Nikon: #16 (Luna Lodge)

by Madison Stevens

  “So what are you doing today?” Leah asked, clearly changing the subject.

  Nikon followed her to the small dining table and sat next to her. Their knees bumped, and it felt like it was the most natural thing in the world.

  “We’re still waiting on orders from the higher-ups,” Nikon said. “With the pending hearings about Woods and his actions, there’s no telling when that will come.”

  Leah wrinkled her nose and stabbed an egg. “I hope they lock that asshole up and throw away the key.”

  Nikon raised a brow. Leah didn’t normally say things like that.

  “What?” she huffed. “You know he’s got it coming. All of them. Every single one of them can burn in hell for what they did to you.”

  Nikon opened his mouth to respond but found it harder than he anticipated. She was angry because of what they had done to the hybrids. Something in that moved him in a way he wasn’t really comfortable with.

  Leah glanced at the clock on the wall. “Crap.” She shoved a few forkfuls of eggs in her mouth. “Late.”

  Nikon waved her away from the table. “I’ll clear,” he said. “You get going. Don’t want to be late on your first day.”

  A bright smile spread across Leah’s face. He barely had time to react as she leaned forward and placed a kiss against his cheek.

  “Thanks.” She smiled and sat back up. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  Nikon sat there stunned as she raced around the apartment before jetting to the door.

  Leah paused for a moment to look over at him. She opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something else but shook her head and smiled at him.

  “Have a good day, Nikon. I’ll see you tonight.”

  With that she closed the door and raced down the hall.

  Leah’s words from before still echoed in Nikon’s head as he sat there.

  What was he doing there?

  Nikon picked up her unfinished plate and scraped it into the garbage before placing it in the dishwasher. He moved quietly around the kitchen, cleaning until it was back as it had been first thing in the morning.

  By the time the hybrid finished putting everything away, his phone rang. He glanced at the number. Unsurprisingly, it was Lucan.

  “What?” Nikon said.

  “You burned your bacon.”

  Nikon frowned. There were some negatives about having another hybrid living next door.

  He shook his head. That wasn’t right. It wasn’t really his home.

  “Whatever,” he mumbled.

  Lucan chuckled into the phone. It was still surprising to see the change in the hybrid. A short time with Jamie, and he was like a new man. All the demons from his past just seemed to have floated away.

  “Just be ready in an hour,” Lucan said. “I gotta do something to get away from the smell.”

  This time Nikon snorted as well. “Whatever. It’s better than anything you can do. Let’s see you cook your woman some bacon.”

  The words came out so easily. Too easily.

  Silence answered him on the other line, and Nikon knew it hadn’t gone unnoticed.

  “Let me grab a shower, and I’ll be ready in twenty,” he said.

  He hurried got off the phone and set it down on the table.

  “Leah’s not my woman,” Nikon said. He repeated the sentence a few times before standing. Whatever was going on between the two of them had to stop. Maybe this move was the best thing for all of them.

  Chapter Three

  Leah marveled at the extravagance of the school as she made her way through the halls. In her initial interview, she hadn’t been allowed past the headmaster’s office. Now that she was actually walking the grounds, the full style and sophistication of the school was made clear.

  Elegant paintings lined the walls. She spotted multiple huge fountains in the courtyards between sections of the buildings. She felt bad for walking atop the finely woven rugs in the hallways. The whole place felt less like a school than some sort of elegant hotel that just happened to have a few classrooms in it.

  Honestly, Leah was more than a little surprised they had even bothered to call her back. She had fumbled the interview badly when she was there, going so far as to spill the tea she had been offered. Not exactly proof that she belonged in the hallow halls of such an elite academy.

  Not only that, but she wasn’t as qualified as some of the other applicants. While the school hadn’t told her that, she’d listened while several others chatted in the hall before their interviews.

  Several discussed long lists of accomplishments that made that her well aware of just how small her own list was. Some of these applicants were so qualified she honestly didn’t understand why they were applying for an entry-level teaching position.

  Still, the school had called her back, and that proved they saw past her tea faux pas and must have liked her. Maybe they had seen potential in her that they hadn’t seen in the others.

  That was one thing she’d found with these more elite types of schools. Sometimes they wanted a teacher they could mold into what they wanted rather than someone who was already well set in their ways.

  For all she knew, maybe they also wanted someone with a more casual touch and attitude. Even the most elite of places needed a little fresh perspective now and again.

  It didn’t matter. The important thing was that she would be given the opportunity to prove herself to the school, and that filled her with confidence. She might feel insecure about her background, but she had no doubts about her teaching skills.

  “This is the hall you will be teaching in,” Headmaster Williams said, a hint of disdain in his voice.

  The small, fat balding man stood just a few inches over her own five-foot-four frame, and yet the way he looked down at her, she would have thought he was six feet tall. He might want her to teach for whatever reason, but it was clear he also never wanted her to forget who was in charge.

  “It seems as if you’ve got a good backing in literature,” the man said, “and we’re in desperate need of an early American literature teacher. I don’t mind admitting this has been a weakness for some time.”

  Leah nodded, already starting to list off books in her head they would cover in the class. This could be her chance to really impress the administration with her skills and unique value.

  “A complete list of all the appropriate books will be emailed to you over the weekend,” the headmaster said. “I expect you to follow the list to a T. As I mentioned in the interview, this school functions best when everyone plays their part to keep the machine of education moving along.”

  Leah wadded up the list in her head and tossed it in the trash. So much for using the opportunity to prove her unique value.

  She resisted a sigh. It was amazing how used to teaching the hybrid children she had gotten. Luna Lodge had given her total freedom to educate the children as she saw fit, and it had been an amazing experience.

  She’d been able to carefully personalize everything for each student’s strengths and weaknesses. Arbitrary divisions by age were ignored, and understanding the material was the most important thing. All her students were eager to soak up the knowledge she could provide.

  Yet there she was again, back to teaching to tests and students who probably would forget everything she told them the minute they left her class. She supposed she should just be happy to have the opportunity at all.

  The headmaster stopped in front of a door. “Right, this is the class you will normally be in.” He pointed to a room full of children.

  Leah smiled as she watched the children look at the teacher and the white erase board at the front of the class. Each student copied notes as they stared attentively.

  “They look so sweet,” she said more to herself than the headmaster.

  Headmaster Williams cleared his throat behind her, and she stepped away from the window.

  “The children that go to school here are from very influential and wealthy families,” the ma
n said. “Those families have connections to both the government and some of the most successful companies in the country. The children’s parents have an expectation concerning the sort of education they will receive, and I intend to give them that.” He narrowed his eyes. “They are to be future leaders in our society, not coddled as cute.”

  Leah cleared the smile from her face. “I’m sorry. I just…”

  “We are training the next generation of thinkers and leaders, and I expect you to fall in line with that vision if you want a fulltime position here. Am I making myself clear?”

  Leah nodded. “Yes… sir.”

  For some reason, she felt like she was getting a scolding in the principal’s office. In fact, it was pretty darn close to that.

  “Your time here at Hawthorn is what you make it Miss Perkins,” the headmaster said, “but I expect full adherence to the rules and regulations we’ve set forth. If you’re harboring any silly Dead Poets Society visions, get rid of them. Just because you’ve been given this trial position doesn’t mean a fulltime position is assured.”

  They turned down another hall. This one was darker than the others but equally ornate. Leah was fairly certain that if she knew art, she would no doubt be more impressed by the paintings that hung on the wall. They were certainly framed to present it that way.

  “As such,” the headmaster continued, “I’ll expect you to make it to two of our home lacrosse games. We like our staff to reflect our school spirit by attending as many games as possible.” He glanced down at his watch. “The first of which will be tomorrow.”

  Leah nodded. “Of course,” she said excitedly. “I’d be happy to—”

  “Good,” Williams said, cutting her off. “You’ll also be expected to chaperone for the spring formal. Teachers are expected to show up in formal attire and display appropriate decorum. We should always lead by example.”

  Leah suppressed the frown that wanted to come. For some reason it felt like he expected her to come in a bib and overalls.

  “I’d love to,” she said tightly. “If you’d like, I could run my dress by you for approval.”

  She hoped he picked up on her passive aggressive reply, but the headmaster only nodded.

  “That might be best,” he said firmly.

  Leah held back the indignation that bubbled up inside her.

  It was a good job. It seemed like that was going to be her mantra if she were going to get through this.

  “Now this is the break room,” Williams said.

  As he opened the door, it was as if the gates of heaven opened. The sweet scent of fresh baked goods and coffee reached her nose.

  Williams cleared his throat. “The school chef likes to make sure this room is filled for those teachers on the go, but you’re more that welcome to stop by the lunch area. He’s very sensitive about it being called a cafeteria, so we’ve taken to calling it the delicatessen.” He shrugged. “I can understand. There’s a certain… low-grade quality associated with the word cafeteria.”

  Was everything at this school upgraded?

  Leah shook her head. It didn’t matter. As long as they kept her fully supplied with whatever smelled so good and coffee, she’d be more than happy there.

  “New recruit?” said a less stern man’s voice from behind her.

  Leah turned and found a man standing just behind them in the doorway. He was a bit older than herself by a good fifteen years but smiled when he saw her. She took that as a good sign that not everyone at the school was like the headmaster.

  “Good timing, Matthew,” the headmaster said, “I’d like you to meet our trial literature teacher. Miss Leah Perkins. Miss Perkins, this is Matthew Dixon.”

  The corner of Matthew’s eyes wrinkled slightly in a smile. Leah returned the smile and reached out her hand to his.

  He took her hand in a firm shake. Warm and slightly dry. Still, there was a solid feel to him.

  Leah could tell that he was in decent shape despite the sweater layered over his buttoned-up shirt. He even had the sort of boy next door charm she could easily fall for. Curly hair and cute chunky frames.

  “Looks like we’ll be neighbors,” he said. “I’m teaching biology just down the hall. Pleasure to meet you.”

  A small blush spread across her cheek as his thumb brushed her hand in a way she hadn’t expected. It had been some time since someone looked at her that way.

  “Good,” the headmaster said. “I’ll leave the rest of her orientation in your hands.”

  With that, the small arrogant man was gone, leaving her all alone with the handsome older man.

  Leah breathed in deeply again. The few bites of eggs from the morning now felt like a million years ago. Her stomach rumbled loudly.

  The heat of the blush spread further across her face. She glanced over to Matthew who smiled down at her.

  “My stomach was doing the same,” he said, and winked. “Let’s feed the beasts.”

  The man brushed past her, and she waited for the racing heart that usually came in a situation like this.

  Nothing. For all her blushing, Leah’s heart didn’t speed up at all.

  Matthew might be nice enough to look at, but in the end, he was nothing compared to Nikon. Just thinking the hybrid’s name made her heart thunder.

  “I’d suggest the blueberry scones,” the man said as she stepped over to the table.

  Heaven. She had been dropped into heaven. Scones, muffins, cinnamon rolls, and three different types of coffee. With real cream. She snatched up a scone and a cinnamon roll, as well as some Sumatra dark roast.

  Leah sat down at the round table across from Matthew. The soft cushion of the chair almost made her sigh. Even the chairs were heavenly.

  “So, Matthew, how long have you been at Hawthorn?”

  He offered the same crinkled smile. “Matt, please. And going on five years. It’s a change from my past job of working in a lab, but I find there’s more freedom here.”

  Leah nodded. “I’m hoping to find the same.” She took a bite of the scone, and her eyes rolled back into hear head. “Oh, that is amazing,” she moaned.

  Matt laughed. “I’d work here just for that,” he said, and leaned forward. “Just don’t tell old Williams that or he might take me seriously.”

  Leah snorted and then covered her face with her hand. She didn’t know anyone well enough to go laughing at jokes like that. Maybe this was all a test.

  Matt glanced toward the door. “Did he feed you that ‘next generation of thinkers and leaders’ line of bullshit as well? I suppose he’s already got you taking a shift for tomorrow’s temper tantrum. Excuse me, I mean lacrosse game.”

  Leah nearly choked on her scone and took a drink of her coffee.

  “Thought so,” Matt said. “It’s the same every time. The truth is, we teach rich brats who are children of even bigger rich brats. And sometimes they play sports very poorly.” He shrugged.

  Leah frowned a little. A lot of her dream of enjoying teaching again beginning to vanish. “Is it really that bad?”

  Matt shrugged. “Don’t get me wrong, the kids are engaging enough, but you’ve never been in a debate until you’ve had to argue with an eleven-year-old over a B on a six-point quiz. It can be a bit much at times.”

  Leah took another bite of her scone. This time it wasn’t quite as good. Maybe they weren’t quite so tasty now that she knew the cost.

  Chapter Four

  Nikon was still thinking about Leah when Lucan knocked on the door. He swung it wide open and stepped into the hall.

  “You ready?” Lucan asked.

  Nikon was just about to answer when Jamie swung their door open and stuck her head into the hallway.

  “Did you ask him?” she said.

  Lucan sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “I was going to do it later.”

  Jamie’s mouth puckered into a small frown. She narrowed her eyes on Lucan.

  Nikon glanced between the two trying to figure out what the hell was going o
n.

  “But I need a headcount,” she said. “Otherwise it’s just going to make things difficult, and I don’t want things more difficult than they already are.”

  The lines on Lucan’s face started to tense as he turned to Nikon. “We’re throwing a little going-away party Saturday. A few people from Jamie’s work and some of the guys. We’d be happy if you and Leah could come as well.”

  Nikon shrugged. He assumed that Leah would go considering Jamie was her best friend. He wasn’t even sure why they were asking him.

  “I’m sure Leah will want to.”

  Jamie grinned widely. “I know she will.” She winked. “But what about you?”

  Nikon looked between Lucan and his woman. Something else was going on beyond a party, but he wasn’t entirely sure.

  Whatever it was, he wasn’t sure he was going to like it in the end. He’d had enough surprises to last him a long time. Still, he saw no reason to cause trouble.

  The hybrid shrugged. “If Leah comes, I’ll be there. Not like I have a bunch of other crap going on.”

  Jamie grinned at him then turned to look at Lucan.

  “Don’t forget the takeout,” she said, and smiled. “I’m going to try and get more stuff packed today.”

  Lucan grunted until she walked over and placed a kiss on his cheek. The tough façade vanished immediately.

  “I won’t forget,” he murmured.

  Jamie nodded and stepped back into the apartment.

  “Let’s go,” Lucan said, his voice practically a grunt. He was back to his tough self.

  Nikon marveled at the transformation a Vestal bond could have on a hybrid. Even if a hybrid didn’t want to believe in the idea their perfect other half was out there, it was hard to doubt it after seeing so many hybrids pair off and change.

  It didn’t matter though. Not for him. Leah wasn’t his. He had to always remember that, no matter how tough and painful it could be at times.

  Nikon and Lucan made their way to the car and headed back to Luna Lodge, or what was left of it that was. Things had been changing these past few months, mostly due to the willingness of the military to aid the hybrids instead of watching over them like they were terrorists. The hybrid never thought he’d be grateful to the military, but that was the strange situation he now was in.