Stella Academy: The Secret Society

Chapter 14

“Who was that?” Katelyn asks eagerly when I find them in the cafeteria. Mom and Dean are not paying attention to us, they’re looking at the huge buffet that stretches from one end of the room to the other. “Is he your new boyfriend?” she continues, her eyes sparkling with excitement. I throw an arm around her shoulders and laugh silently. I’d talked to her on the phone a lot after Fred and I broke up, so she knew all about it. She knew I had cheated on him, but I hadn’t told her with whom.

“No. He’s just a friend.” I whisper in her ear, but I can’t hide the smile that’s creeping onto my face at the thought of him being my boyfriend.

“But you kissed him!” Katelyn squeals. I immediately put my hand in front of her mouth.

“Shush K! Not so loud!” I hiss, “You saw that?” She nods. I groan as I remove my hand from her face again. “It’s not what you think.” Katelyn doesn’t speak, she just looks at me expectantly, wanting me to continue. I sigh before speaking again, “He just told me that both of his parents are dead, so he’s all alone today. I kissed him to make him feel better.” I’m not sure if my eleven-year-old sister understands it. It’s all one big lie anyway. I kissed his cheek out of pity, but the kiss we shared shortly after was not to make him feel better. I didn’t even start it. He did. To shut me up.

I can feel my cheeks heating up, and I pretend to cough so I can hide my face from my little sister.

“Huh, okay. Mom! I’m hungry, when are we eating?” I sigh from relief when she just leaves the whole Phoenix thing be.

We quickly find a table where we can sit. I purposely choose a table far from Fred’s family and close to Avalon and Katrina’s family, I need Katrina close by because it stings my heart a little bit to see Fred introducing his parents to Faye and her mothers. Phoenix is nowhere to be seen, and neither is Sky. I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding, I was relieved that I didn’t have to deal with her and her freaky father. He had really creeped me out.

We spend quite a long time in the cafeteria eating. My mom and Dean are dead-set on tasting every single item on the buffet. But eventually they’re full and we leave. We begin the tour of campus. A bunch of families are together on the tour and one to the Taurus seniors is the guide. He says a bunch of things about each building we pass, but I couldn’t be less interested. The only interesting thing is when we stop by the Taurus house, I’m incredibly interested in hearing how it’s introduced to our families.

“This is the house where Stella Academy’s scholarships students live in from their sophomore year.” I want to add that there’s one freshman student who lives in there as well, but that would just require a lot (too much) of explaining. The guy keeps speaking, but I get distracted when somebody wraps their arms around my waist from behind.

“You’re our special case.” A shudder goes through my body when Phoenix whispers right in my ear. He kisses my neck before letting me go.

“Hello Mr and Mrs Dawn.” He says, and I turn around to see him shaking Dean’s hand, “I’m Phoenix.” I am in shock. I have never seen him be so polite to anyone who’s not Taurus.

“Actually it’s not Dawn,” my mom says, “It’s Hanson, but you can call me Sherri.”

Phoenix shakes her hand before turning to my sister, “You must be Katelyn?” Katie nods and shakes his hand too.

“How did you get that scar?” she asks unfazed by how intimidating he looks with it.

“Katie!” I exclaim, horrified that she would actually ask that. I know how he got it, but I also know that he can’t tell her the real reason.

“I was in a car accident a long time ago.” He says without hesitation. That shuts my sister up. She probably thinks that the accident is why his parents died. I would think that too if I didn’t know the real story of the scar. “But it’s fine. I’m here right?” Phoenix says, trying to lighten the mood. He winks at me and I feel the heat rising in my face.

“So how do you two know each other?” My mom asks with a curious smile. I feel my eyes widen as I look at Phoenix. I can’t lie, I’m a horrible liar. It’s all up to him to come up with a story.

He casually throws an arm around me pulling me close to his body in a half hug, and I have to concentrate on keeping a cool surface when really all I want to do is melt in his arms. The way he smells is enough to make my legs fell like jell-o.

“Oh, I like your daughter a lot. I keep asking her out, but for some reason she keeps rejecting me!” he laughs and I have to hit him.

“That is not true!” I exclaim. My mom and Dean just smile happily at me, whether they believe that story or not, I just think they’re happy to see me happy.

The group is moving on to the next house, so we follow. Phoenix and I walk behind my family. He takes my hand, lacing his fingers through mine.

“What are you doing?” I whisper.

“Trying to figure out your family.” He whispers back, as he kisses the top of my head.

“Seriously?”

“Yes, today is our only chance at finding out how it’s possible that you’re a shifter. You need to ask your mom who your dad is.”

“I have asked her. But she just doesn’t want to talk about it.”

“Ask again. It’s really important!” Phoenix urges. I groan but agree. 

Phoenix stays with us for the remainder of the tour, mostly talking to my mother, trying to coax some answers out of her by asking cryptic questions. After the tour he leaves, and then it’s my turn to be questioned by my family about him.

When it’s time for them to leave I have a hard time not crying. I love them all so much and I don’t know when I’ll be able to see them again. I begin hugging them goodbye, starting with Katie, then Dean but when I reach my mother she’s standing completely still, staring at someone across the parking lot. I turn and see Sky’s father staring back.

“Mom?” I ask quietly. 

Without looking away from him she speaks with a shaking voice, “Do you remember how you wanted to know who your father was when you were younger?”

“What?!” I shout loudly.

“I never thought you’d meet him.” I look back and forth between my mom and, ugh, not only Sky’s dad but apparently mine too. Can it be true? I guess, it would explain where my shifter gene came from, but I really don’t want it to be from him, because it means that I’m related to Sky: the most horrible person in the world.

“I guess I have some explaining to do.” Mom shrugs, “Not tonight though. We’re staying overnight at a Hotel in Nashville. I can come back tomorrow and we can talk?”

“Sure.” I say, still in shock of the revelation. At the moment I just want to get my family out of here so I can lock myself in my room and panic about being related to Sky. Does she even know? I glance at her, and see the same kind of shock that I’m sure is on my face, covering on her face as well. It looks like her dad just told her the big news.

About ten minutes later my family have left the school grounds as well as almost everybody else’s. I immediately run to Taurus.

Phoenix opens his door after only one knock. “I know who my dad is!” I say breathlessly.

“It’s my dad.” Sky says from behind me sounding just as out of breath as I am. Phoenix looks between us in wonder, before letting us into his room.