Unfaded

by Sarah Ripley

  Of course I wouldn’t be that brave without Seito shadowing me and she knew it.

  “Good to have you back,” Connor said and he leaned in to give me a quick kiss on the cheek. Straightening up, his eyes met Seito’s but he didn’t say anything. He wasn’t sure what to think about him yet.

  Claire and Amber exchanged looks and I could see they were curious about this new turn of events. Connor and I acting like everything was fine and dandy, wasn’t what they expected. I think it surprised Anique too, she moved down a few feet to listen.

  “Meet me at lunch?” Connor asked, ignoring all the strange looks from my friends. Either he was enjoying all this new attention or simply ignoring it.

  “Yeah, sure,” I said.

  Connor smiled again before nodding briefly at Seito and headed off to his class.

  “You’re back with Connor?” Amber asked. “Were you planning on telling us about this? What about Kian?”

  “I don’t want to talk about it,” I said.

  “You can’t do that,” Amber said.

  “I think we should leave it alone,” Claire said carefully. She was trying to be the voice of reason, the mature one.

  “Fine, sure, whatever,” Amber said. “But I’m going to say this. You never used to be the type to keep secrets, Mai. You’ve changed and I for one am hurt about it. You never answer your phone anymore. You blow Claire and I off. I don't know you at all anymore.”

  Amber turned and stormed off, leaving Claire and I wondering whether to follow her or not.

  “Let her go,” Claire said. “She’s not the type to hold a grudge. She’ll be fine by lunch. But she’s right. It’s not like you to keep secrets from your friends.”

  “It’s not intentional,” I said. “It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, it’s just...” I trailed off. I couldn’t think of an answer.

  “I know,” she said. “But I’m just saying I hope you won’t forget us when you’re ready to talk. I’ve got to go. The bell’s about to ring.”

  I watched her go. Seito stood behind me, waiting. I sighed.

  “Am I really being so awful?” I asked Seito as I pulled my books from my locker. Slamming the door, I started walking towards class. “What am I supposed to do? It’s not like I can be honest with them.”

  “Why not?” Seito walked beside me, giving a not-so-friendly nod to Anique as we passed.

  “You’re joking, right?”

  “Why? What’s wrong with telling them what you are?”

  I stopped walking, almost causing a traffic jam as students rammed into me. Someone swore at me but I barely paid attention.

  “Are you aware of how crazy that sounds?” I said. “In the past few weeks I’ve fainted in a coffee shop, gotten into a fist fight, freaked out in a movie theatre and now I’m refusing to tell them that I might be back with my old boyfriend. They already think there’s something wrong with me. They’d never understand this.”

  “You’re not giving them enough credit. Claire is very intelligent.”

  “This isn’t a physics problem to work out,” I snapped.

  “Technically it’s more Darwinism,” he said. “Natural Selection and all that jazz. We’re the superior race, evolved from the original Homo habilis species. I could be wrong, no one really knows who the first Unfaded were. Some of them claim to be older but I don’t believe it.”

  “Keep your voice down,” I hissed as we entered Algebra class.

  “As you wish,” he said and gave me another bow.

  * * *

  In Biology, Connor wanted to sit with me but I refused, pointing out that he had Eugene and Seito was my new partner. He wasn’t thrilled about it but at the same time he accepted it.

  In History, Seito annoyed Mr. Walker by telling him he was wrong about the Japanese influence in the war.

  “I just think it’s inaccurate,” Seito said. “That book was written from the American perspective. It’s biased. It was a war. What about Hiroshima?”

  “And I suppose you think you know more than me?” Mr. Walker said loudly. “Let me guess, you were actually there?”

  “Well—y...”

  Luckily for Seito, I was thinking quickly enough to accidently knock all my books off my desk before he managed to give his answer. The crash woke up most of the classroom and it sidetracked Mr. Walker enough to forget what he was arguing about.

  Lunch time was weird. It was almost like old times. Amber, Claire and I were joined by Connor and Eugene. The only difference was Seito but he didn’t seem to be bothered in the slightest. He spent most of the time joking around with Amber and discussing the upcoming chemistry exam with Claire. He talked about motorcycles with Eugene and impressed everyone with his knowledge of computers. Even Connor warmed up to him once he realised Seito posed no threat against, what Connor was steadily believing, was the beginning of our new relationship.

  Anique and Sobek weren’t too far away, sitting at a table near the back where they could watch my every move.

  Afterwards Seito walked me to English before running off to Advanced Chemistry. This was the class I’d been dreading the entire day. I didn’t want to face Kian or have to spend the next hour trying to pretend that I didn’t care. How was I going to deal with him sitting that close to me?

  We stopped at my locker where I had to open it three times because I kept forgetting things I’d need. I dropped my pencil case, scattering pens, pencils and erasers across the floor. It was when I knelt down to pick them up that Seito got down on his knees with me and put his hand on my shoulder.

  “You can relax,” he said. “He’s not going to be there.”

  “He isn’t?” One half of me was relieved, the other half devastated. I moved about grabbing at all the school supplies I could find before they disappeared under the shoes of students rushing about. Seito helped me and soon we had everything back where it belonged.

  He walked with me to class. Just outside the door, he paused, looking me over as if trying to figure out the exact spot where I was starting to unravel.

  “Do you want me to stay? I don’t mind. I don’t think the Dim-witted Duo will try anything but if it makes you feel better...”

  “No,” I said. “I’ll be fine. I’ve got you on speed dial if I need you.”

  “Ok, but don’t leave until I get there. I’ll take you home.”

  “What about your Trig class?”

  Seito grinned and ran his fingers through his hair. “I’ll skip it. Don’t look so shocked. It’s not like I’m trying to graduate or anything.”

  He had a point. “Claire will be overcome with shock.”

  “She’ll live.”

  English was hard. I didn’t have Seito to distract me and I hadn’t realised how important he was until he was absent. Without him whispering and joking in my ear, I had nothing to keep my mind from wandering.

  What was I going to do? I was doing a good job of pretending that everything was fine but on the inside I was steadily falling apart. What I needed was someone to talk to but who could I trust? Seito wouldn’t be the answer. He was too neutral and wouldn’t give me what I wanted. Amber and Claire were out because regardless of what Seito might think, I couldn’t be honest with them.

  The reasonable thing would be to talk to Kian but I wasn’t ready to face him yet. As much as it was hurting to keep away from him, the idea of being close was more painful.

  * * *

  Wednesday night I slipped outside the front door while Marley and Dad were watching television. I went out into the middle of the street and waited.

  It didn’t take long.

  “What the hell are you doing, princess?” Lina appeared out from the corner of the house. She was dressed in a thick winter jacket and heavy boots. “I hope you’re not planning on going for a walk or something because I’m too tired to put up with this. I’m not a night person.”

  “I wanted to talk to you,” I said.

  Lina looked me over. “Now what makes you think I want
to talk to you?”

  “Because you’re bored and freezing to death. Because you’ve been outside my house for ages and nothing exciting has happened. Let’s face it. Anique and Sobek don’t know where I live. You’ve all worked too well at keeping it a secret.”

  “They know,” Lina said. “It just doesn’t seem to be part of their plan.”

  “You think they have a plan? Seito seems to think they’re just a bunch of bumbling amateurs.”

  “Your honey thinks that too,” Lina said. “But they’re both wrong,” she added. “Have you ever seen the way a cat stalks a mouse hole? He’ll sit there all day, nice and patient as you please, just waiting for the right moment to pounce. And when he does, it’s always deadly. Come on, if we’re going to stand here jawing we might as well go someplace warm. This isn’t what I’d consider a fun way to spend my evenings and I could use a cup of coffee.”

  We drove to Bean Town which was surprisingly quiet for a Wednesday night. We were even able to get a decent table at the back where no one would be able to listen to us talk.

  “Why are you concerned about Anique and Sobek?” I asked once we were settled in our seats. “What do you know that the others don’t?” I couldn’t bring myself to say Kian’s name.

  “I only know what I know,” she said as she poured an ample amount of sugar into her cup. “A dragon shouldn’t be ignored because it doesn’t have wings.”

  “They’ve failed twice,” I pointed out.

  “They tried the direct approach and it didn’t work,” she said. “Now they’re biding their time. I’d say they already have their plan. They’re just waiting for the execution. I suggest you be aware, princess, because when it comes, it’ll be quick. We’ll be there to protect you but we can only do so much. As you might have figured out, your lover’s success rate isn’t very good.”

  “Don't call him that and it's not fair,” I said. “They tied him to a tree and gutted him. I’ve seen it. He was outnumbered.”

  “And that is his problem,” Lina said. “He’s learning, don’t get me wrong, but he’s not fast enough. He’s spent too much time amongst the humans. He’s forgotten what it is to be Unfaded. He thinks that being young is the same as being foolish. But being in love can make one just as stupid.”

  “You’re calling him dumb?”

  “Yes and you’re not much better either.”

  I was outraged. “How can you say that? I may be new at this but I don’t think I’m doing that bad. I’ve...”

  “You are stupid, princess,” she said, cutting me off in mid-sentence. “You’re too obsessed with love and pain, unable to forgive someone for making a mistake. You’re playing right into their hands. Instead of being terrified you’re too busy acting like a love struck little girl.”

  “I don't love him.”

  “Oh come on,” Lina rolled her eyes. “Do you really think you can fool me with that?”

  “He killed me!”

  Lina laughed hard enough to make the entire table shake. I had to reach out and grab hold of my cup to keep it from spilling. “I’m sorry,” she said once she’d managed to stop. “I keep forgetting how human you are.”

  “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

  Lina didn’t answer at first. She was too busy taking a bite of her muffin. “I’m not going to get into a debate with you about my personal opinion on humans,” she finally said. “It’s none of your business and it’s not what needs to be discussed. We’ll save that for a time when you’re not running for your life. Speaking of which, you need to heed my words. Kian may think that love can conquer all but he’s wrong. Fear is what’s important here and if you don’t smarten up, they’re going to slit your throat while you sleep. You need to keep on your toes. I suggest you start by getting over what’s got you all huffy because you’re safer with him by your side.” She took a long gulp of coffee and shook her head like she couldn’t believe what she just said. “He may not be much but he’s better than nothing is what I’m saying.”

  “I am scared.”

  “You’re scared of the wrong things. You’re more concerned about losing your lover boy. I’d suggest you start thinking about how you’re going to survive next week.”

  “You make him sound like a complete idiot,” I said. “Why do you hate him so much?”

  “You don’t need to know that answer,” Lina said. “But I want to know what’s eating you. Are you really that bothered to find out that your boy wasn’t the person you thought he was? He’s not perfect enough for you?”

  “What does perfection have to do with this?” I said.

  “Everything,” she said as she finished off the muffin in one bite. She wiped the crumbs off her shirt with her napkin. “He’s your white knight. He came out of nowhere to save you when you needed to be rescued. Saviours aren’t supposed to have flaws.”

  “You certainly think so. Isn’t that what you keep saying? He’s too human. He’s too stupid. He’s going to get me killed.”

  “But I’m not the one in love with him.”

  “Why? Is love too human for you?”

  “As a matter of fact, yes.”

  “He betrayed me,” I said. “I trusted him and he killed me. Besides, I don't love him so stop saying it. He's the one who's been in love with me all these years. I have no memories of him. I keep dying. He's a stranger.”

  Lina sighed. “Maybe I’m not the one you need to be talking to, princess. You need to go to him and let him tell you the truth.”

  “I don’t want to talk to him.”

  “I guess that’s where we run into a problem,” Lina said and she finished off the last of her coffee. “Now that we have that settled, I suggest we head back to the house. Micah will be upset if he shows up and we’re not there. No need to be rousing up the rooster. That man’s angry enough for all of us.”

  Nineteen

  I’d like to say that Thursday was better because I’d gotten more used to being alone. I hadn't and it wasn't.

  School went by in a haze. I was aware that I was there but I couldn’t remember anything that happened. I went through all the motions as if I’d been programmed. Seito picked me up. We went to class. We had lunch. He walked me to English.

  It was the same thing I did every day and most likely would be doing for the rest of my life.

  Claire and Amber were being distant with me. I didn’t blame them. I wasn’t exactly up for the ‘best friend of the year’ award. Connor followed me around all day, complaining to me quietly when I refused to go spend some time with him in the library at lunch.

  “Does that guy have to follow you around all the time?” he asked at lunch. “What does he think he is—your guardian?”

  “Maybe.”

  “I don’t like it.”

  “It’s not your choice.”

  During English, Ms. Gray decided we were going to discuss the various forms of love in the Canterbury Tales, a topic that interested many of the girls in the room.

  “It’s romantic,” Sue said. “Palamon was so in love with Emelye that he’d battle to the death for her.”

  “He gave up his best friend too,” Breanna said. “His entire life was nothing without her.”

  That’s one of the best things about sitting at the back of the classroom. When I brought my book up to my nose to hide the tears, no one noticed.

  Thursday was not a good day for me.

  Seito was waiting for me when the bell rang. Of course he had to notice that my eyes were red.

  “Romeo and Juliette?”

  “Knight’s Tale.”

  “Yeah, that one made me cry too.”

  I swatted at him but he was too fast.

  Outside the sky was beginning to darken although it was still only mid-afternoon. It was supposed to snow, the forecast was calling for a blizzard. Dark grey clouds loomed over our heads as we headed to where Seito had parked his bike. The first snowflakes were starting to fall. I zipped up my jacket as high as it would go. It was go
ing to be a cold ride home and I wasn’t overly thrilled at the thought.

  When my phone rang, I dug it out of my pocket, checking the caller display. It was Marley.

  “Mai, I’m so glad I got you. Granny’s gone.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I left her for just a moment,” she said. “I was downstairs at the dryer and she just got up off the couch and walked out the door. No jacket or anything. I tried calling your Dad but he’s not picking up.”

  “I’m out of class,” I said. “We’ll take a drive around and try to find her.”

  “Ok,” Marley said. “She couldn’t have gotten far; I was only gone for a second.”

  I hung up the phone and turned to Seito. He’d been listening over my shoulder and nodded before I even opened my mouth. Tossing me the spare helmet, I put it on and we roared out of the school lot.

  “We’ll start by your place first,” he said. “She couldn’t have gotten far. Has she done this sort of thing before? How old she?”

  “She’s only seventy-two but she’s got Alzheimer’s. Her brain doesn’t work very well. She forgets things.”

  “I know what Alzheimer’s is.”

  “Oh, sorry.”

  “I may be Unfaded but I do know a bit about humans, yanno.”

  “I never said you didn’t. But most of the kids my age don’t have a clue so I’m used to explaining to everyone. I guess I keep forgetting you’ve been around. You’re just so different than the others.” I held on tighter as we rounded a corner much faster then we should have because the snow was really beginning to fall. There was a thin coating of puffy flakes covering the ground. It was going to be icy soon. What if Granny slipped and fell? She could seriously hurt herself.

  “If by different, you mean less uptight, old, moody, and creepy, then I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  “They aren’t all that bad,” I said.

  “Not the one you’re thinking about,” Seito said.

  “I’ve got more important things on my mind,” I snapped.