Existence 02 - Predestined

Orleans. Of course, Kendra was soulless. That made complete sense. If Leif was so enamored with me then he’d never really be in a relationship with someone else. Her taunts were all meant to feed me right into Leif’s arms. And Dank, he’d pretended with her because he was protecting me from her. God, I was an idiot.
    “So, she’s gone...” I muttered mostly to myself.
    Gee stopped talking about beignets and their gift to the world and sighed, obviously frustrated that her attempt to change the subject had failed.
    “Yep, and Dank does his clean up. Not a soul will remember her. No pun intended.”
    “Gee?”
    “Yeah.”
    “I need a coke and a candy bar. Lots of chocolate.”
    Gee laughed and shoved off from her perch against the lockers. “I’m on it. I’ll meet you in class.”
    “Thank you.”
    I watched her as she headed down the hallway toward the teacher’s lounge.

    Leif’s laughter rang down the halls and I turned to see him standing among the same group of boys that always surrounded him. He didn’t glance my way and the cheerleaders hung on his every word. It was as if nothing had happened this year. This was very similar to the same scene I’d witnessed the first day of school. The day I’d met Dank sitting in the back of my homeroom. Smiling, I turned and headed for homeroom. Things might be all screwed up now but just thinking about how sexy Dank had been that day while I tried so very hard not to stare at his adorable little dimple made things better. I’d thought he was just another soul back then. One that could actually talk. So much had changed. The soul I was convinced was stalking me wasn’t that at all. He’d been here to take my soul because I was meant to die. But something changed his mind. I liked knowing I’d affected him in a way no other human ever had. He’d broken all the laws of the universe for me. He’d let me live.
    “Coke and Snickers,” Gee announced as she placed the cold can in my hand and dropped the Snickers down the front of my shirt.
    “Gee,” I squealed in surprise and quickly caught the candy bar before it hit the floor and was trampled on by the herd of students rushing from homeroom to second period.
    “Beggars can’t be choosers Pay-gan. Deal,” she chimed beside me.
    “You can be such a brat,” I snapped opening the Snickers and taking a bite.
    “Yep, but you love me anyway.”
    I could only nod. My mouth was full and of course she was right. I did love her.
    “Hey! Where’d you get that?” Miranda demanded as she ran up next to me.
    I tilted my head over at Gee, who smirked. We both knew there was no way Miranda would ask Gee for anything.
    “Oh,” was Miranda’s reply. Then she seemed to get over it quickly enough and whispered loudly, “You talked to Leif yet? And how weird is it that Leif comes back right after Kendra up and moves? It’s like we’re playing musical chairs around this place.”
    I couldn’t help but tense up at the mention of Leif and Kendra’s name. If Miranda thought this was weird she’d really be weirded out by the truth. Trying to wrap my brain around the fact Kendra was a soulless creature was just too much. I had Leif and his claim on my soul to deal with. I was going to have to put Kendra and her existence out of my head. Maybe I’d forget her like everyone else eventually would.
    Gee softly cleared her throat. “Nope, but she’s about to and we get a front row seat. Damn, I should’ve grabbed some popcorn while I was in the lounge.”
    Leif was coming directly at us with his crooked grin and easy swagger. “Hey Pagan, how are you?” he asked, stopping in front of me so I couldn’t go any further. Even though I was flanked on each side by Miranda and Gee I wished fervently that Dank were here.
    “Um, good thanks, and you?” I could feel the eyes of other students glued to us. This was what everyone had been waiting for. The teenage drama and angst that fueled our lives. If they only knew.
    “I see you’ve made a new friend,” his gaze shifted to Gee and the warning gleam in his eyes was obvious. Was he actually challenging her?
    “Uh, yeah, I have.”
    “Ya know what they say, out with the old,” Gee piped up raising her eyebrows and glaring directly at him, “and in with the new and improved.”
    Leif stiffened and I worried she’d pushed him too far. We were in the hall with a bunch of humans. Maybe it would be wise if we kept the evil spirit prince calm.
    “A matter of