t had lighting her in sixteen years.ā€ That was interesting. So it probably was her or December, or both of them. It wasn't a natural storm anyway, but at least it wasn't in her head.

Trix watched as he lit another cigarette as the bell rang, and she glanced back at the building. She had absolutely no desire to go back, and was actually contemplating skipping the rest of the week. Her god-father would understand if she told him she just wasn't ready yet, wouldn't he? If she promised to try again next week, maybe she could delay it.

ā€œWhatā€™s the deal with you and your sister?ā€ Mitch asked and she turned back around to look at him, narrowing her eyes. It was clear he didn't want to go back inside either, but did that mean she wanted to stay outside and listen to his questions? She could go back in and get battered by classmates, or stay outside and deal with his curiosity. ā€œI mean itā€™s none of my business.ā€

"You're right." She said simply. "It's not." Her instant reaction was to shut down, so that's what she'd done. "I don't know what you mean by whats up with us. There's nothing up with us." She rolled her eyes. "We moved here because our mom died. That simple." She hadn't meant to say anything about her mom so she shut up and took a drink from her vodka, she was too worked up and, as she finished, a bolt of lighting hit the roof of the school behind her. She didn't need to turn to see it. She could feel it. "Looks like you're lucky." She said, eyes on him. "Power at the school's probably out for the rest of the day." Just then, the clouds finished their race, opened up, and let loose their heavy load of rain.




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The girl's eyes didn't seemed to be focused. She was looking at him, but it was like she was elsewhere in her mind. Silently, he wondered what she was thinking about, but he didn't say anything. The moment lasted only a split second anyway before her eyes refocused on him and he smiled at her.

Only she was looking at him with an utterly shocked expression. Like she was surprised to find herself standing there, in the coffee shop with him, even though she'd just driven them there. Then her expression changed once again, and her surprise disappeared, going back to the sarcastic, closed off expression she'd had before.

ā€œThe strongest thing you have.ā€ She finally said and the girl at the counter nodded and typed something into the cash register. ā€œIā€™ll find us a seat.ā€ Then she walked off to the back of the shop where it was darker to find them a table.

"She's one of those Valentine sisters isn't she?" The woman asked him, voice low, looking at him with shock and he sighed, not liking the way everyone was shutting the girl out so easily. "She's really pretty. What's she like?"

Ryder smiled at her. She was the older sister of his little sister's best friend, and an extremely sweet girl, so there was no judgemental tone in her voice, only pure curiosity, and honesty when she said she was pretty. "I'm not sure, we've only said a few words." He shrugged. "But yeah, you're right. She's more than just pretty." He smiled and she smiled back. "Now get on those coffees." He said with a chuckle, and she jumped, as though she suddenly remembered she worked in a coffee shop, and started fixing their things.

Ryder waited, grabbed the coffees, and headed back to the girl, placing hers on the table and taking a sip of his before sitting down. "Best coffee in Raven." He smirked. "Of course, it's the only coffee shop in Raven, so we small-town folk don't really know any better." She said, talking as if he'd never left.

"I know I said we wouldn't talk about you." He smirked, looking her over. "But can i maybe get a name? You know mine. It's only fair."

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She sat at the table glancing out the window, the weather had suddenly changed dark clouds hung overhead, while lightning spider webbed across the sky, and thunder was barely audible in the distance. She knew exactly what had caused it, the weathers sudden change.

The fact that she knew no matter what was happening, Bella wasnā€™t happy about having to go to school anyone knew that, so she was more than likely in a bad mood. Mixed with the fact that her nightmares had come to claim her while she was still awake was grounds for a massive storm caused by their emotions.

"Best coffee in Raven. Of course, it's the only coffee shop in Raven, so we small-town folk don't really know any better." he said setting her coffee down, before taking a sip of his and joining her.

His voice was calming, she glanced to him with a softer look on her face this time, not that she was trying to be nicer to him but simply because she could no longer find the energy to look bitchy after what had just happened. She glanced to her, feeling a burning where a hand print was and she quickly moved her arm to her lap, to keep him from seeing the hand print. Her nightmare had come way too close to her reality.

"I know I said we wouldn't talk about you. But can I maybe get a name? You know mine. It's only fair." He said causing her to glance back to him and sigh as she ran her fingers through her long hair, debating on whether or not she wanted him to know her name.

She let silence fall between them for a moment as she glanced back down to her arm, watching as the brownish red hand print, slowly faded until it was completely gone. She grabbed her coffee taking a sip. It was stronger than she accepted, but she didnā€™t mind, she needed it.

ā€œDecember.ā€ She finally said ā€œBut, you can call me Dess or Dessie. Just please donā€™t call me December.ā€ She said plainly as she looked at him with a serious expression, before taking another sip of her coffee. ā€œAnd, I actually donā€™t know your name.ā€ she said glancing to him rising a brow. ā€œIf Iā€™m not Mistaken Ryder is your last name, unless of course you were vein enough to name your auto shop after yourself.ā€ She said flatly, crossing her arms in front of her.

She glanced back out the widow, just in time to see a lightning bolt strike down just outside, the lights inside the coffee shop, started to flicker, before completely going out as the rain started to fall outside.




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"You're right. It's not." she said and her tone didnā€™t faze him, he just shrugged "I don't know what you mean by whats up with us. There's nothing up with us." he glanced to her taking a drag of his cigarette, he could tell she was getting defensive "We moved here because our mom died. That simple." he sighed he knew heā€™d crossed boundaries, he really hadnā€™t meant to, his attention was taken from her as he watched a bolt of lightning hit the school "Looks like you're lucky. Power at the school's probably out for the rest of the day."

He smirked because he knew she was right and any second theyā€™d excuse the school due to no power and the weather, mostly because the town was so superstitious. He smirked at the thought, theyā€™d all think it was some kind of curse of something along those lines.

ā€œI said it was none of my business.ā€ He said raising a brow as he stood up tossing his empty beer bottle not at all bothered by the rain ā€œSimple, fuck off would have sufficed.ā€ He smirked ā€œThatā€™s what I would have said.ā€ He said.

He paused as the principle came over the loud speaker, saying how school would be excused for the rest of the day, due to no power and the sudden storm. He glanced back to Bellatrix with a wicked smirk.

ā€œI always get what I want.ā€ He said with a casual shrug ā€œSeeing as we have the rest of the day offā€¦you want a ride home?ā€ he asked gesturing to the only motorcycle in the whole lot.



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Bellatrix watched him smirk, and she sighed and finished off her bottle of vodka, flicking her cigarette away as the rain started to soak through the velvet of her dress. She looked at her bottle for a second. Had she really drunk the whole thing? She hadn't meant to. She glanced at Mitch before tossing the empty bottle in her bag. Great. The last thing she needed was to be tipsy.

ā€œI said it was none of my business.ā€ He said making her roll her eyes and cross her arms in front of her, shivering slightly as the rain started to drip from her hair and run down her back. ā€œSimple, fuck off would have sufficed. Thatā€™s what I would have said.ā€ He said. And Belle had to fight the urge to scoff. He was irritating as hell, and yet he was the only person who didn't seem fazed by the weird aura she knew he could feel. Was he just ignoring it? Or did he not care? Or worse.

What if he was attracted to it?

Shit. The last thing she needed was to attract a human. She didn't even want Aiden and Benji following her around, and they were Casters. If someone in the witch world found out she was letting a human trail her, she'd be in huge trouble. Especially by those who wanted her to choose the Light, because humans were just trouble. They were an emotional, violent race.

However, it was stupid to think that way so soon. She was having one conversation with him, and then, for the rest of the year, she decided she'd ignore him. Even if he was treating her better than most humans, she just didn't have time for friends in her life. Her mother would tell her that. She'd tell her friends would just drag her down and what she needed to focus on was her magic, and doing her best to choose, or get claimed by, what was in her heart. ā€œI always get what I want.ā€ He said and she raised her eyebrow. Was he talking about school being out, or something else? ā€œSeeing as we have the rest of the day offā€¦you want a ride home?ā€

He gestured, and she followed his hand. Shit. Of course he had to be the only guy in the school with a motorcycle. She glanced down the rows of pick-up trucks to her red Camaro, glittering in the rain. But did she really want to drive? She had had a whole bottle of vodka.

But was that just an excuse to get on the back of a bike with him?

What? Why was she even thinking about that? Bellatrix looked at the bike. She'd have to ride close to him. Absentmindedly, she rubbed her wrist where he'd grabbed her earlier, wondering what it'd be like to ride with him, soaking wet on his motorcycle, but also wondering why the thought made her stomach flip nervously. "Uhm." She said, not sure before shaking herself.

"No, I probably shouldn't leave my car here... My go-father just bought it, he'd be pissed." She lied before looking at him and turning, starting to walk away, but she found it a little dizzying to walk so she only got a few feet. Maybe it was the vodka, or maybe it was the way her nerves were all messed up, she wasn't sure, but she sighed and turned back around. "Actually, fine. But only because I don't want to drive after drinking." It was a lie, she knew that. She wasn't trashed, she'd easily get herself home, but for some reason, she really wanted him to take her home, even if he'd just been irritating the shit out of her seconds ago. Bella bit her lip, watching him.




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Silence fell between them but he didn't mind, merely took drinks from his coffee, liking the way it woke him up and let him focus on her, getting his mind off Madi. She was the last thing he needed on top of running the shop, struggling to scrape together to pay, both for Milly's medical bills, and the gas it took to get back and forth between Raven and New Orleans all the time to see her. This girl was a good distraction from that. She was strangely alluring, and wanting to know more about her seemed to take up every spot in his mind, so he really couldn't focus on anything but her.

Outside, a storm seemed to be coming in and he sighed. They'd been rolling in that way every day for the past week. The whole town was flipping out about it, and most of the older members, as well as the "high class" rich folk believed it had to do with the Valentine's moving in. It was ridiculous. Two girls couldn't cause sudden lightning storms, it didn't make sense.

Sure, he could understand their apprehension, the town didn't take too well to outsiders. Especially ones with far more money than they had, who were the relatives of the man who could, potentially, shut down all their businesses and sell their homes in the blink of an eye.

He could even understand some of the superstition. Really, the man had lived inside for years and never come out. Never said a word. His house was ancient, and no one was really sure how much money he had, though it was pretty widely accepted that he was loaded. Not to mention that the girls both dressed in all black and rarely left the house as well, and then there was just standing near them. It was enticing and nerve-wrecking all at the same time for some reason. They had an air of mystery about them that, while he found it interesting, others might find it frightening. So sure, some of the superstition made sense.

But going so far as to blame weather phenomena on them? And to treat them like satanic devil worshipers?

That was where he drew the line. They may be mysterious, but they weren't demonic. ā€œDecember.ā€ She finally said, breaking his thoughts and he smiled. It was an unusual name, but he liked it. ā€œBut, you can call me Dess or Dessie. Just please donā€™t call me December.ā€ He shrugged and took a drink of his coffee at the same time she did hers. ā€œAnd, I actually donā€™t know your name. If Iā€™m not Mistaken Ryder is your last name, unless of course you were vein enough to name your auto shop after yourself.ā€ She said flatly, crossing her arms in front of her.

A lighting bolt flashed outside just then, causing the power to flicker before going out completely, and he chuckled and reached his hand forward on the table just slightly to touch hers, not sure why, but feeling the need to let her know he was still there in the darkness. "December's a nice name." He said with a smile he knew she couldn't see. "But I won't call you that if you don't want to be called that." He was a little distracted, because his hand touching hers was tingling, and it made him want to grab her more firmly and pull her close so he pulled away again and leaned back. "But you're right." People in the place were grumbling and shuffling to grab their coffee's and leave, but Ryder stayed where he was. "Ryder's my last name. The shop was my father's, then my brother's, and now mine." He shrugged and took a drink. "My first name's Corey, but I was telling the truth why I said you already knew my name, because I prefer to go by Ryder."

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He lend forward and for the first time since sheā€™d meet him, she could feel the heat between them. It was normal, she knew that, but the better part of her ignored it, until his hand touched hers. She was glad that both their faces were consumed by the shadows, because she was shocked at the way his skin felt on hers, she wanted to pull away, but she couldnā€™t bring herself to do it.

"December's a nice name. But I won't call you that if you don't want to be called that." she could hear what he was saying, but she wasnā€™t paying much attention, because all she felt was the tingling of his skin on hers it made no sense "But you're right." he finally lend back in his chair pulling his hand away and she sighed, relived. "Ryder's my last name. The shop was my father's, then my brother's, and now mine." she finally focused on his words again, instantly trying her best to forget about what sheā€™d just felt. "My first name's Corey, but I was telling the truth why I said you already knew my name, because I prefer to go by Ryder."

She let the sound of people gathering their things and shuffling out into the rain fall between them for a brief moment and she debated, getting up and leaving him there, alone. But, she just sighed as she took another sip of her coffee.

Sheā€™d never actually had a real conversation with a human, because sheā€™d always avoided them. They hated her and her family so she hated them. But, she was finding it rather hard to hate Ryder. Due to the fact heā€™d pulled her from falling into the only thing she truly feared and the calming affect he had on her.

She moved her hands under the table waving them slowly across her lap, a motion that in the darkness no one could see, the light above them flicked back on. Though all the other lights were still out and the storm just outside seemed to be getting much worse. She glanced up to the light bulb above them before looking to him with a wicked, almost chilling smirk.

Lightning struck down right outside the window lighting up where they were sitting even more and causing the light above them to join the rest of the lights in darkness once again.

ā€œI can see why you prefer Ryder.ā€ She finally whispered in the darkness ā€œBut, what I donā€™t understand is why youā€™re being so nice.ā€ She whispered, because it was the truth. Something was seriously wrong with the situation.

He wasnā€™t bother by the eerie feeling that she knew everyone could feel, that was the whole reason everyone avoided them. He hadnā€™t judged her harshly or said something cruel about the way she dressed or looked, like everyone else did. Heā€™d pulled her out of her nightmare and she felt completely relaxed around him. Her mother had always told her humans couldnā€™t be trusted and she knew why. But, he was different and that scared her.

The only explanation was that someone had put him up to it, whether it be to get information about her and her sister or to get information about her god-father. She knew there had to be a catch and she felt stupid for not realizing it sooner.

ā€œThanks for the coffee, but I should really get going.ā€ She spat as she stood up, quickly making her way out into the rain, feeling extremely stupid and mad at herself, she should have just said no in the first place.

She ignored the rain as the clouds were practically pouring out buckets of water on her, causing her to be soaked with in seconds of stepping outside. Making her already tight cloths like a second layer of skin and, making her hair an even darker shade of black, although most didnā€™t think it was possible for her hair to be any darker. She hopped he wouldnā€™t follow her, but she had a feeling he would.




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"Uhm." she hesitated and he was expecting her to say no simply because theyā€™d just met and everyone was already telling her he was a bad influence. "No, I probably shouldn't leave my car here... My go-father just bought it, he'd be pissed." she said and he just shrugged as she turned around and started walking off.

He watched her for a moment before turning away his self-realizing that his brand new sketch pad with, with a brief sketch of her was probably destroyed from the rain and the thought irritated him as he headed towards his bike.

"Actually, fine. But only because I don't want to drive after drinking." Her voice was a little hard to hear over the rain that had started to fall harder, but heā€™d heard what sheā€™d said causing him to smirk and he turned back to face her.

ā€œWell then letā€™s get out of here.ā€ He smirked

He walked over to her without thinking and interlocked his fingers with hers and immediately he felt the tingle from early and his heart sped up and even through the chill of the rain he could feel the heat between them, but he ignored it and simply smirked as he led her to his bike.

He finally let go of her hand as he threw his leg over making himself comfortable before gesturing for her to get on, just into for Savannah and all her little friends to see. He let out a laugh as they took off past them out of the parking lot

Even with Raven being small, Mr. Ravenbourneā€™s house was on the outskirts of town which took a good fifteen minutes to get to, though it was even longer in the rain. Finally they pulled up outside the gothic iron gate. The initials AR in Iron letters in the center. From the gate you couldnā€™t see the house, due to the trees that blocked the view and in all honesty Mitch had never actually been to The house and he could see why everyone thought it was so creepy.

He cut the engine of his bike, before putting the bike stand out and getting off, before helping Belle off, the rain had slowed to a sprinkle but the lightning and thunder was as violent as ever.

ā€œWell hereā€™s your stop. Iā€™d offer to drive you the rest of the way up, but Iā€™m not sure your old man would like that.ā€ He smirked.




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Character Portrait: Bellatrix Valentine Character Portrait: December Valentine Character Portrait: Mitchell Sullivan Character Portrait: Corey Ryder
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Trix watched as he turned back to face her and had to hold back an eye roll at the wicked smirk on his lips. ā€œWell then letā€™s get out of here.ā€

He walked over to her and interlocked her fingers. Instantly, her skin sparked and her heart beat sped up. So she hadn't been imagining it earlier. Just the simple touch of their fingers was making her whole body warm, despite the chill of the rain, and she had to struggle to get her feet to follow him instead of run the other way.

He lead her over to his bike and she watched as he pulled away and swung his leg over before gesturing for her to get on. Bella took a deep breath and nodded, climbing on behind him and wrapping her arms tightly around him.

The rain coming down was freezing and they were both soaked, but when she shivered, it wasn't out of cold. In fact, her whole body was hot, being so close to him and her skin was tingling. It was a sensation she'd never felt, but she liked it and she hated that.

Why did he have such an electrifying effect on her? He was only human.

Then again, he wasn't a normal human. That fact had made itself obvious when he hadn't shown a strange nervousness around her and, instead, had talked to her like she was a normal person.

She had to stay way from him. If she was having such a strong reaction to just wrapping her arms around him on the back of his motorcycle, he had to be trouble and she didn't need anymore trouble in her life. She just wanted to get through the next 85 days and get the hell out of there, whether she went Dark or Light.

Just then, the rest of the school let out and kids poured out to the parking lot. Mitch drove off, speeding right past Savannah and a here of cheerleaders, allowing Bell to see the jealousy in the girls eyes.

Fuck. It was bad enough the girl was a preachers daughter and was practically bred to hate her kind, but now she'd especially have it out for her because she was jealous that Mitch had given her attention. Had something happened between them? Was there still something between them?

Finally, he pulled up at the gates and cut the engine, climbing off before helping her off as well. ā€œWell hereā€™s your stop. Iā€™d offer to drive you the rest of the way up, but Iā€™m not sure your old man would like that.ā€ He said and she caught him looking at the house.

Bella smirked and glanced back at her new home before back to him again with a soft chuckle. "You're dying to see the inside aren't you?" She smirked wickedly as lighting struck a tree a few feet away, knowing all the humans in town had creepy rumors about the place.




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ā€œI can see why you prefer Ryder.ā€ She finally whispered and he nodded. Corey sounded like a boy's name while Ryder sounded like a man's. ā€œBut, what I donā€™t understand is why youā€™re being so nice.ā€ Ryder raised his eyebrows at that.

She was suspicious of him? He sighed. He supposed she had the right to be when nearly everyone else in town was either too stunned by her beauty to speak, or, those who had a voice, treated her rudely because of the mysterious aura about her and her family living up in the big plantation on the outskirts of town.

ā€œThanks for the coffee, but I should really get going.ā€ Ryder sighed as she spat at him a little more bitterly this time before standing and hurrying out into the rain. He rolled his eyes and stood following after her, grabbing her wrist before she got to her car, but not enough to hurt or really yank her, just enough to get her to stop and face him before quickly dropping it again. "You can't seriously tell me no one's ever been nice to you?" He said with a smirk as he looked at her. "There are decent people in the world you know." He chuckled. "We don't all have shady ulterior motives and we don't all judge based on appearance." He sighed.

"Look, if you don't want to talk to me, whatever I guess, but you're not going to make me walk back in the rain are you?" He said with a charming grin.

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Character Portrait: Bellatrix Valentine Character Portrait: December Valentine Character Portrait: Mitchell Sullivan Character Portrait: Corey Ryder
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She could feel him walking up behind her and she was just about to turn to him and yell at him to leave her alone. Only he grabbed her wrist before she had the chance and sparks of electricity ran through her entire body making her forget and before she knew it she was facing him.

"You can't seriously tell me no one's ever been nice to you?" he said releasing her with a smirk and she rolled her eyes.

The truth of it was, no one aside from their God-Father and their mother had ever truly treated them like they were normal. Humans were well humans. Scared of them just because of the energy they gave off and their world and all the Casterā€™s treated them as if they were simply a prize to be won. So in all serious it wasnā€™t an understatement when they said they werenā€™t treated nice.

"There are decent people in the world you know. We don't all have shady ulterior motives and we don't all judge based on appearance." he said pulling her from her thoughts and she found his words hard to believe. "Look, if you don't want to talk to me, whatever I guess, but you're not going to make me walk back in the rain are you?"

She looked away from him from, debating on whether or not she actually wanted to give him a ride. She could hear the honesty in his voice, but every bit of her somehow felt that a human being nice to her was too good to be true.

She sighed as she glanced back to him ā€œFine. Get in the car.ā€ She said tired of standing out in the rain that seemed to be letting up only as the lighting and thunder seem to grow angrier.

She pulled out of the parking lot, once again driving faster then she should in such a small town, but no one stopping them. She pulled into the parking lot of his shop, deciding to keep the engine running, letting him know she wasnā€™t staying. Despite the fact that she really didnā€™t want to let him out of her site, considering the fact he could chase away her nightmares.

But, there was no way in hell sheā€™d ever say that to him or admit that she actually needed a human around to feel at ease.




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Heā€™d never actually seen the house, because you couldnā€™t see the road, heā€™d driven by it a million times, but heā€™d never seen it. It was creepy that was for sure and it seemed to have a completely different feel then the rest of the town.

"You're dying to see the inside aren't you?" Bellaā€™s voice brought him from his thoughts and he glanced to her with a wicked smirk.

ā€œWho isnā€™tā€ he shrugged.

As far as he knew, aside from the Valentine sisterā€™s, the only people whoā€™d ever been inside old Mr. Ravenbourneā€™s house was his motherā€™s best friend or more commonly none as his nanny, Annika and the servents that worked for Mr. Ravenbourne, that came into town to run his errands, but never once talked about him.

Annika had mentioned it once or twice, but sheā€™d never gone into detail. He wondered why everyone including his Annika kept in such a big secret. He was just an old man, wasnā€™t he?

ā€œBut, I donā€™t exactly want to die.ā€ He said honestly ā€œI feel like if I find out what the big secret is, someone will have me assassinated.ā€ He chuckled, he was joking, yet a part of him was serious.

He sighed as he ran his fingers through his wet hair. He really should be heading to do his stupid ass community service. It would be completely asinine of him if he didnā€™t at least show up for his first day. But, he wanted to stay with Belle as long as she was willing to have him around. He didnā€™t know why he was so attracted to her, but it was a feeling he hadnā€™t felt in a long time.

ā€œBut, hey if finding out the secret and being murdered scores me more time with you, then why not?ā€ he smirked.




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Belle watched as his eyes looked at the house, seeming to be considering what she'd said. "Who isn't?" He said simply and she chuckled.

ā€œBut, I donā€™t exactly want to die.ā€ He said and she smirked. Would her god-father be pissed? He'd spent his entire life keeping people out, and her mother had always gotten pissed when she'd spent time with humans,so, odds were likely that he'd be mad, but he wouldn't kill him. ā€œI feel like if I find out what the big secret is, someone will have me assassinated.ā€ Belle laughed as he paused and seems to be thinking again. ā€œBut, hey if finding out the secret and being murdered scores me more time with you, then why not?ā€ He smirked and she rolled her eyes with a smirk as well.

She glanced at the house. She'd just told herself two seconds ago on his bike that she was going to stay away from him. Not only because of the way he made her feel, but because of the fact that she really didn't want to give Savannah any reason to hate her other then sheer religious beliefs.

Yet she turned and opened the gates, smirking at him over her shoulder. "The driveway'a short, so you can just walk your bike up." She shrugged as she went in, leaving it up to him to follow.

When she reached the door, she was surprised to see that he was still there and wasn't totally sure if that was a good thing or not. Please don't let Aiden or Benji be here. She thought to herself. Especially not Aiden.

Benji was a Light Caster, so he wouldng say anything, but the same didn't go with Aiden because, unlike the Light Casters, Black Magic Casters liked to flaunt their magic.

It was Black Magic Casters that had been causing the whole witch race trouble and giving them a bad name for ages.

She sighed and opened the door. Her god-father was in the kitchen, she could hear him, so he couldn't see her and she smirked and gestured for Mitch to be quick as she slipped in and went swiftly up the stairs to her room, knowing he wouldn't barge into her room without knocking.




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Ryder watched as she looked away and he knew he'd been right. No one had ever been nice to her. Or at least, treated her normally. ā€œFine. Get in the car.ā€ December finally said after a moment of thinking and he sighed and nodded, getting in.

She drive extremely fast again and, before he knew it, they were in the parking lot of his garage and she was looking at him expectantly, engine running. "Alright." He said with a smirk. "I won't bother you any longer."

Ryder didn't want to go back inside and deal with Roody or Madi, but he wasn't going to force her to spend time with him either. He got out, but held the door open so she couldn't speed away, bending over to look down at her.

He held her eyes a second before smirking. "If you ever decide the hermit life isn't for you and you get lonely up in that mansion, give me a call." He said with a chuckle. "I'm a good guy, I swear."

With that, he pulled away and closed the door, taking a step back from the car and watching her.