Dead Lines

24: Friend or Foe?

Unedited.

Chapter Twenty-Four

The second we stepped through the portal at the Schola, we were accosted with Caroline. If I had to be honest, I’d admit in this moment she was much more like Allie than I first realized. She stood up from her spot on the steps and bustled over to us, a hurricane about to make landfall.

“You missed homecoming!” she exclaimed.

Oh dear. “I’m sorry?” I really wasn’t. Mostly, I was relieved. Sorta. I actually liked the dress I had picked out and would now have to wait for another occasion to wear.

“This is bad!”

I shared a look with Andrzej who only shrugged. There wasn’t much to expect from him since he was a guy and I highly doubt he’d ever been to a homecoming. I don’t think he understood the importance of that particular school event. Made me start to wonder how he would handle the concept of prom.

Caroline was still staring at me, waiting for a response. I shook of the thoughts of Andrzej pondering over school dances and asked, “Why? Why is it bad?”

“Because you and Cyrus were named Homecoming Queen and King but because you didn’t show up, they had to give it to someone else. Everyone was disappointed!”

“Oh thank god.” I sighed with relief but because of the crazy look on Caroline’s face, I quickly composed myself and changed my response. “I mean, aw man. That sucks!”

“You’re horrible!”

Andrzej was doing his damnedest not to laugh next to me. He was having some serious trouble controlling his face and it looked like he was about to sneeze or maybe burst.

“Who’d they give it to instead?”

“Who do you think?” I was clueless and she read it on my face. With a huff, she answered, “Allie. You have no idea how awkward they were on the dance floor. Everyone could tell they really didn’t want to be near each other. Hate was clear in their eyes. That not what you want in a Homecoming Queen and King.”

“Allie and Cecil? You’re serious?”

“Yes! He wasn’t going to go to the dance at all because you weren’t back yet. But Jesse convinced him it was the right thing to do.”

“He went to a high school dance dateless?”

Oh dear. I was going to owe him big time and knowing Cecil, he was going to collect. Quietly, more than likely, but he was still going to get his due. After becoming Elite, he avoided social events, stating they weren’t his thing. The only one he’d attended, to my knowledge anyway, was the Senior Cocktail party at the beginning of the school year. And that horrible Elite party that we no longer talk about.

“Sadly. Caused a big stir too. He looked really great in a tux though.”

“He was in a tux?” Both of my eyebrows shot up. “Why in God’s name would he go in a tux?”

“Maybe because he was hoping you’d show up? Who knows but no one’s seen him since. Not even Jesse and we’re all starting to get worried. He hasn’t done this big of a disappearance act since before you became Elite.”

“What day is it?” It was Andrzej’s turn to but in and I didn’t mind. Hopefully he knew how to get information out of a semi-hysterical female better than I did.

“Saturday. Halloween.” Caroline was looking at him like he was stupid.

“What time is it in the real world?”