What He Heard

Chapter 16

            “So,” Rune said, dropping sideways into the armchair in his family room. The whole house was filled with the scent of sugar and baking, only their vanilla stained hands smelling more strongly. “How bad are these student council elections going to be?”

            Willow snorted as she pulled her feet under herself, leaning against the arm of the couch she sat on. “About the same level as the Pep Rally. I don’t know what they’re like at PECI, but Mr. Marsden thought it only fair that everyone get a chance to participate, so we have elections twice a year. Which sounds fine until you realize half the positions end up running uncontested. And even then, the teachers still make them give speeches.”

            He grinned, the edges of his smile practically curling with mischief. “Thank you Santa Claus,” he said to the air. “Christmas has come early.”

            She shook her head. “Be careful. Mr. Marsden likes the elections, and we don’t want to give him a reason to shut us down. But, if their speeches are anything like last year’s, I have a feeling nothing we write that’s true won’t get us shut down.”

            “That’s the price we pay for journalistic integrity. It’s too bad all we have right now are the candidates’ names and a few of the posters that are put up. But I really don’t think we should delay the article until after the speeches. I suppose we could actually go interview the candidates. I bet Mr. Marsden would like that.”

            “Why do I get the feeling you’re going to ask really hard questions? Or dig up damaging information about them?”

            Rune chuckled. “Because you know me too well. Man, it sucks I haven’t been at the school long enough to have heard everything yet. At PECI, I knew all the dirt on our candidates.”

            That had Willow frowning. “Did…did the winds help with that?”

            He stared at her for a moment, then smiled. “Not really. Like I said, they mostly bring stuff that’s about me. They know my name and since Rune’s not exactly common…”

            “So they just bring you stuff? You can’t ask them to do it or anything?”

            Rune shrugged. “Pretty much. Then again, I’ve never really tried asking them to do anything. I spent so long not sure if I was going crazy or not, that I didn’t really want to do anything that’d make it worse or more real for me. I suppose I could try, but… I almost feel it’d be rude to ask them to do anything trivial for me. And they’re already bringing me stuff from the sasquatch hunters, without me having to ask,” he said, then grinned again. “I get the feeling they like you, which is why they’re helping with that.”

            Willow smiled back. “I’m glad. I really don’t want to know what they’d do if they didn’t like someone.”

            “Huh,” Rune said, going quiet as he thought about it. “I don’t actually know. And it’s not like anyone’s ever known about them before, besides me, which could make them react differently too. Now you’ve got me curious.”

            “Well, since I have no intention of pissing your guardians off, you’re just going to have to suffer with it.”

            He chuckled. “Where’s your scientific curiosity?”

            “It got beat up by my self-preservation.”

            That got a real laugh out of him. Willow grinned and continued “Have you thought about telling your mom about them at all?”

            Rune sobered in an instant. “No. She’s got enough on her plate with her job, and I know she already worries about me. If I tell her I’m basically a freak of nature, she’ll either think I’m crazy, or start worrying even more. I’m not doing that to her, not unless I have to.”

            “Have you thought about trying to get them to help you, like in a fight or something? If they’d been able to blow that grower back, we’d have both been a lot safer.”

            “It’s not a bad idea, but I feel it’s like you without the silver. It’s something I’m trying to hide, something that should only be a last resort kind of thing. People will notice winds coming out of nowhere and shoving them. Mind you, they do occasionally help me with stuff without me asking, but that’s mostly stupid stuff like sports.”

            “Well, if you’re looking for a bit more normal way to defend yourself, I did talk to my cousin Andre, and he said he’d be happy to give you some lesson, if you wanted to learn. It’d take a couple of years to get to the same kind of level I’m at, but he can definitely get some self-defence basics pounded into you. He does it to my younger cousins often enough.”

            Rune shook his head, smiling. “Why am I not surprised you’re trying to get me to do even more physical activity? Not only that, it’s stuff to keep me safe! Still, I wouldn’t mind knowing a bit. I’m certainly not going to be able to be a bruiser like you, but something’s better than nothing.”

            Willow grinned. “Oh, it’ll be more than just something. And if you need extra help, I’ll be happy to lend a hand. I could even probably get you through the basics myself.”

            “This is revenge for today, isn’t it? You were waiting to see how bad I’d be while we were baking our cell, and now you know, you’re getting back at me, aren’t you?”

            “I hadn’t thought of that, but now that you mention it, that’s a great idea!”

            “Doomed. I’m doomed,” Rune moaned, flinging his hand against his forehead and tilting his head back. “Oh woe is me.”

            The pillow Willow hurled at his head shut him up.