Page 5 of The Boy With The Sharp Teeth
Asshe helped out, she had an unmistakable feeling of her every move beingwatched. Looking up a handful of times, Sana couldn't pinpoint anyone staringat her, deciding to try her best to ignore the odd hair-raising sensation, shehad grabbed for another stack of folding chairs. That was when she saw him.Standing on the other side of the long dolly that held the neatly stackedfolding chairs, the boy stood there staring directly at her. His eyes, shenearly gasped, they weren't normal. It felt as if she was staring across theSavanna grasslands to some unknown predator. Gold with flecks of bronzecircling large piercing pupils, his eyes pinned her down to where she stood.Fear and awareness swirled together inside of her changing the rhythm of herheart and the pace of each breath. He had frightened her. That day she had runaway, not bothering with finishing the task she was given, and quickly foundherself a new one on the other side of the festival grounds, hoping to put muchdistance between herself and that predatory boy.
Buthe was here now, and she didn't have anywhere to run to. Turning her back tothe hill, she prayed he would go away.
Maybeshe would just walk along the beach in the other direction, she considered. Ifhe saw that she was not-so-subtly leaving, maybe he would get the hint andleave her alone. Since that day at the festival, she had heard a couple of thegirls working at the hardware store's checkout counter whispering about him. Itwasn't hard at all to discern they were speaking about the same guy. They keptmentioning hissexygolden eyes. Apparently, he was the type of guyevery girl wanted, and every father hated. Well, none of that mattered to her,Sana wanted nothing to do with him.
Goingpast the decrepit boat, Sana walked over the black rocky terrain that juttedfrom the rising cliffs and into the crashing waters. She just needed to getover the rocky part, and up the steep slope of grass she spotted on the otherside. Hidden from the road's view by the cliffs, Sana cautiously began to makeher way across the slippery rocks.
"You'llget your shoes wet," the taunting warning rang out loudly, cutting easilythrough the sound of the loud ocean waves.
Stiffening,Sana resisted the urge to allow her shoulders to sag in obvious disappointment ather failed attempt to flee. Taking a deep breath, she turned around to see theboy standing just on the other side of the dilapidated boats—smiling at her.
Sana'sbreath caught itself somewhere between her chest and throat just as her stomachtightened at the sight of him. His canine teeth were sharp—too sharp to benormal. Everything about him seemed dangerous and wrong. Wearing a pair of wornjeans that she assumed at one time were black, now just looked faded and gray.The chalky blue shirt he wore was an unnerving contradiction to her senses.Loose-fitting and wrinkled, the shirt somehow still outlined his lean muscularframe. Sana could see from the powerful rounds of his shoulders and the cordedmuscles in his taut forearms that there was a deep current of power that ranthrough his lazy casual stance. Dark, naturally tanned skin and shoulder-lengthhair that was so black it seemed to absorb the light around him, this boy hadall the ingredients for the phrase "devastatingly handsome." Hisnarrowed eyes and defined face gave him a strong, stoic profile that exuded thefeeling of a calm strength, making it even more out of place on a teenager.
Seeingthat she wasn't going to say anything, he nodded his head with a smirk as ifconfirming some inner hunch. Looking at his shoes, he lifted one toe of hissneakers to crunch a broken shell further into the sand.
"Letme guess," he began, taking a moment before sliding his gaze up to hers."You're one of those shy, quiet types of girl that keeps her head downwhen she walks and always saysyesto favors asked because you can'tstand the thought of people not liking you." With each word, his goldengaze grew sharper and his smile crueler. "Am I right?"
Sanafrowned at the too-accurate assessment of her flaws. Subtly, she tried toglance around, assessing her current predicament. The cliffs to her rightblocked both of them from view from the road or anyone walking by. With thesteep hill to her back and the ocean to her left, she was cornered by this strangeboy. Looking beyond his shoulder, Sana ignored his knowing expression as shementally imagined herself running past him.
Sensingher thoughts, he stepped to his right, directly in her field of vision. "Iam going to take that as a yes," he laughed.
Tiredof him and this entire situation, she gave him a level look. "Is this somesort of game? Do you want me to try and guess your personality or somethingfrom your obvious bad-boy rebel look you have going on?" She waved a handup and down at him.
Slowly.Dangerously slow, his bright eyes slitted with unidentifiable anger that cameacross the short distance, separating them like a tidal wave. Taking a fearfulstep back, Sana immediately regretted her words.
Hisvoice was quiet and intense when he spoke. "You could never even begin toknow about me, beautiful."
Sheheard the veiled warning in his tone. "You're right," she concededwith a soft nod. Turning her face to the ocean, she used the incoming breeze tohelp push back some of her hair that had been mussed by the wind. With what shehoped was a cool, indifferent look, she looked at him. "Nor do I want to,goodbye."
Gatheringher courage, she walked quickly past him towards the hill that led to the road.Sana didn't miss the momentary look of surprise that passed over his handsomeface before settling back to that wicked sharp smile.
"Whatif I show you something really worth taking pictures of?" He called outfrom behind her.
Sanadidn’t dare stop walking. Clutching her camera that swung around her hip witheach step, she trudged forward up the hill. "No, thank you."
"Areyou sure?" His voice was closer now, so much closer it sounded as if hewas right over her shoulder. Something crunched behind her. Turning her headslightly, her stomach jumped at the sight of him walking just behind her. Hecontinued his appeal. "An abandoned circus sure sounds like an interestingsubject to shoot to me, don’t you agree?"
Shestopped, turning around. She couldn't hide the curiosity evident on her face.
Seeingthat he had her attention, he looked at the ground as he took a couple of stepstowards her with both hands stuffed in his pockets before slowly tilting hisface back to hers. The wind blew some of his silky black hair over to oneside of his head, he looked like every cologne model there ever was trying toimbue the bad-boy image, but his was real.
"Itstill has the colorful tents, bits of supplies, and even a couple of ancientrusted-up cages."
"Whereis it exactly?" She said, folding her arms over her chest, partly out ofnervousness and partly in skepticism. Sana didn’t bother hiding her suspicion.
Hisgrin widened as he looked beyond her as if trying to phrase his next wordscarefully. "I can show you."
"Where?"She repeated firmly.
"Abouta half-hour hike into the forest," he admitted, devious laughterglittering in his gold eyes.
Makinga scoffing noise in her throat, she promptly turned on her heel and begantrudging back up the thick sand.
"Ok,ok, I know how that sounds," he laughed behind her. She could hear himcoming closer until he finally caught up and jogged around her with loping easethrough the sand. Blocking her path, he held out both hands. "I promiseyou're safe with me. My uncle would have me skinned and hung to dry ifsomething were to happen to thepreciousSana Bhatt on my watch."
Shecouldn't help but stiffen at the use of her name. How did he know her name? Hemade it seem as if her name was common knowledge in this town, which itdefinitely wasn't. When she visited every summer, she mostly hung out in oraround her grandparent's house. There were only a handful of girls her age shewas acquainted with enough to call friends, and even that was a stretch. Witheach year, the girls in the town seemed to mature more and more, far fasterthan Sana. Their conversations were constantly about boys and sex or mappingout their futures of marriage and children. Sex was not a topic Sana was equippedto discuss, and it showed. With pitied smiles and knowing glances at oneanother, the girls always politely changed to other topics for Sana's sake, butit only made Sana feel more like a pariah.
"Everyoneknows who you are, Sana," he said as if reading her thoughts. "Howcould they not? The beautiful girl who volunteers her time around town with herwide innocent eyes and honest smile." His eyes traveled from her eyes andsettled on her lips far too long for comfort before meeting her gaze again."From my understanding, you're like a town treasure—to be protected at allcost."
