Portal Jumpers

Chapter 2

     School ended after two more classes.
     Becca and Takoda were the first out of the classroom.
     I walked out not ten seconds after them, but they were gone already.
     “Who are you looking for?” James asked from behind me.
     “Becca and Takoda are gone already!” I was yet again, amazed.
     “They're probably on the bus waiting for us.”
     “They just got out of class before us, how could they be gone already?” I asked. “It's a long hallway.” I added.
     “I don't know, maybe they ran? Or like I said they're probably on the bus.”

     They weren't on the bus. “Where did they go?” I asked him again.
     “Hey don't look at me. I don't know anymore than you.”
     “Sure, but I know you're all keeping something from me and I'm going to figure out what it is.”
     “I am not keeping something from you!” He said as we climbed the bus stairs. “We only just met and already you're accusing me of stuff.” He added.
     “Don't try to turn this on me. I know there was no way they could have disappeared that fast.”
     He ignored me and sat down as I looked at him with concern.
     “Also, they aren't on the bus.” I said, while double checking incase I missed them the first time I looked.
     “There are more than one bus.” He said.
     “They all have their own route they take.” I argued, rolling my eyes and sitting down next to him. “They would have had to take this one to get home.” He leaned away from me when I sat down.
     “Are you scared of cooties or something?” I asked, confused.
     “Nah, nothing like that, I just like my space.” He stated.
     “Um... Ok.”
     We sat the rest of the bus ride in silence.
     The bus stopped at the end of my gravel driveway with a screeching halt.
     “Nice meeting you, James.” I said getting up, not looking at him and pulling my backpack onto my shoulder, hair getting caught under the strap.
     “You too. I'll see you tomorrow?” He asked hopefully.
     “Well, we do go to the same school and have the same classes.” I pointed out.
     Being in a small town all of us juniors and even the seniors could be in one classroom at the same time.
     “You're right, I forgot, then I will get to see you tomorrow!”
     “Yeah, bye.” I mumbled not particularly excited.
     This strange Colorado boy avoids me like a plague, but seems to like being around me. I thought as I jumped off the bus.
     I walked up my driveway without looking back.
     My house was one story with the exception of the tiny attic room and bathroom my dad had built when I was old enough to need privacy.
     The staircase he had also built cut right in-between the kitchen and living room.
     I closed the door behind me and slouched against it, reliving the crazy day.
     “Looks like someone had a good day at school.” My dad chuckled coming over from the oven wiping his floured hands on a hand towel. “What's his name?”
     I stood straight, quickly. “You just assume it's a boy.” I sided.
     “Well you couldn't very well be thinking about a snake that way, could you?” He put the hand towel on the railing. He had been stress baking. A recurrence since mom's death a few years back.
     “You're as nosy as mom was.” I teased. He picked up the towel and threw it at me, making me a floury mess.
     “But I don't look nearly as lovely as your mother did.” He chuckled again.
     There was a little pain still in his eyes from losing her. He shook his head probably thinking about her.
     “So? What's his name?” He asked again, this time more serious.
     “Fine, his name's James.”
     We walked into the kitchen, I leaned on the island.
     The remains of the pizza he was baking all over the countertop, I started rolling stray bits into a ball with one finger.
     “And who is this, James you've never talked about?” He questioned.
     “He's one of the new boys that came from Colorado.”
     “Ah, so I still get to interrogate him.”
     “What, no! Dad, please don't!”
     He laughed. “I was joking, CJ.” His deep voice reassured me.
     “Good, I don’t even like him like that.”
     He grunted at me while checking the pizza in the oven.
     “Well, when you do like some boy like that I’d like to interrogate them.” He straightened and looked at me.
      “I’m pretty sure you know all the guys my age already.” I laughed.
     “Besides these Coloradians.” He noted. “I’ll be sure to get to know them too.”
     We talked about my day until the pizza was done.
     “I recall your mother flying into me.” He laughed when I told him about running James over.
     “Flying?” I questioned.
     He choked on what he was chewing. “No, no not actually flying into me, she just came out of nowhere.”
     The way he said it was a little over defensive I thought.