by Rue Volley
I wondered if rum would be served at lunch.
I studied a group of girls walking by in a huddled mass. Then I spotted another group, then another.
Cliques. Great.
I could barely stand being in a clique of one let alone joining a well-established one here.
Everyone was dress the same, but it didn’t help the rising bile in the back of my throat. I was two-seconds from faking the flu when the car horn blew, and I recoiled in my seat. My aunt waved to a man who was jogging toward the car. He leaned down in my aunt’s window, resting his arm on the edge. I noticed the light gray patch on the elbow of his plaid coat. His brown eyes lingered on my aunt and then skirted over to me. He reached in and extended his hand while my aunt pressed against her seat. I hesitated and then permitted his hand to slip into mine. His shake was firm, reassuring.
His eyes locked onto mine. “You must be Echo; I’m James, James Jenny. I’m the guidance counselor here at Port Royal and a good friend to your Aunt.” She winked at me and he let my hand go. He was relatively handsome for a middle aged man. His hair was well kept and dark brown, swung over to the side with neatly trimmed bangs. His skin was just a little bit darker than my aunts. His lips weren’t that large, so if he wasn’t talking, it could be misconstrued as a frown, but the jovial nature of his eyes made up for it.
“Good friend, huh?” I asked, and my aunt tapped my leg. “James is going to give you a tour of the school and get you all settled in.”
“Oh.” I lowered my gaze. She touched my hand. “He works here, it’s his job, Echo.”
“No…I didn’t mean, well, I guess I just assumed you would be with me, is all.” I added a shrug, trying to play off how uncomfortable the thought of her leaving me here made me feel.
She tapped my hand and ran her thumb across the top of it. “Oh honey, no. I have to get back home.” She added a gentle squeeze. “I have a plumber coming over to check that shower.”
I swallowed hard. Crap. There was nothing wrong with it.
“Oh?” James asked, and Luna visibly enjoyed his tone. “Yes, it’s Carl.”
“Ah, okay.” He waved a hand. My aunt laughed. “You’re so cute when you get jealous.” She leaned over and whispered to him.
I turned away not wanting to know about whatever James and my aunt had going on. She hadn’t mentioned him, but she wasn’t obligated to tell me about her personal life. Honestly, I didn’t want or need to know.
“Okay then young lady, let’s get the tour started, shall we?” James said with authority.
My aunt cleared her throat. “Honey.”
I turned back, and she touched my face. “It’ll be fine.”
“Sure, yeah.” I half whispered, trying to convince myself that I wasn’t going to have a meltdown. She eyed the car door, and I reluctantly opened it up. I got out and stood there in front of the long row of steps. Suddenly I felt small, smaller than I had ever felt in my entire life. This school seemed far too big for Port Royal, far too big for me. The car rolled away behind me, taking my last escape route with it. Mr. Jenny now stood next to me with a fixed grin. He crossed his arms over his chest and observed the school with a look of fondness. I wish I could be that enthusiastic.
“I graduated from Port Royal High, and so did my dad, and his dad before him. I never guessed that I would end up working here, but life’s funny that way, isn’t it? We always seem to find our way back home, one way or another.”
I would grant him that analogy. I smiled and gave him a nod. He eyeballed my boots. I shuffled my feet, feeling a tad bit uncomfortable. “My aunt said I could wear them. Is it okay?”
“We may have a dress code, but we still encourage some individuality. In fact, I insist on it.” His eyes lingered on me for a moment longer as he smiled. “Nice shade of lipstick. Your aunt’s, right?” he asked.
I reached up and thumbed the edge of my bottom lip. “I usually don’t wear makeup. I should wash it off.”
“Oh no! You look fine. You just…well, you look like your mom, and you have your dad’s eyes. I knew Alice and Peter before they ran off and became famous.”
I mocked his definition. “If they hadn’t received awards for what they do I doubt they would’ve noticed.”
“Well, the whole world knows who they are.”
“Yeah, I guess so.” I know I sounded distant and he picked up on it.
He placed a hand on my shoulder. “My job is to make you feel at home, and I promise that you will here, Echo. Just give it a chance, okay?”
“Sure, no judgments rendered, as of yet.”
He removed his hand. “You have the same sense of humor...as your mom.”
“My mom? She isn’t funny at all. My dad’s the funny one, or…I mean, he was.” I hated admitting it or anything about how my parents used to be. All of it only reminded me of how much things had changed.
He didn’t push me, and I appreciated it. He cleared his throat and held his hand out. “Shall we?”
Once I successfully navigated the steps I found myself standing at the top of the stairs. I noticed the inscription above the two doors in the middle. One said Navarri, and one said, Vega. I paused to inspect them, and he noticed.
“Both of your family’s founded this town. They both contributed significantly to this excellent school, so naturally, your names are on them.”
“Great,” I muttered, and he turned to face me.
“Everyone knows who you are, Echo.”
I sighed and refused to talk about how awkward that made me feel. I guess I would have just preferred to come here under the radar, do my time, and then slip away into obscurity.
I shifted the topic. “So, you were friends with my mom?”
He took a breath and opened the door up for me. “You could say that.”
I decided to leave his ambiguous statement behind. I stepped inside and was immediately met with a girl rushing past me. She swung around in a most dramatic fashion which caused her long red hair to flow like a river of blood. It tumbled over her shoulder and past her waist, laying in long curls. She crossed her arms over her chest and glowered at the girl who was approaching her.
“Liar!” the petite brunette chirped in a high tone while the red haired girl shot invisible daggers at her.
“Really, Bri?” The red head produced a piece of paper and shook it in her hand.
The brunette grimaced and responded in a huff. “Give it back, Tailor.”
The red head produced a sinister grin. “Let’s see. Oh, how I love thee, Thorn…”
The brunette rushed toward her and snatched the paper out of her hand. They both wrestled like animals until they dropped to the floor and rolled around. Mr. Jenny abandoned me and was forced to reach in, breaking them up. The two girls stood up with tussled hair and rosy complexions. I stepped back, winding my fingers into the straps of my backpack while Mr. Jenny kept a hand between them.
“You will settle down!” He spoke in a stern tone and then both of the girls started to laugh. It began as a giggle and then boiled into hearty laughter. Mr. Jenny appeared confused, and the girls hugged, leaving an arm around the other’s waist as they turned their attention on me. The red head spoke first. “I’ve totally made a mistake, sorry, Bri.”
Mr. James spotted a boy with a band t-shirt on and held his hand up. “Now you know we have a dress code, Bryon.” The guy took off running, and James rushed after him. It left me standing there at their mercy.
“What do you mean?” the brunette said with a smirk.
“Well.” The red head pulled out the piece of paper and studied it. “It seems that you didn’t write this love letter at all, it was the new girl…Echo Navarri.”
I shook my head. They had to be kidding me. I hadn’t written anything, let alone about Thorn Vega. The thought of those sharp fangs on my neck made me blush, and the girl grinned
.
The redhead cocked her eyebrow as she looked me over. “Every girl loves him. Get in line.”
I pointed at the note in her hand. “I…that wasn’t… I didn’t…” I was tripping over my words.
She took a step toward me. “I thought she’d be prettier.” I guess the word ‘she’ referred to me. I wasn’t sure if I should be offended or not.
“Talking about me in the third person is nice,” I muttered.
The brunette chimed in. “I thought she’d be taller.”
“I’m right here.” I choked out.
“Or smarter...as if he’d…” The red head started to say while I held my breath.
This had to be my worst nightmare. I should have fought harder to be tutored. I felt my heartbeat speeding up and the shortness of breath that signified the inevitable. The terrifying possibility of a full blown panic attack was looming on the ever darkening horizon.
The room started to tilt, and the red head continued to speak, but her words sounded like a distant echo. I may pass out, or perhaps I should drop everything and run.
I could see her leaning into my face, she seemed to be asking me a question, but my body had disconnected from my mind. My eyes shifted to the right, then to the left. My fingers had that old familiar tingling sensation and the ringing in my ears had begun. My throat felt dry; my stomach started to churn. Everything would soon close in on me; nothing could save me.
Nothing at all until I spotted him.
He came walking down the staircase and entered the scene like a majestic angel, minus the wings. My eyes were transfixed on him. My heartbeat slowed. The feeling returned in my hands, and I was able to swallow without choking. Both of the girls stepped aside without saying another word. He walked right up to me, stopping only a foot or so away. The sweet scent of sandalwood filled the air all around me and what I now thought could be myrrh.
“Hello, Echo.” His voice lingered in my mind, searching through every dark space for secrets yet uncovered. My eyes remained locked on his mouth. I couldn’t help myself.
“Hello?” he repeated. I parted my lips. “Hi.” I sounded meek.
His eyes wandered down my neck and then quickly lifted, locking back onto mine. “No door.”
“What?”
He paused then spoke calmly. “You can’t slam a door in my face here.”
I tucked my hair behind my ear and glanced at the two girls who seemed to be scrutinizing us.
“I’m Thorn.” He said as I nodded. “I know, I mean…I heard.”
His face lit up. “Oh, yeah? Were you asking about me?”
I had no idea how to respond to him. Everything about him flustered me from the way he smelled, to how his eyes seemed to penetrate me. It was ridiculous, but I had to straighten my shoulders and soldier on, pretending like he didn’t bother me.
“My aunt told me who you were.”
His response came quickly. “So you didn’t ask her?”
I shook my head in agreeance.
“So you did.” He added.
“Nope, I didn’t.”
“But you shook your head.”
I bit my lip, and he studied my mouth, mimicking my action by biting his own.
I couldn’t look at anything else but his full lips. Finally, I cleared my throat. “You misunderstood.”
“Huh.” He added and left it at that. He turned to Bri and Tailor. “Play nice.”
They watched him as he walked away. Soon he was around the corner and out of sight.
They approached me and looked me over acting more like birds of prey. One reached out and touched my hair while the other stared down at my boots. “Cute,” Bri said as Tailor smiled at me.
“You have lovely hair.” Tailor whispered.
Mr. Jenny reappeared. “Class ladies, or I’ll consider detention.”
Tailor wadded up the paper and dropped it on the floor at my feet. I knelt down and snatched it up, tightening my fist around it. All I needed was for this thing to be circulated around school. I had already had enough attention for one day.
They quickly dispersed as the bell went off over our heads and left me and Mr. Jenny standing in the corridor all alone.
“They were just showing off. Both Tailor and Bri have been friends since birth, perhaps before. They are inseparable.”
“And Thorn?” I asked.
He began to walk, and I trailed him. “Thorn is the son of the richest family in town, except for your own, and he mostly keeps to himself, when he bothers to show up at all.”
“Show up?” I asked.
He paused in front of a door with frosted glass. The name ‘Mr. J’ was spelled out in gold flaked lettering. He grabbed the gold knob and waved me in. I didn’t protest, but I really wanted to talk about the mysterious boy with the sea blue eyes.
“Yes, his dad doesn’t seem to mind pulling him out of school on a whim. So I guess it really isn’t his fault.” He paused. “Hunters.” My eyebrows furrowed. He explained further. “His father likes to hunt, and he insists on taking Thorn with him. Large game, like lions and tigers. I don’t even know if he enjoys it, God forbid he confide in me.”
I bit my lip. “You mean, Thorn?”
“Of course.” He added. “Some kids have trouble opening up.” He sighed. “I shouldn’t be talking about him; the focus is on you today. I’m just against hunting, and I think I’m letting my distaste for it bubble over into work. I apologize.”
“We all have things we don’t like,” I murmured.
He closed the door behind us and held his hand out to the black leather chair. I sat down, and he walked around the back of his oak desk and took a seat. He pulled a file and opened it up in front of him. I adjusted on the chair, and the leather creaked beneath me. He intertwined his fingers on top of the file and looked me over.
“I know how it feels to lose someone.”
His words struck me in the chest and lingered.
I stammered. “I…I’m okay.”
He leaned forward. “We all say that until we convince ourselves that it’s true.”
“Mr. Jenny, I don’t want to talk about it.”
He raised his hand and closed the file. “No, I understand, Echo, I do. I just want you to know that I’m here for you. I’ll always be here if you need to vent, yell, scream, or cry. I serve that purpose in my position here at this school. I’m not offering it because of your aunt.”
I fought back the tears. “No, I’m good.” I cleared my throat. “I’d like to be shown around if you don’t mind.”
He stood up and walked around to the front of his desk. He sat down on the corner of it and let his hands rest on his knees, taking a pretty casual stance with me.
“Grief is a long process, and sometimes we find ourselves doing things we normally wouldn’t do as we work through our feelings.”
“I’m okay!” I yelled, immediately regretting my outburst.
He didn’t even flinch. “Okay, well. I just wanted you to know that the door is open, anytime.”
He stood up and held his hand out. I rose from the chair and then rushed him, wrapping my arms around his waist and sobbing uncontrollably. It was so much easier dumping these emotions off at the feet of a complete stranger than it was to tell my parents how heartbroken I was. I knew I wasn’t the only one who had lost Midnight. They lost her too and instead of dealing with my feelings I had balled them up and changed for the worse, shutting myself off to both of them and making it seem as if they had buried not one, but two daughters, doubling the tragedy and deepening the sadness. Maybe that’s why I let my medication run out. Maybe it was time.
Finally, I caught my breath and stepped back from him. He said nothing as I stared at the wet spot on his shirt from my tears. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m not.” He looked down at it and grinned.
“How about that tour?” he asked me and I took a deep breath and let it out.
“Yeah, that would be great. Thank you.”
“No problem, Echo.”
He opened the door, and I turned, feeling lighter and leaving some of the darkness behind.
8
“Okay well, that’s it.” Mr. Jenny said as we stopped by another frosted glass door. This one had the word Biology on it. I could smell formaldehyde leaking from under the door. I rubbed the side of my neck. It made me uncomfortable but admitting that would lead to more things that I didn’t want to talk about. Death and anything to do with it now terrified me.
I fidgeted with my hands. “About earlier, when I yelled at you…” My eyes lifted, hoping to find that he wasn’t offended.
He cut me off. “No need to talk about it, I understand. I didn’t take it personally, and like I said, you’re welcome to visit me anytime, but for now you should probably get to class. You missed first period, but this one has just started.”
I glanced at the door. “Biology?”
“Would you rather wait for it to be over?”
I shook my head. I couldn’t hide from things or skip classes just because I was nervous. I needed to take the plunge and just get in there and stop running away from everything.
“No, I can go.” I half laughed. “I would just prefer to have a class like this one after lunch.”
He smiled and rubbed the side of his neck. “I can introduce you to the class if you like.”
I shook my head. “No, I can just go in and sit down.”
“Okay, if you’re sure that’s what you want.”
“It is, I’m fine Mr. Jenny, and I do appreciate the tour and the talk.” I eyed his shirt, then pointed at it. “Sorry, again.” He glanced down at it and shrugged his shoulders. “It’s just salt water, nothing more.” I nodded to him. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”