Mesmerized

cafeteria.”
    “Oh, fancy,” she joked.
    He laughed. “Figured if you’ve got a project then maybe we should stay close.”
    She nodded. “Good idea.” It would also be easier to run away if she had to.
    Together, they walked into the dining hall and stood in line. There wasn’t a huge selection like normal because it was vacation and most kids weren’t around. Lily picked out some sort of chicken dish and a drink. 
    Jake led her to a corner booth and motioned for her to sit down first. Lily smiled at the sentiment. He was quite the gentleman. She sat down and he sat next to her, their elbows almost touching. Jake had to suppress the urge to reach out and touch Lily’s body. The feeling was so strong; he had to do everything in his power to keep his hands on his silverware.
    Lily ate a few bites of her dinner. “Where are you from?” she asked him, trying to start a conversation to get her mind off of how badly she wanted to kiss him.
    “A little bit of everywhere,” he answered.
    “Military brat?”
    “No. Just moved around a lot.” He didn’t offer a lot of information.
    “Siblings?”
    “Nope.” 
    She watched his perfect lips move and ached to have them moving on her. “Me either. Are your parents coming for Thanksgiving?”
    “No. They’re dead.”
    “Oh. I’m sorry.”
    “It’s okay. It happened a long time ago. How about yours?”
    “Yeah, they’re coming.”
    “That’s nice.”
    Lily shrugged. “I guess. It’s just my mom is a little…over the top.”
    “Aren’t they all?”
    She laughed. “You have no idea.”
    “What do you like to do?”
    Lily thought about that while she chewed a piece of chicken. “Watch movies, go to the beach, and make jewelry. I like to try different things, but I’m not always good at them.”
    “Like?”
    “Hannah said there was an ice skating rink nearby. I’d like to try it, but I’m not sure I’d even be able to stand on them.”
    Jake smiled as an idea came to him. “Maybe I could teach you.”
    Images of Jake and her out on an ice skating rink flooded her mind. She could picture them skating, holding hands and then the saw them kissing and… Lily shook her head. Stop it! 
    “What’s wrong?”
    “Nothing…I just…I’m not sure if Hannah would be mad if I went with someone else.”
    “Oh.” He looked disappointed.
    “Maybe we could all go together?” she suggested, but could tell by the look on his face that he would much rather go with just her. Deciding to change the subject, she asked, “What kind of food do you like?”
    “I’m pretty easy going. Cheeseburgers, steaks, pizza.”
    “Me too.”
    “Do you have pets?” he asked.
    “No. Pets and I…we don’t get along.” Animals didn’t like her much. She had a feeling it had something to do with being a demon. Animals could tell she wasn’t human. “What about you?”
    “I don’t have any right now. Used to have a dog.”
    The longer they chatted, the more she wanted to take him back to her room. She had to keep a straight face as the images of them making out sailed through her mind. When his fingers accidentally touched hers, an electrifying feeling flew through her body. “I’ve gotta get back to my room and finish this project. My parents are coming tomorrow and I’m sure my mom will keep me busy while they are here.”
    Lily quickly stood up and grabbed her tray. “Thank you for inviting me to dinner. I had a really nice time.” She forced herself to turn away, throw her trash in the garbage, and go to her room. 
    Lily unlocked the door and quickly shut it behind her. She sank to her knees and leaned against the door. Her heart was racing and she couldn’t stop thinking about Jake. “You can’t be with him. You’d kill him,” she told herself. 
    Touching her necklace, she took deep breaths and calmed her body down. After a while, she was able to concentrate on her project until she went to bed.
     
    Jake walked slowly back to his room once he made sure Lily made it to hers. He didn’t understand why he felt so protective. He hadn’t felt this way towards anyone in a very long time. Why now? What was so special about this girl? She seemed to make him feel again. Like his body was turned back on. He wanted nothing but to be with her and he didn’t even know her. How insane was that?
    Matt had left for Thanksgiving break, so it was just Jake in the room. When he was finally able to fall asleep, he dreamt of Lily in that long, white dress.