No mistakes!
I took in a few more gulps of air while the monster clawed angrily at my throat. He was so close to the edge that I was using all my concentration now to fight him back.
"So what did you do last night?" she asked, intrigued.
She instantly scared the monster back into the darkness with just the sound of her voice.
She's clever...but not clever enough, it was my turn to ask the questions - as I had made clear the day before. There were so many questions that were left unanswered and I had to know.
A smile broke across my face and I chuckled.
"Not a chance. It's my day to ask questions," I said enthusiastically.
"Oh, that's right. What do you want to know?" her forehead creased.
What was going on in her mind? She looked worried and I almost reached out to press my finger in between her eyebrows to smooth out the worry lines.
Keep it simple, light.
"What's your favorite color?"
That was simple enough.
She rolled her eyes.
Maybe too simple.
"It changes from day to day," she smiled.
I knew I was going to have to drag everything out of her, no surprise there.
"What's your favorite color today?" I asked gruffly.
"Probably brown," she said, looking down at her brown shirt.
Really? I had to stop myself from snorting and instantly dropped my serious gaze, the pretense no longer needed.
"Brown?" I asked skeptically.
"Sure. Brown is warm. I miss brown. Everything that's supposed to be brown - tree trunks, rocks, dirt - is all covered up with squashy green stuff here," she complained.
At her answer, I was able to add another thing to my list: she was self-effacing. She wasn't easily led by other people, choosing her color because of what she liked, not what the populace agreed upon.
Suddenly I remembered her muttering, "It's too green," when she was sleeping one evening and tried not to chuckle aloud.
"You're right," I decided, excitement racing through me at all the thoughts I would unlock today. Even learning this little thing about her made me reel with glee.
Okay, back to business. I was abruptly serious again.
"Brown is warm."
Brown was in fact one of my favorite colors, too. I don't know why it took me so long to become aware of this; her deep brown eyes and long brown hair. I hesitated for an instant, not wanting to spoil the moment, but feelings I had never felt before I met Bella were surfacing.
My hand twitched, wanting to reach over and pull her hair from her face, so I could see the beauty that lied beneath. To just lift her chin slightly, turning it in my direction so I could try to read the deep depths of her eyes... Enough.
It would be wrong for me to do it, to place her warm face in my cold hands. The warmth. If I just slightly raised her chin, I could meet her half way...place my lips to hers.
Enough, I ordered again, but it was too late. My hand was out stretched, reaching towards her as I pulled her hair behind her shoulder, gently. Some of the lose strands spilled over my hand. Enough!
I dropped my hand instantly.
No mistakes!
I could feel the warmth coming off of her skin, her fragrance was enveloping, and her hair was soft like silk. My urge to press my cold hard lips to her delicate soft ones had not evaded me.
Stop there, I scolded myself. No more errors. You mustn't be so selfish, I reprimanded.
We pulled into the school parking lot but this didn't mean that my questioning was over...that my desires were gone.
Keep it light, I reminded myself.
"What music is in your CD player right now?" I asked.
She thought for a moment, her eyes un-focusing, looking up.
"Linkin Park." Her eyes met mine again.
Hum, interesting choice. I reached into a compartment under my CD player and after rummaging through the debris I pulled out the same exact CD.
"Debussy to this?" I raised an eyebrow.
She just grinned at me. It was infectious. I returned her smile.
It was time for school to start and we had to part ways. Luckily I could locate her no matter where she was, jumping from mind to mind. I was listing questions to ask her while I waited for the hours away from her to pass. Purgatory had now become a small slice of heaven.
Watching her interact with other humans only added more questions to my ever growing list. I wanted to know everything about her. Was her responses what she was really thinking or was she replying with what they wanted to hear?
My list grew. I made sure to meet up with her in between every class and stroll along side her while she talked; absorbing the information like a snake soaks up the heat from the sun.
During our short walks I was able to unleash some of the questions from my ever growing list. Her every expression, body language, and replies were all-encompassing and intriguing. I was gradually learning each of her little quirks and thoughts.