The Hunt Page 2

  “Hi,” he said, now that he'd clearly gotten my attention.

  “Hey," I said back, recognizing him right away, the first boy I’d met outside of first period. The blonde. We’d arrived at my locker. "We have English together, right?” I knew my words weren't the clearest but I could see he got the gist of what I was saying.

  The scent of Abercrombie and Fitch’s fierce cologne tickled my nose. Before taking a full breath, I stopped short, keeping my smile plastered on my face.

  "Yeah, we do!” I smiled briefly and turned to twist the combo lock to open the locker door before looking back up at him. “I’m Derrek. Hey, so I was wondering, did you want to hang out with my friends and me at lunch? We have a good seat next to the fountain, best spot you could—“ His words trailed off when he spotted someone approaching behind me.

  Turning, I found Gearden and Bri walking towards us. While Bri stopped to talk to another girl just a couple feet away, Gearden moved to stand as close as he did the first time I’d seen him that morning. As menacing as he looked then, it was doubled this time.

  It didn’t take a genius to see that he and Derrek were at odds, either. Stepping to the side to see them both clearly, I saw Gearden say to Derrek, “Sorry, Derrek, she’s already sitting with us.”

  “What the hell, O’Connell? Why don’t you let her speak for herself?” Immediately, his eyes looked to me expectantly, while Gearden only continued to watch Derrek with an awareness that made me edgy.

  “Hey, Maeleigh!” Bri popped up beside Gearden, a sack lunch in one hand and a can of Sprite in the other. Keeping his eyes boring into Derrek, Gearden reached over my head and removed my purple soft-sided lunch box, shut the locker door and started towards the quad. I just smiled apologetically at Derrek and said, "Maybe tomorrow?" before I followed where my lunch was headed. Bri moved along with me, threading her arm through mine as we walked, chatting about playing basketball in her second period PE.

  The concrete table and bench seats that Bri and Gearden led me to were an extension of the fountain it seemed. Bodies flowed from the rim, which served seating all around, to the table. Every conceivable inch of sitting space was occupied and even some, mostly girls, were sitting or standing on the tabletop. Socializing was more important than sitting, apparently.

  Various grades were gathered, and none seemed to worry about the age difference, whereas the other tables and groups appeared to be separated by grades or sport affiliation. Happy that I’d worn comfy shoes that day, I accepted that I’d be standing this lunch period, so I was a tad shocked when a boy catching sight of Gearden tapped another boy beside him and promptly hopped down from the closest ledge of the table where they were perched. His partner followed suit, backing away obligingly all without missing a beat in their conversation. It was equal to relinquishing ocean front property on the West Coast.

  Coming to stand beside the table by its newly vacated space, I took the lunch box that Gearden offered. Moving to open it, I nearly leapt out of my skin when he grasped me by the waist and plopped me gently on the edge of the table, in the exact spot the boys had relinquished. The gaping looks that a few people gave me reminded me of fish looking through the glass into the world beyond. Bri brought me out of my reverie when she hopped up next to me, peering down at my lunch curiously before jerking her head over to a pair of girls approaching us.

  “Maeleigh, meet Kassady and Freya,” Bri announced, indicating a brunette with light brown eyes, Kassady, and a petite blonde, Freya. “Guys, this is Maeleigh, she’s the one I was telling you about.” Feeling the start of self-conscious dread begin to stir inside me, I waited to see if she would elaborate on what exactly she had told them about me. I stared at my peanut butter and jelly sandwich with less interest than I had two seconds ago, then glanced back up to the group.

  “Hi.” Kassady said, setting her bottled water next to my hip and proceeding to peel her banana. “So, where are you from?” she asked before taking a large bite of the fruit.

  “Yeah. Normally we know all there is on new people before they even arrive. Gossip knows no boundaries in Bell.” Popping a Frito chip into her mouth, Freya pinned me with her stunning blue eyes.

  “Frey.” Bri’s lips barely moved but, catching her scowl, Freya looked a little contrite.

  “Don’t mind them, Maeleigh. They’re not used to new people. Sometimes they forget their manners.” Bri winked playfully at me.

  Seeing that the girls took it in good humor, I giggled along with them, the awkwardness passing. I unwrapped my sandwich from the Cling wrap, ravenous for it now. “Stockton, California,” I answered finally before taking a hearty bite.

  "Do you know how to surf?" Kassady asked hopefully.

  A short burst of laughter escaped my lips at her excitement. "No," I said.

  When the girls went on to talk about not everyone in California knowing how to surf and Kassady wanting to learn one day, I searched my pockets for the dollar I'd planned to get a drink with. Digging it out, I hopped off the table, aiming for the vending machine, only to stumble into – and bounce off – a hard chest. He only stared down at me for a long moment, apparently looking for some sort of explanation to my leaving, before asking, "Are you going for a drink?" Tucking a hand into his jeans, he stepped to the side, ushering for me to continue in front of him. When I reached the one with Pepsi products, Gearden waved my hand holding the money aside and entered his own bill into the slot. A look of askance prompted me to select. “Um, regular Pepsi. Thanks.” Not sure what to do with my hands, I tucked them into my pockets, watching as the machine kicked out the drink and Gearden retrieved it.

  He didn’t hand it to me until we were at the table and only when he needed to free his hands to lift me back onto it. Clutching the sweating bottle, I searched Bri’s face for any indication of resentment or anger, surprised to find that Bri was engrossed in a discussion regarding plans for an upcoming party of some sort, completely unaware of or unfazed by what Gearden had just done with another girl. Food and drinks seemed to be the main focus. From the amount they planned to order for both, they expected a large turnout, some sort of celebration that was going to bring a bigger crowd than last year's.

  Finishing my sandwich, I continued to simply observe the odd group I'd been encompassed by. There were seventeen at and around the table of various grades and sexes. Gearden stood a good four inches above the rest of the group. Though one of the two boys that Gearden stood talking to came in as a close second. He too had dark hair, though his was close-cropped. They both towered over the other boy with glasses and light, wavy brown hair, carrying a heavy backpack.

  As if he could sense me watching, Gearden turned his head unexpectedly, meeting my gaze with a small smile kicking up the corners of his lips. Both of the other boys looked my way as well, Glasses looking more analytical and kind, while Gearden’s twin’s black eyes pinned me with suspicion.

  The desire to be anywhere but under his scrutiny was strong, compelling me to look down, not sure what his problem was. Glancing up from the corner of my eye, beneath a curtain of hair, I saw Gearden place a firm hand on the other guy’s shoulder, taking his eyes off me. Only nodding to him, Gearden left the two to their thoughts and strode towards me with a grin playing at his lips. His pace was slow, as if he were trying not to spook me, no sudden movements. The whole scene reminded me of a rancher approaching a skittish horse. Which was appropriate if I looked how I felt, heart racing in my chest like a frightened little mouse. I’d never had a panic attack, but I was sure this was the closest I’d been to having one. Which only made me feel ridiculous. He was only a boy; a boy who had my cheeks flaming under his gaze.

  Movement behind him caught my attention. Bri, whom I didn't even notice was now gone from her spot beside me, had stepped behind to talk to the other guys, her back to me as they obviously listened to something she was saying. As one, they all nodded at the same time before she broke away from them.

  Returning my attention to Gearden, I saw that he now leaned against the table where Bri had sat, ravaging a sub sandwich, chewing in comfortable silence, while the girls continued to chatter about the upcoming events, until the bell rang. Gearden held his hand out to help me down from my perch. I actually considered pretending not to notice it, but then hesitantly accepted. The landing felt as if I’d only taken a small step instead of leaping down three feet onto concrete. Belatedly, I snatched my hand from his grasp and looked for Bri, who stood at my elbow opposite of him. Not completely sure I should feel guilty or not, I was surprised to find Bri sporting a sort of mischievous grin as she looked at us. Gearden grabbed up my lunch box and followed Bri and me after she linked her arm through mine, heading back to my locker. Turned out, Bri’s was only a few yards down from mine, giving me the opportunity to lay a staying hand on her arm when Gearden waved awkwardly as he continued to his last class.

  I waited until Gearden was out of sight before asking, "Are you and Gearden a thing?" Signing as I spoke aloud. A burst of laughter escaped Bri's lips before she suppressed it.

  Not amused, I waited for Bri to gain control of her hysterics.

  Bri finally answered, obviously trying to keep a tight rein on her laughter, “No. We grew up together. Slept in the same cribs most of our small baby lives.” Taking a deep breath, she went on with her tale. “Our fathers are best friends. Whenever they were together, so were we. He’s like a brother.” Finally, her expression turned sober. “The idea of kissing Gearden.” A small shudder wracked her body. "Ugh."

  I just nodded and stared blankly at the beige tile between our shoes. Bri snapped me out of my reprieve by touching my hand and saying, “He likes you though. I know it.” Bri went on, taking my silence to mean I wasn’t convinced. “He usually stays away from girls.” Whe
n I frowned at her, confused, she explained, “He’s very goal-oriented. Takes after his dad. He views girls as a distraction.” Winking, she added, “Until now.”

  With that said, Bri could see that she’d given me something to think about. As she headed towards the language building, I walked back across the quad to the girls’locker room on the opposite side. The counselor had given me elective phys. ed. so I elected to do my routine running here.

  Running cleared my mind anyway. This way I could focus on the information packets from lab.

  This was exactly what I needed. It gave me time to process my thoughts on the day and the upcoming projects. Being the first day of school, not many people really had any homework yet, but I couldn’t wait to crack into those packets. Apparently not having to worry about finding a group of friends that I fit with may not be as difficult as I’d anticipated. Brianna appeared to be genuinely sincere with her bright and cheerful demeanor each time I saw her. I couldn’t even fathom a harsh thought coming from her.

  Freya and Kassidy seemed nice enough too. Maybe I'd get an invite to whatever it was they were celebrating later. I'd have to ask about it the next time they mentioned it. They didn't purposefully alienate me in the conversation today, I just never said anything, having been distracted with something else. Okay, someone else. Bri's confirmation that they weren't an item only confused me more. According to her, he found girls to be a distraction. So what made me so special that he would make an exception? He was, in a word, gorgeous. And not in the Calvin Klein model sort of way. Except for the lack of a five o'clock shadow, he could easily pass for a twenty-one year old. Standing next to Bri, he looked so much older, and I'm sure I looked the same beside him as well to others looking on with him towering over me.

  Though, now that I knew he wasn't taken, I was able to relive all that had gone down earlier with new eyes and feelings. Rather than feeling guilty for Bri's sake, I now experienced a rush course through me as I thought about the attention he had given me all day, the good and the bad. Knowing now that he didn't really like the dating scene, I could understand why he was so disgruntled in the beginning. If he had changed his mind, and it appeared he had, then should I expect him to ask me out later?

  Nope. Nope. Not going there. At least not yet. I didn't want to get too far ahead of myself only to be let down. Picking up speed to finish my second mile in a hard sprint, I headed to the lockers.

  Gearden

  Watching her from the field, I nearly missed a pass from Conner. “Watch it, O’Connell!” Coach screamed from the sidelines.

  Cursing myself, I jogged down the field towards the balls. Rugby was too vicious a game to lose focus like that. She probably didn't have a clue the distraction she created for me. Not that I didn’t like knowing she was nearby, just that her running stirred an instinctual need to chase. The hot sun wasn’t the main cause for the sweat dripping down my temple.

  The coach called a water break and I walked to the bench, grabbing up my bottle, pretending to take a swig as I watched her leave the track and head for the lockers. I turned my gaze to Bri, who sat in the bleachers with some of the girls discussing Homecoming. A simple glance between her and Maeleigh’s retreating form was all it took to get my point across. Watch her. Bri nodded in acknowledgment before excusing herself and heading purposefully to the ladies’ locker room.

  Finally knowing Maeleigh was well looked after, I would be able to focus on the game. One of the new recruits fumbled a pass and dropped the ball because he, too, was distracted by the cheerleaders that practiced on an unused part of the field.

  “James!” The kid quickly straightened, giving me a sheepish look. “Focus,” I said, seeing a particularly flirtatious brunette wave her fingers in James’ direction. Shaking my head, I jogged over to where the rest of the team began to create a circle of sweating bodies, ready to go over a new play.

  I didn’t know what would come first, that I’d strangle the next person who broke my focus or go crazy with worry. I hadn’t seen Bri since before free period ended on the field. Homeroom had started ten minutes ago, and Bri still hadn't come in yet.

  Hearing the classroom door open through the throng of voices, Bri walked in, handing a slip of paper to the teacher. Wearing an apologetic smile, she made her way to her seat, leaning over to say something to me. Before she could, Mr. Jackson called my name. “You’re needed at the front office. You’d better take your things, just in case.” I simply grabbed the bundle of unopened book, pad and pencil, shoving them in my pack as I walked with steady determination out of the room and down the hall. The front offices were in the main building of the first floor. Descending the stairs, I sprinted the rest of the way. A dull ache had started to settle at the base of my skull, warning that something was off.

  After an eternity, I finally arrived. Stepping up to the receptionist’s desk, I handed the crinkled note to the woman sitting behind it. Smiling, she said, “Nurse Simmons would like a word.” Nodding, I headed through the offices and back to the nurse’s. She was sitting at her desk, making notes in a chart, wearing her usual work uniform of salmon colored scrubs with a school badge clipped to the breast pocket and her short brown hair pulled back in a tight ponytail, accentuating her slim face and neck. I knew by her pungent anxiety the moment she recognized I’d entered her domain. Snapping her head to look up at me, I saw that her already pale face was devoid of any natural color.

  Standing, she reached around me and shut the door. It was then that I realized that the lights were off in the office. Only the light from the afternoon sun shone through the lone window. Indicating that I should follow, she walked to a screened off corner, pointing to the figure lying prone on the bed behind it.

  Maeleigh.

  “What happened?” I immediately rushed to rest a hand on the crown of her head, touching the silky tresses of strawberry blonde.

  “She came in with Brianna, claiming of a terrible headache. As soon as she sat down it worsened,” the nurse exclaimed. When I shot her a look, she continued, “Brianna mentioned the quickening, so I thought best to contact you first.”

  Maeleigh turned her head, which displaced the cold pack on her neck. Her eyes were squeezed closed to block out any residual light as well as a result of her pain. Simmons stood nearby, her anxiety increasing as she spoke. “Tell me,” I demanded. She was one of their healers, and she was dawdling with her explanation.

  Wringing her hands, she answered, “Her body’s energy is bouncing all over the place.” She took a deep breath, “I've never seen anything like it before. It's obvious that she's becoming aware of her gifts, which is causing her some discomfort, but I haven't seen it at this level before. It's as if she's experiencing five times the cellular fusion that one normally goes through during this stage. It is unclear at this point. I can’t seem to read her clearly.”

  “Discomfort?” I growled, drawing a whimper from Maeleigh, who, instead of flinching away, drew herself closer, as if trying to burrow into a cool pillow. Smelling of lavender and chamomile, I knew I’d never smell anything so sweet for the rest of my life. Reflexively, I held her tighter, the hand on her head running down to massage the back of her neck, the cool pack forgotten.

  "I will speak with my father. No one else needs to know at this time," I said, seeing her nod jerkily.

  Sliding my hands under her slim body, I picked her up from the bed. Seeking balance, Maeleigh’s hands clung to my neck and shoulder, pressing her nose beneath my chin to shadow the light.

  “I’ll take her home. Wait a few moments, please, before you inform her parents. I’ll need to be sure we arrive first.”

  "I understand," she said as she handed me Maeleigh's backpack and a post-it with her address scribbled.

  She led me through a back way that led to the main outer hall. As luck would have it, the hall was empty as I carried my small burden down it and through the exit door, which would lead to the student parking lot. Careful of my movements so I didn't jar her too much, I made my way to my dark charcoal grey Land Rover Discovery. Opening the passenger side and seamlessly transferring her into the vehicle, I buckled her in. As an afterthought, I laid the seat back and grabbed a sweater that lay on the back seat, draping it over her head. Immediately she flung an arm over her eyes, trapping the material.