Free Dark Angel (Anak Trilogy) by Sherry Fortner

will be furious. He’ll kill me.”
    “No, he will not. In fact, he will never lay a hand on you again,” Zell hissed.
    “I was speaking figuratively, not literally. Calm down,” I urged.  “Why me? There are plenty of girls in school that are more attractive than I am. The lovely Leeann for one . . . “
    “ I have loved you for thousands of years,” Zell cut me off hissing back at me. “I could never be interested in anyone else.”
    “I know it’s been a few months since last summer when you said you met me, but thousands of years is hyperbole at its finest.”
    Dr. Patty arrived at our table as if on cue cutting off any further discussion to pass out our lab assignments. Thankfully, Zell was paired to work with Matthew since they were together on the other side of the table, and I was paired with Lauren, the smartest girl in class. I breathed a sigh of relief. I knew Lauren would take charge, and all I had to do was mindlessly follow her lead. I turned my back to Zell.
    “Lauren, Jon and I can’t wait until this weekend for your party.” I chattered brightly looking out of the corner of my eye to see if Zell had heard my remark. If he did, there was no reaction. Lauren and I chattered continuously about boys and her party while we worked on our assignment. Take that Zell. At the end of class, Zell stood waiting on me as I gathered my books and papers.
    “Stop waiting on me. I can’t be seen with you between every class. The word will get back to Jon,” I said nervously.
    “Good,” Zell stated flatly, “the sooner the better.”
    I looked at him letting out a moan of exasperation and huffed off around him. Zell followed behind, and when a gap in the crowd emerged, he quickly moved to my side.
    “You can follow me around if you like, but I’m Jon’s girlfriend. Please get that through your thick skull. I am his girl not yours!” I added with much more emphasis than I really felt.
    “Not for long. You are my destiny,” Zell remarked moving in front of me and stopping my forward movement.
    When he said that, time seemed to stand still. People froze in their movement through the hall. I looked furtively up and down the hall in which everyone seemed to be moving in ultra-slow motion. The only two people that did not appear comatose seemed to be the two of us. Destiny—he echoed the sentiments that I had been feeling for a long time. Was this incredible young man my destiny? No, I refused to believe that. My destiny did not revolve around any guy, but yet when he said that it was as though pieces of my great puzzle were falling into place.
    “Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t even know you,” I growled.
    “Yes, you do Annie. Please remember,” Zell begged.
    “Remember what? Even though you say we met in Europe, I have never seen you before yesterday. I would remember meeting someone like you.”
    “What do you mean someone like me?”       
    “I mean that I would remember meeting someone who looks as strange as you do?”
    “ I’m strange looking?”
    “Yeah, total freak show material,” I grumbled.
    Zell narrowed his eyes and stared at me.
    “Yeah, I bet you have a tin foil hat that you wear around at home, and you order Happy Meals with extra Happy.” I huffed back at him.
    Zell looked confused for a few moments, and then he began to smile. His smile turned into a laugh, and it became infectious. I began to laugh too.
    “See I told you, extra Happy. “
    “Seriously Annie, we have known each other for a long time.”
    “ I don’t know you,” I ceased to laugh and crossed my arms staring him dead in the face.
    “Yes, you do,” Zell said his laughter dying also.
    “You’re very badly mistaken!” I said louder than I meant to say it. People were slowing down in the hall to watch our altercation. “Oh, come on then. Walk with me.” Letting him walk me to class was better than drawing attention to us. Besides, I knew Jon was on the other side of the campus this