Curiosity Killed The Crow

Chapter 12

My jaw dropped.  Collin seemed just as surprised to see me.  “What are you doing here?” I asked, sounding ruder than I’d meant to.

“My grandmother is a consultant for Chacoan artifacts.  I’m waiting for her.  What are you doing here?”

I didn’t answer for a moment.  He seemed so different than the last time I’d seen him.  His nearly black eyes were serious but a grin stretched wide across his face.  Where was the angsty, brooding guy I’d left, the one who called me a witch? 

“Um, archeology program.  Remember?” I finally said, pointing to myself.

“Oh yeah.”  He glanced over my shoulder.  My eyes followed his and I saw Lilli-Mae gawking at the two of us.  I could understand why.  When he wasn’t scowling he wasn’t exactly horrible to look at.  Besides, the mere fact that I was talking to a strange boy was cause enough for her to stare. 

Colllin focused back on me and asked, “Find anything good?”

I relaxed at his continued friendliness and smiled.  “Actually, yes.  I found a nearly intact vase, though I’m not sure that’s the right word.  Did they have vases back then?”  I stood on my toes, searching for my find.  I spotted it on a table not too far from where Taylor was still flirting with Matt.  I pointed to it.  “It’s right over there.”

Collin blanched, leaving his reddish skin oddly washed out.  Grabbing my arm he glared at me.  “That’s not a vase, it’s an urn.”

He glanced over his shoulder and muttered, “I thought they’d all been found.”

“Excuse me?” I said tugging at his strong grip.

“You didn’t bring it with you and break it did you?  Did you?”  He shook me slightly as he repeated the question.

I scowled.  There was the guy I remembered.  He almost had me fooled.  I pushed his hand away, rubbing my arm to bring back the circulation.  “No, it was that way when I dug it up.  And that other one is still at the school.  What is with you?  You act like I personally have a hand in every chip or crack in something around here.”

I bit my tongue before I gave myself away.  After all, I was responsible for breaking one, but I wasn’t about to tell him that.  He opened his mouth to say something else but I didn’t give him the chance to yell at me any more. 

I turned my back on him and stalked away, running right into Matt.

“Are you alright?  You look upset,” he said.

I shrugged, unwilling to explain what had just happened.  Matt stared over my shoulder, his eyes tracking something.

“I heard that young man yelling about you breaking something.  Was he bothering you?”

Collin was nowhere in sight but from the look on Matt’s face I got the feeling that if he thought he needed to he’d hunt Collin down.  I shook my head.  That was the last thing I needed.  The lines around Matt’s eyes softened but stayed intense.  He touched the side of my face.

“If you’re sure.”

Chills shot through my body from his hand.  “I-I’m sure.  Thanks though.”

Matt pursed his lips and walked off.  I stumbled over to Lilli-Mae and threw myself onto the ground.

“What was that all about, may I ask?” she drawled.

“Nothing.”

She gave me her best ‘yeah right’ face.  “That hardly looked like nothing.  Now spill.”

“Fine.  The first guy was Collin.”

Lilli-Mae gasped.  “Your knight in shining armor?”  Her eyes grew appraising as she leaned around me searching for him.

“You didn’t mention how good looking he was,” she accused, like I’d been withholding vital information.

I shrugged.  “You had already assumed he was hot.  Besides, his personality more than cancels out any looks he’s got going for him.  Trust me on that one.”  I folded my arms across my chest. 

“And Matt?” Lilli-Mae prompted.

“He was just making sure I was okay.”  I didn’t feel like going into any details and I knew if I said anymore Lilli-Mae would be all over me.

“Uh huh,” she said but thankfully didn’t push the topic. 

I spotted Collin across the dig site, still eyeing the urn I’d dug up.  He seemed to debate his next move.  Matt stepped into view, blocking the urn, his back to Collin.  Collin’s face grew hard and he stormed off, presumably to find his grandmother, but I didn’t really care. 

Professor DeMille clapped his hands and we gathered around him.  Once again the feeling of repeating elementary school was overwhelming.  “Students, it seems we’ve had an important find by some of our own.”

I gazed around, wondering what had been found.

“Ava, found an almost complete pottery piece that dates back to the 1200’s and it appears that Miss Lilli-Mae found the missing piece.”  The professor gestured to us and I felt my face heat. 

Me?  Really?  I tried to smile but felt my lip catch on my too dry teeth.  Lilli-Mae jumped up and bobbed in a mock curtsey as everyone looked our way.   Professor DeMille clapped half-heartedly and there was a smattering of applause. 

 “We will continue at our stations for a couple more hours then head back to the school.  Please remember we are here as guests and to help.  Thank you.”  He gave a pointed look to several of the boys, who were scuffling in the back. 

They straightened up and smoothed their faces into angelic looks.  Professor DeMille rolled his eyes and headed to the main tent.  Lucky him; he got to be out of the sun while the rest of us slaved.

As we moved back to our sites, a couple of people patted me on the back and congratulated me. I hurried away, uncomfortable with the attention.  Lilli-Mae, on the other hand, ate it up.

“I knew it was something terribly important when I dug it up, you know?  Like I could feel the life in it,” Lilli-Mae paused, gathering her thoughts.  “Or the lives of those who had used it.”

Goosebumps rose on my arms, never mind that I was sweltering in hundred degree heat.  It felt too similar to how I’d felt when I picked up the piece in the museum.  I shook off that chain of thought and lowered myself back into the hole, wondering if I’d find anything else.

Matt didn’t rejoin me and I didn’t see him for the rest of the afternoon.  I did catch a glimpse of Collin but ignored him.  I wouldn’t have minded saying hi to Kay but I never got the chance.