Take Me To Your Reader: An Otherworld Anthology

by Amy A. Bartol

  "I've had football every day, so I haven't had much time for anything else."

  We stood there, staring at each other for what seemed like hours. I didn't know what to say. Honestly, I'd come over here just to spend some time with her. And it didn't seem like she was too thrilled that I'd shown up.

  "Listen, Krissy. About last week—"

  She cut me off. "Don't worry about it. It had been a long night, and I didn't mean to take it out on you. I know you were…just being yourself." She took a breath and changed topics. "Is the stone safe?"

  "Yeah, I have it locked up tight and hidden away. No one's getting to it." She nodded, leaving us both in an another uncomfortable silence. I laughed to myself. I'd never had this much trouble with girls. They always made things easy for me; I never had to work to get a girl to like me. Maybe that's what made Krissy so appealing. "So, can I give you a ride to school?"

  "Oh, um, I was just going to take the bus."

  I reached out and wrapped my finger around one of her silky smooth curls. As a kid, I loved touching her hair; it was always so pretty. "C'mon Krissy, you don't really want to ride the bus with all those little kids, do you? Let me drive you."

  Krissy pulled her hair back into a ponytail, preventing me from touching it. "You're right, I don't. But I'm sure you don't want to be seen pulling into school with me."

  "Why would you say that?" Did she really have no idea how much I liked her? I always thought I made it abundantly clear.

  "Never mind. Let me just go finish getting ready. I'll be just a minute."

  We had barely pulled into the school when I realized something was off. Students were huddled into groups, whispering. This wasn't usual first day of school gossip, something major had happened. I glanced over at Krissy as I pulled into a parking spot. "What do you think all this is about?"

  "I have no idea, but whatever it is must have just happened, otherwise our phones would be blowing up."

  I checked my phone, but I only had one message from Will, asking me what time practice started tomorrow. "Do you think it's about…" I didn't even want to say the word out loud. How did I know if aliens had super hearing or anything?

  "I doubt it. But something happened, that's for sure."

  I turned off the car and we stepped out. Krissy's friend Tanesha rushed over to us, practically bouncing as she asked in an excited whisper, "Did you hear? Someone killed Vice-Principal Evans. And it must have been bad, because they brought in some big-shot agents from the FBI or something. They've been pulling people in to the office one by one and questioning them."

  "They think it was a student?" Krissy asked.

  "I don't think they have a clue, because they're questioning everyone: students, teachers, secretaries, even the lunch ladies! I just talked to Weston, and I guess he was one of the first people brought in since his mom works here, and they got here so early. He said the only thing the feds really wanted to know is where they were a week ago Thursday night."

  My heart sped up when I heard the date they were looking for. That was the night Krissy and I found Anusha in the alley. Turning my head slightly, I eyed her reaction. She sucked in her breath and gulped. Shit. She realized it too. No matter, I wasn't going to let anything happen to her. But how the hell did I protect her?

  "Wow, Tee, that's crazy. Did they say what happened to Mr. Evans?"

  "No clue. The man was always a little weird, but he didn't deserve this. Rumor has it that his wife was killed too."

  "Oh wow, that's horrible."

  "Yeah. The cheerleaders are organizing a remembrance vigil tonight."

  Krissy snorted. "Of course they are. Um, Tee, can I catch up with you later? I want to call my mom and tell her before heading into school."

  Tanesha looked between Krissy and me, not buying the lie for a moment. "Sure, yeah. Go call your mom. Be sure to tell her I said hi." Tanesha winked at Krissy before sashaying away, repeating her story to a new crew of kids who had just pulled up.

  "Do you think it's—" I started.

  "Yes. I do. It's too big of a coincidence for it not to be. What do we do now?"

  I stood, watching Krissy's lip quiver slightly and wanting nothing more than to wrap her in my in my arms. I leaned back against my car to resist the temptation. "First thing we need to do is get our stories straight. It's best to go as close to the truth as possible, so if they question you just tell them that your car broke down and I gave you a ride home. But we'll just change the timeframe. Tell them it was in the early evening rather than late at night. I'm sure they found your car in town the next day, so we can't lie about where we were."

  *****

  Krissy

  I knew my head was nodding, but all I could feel was the tremble in my hands. Tate's confidence in our plan made me feel slightly better, but I was still terrified of being questioned. Would I crack under the pressure? I wasn't sure I could pull it off. I never could with my parents; they always saw right through me.

  "Okay, I think I can do that. Piece of cake, right?"

  Tate took a half a step toward me, raising his arms as if he were going to hug me, but before he could make contact, someone called his name from across the way. "Tate! You comin' or what?"

  He cringed and balled his hands into fists. Yeah, he was pissed he got seen getting so close to me. I sighed. "Well, I should go. Make sure I can find my locker and all."

  It was a bullshit answer; students were assigned the same locker all four years, and the freshman got the departing seniors' lockers. I didn't worry about it and turned on my heel, walking briskly away before I made the situation worse.

  I made it to my locker, through homeroom, and was breezing through Spanish 3 when there was a knock on the classroom door. "Excuse me, Mrs. Cruz, but we need Krissy Montgomery in the main office please."

  "Uh, uh, uh. En espanol, por favor," Ms. Cruz replied. The class chuckled. Only Ms. Cruz—who'd been teaching Spanish at the school since she came to the States from Cuba in the 1960s—would make other personnel feel like they were back in tenth grade. The secretary looked around the room, clearly startled by the request. She observed the stern look on Ms. Cruz's face and knew there was no getting out of it. Ms. Cruz didn't play.

  "Okay, um. It's been years since I've used this. Let me try. Necessito hablar con Krissy Montgomery en la officina, por favor?"

  "Muy bien, senora. Krissy. Apresurate para que no pierdas la tarea de hoy."

  I gathered up my books and nodded, following the secretary out the door. "Si, senora. Hasta manana."

  I followed the secretary silently down the halls. I tried not to read too much into it, but with each step I took, I felt as if I was walking into a trap. I'm sure I was being ridiculous, but I couldn't shake the feeling. Stepping into the office, I glanced around. Tate sat behind a closed conference room door, speaking animatedly. Two men in suits—FBI I presumed—sat opposite him, clicking their pens and taking notes. Crap! This was happening.

  "Have a seat, Ms. Montgomery. They'll be with you shortly."

  I sat, trying unsuccessfully to keep my legs from bouncing like a hyperactive two-year-old. Twenty-two minutes later (yes, I stared at the clock and counted), the door opened and Tate came out. "Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. McCallister. We'll be in touch if there's anything further. You may go."

  Tate didn't answer them, keeping his gaze fixed on me. I could see the questions in his eyes. He was worried about me. Or maybe just about what I'd say. I smiled ever so slightly out of the corner of my mouth, just enough to reassure him but not enough to draw attention.

  "Ms. Montgomery, we're ready for you now."

  I stood, brushing by Tate as he passed, and entered the small conference room. Just that small contact reminded me I wasn't alone in this, and my confidence surged. "Shouldn't my parents be here if you're going to question me? Or my lawyer?"

  "Do you feel you need a lawyer, Ms. Montgomery?"

  I shrugged. "I have no idea. You haven't even told me what this is abo
ut, but I know that law officials can't question a minor without their parents' approval."

  "Why don't we back up a minute. I'm Agent Rhodes, and this is Agent Samuels. We're with the FBI."

  I waited to see their badges, but neither presented them. "Aren't you supposed to show me your credentials too?"

  Agent Samuels huffed. "You've got a little mouth on you, don't ya?"

  I shrugged again. "I'm a teenager. Don't we all?"

  Neither man laughed, but they begrudgingly pulled out their IDs and held them in the air.

  "I'd like to see them," I stated, before adding sweetly, "Please?"

  I held out my hand and waited. Yeah, I knew I wasn't winning any brownie points, but I didn't care. Agent Samuels ground his teeth. I was really getting on his nerves. Oh, well. I smiled widely at him, but my smile faded just as quickly when I saw a flash of orange in his eyes.

  Holy. Shit. He was an alien. I was sure of it. I swallowed, but kept my body very still. I could not give away that I knew he wasn't human. I glanced at the IDs, but didn't really process what they said after that. I needed to get out of this office and tell Tate.

  "So, Ms. Montgomery, if you're satisfied with our credentials, could you tell us where you were last Thursday night?"

  "I was babysitting for the Powells."

  "And then what?"

  I locked my eyes on Agent Rhodes, both wanting to see if he was an alien too and hoping the eye contact would make me seem more trustworthy. "I drove home, but my piece-of-crap car broke down halfway here. Fortunately, Tate was driving by and offered me a ride home. But you already knew that since he was just in here, so I'm not sure why you need to hear it again from me."

  Agent Rhodes didn't even so much as blink. He was a tough cookie to crack. "And about what time was that, Ms. Montgomery?"

  I blew out a long, exasperated breath. "I don't know, I didn't realize I was going to be questioned by the FBI, so I didn't take copious notes detailing my evening." I paused, but still I got no reaction. Agent Samuels clicked his pen rapidly, but I didn't turn my gaze. "It couldn't have been too late, maybe seven-thirty or eight. The sun was going down. Sorry, but that's all I can remember."

  Agent Rhodes wrote my answers in his little book as I waited impatiently for him to finish so I could get the hell out of there. "Is Tate your boyfriend, Ms. Montgomery?"

  "What?!" I shrieked. "No! Why would you ask that?"

  Agent Rhodes looked up and smirked. "You sure?"

  "Yes I'm sure. I'd think I'd know if I had a boyfriend." He didn't respond, but the smug look on his face told me he thought he had something on me. "This is stupid. You're not even asking me about Vice Principal Evans, and my personal life—or lack thereof—is none of your or the government's business. Can I go back to class now?"

  "Suurreee," he drawled. "But we may have a few follow-up questions later."

  I didn't wait to hear anything else, gathering up my things and practically sprinting out of the room. I flew out of the office and headed straight for the girls' bathroom, locking myself in the handicapped stall. I dropped all my books and hoisted myself up on the window ledge, using the toilet as a footstool. It was the one spot in school that had good cell reception. I pulled out my cell and began furiously typing. Not even three minutes later, I heard the bathroom door open and Tate calling, "You in here?"

  I hopped down from my perch. "Yeah, but let's not talk here."

  Tate nodded and grabbed my hand, entwining our fingers as he pulled me out the door and toward the student parking lot. I tried not to read too much into the gesture, but my heart sped up a bit. He was acting nothing like the Tate I'd known him to be, and I didn't know what to make of that. Maybe it was just the situation that was bringing us together, but I liked this sweet side.

  Once we reached his car, I slid in the passenger seat as he started the engine. We were a good five miles outside of town before either of us said a word. He pulled into a small parking lot for an abandoned feed store that went out of business a few years ago. Now, kids used it as a kind of hangout, building bonfires in the large field behind the building or sneaking into the side entrance to drink or whatever if the weather was bad.

  I leapt out of the car, needing fresh air and to move.

  "Krissy, what the hell happened in there? You're freaking me out!" Tate tried to pull me to him, but I shrugged away. My emotions were all over the place, and I needed to sort out the thoughts racing through my head before anything else.

  "Just…give me a minute to think. To decompress. That—whatever that was back there—freaked me the hell out and I need a minute to deal with that."

  Tate seemed to understand, letting me have my space. After several minutes of soul searching and attempting to make sense of the last few weeks of my life, I was no closer to acceptance or understanding. I wasn't sure I ever would be.

  "Tate, I'm pretty sure those guys weren't with the FBI."

  "No shit," Tate remarked, kicking at a rock. "I'm betting some secret government agency out of Roswell and Area 51."

  I paused my pacing and faced him. "The one agent was an alien. I'm sure of it. I don't know about the other, but it's entirely possible. I'm pretty sure they know or at least suspect something, and it wouldn't surprise me if they were tailing us right now."

  "Woah. Back up for a minute. One of them was an alien? Are you sure?"

  "Yeah. His eyes glowed just like Anusha's did, just for a second."

  "Holy shit! This is crazy. Do you think they're the ones who hurt her? Or are they the ones that she told us to give the stone to?"

  "They gave me the creeps, and I don't trust them."

  "Don't worry, Krissy." Tate stepped forward and wrapped me in his arms. "I won't let anything happen to you."

  As if my head wasn't already swimming enough, now I had Tate—warm, delicious-smelling, sexier-than-hell Tate—not only being nice to me, but also being wonderfully protective and affectionate. I'm pretty sure if I looked up, I'd see pigs flying.

  We were still embracing when a voice startled us. "Not your boyfriend, huh? What else have you been lying about, Ms. Montgomery?"

  Chapter Five

  Tate

  My eyes flew open and Krissy gasped, stumbling backward. How the hell had Agent Rhodes found us here? I hadn't heard anyone approaching, there wasn't a car around, and we were a good five miles from the school.

  "You have what I'm looking for, don't you, Krissy?" Rhodes snarled, his hands fisting as he flexed and unflexed.

  "Shut the hell up! You have something to say, you say it to me!" I growled. Krissy clung to my shoulders and back and I could feel her shaking. I didn't blame her, I was scared too. I remembered what Anusha looked like, and I knew whoever did that could—and would—probably do a lot worse to us.

  "How sweet. Your boy here is defending you. Maybe it's he who has it. Is that what it is, Mr. McCallister?" He paused to look at me, eyeing me inquisitively, like he was reading my mind. "Yes, I think so."

  "I don't know what you're talking about. We just came out here for some privacy. You know, just a little alone time." Krissy took my hint, snuggling closer to me. I wrapped my arm around her and kissed her temple, using the opportunity to whisper softly in her ear. "Reach in my back pocket."

  Agent Rhodes smiled, holding his hands up in surrender. "I don't want to hurt you kids. I think you got yourself mixed up in a situation that is far beyond anything you could have imagined. So it's time to stop playing and let the grown-ups handle it. Now, where's the heir?" Agent Rhodes took several slow steps toward us as he spoke, causing Krissy and me to back up—straight into the warehouse. We were trapped.

  "I really don't know what you're talking about. Please, you can take the car. Just leave us alone."

  Behind me, Krissy had taken the knife out of my pocket and pulled the blade open. It wasn't much of a defense, but it was all we had.

  "Here, take it." Her voice was shaking as much of the rest of her.

  I shook my head once.
"Keep it, just in case."

  "I'm only going to ask one more time. And then you'll force me to do something I really don't want to do. Where. Is. The. Heir?"

  "What the hell are you talking about? What heir? I can't give you something I know nothing about."

  Agent Rhodes' nostrils flared, the veins in his forehead popping. "I'm tired of these games!" His fists pounded the hood of my car, crushing the hood like a tin can. "Give me the fuckin' heir!"

  Rhodes charged at us, closing the distance with each angry step. I turned, pushing Krissy toward the highway. "Run, Krissy! Now!"

  I never saw the first blow coming. Agent Rhodes picked me up and tossed me like a ragdoll onto the hard, cement parking lot. My body ached, but I didn't think anything was broken. I rolled onto my stomach, struggling to stand. Rhodes picked me up again, pulling me to his face. My eyes burned looking into his, like looking into the sun. I slammed them shut, but I could still feel my skin boiling—bubbling up as blisters formed where he held me.

  "Your mistake was underestimating me, little boy. I gave you so many chances, and now—"

  There was a loud "thwack," and suddenly Rhodes' grip loosened. I looked around and couldn't believe what I saw. Rhodes was on the ground, and Krissy held a large two-by four like it was a baseball bat. She raised it over her head and swung again with a grunt, striking Rhodes across the shoulders.

  She dropped the piece of wood and helped me to my feet. "C'mon! We need to get out of here. God only knows how long he'll be out."

  "Where's the knife?"

  "Here, it's here." She pushed the closed blade into my hand. I grabbed it and pushed passed the pain, running without feeling, not stopping. Driving my car was no longer an option, and we didn't even slow down to try. We ran for a good mile without stopping, neither of us saying word. It was times like this when I craved city life. The ability to get lost in a crowd and blend in.