by Nicole Grane
* * *
“Evie! Where have you been?”
I held onto the frame of the elevator and stepped out into my hall. “Hey Iris.”
“What happened to your face?” She took my arm and mercifully helped me to my room.
“Sixth period P.E.” I collapsed on my bed.
“You stayed!” It wasn’t a question. Iris was totally shocked.
“I wasn’t going to stay, but Gunny is very . . . persuasive.” I had a flashback of being face planted on the floor. I shuddered at the memory of it. I’d have this bruise for days.
“What was it like?” she squealed. Her excitement barely contained.
I didn’t even have the strength to lift up my head and look at her. “Exhausting!”
“Are you going back tomorrow?”
“I don’t have a choice. Gunny switched my classes around and got permission from Ms. Leech—who obviously hates me and wants me to die a slow and painful death. She’s probably planning to feed me to that beast of hers she calls a pet.”
Iris snorted.
“Gunny actually wanted me to spar with Roland. Can you believe it?”
“He didn’t! I mean Roland wouldn’t fight a girl, would he?” This was more than Iris could handle. She was holding my hand now, nearly bouncing on the bed beside me.
“No! Of course not! I don’t think any of them will. I’m the only girl in the class, the only girl ever. They don’t want me there. I don’t want me there.”
Iris nodded. “It’ll work itself out Evie, don’t worry. This has to be just a big misunderstanding.”
I knew Iris was trying to comfort me, but honestly, “it will work itself out”—lame! “Misunderstanding”—my ass. The powers that be were enjoying screwing with me.
“Are you coming to dinner?” She stood up, looking hopeful.
“Yeah, I can’t afford to be weak,” I moaned at the thought of having to move. “I’ll meet you downstairs in half an hour. I’ll be the one crawling out of the elevator.”
Iris gave me a sympathetic look before hurrying out of the room. No doubt on her way to tell Aubree and Gillian the whole sordid story. This would be right up Aubree’s alley—juicy, one-of-a kind information.
Could my life possibly suck any more? That was meant to be one of those rhetorical questions you ask the universe when things aren’t going your way. And keeping in time with my suck-ass day, the universe has answered me—yes!
I was summoned to Ms. Leech’s office in the middle of dinner. Not before noticing the “I need my face slapped off smirk” from Stacy as I walked by. She’d noticed the bruise on my face–thank you Gunny–and had been pointing at me and making quiet jokes about it for the last half hour. I sucked in my cheeks. Was this day ever going to end?
“You may have a seat, Miss Hollyander.”
I plopped down in what I’d assumed was going to be my reserved-seating chair.
Herman the vulture squawked loudly from his perch. The little beast eyed me with longing—I knew it!
“It has come to my attention that there was a sprinkler disruption this afternoon in The Kitchen.”
“Yes . . .” I answered with extreme caution.
“I’m sure it will come as no surprise that you have been placed as blame for this incident.” Ms. Leech’s voice was unusually even.
“Me?” I was going to get that blonde headed—
“However,” she interrupted my mental rant. “After further inspection, and testimony from eyewitnesses . . .” Eyewitnesses . . . what eyewitnesses? “I find that blame to be completely unfounded.”
Wait! What? Had I missed something? This was what the old hag had been waiting for. Why was she passing up on this golden opportunity to hand my head to me on a platter?
“I realize that you could not possibly have that kind of magical control. I mean really, to isolate the water flow to only one area of the room . . . well, it’s completely ridiculous. I can’t even do that!” She laughed lightly—the sound of it, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand.
I sat there, dumbfounded. Ms. Leech couldn’t do that kind of magic? That can’t be. Her powers should be limitless. She was much, much older than I was. Some Redwoods weren’t even as old as her. In fact, I was even willing to bet that dirt itself—
“I’m aware that Gunnery Sergeant Jaxson has transferred you into sixth period P.E.”
“That’s no P.E. class,” I interjected, switching gears.
“Gunny seems to think you have potential.” The word stuck in her throat. As if the concept of potential and me were unfathomable. “I however understand if you're reluctant. Many have died foolishly trying to keep the Daimonas at bay.”
Did she just slam me? Foolish . . .? Was Leech some sort of Daimonas supporter? Figured!
“I won’t pretend it’s going to be easy for you,” she blabbed on. “You are the only girl after all.”
Did everyone have to keep saying that? I slumped further into my chair. “And why is that?” I asked.
“I never thought I’d live to see the day,” she continued ignoring my question. “A female Slayer . . . well, not yet anyway.” A look of . . . was that . . . relief . . . crossed her face.
“I realize you’re very young, but with training and perseverance, I have no doubt you’ll soar to great heights. Or perhaps depths, is the proper phrase.”
What the heck was this, an after school special? Wasn’t it only yesterday she was insulting and threatening me not to put a toe out of line? Now she was insulting me, and masking it with false words of encouragement.
“As I said before, discipline is what’s needed with you, Miss Hollyander. I have no doubt you’ll get a full dose of it in Gunny’s class.”
So that’s why the old hag’s on board with this. She wants Gunny to ride me and break me like a horse.
“Well, I won’t keep you any longer. You must be very tired after your first day. I only wanted to put your mind at ease, and assure you that I hold you in no way responsible for the . . . let’s just call it a malfunction, shall we?”
She stood up and extended her hand. I stared at it for a moment before my brain registered what to do. I shook it lightly, trying not to cringe at its leathery texture.
“Good luck, Miss Hollyander and remember, we're all very eager to watch your success.” The words were as menacing as her tone, making me shiver.
I walked back to my dorm in a daze. “Let’s just call it a malfunction?” She knew? She knew and she wasn’t going to punish me?
She’d been less than enthused about me becoming a Slayer. I could see that Ms. Leech viewed it as a total waste of time. She’d covered her butt with small words of encouragement—if you could call them that. But overlooking what she knew was a blatant display of magic used against another student? True, no one deserved a good comeuppance like Stacy did. Anyone unfortunate enough to know her would agree on that. But still, I’d definitely broken the rules.
After promising that I’d fill them in first thing in the morning, the girls left me alone. They’d been anxious to hear about my meeting with Ms. Leech. I went to bed that night, swimming in a sea of questions, with no life preserver to bail me out.