by Aaron Slade
I made it to Dad’s office. Mrs. Powers noticed my quick pace, holding the door open for me. Once I entered, she shut the door, grinning in my direction.
“Is she here yet?” I asked Dad.
“Who?”
“Who do you think?” I responded. I tried not to sound agitated.
He pulled down the newspaper and flashed a teasing smirk. “What makes you so sure she’ll be here? She may attend school on the Military Base.” Of course, he knew who I was talking about.
“Just a hunch,” I said. I didn’t tell him about my conversation with Colonel Ford. It was better that I not inform my parents about the details of my weekend that they hadn’t already read in the paper. The escaped convict was first-page news, and all the buzz around Fallon. I spotted the article on Dad’s newspaper
Dad made small talk with me, talking about homework, finals, and graduation, until it was time for class. He told me to relax and just act normal if Evee showed up. It was easier said than done. My body tensed up and I was unable to shake it off. The muffled sound of the school bell chimed from outside Dad’s office. He folded the newspaper and sat up. “I have to go watch the hallway and you have to get to class.”
He walked me out of his office, and we went our separate directions. He immediately started reprimanding students with his booming voice. “Mr. Sanders,” I heard him say, “if you continue to shock Mr. Hulgan, I won’t stop him from stealing all your clothes again. Just remember he’s faster than you and he could do it in a second.”
I wanted to laugh, but I stayed silent so others in the hall wouldn’t see me show a shred of happiness.
Mrs. White started class as I found my seat in the back, with another empty desk in front of me.
Mrs. White did roll call, answered a few questions about the reading, and then began her lecture. “Did anyone read Sunday’s Weekly Telepath?” Mrs. White asked. “I’m referring to the article about the convict…”
A knock at the door interrupted Mrs. White.
My body froze. This was it! Evee was going to be in my first period class and the only empty seat in the room was in front of me. I nearly exploded when the door finally opened.
“Pardon me, Mrs. White.” I recognized Dad’s voice. The rush of adrenaline subsided. Dad was torturing me on purpose. His eyes spotted me as soon as he walked in the room. “Casper left this in my office this morning.” He raised my history book in his hand. I hadn’t even noticed it was gone.
Dad disappeared from in front of the door and reappeared by my side, towering over my desk. All the students readjusted their heads until they found Dad on the opposite side of the room. He laid the book on the desk in front of me. “You need to be more responsible.” Dad grinned like he was joking, but I was unaware of the context. “As punishment, I’m going to have you do a job for me.”
“Dad, I’m in class. Can’t it wait?” All the attention was on me, and it made me pathetically uncomfortable.
“No it can’t,” Dad responded. “We have a new student today and I want you to make sure that she finds all of her classes.” He turned his back to the class and gave me a wink accompanied by an eager grin.
My heart leapt, my breath shortened, and my smile grew from ear to ear. You are a genius, I thought. I owed him big for this.
“Come on in, Evee,” Dad said.
A new energy filled the room as Evee entered. Everyone went silent, trying to get a good look at the new girl. I thought Evee looked a little nervous. Her eyes found mine and she froze. For a few seconds, Evee and I were the only ones in the room. A wave of confusion spread over the other students as Evee and I locked gazes.
“Class,” Dad said, “this is Evee Ford from San Diego. She and her father just moved here, and I know you will all do your best to make them feel welcome in Fallon.”
The class broke into whispers. All the girls talked amongst themselves, but the boys just continued to gawk– I wasn’t the only one who found Evee attractive. It didn’t really matter what Evee looked like, though– she was new and mysterious with a lively grin.
“Evee, if it’s okay with Mrs. White there’s an empty chair right here,” Dad said. He gestured toward the empty seat in front of me.
My chest pounded like a bass drum. Dad disappeared from my side and reappeared behind Evee, nudging her into the room.
“Sorry for the interruption, Mrs. White,” he said. He gave one last glance at me and disappeared from the room.
The class remained quiet, waiting to see what Evee would do next. Mrs. White was the first to speak. “Well, Evee. Welcome to Fallon High. Let’s show her our best Shoal spirit, class.”
Evee walked along the back of the classroom, clenching the strap of her backpack. Her trendy clothes were nicer than most, and her shirt lacked a sun hood. Clearly, San Diego had better clothing options than Fallon’s Military Base. A silver necklace hung around Evee’s neck, swaying with each step. She took her seat in front of me, and a fragrance of wildflowers lingered in the air.
“Casper?” Mrs. White said.
I turned my attention, locked in Evee’s blue eyes, to Mrs. White. “Yes?”
“Would you take a minute and catch Mrs. Ford up to speed on our lessons and answer any questions she has about the school?”
“Yes ma’am,” I replied quickly.
Evee turned around to face me as Mrs. White continued with her lesson. “Hi,” she whispered. For a moment I thought she’d spoken the words with her eyes. This was the closest I had been to them, and I found them even more breathtaking. The deep pools of cyan were more like precious stones than eyes.
My nerves nearly paralyzed my mouth. “Hi.”
“Your dad said you wouldn’t mind showing me around today?”
I wouldn’t allow my gaze to leave the blue orbs. “It’s not a problem. What classes do you have?”
She paused. “Actually, I asked for as many classes with you as possible. We have the whole morning together. Your dad thought it was a good idea since I’m new.”
I owed Dad big time!
“I’ve taken physics,” Evee said, “but I’m not very good and I’m even more nervous that I’m starting class in the middle of the semester. I’m going to need a tutor.”
“I could tutor you if you ever need the help.” I thought I sounded too eager with my reply, but I could tell that she was hoping I’d make the offer when her smile flashed.
“I’m not that nervous anymore,” she said. Her hand squeezed the silver locket, as if to check if it was still there. A confident smile grew on her face, her cheeks blushed, and she turned around to face Mrs. White.
“Did anybody read the newspaper this weekend?” Mrs. White asked.
A few people raised their hands. I was too preoccupied with Evee to give Mrs. White my full attention. I didn’t know how to interpret her interaction with me. Was she trying to make it obvious that she liked me too, or was she just being friendly? Things were moving fast, but I liked the direction they were going. Every few seconds, I doubted that this was really happening. It was all in my head, or she’d freak when she found out I didn’t have an ability.
I tried to focus harder on Mrs. White’s lecture when I thought of Evee treating me the way everyone else did.
“The escaped convict is a prime example of what’s wrong with society today. According to the Military, he’s responsible for the murder of hundreds of people. How can the Military ever give power back to the people if violence like this occurs so often? Survival cities today are completely dependent on the Military for security and safety. Fallon wouldn’t have survived the Blight if the Military Base hadn’t been here before the war started. The base here has a long history stretching back nearly three hundred years.”
The news in the article hadn’t shocked me. The bigger survival cities were more dangerous than Fallon. The newspapers portrayed Death to be a frequent visitor in most cities. The Military made arrests all the time to stop violent people with devastating extra-human traits.
Hurting someone with your EHT earned the offender a first or second degree misuse followed by Military punishment. A murder earned a person a third degree misuse… and the Knight.
When class ended, I gave Evee a small tour of the school as we made our way to second period. People in the hallway stared at us. I tried to imagine what they were thinking and found myself wishing that Uncle Jesse was here to tell me. I felt certain that they mostly wondered about Evee.
“So what’s a Shoal?” she asked as we walked by the school’s trophy case.
I stopped in front of the old trophies to answer, seeing a faint reflection of Evee and me in the glass. “It was the name of a hydrogen bomb that the old governments tested back in the twentieth century,” I said. “It’s our school mascot.”
“What’s a mascot?” Evee asked. She concentrated, trying to place the word.
“Fallon may be the only school that has one. My dad’s a historian, and in his research he read about the concept of mascots and how they can unite a student body. They were mostly used in sports. Dad’s discovered several teaching methods that perished after the Blight. He’s trying to rebuild the education system.”
“Are there any sports here?” she asked.
“Yeah. We have wrestling, swimming, track, and tennis. We used to have a golf team, but not enough people played.”
“Do you play any sports?” she asked. I couldn’t determine if she hoped I did or didn’t.
I searched for the best way to answer. “No… It’s hard to compete with people who can breathe under water or run from coast to coast in seconds.”
She giggled. “I wouldn’t be able to compete either.”
We stared back at the trophy case. The awards looked ancient. The once shiny metal had lost its gold gleam, appearing dull and bronze, but lackluster awards had seen more than a century’s worth of history. That was why I enjoyed them.
I felt a swift blow delivered to my back. Someone from behind shoved me into the trophy case’s glass doors. My face mashed against the thin, flimsy glass. The doors rattled uncontrollably to the point I feared they would break. Just as I regained my balance, my body was forced against the glass again. I remained motionless for a few seconds, using the fragile case to brace myself for another attack.
When I realized I was safe, I spotted Randy and Allen Young walking away. Embarrassment flooded my face as I recovered from their assault. They weren’t trying to hurt me; just humiliate me in front of Evee.
“That wasn’t very nice,” Evee said. “Are they joking with you?”
“Yeah,” I said. “They’re big jokers.” I suppressed my anger and forced a smile.
We continued to walk through the crowded hallways to our next class. Evee’s locker was in the same hall as mine, but they weren’t exactly close. We stopped at hers, and then mine. Evee confessed that the school was bigger than what she was used to on Military Bases. She told me that the kids that attended school on the base only had class in one room all day. Comparably, she seemed to be enjoying her public school experience significantly more.
In our third period class Evee sat next to me, which was great because the teacher didn’t have much work for the class. The two of us could talk freely. The conversations felt natural, as if neither of us had to try to keep it going.
“I really like movies,” I told her. “That’s my biggest hobby. I collect a lot of old movies from before the Blight.”
It looked like she hung on my every word. “I’m not familiar with the old movies of the past. You’ll have to show me your favorites.”
“It’s quite a list,” I said. “But what about you? What do you like to do in your free time?”
“Well, I spend most of my spare time at home,” she explained. “It’s the result of having an over-protective dad.” Her lips thinned when she mentioned her dad. “But I really like experimenting with recipes, being with friends, and I sing– not well, though. It’s actually something I only do when I’m by myself. I can’t believe I just told you that.” Her face reddened.
“You’ll have to meet my friend, Adam,” I said. “He really likes music, and just between you and me, he sings when he thinks nobody is listening, too.”
“Is he your best friend?” she asked.
I nodded. “I’m two months from graduating… I wouldn’t have survived high school if it weren’t for Adam.”
“I’ll have to meet him.”
She asked about my shirt’s sun hood. I explained that the Military provided these shirts for men and women in a few different styles and colors.
She pulled my hood over my head. “Red is a good color on you,” she said. “Do you have a favorite color?”
I enjoyed all the questions. No one had ever asked me things like this before. She really wanted to know all the smallest details about me.
“I do today,” I confessed.
“What do you mean?”
“My favorite color changes a lot,” I said. “Some days it’s green or silver and then the next day I have completely different favorites.”
“So what’s your favorite today?” Her eyes caught mine.
I gulped. “Silver.” But I wanted to say the color of her eyes– some wondrous blue.
She nodded and looked back at her book. Her smile was contagious; I couldn’t help but grin when I saw it. I wondered how many feelings my energetic face betrayed. I’d never felt this way. I felt lighter and my chest danced.
“So do you have a girlfriend here?” she asked.
I wasn’t ready for the question, and my pulse went berserk to the point of a heart attack. I stuttered on my words. “I– I d-don’t!”
Evee could tell the question was awkward. “Was that a bad question?”
“No… not at all,” I said. “I just– I mean– girls– they,” I stopped to organize my thoughts. “Girls don’t like me.”
After a few moments of awkward stillness, I knew I’d managed to ruin everything.
Finally, she broke the silence. “I wouldn’t say that.”
Relieved to see her smile, I couldn’t help but wonder what she meant. It seemed like she was flirting with me, but it was hard for me to recognize the signs. I didn’t want to misinterpret anything only to make a fool of myself later.
A desperate need to ask her the same question built in my mind. “Do you have a boyfriend?”
“No,” Evee answered. “Never. My dad and I have moved around a lot. Just as I would get to know a guy, the Colonel would get reassigned somewhere hundreds of miles away.” Something in her tone revealed an inkling of sorrow.
“Do you wish things were different?”
“I don’t care that I’ve never had a boyfriend, but I’m ready for my life to slow down.” She ran her hands through her dark hair, pushing it out of her face. “Let’s just say that I’m hoping to find something more constant for my life in Fallon.” Her eyes shot back to mine.
Occasionally, while the teacher lectured, Evee’s eyes would catch mine again. More than once, we caught each other attempting to observe the other. Her eyes seemed to grow more beautiful the more I stared into them. They were so deep, I could easily get lost.
We made it to fourth period and took our seats. I looked around to see if Adam was there, but there was no sign of him. I couldn’t wait to introduce Evee to Adam, but mostly I wanted to see what Adam thought about her. He would know if she was actually flirting with me or just being nice.
Evee and I took our seats at the back of the room.
“Hey there,” came a familiar voice.
I turned around to see Randy leaning towards Evee in the desk on the other side of her. Her body leaned away from his, but it only prompted him to move closer. It was only a matter of time before he put the moves on the new girl, who just happened to be attractive– very attractive. I couldn’t compete with Randy. He could have any girl in school, so why did he have to go after the only girl who had ever given me the slightest bit of attention?
Randy’s eyes spot
ted something in her hair. “Hold on. You have a leaf in your hair,” he said. He reached behind her and pulled out a small leaf. I wondered if it had really been there or if he just put it there. He held the leaf in between their faces. It disintegrated as it burst into a small, blue flame.
“Your eyes are like blue fire,” Randy said.
Evee waved the smoke away. “Impressive.” She coughed.
I rolled my eyes. I hated how guys used their extra-human traits as a mating call. I imagined high school guys as those birds that made their chests bigger and showed off their colors to get a mate.
“It’s nothing,” Randy said. He introduced himself, and made an attempt at being charming. He didn’t even bother to ask Evee’s name.
“I heard there was a new girl in school– and then I heard they had Casper giving her the tour. I hope he hasn’t been boring you. The little guy can’t help that he’s not interesting.”
He looked at me with narrow eyes. My hate for Randy intensified and my fists clenched around the loose fabric of my jeans. I imagined myself breaking his nose and then slamming him into a locker like he’d done to me all the countless times, but Randy’s monstrous size insured that my fantasy of beating him up would always remain a fantasy.
Evee’s pleasant facial expressions remained as she listened to Randy. “Don’t apologize for Casper. He’s been a perfect gentleman.”
Randy’s eyes locked with mine, and a ruthless shadow fell over them as he turned back to Evee. “Yeah, it’s too bad he’s human, though,” he added with hidden malice, trying to be casual.
My breath escaped me, followed by a wave of panic as I waited for Evee to react. I tried to hide the obvious fear and shame on my face. I wanted to avoid this subject with Evee as long as I could. But she didn’t look surprised or afraid. Had Colonel Ford already told her about me?