Prep School

Chapter 38

We rush into Art, just as the bell rings. We hurry to our seats.
Mrs. Nayes smiles at us from the front of the room.
"Today, you're going to have a free day.
You can draw anything you want, with anything you want. Just go for it!"
Grinning, I pull out my sketchbook and sketch out Hollow, based on my sketch from before.
Gianna grabs some colored pencils for us, and gets to work drawing a cake.
I sketch out Hollow's body and face, making his eyes wide.
I draw out his wings and the feathers.
I grab some brown and a white colored pencil. I think for a bit and grab gold and yellow.
I shade in the feathers, making them light brown and color in his eyes, making them bright gold.
I lean back and admire my drawing.
"Wow. "
Gianna leans over and stares at the piece.
I look at her paper and see a drawing of a two layer cake, with some ingredients scrawled on the side.
"New recipe?"
"Yeah, I wanna make it in time for Lucy's birthday."
"Cool."
"Yeah...." She looks back to her picture and works on it.
I focus back onto my picture.
After I'm done shading in Hollow's face, Mrs. Nayes announces," Gallery walk!"
We push in our chairs and we walk, talking and looking at everyone's art.
"Wow," about a dozen people say as they pass me.
"Thanks," I beam.
As we sit down, the bell rings. We pack up our stuff and hurry outside.
Gianna leaves to meet Cace and I hurry to my locker to grab my stuff.
I quickly pack up my stuff and pull on my windbreaker.
I hurry outside and pull out my phone to text Zane.
Where are u?
Turn around
I spin around and see Zane grinning.
"Let's go," he says, leading me to his car.
We hop in, and I put on the radio.
An old slow song comes on.
I blush and quickly switch it off.
"What was that?"
"No idea. My dad borrowed the car the other day."
"Ah."
I lean back, inhaling the clove-y scent.
I take a deep breath and relax against the seat.
"So....."
"So?"
"Did you bounce the idea off your dad?"
Zane sighs, blowing his hair.
"I did."
"And?"
"And he said that a child should not be meddling with adult affairs."
"Well you're hardly a child!"
"Not in his eyes. As far as he's concerned, I'm still a five- year old who can barely tie my shoes."
"Well.... If it makes you feel better, I told your idea to Thatcher. He said it was a good suggestion and he would try to spread it around, y'know to try it out."
"Really? He said it was a good idea?"
His face is so earnest, his voice quiet, I realize what it means to have someone approve of him. Approve of him like a father would.
A shock of anger goes through my body thinking about it.
"Of course it was a good idea. A toddler could've told you that."
I squeeze his arm reassuringly.
He smiles at me and his arms relax.
"So.... Anyway, how was school?"
"How was school?" I repeat, ridiculously.
"Yeah. How was school?"
"It was good, I guess, good as school can get anyway."
Zane laughs then turns somber.
"Lilo's not bothering you?"
"Nah, she's a little scared dog now."
"Well, she did get quite a beating. You gotta give her credit for still being alive."
Zane grins at me sideways.
I smile back, but my stomach squirms.
I look outside through the window and see the facility.
Zane parks and we walk up the stairs.
"I saw your drawing during Art. You really should enter it into a contest or something. I can help you. You'd totally win."
"You think so?"
He leans in close, looking me in the eye.
He taps me on the nose. "I know so."
I wrinkle my nose. "What was that?"
"Me trying to be a sweet and caring boyfriend."
I raise my eyebrows. "So you're my boyfriend now?"
He leans in closer, his hair brushing my forehead.
He loops his arm around my waist, dipping me down. His face is right above mine.
"Well, I did kiss you. I could kiss you again if you want."
I roll my eyes and he grins. He lifts me back up and we walk through the doors.
I walk to the training room and change.
Elliyot is already wearing her shroud and she's polishing her scythe.
I walk out, holding my own.
"Ready."
"Hold up a sec," Elliyot says, pushing herself off the chair she was sitting in.
"I need to train you to deal with rouges."
"What?"
"You heard me. With this traitor around, it's important for you guys to know how to fight them."
"Don't you fight them the same way you fight other people?"
"No. Rouges fight dirtier. They won't hesitate to take your soul from any part of your body. You know the three parts you're supposed to take it from?"
"Nape of the neck, sternum, and throat."
"Good. When you're fighting a rouge, aim for their sternum. They'll be fighting crazy. If you can't get any of those spots, just take it from anywhere. We're not worried about being polite."
"Got it."
"Then let's get started."
I take a stance, but before I can get positioned properly, Elliyot charges.
She swings at my stomach, grazing it and making me twist out of reach.
Fight dirty.
I spin and bring my scythe down onto her back.
She sucks out of the way then rolls. She jumps back up and swings at my head.
I flip my shroud's hood up and flip over.
I swing at her ribs, but she blocks it, pushing back against me.
She pushes me off and twists her scythe so it's handle is pinning mine.
I move out the way as she swings and summon my scythe to my hand.
I swing around, pinning her shroud to the wall.
She twists and vanishes from view.
What the hell?
The air shimmers next to me and I twist out of the way, just as Elliyot appears, swinging at my neck.
I bring up my scythe, sending sparks into the air.
I push back. "How'd you do that," I ask through gritted teeth.
"I'm about to show you."
She brings her scythe down, breathing hard.
I bring mine down too. Then I whip it back up, pinning it to her chest.
She looks down and smiles. "Quick learner."
She walks back and sits on the bench.
"Time to teach you how to teleport."
I sit down in front of her, crossing my legs.
"I thought we could only teleport to a cemetery or something."
"If you try hard enough, you can teleport anywhere."
"For real?"
"You just gotta concentrate. It's like summoning your scythe. But your body. You'll feel a tug in your stomach if you do it right."
"Ok."
I close my eyes and breathe.
I focus on the blood pumping through my body, the pressure. I focus on the pressure of the air churning through my lungs. I focus on my nerves, pulsing with electronic messages to my brain.
I feel something in my stomach.
I open my eyes excitedly.
"Awww, I thought it worked."
"It takes a couple tries to get it. Practice at home."
Elliyot looks at her watch. "Time for you to go upstairs."
"Ok."
I grab my stuff and head upstairs.
I pause at a step and close my eyes. I focus on the top of the stairs and imagine myself standing there. Something jumps in my stomach.
I open my eyes and sigh. Still in the same spot.
Damn it.