“No need for that, Sir. I recorded it all so she can decide for herself.” Mike held up his iPad, which elicited noisy appreciation from his classmates. “You could of course simply continue your class and save yourself the embarrassment of having to explain why when you ask for a student’s opinion and get it, you become enraged when the opinion doesn’t agree with yours.”
Solotaroff’s facial features reflected his dismay at Mike’s revelation and then defeat. “Sit down, Rawlins. Open your books and begin reading chapter fifteen. No talking.”
Mike sat down and sent the recording to Denny. He had already read the entire history book, and outlined each chapter’s high points. Instead of rereading chapter fifteen, Mike began working on a possible ploy to draw out Ansel to a spot where he might have a chance at separating her safely from the Haunt inhabiting her. Grinning to himself, Mike imagined Denny and Joanie blasting him for going rogue on them. It would be a treat if his Haunt exorcism went as planned. He felt a tinge of regret that if something went tragically wrong they might think he opted for a suicide mission. The darkness that had descended into his consciousness kept the feeling from turning into guilt. The excitement of handling Ansel on his own wiped away any momentary thoughts of possible problems.
Lunchtime would follow his next period in English, so if Mike could approach Ansel in the office with the counter between them, he wouldn’t have to test out the theory of whether his touch would expel the Haunt outside of the place it was summoned. Kincaid had explained it hadn’t been as if she was blacked out when the Haunt controlled her. It had been as if it steered her without disrupting the normalcy of her usual actions. If Ansel had some actual attraction for him, Mike figured to exploit it. He reached down into his shoulder bag and gripped the handle on his iron pike. Even the touch of it sent a warming thrill of confidence through him. He’d need a little more time than the allotted space between periods. Mike raised his hand after seeing history class only had another twelve minutes to go. Solotaroff waited a long minute before gesturing at him with an impatient wave of the hand.
“Yes, Rawlins, what is it now? Perhaps you’d like to teach the class?”
Mike stood up. “No Sir. I’m very sorry if my actions today seemed belligerent. It was not my intention to undermine your authority. The altercation this morning has been bothering me, and may have been more of an influence on the tone of my opinion than I had anticipated. Would it be okay if I were to leave class a bit early and go to the office? I’d like to call home.”
Seeing a very real opportunity to both be magnanimous and attain some of the respect he had lost, Solotaroff embraced Mike’s request with enthusiasm. “I quite understand, Mr. Rawlins. I accept your apology, and I think it may be an excellent idea to touch base at home. You are excused.”
“Thank you, Sir,” Mike replied, gathering his things in seconds and heading out of the classroom for the office. It struck Mike instantly that Denny would appreciate what he had just pulled off as yet another shit pile dive ending in a smelling like a rose resurrection. Mike decided on the way to the office that he was indeed getting good at this.
Mike turned on the recorder in his iPad as he entered the office. He saw Ansel’s startled look, and glanced around, seeing no one else was in the office. He smiled, lifting his hand in a casual greeting as he approached the counter divider. “Hi, Ms. Ansel.”
Ansel left her chair and hurried to the counter in front of Mike instantly. “Hi, Mike. I heard what happened this morning. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I managed to get out of Mr. Solotaroff’s history class a little early. What you said the other day has me thinking about you more and more. I thought of calling you last night. I don’t want to get you into trouble though.” Mike kept a two handed grip on his book bag, insuring she would not be able to touch his hand, and any contact would not be with his initiating it.
Ansel licked her lips, while leaning forward over the counter, giving Mike a revealing look at her cleavage, thanks to the deep v-necked red top. “Don’t worry about me, Mike. We’re really not that far apart in age. You’re a grown man. You’ve proven that.”
Mike opted for a shy aspect as he smiled and glanced away. “Thanks. I’m almost eighteen anyway. I’d never mention any… you know… meetings I had with you to anyone.”
“I know that. I’m so glad you’ve thought about us. Would you like to come over to my place sometime soon?”
Mike met her eyes with a steady gaze of heightened teenage male interest he did not have to fake. “I wondered if you’d meet me out by my car for lunch. It’s all the way at the end of the parking lot. If we’re separate in meeting out there, I’d bet we could have lunch together in my car.”
An otherworldly light briefly gleamed in Ansel’s eyes. Although she hesitated, Mike knew he had her. He turned away. “I’ve gone too far. Sorry… I shouldn’t have-”
“No, no, no! Mike… it’s okay. That sounds wonderful,” Ansel called out before Mike could get more than a step away from the counter. “You have lunch next period, right? I’ll get off and meet you. Wave at me from your car when you see me. I’ll come get into the passenger side and we can ride somewhere for lunch and talk. How’s that sound?”
“Wonderful, Ms.-”
“Mary… it will always be Mary for you, Mike.”
“This will be great, Mary!” Mike allowed the darkness now residing within him to evocatively proclaim his embracing the meeting in both the tenor of his voice and the features of his face. “I can’t wait.”
Ansel jutted forward, her hands clasped over the counter. “Oh Mike, I’m so happy to hear you say that. I’ll see you at lunch. Keep it low key, baby. I’ll find you. I know your Chevy.”
“I will, Mary. See you then.” Mike retreated to the office entrance, keeping Ansel in view until the last moment when he exited.
Mike walked toward his English class, satisfied he could expect Ansel to join him at lunch, but feeling slightly guilty he would be doing it without informing anyone. The chance of tragedy loomed hugely considering the small space they would be meeting in. Without knowing if the Haunt would be expelled by his touch, Mike knew everything would be up in the air until he gripped Ansel’s hand. If the thing could streak out of her body, Mike would be in trouble with very little maneuvering room. On the other hand, if it emerged reluctantly as the one at Kincaid’s house, Mike would have time to react. As he walked along, Mike noted the way he was viewed by the other students passing him. They hugged the hallway walls to avoid passing him closely. Tentative smiles from the female students who glanced at him as they went by stirred the feeling of power Mike was coming to terms with.
Loretta Kincaid suddenly stepped into his path as Mike left the building, housing Arroyo’s office. “Mike! I’m glad I caught up with you. What’s happening with Mary? I saw Denny and your sister in first period. They were late due to the problem with Sanderson before school. That was weird. Have you made any plans as to how you’re going to help Mary?”
“I’m working on it, Ms. Kincaid. I’m surprised you decided to come in today. I thought you’d be at home until we fixed this situation.”
“I…I couldn’t stay there today. It would have driven me nuts wondering what the hell was going on. Can you tell me anything?”
Mike briefly considered letting her in on his plans and immediately questioned his sanity in even considering it. “Not now, but maybe by the end of the day. Please, this isn’t an exact science. If the thing inside Ansel gets loose with the ability to attack anyone in its path, a lot of innocent people could get maimed or killed.”
Kincaid grabbed Mike’s arm, garnering curious looks from students just getting out of classes. “I’m going mental with this! I don’t want anything to happen to Mary! This conjuring shit was all my idea!”
Mike glanced around, seeing they were attracting unwanted attention. He made a split second decision and covered her hand with his. The change in Kincaid’s harried features was instantane
ous. “It’ll be okay, Ms. Kincaid.”
Kincaid leaned toward Mike, her other hand gripping his, her mouth open in a sensuous look of surprise. “Mike… I wanted to tell you last night… I… that is… I’m really attracted to you. If there’s any way we could… you know… explore this more privately, I’d really be grateful.”
“Listen, Ms.-”
“Lori, Mike… call me Lori.”
Oh boy, am I digging a hole, Mike thought. “Give me until the end of the day, Lori. I’ll be able to explain more about what we can do and the dangers then. For now, teach your classes, and I promise I’ll fill you in on anything that’s decided about what action we’ll need to take, okay?”
“Sure…sure, Mike,” Kincaid replied reluctantly as Mike disengaged from her fevered touch. “Thank you for helping us. It means a lot.”
Yeah, in some dimension of reality, Mike’s inner voice began a litany of negatives stemming from what he was doing. The consequences of his Haunt driven attractiveness began to make its presence known in Mike’s imaginings. The recent dark side seeping into his everyday life stabbed at his past reality with fervor as he watched Kincaid move away from him toward her next class. Yep, he decided with a deep breath, I’m in trouble. When he arrived at his English class, his classmates quieted as he took his seat. Mr. Argives, who had been in position already taking attendance nodded at Mike.
“I’m glad to see you’re here, Mike. I know you’ve completed your reading assignment. Start us off on the assignment today with a short teaser on our novel ‘Catcher in the Rye’.”
“I hated the book, Mr Argives,” Mike answered truthfully, wondering if he would have to have the spotlight shining on him the rest of the day. “I honor JD Salinger for his service in World War II, landing at Utah Beach, Normandy, and for his unimaginable suffering through the Battle of the Bulge and liberating a concentration camp with his unit. I’m sure his wartime experience colored the rest of his life. It probably had everything to do with his withdrawal from society after writing ‘Catcher’. Although Holden Caulfield’s actions after being expelled from Pencey Prep private school might be plausible considering his background, Salinger’s determination to show Caulfield’s later adventures deteriorating into immoral degeneracy don’t entice me as a reader at all. I’m sure Caulfield’s adventures with prostitutes, nuns, an old girlfriend, and his sister show his growth as a character somehow, but I would never read this so called work of literary art under any circumstances unless it was an assignment.”
Argives chuckled, nodding his head knowingly. “It really isn’t a novel everyone will like. In most instances it is loved or hated, with very few readers sitting on the fence about it. Salinger evoked myriad emotions with his writing, but I will admit optimism wasn’t one of them. Would anyone like to make a brief plea on behalf of Mr. Salinger’s literary work? Yes, Lisa.”
Mike listened intently, losing himself in the class while jotting down notes for an outline. It worked to dispel thoughts of his lunchtime date with a Haunt.
* * *
Denny waved at Joanie as she walked into the lunchroom. Joanie sat down opposite him with her drink and a salad she had gotten from the Burger King Franchise on campus.
“How’s your eye, and have you heard from Mike?”
Denny showed her the text he’d received just before lunch. “On the up side, my eye hardly drew any conversation after this morning’s go around.”
“Have to check on some things?” Joanie read. “What things?”
“I don’t know. He must have had to leave before he could stop by here and let us know. If it was bad news, Mike would have spelled it out in the text. Want me to try calling him?”
Joanie shook her head, and began picking at her salad. “Mike’s got enough on his mind without thinking we’re stalking him. That was a shocker when Kincaid was already in English class when we showed up. I thought she was calling in sick.”
“She wasn’t too happy with us for not having an up to the minute check list on how we’re going to help Ms. Ansel. It sounded as if she’d forgotten all the low points of her own experience. Maybe that’s what Mike’s handling. With as upset as she was, he might have had to meet with her so she doesn’t start blasting the business from last night. Mike had a run in with that jerk he has for History. I heard a couple of the seniors talking about it in Physics class.”
“Did he text you any more thoughts on ripping the Haunt out of Ms. Ansel?”
“No,” Denny replied. “I still don’t have a clue as to how to do it either. If he doesn’t get in touch with me after lunch, I’m figuring he’s decided to run a different plan by me. That would require another day for setting up.”
“I hope he does think you should put it off. It’s too much with the Sanderson thing going down this morning. You’re his boss now. Tell him we have to postpone.”
“Forget it,” Denny stated. “I’ll let Mike take whatever time he needs to give me a plan. Then I’ll give him some recommendations if I think he needs them. I’m the Demon Inc safety valve not the boss. With the way Kincaid grilled us in class this morning, I’m thinking she’ll be putting pressure on Mike. Remember, on top of everything else, he has a match on Saturday night. Stan and Jerry play an away game Saturday afternoon, so Mike’s sure they can’t be in his corner. It’ll be up to me and your Dad.”
“So that’s why you moved our group date thing to Sunday. I thought it was because of the way Mandy dressed like a Columbian street walker today.” Joanie smiled at Denny’s annoyed look. “Admit it. You were thinking of Mandy’s legs and not the Haunt extermination schedule or my brother’s MMA match.”
Denny leaned forward. “I can multitask. I was also thinking about the way I could see your panty line through your dress.”
Joanie gasped and then giggled.
Chapter Twelve
Portal to Hell
Mike waved as he saw Mary Ansel approach along the parking lot edge. He checked the position of his pike under his jacket, and the flask of holy water in his left jacket pocket. Mike also made sure the passenger side door was unlocked before starting the car. With his hands on the wheel, he could avoid touching her, and also head for a more secluded spot. Mike had played many soccer tournaments at the San Lorenzo Park Community Center. It was spread out over a large area with plenty of spots where Mike could eject the Haunt safely if there was such a thing. Ansel hurried to the passenger side of the car, glancing all around for observing eyes. She slipped in next to Mike and slammed the door closed. Mike immediately started his Chevy and drove away.
“Where’re we going, Mike?”
“I thought the Community Center Park would be close, and a good place where we wouldn’t be observed. What do you think?”
“Perfect! That’s the park with the duck pond and huge soccer fields, right?”
“That’s the one,” Mike replied. He glanced over at her with a grin. “You look incredible today, Mary.”
“I can’t tell you how long I’ve wanted to hear you say something like that to me.” Ansel ran her hand over Mike’s inner thigh. No amount of self control could prevent Mike’s reaction to her touch through his jeans. “Wow, you are glad to see me. I want you to come over to my house for dinner tonight. Do you have a friend that would cover for you with your parents if you told them you were sleeping over at their house?”
Mike didn’t have to hide the breathless aspect of his response as even picturing the Haunt inside Ansel’s body couldn’t distract his seventeen year old hormones. “Sure, Mary… that would be the best!”
By the time they reached San Lorenzo Community Center Park, Mike’s tenuous grip on reality had begun to slip, and even Demon’s confirmation of Ansel’s Haunt infestation had retreated to the back of his mind. Mike pointed at the soccer field furthest away on the other side of the duck pond.
“We can walk over there, Mary. I’m sure we wouldn’t be noticed.”
Ansel unfastened her seat belt and slid up alongside Mike�
��s arm, still clutching his inner thigh. “At least the sun’s peeking through and the wind’s not blowing the trees over as usual around here in October.”
She leaned in to kiss him, but Mike, not knowing if their touching would propel the Haunt out, gripped her shoulders over her sweater. “Not here, Mary. I don’t want anything to happen to you because someone saw us in my car. C’mon, no one will pay any attention to us when we’re on the other side of the duck pond during a weekday.
Again Mike noticed the strange glimmer in Ansel’s eyes.
“You’re right, Mike, and we really don’t have a lot of time before we have to be back at the school. It’s beautiful out here. Let’s just walk and talk.”
Outside his Chevy, Mike stuck his hands in his pockets and offered Ansel his arm with a grin. She clasped it tightly and leaned into him as they walked.
* * *
Kincaid spotted Denny and Joanie in the lunchroom. She walked toward them at a nearly jogging pace. Seeing the look of surprise in Denny’s eyes, Joanie spun around as Kincaid sat down beside her. “Where’s Mike? Mary left for lunch. There’s a rumor they’re together. One of the student helpers in the office told me they were seen together out in the parking lot. What’s going on?”
Denny whipped out his laptop in seconds, his hand waving in a calming manner. His face twisted in moments from disbelief to fear. “We have to go now! Joanie, call your Mom and tell her to head for the San Lorenzo Community Center Park with Demon right now! We’ll meet them there. Ms. Kincaid, you need to take us to the Community Center Park, please!”
“How did-”
Joanie grabbed the teacher’s arm as she stood up, already talking to her Mom. “Yeah, Mom, now!”
Denny rounded the table. “Please, Ms. Kincaid, I’ll explain on the way! We’ll call Principal Franz in your car and explain it’s an emergency.”
Demon Inc (The Mike Rawlins Series Book 2) Page 15