by W. J. May
“Watch it, wolf-boy. I wasn’t talking to you. I had a date with Rae and wanted to make sure everything was all right.” Rae could hear the fury in Riley’s voice. It made her squirm uncomfortably. When will they stop this?
“Guys, please. I can speak for myself.” Rae tried to keep her voice low; heads were already turning their way. “Everything’s fine. I just forgot. Maybe we can go next Saturday?” The last thing she needed was to attract the dean’s attention. He’d love any excuse to have the girls eat at a separate time from the boys. And wouldn’t that just be fabulous? I’d be ostracized forever. So she sighed in relief when Riley accepted her compromise.
“Sure. It’s a date.” He emphasized the last word and shot a smug look at Andy. “Do you want me to pop by and see you at the Infirmary tonight?”
“I’m not sure if you’re allowed.” Rae leaned forward, trying to escape Andy’s over-warm arm.
“I asked Dean Carter yesterday if it’d be all right.”
Rae just barely managed not to roll her eyes. Of course he did. Backed into a corner once again by cheetah-boy, while being smothered by the hairy beast. Andy gripped the table, his knuckles white and the veins in his arms bulging. With her luck, he’d probably shift into a wolf and fight Riley right here. Rae grinned, despite her wariness. It’d be an interesting fight. Riley, with his cheetah tatù, was quick. She pressed her shoulders back. She might like the idea, but had no intention of letting it start.
“It may be kind of boring. I doubt I’ll get much sleep.” Rae hoped she sounded like she was excited. She tried to think back to how she had felt Thursday evening and all she could picture was hanging out with Devon in the library. She wished he was here.
“I’ll come by around nine. Keep ya company.” Riley winked, then stood without a second glance at Andy. He headed to the front where he disappeared into the evening dusk.
“I don’t understand how you can stand that guy.” Andy’s ears seemed to puff with steam like an angry cartoon character.
“He’s such a …a…Richard Cranium.”
“A what?” She blinked, wondering if he’d gone off his rocker.
“You know, a Richard Cranium.” He smiled, then made a face that looked like he’d been eating raw onions. “I’m trying to make up for being an idiot and make you laugh. I don’t think it’s working.”
“I don’t get it.” The name “Riley” didn’t sound like “Richard” to her.
Andy pinched his nose, closing his eyes. He mumbled, “Consider the short forms for the two words.”
“Richard, Rich, Rick, Dick…Cranium, brain, skull…Ohhhh…I get it, a Dickhead!” Rae started laughing.
“Oh, brother, I don’t even know why I open my mouth sometimes.” Andy rolled his eyes but grinned. He straightened, now happy and bright.
“I’m the slow one today. My uncle talks in riddles all the time. I should’ve jumped on that one.” She winked. “I’ll have to save that for the summer when I go home.”
“Just don’t call him one and say it was me who taught you.” He put his hands up to fend off her fists.
Rae threw a playful punch when he dropped his arms.
“Are you going tomorrow night…to the COP?”
“COP?”
“Covert Operation Part --” He paused, glancing behind her.
She froze, scared a professor had just heard and would ruin everything.
“Ms. Kerrigan, are you prepared for the change?” Dean Carter leaned forward as he drummed his fingers against the table. Oh…of course it’s him. A teacher would be good luck and that’s not what I have. Rae made a conscious effort to avoid touching him, afraid his miserable attitude or gift, whatever it was, would rub off on her.
Professor Stockheed came up behind Carter. The dean straightened and pulled on the pockets of his suit jacket. “If you have a moment, Dean Carter, I’d like to have a word.”
The dean sighed. “Of course, Professor Stockheed.” He stared at Andy and frowned before walking away with the professor.
“Creep,” Rae muttered.
“Richard Cranium,” Andy said. They both laughed.
Madame Elpis met Rae at Aumbry’s main entrance and walked her to the Infirmary.
“Have a pleasant sleep.” She patted Rae’s shoulder. “Enjoy the roller coaster ride.”
“I’ll try.” Rae instantly mimicked Madame Elpis’ tatù, watching her leave the room without turning. The headmistress’ gift was pretty handy. No wonder the woman never missed anything that went on at Aumbry House. Talk about eyes in the back of your head. Freaky!
She glanced around. It was a simple white room, like any typical hospital room, with four single beds and a crappy view from the window. The sharp scent reminded her of bleach and some sort of cheap scented cleaner. The buzz from the fluorescent lights sounded like the cicadas back in New York. She wished her uncle were there with her. Even though she was still kind of ticked at him, he was family and he cared.
Trudging to the far bed, closest to the window, Rae dumped her backpack on it and plopped into the ugly orange vinyl chair beside it. She let her head fall back to rest against the chair and put her feet, sneakers still on, onto the white bed sheets.
Dean Carter walked into the room. A lady in scrubs covered with dancing clowns followed behind him. She could sense their movements thanks to Madame Elpis’ gift.
Carter stopped at the foot of the bed and crossed his arms over his chest. A glimmer of a smile made his lips twitch. It looked like it took a great deal of effort for him. I wonder if a full on smile would make his face crack.
“Excited?” Dean Carter seemed to be attempting to have a relaxed conversation with her, but his body language seemed all wrong. Rae couldn’t figure him out.
“Sort of.” Like she was going to tell him she already knew what happens. Or that she dreaded the thought of staying here tonight. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. “Why all the bullsh—crap? Why do I have to stay here? It’s just an ink stamp. No one else has to do it this way! It’s not fair!”
“No one ever said life was fair, only eventful, Ms. Kerrigan.”
The dean closed his mouth when Professor Stockheed and the science professor strolled in.
Rae’s eyes grew big. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Now she felt like the monkey doing tricks at the circus. The lady with the dancing clown shirt was obviously the school’s nurse. She probably treated everyone here like they were five years old.
The dean strolled over to the newcomers, and the three men conferred quietly.
“Let’s check her back now. We’ll photograph and check every hour to see if the ink art appears instantaneously or in parts.” Stockheed reached inside his coat pocket and pulled out a digital camera. “She might be different.”
Rae froze, terrified they’d see the ink already there. She wondered if the bathroom had a window she could escape out of. She was so screwed.
Carter waved his hand. “No need. There’s no documented proof.” He coughed. “We don’t have approval.” He nodded his head at Rae.
“I’d really like to do some blood work,” the science teacher said. “I’ll call her uncle to get his permission. I’d like to see if there’s a change in her DNA from tonight to tomorrow. Let’s see if the markers on the genes differ, or if hers are unique to the others.”
“No needles,” Rae said. The men all turned and stared at her surprised, like they’d forgotten she was in the room.
“I’m just cur—” science-guy started.
“No! I’m not a lab rat. I have a say in this. If I want my genes or DNA or whatever looked at, I’ll ask.” She huffed. “It’s my ink-stamp.” Not my father’s. It took serious effort of press her lips together and not say the last part out loud.
She slid off her chair, grabbed her bag and went into the bathroom. Like any typical hospital, there was no lock on the door…and no flippin’ window. She spied the hospital gown on the back of the door, hanging on a hook. Rae snort
ed. No way would she wear that. If they saw her tatù before morning, they’d probably slice it right off her back to examine it. She pulled her pajamas out of her bag and changed quickly, not trusting she’d have any privacy if she didn’t hurry.
Rae planted her ear on the wooden door, trying to hear what the dean and professor were talking about. Through the wood, the deep muffled voices were impossible to decipher. She didn’t want Stockheed here. He was creepy and weird in class. Plus, she’d never figured out who left the note at the beginning of the year. She kind of thought he’d written it but wasn’t sure.
The room on the other side of the door became quiet. Rae straightened, her eyes shooting around the room. What if they were listening to her? Watching her? She quickly threw her pj’s on, ran over to the toilet, flushed it and then ran the tap to wash her hands. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and stepped out.
Except for the beds and chairs, the room was empty. Bare feet silent on the cool concrete floor, Rae tiptoed and peered out the door down the hall. Heart thumping erratically, she went back to the bed and organized her backpack. She’d packed a book and some magazines to read and set them on the nightstand. No one came in.
She sat down on the bed, swinging her legs back and forth. Checking her watch, she slid off the cot and went to check the hall again. Empty.
“Weird.” Her voice sounded hollow against the bare walls.
They caged her here like a lab rat, but backed off their “tests” at the first sign of opposition from her? She didn’t trust it. But what else could she do?
The bed frame looked as old as the buildings. It was one of those old metal ones with a crank to bring the head part up instead of by remote. She wondered why something so lacking in technological advancement would be in a school that prided itself on providing students with the best of everything? It didn’t fit. She leaned over and flipped the handle open and began turning. The groan of protest from the hinge made her jump. She gave it a few more turns, hopped on the bed and organized her pillows. Twiddling her thumbs, she watched the door and cocked an ear for the sound of shoes tapping against the floor. Nothing.
It was mildly disappointing really. She’d been expecting something a bit more…sinister for tonight. Well…maybe they plan on doing all their nefarious deeds tomorrow? Rae sighed and tried to relax. She knew her imagination was running rampant.
Alternately curling and uncurling her toes on each foot, she sat on the bed and waited. Before long, her breathing became steady and her lids grew heavy.
I’ll just close my eyes for a moment. Focus on my hearing. A large yawn slipped out, and Rae rubbed her eyes. She could feel her head begin to bob so she rested her chin against her hand. Tired of trying to listen for the dean’s return, she grew weary and let herself slip into the darkness.
She bolted awake, the hair on the back of her neck on end. She blinked rapidly, trying to force the edges of sleep away.
“Who’s there?” She coughed and cleared her throat. She sat up on the bed and glanced toward the door. No one came in.
Kicking the sheet off her legs, she hopped out of bed. She turned her head and glanced out the window, seeing something out of the corner of her eye.
“Crap!” she screamed and jumped away from the window. She laughed when she realized the person she’d thought she’d seen was her own reflection. Grabbing her chest, she tried to stop the crazy stuttering of her heart.
“Everything all right?” A cheery voice called from the door, making Rae leap onto the bed.
The nurse stood by the door, a bottle of water in her hand. She looked as startled as Rae felt. “Sorry, dear. You’d had a visitor but he said you’d fallen asleep.”
“What? Who?” Rae sat on the bed, trying to think who’d been in. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to feel if the hum inside her had changed. There was something new tingling through her veins but she couldn’t tell what.
“One of your classmates.” The nurse set the bottle on the nightstand.
“Devon?” Rae tapped her fingers rapidly against the bed. The hum didn’t feel right. It felt like she’d had too much caffeine, like she couldn’t possibly sit still.
“No, not him.” The nurse smiled. “He’s such a sweet boy. Riley popped in.”
Cheetah-boy. That’s why she wanted to run and felt twitchy. She wished Devon was back.
“Anyways, you try and get some sleep. It can be a long night of waiting.”
“Yeah, I know.” She froze, afraid the nurse would realize her mistake. “I mean, I went through this with Molly. Molly Skye. She’s my roommate. We, uh, she turned sixteen at the beginning of the school year.” Ugh! She sounded like Molly now.
The nurse raised her eyebrows. “I’m in the next room if you need me. Just push the button.” She pointed at the wall behind Rae. “Sleep tight.”
Rae watched her leave and then leaned back into the pillows. It seemed to take forever, but finally she felt herself drifting off. She slept but couldn’t relax. Awful visions and dreams kept her jolting awake. Awaking from the fifth or sixth horrible dream, she vowed to never set foot in the Infirmary again after this night. Turning her back to the window, she closed her eyes tight and focused on abilities she’d like to try out.
Chapter 16
November 15
Rae winced as she slowly came awake. A sharp pain in her neck let her know she’d slept on it wrong. She closed her eyes tighter, the morning sun too bright for her still-tired eyes.
She rolled over to her side and slowly let her eyes open and focus. The room was bright, but outside still looked dark. She’d never closed the curtain and forgotten to switch the lights off. Groaning, she checked her watch to see it read only a bit after five a.m. Ugh! Why am I awake?
Suddenly remembering where she lay, she shot straight up.
Dean Carter sat, elbows resting on his knees, in the orange vinyl chair. He grinned, wide awake and waiting for her. He stood and the overhead lights caught a flash against something silver he held in his hand.
Rae held her hands up and edged toward the hospital bed, Terrified and thinking that he held a gun, she wondered if she could outrun a bullet, or maybe at least get out of the way.
Slowly dropping her gaze to his hands, she realized he was holding a camera. Not wanting him to know how he made her nervous, she yawned and stretched trying to hide her fear from a moment ago.
“Stand,” Carter said. He raised the digital camera, focusing on the lens at the back.
She stared at him, letting the word sink in. She’d finally slept so heavily, her head still felt groggy, even after the scare a moment ago. The bed creaked as her weight came off. “Do you want me to smile and say cheese?” She woke fully when she realized she’d said the sarcastic words aloud.
“Not funny. Not funny at all,” The dean snapped. “Turn.”
She huffed, spun around, and lifted the back of her shirt up slightly.
“Oh blimey! What the heck kind of tatù is this? It’s huge.” The camera flashed a number of times. “This isn’t the ink of your mother or father.”
“May I see it, sir?” Rae smiled mischievously. She got a kick out of having the upper hand knowing that the dean had no idea she already knew.
“What? Yes, here, have a look.” He grit his teeth as he tossed the camera in her direction. He disappeared out of the room, his shoes clicking rapidly down the hallway.
Rae turned back to the pillows and stared at the picture on the little screen. The photo showed the tatù in full detail. What Rae hadn’t been able to notice the past two days was now seen in full view. The ink design made any real tattoo look like a child’s artwork. The fairy seemed to be grinning and watching her as she moved the camera, staring at it from different angles. She was drawn so deeply into admiring the ink art that she jumped when Dean Carter hovered over her shoulder. She hadn’t heard him return.
“What can you do? What’s your power?” He sounded frustrated.
“I-I’ve n-no
idea, sir.” She stepped out of his reach, paranoid he planned to grab and shake her.
“Neither do we at the moment. Your ink’s original, like Simon’s.”
Rae froze at the mention of her father’s name.
“You’re up now so let’s get started. I want to run you through a series of tests, so we can figure the ink out.” It was not a request. It was a demand.
Rae exhaled the breath she’d been holding. Dean Carter didn’t know her tatù was like her father’s…yet. And she’d just assume it stay that way for as long as possible.
Two hours later, what had started out as a bit of fun by not showing the dean what she could do, had long since become tiring. He’d drilled questions, asked her to try things and only become more and more annoyed with her lack of favorable results. Rae figured Riley must’ve touched her in the night as she’d been able to react to certain exercises extremely fast and continued to have the overly-caffeinated feeling running through her veins. Interesting, she felt she could control it at times and then make it feel less charged inside her. My body’s still probably trying to figure out how to use this tatù.
Dean Carter picked up a chair and dropped it heavily back down. It clattered and vibrated against the floor.
Rae jumped, surprised at his frustration.
“This is impossible!” he shouted.
A response flew out of Rae’s mouth before she could stop herself. “No one ever said life was fair, only eventful.” She couldn’t resist using the dean’s words against him. “If we can’t seem to figure out much about my ability now, maybe it’s going to take some time to grow.” She wanted to get out of this stupid room.
“Don’t mock me, woman.” Daggers shot from Dean Carter’s eyes. “You’ve NO idea of my power.” He enunciated each venomous word as he spat them at her.
Rae dropped back down on the bed, suddenly terrified. He was right. She didn’t know what his ink allowed him to do. The only thing she really knew about him was that he hated women, especially her.
“Do you know what my tatù is?”
Rae slowly shook her head, afraid to speak.