by Matt Ryan
“Thank you. I can’t wait to see what you do with yours. Sometimes, skin is the best color to accentuate the uniform.”
“Allie’s skin will blend right in,” Jackie said and turned to me. “Don’t worry, though. I’ve heard monochromatic is all the rage in Europe.”
“Hey, the sun and I have an abusive relationship.”
Lola took in each of us with a quick look and held her hands in front of her. “Are there any other questions?”
“Yeah.” Jackie spoke up again. “What is it that we do here?”
Lola shook her head and looked confused. “We have classes you can attend on the study of alchemy. We have an amazing pool. Oh, if you like gardening, we have a fantastic garden. Or you can just chill in the rec rooms or the common area below.”
“So we don’t compete with other houses?”
“Compete how?”
“With stones,” Jackie said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“We do have a stone-making room, but there isn’t any competition to make them. We actually frown upon competitive spirit. We are here to learn about ourselves and the world around us as much as anything else.”
I felt the same way as Jackie looked. What are they feeding these people?
“What about parties?” Jackie asked. “We used to throw some crazy parties back at the boarding school.”
“What kind of boarding school did you go to? No, we don’t have parties, but we do get together and have fun. I guess you could call it a party of sorts.” Lola shrugged and pouted her lips. “Sometimes these parties can help out with the making of stones.”
“Sounds amazing,” Mark said.
I glared at him while he stared at Lola.
“It is. I can’t wait for you guys to get your uniforms on and explore this place. I haven’t told you everything,” Lola said coyly, and walked toward the door. “Some things you’re going to have to find out for yourselves.” She hugged herself. “I can’t wait.” She left through the door, her blonde hair whipping out and the smell of vanilla fading.
Mark’s smile dissipated as he stared at the open door. “Why do I feel like we’re stuck in some strange movie?”
“Speaking of stuck, did you hear we can’t leave here for a year?” I said.
“Yeah, kind of hard to miss. But, please, a place like this can’t keep us locked in,” Jackie said, studying the walls.
“I say we stick to the mission of finding a way to get in touch with my mom. She might be our best way back to the Dark Academy.”
“I think we may find some value in this place as well. I can almost guarantee everyone here isn’t all bubblegum and rainbows,” Mark said.
My tablet vibrated in my hands and a video of President Foster appeared on the screen.
“It’s time for lunch. Please report within the next ten minutes for your nutrition. Remember, good feelings create good stones. And to the new students, uniforms are mandatory. Thank you.”
An arrow appeared on the screen overlaying a map with a dotted line leading to a room labeled Sky Lounge.
“Good, I’m freaking hungry anyways. If they have pizza, I’m going to die,” Jackie said, and flung off her shirt.
Mark turned his back and walked to the door. I left with him, glancing back to Jackie as she pulled off her pants and picked a pair from the drawer.
“I’ll take six, you get five,” Mark said when we got into the hallway.
“Okay.” I stood in front of door five and held my hand over the screen.
The door opened and I rushed into a room identical to Jackie’s. Even the vacuum cleaner lines looked the same. I went to the dresser and changed, putting on the soft cotton fiber pants and shirt. In less than a minute, I got back to the hallway with Jackie.
She pulled at her shirt and adjusted her pants. “They have nice underwear here, at least. Those freaking red undies were starting to wear on me.”
“Yeah.” I hadn’t changed my underwear and now I thought better of it. It seemed like it’d been a while since I had a new pair.
Mark came out of his room wearing the same outfit we were in. He smiled and pulled on the white shirt, which was probably a size too small, but he looked good in it. I pried my eyes away from the small section of skin showing around his abs when he lifted his arms up.
“You guys ready?”
“Oh, my tablet thing.” I ran into my room, grabbed it from the dresser and headed back. “We only have a minute, but I want to tell you when we go down there, keep an eye out for what’s really going on. Something doesn’t feel right.”
“Really, this is just like I thought it would be.” Mark looked at the elevator.
“I’m with Allie on this one,” Jackie said. “People here are unnerving. I don’t ever want a slow clap again.”
My tablet dinged and the arrow flashed. “Listen, we’re going to this cafeteria and scouting out anyone who might be able to help us.”
Down the elevator and past the empty rec room, we followed the path across the common area of the Academy. I kept checking the arrow on my screen. Not that I needed it. A flow of people was headed into a building near the far end of the commons. We went across the white stone bridge and over the stark blue water running underneath it.
A few people glanced our way with waves or greetings. With sunlight gleaming through the glass ceiling, the whole feeling of the place was the stark opposite of the other academy. And that should be a good thing, but I felt more nervous about walking with smiles and nods being sent my way versus sneers and taunts. At least I knew the Blues hated me. Here, I wasn’t sure who anyone was.
We reached the back of the line and waited as people funneled through the open double doors. I listened to the conversations around me. Mostly gossip stuff, like who was dating who and Did you see her with him? kind of stuff. I wanted more meat and potatoes talk. I pushed through a few people and got into another section, hoping for different words.
Then I saw her: the girl with the long black braid. She glanced back at me, and her eyes narrowed before she returned to her little group of people. She was the only one I felt hadn’t given a genuine greeting to me after the orientation. I squinted and walked closer. She was with the same group who’d been under the tree earlier.
Mark and Jackie flanked me, holding their tongues and looking around for what I had zeroed in on. We walked through the double doors. Inside the room, I’d lost the braid girl and her posse.
The long room was filled with chatter and the clatter of trays slapping the long white tables. Many already were seated and were chomping on red apples, yellow bananas, and countless other natural foods. I hadn’t realized how vibrant colors were until I’d experienced the absence of them. My stomach growled and I figured I could keep looking while I was eating. I grabbed a tray and slid it along the metal railing. The red almost hurt my eyes, and I eagerly waited in line as we approached the food.
“Just grab whatever you want,” a boy said in front of me. He pulled a few grapes from the stack and popped them into his mouth.
“Don’t eat anything,” a girl whispered behind me.
I jerked around and faced the girl with the braid. She’d found me and was eying me, searching for my reaction.
“Why?” I whispered.
“It makes you happy.” She pulled on her braid, turned and walked away.
“Wait,” I said, but she had already disappeared into the melee of people. I wanted to know her name.
Jackie was tossing an apple in one hand. “What’d she say?”
I caught the apple and Jackie glared at me. “She said don’t eat the food.” I studied the apple and thumbed the smooth edges. It didn’t look any different from any apple I’d ever seen. In fact, it looked nearly perfect. I looked for braid girl.
“What, they don’t wash the fruit here?” Jackie asked. “Who gives a crap?”
“I don’t know. Maybe she was just messing with me. She said it’ll make you happy.”
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�She’s probably messing with us.” Jackie plucked the apple from my hand and took a bite. She chewed on one side of her mouth. “Some newbie hazing initiation. It tastes fine. Actually, it’s really good. I think it’s working, because I’m happy to be eating.”
My stomach rumbled, and I looked at the bevy of fruits and vegetables. Another table had stacks of bread and different jellies. I scanned the different buffet setups, but each held similar fruits and breads.
“Guess there isn’t a pizza bar,” I said.
“Who wants pizza when you have apples like this?” Jackie chewed another mouthful and then snuck between two people with an apology and grabbed a bundle of grapes. “You guys should try some.”
“You okay? You look different,” I said.
“What are you talking about?” She popped a grape into her mouth. “Did you ever think there could be so many shades of white?” she asked, looking at all the people around us.
I batted the grapes from her hand and they fell to the polished floor and rolled away.
“What’s your problem?” Jackie said, some of her usual snark coming back into her tone. “Whatever. There are plenty more.” She tried to move toward the grapes.
I grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the fruit stand. Mark rushed to my side and together we boxed her in and herded her to a quiet side of the cafeteria.
“Mark, did I ever tell you how sorry I am about all the Malki comments?” Jackie said and touched the side of his face.
He pulled her hand away.
“She ate something?” the braid girl said from behind us. She looked around and stepped closer. “How much did she eat?”
“A couple of bites of an apple and a few grapes,” I said.
“The first time is the worst,” braid girl said with a sigh.
“Can I get another apple?” Jackie said. “I’m so hungry.”
I ignored her request and kept my eyes on braid girl. “Who are you?”
“Kylie.” She glanced behind her. “They don’t want me talking to you, but give her this. It will get her out of the nice.” She guided a small bag into my hands and nudged her head toward Jackie.
“Who doesn’t want you talking to us?” Mark asked, but she’d already started walking away.
“I love her hair. She has pretty hair,” Jackie said, pulling a few strands of her own into a messy knot. “Will you braid my hair?”
“No.” I looked at the small bag in my hand and felt the stone inside. I didn’t know if I could handle the nice Jackie for much longer. “Can we hold hands?”
Jackie turned sideways. “I guess.” She reached for my hand and I pushed the stone out of the bag and into her palm. It dissolved and she took a step back, turning her hand over and looking at me. Her mouth contorted with anger and her nostrils flared. “I knew there was something funny going on. I can’t believe I wanted you to braid my hair.” She pulled her hair back and flung it behind her.
“Are you saying you don’t want me to anymore?”
“I’d rather wax Deegan’s belly than have your grubby hands on me.”
I laughed. “We missed you for a moment there.”
“That little bratty braided-haired girl gave you a stone, didn’t she?”
“Yeah, and she also told us not to eat the food here. I think Kylie is who we’ve been looking for. She knows the system here. She warned us about the food and she has stones.”
“Great. Now I owe her.” Jackie put her hands on her hips and looked pissed.
A few people in the cafeteria looked at me as I surveyed the room. At first glance, they looked like any group of young people out in the regular world. Couples holding hands, groups of girls laughing together, boys huddled together and looking at the girls….
There, was a difference though. Even in high school, there was an underlying sense of annoyance. Somebody had to be bothering someone. I searched their faces for the emo girl, or the loner guy, but came up short. Each person seemed to have a role and enjoyed it. Maybe Jackie was right and this was some kind of utopia.
“You guys not hungry?” Lola asked.
I turned to face the perfect blonde’s beaming smile. “We had a huge lunch right before we got here.”
“Well, make sure you at least try something. Everything is of the best quality. We grow a lot of it right here, in our own garden. We make specific stones to help them grow fast and full of color and flavor. I doubt you’ll find any better in the whole world,” she said.
“Thanks. Next time.” I smiled.
Lola stood there smiling and I wondered if she needed to be told to leave. “We’re having a get-together after lunch, to talk about alchemy. I’d love it if you came.” She spent more time looking at Mark than at Jackie or me.
“Yeah, we’d love to learn something about the curriculum here,” he said.
Jackie and I both looked at him.
“Great, I’ll see you guys near the bridge after lunch.” Lola spun around and moved toward the food stands.
“If she keeps smiling like that, I’m going to smack the veneers right out of her mouth,” Jackie said. “And a good vomit stone would take some of the pep out of her.”
“We are not hurting these people,” Mark said.
“Oh, and thanks for signing us up for whatever lame class they have planned.”
“We need to fit in as best we can. I think if they find out what we’re up to, they might kick us out of this place, and we’ll be no closer to finding Allie’s mom.”
I actually didn’t mind going to a real class. For once I would love to learn about the stones, or the history of alchemy. “I’m looking forward to the class,” I said, hooking my arm through Mark’s.
The water trickled down the stream and under the white bridge. Nearby, a section of white couches formed a half circle around a woman sitting in a white armchair. I selected the back row and plopped down, and Jackie took a seat next to me. Mark glanced at the small area left on the couch and sat in front of us.
Lola walked over and sat next to Mark. I thought about asking her if she wanted to switch with me, or take any of the other many vacant couches.
“I’m so glad you guys made it. This is one of my favorite classes.” She patted her knees and turned to face the woman in the armchair.
“I see a few new faces today. I’m Wendy.” She stood from her armchair and showed her bright teeth. She didn’t make the full blown giggle-grins Lola did, but she came close.
Lola stood. “Wendy, this is Jackie, Allie, and Mark.” She sat back down and bounced in the chair, patting and squeezing Mark’s knee.
“So happy you’re here,” Wendy said. “In this class, we cover the use of particular stones. The good ones.” She winked.
Jackie blew out a long breath.
“Thanks. We’re happy to be here,” Mark said.
I offered a smile and a nod.
“Today I think we should talk about a special….” Wendy stopped and looked behind us.
I turned to see Kylie and three guys walking up. She gave me the slightest nod before jumping over the back of one of the couches and sitting down. A few of the boys glared at me before looking ahead to Wendy.
“The more the merrier,” Wendy said as she fidgeted with her hands. “So, as I was saying, this special stone has the ability to freeze a small amount of water.” She held a stone in her gloved hand and dropped it.
The moment the stone hit the water in the bowl, it froze. Even the ripple about to splash over the edge iced over. I’d seen Verity use a stone like this to freeze the water under the statue.
“Can anyone tell me some uses for this?”
I could. I’d used the same stone to break the lock on Verity’s cabinet.
“You could really mess with someone taking a bath,” Jackie said. “Or freeze some appendages off…. Ooh! Or maybe with enough booster stones, you could freeze an entire lake over.” She laughed. “Can you imagine the looks on their faces when people came to the lake? They’d be all, ‘It�
�s summer. Oh, is that my boat stuck in the ice?’” Jackie snorted and hit me in the arm repetitively.
I chuckled and shook my head. Kylie and her friends huddled closer and I caught the words booster stone.
“Can someone else think of a way to use this stone that would actually help people?”
Mark raised his hand and Wendy pointed to him. “To assist with food storage in poor countries that don’t have proper refrigeration.”
“Good one, Mark,” Lola said, and patted his knee again. “I think a great way to use it would be to include them in first aid kits. You could release the stone in a gel compound that would keep it very cold for a long time. And I bet it’d be way better for the environment.” She smiled and shrugged.
I sneered at the back of her perfect blonde head. I had a few stones I might like to use on her. My lips thinned and I told myself all of this will get me closer to finding my mom.
“I think that’s an awesome idea,” Mark said.
“Thanks, Mark.” Lola perked up.
I took a deep breath through my nose and tried to repress the anger swelling inside me. But if she continued to give Mark those Barbie-doll eyes, I was going to go all Jackie on her.
“Here is the yin to that yang.” Wendy dropped a stone on the ice and it melted in an instant. Some of the water spilled over the edge. “Many stones have a counter. Can you tell me of any such combinations?”
Jackie raised her hand and started talking before she was called on. “This is kind of gross, but there’s a vomit stone, and when it’s used with a starvation stone, the victim throws up and then shovels it back in… with vigor. Only to vomit it all back out again.” She raised an eyebrow with a sideways smile.
Had she actually used such a combination of stones? Her face told me yes, and she thought it was hilarious. I cringed at the thought of seeing such a display.
The class was silent as they stared at Jackie with questioning gazes—trying to figure out the puzzle that was Jackie. Good luck, guys.
Mark raised his hand and Wendy pointed to him.
“The life stone is a dichotomy in itself. It takes a death to save a life, all in one stone.” He looked over his shoulder and then back to the teacher. It was a blank expression, but I wondered if he still held any resentment.