First Kiss

by C. L. Stone

  His eyes sparked with amusement. “You’re going to walk away after they spent all those favors and money?”

  I was still now, looking at him, unsure. “It might cost so much more if I...”

  “It’s always a lot of favors when you take in a new recruit. If you walk away, though, it will all have been for nothing.” He leaned in closer, and his voice lowered. “They’ve gotten you this far, haven’t they?”

  I nodded again.

  “Well? If they’ve done this for you, then they must care a lot about you. Besides, you’ll get favors when you join, right?”

  “Right...”

  “Think, dummy?” he said, reaching to poke me in the forehead with a long finger. “Wouldn’t you spend the money and favors on them?”

  I nodded, seeing his point.

  He beamed and retracted his hand. “Same thing. You’d do it for them. Let them do it for you. Besides, if you’re a girl, you’ve got a bargaining chip.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Girls are worth more,” he said. “You can negotiate jobs pretty quickly, even before you’re official.” He blew a breath upward toward his hair that was falling in his eyes again. He brushed the strands further back with his hand and nodded toward the cabin. “I was hoping she’d go through with something like that, but I can’t even get her to take camp seriously. They won’t give her a job if they can’t trust her. You might have a chance, though.”

  I considered what he’d said. “What can I say?” I said. “How do I ask for a job?”

  “You just say you’re willing to do anything at all to ensure the cost of putting you on your team is covered by you alone, and not your team. Or something like that. My buddy Raven had to do that before they let him in. We were too low on cash to bring him over.” Marc put a palm over his heart. “God, he was easy street compared to trying to get Kayli in.”

  “Maybe she doesn’t want in,” I said. “You’re not pushing her, are you?”

  He sat back now, shrugging. “I don’t know. She says she wants in, but I don’t think she’s the team player type.”

  I looked at the cabin. It seemed so quiet—I couldn’t imagine what was going on in there. “You’ll go in to vouch for her? Is that normal?”

  “Yeah,” he said. “Family lead does that. They’re supposed to go in after the council’s had a chance to talk to them.”

  I gulped. It was why Kota had come for me. He knew he’d have to be here.

  I sunk in my seat, sure that Kota wouldn’t be able to say the words now. Not after what he saw. He probably didn’t think I was Academy material now.

  “Hey,” Marc said. He reached back and pulled out his phone. “Can you...would you mind giving me your phone number?”

  I blinked at him. “Why?”

  He laughed lightly. “Not for what you’re thinking. I just want to see how you’re doing down the road. Maybe compare notes? Seems like we’re in the same situation.”

  I wanted to tell him about Lily, although she might not want to be contacted. Maybe I could find a way to ask her if it was okay to give him her contact information so he could talk to her about her team. “If you’d like.”

  He nodded. “Sure.” He paused and put his phone down in his lap. “Oh wait, maybe I should ask your doc. I don’t want him thinking I’m flirting with his girlfriend.”

  I winced. In a few minutes, it might not even matter, in which case I wouldn’t have any insight for him, except not to kiss Kayli unless he’s sure his other team members were on board.

  Still, I told him my number. “You can still ask him, if you want. I don’t have my phone on me right now, so I can’t take your number.”

  “It’s okay,” he said and typed out a message. “I’m just going to send you a quick message so you know it’s me.”

  That sounded reasonable.

  He finished his message and sent it, but before I had a chance to say anything, the door to the cabin burst open, slamming against the side of the cabin with a bang.

  Out walked Kayli, clenched fists at her thighs, stomping down the steps, glaring around until her narrowed eyes settled on Marc.

  Marc whistled low. “This isn’t good.”

  “Good luck,” I said.

  “I’ll need it.” He stood up and walked toward Kayli. He said a few things, pointed my way as I hunched down in my chair. Kayli glared at me and said something to him. He said something back, patted her on the shoulder, and headed toward the steps.

  Kayli headed in my direction.

  I tried not to cower. She was in properly-fitted jeans, a white T-shirt, black leather jacket and black boots. Her hair was straight, brown.

  She was North as a girl: beautiful but angry, more terrifying.

  I held tightly to the chair, swallowing. She stood over me, peering down. “He told me you have a guy team.”

  I looked down and nodded.

  “You’re with North, aren’t you?”

  This caused me to look up, blinking at her. “Yes?”

  “I was talking to him yesterday,” she said. She shifted and sat down where Marc had been. She bent forward, with elbows on her knees, like boys sit, and looked at my face. “Marc said he got your number?”

  I nodded again, uncomfortable with the way she was staring at me. “I’m not...I’m not...” I was going to say something but I didn’t want to say it wrong and make her angry.

  “You’re not interested in him,” she said, an eyebrow going up. “Romantically? Is that what you’re trying to say?”

  I nodded, feeling like my head was going to bob off my neck. “My team...I have enough…” I paused, feeling weird and not wanting to go into those details.

  She backed off and sighed. “I’m not interested in North,” she said. “Believe me, I’ve got enough, too. And I don’t date kids.”

  I pressed my lips together at her calling North a kid, but I didn’t say anything.

  “Marc said I should talk to you, but I’d rather talk to North,” she said. “We kind of had a conversation last night and I’d like to continue. It’s about…it’s complicated. Do you mind? It’s just talking.”

  “I don’t mind,” I said. This seemed like a fair compromise. I wasn’t interested in Marc, but it would be nice to talk to someone going through the same struggles. Liam and Lily and their team were so far ahead, so much older. It was helpful, but knowing another team made it feel less...not normal. “I wouldn’t mind talking to Marc.” He was nice. “Just to...compare notes.”

  “On a girl joining a guy team,” she said, her eyes going dark. “I told them I wouldn’t even be interested in being on any other team. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t even be here.”

  “You don’t have to join,” I said quietly, unsure if she wanted to hear it.

  She stared at me. “They make such a big deal about it.”

  “But you knew about it before you came here? Maybe helped them a little?”

  She stuffed her hands into her pockets and laughed, though I didn’t know why. “Yeah, you could say that.”

  “Now that you can see a little of what the inside is like, could you live with going back to how it was? Knowing sometimes they won’t be able to tell you things, or running off into the night without you?”

  She pressed her lips together, not answering.

  Those were the questions I was facing as well. I’d learned a lot about the Academy, but I was lacking a lot of the details, and if I quit now, I may not ever be invited back.

  But I faced a much worse dilemma than Kayli, or at least I thought I did.

  I stole a look at her, and then simply knew we’d come to a delicate truth. We were aware of each other and were possibly following the same path.

  We’d eliminated the potential for any future surprises and jealousy right away. I trusted North, and she trusted Marc, and we knew that line would never be crossed by either of us.

  We were Academy. Maybe we’d even have to work together someday.

  The
door opened and out walked Marc, his hands in his pockets, gazing at his feet as he stepped down the stairs and headed our way.

  Dr. Roberts was at the door. “It’s the only way,” he told Marc as he left.

  Marc frowned but ignored him as he continued walking from the cabin.

  Kayli stood up in a shot, fists clenched at her sides. “What?” she asked. “I’m out, aren’t I?”

  “No,” he said, still frowning, as he continued, toward the path. “But you’re not going to like it.”

  “Miss Sorenson!”

  I turned, forced to pull my attention away from Marc and Kayli, wondering what was in store for them.

  I glanced at the others, wondering why I was called in ahead of them. I moved toward Dr. Roberts, who held the door open for me.

  I should have been happy to get this over with.

  THE COUNCIL

  I wasn’t sure if it was the same cabin as last night. They all looked the same to me. Inside, it was the same setup, with the eight bunk beds, all in a row, some stripped down to the bare mattresses, some neatly made. The air was a mix of musty mattress and perfumes, their colognes. The mix was a little much for my nose at first, and I smothered a sneeze quickly.

  In the middle of the cabin were five folding chairs, all in a circle. All but two were occupied, and Dr. Roberts made his way to one of the empty ones, holding the back for me, looking at me expectantly.

  “Would you like to sit, sweetheart?” he asked, his tone much gentler than the one he’d used with Marc.

  In the other chairs sat Mr. Duncan, and Mrs. Rose, wearing casual clothes. Mr. Buble wore a suit today, all black, with a black tie and a white shirt. This seemed to be his regular outfit and reminded me so much of Mr. Blackbourne. Always dressed more formally than everyone else.

  They all had pleasant but tense smiles as they waited for me to sit.

  I went around the chair and sat, my back to the door. Dr. Roberts waited until I was settled before he lowered himself to the last empty seat, the one next to mine.

  I crossed my legs, fighting the urge to fidget.

  Mr. Duncan’s large stomach protruded even more as he leaned forward. “Good morning,” he said in a friendly voice.

  I bowed my head toward him. “Good morning,” I said softly. I couldn’t help but remember what had happened the night before, causing my cheeks to feel like they were roasting. A light sweat started at my brow, even while the room was a little chilly. I was sure they all knew what I’d confessed to, even if they hadn’t been there to witness it for themselves.

  What a bumbling idiot I’d made of myself.

  Mr. Duncan’s eyes were very friendly, as were Mrs. Rose’s, and Dr. Roberts’s.

  Only Mr. Buble looked dour. He had a polite-enough smile on his face, but otherwise, he was unreadable. He had his hands in his lap, legs crossed.

  Mr. Duncan spoke after a long pause. “Normally, we’d start with talking about your week here and how you thought it went, but I understand your circumstances are…unique. I hope the girls you’ve been staying with haven’t done you any harm.”

  I shook my head quickly, and without anyone there to talk for me, I needed to explain. “Please,” I began. “Carla and Lake and the other girls are wonderful people. They did nothing wrong. No one did.”

  “We understand,” Mr. Duncan said. “I just wanted to be clear and make sure.”

  “I want to assure you, this doesn’t change things,” Dr. Roberts said. He smiled softly. “We hope the experience hasn’t scared you from us.”

  “No, I…” I paused suddenly, the air changing around me.

  Sweet spice scent found me. It was faint, but it was there. Distracted, I turned my head, but the door was still closed. Was one of the others wearing a similar scent?

  “What is it?” Mr. Duncan said. “Is something wrong?”

  I shook my head, but couldn’t say anything. My hope was suddenly dashed and my heart sunk, realizing I must have been delusional. “I thought...someone...”

  “Don’t worry,” Dr. Roberts said. “No one will intrude if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  I sighed. “No,” I said and looked at the ground. “I just thought Kota Lee was here.”

  “He’s not hiding in here,” Dr. Roberts said with a smile. “If that’s what you’re saying.”

  I was about to say of course he wasn’t when the door behind us opened. I turned again.

  Kota stood in the doorway, holding the handle, leaning in. His eyes were dark, the shadows underneath them worse now.

  I couldn’t judge his mood, but he didn’t look at me. My heart wanted to thunder in my chest and yet explode at the same time. I pressed palms to my lap to stop shaking. He was here.

  Would he tell them what happened?

  “I’m sorry to intrude,” he said. “But...I wasn’t sure if I was running late, and then I was about to knock when I heard my name.”

  Mr. Duncan’s jaw dropped open, as did Dr. Roberts’s. Mrs. Rose had her hand over her mouth.

  Mr. Buble raised an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me she’s psychic now, too.”

  Kota’s eyebrows shifted together and then he gave me a puzzled look before he looked back at them. “I don’t understand.”

  “She knew you were here,” Dr. Roberts said. He smiled at me, a bright twinkling in eyes. He slapped his palm against his knee. “Tell us how you did it.”

  “I...” I stammered out. My mind went blank.

  “She can smell us,” Kota said quietly, still holding the door open. I looked at him and this time, he was looking at me, a small smile lighting up his face. “You could put her in the dark and she could tell if one of us is around just by scent.”

  I swallowed, nodding, afraid to say anything, scared I’d burst into tears just because he was there.

  I still didn’t dare hope, but I was yearning to tell him everything inside my heart in that instant. He was stunning to me, with those green eyes, the way his hair was combed neatly. He was so strong, so smart. He had to know I cared about him and I would never hurt him on purpose.

  Had the guys managed to find him? Did he know everything now?

  The council stayed quiet and I’d almost forgotten about them until Dr. Roberts started to laugh. “Oh my god,” he said. “This girl...I’m telling you.”

  “She could smell you from the other side of the door,” Mr. Duncan said. He waved Kota in. “Come on, you might as well join us.”

  Kota stepped inside, closing the door behind himself. He came around the circle and sat on one of the beds nearby, looking from me to the council. “Don’t let me interrupt anymore.”

  “Well we can’t pretend we’re not interested in getting her involved in our Academy right away,” Mr. Duncan said, his eyes on me. “You’ve shown so much potential this week.”

  Mrs. Rose signed. “You became a great leader to the girls, despite your feelings. You never let on to the others, either.” She smiled. She pulled out a notepad and pen she had in her pocket. “I hope you understand, I did have to say something to the girls. Remember, we have to trust people with our feelings, right?”

  I nodded. They knew.

  I lowered my eyes. I’d hoped they’d never tell the other girls, and now I was afraid they thought I was weird or that I thought something was wrong with them. What else could she say?

  “They told me they were worried something was wrong last night,” Mrs. Rose signed. “Carla said something was wrong. I think they might have known. Please don’t worry. They all have similar stories.”

  “Don’t look so sad,” Mr. Duncan said. “We had to tell them why you were missing, and the truth is normally the best way, especially among the Academy family.”

  “You did a great job bringing those younger girls back around,” Dr. Roberts said. “They aren’t members yet. They still have a lot to learn, but they’re young and they’ve got time. And now they’ve got each other to talk to about the Academy when they go home.”

  “A
nd the good news is,” Mr. Duncan cut in, “Carla and Lake told us this morning that they’ve decided to become a team. They aren’t sure if they’ll stay together forever, but they asked if having a starter team was good enough.” He chuckled. “And of course, it is. Those two have a fine future together. A little yin and yang never hurt anyone.”

  I was relieved that the others had gotten what they needed. I lifted my head up but still kept my eyes down.

  “Anyway, on to you,” Dr. Roberts said. He ducked, leaning forward to catch my gaze, and I picked up my eyes. He straightened when I was looking at him. “Don’t be shy. This part is painless.”

  “The question is,” Mr. Duncan said with a smile, “what do we do with you, knowing what we know now? Normally, we’d ask you to try out different teams. You can always pick your team, of course, but we like to put you with a group that would fit with your special talents. We would have asked you to join with Carla and Lake since you seemed to get on very well.”

  It was on my tongue to ask to stay on Kota’s team, but with him right there, and not being aware of his feelings, or what, if anything, he’d been told, I thought it best to stay quiet for now.

  At this point, my fate rested in him. He had the right to tell me I wasn’t Academy-worthy, or that he didn’t want me on their team and to suggest another one.

  Kota coughed, shocking me out of my thoughts as to what I could say. I couldn’t help but lift my eyes and look at him, but his focus was only on the other members.

  “If you don’t mind me speaking,” he said quietly. “I don’t want to speak for her, but I’ve got an option if she’d like to hear it.”

  “Of course,” Dr. Roberts said, a small smile on his face. “We’re here to discuss all options.”

  This was it. He was going to tell me to join Carla and Lake.

  “The truth is, with all of her talents, we’ve been lucky she’s been working with us on our current assignment,” he said. “She’s almost the center of our operation. We’re also still working out her family situation, which is a little more complicated than we’d realized.”

  Hope started to rise through me. Was he really saying…