The Wanderers Beginning: The Wanderers, Reborn, & Unforgiven

by Jessica Miller

  “You do realize that you were just glowing a few minutes ago, like as in you looked like a divine being,” he said in amazement. “It was the freakin’ coolest thing I have ever seen.”

  “To you yes, but to everyone else I’m sure I now qualify as the school freak again,” I said, mortified at having to explain to everyone what the hell just happened when I didn’t even know.

  Dixon stopped and stood in front of me with his hands on my shoulders. “Ella, when are you going to realize that you are an incredibly amazing person? You are original. One of a kind. There is no one else like you and that is what makes you so special and being friends with me definitely helps,” he said, giving me a wink. “When you stop caring so much about what everyone else thinks you can get past this whole bullshit of thinking you are a freak.”

  If I could just convince myself, this would be a whole lot easier. I didn’t used to care what people thought and I had no idea why all of sudden I cared now. I stood up straighter. “You’re right Dixon,” I said.

  “Well of course I am,” he said, dusting pretend lint off his shoulder. I stifled an eye roll and thanked him for the pep talk and gave him a hug. Then I braced myself before I opened the door to the office.

  There was a lot yelling going on inside Aidan’s office. I didn’t even bother to knock. I just let myself in. “Ella, what are you doing here?” Aidan asked, clearly upset at the interruption.

  I stepped forward to address him. “Billy is my friend.”

  “Well, your friend here caused a lot of issues for us,” he said, glaring at Billy.

  “I told you. None of this would have happened if they would have just let me in in the first place,” Billy said.

  “And like the guardians told you at the gate we cannot let you in without proper identification or stating your business of why you are here.”

  “I did,” Billy growled, irritated.

  “Regardless, actions must be taken,” Aidan said.

  “For what?” Billy asked.

  Gabe stepped forward. “Surely you can see how this was a misunderstanding and something that can be overlooked.”

  “You think taking out half the guardians on campus and causing a riot is acceptable? That we’re just going to let this go?”

  “You are,” I said stepping in.

  “You are out of line Ella,” Aidan snapped, and then quickly recoiled, regretting raising his voice at me.

  I tried not to let my irritation show. I held my head high and spoke with a strong voice. “No, I am not. As you said so yourself, Billy has taken out half of the guardians on campus which makes him quite the warrior. Someone like him would make a great asset in assisting the guardians, don’t you think?”

  “While I do agree with you on that, I still can’t just let what happened go. Some of our best men are laid up in the infirmary right now.”

  I looked over to see Billy smiling, proud of what he had done. “I will take responsibility for that. You can punish me.”

  “I appreciate you being loyal to your friend, but I cannot and will not do that. I’m sorry but you are going to have to leave the campus immediately.” He made a motion for the guardians to take him out.

  I stepped in front of them to block them. “You can’t make him leave,” I said.

  “Yes I can,” Aidan said, gesturing for the guardians to proceed.

  “Wait, he can’t!” I yelled. I was grasping at straws trying to come up with a logical explanation of how to keep him here.

  “I’m sure it will be fine. Clearly he can take care of himself,” Aidan said. He gestured to the other two guardians standing by the door. “Would you please escort him out?”

  “No, he’s…he’s my guardian!” They stopped and Aidan looked at me confused.

  “No, Gabe is your guardian,” he said, straightening up.

  “Yes he is, well was,” I started and turned to Gabe pleading with my eyes for him to go along with this. “With everything that Gabe has on his plate right now I thought it would be easier on him if I relieved him of his duty and called Billy.”

  “Is that true?” he asked Gabe.

  “Yes it is. I apologize for the inconvenience. I’ve been very busy as Ella has mentioned and I’m afraid the date of his arrival had slipped my mind.”

  Aidan looked us both over. “If that’s true then why didn’t you just say that instead of trying to break in,” Aidan questioned Billy.

  “I wanted to see how easy it was to get in here if I was an intruder. As you can see it was far too easy. I think the only one you should be mad at is the idiot who hired those goons.” I elbowed Billy letting him know to shut it. His last comment made Aidan narrow his eyes at him indicating he was the idiot.

  I spoke up quickly to diffuse the tension. “It is obvious as to why I called Billy to temporarily take Gabe’s place, that part is clear. I can assure you from this moment on there will be no more issues…or surprises,” I said.

  I didn’t know if Aidan was buying our story or not, but he sank down in his chair, looking defeated. “Fine, he can stay. There is one slight problem though. The entire guest housing is filled due to the amount of extra guardians we called in.”

  “That won’t be a problem. I no longer have a roommate so he can stay with me in my room,” I said.

  “That, I cannot allow,” Aidan said.

  “Billy is my guardian I’m sure once everyone is aware of that it won’t be an issue. It only makes sense that he stays with me.”

  “I can vouch for him,” Gabe said. “Billy was a former student of mine and I can assure you he is and will be a perfect gentleman.”

  Aidan rubbed his head, showing he had enough. “Fine, but this is only temporary until a room becomes available,” he said, caving.

  We all nodded in agreement. “Are we done?” I asked.

  “We’re done,” Aidan said. The two guardians left with Gabe, Billy, and Dixon. “Ella, can I talk to you for a minute?” I stopped, with my hand on the door. “Can you close the door?” I didn’t want to do this now, but I knew sooner or later I would have to. I closed the door and turned to face him.

  “I know you probably hate me and I don’t blame you. But you have to know that wasn’t me.”

  “I don’t hate you.” He sighed, relaxing a little. “But I still don’t feel like I’m ready yet.”

  “I understand. I just don’t want you to be afraid of me, because that is not who I am.”

  “I know. I just…I just still need some time.”

  “Take all the time you need. I just want you to know you can still come to me if you need anything. I don’t want you to feel like you can’t. I’m still here for you, as your headmaster of course.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Callahan.” With that I left. I wasn’t ready, but I knew over time I would be able to forgive him. I knew we were under a spell, but the harsh memory of what could have happened was still too fresh in my mind and I couldn’t get past it. Spell or not. I knew the real person at fault and she would pay for what she did. Yes she would pay.

  I found Billy at the end of the hall with Dixon waiting for me. “Well, aren’t you quite the trouble maker,” I said to Billy.

  “You know how I like to make an entrance,” he smiled, giving me a big, bear hug.

  “What are you doing here? I mean, not that I’m not happy to see you, but really?”

  “I heard Jack was in the area,” he said, his face no longer amused.

  “You heard right, but why don’t we talk about that later. You must be starving.”

  “I could eat,” he said, rubbing his belly.

  “I don’t care if you do or don’t. Your little show interrupted my dinner and I haven’t had a chance to eat and I’m starving.”

  He laughed, throwing his arm over me. “Well, come on then.”

  You could hear outside the doors that the dining hall was bustling with talk of what just happened. But as soon as Billy and I walked back in the crowd fell silent and all eyes were on us. “Is
it always like this?” Billy asked.

  “Well when you bust through the doors and take on five guardians –”

  “Seven,” he corrected.

  “Sorry, when you take on seven guardians single handedly.” He smiled and gave me a small squeeze. “Not to mention the fact that I was glowing when I stopped the fighting.”

  “That was pretty cool. How’d you do that?”

  “I have no idea,” I said as we stepped into the food line.

  Dixon pulled another chair over for Billy and we all sat down. Everyone just stared at us. “Oh, yeah, guys this is Billy.” They all managed a hello or hey there.

  “Ella your hair,” Cameron said. I half expected her to bitch me out for attacking Dean and Roman, but no, my hair is the first thing she would mention.

  “Oh, yeah,” I said rolling my eyes. “I have another blue streak.” They just stared with astonishment.

  “Okay, so I’m just going to say it,” Cameron started. “You know you were glowing about twenty minutes ago? And what the hell was with you going all Buffy on Dean and Roman?”

  And there it is.

  “Um, yeah,” was all I said.

  She looked at me. “Care to explain?”

  “If I understood it myself I would, but I have no idea how it happened,” I said, shrugging my shoulders. “And Dean and Roman wouldn’t let me go. I did warn them,” I added.

  “I thought it was really neat,” Riley said. “The glowing part not the fighting,” she smiled sheepishly.

  “Whatever it was, it was powerful. I felt all the energy that was exuding from you,” Sienna said.

  After a few minutes, everyone stopped gawking at us like we were some science experiment and went back to their dinner. They seemed to understand and accept my explanation of why I hulked out on Dean and Roman, which I was thankful for, allowing me to go back to my dinner.

  Billy finished all his food and was now picking off of my plate. “Where’s Dean?” I asked. I hadn’t seen him since we returned.

  “He, uh, said he needed to get some air,” Austin said. I didn’t need any other explanation. I knew Dean was mad at me for rushing into the fight and knocking him out. He needed time to cool off. I knew to give him time to clear his head and talk to him later.

  Always the one to diffuse an awkward situation, Cameron started a different conversation. “So Billy, how do you and Ella know each other?”

  He looked at me to explain while he continued to stuff his face. “Billy and I went to school together in Vermont.”

  “I guess that means you know Dixon as well?”

  “Dixon and I were fraternity brothers,” Billy said in between bites.

  “Dixon, you never told us you were in a fraternity,” Sienna said.

  “It never came up,” he shrugged and then smacked Billy’s hand away from his food. He had finished everything on my plate and was now looking for more. Riley noticed his hungry eyes and offered her plate of fries to him. He dug in without a second thought and gave her a mumbled, “thanks.”

  “Ella, I never would have expected you to be hanging out with fraternity boys,” Cameron teased.

  “Ella was in our sister sorority,” Dixon said, opening his big fat mouth.

  “Wait, you were in a sorority?” Cameron’s eyes grew big with excitement.

  “Okay, well, we need to get going so I can help Billy get situated,” I said getting up.

  “Wait I want to hear more about the fact that you were in a sorority,” Cameron said.

  “Sorry got to go.” I grabbed Billy and hauled butt out of there.

  Once we were out of earshot, Billy turned to me and said, “Care to tell me what that was all about?”

  I sighed. “The people here don’t know what happened back at Vermont. I know with Jack showing up they’re bound to find out eventually, but right now I’m not ready to tell them.”

  “So, anything else I need to know, for future reference?”

  “Billy, we have a lot to talk about,” I said as we walked across the campus to my room.

  We walked the rest of the way in silence. When we reached my room I unlocked the door and let him in. “So, this is your room,” he said, looking around.

  “My roommate moved out temporarily so you can have her bed.”

  “She moved out?” he asked, eyebrows raised.

  “Long story, anyway, what was up with the big theatrics?” I asked, sitting down on my bed.

  “When I got to the gate and told them I had to see you right away they wouldn’t let me. So I found another way in.”

  “You couldn’t use the phone?”

  “I was never one for conversation,” he smiled.

  I caught Billy up on what was going on. I told him about how Jack got on campus, but got away before anyone could catch him. I told him all about my newly developed powers, my new friends, the school and my classes. Turns out Billy had gone to a similar school back home when he was sixteen. That’s how he met Gabe. Gabe was a teacher there and had trained Billy to become a guardian when he finished college. This would explain how he was able to take out all those guardians.

  Billy then told me all about his adventures tracking Jack up until they brought him here. When he found out Jack was in the area he knew he had to come here and make sure I was safe. “You must be exhausted,” I said.

  “I am pretty tired,” he admitted. “I could also use a shower.”

  “Do you even have any extra clothes?”

  “I did have a bag, but it kind of got confiscated in the scuffle.”

  “The bathroom is right there,” I said, pointing to the door behind him. “Why don’t you go ahead and take a shower. Help yourself to anything in there. I’ll go see if they have your bag. If not I’m sure I can scrounge up some extra clothes for you.”

  “Thanks Ella, for everything.”

  “It’s no biggie,” I said. I left and headed to the office to see if they had Billy’s bag. The secretary told me they had it in the guardian’s office down the hall. I walked down the hall and luckily was able to retrieve it without any hassle. I picked up the bag and headed back to my room.

  On my way back I ran into Roman who was coming out of the dorms. “Hey,” I said, not sure how to approach him. He just glared at me. That was expected, considering. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry.

  “Apology not accepted.”

  “Fine then, be that way.” I wasn’t going to beg for his forgiveness, besides it was his fault since he got in my way.

  “You know how stupid that was?” Roman growled, throwing his arms up in frustration. I looked at him confused. “Of course you don’t. You’re just some dumb, little girl who likes to play hero,” he spat and walked off to the side of the building.

  Jaw dropped. I followed him. “Excuse me, I don’t know who the hell you think you are but you have no right to talk to me like that. I am so sick of you treating me the way you do when I –”

  I didn’t even get the chance to finish my sentence. Roman pushed me up against the wall and attacked me…with his lips. I was so shocked I didn’t know how to react. When I came to my senses I pushed him away. I narrowed my eyes at him and then slapped him across the face. Then I grabbed him and kissed him back. I think he was the one surprised now. I pulled away. Panicking, I slapped him again and then I took off, leaving him standing there shocked and confused, which was pretty much what I was feeling right now.

  I almost dropped Billy’s bag in my haste to get away. I was flushed and winded by the time I reached my room. To make matters worse, when I got back, Mackenzie was there. “What are you doing here?” I snapped.

  “Not that it’s any of your business, but in case you forgot this is still my room too and I just had to get a few things,” she said as Billy walked out of the bathroom, wearing only a towel. Mackenzie’s eyes widened and she smiled. “Well, I see you traded up.”

  “You can leave now.”

  “When you get tired of playing with children you can come fi
nd me in room 306,” she purred, shaking her behind as she walked out.

  “Who was that?” Billy asked.

  “My roommate, Mackenzie. Stay away from her. She bites and not in a good way.”

  He made a face letting me know I didn’t have to worry about that. “You found my bag.”

  “Oh yeah, here,” I said, handing it to him and trying not to stare. I could definitely see the appeal Josie had to him. He was very attractive and built, very built. I had a hard time taking my eyes off of him. Billy noticed my staring and cleared his throat. ”Oh, I’m sorry,” I said embarrassed, and quickly turned around.

  “It’s okay,” he smiled and walked back into the bathroom.

  “I’m such an idiot,” I said to myself falling down on the bed and burying my face in the pillows. My mind was swimming with images of Roman. I couldn’t believe he kissed me. Worse, I couldn’t believe I kissed him back. What was I thinking and was Sienna right? Ugh this couldn’t be happening. I covered my face with my hands ready to scream.

  “Are you okay?” Billy asked, fully clothed.

  “Yes,” I said sitting up. “I’m gonna change.” I grabbed my pajamas out of the drawer, and went into the bathroom to change. Then I turned off the lights and hopped into bed. “Goodnight Billy.”

  “Goodnight Ella.” I turned over on my side and pulled the covers tight. “Hey, Ella?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I still hear her, Josie. Sometimes I think I even see her. I dream about her all the time.”

  “I miss her too. I even thought I heard and saw her, but I know it was just my mind playing tricks on me.”

  “Do you miss him?” he asked. He didn’t have to say his name. I knew who he was talking about.

  “All the time,” I admitted.

  “Does the pain ever go away?”

  “Eventually, all wounds heal, overtime. When you’re ready you’ll know,” I said, trying to reassure him although I wasn’t the best person to give advice about this.

  I couldn’t sleep. After the mention of Tristan I couldn’t get him out of my head. I grabbed my journal and headed into the bathroom so I wouldn’t wake Billy. I closed the door and climbed in to the bathtub closing the curtain. I opened up my Journal and let the pen do it’s job.