Volume 1: Bailex, #1

by Erin Everleigh

  “I don’t. And that’s not a bad thing.” She hooked a strand of her hair around her finger and began to twirl. “It keeps things real. Honest.”

  Kieran had grown used to his solitude and found a predictable comfort in it. But from the first day he met her, he knew Riya would carve her way into his life. This girl was different, and he liked her. She was the something different that he needed. He just didn’t know how much.

  “Ms. Galiter was horrible. Leaving me alone to fend for myself for days at a time.”

  Riya winced. “I’ll never forget how you looked when you first arrived. Your clothes were filthy and hanging off of you.”

  “But if she wasn’t who she was, I wouldn’t be here now. She’s paying for what she did—or didn’t do, in her case. And as for me, I’m in the best place I’ve been in a very long time.”

  “This place is pretty great.” Riya agreed.

  “It is. That’s what makes this all the more unnerving. I don’t want to be sent away to some place for people who are going crazy.” Kieran averted his eyes from Riya.

  “I told you yesterday. You aren’t going anywhere. And you’re not going crazy.”

  Kieran didn’t say anything as he kept his gaze fixed on the ceiling.

  “Kieran?”

  He let out a short breath and moved his eyes toward her. “I know what you said, Ri. But you don’t know that for sure. I need answers.”

  “So that’s why you wrote this out?” She lifted the paper from the desktop.

  He continued, “I’m trying to find answers. Other than the big giant question mark that is my life before, the only detail I don’t have is the name of my first group home. I never thought it mattered before. I was only there for a couple of weeks. And apparently, they didn’t know much about my mother. But, there has to be something that they overlooked, a detail that they didn’t think was important. Anything. It’s worth a try.”

  Riya swallowed. “So did you find out the name?”

  “Not yet. I emailed Kelly earlier this morning.”

  "Well, I’m going with you if you ever find out."

  Kieran opened his mouth to object.

  “Don’t even try it,” Riya cut him off. “I’m coming and that’s final.”

  “I guess you are then.” Kieran smiled at her, relieved that he would have her support.

  “You know, I wasn’t convinced that you were being honest about not remembering anything about the before,” Riya admitted.

  Kieran raised an eyebrow.

  “I decided that it was your story to tell when you were ready,” she said.

  Kieran pulled his legs to his chest and rested his chin on his knees. “You know all I know, Ri. That’s it. One piece of paper with a bunch of names that don’t hold the fondest of memories.”

  “Let me help you, Kieran. There have to be answers out there somewhere. Let’s start some research of our own. Math can wait.” Riya swivelled the chair around to face the desk and opened Kieran’s laptop.

  “You think math can always wait,” Kieran snickered and got up from his bed. He could use all the help he could get.

  “Well, if you’d rather do math now…” Riya’s voice trailed off.

  “We could use a break. Twenty minutes. Then we’re back to work.”

  He put his hands on her shoulders and watched as she typed letters into the Internet search bar: P-S-Y-C-H-I-C_D-R-E-A-M-

  Four

  A Symbol

  “KIERAN, ARE YOU PLANNING to join the rest of us today?” Mrs. Fallin leaned back and sat on the edge of her desk at the front of the classroom.

  Kieran’s gaze was transfixed outside, his focus well beyond the playground at the far end of the schoolyard.

  It has to mean something.

  Mrs. Fallin pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and crossed her arms across her chest. The muscles of her jaw pulsed as she glared at Kieran.

  Twenty-five sets of eyes looked from Mrs. Fallin to Kieran, and then back to Mrs. Fallin. A few students started coughing and clearing their throats, but Kieran was none the wiser. Mrs. Fallin’s shoe echoed as she weaved through the desks. She placed her hands firmly on Kieran’s desk and leaned her body down so that her head was level with his. She followed his gaze and then whispered in his ear, still loud enough that the students sitting close to Kieran could hear.

  “Watching the children on the swings really is so much more interesting than geometry,” her voice was laced with sarcasm.

  Kieran jerked back in his seat. Mrs. Fallin scooped up his books and then marched toward the front of the classroom. Kieran slid out of his desk and shuffled behind her. Terry jutted his foot into the aisle as Kieran passed, causing him to stumble.

  Jerk.

  Kieran clenched his fists, digging his nails into the palms of his hands. He didn’t dare to look back at Terry and give him the satisfaction. Kieran’s books made a loud thump as they left Mrs. Fallin’s hands and landed on a desk directly across from her own. He slipped into his new spot and slumped down in the seat, extending his long legs in front of him.

  At least it’s not the principal’s office.

  Mrs. Fallin resumed her lesson, dragging the chalk across the blackboard in precise obtuse and acute angles. Kieran stiffened when something hit the back of his head and fell to the floor. He whipped his head around to see who was responsible. Large apologetic eyes met his, and the anger and annoyance that was sparked immediately dissipated.

  Riya.

  “Sorry,” she mouthed and then motioned for him to pick something up.

  Kieran lowered his eyes to the floor and reached for a crumpled ball of paper. He made sure that Mrs. Fallin’s attention wasn’t on him before he started flattening out the paper.

  Play practice was cancelled. I’ll meet you in the cafeteria at lunch. Save me a seat. :)

  Kieran turned his head just enough so he could see Riya out of the corner of his eye—he nodded, and then faced forward sinking even further into his chair.

  ***

  “Whatcha doing?” Riya’s lunch tray clattered on the table. “I almost couldn’t find you sitting here in the back corner.”

  Kieran mumbled something, keeping his head down and focused on a piece of paper in front of him.

  “Hellooo…Kieran…” Riya plopped down on the bench across from Kieran and pulled the piece of paper out from under his gaze. “More lists?”

  “Those are all the psychic dreams, as you’ve put it, that I’ve had. There has to be some kind of connection that we’re missing.”

  “Kieran, that is their connection—psychic dreams. Stop fighting and just embrace it.” Riya scanned the paper. “What’s this?” She pointed to a symbol that covered the lower half of the page.

  “No clue. That’s what I dreamt about last night.”

  “A symbol? That’s it?”

  “Yup. That’s all I can remember.” Kieran let his head fall, and he rubbed his temples.

  “Have you seen the symbol anywhere today? What is it?” Riya turned the paper to the left, then to the right, then upside-down.

  “I have no clue. And no, I haven’t seen it anywhere. Not even when I tried Googling it earlier. ‘Two triangles and a circle symbol’ brought up hundreds of images, but none of them resembled this one.”

  Kieran righted his head and leaned back against the wall behind him. His light green eyes were bloodshot from his short, fitful sleep the previous night.

  “You look awful.” Riya placed the paper on the table between them.

  “I couldn’t fall asleep again after that car alarm went off. I’m exhausted.”

  “Lucky for me, I never have any problems falling asleep,” Riya snickered.

  Kieran narrowed his eyes.

  Riya tapped the paper with her finger. “It’s not a bad thing, Kieran. I think it’s cool. And it’s the only thing that makes sense. You’re not hallucinating, you’re not losing your mind, and you
’re not some character in one of those fantasy novels you read. So the only explanation is that you are clairvoyant.”

  Kieran recited the definition in his head, knowing it by heart, having stared at it and repeated it most of the night.

  Having or exhibiting an ability to perceive events in the future or beyond normal sensory contact.

  It was the ‘beyond normal sensory contact’ part that irked him.

  “Hey, guys.” Randall folded his lanky body as he sat down next to Riya. Kieran swiftly pulled the paper toward him and flipped it over, shoving it under his lunch tray.

  “Hey, Randall.” Riya patted his shoulder. “They rescheduled practice for after school today. We’re supposed to spread the word.”

  “Yah, Gina told me.”

  Randall sunk his teeth into his sandwich and looked between them as he finished chewing. "Crazy what happened with Terry this morning, huh?"

  “So classic. And so well deserved.” Kieran thought back to Terry’s expression. “The way his eyes bulged out of his face and his mouth just hung open, like he was catching flies…” Kieran let that feeling of satisfaction he felt watching Terry earlier replace the trepidation that had consumed him the remainder of that morning.

  Riya’s hand flew to her mouth, so as not to spray them with the water she just drank. “He looked like one of those toys that you squeeze and their eyes bug out. And he was as red as a tomato. A bewildered and shamed tomato.”

  There was a moment of silence as they each recalled the scene, and they then broke out in laughter. Soon they were wiping their eyes, and their chests were heaving as they gasped for air.

  Riya and Kieran’s eyes connected, silently agreeing that Randall wouldn’t ever find out that those bricks were meant for his locker.

  Kieran discretely folded the piece of paper he had slid under his lunch tray and rose to his feet, shoving the paper into the back pocket of his jeans. “I have to stop by the library before next period. I’ll see you guys later.”

  He scooped up his lunch tray and scurried to the exit, dumping the remnants of his lunch into the trash can by double doors. He didn’t have much time.

  ***

  Kieran glanced at the clock on the wall, while he waited for the computer to log in.

  Seven minutes.

  He had seven minutes to check his email and get to class.

  More than enough time.

  It hadn’t even been a full day since he had emailed Kelly. He wasn’t expecting a response yet. But that didn’t stop him from hoping. Or checking every chance he got.

  “Waiting for something important?” Ms. Halper’s voice startled him.

  “Hi, Ms. Halper.” Kieran’s cheeks were flushed, as he looked up to see Ms. Halper smiling down at him.

  “Kieran, I’ve told you so many times. I’m not budging on this. Call me Lily. You pretty much work here. I think we’re past the formalities.”

  Kieran squeezed his eyebrows together, “I…”

  “How about a compromise? Is Ms. Lily, okay?”

  His face relaxed and he nodded in agreement.

  “This is the third time you’ve been in here today. Is everything okay?” Her eyebrows rose, and her deep blue eyes searched for assurance.

  She was more than just the school librarian. She had gone above and beyond for Kieran from the first week he had arrived at the school. It was never easy being the new kid—especially entering school mid-semester. Yes, he had Riya. But feeling comfortable in a new environment took time. Ms. Lily made sure that the library was somewhere he felt safe and needed.

  During his first few weeks at school, Kieran would spend any spare time that he had with his head buried in a book. The library was quiet and it allowed him to escape into new worlds that weren't his own—places that let his mind break free of the stresses of his life. Ms. Lily never questioned him. Instead, she named him, library assistant. So he began helping her with organizing the stacks and anything else that she needed.

  She was younger than most of the other teachers in the school, having just finished college two years earlier. She wore a modest pantsuit and slicked her blond hair back in a low ponytail. He knew she was trying to look older to play the part of the studious school librarian. But when they got to talking about the books—the stories and worlds in which they both loved—she seemed more like a friend.

  “Yes. Everything is fine.”

  Another lie.

  “I’m just waiting to hear back from someone,” he explained.

  A soft ding sounded from the computer, and Ms. Lily pointed to the screen. “Looks like you got one.”

  Kieran shifted his gaze back to the screen and his breath stalled. His heart leapt into his throat. All he could do was nod as he stared at the unread message from Kelly at the top of the screen.

  “I’ll leave you to it.” Ms. Lily patted Kieran’s shoulder, then strolled to the books that were piled on the floor and in desperate need of filing.

  He wiped his palms down his thighs and then clicked on the email.

  Hi Kieran,

  It’s really nice to hear that you are so happy with Mr. & Mrs. Pastern. It’s always wonderful hearing when we’ve made a good match in the foster system.

  The name of the group home is Laken House. In case you wanted to know for your project, the name of the person who was in charge of your admittance is Glenda Yarding. Good luck with your project.

  If there is anything else you need, please let me know.

  All the best,

  Kelly.

  Kieran’s stomach fluttered with excitement or nerves—he wasn’t sure. For the first time, he felt as though he found a clue that could lead to some answers. His knee bounced up and down as he opened a new window and typed Laken House into the Internet search bar. As the search results loaded, he lifted his eyes to the clock. Three minutes.

  Looks like I’m going to be late for science.

  Five

  Laken House

  “WHERE WERE YOU LAST period?” Riya confronted Kieran at his locker.

  He replaced his science book with his geography book, and then zipped up his backpack. “I told the office that I wasn’t feeling well. Something I ate at lunch.”

  “That doesn’t answer my question.” Riya crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head to one side.

  “I got a response from Kelly. She gave me the name of the group home—Laken House.” Riya’s eyes lit up and she let her arms fall.

  “She also told me the name of the woman who was in charge of my admittance. Glenda Yarding. I couldn’t just let it sit, Ri.” Kieran closed his locker and began weaving through the corridor, around the other students changing their books and talking to their friends—taking advantage of the short break between classes.

  Riya stayed on his heels, as Kieran continued to speak. "There was no way I would have been able to focus in class before I had a chance to look up the place. I didn't want to land myself in the principal's office this time." Kieran turned his head back to face a smirking Riya.

  They broke through the crowd and continued down the hallway to their next class, walking side by side. “So what did you find out?”

  “Laken House is not that far from here. It shouldn’t take us more than 30 minutes to get there—two short bus rides and a ten-minute walk.” Kieran gave Riya the piece of paper where he had scribbled down the address and directions. “And I called. Glenda Yarding is in today.”

  “We?” Riya looked up from the paper. Kieran nodded and Riya’s eyes beamed as her face broke into a large smile.

  Kieran laughed. “You said before that you were in this with me. There’s no backing out now.”

  “I wouldn't dare,” Riya added a skip to her step.

  Riya handed him back the piece of paper and took her seat. Kieran tucked the paper into the back pocket of his jeans and slid into the seat directly in front of Riya.

  “When are we going?” Riya l
eaned toward Kieran, who was twisted in his chair to face her.

  “I would go now if it wouldn’t mean a phone call to Mrs. P for leaving school. And it probably wouldn’t look good knocking on Laken House’s door during school hours either. Would only raise suspicions. So, after school?” Kieran conceded.

  Riya’s expression fell. “I have play practice.”

  Kieran thought for a moment. “I’m sure there is something I could help with in the library. How long is practice?”

  “An hour.”

  “Perfect.”

  ***

  Kieran strolled through the empty halls of the school toward the library. Apprehension, nerves, and disbelief danced through his body, preventing his mind from concentrating on anything but the journey he and Riya were about to take.

  This is going to be a long hour.

  He pulled the paper out of his pocket and looked at the address again, committing it to memory. He had spent two weeks at the Laken House before he was placed with Aly. He didn’t remember much of his time there—only small fragments. The memories were more of how he had felt. Scared and confused. So many questions were asked of him and the only answers he had were:

  My name is Kieran.

  I am five years old.

  My birthday is May 12.

  He wondered if he would recognize Glenda or anyone else there.

  Something brushed by Kieran and he stiffened. If he had been outside, he would have chalked it up to the wind. But there was no wind and no one else to be seen in the abandoned halls.

  He shook his head.

  Must be the nerves.

  He picked up his pace nonetheless, with long brisk steps and swiftly pumping arms until he could see the entrance to the library. He sprinted the last few steps, slipping through the slightly open door, and then shutting it quickly once he was inside. He leaned back against the closed door and let go of his breath.