Prelude (The Rhapsody Quartet)

by A. M. Hodgson

  “I’m, uh, William. Will. Sanders.” He gestured to the guitar on his back, “I play guitar. It’s kind of my thing.” He ran a hand through his hair, nervous. “I also have this,” he pulled up the little gold disk. “It’s my grandfather’s old pocket watch. I, um, look at it a lot when I’m nervous… like now.” He laughed at his own joke, and a few of the girls in the class tittered along. “But, uh, yeah. We just moved here. My dad got a new job in the area… working for one of the labs around here that does all the marine biology? He’s not one, though. A marine biologist, I mean. But, uh… if any of you guys, like, need a guitar player for your garage band… I’m pretty good.” He glanced at Mr McGregor, seeking permission to stop talking. He nervously checked his watch again, and then looked up.

  At me.

  My face flushed. He was staring.

  A few of the girls around me shot daggers my way, but adjusted their expressions when they realized it was me. Instead, they smiled. I looked down at the desk.

  “Sit down, Mr Sanders. There’s a seat or two in the back still available.”

  William nodded and made his way back, brushing by my desk on the way. He looked at me again as he passed, and I slouched down as low as I could manage. I didn’t really want to talk to him and have to tell him to ignore me. Truthfully, if I could manage to not say anything to him, I’d be happy. I tried to remind myself that, voice or not, I was suddenly one of the pretty girls— my looks were going to draw attention.

  When the bell rang, Will rushed past me again, this time on the other side, staring down at the little watch. He chuckled softly as he brushed by me. I sighed, considering how I’d let him down when he approached.

  Marin, Glenn, and I walked out together, as we had the whole week. Sure enough, Will was waiting for me by the door.

  “So, what’s your name?” he asked, addressing me. “I mean, you already have something to call me.”

  Marin glanced at me and waved, weaving past us and into the crowd.

  I didn’t really want to deal with the fascination again. Even the looks I got when I told humans to buzz off made me uncomfortable. I shook my head, smiling, and pointed to my throat.

  “She has laryngitis,” Glenn said apologetically, lying smoothly. “She can’t speak at all.”

  “Is that so?” Will asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. “Well now, how am I supposed to have a conversation with her?”

  “You’re not,” Glenn responded, staring into his eyes. “Trust me, I’m doing you a favor, mate.”

  Will rolled his eyes. “Are you her boyfriend?”

  Glenn glowered at him, “No, just a friend, but—”

  “Then let her tell me off, if she’s so inclined.”

  “You have a problem with your ears? I just told you she’s got laryngitis.”

  William dug into his backpack, produced a tiny spiral notebook, and flipped it open. He handed me the paper and a pen. “Simple enough, mate,” he returned spitefully.

  I glanced at my bodyguard, hoping my eyes conveyed what I wanted. Just let me handle it. I’ll try to blow him off gently.

  Glenn shrugged, “Fine, whatever. I’ll see you next class.” It was a ruse. I knew he would stay close. He disappeared into the wave of teens rushing about to gossip.

  I quickly jotted down:

  My name’s Sarah.

  “Well, hello, Sarah,” Will said.

  I nodded back in response.

  “You know, I find you completely fascinating. Here’s this gorgeous girl, and she’s somehow not surrounded by guys… well, that jerk not withstanding,” he added.

  I shrugged, wrote,

  I’ve always been more of a loner.

  It was true.

  “Yeah,” he chuckled, “until last year, so was I,” he looked a little wistful. “Tell you what, I’d love to talk to you someplace privately. Would you,” he hesitated for just a moment, “would you like to go out with me tonight?”

  As I’d suspected. I smiled to soften my response. I shook my head, scrawling,

  I’m sorry, I have plans.

  “Is that so?” he said again with a grin. He cocked his head, staring into my eyes. I had a strange sensation that he could see me clearly. It felt like he was watching my eyes changing color, examining the shifts and swirls. That was impossible, but it left me with quivering legs for the seconds his gaze was on mine. “I guess I’ll be seeing you around,” he said after a moment.

  Will turned on his heel and disappeared into the crowd, and Glenn slipped seamlessly back by my side. He scowled, “What did that ponce want?”

  I shrugged, “A date with a pretty girl, I guess.” I hitched my bag up over my shoulder, and we walked to my next class.

  Glenn shook his head, “You told him no, right?”

  I glanced up at him, sputtering, “Of course I did!” Will was human. The moral implications of dating a human alone were enough to deter me. Morality aside, I’d be uncomfortable pursuing a relationship with someone so impressive. Will was dazzling, the kind of guy who’d never have looked at me twice before I turned into a siren.

  “Good,” Glenn said gruffly.

  We rounded the door of the classroom and plunked down into our seats.

  Still, even if I knew it was all magic, it was nice getting attention from a guy so out of my league. I leaned forward, trying to listen to the lecture, but finding it difficult. The girls around me were all gossiping. Old Mr Jacobs being practically deaf, it was the norm.

  Today the chatter was all focused on the new guy.

  “I’ve never seen someone that beautiful before. It’s like he was sculpted by god and brought to life,” whispered Kalee Erickson. She was popular, one of ‘Stacie’s’ best friends, though she knew nothing about Marin.

  “I know!” giggled Dannica Hansen, “I heard he’s skipping this period to get the rest of his scheduling sorted out. The office completely boned him and put him in classes for juniors.”

  “Yeah, but I don’t mind if he still has a few classes with us,” Kalee said.“I hope they can’t fit him into some of the other ones.”

  Dannica smiled, “Chances are we’ll be in luck— I mean, when have the admins ever done anything right before?”

  I rapped my fingertips on the science lab table. I was supposed to be trying to distill isopropyl alcohol from a mixture of water, but instead I was listening to this nonsense. I frowned, and glanced over. Next to me, Glenn was dutifully working as my lab partner, trying to coax the liquids to part from each other under the burner.

  There was something about him, about Will, that had left me feeling… unsettled. I didn’t know what it was about him, but something felt— I shivered. His eyes were that mundane, flat, brown, but what they saw, or at least what they seemed to see, made them sparkle with life. Aside from being so attractive… I blushed. That was all it was, it had to be. I wasn’t exactly experienced talking to the opposite sex, even more so when they clearly wanted to date me.

  “Sarah?” Glenn asked quietly, noting my scarlet features.

  I took a deep breath and leaned forward. “Mm… it looks like you’re making some headway,” I said, pointing at the condensation building on the inside of the glass beaker.

  He nodded, his eyes narrowing.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  The new guy was in my Algebra class that morning as well, leaning back one seat from my right. He looked bored by the lecture. Will kept glancing at me sidelong, his mouth playing up into a smile, and I would crouch lower and lower into my chair, trying to avoid his gaze. He seemed to think it was funny.

  Glenn kept darting dagger-like glares his way. “He needs to back off,” I heard him mutter under his breath.

  “He’s looking,” I mumbled, not sure why I was defending him. “Not exactly a crime.”

  “Well, you should just tell him to stop, to ignore you, and we can get back to our lives. You have enough going on,” he said pointedly. It was a mouthful, but it was the truth. After the wraith’s attack e
arlier this week, I’d been trying to put my resources and time into figuring out which extra groups had incentive to want the sirens dead. So far, I hadn’t learned much.

  Despite that, I found myself peeking over at Will. The girls seated nearby were all leaning towards him, smiling his way, trying to coax his eyes away from me and onto themselves. He didn’t seem especially interested, though once in a while he’d throw them a bone and crack a smile towards one.

  They all practically swooned if they were lucky enough to be on the receiving end of one of those prized grins. I felt a strange prickling in my gut. I didn’t like it, but I couldn’t pinpoint why.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  At lunch, Marin sidled over to the table Glenn and I were sharing, her eyes lit up and beaming.

  “So the new guy, he actually spoke to you. Details,” she said, leaning forward. Her elbows rested on the table, her chin propped on her fists.

  I blushed, but attempted to play it off. “He wanted to go out. I managed to turn him down without saying a single word,” I added, a little proud of it.

  Her jaw dropped, and she waved a hand towards Will’s table like a model on a game show. It was surrounded by guys and girls alike. It was clear he was already popular. He was chatting and laughing with one of the guys— Ryan Anderson, a senior— and Kalee was going out of her way to keep touching his arm. Will kept brushing her fingers off, keeping his attention on Ryan. He said something with a smile, and the whole table laughed loudly and enthusiastically.

  I stared into my PB&J, chewing slowly.

  “You mean to tell me, you turned down that? He’s practically Triton!” she said, her eyes wide, appalled. “You have to go out with him!”

  “She doesn’t,” said Glenn. “In fact, she probably should be responsible and not.”

  Marin rolled her eyes. “Glenn, no one cares about your opinion! She’s sixteen! It wouldn’t kill her to get her cherry popped.”

  I felt myself blushing a deep, deep crimson and sank into the chair, wanting to die. I hoped no one around me had heard that statement, but luckily everyone who wasn’t sitting at my table had their attention on Will today. I was suddenly grateful for the handsome boy’s distraction.

  “If you like him so much, Your Highness,” Glenn said coolly, “then you date him. You have no qualms about meddling with humans like that. He’s exactly your type. Go for it.”

  She grinned, shaking her head, “Oh, no. If he’s got his eye on Sarah, here…” She folded her arms in front of her chest. “Then as a sworn ally to the sirens, it’s my royal duty to create a union between them.”

  I groaned, leaning into my hands. I covered my face, still feeling embarrassed. I didn’t have any aptitude for this kind of thing. Marin was trying to— to what?! Get me laid?! I didn’t want my first time to be meaningless— or any time, for that matter. I didn’t need a wedding, or anything, but… I wanted to be in love.

  I had a feeling expressing that to Marin would be met with a snort and an eye roll.

  I bit into my sandwich, chewing it slowly. I took a few steadying breaths. Maybe if I knew more about magic, I could find a way to actually make myself invisible for the rest of my high school career. That’d be a relief.

  I began to relax towards the end of the half-hour, until Marin said, “He’s looking at you, Sarah.”

  I glanced up. Sure enough, Will’s eyes were locked on mine. When he saw my gaze meet his, he offered a small wave. The girls around him looked shocked and sent me poisonous looks, apparently forgetting my compulsion long enough to be jealous.

  I stood up, turning away from him. I needed to get to my next class before Marin tried to lock us into the supply closet for a game of Seven Minutes in Heaven. I wouldn’t put it past her.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Peer Pressure

  On Monday morning, as I slid into my seat in history class, Will was waiting for me. He sat to my right and leaned in, one hand hiding beneath the desk.

  His eyes were such a flat brown, but the expression on his face was cheerful. “Did your laryngitis clear up yet?” he asked with humor.

  I flushed. I’d been talking to Marin through all of lunch on Friday, and he’d seen it. I closed my eyes, cursing myself for not thinking the lie all the way through.

  Glenn glared at him from my other side. “Maybe she just doesn’t want to talk to you,” he pointed out.

  “Or maybe you’re putting words in her mouth.” Will leaned forward, producing a crimson long-stemmed rose from beneath the desk. “I want to know you, Sarah, I—” he swallowed nervously, holding the rose out. My heart was beating faster now. In a panic, I scooted my chair away from the offering. For a single second, he looked crushed at the rejection, but he pulled himself together quickly. “I really would love to go out with you sometime. No pressure, just… friends?”

  Marin bounded next to me. “How’s tonight?!”

  My face burned, my mouth opening and closing, but not making a sound. I felt like my head might explode. The last thing I needed was Marin speaking for me. I still didn’t want to talk to him, didn’t want another human to be tied to my compulsion.

  I sighed. No matter what I wanted, I needed to speak to him, to tell him no.

  I cleared my throat, staring into the desk and said carefully, “You seem very nice, Will, but I can’t. I’m busy with a lot of, um, personal issues right now. I appreciate that you think I’m someone worth knowing, but I’m really—”

  He laughed, his smile bright and straight and perfect. “Okay, fine. I get it. Not today… but—” He leaned in, handing me the rose. His fingers brushed against mine, creating a little electric zap that hit me in the heart. “I’ll win you over eventually.”

  Will pivoted, returning to his own assigned seat in the back.

  Marin scowled. “He likes you, Sarah!” She hissed at me, “You seriously won’t give him a chance?”

  I sighed, sinking into my seat. I didn’t want to be chided for telling him no. It was hard enough to turn Will down without being judged for it. I’d never let Marin know, of course, but his offer had been tempting. I spun the blossom between my fingers, a fresh pang of guilt hitting me. It didn’t matter what I wanted— by my nature, I could be nothing but trouble for Will. No human was safe from me.

  Next to me, Glenn seethed. “What an arrogant bastard,” he muttered under his breath.

  I leaned towards him, my eyes questioning. While Will had been persistent, tenacious even, he didn’t come across as arrogant.

  Glenn shook his head. “He gave you a—” he gestured to the rose, “that!” he sputtered.

  I raised a brow, confused, “Yeah? That’s pretty… well, typical.”

  He frowned, his fingers curling over his lip as he stared into the floor. “But it’s— it’s a corpse!” he said, “He gave you a corpse, like it’s romantic.”

  I glanced again at the rose. It was beautiful, just beginning to bloom. The petals were barely open. With care, the blossom would probably last.

  I couldn’t relate, but through Glenn’s elf eyes, it was obviously anything but pretty.

  I pressed my nose into the petals. Well, corpse or not, it smelled pretty good.

  I turned to look at Will. He waved lightly, giving me a hopeful smile when he saw me checking on him. I nodded in response.

  If I wasn’t a siren, how would I be reacting?

  Probably in disbelief. If I could somehow actually accept that Will was flirting with me, it was likely I’d hesitantly agree to the date.

  I regretted having to say no. There was a part of me that wanted to know him— a big part that was hard to ignore.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Will was still the hot topic throughout the week, but the buzz had quickly shifted from his arrival to something fresh. He was hosting a party at his house on Saturday night, and everyone who was anyone would be there.

  Whitecrest High didn’t have many students, and even fewer who were deemed worthy of an invitation. As a result, any
one who received an invite acted like they’d won the lottery. Apparently, Will was issuing them himself, and the party would be limited to around fifteen people.

  I was surprised, given his special attention to me, that I hadn’t received an invite by Wednesday. That afternoon it rained, so I opted to ride home with Marin and let Glenn walk alone. As we pulled out of the student parking lot, she turned to me with a wicked grin on her face.

  “Guess who was just invited to the party of the century?”

  I smiled. “Good for you.”

  She turned her gaze to the road. “He asked me about you, first. He knows we’re friends and wanted to know if I thought you’d go if he invited you.”

  I leaned against the car door, groaning. I had no desire to go to a rowdy party. I’d never been invited to one before, but I doubted there was anything I’d enjoy about it. The environment would only be an assault on my siren sensibilities: blaring, off-key music; drunk, hormone-fueled teens; and— worst of all— my debilitating social awkwardness.

  “So what did you tell him?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

  “That you’d love to. But he just laughed and said he’d be surprised if you’d love to, but that he might ask you anyway. You know, just in case.” She had her blinker on to pull into her driveway, but at the last minute she passed the turn and snapped it off.

  I stared at her questioningly. She shrugged. “We don’t get a lot of time without Glenn around to talk,” she said. She glanced over at me, her blue-green eyes wide and cheerful, “Have you ever had a boyfriend?” I flushed scarlet, staring down at my hands as I gripped my book bag. “That’s a big no,” she said slyly. “Well, Will likes you, he’s gorgeous, and honestly there’s no pressure whatsoever because he’s human!”

  “Will thinks I’m pretty and is compelled because he’s human,” I muttered. “He wouldn’t even consider me if I wasn’t a siren.”