Orion Page 5

  “I’ve just never heard a male speak the way you do to a female.”

  He looked curiously at my choice of words, I guessed. I knew it at once.

  “I mean the vulgar talk this morning.”

  “I’m sorry. Like I said, you’re not like anyone I’ve ever met. I really am sorry and it won’t happen again, but you’ll have to sponge up your comebacks. Don’t look now, but you’re I’m so clever attitude suits you.” He opened his arms wide and gave an innocent look just after he opened himself up for the apology.

  “Bull shi—

  “Naughty words from such a haughty girl. If and when you are ready for that takedown in the ring again, I’m game. Use that anger meter on me elsewhere if not—

  Interrupting again, I stood to leave. I wasn’t going to sit here and argue with him.

  He grabbed my arm squeezing gently. I look at where he held me and glared the evil I knew my face could conjure so easily.

  “Don’t go. I’ll be good.”

  A collective sigh came from the group at the table behind us that I didn't know was occupied. I debated on letting him look the fool, but my buried deep inside heart wanted to let him in a little to see if I could get information out of him. He challenged me and on some level that thrilled me and it might be helpful. At least I told myself all this convoluted decisions were the reasons why. He felt like someone I could argue with all day and still go on and on. He reminded me of a fair haired Szar. My twin brother.

  I cowered unlike myself. “Okay! But if you really are going to help me, I would appreciate the chemistry lesson now.” I wasn’t used to the forwardness, but I sure wasn’t accustomed to boys talking freely to me like this. Other than my brother and one other. And they were never looking at me like this boy did.

  “Whatever you say, madam.” And he held his arm out for me to lead us to a table.

  I did.

  Once seated, we delved into chapter one and agreed we’d go over a chapter and experiment the next day, then discuss chapter two, and experiment the next day, and so on till chapter six.

  I sat back and stretched in my chair. He stretched his arm across my chair behind me. My eyes followed his arms noticing the way his shirt was fitted to his arm just above the elbow. Back home, the males didn’t expose their arms and legs as such.

  He saw my eyes and watched as I swallowed hard and shook my head moving my hands back to the table, squeezing them together.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “I…I’ve just never worked with anyone so young. My tutors were always gray headed and not the least bit chatty.”

  “You think I’m chatty?”

  “Compared to them, yes.”

  “And am I too young? Shall I go grab a gramps for you?”

  “No, no! I....” Oh, now I’ve done it. Focus. I’ve making a fool of myself.

  He chuckled.

  “Why are you helping so much?” I’ve wondered all day since weapons class.

  He didn’t seem to want to answer the question. Finally, “My dad, is the school master. He asked me to keep an eye on you.”

  Oh, this was purely a job. “So I’m your pup?”

  He rolled his eyes. “No!” He got a serious face next, “But we’ve never had anyone enter the school midyear. This is a first.”

  “No one?” I gulped.

  “Nope. Still not sure why my dad let you in,” he paused, “but I’m glad he did.” Staring at my hands, I wondered if he was remembering the way it felt this morning in chemistry class. The current that ran straight up through my arm into my head and made me woozy.

  I haven’t read about Elizabeth in several years, but I remember enough to know the boy sitting next to me wanted a reply. “Thank you.” This was far from my usual Joan of Arc.

  "I am not assigned to Supernatural Studies with Dr. Quinn. Are you in it?"

  "Yes."

  I didn't have a comment back.

  "It was taught by Mr. Borgon till last year. My father intended to teach it, but he asked Dr. Quinn to pick up the class. They are both conscientious of the waring factions in hope for unity among them. His class seems to center around it. If you want, I can have your schedule changed."

  "Oh, no. I like my schedule. I was just curious."

  We cleaned up our things. I checked out my book after having my name filed in their system, and headed to dinner.

  Chapter Four …and I don’t like what I don’t understand.

  Dinner was held in same room as breakfast and lunch. The room looked more like a museum than a place to eat with its decorative columns and fancy swords no one would ever use. The crossed at each corner and pointed down. Others weapons of great use hung all across the walls and from the ceiling to the floor. Hatchets, axes, and mallets were laced across the tops of the windows. Beautiful, powerful looking bows were centerpieces with daggers and knives bordering them. Somehow, I missed some of this earlier today.

  “I wouldn’t want to be in here in a battle,” I told Calum as we entered the enormously long room, “at least if I were the enemy.” I swallowed hard.

  He’d carried my books for me and I felt like I was missing something in my hands after carrying them all day. I didn't make it to my dorm room like the others due to Calum's famous tutoring session.

  We’d made it into the dining hall and crossed over the length of the room for a good ten seconds before the three or four long tables in front of us let out enough gasps and sighs that I looked behind me to be sure if any evil intent was headed my way. When no one was there, I channeled my thoughts back to all the startled faces and realized it was us they were looking at. I let go of the dagger in my fingertips keeping it tucked away.

  I leaned into Calum on my tiptoes, “Do they always gasp like this when you walk in a room?” Why I felt like I could trust him with my secret thoughts, I wasn’t sure, but I wanted to know this moment why everyone was watching him. Fear was everywhere at once, hitting me in heat waves. Was he that dangerous?

  He leaned into my ear brushing his mouth against it, “You’re quite lovely, they’re not looking at me today. That was yesterday when I was a god. Today, you’re the goddess of the hour.” Jolt! The spike went through my body at the split second touch of his skin to mine.

  I felt my cheeks reddening at what he said though it processed a little late. I haven’t let myself blush like that since my father told the group of boys during sparring class when I was twelve that soon I would be the marrying age and “isn’t she just the painted picture of a beauty”. I was mortified then and now. In just a few hours I have lost my whole image and replaced it with a stumbling idiot. If this was how real human high school was, I was definitely glad I’d never attended it for more than one reason. And as for the humans, they are oblivious to all of our supernatural dealings anyway. They’re content with their world existing without all of us. The factions would go on under their noses.

  We kept walking and everyone kept staring. I mean everyone.

  Calum walked me to where Maze and Liz were sitting, and stopped. He pivoted crookedly and emphasized slowly, “I’ll see you tomorrow in weapons class.” And he turned and walked to the table where Derrick and the other boy sat. I watched him go and then sat down beside a severely frozen Maze. Still not hungry, I realized Calum still had my books. I said through my hair, “I’ll be right back,” and stood to walk to where Calum sat and ran smack into him.

  “We’ve got to stop hurting each other,” Calum caught my one arm on the sleeve because the books were in the other. We both looked at the place where his hand was touching me, no doubt thinking the same thing. “Cardiac arrest at my age doesn’t fair well for the libido.”

  I righted myself and stood quickly since everyone was watching, again.

  “Thank you. I was just coming to get them.” And I wondered yet again why my blushing cheeks showed their color so readily.

  “No problem. I know they’re heavy. Most people carry their morning books and switch at lunch. Try tha
t tomorrow.” He seemed to be back to his bad boy image he preferred.

  “Thank you.” And he was gone again. So he hid the nice guy behind the bad boy face. Why couldn’t everyone see the real him?

  By the time I sat he was watching me. I wasn’t sure what to make of why everyone watched mine or Calum’s or both our every move. It was making me very nervous. Inquiring to my newly made friends seemed reasonable. “Why does everyone watch me?” I whispered to the two of them.

  They had the same look as the after school conversation from before.

  Maze answered with guns blazing, “Girl you have every head in the room turned and you really have no idea?”

  “No. Tell me.” Now! I was gritting my teeth.

  “Two words. Calum Freakalicious Green.”

  That’s three.

  “I don’t understand. His father is just making him help me get around and stuff.”

  “And stuff,” snorted Liz.

  “What does that mean?” I whispered again holding my anger in.

  “We told you. No one has ever been given this much attention by Calum Green.”

  “But he said I was the first one ever to enroll mid semester. There was no cause before.”

  Both girls were wide-eyed again.

  “You just don’t get it.”

  “Explain it to me please. Please! This is kind of horrible,” I erupted with fear.

  More wide-eyes.

  “How can you even be embarrassed to have so much attention from the most wanted Hunter in the entire school? You have no idea how hated you are by every girl in this place who has drooled over him, present company included.”

  “And me!” piped in Liz.

  “And told by his daddy or not, he’s got it bad for you girl. Whatever you did to him, he’s got it bad.”

  Oh, no! “I didn’t mean to. Did I hurt him or something? I didn’t mean to do anything bad to him.”

  Maze was staring at me curiously, “Did you date back home?”

  “We used calendars, yes.”

  Wide-eyed again like I grew horns, I really wished they’d stop that.

  “No, I mean when a boy asks you to go on date with him, hang out with him, just him.”

  “Like Calum and I did for studying chemistry in the library?” Or did they mean like dating each other? I’d seen movies, but that wasn’t real life.

  “No, that was studying, although very private with two to a table, but still no. You two did look very cozy. A date is like when he wants to go somewhere with only you, like to eat or going to the movies during our town visits or eating ice cream on a summer day, just you and him.”

  “And the kissing. Don’t forget the kissing,” Liz added, swooning.

  Now I was wide-eyed. “You do that before dating on a regular basis?” I’d come close to kissing someone once. Now I’m questioning if I should have to feel bad. I knew Calum was giving a lot of attention, but my naivety in boy/girl scenarios were lacking. I get it some from watching movies, but I guess I just didn't expect it to be done on me.

  They both laughed.

  “Are you serious?”

  I thought I was. The thought intrigued me, but I’d never met anyone I’d wanted to kiss except one boy back home, and he was far away now. Dating was a whole other concept.

  “Yes, Stace, a kiss from a boy means that he might want to marry you one day, not likely in high school, but kissing him doesn’t make you married.” Liz had some clue as to my inexperience now but sarcasm gets you nowhere. And she felt bad enough to fill me in.

  “And it’s okay if you kiss a male here?” I acted innocent to bait them though I’d caught on. Really, I was naïve in that respect but playing along might get me information later.

  They looked at each other and laughed saying at the same time, “We wish!”

  “Yes, it’s okay. I’d welcome it anytime.” Maze said most assuredly.

  I felt like a sheep in the wolf’s den right now. What else had my dad and family not told me? These Hunters didn’t seem too horrible in a way like they were going to kill us all and doom us to hell. So was this something my dad made to sound bad, but really wasn’t? And what about the kissing, is it so bad to try out?

  Dinner was over and Maze noticed my lack of eating, again. I guess I’m going to have to force some down. I’d reasoned that I could take some for me to eat later and I could trash it or flush it in the night. I found the chocolate muffins and downed those quickly, taking two more for later.

  A brief idea floated over my brain remembering the state my brother was in and reminding me that boys and kissing weren’t what I should be thinking about. Still, my mind reeled with what I’d missed out on in the past.

  My room ended up being the first one on the hall of the girl’s dormitory. One girl in passing yelled, “Last one out the window and last one back in the room. You better be as fast as your weapons skills seem to present you to be.”

  I walked into my white walled room with one window and matching furniture on separate sides of the room. There was no roommate. That was a comfort at least.

  I left the matchbox living quarters a few minutes later, locking it with my new shiny key, and went to shower in search of the multi-use shower stalls wearing my non-skid flips, vanilla scented everything, and shoulder pouch for safe keeping. I returned in my pink pajama shorts and tank back up the long corridor when Maze waved a silent summons.

  “I can't wait till tomorrow. I get to see the Calum Green ogling you, and more important, because I can get details from you while watching you ogle him.”

  “Why is it ogling and not appreciation?”

  “Girl, you are so in the dark. BFO. Come, Mama Maze will school you in romance where I lack in weapons.” She motioned for me to lean in more.

  “Ogling is what Calum was doing every time I looked up all day when you were in the room. That made a boring day not so boring. We needed that around here. He couldn’t take his eyes off of you. And from what I’ve seen and heard, naive one, you couldn’t stop either. And rumor is the two of you did it all day.”

  “People are talking about us that much?” Laying low is definitely not the option now.

  “Oh yes, my dear one. You are the juicy news of the hour. And the next! And the next!”

  “I will try to stop ogling. I hate to offend him.”

  “Trust me. He’s not offended. That much is obvious. Besides, everyone has bets on you right now and I don’t want to lose. A Ben Franklin is riding on it. No one has ever seen Calum Freakalicious Green talk to a girl for more than a quick joke of suggestion. We’ve not seen much of this gentlemenly side and all of us are hoping for more. You’ve had his attention an entire twelve hours. That’s a record some are betting on. And I aim to win. So, by all means, keep ogling. He’ll love it. Heck, tell him he’s the A in your bomb. His head will swell.”

  “Where is your room?” I said shaking my head at her.

  “Where’s yours?” I pointed to my room at the other end far from hers.

  “Nice, last on—”

  “I heard already. I’m exhausted. I’m just ready to sleep. Will you do me a favor?”

  “Sure.”

  “I woke with the dawn back home and I ‘m really tired. Will you bang on my door in the morning to make sure I’m up?”

  “No problem. Bang, bang!” she imitated the motion and headed back in the other direction.

  In the middle of the night a sound came loud and clear through my door, but I put my pillow over my head and fell back asleep. A new dream had me off kilter and I couldn’t do anything but fall back asleep from exhaustion. Another knock came later and I was up groaning to my empty space.

  Sore and tired, I searched for my favorite jeans and ballet flats. I yanked on one of my favorite pullover girl-sleeved t-shirts with the little diamonds all around the collar and sleeves. I love the way the sunshine makes it sparkle too bright into my enemy’s eyes. Well, in my imagination.

  I combed through my hair, bobby pi
nned a crisscross on the left side, applied a thin layer of my favorite shiny cherry lip gloss, and headed out the door with my one book in hand.

  I pondered on the way about the knock on my door in the night. I could have sworn I heard other doors knocked on too. Could be suspicious! Or girl craziness. They seem to be a bit on the silly side.

  I hurried to English lit class that effectively passed in a blur. I am normally very interested in my favorite subject, but my heart was now erratic while walking towards the gym in anticipation of the coming hour.

  I forced my thoughts from weapons class to the side with my crazy dream from the night before. For some reason or another, I’ve always dreamed I was able to fly. Just up and going. In my dreams I could see the ground beneath me, but not actually see how I was flying. I also had practical dreams like one day traveling to see Italy, where my mom was born. But last night, I also dreamed about the always standing in the shadows of indecisiveness boy named Calum. The oddness of it was he stood in the background, watching. Why the flying included him in the same dream, I didn’t know, but my flying dream always geared the same way. Some dark, mysterious guy would whisk me up and in my mind, just hover.

  I’ve seen couples kiss before, but the idea of this boy and a kiss made my heart rate speed up simply because it was new to me. Maze and Liz made it sound like it could be something amazing. I’ve never considered the idea of picking who I would marry or kissing them. Of course, I’d woken up in the night thinking how stupid I was since he was a Hunter and I was Valkyrie. But still, the girls indicated I didn’t have to marry him. This was a rule breaker experience I contemplated, so I was sitting on the devil’s side of the fence just thinking about it. I would never admit to anyone how little I know. I’ve learned a lot in just a few days. I’ve never considered myself as anything but within an arranged marriage. Not too long ago, I challenged my father into considering it my choice. He didn’t say either way, but the shipping yard owner still hade appearances at our court. It was his son I was expected to marry.

  I rushed to the gym and dropped my book on the bleacher placing my new bag given to me by Maze on top of it. I yanked a chocolate bar out and started munching while looking around for Maze, Liz, Calum, or anyone I knew.