Dread 0.3

It was weird how her mind was so attuned to her surrounding yet her body was slow and fumbling like a klutz.

Bumping into someone who was just coming out from their house and then tripping on an innocent little crack on the pavement, Pierce reached the outer streets of the row housings in a blink. Her thoughts were occupying her head so much that she didn't even see anything while walking along in a daze, "Excuse me miss, can you help me out here?"

On someone's call Pierce snapped out of her daze and turned to look at a pregnant woman trying to pick up a poly bag fallen on the roadside, she was just standing there with an apologetic look on her face. The parking lot was totally empty except for her so it made sense she was called out to, "Yes sure." Picking up the fallen bag she handed it to the lady who smiled genuinely, "Thank you dear, I am such a klutz sometimes."

'Even I was a moment ago.' Her thoughts echoed in her head with amusement.

"Oh no issues ma'am, can I help you with anything else?" Her mannered reply surely made the lady happy as she thanked her once again and left.

Happy to be of help, humming to herself Pierce skipped through the store's door and greeted the Cashier who happened to live just next door, her name was Chloe Misgibs and she was a very frank person so people loved to talk to her when they needed to hear the truth about themselves. Her pale blond hair was a sole characteristic trait of her family which was quiet famous around their locality. "So what brings you here Pierce? Heard you have a guest at home."

'Great, now everybody knows.'

"Who told you?"

She winked playfully smoothing out her straight fringes, "My mama, she saw Mr. Slayworth bringing in another party just this morning."

"And I am sure you told almost everybody about this new development?"

"Of course! So tell me who is this mysterious guest? A boy, girl, old man, woman what?"

"Your mother saw the guest yet she didn't tell you?"

"Her eyesight is weak without her glasses and she broke one just yesterday," Chloe stated almost angrily, "So you tell me who that guest is."

"I don't know." It was the truth, "But from what my father told me he is a boy."

Eyeing her skeptically Chloe titled her face in annoyance, "You do live in that house don't you? And yet I hear this rubbish that you haven't even seen this guy."

"Well... I had to stay back at school with Mrs. Norbel, so I missed out meeting this guest face to face, I am sure when I go back I would get to meet him personally."

"Oh, so what did Mrs. Norbel say? Don't tell me those rumors are true."

Pierce narrowed her eyes at the blonde with suspicion, "How do you always know so much about me?"

"I have personal detectives at my disposal don't you know that?"

"No I don't."

Grinning with mischief the girl started filing her nails, "I might be the senior here but I do know about your distributed fan groups. I wonder what they all see in you, you are so ordinary."

"Ouch, thank you and no they are definitely not my fans."

"Do let your father meet them once, I am sure he will entertain them."

"That will be worthwhile to watch but I am sure I will feel pity for them later. My father can be very persuasive sometimes."

Both the girls giggled imagining the horror her bullies would face, Judith Slayworth, her father was not a man to be trifled with.

When Pierce finally left to rummage around the products, Chloe settled back to filing her nails, a task she preferred more than typing on her cell phone, she wasn't much for digitals only calls.

Once Pierce had found what she wanted she took it to the counter for billing, all the while wondering what she would do once she went back.

"Anything more?"

"No."

"Thank you for your purchase."

Walking out of the store Pierce felt the prying eyes of a few evil doers and to her utter lack of surprise she was being stared down by a bunch of girls coming out form their red BMW. Their faces were painted with all kinds of beauty products and one could smell the perfume from miles away. 'Just what I needed.'

"Yo Pierce! Not here with daddy today?" asked some brunette with a laugh, followed by her gang of girls who also laughed for no reason. Pierce just ignored her with a tight smile and increased her pace for once.

"What, you running away again? What happened to that loyal bodyguard of yours, heard you two got into some nasty detention."

"So the rumours are true? You also into these kind of stuffs?" asked another girl with light brown hair, "You going to answer dude?"

'No.' Pierce answered in her mind but dared not to say that verbally, she just wanted to get out of the parking lot which now seemed too long to cross.

"Hey! We talking to ya here." Called out another. Pierce could tell they were getting agitated now but she didn't care at that moment. Looking at them with a fake apology on her face she ran out of the lot with all her might, she didn't care if she looked like a coward but she sure didn't want to mess around only to get bruises later on that needed to be hid from her father.

It took some time but she reached her home at last before the day was shrouded in darkness. Opening the door she walked in to expect some silence but instead she found a guy around her age eating some home baked cookies Pierce herself had prepared earlier that week.

She instantly knew he was the guest. 'First my pasta and then my cookies, next what? You will be sharing my room?'

"Well hello!" Pierce greeted him awkwardly. The guest heard her as he turned to look at her, his eyes a beautiful silver, so bright that they appeared to be glowing. He wore a simple black tee and grey jeans, his feet covered with socks.

His hair was raven black, combed back messily but a few strands fell on his forehead and face, giving him a rugged look, yet strangely enough he was still very boyish. His tan skin complimented his slim build which was thin yet masculine at the same time. She noticed he was short, but still a little taller than her, since he was standing with a cookie jar in hand, his stature was clearly visible.

It was no doubt he was handsome with that slight dark edge to his appearance, she wondered if he was aware of that.

What really got her attention was the scar on his left chin running down his neck, it must have been the work of a sharp knife or something as it looked deep. On a closer inspection she could tell the person in front was no boy but closer to a man, the slight glint of maturity on his face spoke for itself.

"I am Pierce Slayworth by the way, nice to meet you."

The guest nodded acknowledging her instead of introducing himself like many in his position would. He then turned to look at her father, who was also sitting there on the couch, Pierce hadn't realized he was there too. Then just like that, the boy left abruptly. When he was out of range Pierce turned sideways to glance at the remaining member, "What was all that about?"

"He is mute currently."

"Currently?"

Her dad nodded, "He drank some vanilla shake and got allergic to it."

"Oh, so did he take any medication for it?"

"He did," her dad said with a nod, "but it will take some time for his allergy to die down, so he is avoiding communicating with the others."

"And he is here because?"

"His father is busy with a lot of work so he requested me to take his son and make him experience the city life, he is an old friend of mine."

"Oh, then-"

"I have a favor to ask from you Pierce, you have a holiday tomorrow don't you?"

"Yes I do," Pierce answered nonchalantly.

"Can you give a tour to him... tomorrow," him meant the boy, she was aware, "probably explain about services here and other usual wonders, just do the talking and he would understand... I think."

And he said all that in a monotone.

Pierce was shocked that her dad would trust a boy so much, going as far as letting him go with her alone but she couldn't help but roll her eyes mentally at his last words, "He might be mute now dad but I am sure he would understand everything as he's not dumb."

"...sure." The unsure answer made her chuckle.