by B D Grant
“Not like this. He was intentionally not talking. His mood was all over the place.”
“You used your ability on the poor dude?”
“I was only trying to get a feel for him. I didn’t push anything on him. Then, suddenly he would space out.”
“Boring classes do that to me too.”
“This is different.” Mick adds something to the drawing. “He did it on purpose. I’m telling you. He would only space out when someone asked him about himself.”
I look at the door. This conversation is getting boring. “You hungry?” I ask. He drops his pencil. “Yeah,” he says, getting up.
I see the picture once he’s gotten up. “What’s that?” I ask, looking at the student’s neck. Mick drew some sort of blob on it.
“A bruise,” he tells me as we head for the door.
“It looks like a hickey.”
“I’m not Monet, okay,” he gripes, shutting the door behind us. I know enough about Monet to know he painted nature not people, but I leave it alone.
“I hear you’ll no longer be visiting the stage two building,” Boston says when Mick and I sit down at our table in the cafeteria.
“That was fast. I got it right after I saw you this morning,” I say, pulling my new schedule out of my front pocket to look over it.
“Word travels quick,” Boston says looking behind me.
Mick snatches it from me. “Let me see that.” His finger goes down the schedule and stops at the third class. “You’re welcome for third period,” he says.
Boston snatches it from him. “What is it?” He looks down the list of classes. “Oh yeah, that’s a good one.”
“What is it?” I ask them both.
Boston hands it back to me. “Photography.”
“With an emphasis on surveillance,” Mick adds.
“Cool.”
Boston glances behind me. His eyebrows perk up a little. He quickly looks down at his plate. “Looks like I’m not the only one who heard.”
No sooner has he finished talking, a tray clatters down beside mine. “How’d you do it?” Jessica huffs, plopping down beside me.
Mick shifts uncomfortably on the other side of me.
“Don’t be mad he got moved up without help,” Boston says as he picks up a forkful of spaghetti.
She raises an eyebrow at him. “What are you trying to say?”
He shrugs. Zoey joins us happily taking her seat by Boston.
Mick chimes in between chewing his roll. “We all know your parents are the reason you got moved up.”
Zoey’s smile shrinks as she looks between Mick and Jessica. “Did any of you hear about the new student?” she asks the table. Jessica puts her hand up to Zoey stopping her. Zoey purses her lips at the rude gesture.
Jessica doesn’t look away from Mick. “Don’t try to change the subject. Boston and Mick obviously have something to say.”
Boston defensively raises his hands. “I’m good.”
I sit back in my chair to give Jessica a better view to glare at Mick. You would think Mick would calm her down considering he’s a Tempero but he doesn’t. “Do you really want to hear what I have to say?” he asks. His eyes meet hers and they have a glaring contest instead of a staring contest.
Jessica’s the one that looks away first. “I didn’t come over here to start a fight. I only wanted to tell Kelly congratulations.”
“Thanks,” I quickly say hoping it will end whatever this is becoming. She grabs her plate and walks off.
Zoey huffs, “That was totally unnecessary.” Boston nods in agreement.
“You started it,” I tell him. He’s good at playing innocent in situations like this. It must be something they teach non-Dyna.
Boston opens his mouth but Mick cuts him off. “She needs to hear it. She’ll never have any true achievements if she lets her parents fight all her battles.”
“We all know her parents helped her. You didn’t have to humiliate her,” Zoey tells him. Boston looks at me. I cut eyes at him, daring him to speak. He maintains eye contact as he crams a spoonful of sweet potato casserole in his mouth with surprising ease. I make a face of disgust at him as he intentionally chews with his mouth open. The sweet potatoes quickly morph into something that you definitely shouldn’t have in your mouth.
Mick doesn’t notice our exchange. “Did you know her parents are the reason we broke up?” he painfully asks Zoey. Her eyes dart around the table in clear discomfort from the sudden hurt in his voice. “It’s true,” he tells her, “They couldn’t have a pathetic Tempero dating their Dynamar daughter.” He looks down at his food. “I’ve lost my appetite.” He grabs his tray. “Later,” he says to no one in particular.
Zoey turns to Boston once Mick is gone. “Why didn’t you tell me her parents were the reason they broke up?”
He takes a bite of his salad that’s more croutons and dressing then lettuce. “That’s the most he’s said about it around me.”
The hum of people talking around us dries up causing those of us still talking to look around for the cause. Zoey and Boston are looking behind me. “That’s him,” Zoey says quietly to Boston and I. I begin to turn but see the people at the table across from us are all turning to get a glimpse of the new guy so I turn back to my plate. I want no part of the gawking that is happening around me. “Should we invite him to join us?” She asks Boston excitedly. Before he can answer she’s standing up like a beacon of light in a sea of judgment.
Boston looks at her like she’s crazy. “No,” he whispers, but he’s too late she’s already giving a big, welcoming smile as the guy walks up. Boston gives me a look of, “I can’t believe this.” Boston loves knowing all the gossip so I’d expect him to rejoice at the idea of hearing straight from the horse’s mouth. Maybe I’d look as unhappy if it were my girlfriend wanting a guy we didn’t know to sit with us.
“Hi, I’m Zoey. You can sit with us,” she offers warmly. She looks to Boston whose lack of enthusiasm is splashed over his face. I’m able to almost feel the glare she gives Boston for being inhospitable.
“Thanks, but I like to be by myself,” the guy tells her.
I finally turn to check him out. When I look him over my face probably resembles Boston’s look of disbelief when Zoey wanted to invite him over. The new student is none other than the dude I keep seeing at the Welcome Center. The same guy that called me “sheep” at the nurse’s office. I should point him in the direction of an empty table with how he acted the last time I saw him, but I feel bad for him given his current situation.
He has all the attention anyone could ask for right now and it’s clear he wants none of it. If he goes to an empty table he stands a good chance of students swooping in like vultures after fresh road kill.
“If you don’t sit with us my friend here,” I nod at Boston. “will be chewed out for the rest of the day by his girlfriend for being the reason you didn’t eat with us,” I nod toward Zoey avoiding making eye contact with her. She won’t be happy that I’m calling her out on her tendency to complain. I pull the chair beside me out that Jessica had previously occupied. “That means that I’ll have to hear about it from him later. So, you would be doing me a solid.”
He looks me over thoughtfully then Boston, who has regained his nice demeanor. “Please do,” Boston tells him.
He sets his tray down with some reluctance. Zoey sits down in her chair triumphantly looking around at the people still sneaking looks in our direction. “Name’s Jake,” he tells me as he sits, offering me his hand. “I might’ve been a bit preoccupied when we met before. I probably came off a little rude.” We shake. He doesn’t appear to be a Dynamar but he’s got almost as tight of a grasp as I do.
“No big deal. I’m Kelly.”
Zoey casually asks, “You know each other?”
I know if she had found this out without Jake being present she would not be so cool about it. She’d be asking for specifics.
I pick up my fork as Jake does the same. “Bri
ef encounter a while back,” I say as I shove way too much food in my mouth. Knowing Zoey’s dying for me to elaborate is a pleasure I bask in. Maybe she is the one giving Boston all his ahead-of-the-curve news because she has a talent of being absurdly annoying until she’s satisfied that she’s found out anything worth knowing about anyone or anything. Boston’s at least fun to be around.
As if on queue, Jake says, “I’m not much of a talker,” before taking a bite.
“That’s cool,” I tell him simultaneously fighting back a mound of food that tries to fall out my mouth. I gulp. “Boston can talk enough for all of us.”
“Haha.” Boston says, sarcastically. He offers Jake his hand and after Jake scoots his chair closer to the table he gives him a quick shake.
“Boston,” he introduces himself. “You made a wise choice sitting with us because the people around here can be super noisy.” He glances over at Zoey as he says it.
“So true,” She says, smirking at Boston. I hold back a laugh.
Jake and I spend the remainder of lunch listening to Zoey and Boston go back and forth telling Jake about the school. The only information they get from him is that he’s a Sensaa. They both act like as if they didn’t already know but I know better.
My first day of all stage three classes goes as well as I expected. For the first time during study hour I open a book. Boston joins me as usual. Upon seeing the book out he doesn’t start a conversation. He opens a book of his own which is a strong sign of how bored he’s expecting study hour to be.
Someone stops at our table and clears their throat loudly. I’m too busy deciphering my crummy notes to care. Boston shuts his book and grumbles, “What do you want?” The annoyance in his voice intrigues me enough to look up.
Lena is standing at the end of the table with her arms crossed looking highly unhappy. “I’m not here for you,” she tells him with an equal dose of annoyance. She turns to me. “I have to be your tutor until you’re caught up in your new classes.” She scans the library while I move some of my things for her to sit down. She locks on to a table that is partially hidden by one of the many bookshelves surrounding us. She adjusts the backpack strap on her shoulder. “Shall we?” she asks, taking off towards the table.
As I get up I’m looking at Boston expectantly but he isn’t moving.
He shakes his head. “You can have fun with that. Zoey will be here soon and she won’t like finding me hanging out with Lena.”
“Trouble in paradise?”
“No chick wants to see their man with one of the ice queens,” he says, talking about Lena and Abby.
With that, I reluctantly head for the table that Lena is placing her books on. Some of our classmates have dubbed Abby and Lena The Ice Queens because if you aren’t in their circle you don’t exist to them. They’ve both given me the cold shoulder enough that I’ve called them the same thing on more than one occasion.
At the table, Lena directs me to the seat in the back. She takes the seat directly across from me. People walking by can’t see us from this side thanks to the position of the bookshelves. The unoccupied chairs give passerby’s the illusion that the table is vacant.
“How is your day going?” I ask, trying to be nice.
Lena doesn’t hide her disdain for having to be my tutor. “I’m not here to chat so save your charming smile for the girls who want it. If you don’t have questions about your class work then don’t talk.” Yup, cold as ice.
I don’t get deterred that easily. I give her a big smile. “You think I have a charming smile?” She rolls her eyes and opens a book. She does a good job ignoring me unless I ask a homework-related question.
As I’m working on a physics problem that requires a horrendous amount of math someone rounds the corner.
It’s Jake, who seems to be looking for a place away from everyone else to study. “Sorry, dude,” I say, leaning back in my seat. “You’re going to have to find another table. You’re interrupting my make-out session.”
“Pff. You wish,” she says, breaking her current stint of silence. She looks over at Jake. “This is a tutoring session so keep walking.” She goes back to reading her book. Jake stares at her a second then looks at me. “Wow,” he mouths then continues his search deeper into the rows of books. I’m not sure if he was referring to Lena’s attitude or her hotness. Either way he’s on point.
By the end of study hour she’s warmed up to me allowing small talk.
“Why don’t you invite Abby over next time?” I ask, joking with her.
She rolls her eyes at me for the tenth time, losing some of her smile. She tells me with a sharpness I’m not expecting, “She wouldn’t take precious time away from flirting with her boyfriend of the week to come sit with you.”
“But I would have the envy of every dude here if the both of you were spending an hour with me. You don’t think she’d do me a small favor?” I ask, trying to keep the mood light and smooth over whatever I brought to the surface mentioning Abby.
She grabs her books right on queue as the noise level in the library rises from other students doing the same in preparation of the end of this period.
“You have my permission to ask her,” she says, stuffing books under her arm. “Let me know how it goes,” she adds before walking off.
“Will do. I’m looking forward to our next date!” I say loud enough for her and anyone that isn’t deaf to hear.
Two more sessions with Lena go by before she allows herself to have another conversation with me. She’s in the middle of giving me pointers for my next exam when Jake passes our table right on time heading deeper into the bookshelves. I never see him walk out of the bookshelves until study hour is up. He must’ve found an area students don’t go to often. He’s still sitting with my group in the cafeteria too but I can tell as he passes me ever study hour that he’s the most at ease when he isn’t around people. I need to get my hands on a psychology book to figure out if I should be worried.
“Do you know anything about Jake?” I ask Lena after he’s passed.
She looks at the shelves he just disappeared behind. “You need to keep your voice down,” she whispers.
I lean over the table to peer down the aisle. No one is there. The aisle is empty. “We’re safe,” I tell her, sitting down in my seat.
She looks down the aisle a second time then finishes highlighting the important stuff in my notes for me. “Your best friend is the one to ask, not me,” she says, referring to Boston.
“But isn’t your best friend the daughter of the faculty member that knows everything about new students?” I retort, referring to Abby and Lia.
Lena rolls her eyes. “She’s my cousin,” she informs me.
All the more reason that she should know, I think to myself.
“And my sweet cousin is too wrapped up in what’s going on in her own universe to care about some loser’s background.” She pushes my notes across the table to me.
I flip them around to read. I lift the first sheet to look at the second, then so on until I’ve looked at all of them. She has highlighted two-thirds of almost every page. If I didn’t think she would lecture me for it I would tell her all I care about is passing the class, not acing it.
“Did you know Glensy dated Abby?” She asks nonchalantly turning a page in her binder.
I gladly set the notes down. Anything is better then studying. “Oh yeah?”
“Yup, for 2 months last year,” She stops arranging her flashcards to look at me, waiting.
I oblige her. “Why did they break up?”
“He cheated on her. Shortly after they started dating.”
Glensy’s bravery shoots up in my book. “Mace let that slide?” I ask expecting a story of turmoil between Mase and Glensy followed by easy reconciliation.
“Mace never found out and neither did Abby. Glensy called it off with Abby before it got around. Guilty conscience I guess. It only happened once that I know of. I thought about telling her but it was for the best. Abby
considered the girl he made out with a friend. She was a Valor in the class ahead of us. There was no point in bursting Abby’s bubble when I knew the girl would be graduating soon anyways.”
“Like, you’re such a great friend!” I squeal sarcastically in my best girl voice.
She lowers her head to her binder to quiet her laugh. She collects herself. “Okay, loser. Finish memorizing those notes so we can move on to the math problems giving you trouble.”
My second to last math problem is giving Lena trouble when Abby strolls by. Her and Lena exchange smiles. She doesn’t acknowledge me but if I’m not mistaken her hips sway more then usual as she departs.
“Let’s get her help on this one,” I tell Lena.
She gives me an expression of, “I’m not falling for it,” then, the sides of her mouth curl in a devious smile. “Sure.” She turns around in her chair. “Hey, Abby.” Abby’s head pops out from around a bookshelf. “Come see a sec.”
Abby strolls back over. She props the book she’s holding on her hip like a mom holding a toddler. “What’s up?” She asks.
Lena slides my book to her for her to take a look at. She points at a multiple-choice question we have already answered. “Take a look at this question for me. We are thinking B but I’m not totally sure.”
Abby leans down to read it. Lena glances at me. We already know B is not the answer. The answer is D, None of the above.
“Oh, yeah,” Abby says, straightening up. Lena’s smug expression vanishes when Abby looks over at her. “It’s B.”
Lena gives her the sweetest smile. “Thanks so much, Ab.”
“No prob. My favorite nerd better not be losing her touch,” Abby says, matching Lena’s sweet smile. They laugh superficially together. I start laughing too not wanting to be left out. My fake laugh causes Abby and Lena to stop. Abby looks at Lena as she rolls her eyes. Abby leaves without another word.
Lena smiles triumphantly as soon as Abby is far enough away to not see. She knows she proved her point. The bell rings letting us know study hour is up.