Blood of the Pure (Gaea) Read Free Page A

sandwich had been forgotten, his attention completely focused on what one of the other boys was saying.
    Forcing myself to take a few steps as the glass door to the cafeteria building closed on its own, I sat down in the middle of the small stairway just to look at him.
    Michael was simply ... perfect.
    His blond hair was soft and shiny. His green eyes seemed to glow. And his warm and purely wonderful smile made my heart beat like crazy, so much so that I wondered if those who walked by me were able to listen to it. At about six-feet tall, he had long, well-built legs and his movements were incredibly smooth. Just watching him, even from a distance, brought a new light into my day making me positively certain that, after all, it was really good to be alive.
    Michael was only one grade above mine, even though he was two years older. He’d also enrolled in Christ the King at the beginning of the year and it had been during the opening ceremony that I’d seen him for the first time. He’d become one of the most popular guys in school even before the first week was up, but he still didn’t seem to take any pride in that.
    From what I’d heard, Michael had been in some kind of accident and hospitalized for almost a year. And, even though he seemed completely recovered, he’d apparently lost his memory. For a long time the police had looked for someone who could recognize him, someone from his family, a home to where he could return. No one had come forth. Around that time Father Jorge, who was visiting a family member in the same hospital, learned about his case and decided to become Michael’s guardian, enrolling him in Christ the King.
    Despite his unfortunate situation, Michael maintained a smile for everyone, always cheery and friendly. Besides attending classes, he assisted Father Jorge at Friday mass, which led me to visit the school’s chapel quite regularly.
    It would be impossible to deny I was completely in love with him. I knew his routines by heart, the courses he was taking, his schedule and customs. He usually brought lunch from home trying to save up some money, probably not wanting to weigh too heavily on Father Jorge, who now looked after him. He always had lunch outside under the trees. And although bringing your own lunch from home could definitely been seen as uncool for anyone else, no one seemed to think that of Michael. Everyone had naturally accepted it.
    Luckily, most of my classes took place in the same building as his, although his classrooms were on another floor. Even so, lunch period was the only time I dared take a few moments to simply stare at him, hoping my freaky behavior might go unnoticed.
    As to be expected from someone shy and introverted as me, my low self-esteem would never allow me to even speak to someone as popular as him, much less confess my feelings, no matter how much Steph insisted on it.
    As I sat on a step, time went by without me even noticing it while I watched dazed at his every move, even the smallest and most insignificant.
    The school bell startled me, forcing me out of my waking dream and I jumped to my feet. Usually I’d be gone before the bell rang so that no one would notice my unwanted presence. This time, however, when I looked up Michael and his friends were walking towards me and I panicked. I had to get out of there!
    I spun around before he could take a real look at me and ran up the stairs. But in my clumsiness, my foot slipped on the last step. The only thing I recall is the feeling of time being stopped, and of me falling slowly on my back. A shout rang in my ears and something cushioned my fall. At first I was too dizzy and confused to know what had happened, but the sound of voices soon became clear and started making sense again.
    “Michael! You’re all right?”
    Panicking once again I noticed the arms around me, that I was sitting on the ground, and that I wasn’t alone!
    “I’m OK. Don’t worry.” A soft warm voice answered so close to my