Grey (The Romany Outcasts Series, Book 1)

by Christi J. Whitney

  I flicked on the light and surveyed the damage. It wasn’t too bad, so I decided to put off cleaning until the next day. I tossed the packages under the sink and hurried out, passing the rooms where the guys did their tattooing. Each one matched their personalities, from my brother’s bright orange walls to Vincent’s pirate theme.

  I started to round the corner into the waiting room when something pulled me up short. Everything was strangely quiet. I paused and listened. And then, I heard my name. The guys were talking, but their voices were low, barely above whispers. Instinctively, I pressed my back against the wall and slid forward so I could hear.

  ‘If this is true, it changes everything.’

  ‘We don’t know that.’

  ‘We can’t jump to conclusions without proof.’

  ‘But we can’t wait either.’

  ‘Hugo, what have you seen?’

  There was a pause in the conversation, followed by my brother’s slow intake of breath. ‘I can’t be sure yet,’ he said. ‘And until I am, nothing will be done, understand? Now, shut up, all of you. He’ll be back any second. Get out the pizza.’

  The others abruptly switched the conversation to trivial things. I continued to lean against the wall, ignoring the ache in my shoulders. This was more important. I’d just eavesdropped on some big secret, and it was pretty obvious why I’d been left out. Whatever they’d been whispering about, it had to do with me.

  My stomach grumbled and I pressed my hand against my torso. Maybe they’d been discussing whether I was ready to learn how to tattoo, something I’d been begging Hugo about for months. If so, then I definitely wanted to know.

  I put on an easy smile and launched into the room. ‘So, what were you guys talking about?’

  Hugo glanced up from the cash register. ‘Nothing important.’

  ‘Are you sure?’ I pressed. ‘Because it sounded like…’

  ‘Just shop talk,’ he said, cutting me off.

  I met my brother’s eyes and read the look. I wasn’t going to get anywhere with the direct approach. I switched gears while I debated my next attempt. ‘Hey, Kris,’ I said, eyeing the pizza boxes in his hands. ‘It’s about time. My stomach’s threatening to eat itself.’

  ‘Yeah, I got your food right here,’ Kris replied. ‘Just try to save some for the rest of us, eh?’

  There were four pizzas: two were cheese and two were loaded with meat. I normally opted for the cheese, but tonight, the meat had my number, and I piled six slices onto my plate and ripped through them like there was no tomorrow. James shook his head incredulously at me, and I grinned back.

  The guys talked about the shop and their customers and about the repairs Hugo was making on his bike. Vincent said his girlfriend was going to stop by, and James thought that his wife might also show up. I listened in silence as I worked through the pizza, but fragments of their whispered conversation filtered through my head.

  ‘Sebastian.’ Hugo frowned at me. ‘You look tired. Why don’t you go back to the apartment? Maybe watch some TV? Kris has a customer coming in, and we’re going to stick around and help close up after.’

  The hint was far from subtle.

  There’d be no secrets spilled tonight, unless I forced it. My brother was worse than a maximum-security prison when he wanted to be. But I was patient. Or maybe just tired. Sitting around had made my back worse and, combined with my lingering headache, had pretty much beaten the curiosity out of me. I’d catch my brother tomorrow. Whatever he was keeping from me, I had a better chance of prying it out of him when he was alone.

  ‘Sure, Hugo. Whatever you say.’ I looked at my empty plate and considered grabbing another slice of pizza, but opted against it. I took another soda instead and hoisted my bag over my shoulder. ‘Well, I guess I’ll see you guys tomorrow.’

  ‘Nighty night,’ said Vincent.

  ‘Don’t let the bedbugs bite,’ added Kris.

  James grinned. ‘And don’t forget to brush your teeth.’

  I hurled an empty pizza box at his head and rushed out before he could catch me. The last door on the hall led to home: Hugo’s nondescript apartment contained a simple kitchen, two bedrooms, one bath, and a living room.

  I dumped my bag and stepped over a small glass table to reach the love seat. I curled up in the cushions, planning to watch television for a while, but I’d barely made it to the Discovery Channel before my eyelids started to droop. Within minutes, I was asleep.

  I wasn’t sure at what point Hugo came in, but when I woke, it was 3 o’clock in the morning, and a blanket had been draped over me. I shifted, letting out a groan. My shoulders were killing me. I tried massaging the stiff muscles as I stumbled to my bedroom. Once there, I flopped down, face first, onto the hard mattress.

  Sleep never returned. The image of the Gypsy girl flickered through my mind, but staring at the clock every fifteen minutes kept her appearance to a minimum. When the numbers registered 6:00, I got up and scrabbled for the nearest pile of clean clothes, retrieving a pair of jeans and a faded T-shirt. I ducked into the bathroom, got ready, and took a critical glance in the mirror.

  I shoved my fingers through the dark mass of hair plastered to my face. The summer had done nothing for my skin – not that it had much chance – since I spent most of my time indoors or with my hood pulled low to block the searing Southern sun. My friends went to the beach; I worked in Hugo’s shop or read in the apartment. I felt more comfortable there.

  My eyes were rimmed with dark circles, betraying my lack of sleep over the past few weeks. I scowled and reached for the hood of my jacket. As I did, I noticed something strange, just below my right temple. I tilted my head towards the mirror. It was a chunk of gray hair, as wide and nearly as long as my thumb.

  ‘You have got to be kidding me,’ I said to the mirror.

  It didn’t talk back, but my phone alarm did. I messed with my hair until I managed to cover up the silvery streak. I didn’t know if I was starting to go gray at the ripe old age of eighteen, but I’d have to figure out the hair thing later. If I didn’t leave now, I’d be late for school. I flicked off the light and left Hugo’s apartment.

  The shop was dark, but I didn’t need help finding the vending machine. I confiscated two bags of chips, a package of Oreos, and a Pop Tart, hoping they would appease my crazy appetite until lunch. I smirked at my handful of snacks. Hugo was right. I was going to eat him out of house and shop. I let myself out and locked the door behind me.

  2. Hope and Fear

  My stomach didn’t make it past fourth period. It rumbled loud protests – which I ignored – as I hurried down the aisle of the Sixes High School auditorium. Most of the class had already assembled. I slid into the third row and dumped my backpack in Avery’s lap. His face contorted.

  ‘Ow, man! Whatcha got in there? A bowling ball?’

  ‘Why do you ask?’ I plopped down smugly beside him. ‘Oh, I guess because that’s something a really weird person would do.’

  ‘Okay, okay,’ he said, shoving my bag at me. ‘I’m sorry about what I said yesterday. I was just making an observation, that’s all.’

  Everybody has their quirks. For the most part, I accepted mine. But I didn’t need my recent blank-outs adding to my already sizable list. I slid my book bag underneath the seat and grinned. ‘Apology accepted.’

  ‘Hey, Sebastian,’ said a voice behind me, ‘are you going to audition for the play?’

  I tilted my head to meet Katie Lewis’s bright blue eyes. She was practically bouncing on the seat behind me. Katie may have given some substance to that cliché about dumb blondes but, in reality, her grade point average put her at the top of our class.

  ‘Ah, no, I don’t think I’ll be auditioning. I’m better backstage, you know, in the shadows, where I can’t be seen.’ I didn’t consider myself a theater person – even though I did like Shakespeare – but after helping with one of the drama department’s shows, Katie had twisted my arm until I joined the club.

  ‘Oh
whatever, Sebastian. It’s our senior year. You should at least try.’ She tapped her pencil against my arm. ‘You never know, right?’

  ‘Leave the acting stuff to Avery and Mitchell,’ I replied, jerking the pencil playfully out of her hands. ‘Just give me a paintbrush, stick me behind a wall, and I’m perfectly happy.’

  ‘Yeah,’ said Avery. ‘As long as you’re not on a ladder.’

  ‘Hey, I tried to warn the stage crew. Putting an acrophobic artist on anything higher than a chair is just asking for trouble.’

  ‘I’d never seen somebody’s face actually turn green before.’

  ‘Well, it’s a gift.’ I made a mental note to request another crew assignment for this year’s production.

  The bell rang, and Ms Lucian sauntered through the doors, toting a stack of colored papers. She seated herself on the edge of the stage. No one knew exactly how old Ms Lucian was, with her youthful face and red-tipped black hair, but she’d been teaching drama at Sixes for a long time.

  ‘Good morning, my darlings,’ she said in a pleasant voice. ‘How are we today?’ There was an eruption of less than favorable responses from the masses. Ms Lucian’s brow arched ‘Okay, forget I asked.’

  She began to call the roll. I hugged my legs to my chest and rested my chin on my knees. The drone of student names seemed to go on forever.

  A girl’s face, veiled in shadows…

  Her hands stretching. Reaching. Pleading…

  A sharp jab to my stomach knocked me back into reality.

  ‘You’re doing it again,’ Avery whispered harshly.

  Ms Lucian glanced over her clipboard, her eyes fixing on me. For a moment, I thought I caught something in her gaze, but then it was gone. ‘Did we not get enough sleep last night, Sebastian?’ she asked.

  ‘My apologies.’ Avery kicked my chair. ‘I mean, I’m sorry. No, I didn’t, really. Get enough sleep, I mean.’

  Behind me, Katie smothered a laugh.

  ‘Well, let’s try to work on that, all right?’ Ms Lucian looked disapprovingly at my posture. ‘And do take your feet down off the seat, please.’

  ‘Yes, ma’am.’

  What was going on with me? After all the sleepless nights, I supposed dozing off in class was pretty much a given. But zoning out like this was unnerving. I rolled my shoulders and tried to concentrate.

  Ms Lucian continued. ‘Class, your assignment today is a project, but before you all kill each other choosing groups, listen up.’ She presented the papers. ‘I received these fliers in my mailbox this morning. The Circe de Romany is coming back to town, and they will be here for an extended run. According to this advertisement, they’ve got a lot of stuff going on at the Fairgrounds over the next few months, so you might want to check it out. Who knows, there might be some extra credit involved if you attend some of their performances.’

  Ms Lucian distributed the fliers, and everyone pored over them excitedly. I wasn’t sure why, but my stomach suddenly bottomed out.

  ‘Check this out,’ Mitchell said loudly in my ear. He held the paper in front of his freckled face and then shoved it at me. ‘Finally, something to do on the weekends besides movies and bowling.’

  I took the paper, looking it over skeptically. ‘So this is a carnival, as in, cheap rides and overpriced cotton candy?’

  ‘Nah,’ said Avery. ‘It’s way better than that. They were here two years ago, don’t you remember?’

  ‘I wasn’t here two years ago, Avery.’ I glanced up with a wry smile. ‘Thanks for noticing.’

  ‘Oh, right.’

  Katie rolled her eyes at him. ‘You’re an idiot.’

  ‘Well, I noticed you, buddy,’ said Mitchell. He raised his arm dramatically. ‘It was halfway through our sophomore year. You walked into class, looking all lost and confused. I said to Katie, “Hey, it’s the new kid! Let’s tell him they hold PE classes on the football field and see if he falls for it!”’

  ‘Ah yes, fond memories,’ I replied. ‘And so was the detention I got afterwards.’

  ‘That was freaking amazing,’ said Mitchell, puffing out his chest.

  ‘Remind me again,’ I said, crossing my arms. ‘Why are we friends? Oh yes. Because I have a soft spot for charity cases.’

  Mitchell punched me in the shoulder. ‘Nice.’

  ‘So anyway,’ said Katie, pulling our attention back, ‘to answer your question, Sebastian, the Circe de Romany come through Sixes every couple of years. They have rides and games, all that carnival junk. And they put up this huge tent and have all kinds of special performances. It’s actually pretty awesome.’

  I studied the list of shows on the flier. It was true that Sixes came up lacking in the field of recreational activities. It was easy to see how something like this could cause a stir.

  Mitchell leaned over to Katie. ‘So the Romanys will be back in school?’

  My stomach did that same weird elevator drop again, and the muscles in my neck went crazy tight. I watched Katie, suddenly interested in her answer, even though I didn’t have a clue who Mitchell was talking about.

  ‘Oh gosh, yeah, she’s totally coming back,’ Katie said, beaming happily. ‘We’ve been talking a lot lately online. She says the Circe has leased the Fairgrounds until next spring, so she gets to attend school here for her senior year.’

  Avery folded the flier, stuffing it into his pocket. ‘Just her?’

  ‘No, her brother’s coming too,’ Katie replied. ‘He’s not big on the home-schooling thing. He’s bored.’

  ‘He’d better be going out for the football team,’ said Mitchell. ‘He was a starter, back during freshman year, before they left town.’

  The conversation continued, but I gradually lost interest. Whoever the Romanys were, I’d arrived in Sixes long after they’d left. Still, I couldn’t ignore the feeling in the pit of my stomach like a case of nerves. But since I didn’t have anything to be nervous about, I chalked the sensation up to my hunger. When the bell rang for lunch, I was seriously relieved.

  The school’s campus resembled a small college, with separate buildings devoted to particular areas of study. As we made our way up the hill to the Common Building, the potent smell of school cafeteria food hit me full in the face. The odor grew worse as we crammed our way through the doors.

  The cafeteria was packed, and I was glad our group opted for the picnic tables in the courtyard. Avoidance of crowds ranked high on my quirks list. We fought through the food line and escaped into the great outdoors. Avery made a beeline for a couple sitting at one of the far tables, and I held the door open for Katie as we followed behind.

  ‘Bet he’s going to rag Brandon and Emma,’ she said as Avery sprinted away. She gave me one of her knowing looks and smiled. ‘You know they’re like an official couple, as of yesterday.’

  ‘That’s nice,’ I said politely.

  Her smile turned sly. ‘So, now it’s your turn.’

  ‘Oh no,’ I said, using my lunch tray as a barricade. ‘I’m immune to your schemes. No more trying to set me up. You do remember the Becky Drummond fiasco, don’t you?’

  ‘What?’ Katie shrugged. ‘She was perfect for you.’

  ‘She said I smelled like moss. Who says that on a first date?’

  ‘Okay, maybe not perfect.’

  ‘I know you feel it’s your God-given duty to bring me up to acceptable social standards,’ I said, trying my best to look solemn, ‘but I assure you, I’m a pathetically lost cause. Use your oozy matchmaker charms on some other poor soul.’

  ‘Oh, come on, Sebastian.’ Katie nudged my shoulder. ‘You’re funny, you’re sweet…’

  ‘And you sound like a commercial for a dating agency.’

  Katie sighed. ‘Well, points for trying, I guess.’

  ‘Yeah,’ I grinned. ‘Always points for trying.’

  Her laugh told me I’d won the battle. For now.

  The afternoon sun was bright, even for autumn, and I yanked up my hood. I felt Katie’s disapproving stare. I’d be get
ting a lecture from her on the benefits of sun exposure before the day was through. She’d given me a few, usually when I’d back out of one of her trips to the lake. When it was sunny, Katie practically lived on her father’s boat, soaking in the rays. But the sun and I had never been friends. I resented the pounding migraines it inflicted, so I tended to hold a grudge.

  We pushed through mingling students until we reached our table. Avery was sprawled across it, punching Brandon on the arm and congratulating him for snagging Emma, a cute girl with curly, sand-colored hair.

  ‘Hey, guys,’ said Brandon, scooting over to make room for us, ‘did everybody hear about the Circe coming to town?’

  Anxiety jolted through me at the mention of the carnival. I pressed a hand to my stomach, not feeling as hungry as I had before.

  ‘Yeah, we were talking about it last period,’ Mitchell replied, holding up his slice of square-shaped pizza and examining it critically before taking a bite.

  Katie pulled a bright green phone from her purse. ‘Yeah, and that reminds me, I’ve totally got to find out when they’re coming to school. I can’t believe it’s been two years!’

  ‘Let me know what she says,’ said Brandon as he polished off a strange concoction that I assumed was meant to be a burrito. ‘It’ll be cool to see them again. Maybe they’ll get us backstage passes or something to one of the shows.’

  Emma laughed. ‘Yeah, like they’d let you back there, Brandon. You’d break something!’

  He put a hand to his heart in mock hurt. ‘Hey, I’d be careful. I just like to look at stuff, you know?’

  Avery pelted him with a hamburger bun, and everyone began talking about the Circe again. The louder their conversation got, the ickier I felt. I tugged my hood lower and studied the pile of soggy fries on my tray. The image of the Gypsy girl threatened the edges of my vision, but I stubbornly blinked her away. Freak class was not in session right now. I refused to provide Avery any more ammo to use on me today.

  ‘Check it out, guys!’

  Mitchell pointed over the courtyard, and we followed his gesture passed the front of the school where the town’s main road ran parallel to the campus. A bright caravan of large tractor-trailers was passing by. Red paint spelled out the phrase Circe de Romany. The lettering was set against a background of orange and gold, with a design of swirling green vines and yellow flowers as the border.