“Sorry, Alissa.” I said and upon looking up, I took in both necklaces and nodded to her. “I think the grey would look very nice with your dress.” I said nodding, though all I wanted to do was go back to my room and sleep, even though I knew my dreams would be haunted by those red eyes.
Putting the blue necklace back, she took it from the glob of stuff surrounding the cart and looked to me.
“Has Keten not talked with you yet?” Alissa asked looking to me.
Biting my lip, I looked over the carts contents though they seemed sparse, it didn’t matter, I was not really looking.
“I talked with Jean earlier today and she said he had told her we had been studying for the past week together.” I bit my lips and touched my bracelet as I held the glow of my crystal to a dim heat hidden under my shirt.
Alissa snapped her fingers and I looked up to her.
“Do you think he is preparing something really special for the formal and that he might worry that if he was with you he would spill the secret?” She asked.
I considered and shrugged.
“Maybe. But why would he tell Jean, his own cousin, what she told me?” I asked.
Alissa was about to shrug when she smiled. “What if she is in on it too and he told her to give a cover story.” She said, though even I felt she was reaching as we started away from the cart. “Keten is such a consistent and nice guy I really don’t believe he is avoiding you to be mean, it’s not like him.” Alissa said sincerely as she put a hand to her chin thinking as we walked.
I nodded.
“You’re right, he’s probably just planning something amazing.” I agreed.
For the rest of the day, I wanted to believe it as I sat in my bed looking at the picture of Keten from my bulletin board. I just wanted to see his face again. Once I went to put it back, the picture of my father made me slow. I had neither at present. I felt I needed one or the other to save my mind. Though Alissa and Zac were true friends, they did not know my secrets and even though Keten didn’t, he acted as if he did not need to know but simply enjoyed me and I felt calm with him.
For the rest of that long night, thoughts of why I was left suddenly resurfaced as I thought of my father. I had desperately wanted to leave when I arrived and suddenly felt stupid as I was hinging my happiness at the current moment on a friendship I thought might be something more.
“Go to bed, Equila, the world will feel like gravity is around again and you will see the world is no longer skewed by mornings rest.” My father always said when I brooded over things far longer than was good for me.
With a reluctant sigh, I turned in my cocoon of a bed and again fell into a sleep with red eyes blinking back at me, as if torment enough. By morning, all I knew was that I had felt watched and that was enough for me not to linger on what had haunted my slumber.
The rest of the day I went to my classes and felt slightly out of body. I sat in the classes, I listened as if with deaf ears and I moved and talked. Beneath it all, as my math class had ended, I felt like only when the teacher dismissed us for the day that my mind caught hold of thought and human sanity.
Looking around, I realized my mind was so lost in thought that I hardly remembered half my day. Leaving class, I honestly questioned what Alissa had been talking about at lunch, was it something about the formal or hair?
My fingers felt raw as I noticed my hand feverishly rubbed my Skyjump bracelet, I stopped in the filled hallway. I wanted nothing more than to feel safe and okay again, yet in the moment, I felt as if on a sea that threw me back and forth and I had yet to hold my ground.
Looking around, I knew I had to wake up. I could day dream easily after living on the move and spending hours in a truck with nothing more than books, a camera and my imagination to ebb away at the dauntless hours.
My eyes caught on people as I looked around the hall. A few faces nodded as they passed by and I nodded back. It was more common now after beating Delphine but as my eyes looked down the hall I realized I had stopped before the hall that lead to the atrium and market as I felt my skin become ice and my lips drew down.
Down the hall, only maybe a yell away through the passing influx of students was Keten. Yet, the reason a frown knotted onto my lips was because of the person standing and talking leisurely with him. Lucy leaned close to him and moved her lips and even once Keten flared a side smile that before would have made me smile, while currently it made my shoulders fall and my full attention was to him.
I considered once, no maybe twice, if it was really him. His body was there taking with Lucy, not like he was forcing a conversation, but as if they were sharing a secret as again, Lucy said something and both of them snickered and smiled.
Maybe it sounds stupid, but in that moment, I felt deeply and heavily betrayed. The kind of which made me question the one boy in the whole school I thought was kind and true to who he was.
With the words in my mind and all life now taken out of me, I watched for only one moment more before Keten glanced my way. He did a double take and when his eyes were looking to mine I saw how he was caught as his eyes widened and Lucy turned and froze.
I felt ample words for what I had witnessed to know my kiss on the cheek had meant nothing to that stupid boy who pretended he cared about me!
He started forward as I swam through the mass of people. My feet started at a walk and soon broke into a run as I was through the girl’s wing door before he could catch up to me.
My mind was made before I reached my room. What solace could I turn to now? Without even a second thought, I took my guitar from its case and left for the atrium. All my tears could wait until I found a spot to sit and strum a melody.
Chapter 26
“Well now look who showed up to the party.”
The moment I burst out of the door to the girl’s wing, Keten came to my side.
“Hey, Equila.” He said, stumbling to keep up.
I did not slow my gate. I did not care the looks we got as I held my attention firmly forward and would not look to him. A hand grabbed my wrist before I could think or pull free and the grip was slightly harsh.
“Wait.” Keten pleaded and with a glare I turned to him, guitar in hand and yanked at my wrist.
“Let me go.” I said simply, but my tone was much harder than I would have ever spoken to him with before now.
A look of worry crossed Keten’s face before he looked to me with a concerned tenseness to his brow.
“Please, wait! Can I explain?” He asked, exasperated by the tug-of-war we now held.
Stiffly, I turned completely to him and in the middle of the hall, we stood as if fencing competitors readying our swords.
His face searched mine. “I was telling Lucy to back off from following you around.” He said, yet my mind did not buy his words that before I would have easily accepted.
“Keten, you were laughing and standing so close you could have smelled her breath.” I accused and my nose crinkled at him as my brow lowered into a hard line.
He was taken by my words as he looked around, suddenly I knew I had caught him and the worst part was knowing I had.
I trusted Keten deeply and now... I had no idea if trust even existed between us.
Lowering his head slightly from looking at the few onlookers we had gained, he held my wrist but loosened his grip.
“Could we talk somewhere else?” He asked honestly.
I wanted to say no, yet a, “Fine.” Escaped my lips like a snarl.
Questioning my own sanity as he led me to the closest open room which was Mr. Sheplar’s class, we stepped inside far enough from the door that no one could easily snoop, giving us some privacy from the main hall.
Lowering my guitar so it rested easily on the ground, I glared at Keten as he glanced behind himself.
“You treated me like you care even when I told you about the threats Lucy said to me and now you’re her best pal?” I scowled at him as he turned to me. “I thought I knew you, I thought...” My eyes
lowered from him as anger overpowered, my tears.
“Equila, I…” He hesitated and lowered his face looking guilty and sorry, though he said my name without the usual influx as if dry of emotion.
“What, Keten?” I asked harshly as I glared at him and readied to leave.
He let out a deep sigh.
“I told Jean this was a bad idea.” He said and immediately I looked up.
“What?” I asked, feeling at once very lost.
Looking up to me he walked closer and nodded.
“I’m sorry, Quil. Jean asked me to help watch Lucy because she was plotting something and that’s why I’ve been away. I wanted to make sure you were going to be safe at the formal. Not worrying about having something bad happening to you.” He said, looking to me with a tilt of his head and a soft smile.
I nearly stepped back.
“You mean you’ve been following her around and keeping tabs on her, for... for me?” I asked, knowing full well the answer as my temper was doused and now felt as thick as watered ashes.
He nodded and looked regretful though his eyes seemed still heavy as if from not enough sleep.
“I just wanted to make sure our night out together was perfect.” He said shrugging.
I worked my lips and voice, yet while my lips moved, no voice came from them. Finally, I moved my hands to his arms and he looked up into my face with an expression I couldn’t quite read.
“I’m sorry, too.” I said pursing my lips. “I should have known you were watching out for me.” I breathed and the stupidest thing is I felt like crying.
Before I knew it, a tear fell down my cheek and without a word Keten embraced me. It felt slightly rougher than I expected but his words softened my mind.
“It’s okay.” He said gently and pulling back, he looked to me. “Hey, don’t cry, we’re going to go to the formal and have a great night, right?” He asked and I smiled brightly, wiping my tears as we started out of the class room.
“You’re right.” I said and with a laugh as we walked out, I felt an anchor back in my life.
For the next few days, Keten showed up at lunch. Though only staying for a few minutes, it was better than the past week and a half without him and my mind had been concluding things that turned out to be stupid misunderstandings.
The night of the formal had finally arrived or shall we say the afternoon of the big bash. Alissa was like some crazed Mage trying to get me to wear silver lipstick and finally I resorted to letting her do my hair back and curl it. When she was finished, I had to admit, with eye shadow that hinted at green and my hair back in a dropping cascade of curls, I thought I looked pretty, not really that it was my style, but I hoped Keten would like it.
When she was finished, Alissa ran back to her room. With her makeup already done, which was bold with her lips a coarse sliver and her outfit modern as she wore her hair in a bun, I changed into my green gown and simple black slipper shoes.
I still glanced at the plain dark grey dress I owned, I still preferred it over the gaudiness of the dress I wore.
“Well, we look as freaking good as we can get.” Alissa announced and with a laugh we both took a moment away from our thoughts and I considered that for tonight, that dress was too plain.
When I looked up at the clock after our laugh, my eyes widened.
“Alissa, were going to be late!” I announced and with a whirlwind we rushed from my room, Alissa nearly toppled to the floor from picking too high of heels.
We joined the last running late group of girls as we all exited the girls wing. I had not been so excited in my life to just enjoy the night with Keten now that everything surrounding his mysterious disappearing was now gone.
Coming out of the hall, the floors seemed especially luminescent this evening I found a very formal looking Keten straighten up the moment he saw me as a smile crossed his lips, showing that dimple of his.
Smiling as I approached him, I bid Alissa farewell until we would all meet in the atrium again.
“You look great!” Keten breathed as I came to him.
“Well, thank you. I believe you’ve cleaned up well, too.” I smiled to him as I took his arm, though for a moment he felt stiff.
He chuckled and nodded to me.
“I worked really hard.” He said with a grin and though I laughed, his words felt slightly jerky compared to his normal humor.
Wishing away my thoughts, I told myself I intend on having a good night and not jumping to conclusions again. As we walked, I internally thought about how much I now acted like my father.
Ahead of us, just turning to go to the atrium, Trish waved as we both waved back. She walked with a guy who was tan and easily a year older than her, not Zac. I knew I would have to ask him what happened the moment we saw each other.
“Are you excited to dance around?” Keten asked, looking ahead of us as we walked down the jumping and lively hall of students that were dressed extremely formal in suits and dresses.
Shrugging, I laughed, though it almost sounded like a whimper.
“I don’t know how to dance, so maybe a pass on that.” I said with a tentative look his way. We were almost through the crowds to turn down the hall to the atrium.
“All girls like to dance,” Keten said and I shifted slightly before he smiled. “When we go out you’ll do fine!” He said cheerily and before I could speak again we turned down the hall to the atrium.
My eyes were averted from my date and to the star like lights that shown through the atriums shifting walls that now seemed to cascade like waterfalls around openings to make for easy doors into the formal.
Hanging ajar, my mouth did not speak again as we reached the entrance and passed under the cascading wall that was open and into a clear atrium that had no mist at all. Lights were strung from trees and made a canopy that twinkled, as if closer than the stars on the roof in the girl’s wing could pretend to be.
The sound of a rhythmic beat danced around through the open expanse of grass that now looked like the largest atrium in the world, rather than a misty bog as students rushed to the center of all the noise.
“Isn’t this place amazing?” I said, nodding to Keten who I had wished all this time to be in the atrium with again.
He gazed around but he did not really seem impressed by it.
“You don’t get out much, do you?” He asked.
A nagging in my stomach made me almost move from his arm when he smiled, “Kidding.” He said with a laugh and I shook my head at him and knocked his shoulder.
Before we could speak, the loud pounding and rhythmic electronic beat of music bounced around us. We passed through some trees and the true bash now presented itself. No stereo was set out, but blobs floated in the air and I assumed were the music’s origin. To my right, tables had been set up all around with refreshments. The truly amazing thing to me as I gazed and walked was that the forest floor, where the students were dancing, was grass that lit up and changed colors.
Engrossed in the scene, I was nearly scared to death when a figure rushed up before us.
“Quil!” Alissa cried and I let out a breath I had not known I had been holding.
“Isn’t this the best?” She asked, nodding as her date stood by her side with a soft grin on his face though his eyes kept wandering around.
I nodded and with a smile Alissa suddenly presented her date.
“This is Dean.” She said and he curtly nodded to us both.
Before Keten could speak a word, Alissa motioned to the dance floor, “Come on, let’s dance!” She said and her date nodded as they went, though even he seemed to be in less of a hurry than Alissa was.
“Should we follow?” Keten asked, looking to me.
I shrugged and felt suddenly reserved at seeing so many people. I had never been the kind of girl who wanted to go to parties. I still wasn’t, it was Keten that made it worth it.
“Come on.” Keten said with a wane grin.
Taking my hand slightly harsher than ex
pected, we started off and were standing on the changing flora in seconds.
Looking around, I felt befuddled as my instinct in such a situation was to run. I knew nothing of dancing and I doubted this moment would be my learning curve as I looked around.
“Just do what everyone else is doing.” Keten admonished and started dancing quite well.
For a full song, I tried to dance with everyone else, but I felt like a guitar that strummed one chord out of sync from both my nervousness and the fact that I did not completely feel comfortable.
“Could we, ah… go get some drinks?” I asked and Keten glanced around.
“Sure. You can, come back when you’re done.” He said with a smile and simply moved away from where I stood on the edge of the field.
Was it me or did my hope for this night seem to slip before me as easily as Keten seemed set on dancing rather than staying with his date.
Quil, you will enjoy yourself, remember!
I tried to brush off the feeling catching in my stomach. Walking back to the refreshments, I suddenly caught sight of Alissa and Zac both without their dates. I decided they would always make me feel better even if Keten was seeming slightly flaky.
The moment I got close enough to hear their voices I knew they were bickering about something.
“No, they won’t.” Zac said as Alissa fumed.
“Hey, guys.” I said and both looked to me in surprise.
“Hey, Quil.” They both smiled and nodded as we formed a small circle.
“So, what were you two fighting about now?” I questioned, feeling better that I might have been the one bringing up the mood.
Zac looked away as Alissa looked to him.
“We were talking about something stupid, just how Alissa’s date is a jerk, walking around and talking with other girls behind her back.” Zac stated.
Alissa glared at him before I could conclude what was going on properly,
“You just don’t like him.” Alissa fumed, “It’s like you’re my older brother or something.” She stated and folded her arms promptly.
Sky Jump Page 34
