Chapter 2

Freya Rose

I stood in front of the bathroom mirror to check out what mess I was working with today.

“Urgh. You look like crap!” I said out loud to my reflection, and the cheeky bitch gave me a disgusted look in reply.

My eyes were so sore, so I pulled down my bottom eyelids to inspect them. They were usually bright blue in color and sparkled in the light. Today they were dull, bloodshot, and crudely cradled by large, dark gray bags. It looked like I had been crying all night. Or had been punched in the face by a gorilla.

I huffed and turned my attention to my usually neat and shiny, mousy brown hair.

“Wow!”

I raised my left eyebrow in shock and disgust. It looked like I'd been dragged through a hedge backwards. It was sticking up all over the place and was matted together too.

“You look like you've put your finger in a plug socket,” I mocked my reflection while I pointed my finger at her.

I quickly turned away from the devastation that was my reflection and locked my fingers together. I pushed out my palms, then lifted them above my head into a stretch. I was now prepared for the makeover task I had ahead of me. I clapped my hands together and cheered,

“Let's do this!”

I turned the shower on and waited for it to warm up. Once steam began floating up into the air, I pulled my t-shirt up and over my head, before throwing it towards the washing basket.

“Yes!” I roared with excitement.

I fist pumped the air in celebration, as I watched my t-shirt drop into the basket perfectly. Pulling my boxer-style underwear down, I threw them in there too.

“Meh,” I said with a shrug when my underwear hit the side of the basket, then hung on to the edge for dear life.

It's technically in, and that's good enough for me, I thought.

I walked across the bathroom and stepped into the shower. The warm water didn't hit my skin right away, instead it was soaking into the matted fuzz I now had instead of hair. I felt the weight of the water pushing my hair down, so I moved my hands over it and tried to flatten it down a bit. The water then flowed down my body and it felt incredible. Satisfied that my hair was wet enough, I grabbed the shampoo and began massaging it into my hair and scalp.

I stepped back under the shower to wash out all of the bubbles. The bubbles and water began to slither down my face and tickled my nose. I quickly rubbed my nose with my hand trying to subdue the itch. As my hand thrashed around itching my nose, I inadvertently pushed shampoo bubbles into my eyes.

“Damn it to hell!!” I screamed when my already sore eyes, began to sting and itch like.

I jumped up and down on my tippy toes while flapping my arms around. What this did to help, I had no idea. Although, I was sure that if anyone was watching, they would have had a laugh at the demented, naked, chicken dance I was currently doing.

I finally got my shit together, tilted my head back, and shoved my face under the stream of water. Gradually the stinging subsided, and I was able to open my eyes again. I sighed and shook my head as I thought to myself, I already can't wait for this day to be over.

I continued my shower and conditioned my hair. I worked it through with my fingers, making sure I got every little knot and tangle out. I left it in while I washed my body and shaved my ridiculously hairy legs and armpits. Sometimes, I just couldn't be bothered, so I let them grow wild. I finally washed out the conditioner and turned off the shower.

I got out of the shower and pulled a towel off the rail; I then flipped my head forwards and wrapped my hair up in it. I put another towel around my body and secured it in the middle of my chest. I walked back to the mirror and glanced at my more refreshed and pinker looking complexion.

“Now you look a bit more human,” I sniggered as I spoke to my reflection again.

I put some drops in my eyes to combat the redness, but with one eye now looking like I had a bad case of pink eye, I just sighed in defeat and left the bathroom to go and get dressed.

***

I pulled my closet door open and stood there contemplating what to wear under my graduation gown. I should have sorted an outfit out beforehand. My best friend Cassie had nagged me to do, but hey, I always leave things till the last minute, so why change now?

I let out a giggle and started pushing outfit after outfit aside, trying to find the perfect one. I was getting super-hot. So, I whipped the towel off of my head and shook out my long, wavy hair, letting it fall down to the middle of my back. I ran my hands through it and shook it out as I went.

“Ahhh!”

I jumped out of my skin when two large hands wrapped themselves around my waist and pulled me backwards. making me lose my footing. My back hit his hard chest and he automatically brought his face down into the crease of my neck. I was used to him sneaking up on me like that, but for some reason, I was on edge today and I couldn't shake a strange uneasy feeling. My body began to tremble.

Why do I feel like this?

“Baby?” Tristan asked me softly.

In an instant, my body reacted to his familiar voice and I relaxed slightly. It was as if my body had a mind of its own. My brain knew that the strong arms around my waist, and the breath that brushed my neck were my boyfriends. But it took a while for my body to get the memo.

I began to feel somewhat normal again, but my body froze in fear when he inhaled deeply, taking in my scent. Another wave of Deja vu washed over me and my heart pounded, while my mind filled with panic.

***

Tristan Cole

After checking on a few things at work, I jumped into the car and drove over to Freya's house. I pulled up and got out of the car, then walked towards the house. It was a small house in comparison to my own, but I loved being there, it always smelled like fresh coffee and it was so cozy and homely. I knocked on the door and patiently waited. I heard footsteps coming down the hallway towards me, then the door opened, and a warm smile greeted me.

“Good morning Tristan, don't you look handsome today,” Eleanor said sweetly.

“Thank you, Eleanor. You look lovely,” I replied politely. She blushed a little then said with a giggle,

“Thank you, Tristan. Flattery will get you everywhere.”

She turned around and began to walk back down the hallway. “Are you coming in?” She shouted back as she turned toward the kitchen.

I entered the house and closed the door behind me.

“Is Freya ready yet?”

“No, she's upstairs. You can go up if you like. Tell her to get a move on, or she won't have time for breakfast,” she shouted back through.

“Okay, I'll make sure she's down in a bit. She can't miss your breakfast it smells too delicious.”

I walked past the kitchen and began to climb the stairs. Her giggle echoed through the hallway as I reached the top of the stairs. I got to Freya's bedroom and gently pushed open the door. There she stood, wrapped in a crisp white towel, the absolute love of my life. I watched while she frantically pushed outfit after outfit aside. I sniggered knowing that she had left picking out an outfit for her graduation until the very last minute. She was always the same, always late, and always unprepared, but it was one of the cute little quirks that made me love her even more.

She suddenly took the towel off of her head and dropped it to the floor. Shaking out her gorgeous long brown hair, she began running her fingers through it. Her fingers slid effortlessly through the wet strands, making tiny water droplets roll down the soft skin on her arms. I couldn't resist the primal urge to capture her, so I crept forward as quietly as I could. I then slipped my hands around her waist and pulled her back into my arms.

“Ahhh!” She screamed as she stumbled back a little, slamming into my chest.

She always startled when I snuck up on her, but this time it felt different. As soon as her body began to tremble, I squeezed her tighter to try and calm her down. Her breathing was labored, and her heart was racing. She had never reacted to me like that before.

“Baby?” I spoke softly into her ear.

She let out a deep sigh of relief and I felt her body relax within seconds of hearing my voice.

What on earth is going on with her today? I thought as I leaned into the crease of her neck and inhaled deeply, taking in her delicious scent.