Gabriel followed his father’s gaze. His shoeless feet were shrouded in two different colored socks.
“Shoes. Right. Thanks, Dad.” He picked up the sneakers he’d kicked off yesterday. There wasn’t time to change the socks.
His dad grabbed a piece of toast and held it out. “Is everything okay, bud? You’re acting kind of strange.” He inspected Gabriel’s face as if he were a doctor checking for mumps, measles, or one of those diseases kids get vaccinated for, but no one ever gets any more.
“I’m fine, Dad. I just don’t wanna be late for school, that’s all.” He ran his hand over the crystal tucked beneath his shirt.
“Well, eat this at least so I know you won’t starve to death. Even if you are stinky and wearing yesterday’s clothes.”
Gabriel froze as his father shoved toast into his mouth. There was nothing left to do but chew.
***
Gabriel made it to school with ten minutes to spare before the homeroom bell. He ran the whole way, and all he could think about was how his mother would have never let him get away with going to school like that.
“Hey.” Piper’s voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked up to see her and Brent rounding the corner.
“Dude, rough night?” Brent chimed in with a laugh. He reached out and fist bumped with Gabriel.
Piper scrunched her nose. “What’s that smell? Did Zigzag throw up on you again?” Gabriel considered going with that story. It was better than the truth—that his nightmares left him drenched in sweat and extra smelly. With the excitement of the crystal, he hadn’t taken his usual morning shower.
“Uh, yeah. Maybe we should go see Mr. Roswell,” he said, trying to refocus the conversation. “We don’t have much time.”
“Okay, man, but seriously? You’re gonna have to, like, do something with that smell,” Brent admonished.
Piper looked at Gabriel with pity in her eyes. Gabriel scowled. He hated that look. It was the same one she’d given him after his mother disappeared. “Let’s just go.”
They bounded down the hall and into Mr. Roswell’s classroom. Mr. Roswell had the perfect name for a science teacher, which sometimes made Gabriel wonder if it was even his real name. It was just like the show Gabriel had seen on TV like, eons ago, about aliens found in Roswell, New Mexico.
Piper cleared her throat. “Good morning, Mr. Roswell.”
“Well hello, kids.” Mr. Roswell glanced over his shoulder and pushed his curly, dark-blond hair out of his eyes, leaving a trail of chalk dust above his caterpillar eyebrow. “I’ll be with you in just a minute.” He continued to write his outline on the board, as if its importance far outweighed anything they could possibly have to say. Gabriel barely resisted the urge to unleash the awesome power of his crystal right then and there.
“Um, we’re gonna be late for class, Mr. Roswell,” Brent mumbled.
“Well, you better get to it, then.” Mr. Roswell spun around, waving his chalk at them as he glanced at his watch. Piper looked at Brent, and Brent looked at Gabriel.
“Um. Well,” said Gabriel. “We found something, and we wanted to show it to you in case you could maybe tell us what it is.” Gabriel’s voice didn’t come out as assured as he would have liked. Maybe coming to Mr. Roswell had been a bad idea. The hallway was filled with kids rushing to beat the bell. The pressure was on.
Mr. Roswell put down the chalk and rubbed his hands together. “Out with it, then.” He moved around his desk, holding out his hand, palm up, to Gabriel. Gabriel gnawed his lip, hesitating. Maybe it had been a mistake to bring the crystal to Mr. Roswell. What if he took it, to study it or something? Who knew what teachers would do? But Gabriel needed answers, and he wouldn’t get them by keeping the crystal hidden beneath his shirt.
Gabriel slowly removed his necklace. He handed it over to Mr. Roswell, already missing the crystal’s glowy warmth.
“Hmmmmm.” Mr. Roswell brushed the rock against his green trousers, and then held it up to the fluorescent lights. “Uh-huh, yes. It’s some sort of crystal.” He turned it to the right, then left, then back to the right again. “Nice. Very nice.”
“That’s it? Just a crystal?” Gabriel looked at it closer, hoping it would refract light and hum, like it had yesterday.
Mr. Roswell stroked his goatee. Then he removed a magnifying glass from his jacket pocket, and held it up to the crystal. “Were you expecting something else? It seems it’s just a crystal. Where did you say you found it?”
Gabriel inwardly groaned, regretting showing him the crystal. He knew it was more than just an average crystal. Hearing Mr. Roswell say those words made his stomach tumble in disappointment. “Uh—I didn’t.” Gabriel could barely speak as the teacher inspected the crystal that didn’t exhibit any of the wonder from yesterday. No lights, no humming. Gabriel reached out and touched it. Nope—no heat either. Weird.
“Wait here, children.” Mr. Roswell handed the crystal and the magnifying glass to Gabriel, and disappeared into a closet in the back of the classroom. Banging, thumping, and crashing echoed from within.
“I don’t understand!” Piper exclaimed. “What’s wrong with it?”
“I don’t know,” Brent replied. “Gabriel must’ve broken it. Or maybe when Zigzag puked on him it short-circuited or something.”
Gabriel ignored them. He placed the magnifying glass up to the crystal. Then he smiled like a Cheshire cat.
“Guys! There’s nothing wrong with it,” he whispered. He waved them both over and they took a look through the magnifying glass.
Piper’s olive complexion turned white and Brent’s eyes widened.
“W-what … ” Piper stuttered, sounding breathless. “What is that?”
Gabriel just grinned. There was no mistaking the image of a white tiger inside the crystal. No ordinary crystals have magic like that.
Mr. Roswell walked out of the closet. “What are you whispering about back there?”
“Nothing, sir. We’re just taking a closer look at the crystal—” Gabriel broke off. He didn’t dare add what they’d seen inside. “Uh, never mind. C’mon, guys.” He nudged Brent and Piper. “We’re gonna be late for class.”
“Gabriel,” Mr. Roswell called as they headed out the door. Gabriel turned in time to catch the pitying look that crossed Mr. Roswell’s face—the same expression Piper had shot him a few minutes earlier. A look he’d seen plastered on countless people’s faces since his mother’s disappearance. The one that made him feel diseased. The one he hated. “Maybe it is more than a mere crystal.” Mr. Roswell’s tone was hopeful. “And if you can prove it, an A awaits you and your friends for the science project.”
The homeroom bell rang.
“Thanks, Mr. Roswell.” Gabriel, Piper, and Brent ran from the room, excited about their new challenge.
“Guys, we’re going back to the falls,” Gabriel said once they were in the hallway.
Brent rummaged through his locker, and Gabriel leaned against his, deep in thought. A locker door slammed shut beside him. He turned to face Cedric Morley, who was securing his lock. Cedric looked up with a smug expression on his face.
“What? No ‘hola,’ Piper Ramirez?” Cedric mocked.
Gabriel wondered how long he’d been there, and what he’d seen and heard. Cedric could ruin their crystal project. And totally would, if he got the chance.
Piper narrowed her eyes. “Oh shut up, Cedric.”
Gabriel tugged on Piper’s arm. “Don’t let him get to you. He’s nothing.”
Cedric wrinkled his nose and sauntered past them into Mr. Roswell’s classroom as they headed to math class.
Halfway there, Gabriel stopped and slapped his forehead. “You guys go on ahead. I left my homework in my locker. Be right there.” He turned and headed back down the hallway.
Piper laughed. “How do you remember to get dressed in the morning?”
“He barely does, remember?” Brent pinched his nose. “Hurry up, bro.”
Gabriel rolled his eyes and headed
to his locker. He fiddled with his lock, trying the combination three times before the door finally popped opened. While he hunted through his papers, he heard Cedric mumbling in Mr. Roswell’s classroom. Gabriel couldn’t resist. He crept over to the door, stealing a peek through the crack.
“I can’t just let you retake the test, Cedric.” Mr. Roswell wore a bewildered expression as he faced a defeated looking Cedric Morley. “But your friends just left a moment ago. Perhaps you can get in on their project and make up some marks that way.”
Cedric dropped his overloaded backpack. “My friends?” He raised his eyebrows and tilted his head.
“Yes, Cedric. Mr. Stone, Miss. Ramirez, and Mr. Chapman.” Mr. Roswell looked as if he thought Cedric was nuts. But Cedric didn’t have many friends, a fact which seemed to escape Mr. Roswell. “It seems they’re working on a most wonderful project, aiming for an A. I got to preview it today.”
Gabriel’s heart sank. There was no way he would ever let Cedric in on their project, or let him put his sneaky little hands on the crystal. Just as Gabriel was about to walk in to protest, Cedric spoke up.
“I can’t work with them,” he declared. “But maybe I can come up with something better?”
At least Cedric feels the same way I do. Gabriel went back to his locker, grabbed his homework, and took off to class.
Chapter Three
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Gabriel’s dad asked him for the third time.
“Have you seen it, Dad? I know I brought that stupid paper home. I need it. Now. Brent and Piper will be here soon. Where’d it go? I’m sure I went back for it … or was that the English paper? Crap! How the heck are we gonna know what we’re supposed to be writing about if we don’t have the questions?”
Gabriel’s dad ran his hand through his hair as he watched Gabriel whip around his room, opening dresser drawers and digging through clothes. He’d already searched the closet, under the bed, and the floor of the bathroom. He’d rummaged through the hamper, flinging dirty clothes across the room while his father ducked out of the way, occasionally catching a towel or a t-shirt.
His dad nodded to a pile of damp towels on the bathroom floor. “I’m sure your friends will be pleased you decided to shower.”
“Dad, if you wanna help me, really.”
“You worry too much for an eleven—almost twelve-year old, you know that?” His dad sighed and left the room.
Gabriel sat in the middle of his room, staring at the mess he’d made, knowing he looked for a paper that didn’t exist. Or at least, it didn’t exist at his house.
A few minutes later, his dad returned. “Listen. I have something for you. I know it won’t help you find your paper, but it may help you find your way.” He placed something round and shiny into the palm of Gabriel’s hand. An engraving on the front read: If you believe in yourself, you will always find your way.
“What is it?” Gabriel eyed the circular, silver present.
“A compass. It’s real silver. Your grandpa gave it to me when I was about your age. It’s very special. I thought I’d wait until the perfect time to give it to you.”
“Awesome. Thanks, Dad. But you know I can find my way around those mountains with my eyes closed.”
His dad ruffled Gabriel’s hair. “Just keep it for good luck, then.”
“Thanks.” Gabriel gave him a tight-lipped smile, feeling a bit awkward. Maybe Dad’s coming around. Maybe we can be close again. Ever since Mom left, there had been a Grand Canyon-sized hole in the house that seemed to swallow everything up, pushing his dad further and further away. Some days, it felt like both of his parents had disappeared.
He stared at the compass. So maybe his dad didn’t blame him for Mom leaving. Or, maybe Dad had decided to forgive him. At least that’d be one of us. Even if it was only temporary, it felt good to have him back. Gabriel sighed and squeezed the compass tightly in his hand. “I’m sorry for wrecking my room. I’ll clean it up before I leave, I promise.”
“It’s okay.” His father leaned in, about to hug him. He stopped short, patting his back instead. “You go on. I’ll take care of it this one time. Then I’m heading off to court to close the Matthews case.”
“Matthews case?” The Matthews family lived next door. Gabriel hadn’t known they needed a lawyer.
“Yes, it’s nothing to worry about though.”
The doorbell chimed. Gabriel quickly slipped the compass in his pocket and snagged his watch from his nightstand and put it on. He dashed down the stairs two at a time. Brent and Piper’s eager faces greeted him.
“Hola!” Piper said in her usual Spanish greeting. Even though she spoke English, she liked to throw in a bit of her native Spanish here and there. Gabriel liked it. It actually helped him ace some Spanish tests.
They gathered inside the doorway and did their secret handshake: a “high ten,” moving their right hands up and down in a wave, then stacking them one on top of the other, before throwing them up in the air with a big “Woot!” It’s not like they’d do that sort of thing in public. Cedric would totally tease them for it.
“Let’s go,” said Gabriel. He couldn’t get to the mountains fast enough.
***
“Did you tell your dad, dude?” Brent’s voice rose in excitement as they neared the waterfalls with Zigzag bounding after them.
“Tell him what exactly? That we found a crystal that refracts light in crazy colors and seems to give off some kind of energy and—wait for it—seems to have a tiny tiger living inside it?” Gabriel rolled his eyes at Brent.
“What’s your problem?” Piper glowered at Gabriel. “He was just asking.”
“And I’m just saying. Maybe what we saw wasn’t real. I mean, a white tiger inside of a crystal? Who’s gonna believe us? Nobody, that’s who. It sure wasn’t there when Mr. Roswell looked. How do you explain that?”
Piper sighed. “I can’t. But I didn’t want to come up here in the first place. It sucks up here in winter. And don’t get any crazy ideas about jumping back in there.”
“I won’t do anything stupid, I promise.” Gabriel said it firmly, and he meant it. He held the crystal out from his neck, watching the lights shimmer through the air. The shades of blue twirled with white, and danced before his eyes. He stared at the waterfalls, deep in thought.
“Besides, Gabe,” Brent said, “we all saw what was in that crystal. It’s not like you were the only—” He stopped speaking. Something in the woods cracked, like a really big branch snapping. They turned in the direction of the noise. “Did you guys hear that?”
Snap.
“There it is again!” Piper said with a shaky voice. “Do you think it could be a bear or something?”
Brent stood first, then Piper—slowly. She took a step back, toward the water’s edge. “What do you think it is?”
“Relax, Piper,” said Gabriel. “It’s probably just a deer.”
“Ahhhh!” A boy screamed.
“That’s not a freaking deer!” shouted Brent.
Cedric Morley raced out of the woods, Zigzag chasing after him. Cedric yelled as he ran toward them. “Leave me alone, you mutt!”
A belly laugh doubled Piper over. “I’m gonna pee my pants!” Tears fell from her eyes as Zigzag chased Cedric around in circles.
“Okay, Zigzag, quit it.” Gabriel called his dog to attention. Morley always causes trouble. He remembered how Cedric had been suspended for calling in a fake bomb scare on the day of a big math exam he’d wanted to avoid. Another time, he’d filled the bathroom soap dispensers with glue. Gabriel’s mother had told him a long time ago: That boy is just mischievous. Gabriel had sighed and rolled his eyes at the biggest understatement of the century.
It took a couple of minutes for Cedric to catch his breath. That was also about how long it took Gabriel, Piper, and Brent to stop laughing. When they had all calmed down, Gabriel spoke first.
“Why were you spying on us, Cedric?”
Brent scowled. “Yeah, what’re you doing
out here, anyway?”
“Spying? Are you nuts?” Cedric sounded almost convincing. “I think you should be nice to me, since I have something that you need.” He folded his arms against his chest and twisted his lips in a smirk.
“And what could you possibly have that we need?” Brent leaned casually against a tree.
Cedric pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. Something in Gabriel’s stomach soured.
“What’s that?” Gabriel asked as nicely as possible.
“Wouldn’t you like to know.”
“I thought you didn’t want to work with us.” Gabriel regretted it as soon as he said it.
Cedric’s eyes widened in understanding. “So you’ve been doing your own spying, eh, Gabe? Well, I changed my mind.”
Piper squinted at him. “Oh, just tell us what it is, you moron.”
“Something to do with a certain science project.”
“Riiight. And what’s yours about, Cedric? A rubber ball you ever so scientifically prove bounces?” Piper laughed and rolled her eyes.
“Funny, Ramirez, but if you wanna know what I have—that you guys need—first tell Gabe here to apologize for siccing his stupid dog on me. Then I might tell you.”
“Oh, gimme a break.” Brent looked ready to charge.
“Okay, okay. I’m sorry Zigzag attacked you,” Gabriel offered. He may have even meant it. He took a step forward and reached for the paper. Cedric took two steps back, holding the paper behind him. Fire ignited inside Gabriel. He’d caught a glimpse of the paper and was sure it was his missing assignment. Cedric was such a dork.
“No. Say, ‘I’m sorry, Cedric, for siccing my stupid dog on you,’” Cedric insisted with a smirk.
Brent didn’t wait for Gabriel’s reply. He charged Cedric like a bull. At first, Gabriel thought it was funny, but when neither came up for air, it was clear it was a real fight.
“I’m gonna get my A, you idiot, and you can’t stop me,” Cedric shouted at no one in particular. Punches and kicks followed.
“Do something, Gabe!” Piper urged. Zigzag growled, about to pounce, and through it all, nobody except Gabriel seemed to notice how close to the water’s edge Brent and Cedric fought—or if they did, they were too hyped on adrenaline to care.
Gabriel Stone and the Divinity of Valta Page 2