The Skylar Experiment : The "X" in Apex

Chapter Seven - The Mountain State

This is a classic length chapter so longer than the previous ones. Longer chapters will have warnings to help you plan your time. 

To my horror, Luc also had biology just after lunch period. In the lecture classroom, he was seated in the back, whispering to a boy with jaw-dropping biceps.

They both saw me come in after Jen and... ahh...Why did he still look at me?

We settled at the front. I was determined to forget that mocking little gleam in his eyes but it also made me want to retract my neck.

The teacher identified me straight off. He came to my desk, warning me that he'd split a team of three to accommodate me in the lab.

"Maybe someone told you already, but at the start of each lecture, I allow a ten-minute presentation for any student that wishes to talk about something biology-related," he explained. "It's not graded. It's entirely voluntary. Kids have taken the habit of presenting an animal they didn't realize was weirder than we think. You're welcome to pitch in anytime, Riley."

"Oh, that sounds actually fun," I told Jen after he walked back to his desk. I had ideas on what to present.

"Totally. There's never a period without a presentation, so you have to schedule yours with Mr. Santos ahead of time," she informed.

A student was already taking the front to plug his flash drive into the computer. He was of an athletic build, with thick black hair and gym clothes. I assumed they were clean since nothing smelled funky.

The room quieted down and all it took was Mr. Santos' raised arm.

The first slide on the projector was...

Some blurry creature in the night with creepy glowing eyes, titled Land of the Cryptids.

I sought the teacher's reaction, but he was also staring in disbelief and kids were laughing behind me. The boy at the front clapped.

"The Mountain State is one of the states with the most unexplained sightings! To welcome our new girl, I changed my presentation during lunch. I promise there will be an animal we all know at the end!"

He pointed at me, all showman-like.

"Oh God," Jen giggled. "How thoughtful of him. That's Colt, by the way."

The teacher tapped on his desk to control the noise. He turned to the boy. "This is not what we use presentations for. I don't want you kids to start making spectacles. Did you ask our new student for permission?"

Of course not, but I wanted to hear what Colt had prepared even though I couldn't tell if I was embarrassed or amused. His mouth hung open at Mr. Santos' remarks.

I raised my hand. "He did, sir. I said it was okay."

It took a second, and then Colt gave me the biggest toothy smile as he stood by the canvas. I imagined he might be uncomfortable with the man's comments, and I'd have wished him good luck, but he didn't seem to need it.

Mr. Santos cringed once more at the slide. "Don't make me regret this, Colt."

People started giggling again when the second slide showed the weirdest bipedal sheep with horns I've ever seen.

A sheep-squatch. Some massive creature I might encounter since we were in the southern region. Colt said I should run if I smelled sulfur in the area. I shook my head at him, but those antics were hard to resist.

One couple claimed to have encountered one on a highway in the dark. He included a picture of deep claw marks left on the passenger door.

I'll admit that was troubling.