Normality, Thy Name is Lynette

Chapter Thirty-Three

Keegan and I walked back to the checkpoint, abandoning our twenty questions game. We heard Slade and Cassidy’s voice laughing and saying ‘can’t catch me’ from the woods as we walked back. Ace was in the doorway, fidgeting in his pocket, obviously agitated.

          “Where have you two been!?” he asked ferociously.

          “We were just out in the woods, enjoying some time alone.” I answered.

          Ace raised his eyebrows, “That’s all?”

          “Yes.” Keegan said flatly, “That’s all.”

          “Good, I don’t like any of this hanky-panky going on with some of us.”

          At this we heard Rain’s voice start laughing from the back, “Did you just say hanky-panky?” he laughed. Keegan and I started laughing under our breath too.

          “Hehe, yeah look at the virgin Ace. Are you going to give birth to the second coming of Christ soon? I don’t want to have to deal with a pregnant Ace.” Huey said jokingly, coming up behind Ace and slapping him on the shoulder. Ace couldn’t help but smile.

          Twilight came and we sat in the little living room munching on some of the food packed by Rita. Melanie looked around the room and then piped up.

          “Where’s Jamie?”

          No one had noticed till then that the little, skinny, blonde sophomore was missing. Not surprising. Enide stood up and crossed over to Thom who had half of his face in his hand.

          “Where’s Jamie?” Enide asked.

          Thom chewed on his lip a little and looked down.

          “Thom, where’s Jamie?” Piper asked from the corner, more urgently.

          Thom sighed and put his hand down, revealing a jagged cut that went from his cheekbone and down, narrowly missing the corner of his mouth, to his chin. It was a shallow cut, but still noticeable. Darian’s eyes widened and our breathing got tense.

          “Her and I got into a fight and she wouldn’t come back with me…”

          “So you just left her out there?!!” Enide screamed. Thom looked down in response.

          “Did she cut you like that?” Slade asked, his face twisted in disturbia.

          “Sort of.” Thom answered quietly. We didn’t question further. “But,” he continued, “she is hysterical. She doesn’t want any of the cloister to see her…like this.” At this Thom paused and made a face of something that resembled self-loathing, and then continued, “So it is down to Slade, Lynette, and Melanie to go get her.”

          “Umm…crying girls and Slade don’t mix well.” Slade said, throwing his hands up and backing into the corner.

          I looked to Melanie. “I’ll go, but I won’t go by myself.” I volunteered. Melanie nodded and linked arms with me.

          “Don’t worry Sister, I got your back.” She said with a small smile. Ace nodded in agreement and we went out, taking some food for Jamie.

          It was dark, and cold, and it made me hate Scandinavia; stupid Vikings. We didn’t speak on account of our nonstop teeth chattering, but we heard some soft sobbing to the left and went towards it. We approached and sure enough, we saw Jamie sitting under a tree with her face in her hands and her knees drawn up. She looked up at us when we approached. I half expected her to run away, but much to my surprise she jumped up, ran over and latched onto me around the waist, burying her face in my shoulder. I put my arm around her and tried to calm her down. Her bony hands were frigid and even in the dim light I could tell that they were blue. Melanie looked at her with mixed sympathy and confusion then pulled out the food and tapped her on the shoulder.