Cold Tomorrow

[35]

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

I'm at school again, playing home-schooled Maya despite the fact that Keon's deadline is looming over me, only two days out. Exams are next week and the entire cohort is in a frenzy of last minute note-exchanging and studying. Conversations take one of two paths: either a vocalisation of despair and anxiety, or a recap of the course content. At recess I'm caught in the middle of an open quizzing session, in which one of Roma's friends questions us about our knowledge of ancient history. I keep my mouth shut and sink into the background. History is the last thing on my mind.

More pressing is my weak knowledge of curse breaking. It's not like I can just call up Keon and ask for advice. And the council is out of the question. I need an information source that doesn't require a human mediator, and I know for a fact I won't be getting anything useful out of google.

Next to me, Roma pulls up her history textbook. Her friend – a long-haired brunette by the name of Vanessa – cries, "Don't be a cheat, Roma!"

Roma smirks but doesn't close the book. "I'm fact-checking," she says.

"You doubt me?"

"Absolutely."

I'm looking down at her open book when it occurs to me. Books! Of course.

"I'll be back," I tell Roma, before departing the group. Once I'm around the corner, I pull out my phone. Harrison answers on the third ring.

"Melissa," he says. It's not much of a warm greeting, but then we didn't exactly part on good terms. The last time I saw him, he was wounded by a shard of metal thrown by his sister.

"How are you doing?"

"Can't you guess?"

"Right, of course. Listen, I need to ask something of you." There's silence on the other end of the line. I add, "Nothing big. Just a favour."

He's quiet for the longest time, and I start to wonder if he's put down the phone and walked off, leaving me to wait for an answer that will never come. I can't say I don't deserve it after the mess I dragged him into.

At last, he says, "Go on."

"You can drive, right?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Perfect. I need a lift."

-:-:-:-:-

At the end of the school day, I shoot Katherine a text informing her that I've decided to stay back to study. If I cared at all about my education, it would be the truth – especially since I have my first exam Monday next week. But with everything else going on, there's no room in my mind for math formulas and historic dates.

Harrison turns up half an hour later driving an old Honda Civic. I hop into the passenger seat and close the door behind me.

From the outside you wouldn't be able to guess what he's been through. Everything about him is impressively normal, despite the new knowledge that's no doubt rattling his world. In one afternoon I threw into question everything he thought he knew. In a second his sister was taken away from him all over again. The only thing that betrays even a hint of all this are his eyes – and they just look tired.

He sighs. "So where to?"

I direct him through the suburbs, past my previous school and into old territory. Being in this part of town is like time-travelling, with Harrison's Honda as the time machine. Everything looks the same as I remember it and I shift in my seat, unnerved.