Ms. Franz sat back in her chair, her hands planted on the desk. “I don’t know how or why all this could be happening, but I know you two are doing everything possible to combat it. Don’t exceed the slack I cut you both here and we’ll have no problems.”
“We’ll do our best,” Mike agreed. “I think we’ve won over most of our fellow students.”
Ms. Franz chuckled. “Yeah, I heard how you won over the football team. I hear tell Tony ‘Sasquatch’ Conterro is a fan now.”
Mike hesitated for a moment. “Ah… you’re pretty well informed. He’s crossed back from the dark side now.”
“So I heard. See you boys later.”
“Yes ma’am,” Denny replied as he followed Mike out of the office.
Mary Ansel stopped Mike before they could get past the office greeting counter. She took his hand and put a folded note into it before smiling up into his face. “If you ever need someone to talk to about anything or you need help with your scheduling, please give me a call.”
Mike nodded, wondering what that was all about. “Thank you, Ms. Ansel. Sorry again about startling you like we did.”
She reached up with her hand, stroking it along the Haunt scar, while edging near enough so her body intersected Mike’s in all the right places. “Take care of yourself. You too, Denny.”
“We…we will, Ms. Ansel,” Denny answered for Mike, noting she had not looked away from Mike even when mentioning his name. Denny moved around Mike and headed for the office exit.
Mike smiled and raised the note. “Thank you. I’ll call if I need any help.”
Mary Ansel stepped back out of the Mike’s way. “You do that.”
Outside the office, students were filling up the hallway as it was only five minutes before the first class would be starting. They all did double takes while walking past Mike before hurrying on. Denny grinned up at Mike. Seeing his friend’s knowing look, Mike gave him the wave off.
“Don’t do it, Den.”
“Wow, Mike. You have a chance to get Ms. Ansel locked up for fooling around with an underage kid. When do you start?”
Mike tried keeping a stern face but ended up laughing. “That ain’t happenin’. I have enough problems without adding a thirty something cougar onto my sheet.”
“Take my advice on this Mike. Just do it until they arrest her the first time. She’s a babe.”
“We better get to class before you say something that will get you a swirly. Don’t you have first period with Joanie?”
“Yeah, and Mandy, and Danielle. I gotta’ go. See you at lunch, Mike.”
“Later, Player.” Mike watched his goodbye stop Denny in his tracks as he was hurrying away to first period English class. He looked back at Mike for a moment shaking his head before proceeding. Mike looked down at the folded note for a second. He then shoved it into his pants pocket.
Mike watched with amusement the looks he got on his way to first period Spanish. The students passing him gave Mike a wide berth, but they had been doing that since he tuned up Conterro in front of the school. When he reached class his Spanish teacher, Tierra Alvarez, arrived at the classroom with her briefcase in hand from the opposite direction. She let out a gasp as she glimpsed the side of his face. Gripping his arm, she steered Mike to the side of the doorway. Mike smiled down at the thin dark haired woman in her forties, who nearly always had a smile on her face. She wasn’t smiling.
“What the hell, Mike? I have your Demon Inc YouTube channel bookmarked on my computer. Is that scar from the video I saw?”
Mike tried joking. “It was a Saturday night special.”
“Not funny, mister! You’re going to get yourself killed.”
“So I’ve heard. We should get into class, Ms. Alvarez. Thank you for your concern though.” Mike tried a subject mention because she still hadn’t released his arm. “I’m really getting good with my Spanish. A bunch of our customers at my Dad’s shop speak with me in Spanish and correct me when I get something wrong.”
Ms. Alvarez stepped back, suddenly realizing what she was there to do. “That’s great, Mike. You’re right. This ghost hunting really isn’t any of my business. Do you have today’s lesson down pat? I thought I’d use you to stir up the slackers in class.”
Mike nodded. “I can read the whole chapter without a miss.”
“Outstanding. You’re up to bat first then. Don’t disappoint me.”
Mike followed her into class. “I won’t.”
* * *
Joanie glanced continually over her shoulder, watching for Denny to arrive, but not wanting him to see her looking. Her friends Mandy and Danielle were sitting next to her in a parallel row. They watched Joanie while trading amused knowing looks. Ever since starting the study group, at the same time as Denny’s escalating role in her brother Mike’s group, Joanie, Mandy, Danielle, and Melissa had been vying for the young genius’s attention. Everyone in the school knew him on sight from the Manjetti rescue, and Demon Inc’s YouTube channel. The workouts with Mike were changing Denny’s physical form too. His face was leaner, and his body more muscular with each passing week.
“On the Denny watch, huh?” Mandy asked. “How is the curve killer after the weekend’s adventure?”
Joanie and Danielle giggled at Mandy’s use of Denny’s nickname in his classes. All the students in the same class with him figured he aced every test, thereby destroying the curve, and they were right. It had led to instant student groans the moment Denny would walk into their classroom on the first day. Eventually, anger and resentment followed. Since his friendship with Mike, his classmates knew any harassment was off limits, including the seniors in some of his other classes where he was the only sophomore in a senior class.
“He’s okay, but Mike’s marked,” Joanie answered. “That thing got him good. I thought he looked scary before, but he’s stepped up the ladder to frightening when he gives anyone a bad look. He thinks the scar is funny. I’m beginning to think he’s mental.”
“Denny’s still unmarked, and he’s lookin’ good.”
A tightness in Joanie’s chest made her react without thinking. “Shut-up, Mandy.”
Mandy sighed. “You were right, Danielle, it looks like Denny’s off limits to us groupies.”
“What? No… I-”
“Too late, girl.” Danielle snapped her fingers. “We knew you’d out yourself soon.”
Mandy laughed. “You think we didn’t see those death ray eyes of yours every time we flirted a little with him at your house. Melissa already told us she doesn’t care what you do, she’s going for the Denny golden ring. I think he’s hot for me, so I don’t even have to compete.”
“We watched the clips from the Haunt battles on Sunday,” Danielle added, as Joanie had become silent, her lips in a thin line of annoyance. “Denny was a star. If he hadn’t wiped out those things attacking from the rear, Demon Inc would be toast. I want to have his baby.”
“You are such a little tool,” Joanie hissed, as both Mandy and Danielle giggled. “Okay… I do like Denny. Are you happy? We’re not married, and I’ve been on his case like an old hag wife about the danger. I’m not fighting with you three over Denny like some spoiled brat. I don’t want him killed, but he won’t listen to me.”
“You ain’t his mommy, girlfriend,” Mandy replied with serious intent. “Want to get stuffed in the back of the Denny line… keep orderin’ him around like you are his mommy.”
Joanie started an angry retort but lapsed into silence for a moment. She looked over at her friends finally and smiled. “Okay… it’s on. Thanks for the attitude adjustment.”
“No problem,” Mandy replied before looking up at the classroom entrance. “Here he comes now. He sees us… and the smile just dropped off his face.”
Danielle laughed. “He looks scared. Death and the Haunts have no effect on him, but we girls frighten him silly.”
“It looks more like caution to me,” Mandy whispered as Denny came over to sit in his seat behind Joanie. �
��Hi Denny.”
“Hi.” Denny sat down, taking out his English book.
“Say something, Worm,” Joanie ordered, forgetting the last five minutes of conversation.
“Don’t call me that if you expect to get an answer, Joanie.”
Her friends’ giggling at Denny’s abrupt retort evoked a crimson blush from Joanie.
Mandy reached over to pat his hand. “Are we still on for study tonight?”
“Sure, if Joanie still wants to have it at her house or-”
“Or we can have it at my house,” Danielle volunteered. “I’ll give you directions. Joanie needs a break from hosting. Ever since you and Mike rescued the Manjetti kid my folks have wanted to meet you. How about it?”
Denny inadvertently glanced at Joanie as if seeking her approval. Joanie knew she had messed up calling him Worm again. “It’s fine, but Denny works out with Mike on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Mike would have to pick Denny up at Danielle’s.”
“Joanie’s right, Danielle. I’m sorry, but Mike already gives me rides everywhere, and he has another match this weekend he’s training for. Can we keep the study group at Joanie’s?”
“No problem,” Danielle replied. “You could just drop by on Tuesday, Thursday, or even the weekend.”
“Sure, I’d like that.”
“Hey, what about me,” Mandy complained. “I have an idea. Why don’t all of us go see a movie together and get something to eat after? It wouldn’t be a real date, so the folks won’t freak out. It’ll be a group thing. Sunday’s a good day for it.”
Danielle nodded her agreement with Mandy’s plan. “How about it, Denny?”
Joanie watched Denny’s face brighten at the prospect, and her initial triumph of keeping the study group at the Rawlins’ house faded into a background of nothingness. Remembering Denny’s returned passion in their kiss on Friday night, when she left her feelings all out there, now made these ploys to be near him seem desperate. She had indeed messed up, but she would not give up. “I think it’s a great idea. You’re right, Mandy. We can have some fun, and not make the parentals mental.”
“I think it’s great,” Denny said. “It will be on Demon Inc too. My treat.”
Joanie saw their English teacher, Loretta Kincaid, walk into the classroom. She gasped. Kincaid wore a figure hugging burgundy dress with plunging neckline, her long brown hair left to cascade loosely around her shoulders. For the first time Joanie could remember, Ms. Kincaid had on lipstick and eye shadow. She looked gorgeous. Joanie knew Kincaid to only be in her late twenties, which was one of the reasons the students bonded with her so easily. She taught with a humorous enthusiasm that drew in even the teens in her class who hated opening a book, let alone reading one. Joanie’s initial surprise at Kincaid’s appearance seemed the general consensus as the classroom lapsed into silence. More surprising was Ms. Kincaid’s saunter directly to Denny’s seat.
“Denny Stossle,” Ms. Kincaid greeted Denny with a smile. “I saw the teasing outtakes of your paranormal encounters this past weekend. Why so small a preview? With so little in the trailers, I didn’t even know if Joanie’s brother Mike survived on Saturday night until I saw him at school today.”
Joanie watched Denny’s utter astonishment at Ms. Kincaid’s attention. She also saw a glimmer of something she had never seen in his features before – self confidence. He smiled up at Kincaid before gesturing in a noncommittal way with his hands. The rest of the class noted the encounter with what Joanie knew was rapt attention. Rumors would be rampant in the school at the end of class.
“We are under contract, Ms. Kincaid. The only reason we’re allowed to upload anything to YouTube is as a tease for the coming Halloween Specials on the Syfy network. It was in bad taste to leave off Mike’s overcoming the Haunt that swiped him though.”
Ms. Kincaid leaned down, putting her arm around Denny’s shoulders in a manner that had Mandy, Danielle and Joanie exchanging looks of shock. “I understand. I’ll bet you have our assignment on Hawthorne down pat today, don’t you?”
“I do, Ms. Kincaid.”
Ms. Kincaid laughed while straightening from her embrace. “Of course you do. ‘The Scarlett Letter’ is a classic tale of dark dimensions. Hawthorne revealed a community’s nonsensical wrath over a moral miscue leading to a lifetime of penance by the parties involved.”
“I took a different message from it, Ms. Kincaid,” Denny objected. “The fictional tale could have been told with Dimmesdale immediately acknowledging his child Pearl, and his love for Hester. The plot could have involved the couple’s fortitude in facing the community. Instead it revealed the complete cowardice of Dimmesdale. To have a woman with the strength of will Hester showed, and not embrace her for all to see was the greatest tragedy in the book, and the most disappointing aspect of it for me.”
Joanie glanced around the room at her fellow students, seeing a respect Denny never evoked before. The most surprising part being Ms. Kincaid’s stunned silence after Denny’s rendering of his thoughts on the book.
“That… is a rather unique perspective. Of course we cannot be allowed to rewrite Hawthorne’s plot to suit our taste. Did you not find Hester’s perseverance and Pearl’s eventual marriage somewhat redeeming of the novel?”
Denny looked away from his teacher, a grim remembrance transfixing his features for a moment. He shook his head. “I see Dimmesdale’s opportunity for triumph through courage, and his abysmal choices instead as heartrending failure.”
Joanie saw something more in Ms. Kincaid’s countenance after Denny spoke, unrelated to a discussion of a book. The looks she noted from both Mandy and Danielle confirmed she wasn’t the only one. Denny’s take on ‘The Scarlett Letter’ reached some cord in the classroom unrelated to the subject matter. Joanie thought she’d be surprised if even a third of the class read the beginning chapters let alone cared about them, and yet she saw the intensity her classmates followed the riposte between student and teacher.
Ms. Kincaid reached down to squeeze Denny’s shoulder for a moment before striding toward the front of the classroom. “I know a few things from Mr. Stossle’s insights and feelings toward ‘The Scarlett Letter’. I know he read it. Let’s find out how many of his classmates read even the first few chapters they were assigned.”
An underlying groan was the only reaction.
Chapter Six
Conspiracy Theory
Mike glanced up as Joanie plopped down opposite him in the cafeteria. “Hey, Sis. How was class today?”
Joanie hesitated in telling Mike anything. It wasn’t just that Mike and Denny were getting closer by the day, and he might discuss what she told him in confidence which he never would. She was reluctant to get his take on anything of a romantic nature.
“Spill it. Does this have anything to do with Denny? He’ll be here in a few minutes.”
“In English class Mandy and Danielle came on to him like a couple of five dollar hookers.”
Mike laughed appreciatively. “I guess taking the weapons master for granted will no longer be an option, huh?”
“It came out okay, although Danielle suggested having the study group at her house, and then Mandy angled it into a group date this weekend to a movie. I managed to convince Denny it would be putting you out picking him up at Danielle’s on your workout nights.”
“I wouldn’t mind… if it furthers Denny’s love life.”
Joanie’s mouth tightened into her favorite pout of annoyance. “See, this is why I don’t talk to you about anything.”
“Sorry… that was a cheap shot. So, three good looking women out on the town with the weapons master this weekend, huh? Should I send D along as a chaperone for Denny’s safety?”
“Very funny. It will be four women, because Melissa invited herself along when she saw us after class and heard about it from Danielle. That’s not the worst of it.”
Mike put down his sandwich, folded his hands in front of him on the table, and leaned forward attentively. “Do
go on. I hope this is more about Denny. He’s becoming the most interesting topic in the school.”
“Ms. Kincaid fondled him right in front of the class, while asking him about Demon Inc’s encounters on the weekend. Then she made him a star by asking him about a book we had to read. The player launched into a review of the book like a tenured professor at Harvard. Kincaid eyeballed him as if she wanted to strip right there and have him.”
“An older woman… two ships passing in the night… porting together in a storm… no wonder you’re upset. You teenies don’t have a chance with a cougar on the prowl. It’s better this way. Kincaid can break him in for when you girls get a little older.”
“Oh… my… God! You are so annoying!”
Mike was still laughing when Denny joined them. He sat down next to Mike with a grin. “I missed a good one, huh?”
Joanie’s fists tightened under the table. She took a deep breath. “We were talking about the group date and Ms. Kincaid trolling for a bite. What did she say to you after class when she asked you to stay over?”
Denny began opening his lunch so as to turn his attention on it. “She… she wants to tutor me on a special project that would count toward college credit.”
Joanie’s mouth dropped open for a moment. “Oh really? And where would these tutoring sessions take place?”
Denny took out his sandwich with only a slight tremble in his hand. “I think she mentioned her apartment.”
Joanie gawked at Denny as if a horn had thrust out of his forehead. “You cannot be naive enough to think this is about school work!”
“Calm down,” Denny urged, looking around. “I don’t see any harm in taking her at her word. Opportunities to gain college credits in high school are a legitimate fact.”
“So are those women teachers on their way to prison for molesting underage boys. Did you see how she was dressed today? Something’s snapped in her head.”
“I’m not going to pretend knowing all about Ms. Kincaid, but I don’t think she plans on hurting him,” Mike said. “Besides, I think Denny can take her.”
Demon Inc (The Mike Rawlins Series Book 2) Page 7