“When aren’t we fighting?” Nancy grumbled. “I just wish he’d get over this whole age thing. No one cares, why should he?”
“He’ll get over it. He already is, really, he’s just too stubborn to admit it.” I tried to make her feel better. The sad thing was I was right. Jason really was head over heels in love with Nancy, but he had made such a stink over their age difference, he couldn’t seem to let go of it.
“I’m going to go home and shower.” Ryan kissed me and headed for the window.
Nancy tried to stop him. “My parents know you’re here, you can leave out the front door.”
Ryan smiled his roguish smile. “This way’s faster. I’ll be back.” He opened the window and gracefully climbed down to the grass below.
Sigh.
Nancy walked over and nudged me with a grin. “Come on, get ready. He’ll be back in a few.”
Nancy left and I quickly showered and got dressed. I wore a tank top, jeans and cap-sleeved cardigan with my Chuck Taylor’s. I was ready to face the day. Nancy and I wolfed down our breakfast while Jason theorized about what Turner could possibly announce. George and Vianne chimed in their opinions as well, but we were all pretty much guessing. With Gramps, there was just no way of knowing what his next move would be.
Ryan met up with us just as we were filing into the car. Nancy sat up front and Ryan sat in back with me. It felt weird having Jason drive us. Even though he looked like he was our age, he was over eighty years older, and sometimes it felt that way. I knew most people didn’t care about age differences since everyone appeared to be the same age, but for me it was hard not to think of everyone twenty years and older as an adult. I would always be the perpetual child in my brain. Ryan reached over and held my hand as we made our way through hover traffic toward school. All seven levels of hover space were crammed in the same direction. Apparently, Jason wasn’t the only one who was excited to see what Turner had to say. The more crowded the road space became the more nervous I got.
After another twenty minutes of Nancy and Jason unifyingly agreeing about the lameness of traffic, we finally landed at school.
Bill was there to greet us with five of his dad’s bodyguards. There was press everywhere. I hadn’t seen it this crowded since, well… since the last time Turner came to school to talk to me… or kill me… I really hoped he wasn’t here to kill me. A part of me wished we were past that part of our relationship. Ha!
The press was thankfully roped off at the doorways so students and teachers could land and enter the school without interference. I wished I could just hang out in the parking lot all day, at least I’d have some peace.
That’s when I noticed Jill. She was wearing one of Bill’s hoodies and I could see the bulge of her bandage through the sleeve. She stood next to him like a feral cat behind its mommy. Her eyes met mine and there was actual kindness behind them. “Hey,” she said quietly.
“Hey,” I responded. “How’s the arm?” I asked lamely.
“It’s good. Bill’s mom took good care of me,” Jill answered in the same quiet voice.
It was like she was a totally different person. Broken, shy, humble. Words I never thought I’d use to describe Jill Forester.
“Listen, Chelsan,” she paused as if unsure how to continue, “Bill told me everything… I’m really sorry for everything I did to you.”
Her apology was so genuine I almost didn’t have time to panic that she knew Turner was my grandfather. Almost.
“I was going to tell you…” I started, but Bill interrupted me.
“Can I talk to you a sec in private?” he asked.
“Sure,” I said a little weary at his abrupt tone.
Bill pulled me away from the others, his expression serious. “I didn’t tell her Turner’s your grandpa.”
I was relieved and disappointed all at once. I was kind of hoping everything was out in the open and I wouldn’t have to stress about her reaction. Our budding relationship was tentative as it was (plus, arm, bullet, yeah) and now Turner was becoming her focus of hatred. Deservedly so, but if she knew I was related to him? I just didn’t want to take the risk.
“Okay, Bill, thanks for the heads up,” I said and he smiled awkwardly. “Is everything okay?” I asked. Was he starting to hate me like I thought? My heart hurt just thinking of it.
“Yeah, just tired.” He was definitely being distant.
“I’m really sorry about everything,” I blurted out. I felt a kind of desperation rising up inside me. I was losing him.
“I know.” He sighed. After a few moments of silent torture Bill squeezed my arm affectionately and I went in for the hug. I really needed a Bill hug right then. Bill held me a little tighter than I expected, but it felt nice all the same. The thought of losing him was excruciating.
I pulled away first. “We good?” I asked.
“We’re good.” He grinned.
Phew! I hadn’t lost him… yet. But I knew if this tension between him and Ryan didn’t resolve itself I might lose Bill forever.
“If happy time is over, I’d like to get in there.” Jason was clearly impatient to find out Turner’s announcement.
Nancy whacked him in the arm appropriately, but he was right.
Ryan quickly grabbed my hand as soon as I was in proximity and I gladly took it. I was going to need every ounce of support I could get.
Nancy walked ahead of Ryan, Bill and myself with Jill. I heard her soft but threatening voice tell Jill, “After everything you did to all of us, but especially to Chelsan, you’re on probation, but let’s be clear: if you go back to your old ways you’re done, gunshot or not. We’ll keep you safe, of course, until this whole kill Jill thing is over, but it doesn’t mean it has to be pleasant if you cross us. Are we clear?”
Jill surprised us all by simply nodding. She then turned to Jason, “Any luck on the holo-chip?”
“Not yet, but Roberta telling us that you’re the key helps limit our search. Once we find out what kind of a crack it needs, like a password or a decryption code, we’ll try and figure out how you play into the deciphering.” Jason tried to be reassuring.
“Okay,” Jill said quietly and rubbed her arm as if she was soothing the pain of her wound.
Bill’s bodyguards stuck close to us as we entered the school and the fray of press.
Jill’s eyes were darting around like mad. I wouldn’t pull it past Turner to hire another assassin here at school. Although, considering his announcement was the focus of today, I somehow doubted he’d want a “teenage murder” to outrank his news. My heart told me Jill was safe for the moment. I wanted to reassure her, but I really didn’t know how. It was an odd feeling, wanting to comfort my worst enemy. But in a matter of a day she had gone from nemesis to… I didn’t know what. Friend? Too soon, I think. For both of us. How do you erase years of constant hatred? Time. Hopefully, we’d both have some of it.
Snaking our way through the screaming press, we made our way to the assembly hall. When we entered it was packed. There were thousands of chairs for all the students, which were mostly filled by now. The press stood at any free space they could find, holo-cams in place and ready to shoot. The hall itself was huge! Forty foot ceilings made of solar frosted glass that kept the room lit at all times of day. Yellow walls and deep brown floors, with a five-foot stage stood in the front of the room. The maroon curtains that normally framed the stage were open and a single microphone rested in the dead center in anticipation of Gramps’s big news.
Bill, Nancy, Jill, Ryan and I sat in the student section near the back while Jason joined his news crew already set up for the announcement.
Before Jason left he placed his hand on my shoulder. “No matter what he says, don’t let him get you alone. We can’t protect you when you’re alone.”
It was jarring, but true. I waited with the rest of the crowd to hear what Turner had to say.
Ryan’s hand was like a vise, a very comfortable vise, one that I didn’t really want to be released fr
om. He leaned in close, “I’ll come up with you. What can he do?” he said as if reading my mind.
But I didn’t want him to be in any more danger than… well, than normal. “No, stay here. I can take care of Turner.”
“He should go with you,” Jill said.
I was surprised to hear her say anything and even more surprised to hear the protective tone coming out of her mouth.
“Seriously. Turner’s a psychopath that killed your mom and my dad. Don’t let him get the upper hand.” Jill’s eyes were intense with a burning anger for Turner.
I leaned over Bill so only Jill could hear. “I don’t want Ryan to get hurt.”
Nancy was sitting on the other side of Jill so she heard, too. She placed a hand on Jill’s arm. “Chelsan can handle this. She’s done it before.”
And I had. An assembly just like this where Turner came to give his condolences to me for the loss of my mother and home. Little did everyone know he was the one who killed her. After the assembly he had cornered me in Principal Weatherby’s office and tried to kill me and turn me into one of his dead puppets. No. There was no way I was letting him have a chance like that again.
Jill didn’t respond she just looked worried. I couldn’t tell if it was for me or for herself. Not many people are shot at, and not many people have to face the person who ordered the gunman. Looking at her was making me more nervous so I just focused on Ryan’s hand.
Joan shot us a look from a few rows up and her eyebrows lifted at seeing Jill amongst our group. Definitely not pleased. Good. Make her wonder a bit.
Principal Weatherby walked on stage, his swirling black hole a constant reminder of my grandfather’s cruelty. Turner had him well animated today with a large grin framing his round face. “Welcome students and press. It is with great honor that I introduce Vice President of Population Control, Geoffrey Turner!”
The applause and cheering was deafening. In fact, I’m pretty sure us five were the only ones not clapping. It was only a glare from Jason that made us pretend to be excited. I guess since the announcement somehow involved me the press’ eyes were glued to my seat. Jason obviously didn’t want any trouble. Any visible trouble anyway.
I could see Jill stiffen out of the corner of my eye as Turner walked out on stage. He was alone. None of his staff (dead or living) to accompany him. He still made my skin crawl, and seeing him in the flesh only amplified the feeling. Even this far back he was an intimidating figure, wrinkles and all.
Weatherby shook his hand as he reached the microphone. “Thank you Principal Weatherby for the kind welcome.” The dead Weatherby smiled profusely and left the stage to watch from the sidelines.
Turner turned to the crowd of onlookers and smiled warmly, “Chelsan Derée, will you please come up here and join me?”
All eyes and cameras were instantly on me. I forced a smile and stood up. Ryan reluctantly let go of my hand, but his eyes screamed that he’d jump on stage to protect me if he had to. I tried to give him as reassuring look as I possibly could, but I think it just came out as resigned fear. I turned away before I chickened out and made my way to the stage.
That’s when I noticed how quiet the room was. No one was talking. No one was even whispering. They were all just watching me walk up to join Turner on stage. I could hear the hum of the holo-cams and the slight shuffling of feet from the people trying to get a better view. I swallowed hard and wished I hadn’t sat so far back! I hurried my steps and thought about running the rest of the way, but I’d probably trip and make an idiot of myself.
After an excruciating minute of silent walking I finally stood next to Turner onstage. I didn’t like being this close to him. He smelled like mint. At least he wouldn’t have bad breath, I thought randomly.
Gramps smiled down at me, then placed his hand on my shoulder. He really did look old as I stared into eyes that were the same shape as mine.
“Chelsan, as you know, Geoffrey Turner High took blood samples of every one of its students as a part of a national study on genetics.”
Oh crap! He wasn’t… They didn’t even get a sample of my blood… Did it matter? The results would be conclusive.
“And to my surprise, we had some very interesting results,” Turner said with a smile, but his eyes were telling me something completely different. It was that same expression on his dead minions faces, Trust me, it screamed.
No. No. No.
Why?
What possible reason?
“You and I, my dear, are related,” he said as he faced the gasping crowd, “Gentlemen, Ladies, Chelsan Derée is my granddaughter!”
The audience went nuts. The press was screaming out questions. Students were shocked and gossiping amongst themselves. And Turner just let them all go wild.
I stood there, with his hand on my shoulder, in total shock.
By telling everyone, surely this would make him expedite his death sentence on me. There was no way he could let me be in the public eye as his granddaughter without muzzling me by becoming one of his dead slaves. This was just a public way to tell me he was going to try again.
The truce was over.
He was coming for me.
I couldn’t breathe.
I couldn’t speak.
But I didn’t have to.
“I can tell that you’re just as surprised as I was, little one, but it is with one hundred percent certainty that you are indeed my granddaughter.” He turned back to the press, game face on, “You see, my son went missing when he was just eighteen and after years of searching we never saw him again.” He paused to sound choked up. Lame. “From the research I found after hearing these surprising test results, it appears as if he married Chelsan’s mother, Janet Derée and died when Chelsan was just a baby.” He turned back to me and actually faked a tear. Vomit. “I just wish I would have been able to meet your mother. A woman who could win the heart of my boy must have been an amazing person indeed.”
I wanted to kick him right there and push him off the stage, but the room was loving every second of this unfolding drama.
Turner wiped the fake tears from his face, “After thinking I had no family left on this earth, I have a granddaughter.”
That’s when he reached down and hugged me tight. It took everything I had to force myself to pretend to hug him back.
I whispered in his ear, “I don’t know what you’re playing at, but I’m not going to die that easy.”
“I need to talk to you in private,” he whispered back.
“Not going to happen,” I whispered harshly in his ear.
Turner pulled away and returned to the microphone, his arm wrapped around me like a prison. “I will answer all questions later, but for now I need to spend some time with my new family.”
Oh no.
I stepped away from his embrace and turned to the crowd with as much dramatics and tears as I could muster, “I… I need to be alone… to think about this… I…” And I ran offstage like I was overwhelmed with the shock of the news. I covered my face with my hands to make it look like I was crying, and raced toward Jason and the gang at the back of the room. Two could play the sympathy card, jerk.
In a completely out of character move, Jason stepped forward to meet me halfway and embraced me in a hug. Students and press alike were eating it up, but I was surprised at how much safer I felt wrapped in a trusted friend’s arms.
Jason whispered, “That’s my girl, quick thinking. Let’s get you out of here before he forces the issue.”
I nodded into his chest and we walked to the back of the assembly hall with the gang close behind.
Mr. Alaster met us at the door and nodded toward the hallway. “You can hide out in my room. The press can’t legally go in.”
I smiled my thanks and we all were quickly inside the safety of Mr. Alaster’s classroom.
Jill came up to me directly, “He has to be lying. Don’t worry we’ll get the proof that he isn’t your grandfather.” Then she stopped and really looked at me.
There goes my “open book” face again.
“You already knew,” she said in shock. Jill searched everyone’s eyes for some invisible proof that she wasn’t the only one who didn’t know. She didn’t find it. “You all knew.”
“Jill, I…” I started to explain, but Jill put her hand up to stop me.
“Don’t,” she said quietly as she put her hand down. In a matter of seconds her eyes met mine and they were full of anger and worse… betrayal. “I should have known. You’re just like him, you know. A conniving liar. No wonder why I hated you for so many years, you have his blood pumping through your veins.”
That was too much for Nancy. She pushed Jill toward the door. “You may be upset, but Chelsan is the one who has been hunted down by her own family! You wouldn’t even be alive if it weren’t for her!”
Jill turned to Nancy, furious. “Wrong again, idiot. If it weren’t for Chelsan and that stupid mind-meld thing Turner wouldn’t even know about the holo-chip and I wouldn’t be running for my life.” She turned to me, “Is that how Mrs. Turner can jump in your brain like that, because she’s your grandmother?”
I felt for Jill in that moment, and I wished I had told her about Turner right away. Although her reaction would have undoubtedly been the same, at least she wouldn’t have brought over the holo-chip.
Because she was right about that. It was my fault Turner wanted her dead. It would have been better for her if I had just kept my mouth shut and left her in the dark about her dad. Hating me would have been paradise compared to what she had already gone through for trusting me.
Jill rubbed her wounded arm and tears came to her eyes.
Before I could stop her, Jill was out the door and halfway down the hall.
And then to everyone’s surprise Bill wheeled on Nancy. “Look in the mirror, Nancy, you’re acting just as bad as Jill ever was. Can’t you cut her a break for once? She’s alone and being hunted by her grandfather, show a little sympathy.”
Ouch. Her? He couldn’t even say my name?
Nancy looked like she had been slapped, “Bill… I…”
Bill’s face was immediately crestfallen. He looked so conflicted in that moment, I just wanted to give him a big hug to comfort him, but instead I took a deep breath and said, “She’s not safe alone.”
The Riser Saga Page 44