“So,” Dr. Warhol said with a bright smile, “how was your first week? I want to hear all about it. Every day, don't leave anything out.”
“O-kay…” At first she was apprehensive about telling her everything. She wasn't sure what Dr. Warhol was trying to do. Still, she dutifully went through every day of the week. There were details she left out, of course, most of which involved Denver and her new friends. She made sure to do her best to mask all those things in her mind, as well.
“It sounds like you've had a fairly easy time adjusting to your new classes,” Dr. Warhol said, “though the staff hadn't been concerned about that. You're an exceptional student, Cheyenne. Everyone is impressed with the work you've been putting forth and how you're taking the time to catch up. In fact, and you didn't hear this from me, but even Mr. Thantos has stated he's satisfied with your progress. He doesn't compliment new students often, or even students in general.”
“He doesn't seem like the type to compliment anyone, period,” Cheyenne said.
The doctor laughed. “You haven't even been here for a week and you've already got him nailed down to a T. Then again, with all the time you spend with the Willam twins, I shouldn't be surprised. Anj is one of Mr. Thantos's advisees. The two spend a lot of time together outside of class shooting the breeze. He practically idolizes the man, come to think of it. Those Willam twins are a pretty good pair to get yourself associated with.”
“They're nice.”
“I was thinking about how popular they are.” Dr. Warhol stretched out her legs and set the notebook down on her lap. “They're quite possibly the most popular students we've had in a while. It might be hard to believe, given how closed off they keep their inner circle, but everyone who joins instantly becomes popular, as well. Do you want to be popular, Cheyenne?”
She shrugged. “I don't know. I can't say I've ever thought about it before now. Sure, being popular would be interesting, I guess.”
“Interesting indeed.”
“I mean. I wouldn't mind having more friends for a change.” She slowly waded into the deeper end of their session, testing the waters to see if Dr. Warhol would be the shark or the lifeguard. The doctor only nodded at her, waiting for her to continue. “It's never been easy for me.”
“Your medical records show you've gone to a doctor for anxiety and panic attacks related to large group settings. Do you feel yourself going through those symptoms at all here?”
“Only when something dramatic happens or I feel socially overwhelmed,” she said.
Dr. Warhol raised an eyebrow. “Are you socially overwhelmed? You didn't mention anything dramatic happening this week. Or did I miss something?”
Do I tell her? “A group of us went out dancing. For the most part I was doing okay, but I started to get a little nervous so I went to the bathroom. On my way back I had another encounter with the boy who bit me. We were out in the town. Anj, Zes, my roommate, their friend, and me. He was there, and it kind of freaked me out. I wasn't sure what to expect. He more or less made a scene in front of everyone. I don't like being the center of attention.”
“Did he try to attack you again?”
“No, he didn't do anything to me.” She paused before deciding to take another step toward opening herself up further to the woman. “He said he was afraid of me, actually. Called me a worse freak than him.” The memory of their conversation brought tears to her eyes. Tears she was thankfully able to keep at bay for the time being. “I don't know why though. I know everyone here looks at me differently, and when he said that, I just wanted to know why. Who is he to talk, anyway?”
“It's good you got that off your chest. You're absolutely right. He has no room to judge you. Though, he's not a vampire. It's a common false assumption people make about him. If anyone is the bigger 'freak,' and I use that term loosely, it would be him. He’s a complicated species,” Dr. Warhol said.
“What kind of a species? Should I be more concerned than I am?”
“No, you don't have anything to worry about. You'll get more answers soon. Your parents have decided to come to homecoming and visit with you. However, you didn't hear it from me. Your adviser wants to talk to you about it, and I don't want to completely steal her thunder.”
“They're coming?” She blinked in surprise. She knew she'd meet her real parents someday, but she never imagined it being as soon as a handful of weeks. After all, her mother was a goddess. There had to be at least a million other things more important than spending time with her. It made the whole situation feel a lot more real.
The school had a late homecoming, holding its festivities over the last football game of the season. The date was marked on the calendar hanging in the girls’ living room. Halyn had made sure not only to write the event, but also circle it several times in bright red and pink marker, followed with numerous hearts and stars, to ensure it wasn’t overlooked. On top of that, it was all Halyn would talk about lately. Ever the social bee, she was always up-to-date with the latest gossip of who was going with whom to the big dance and what all of the other girls were wearing. She was putting a lot of thought and effort into planning.
Cheyenne, on the other hand, hadn't thought much about it or if she was even going to participate. No doubt she'd be dragged to a few things, and she would most likely enjoy them all. It just wasn't the only thing on her mind. The closest she got to thinking about it was secretly hoping she'd get asked to the dance, but she understood the chances of that happening were slim. She didn't like dances anyway, but it was the principle of the matter. To be asked by a guy had always been one of her dreams. She didn’t need to make herself anxious over the situation though. Now all she could think about were her parents.
Dr. Warhol eyed Cheyenne with raised eyebrows. “Of course they're coming. They're important alumni to this school. They always make an appearance, generally a brief one, but it's an appearance all the same. Now they have even more reason to stay for a few days. They're excited to see you again.”
“Oh.” She blushed, embarrassed. It sounded like something she should have known. “When are they getting here?”
“Those are all things for you to discuss with your adviser, Mrs. Orinda.” The doctor returned her attention to the notebook. “Now, is there anything else you want to talk about? I can help you so long as it doesn't involve your parents or why you're here.”
“No, there's nothing else.”
They scheduled another appointment to be held in two weeks. Cheyenne hoped the dates of the sessions would continue to have larger gaps between them. She didn't want to talk about how well she was adjusting. She could figure it out on her own.
Mrs. Orinda was waiting outside Dr. Warhol's office. She looked as beautiful and elegant as ever, wearing yet another long and flowing skirt.
“I've got some great news. Your parents are coming.” She gestured for Cheyenne to follow her through the hallway.
Cheyenne did her best to fake surprise. Hopefully it worked. If Mrs. Orinda knew otherwise, she didn't let on. Her smile stayed bright and full of energy.
“That's great,” Cheyenne finally said after a few moments had passed. She wasn't sure what else to say, but she hoped it was an acceptable reaction.
“I was so thrilled to hear they were actually going to stop by this year. They hardly ever come anymore. I haven't met them yet, but they used to be students here, too. A lot of the Divine attended here. I'm pretty sure there's a specific course and career track created just for them.”
She nodded slowly, listening intently to Mrs. Orinda as she spoke. It all contradicted what Dr. Warhol had just told her, and she didn't know whom she should believe. She certainly liked her adviser a lot more than her therapist, but Mrs. Orinda didn't come across as being quite as in the loop as some of the other staff. She no doubt knew only what was necessary.
“Is that me? I mean, the Divine. I'm sorry, that's probably a stupid question,” Cheyenne said.
“No, it's not a stupid question. Yes, you
would be of the Divine. The gods and goddesses are only allowed to appoint one of their offspring to be their true heir. You're an only child. The children chosen to succeed also become a part of godhood. We call this circle the Divine. It's complicated. The gods and goddesses run their own system of politics, and they've been given the task of keeping balance in the world for the humans. They're technically not actual deities, but their power is still great, and many worship them as if they were.”
“Wow.” There was a lot to soak in. “So that's why I'm here.”
“Your parents will be coming Thursday during homecoming week. They've booked a hotel room through the weekend, but they mentioned wanting to work something out where they could potentially stay with you. I wasn't sure how it was going to be possible, but I said I'd mention it to make sure you're comfortable with the idea. They're trying to get you pulled out of classes for the day as well, but I'm not sure if all of your teachers are going to like the idea.”
She doubted Mr. Thantos would let her miss class even if she were on her deathbed. The thought of skipping her classes, even for a couple of days, made her a little sad. Granted, she might have a different opinion in two weeks, but they were the most normal part of her new routine.
“I'm probably overwhelming you. I'm sorry. I didn't want to leave you in the dark. I can only imagine how important this is to you. When I first figured out what I was, all I wanted to do was learn.”
“It's okay,” Cheyenne said. “I'm glad someone understands.” Those who were considered different from the rest of the world were already few and far between. She imagined those who lived their entire lives in ignorance were even harder to find. All of the students and teachers she’d met seemed so comfortable with themselves and what they were, and treated it as if it was such a normal part of their lives. Zes had mentioned he and his brother had been there for a long time. Denver too. Her coming there late in the game made her the odd one out once again.
“Anyway, I don't want to bog you down with all of this. I'm sure you've got enough to worry about as it is,” Mrs. Orinda said. “You let me know if you're having problems with any of your classes or if you think any of them are too easy. Any problems at all, you can talk to me.”
Cheyenne nodded. “I'm fine. Don't worry about me.” She took a few more steps before stopping in the middle of the hall. ”Is there anything else you wanted to talk about? I need to get back and finish up some homework.”
“Right, of course. I didn't mean to keep you. I'm sorry I can't be more help to you right now.”
“You're doing more than enough. Thank you,” Cheyenne said as she waved and made her way back to her room. Halyn was waiting for her on the couch, curled up, and reading a magazine. Her hair was in curlers and she wore a pair of pink pajamas.
“I think we need to go shopping. I found the perfect hairstyle for the dance. Now I need the makeup, the dress, the shoes, and the boy.”
Cheyenne laughed and was glad for something more cheerful, although she'd never talked about shoes or dresses or anything considered normal girl talk before. What was she supposed to say next?
“We've got a lot of time, right?” she asked.
“Shoes and makeup sure, but dresses and boys are harder to come by. Everything will be picked through. I don't want to go to the dance with a loser or something. That wouldn't help me fit in around here, would it? Making friends with the right people is what helps these kinds of schools be bearable, right?”
“I think you'll be fine by just being yourself,” Cheyenne said as she joined her roommate on the couch. She faced Halyn and watched her curiously as she paged through the magazines. “I don't think you'll have a hard time finding any of those things anyway. I bet the stores will have lots of dresses in your size. I'm sure after all the guys get to know you, they'll be asking you out. They're just stuck on doing what's familiar with them. Besides, you seem to have a lot of friends on your own.”
“I think I might ask Zes or Anj to go with me.”
“Okay.” Cheyenne wasn't sure if she had any reason to feel jealous over this idea, but Halyn's reaction implied she should have.
“You're okay with that?”
“Yes, why wouldn't I be? They're your friends too. If you're worried about someone freaking out about you asking them, you should be talking to Jewl. She might rip your head off your shoulders for just thinking about it.”
Halyn giggled. “Maybe, but don't you want to ask them?”
“Well, there are two of them. If I do, I'll ask whichever one you aren't going with. I don't know yet if I even want to go.”
“Good point. There are two. Sometimes I forget, they're so alike.” Halyn frowned. “Why don't you want to go? Aren't these things supposed to be fun?”
She had completely forgotten for the past few days that Halyn was completely new to going to a modern school with students her own age. The girl was good at adapting to all of her surroundings, and it didn't seem as if much fazed her. It all came so naturally that Cheyenne would have believed she had been living there her whole life.
“They are,” Cheyenne said after a long silence. “It's just going to be a long week. My parents are coming in, so I might spend more time with them before they leave again. I bet the whole thing will be a blast, especially with those two guys going. If I go, I'll probably do so stag. A date can be a lot of work to keep up with.”
“A date would be magical.” Halyn sighed as she turned to the next page in her magazine. “Even if it's a not-romantic one, and I have to ask. Maybe I'll luck out and someone will ask me.”
“You have three weeks.”
“That's barely any time.”
“That's a lot of time.”
“I want to go shopping.”
She was on the brink of whining now. Cheyenne closed her eyes.
“We'll go shopping this weekend, then. We need to ask about a shop. I don't think we'll find anything good at Walmart.” Cheyenne crinkled her nose at the thought. There was no way she'd show up in anything that could potentially fall apart after an hour of wearing it. There had to be a fashion boutique or something offering decent clothing. Too bad the city was so far away. She and her mother didn't necessarily have a lot of money, but they were always able to find something unique and reasonably priced at the various uptown specialty stores. Her foster mother had always been willing to spend a bit more than she should have on things like school dances.
Home. The thought made her miss it for the first time in a couple of days. For the most part, she'd been able to keep it out of her mind, but every so often a little thing like this would trigger her memories. She knew her foster mother would be proud of her and how she was doing so far at Vala. She had to resist the urge to pick up her phone and call. Sometimes she wanted to so she could make sure everything was okay, and to apologize. The feeling would pass quickly when she reminded herself how she had been lied to for so long. The woman hadn't bothered to try to contact her yet, and that also fed the anger. Shouldn't she be the one to make the effort? She's the one who’d ruined everything.
“You okay?” Halyn asked quietly. “You look a little pale.”
“I'm fine,” Cheyenne said.
“We're going to have an awesome time with all of this. We'll go out, have some good retail therapy, get all dolled up, and let loose. And you get to be with your parents again soon, right? Lots of fun things to look forward to here. What's up with them visiting anyway?”
“I'll tell you the minute I know something,” Cheyenne promised. “Right now, I'd rather not think about any of it.”
Chapter Ten
The subject of Cheyenne, her parents, or anything going on in her life was not mentioned much again by anyone. She preferred this. If she didn't talk about it, then she wouldn't have to think about it as much. It wouldn't exist for a moment or two.
The plants especially tried to provide her with distractions. Never before had she seen so many different types of plant life at once. Forests weren’t co
mmon in the suburbs where she grew up. She'd visited plenty of gardens with some exotic species of flora, but they didn't quite feel as natural to her as the plants at school. Miles of forest surrounded her now, and in them were countless different kinds of trees, shrubs, weeds, and flowers. Every day they called out to her, beckoned for her to come out to talk with them and play. Every day she had to decline. Classes, homework, and entertaining with her friends took top priority.
The second week of October, the trees begged her to come out.
“You need to see us while we still have our leaves. We want you to see how beautiful we are.” They chanted at her all day long. It gave her a headache. In an effort to stop the madness, she whispered a promise to see the trees after class if they could keep quiet enough for her to focus.
It worked, and she was more than happy to fulfill her end of the bargain. Fresh air sounded nice after she had been cooped up in the stuffy library for part of the day. Mr. Thantos had given his students a project involving a lot of research on any major event that happened before Christ. He even offered class time to help them prepare.
Cheyenne didn’t enjoy the library. Three floors filled top to bottom with books. New ones, old ones, and some ancient enough to be placed behind glass and preserved. There were a handful of windows on the top floor, which was where Cheyenne went to read a book on ancient Egypt. Anj, however, kept trying to move her attention to some old book or another. She didn't have it in her heart to tell him she didn't care. He got so excited about history. He clearly had a passion for the subject. So she politely listened to him ramble on.
Following History were her other two classes for the day, and then she was released. Zes, per usual, waited for her when she finished with her sociology class. Her homework for the evening was minimal, but she used it as an excuse to get away so she could walk alone. He didn't want to leave her though. He was still bent on protecting her from Denver. She felt a little guilty. He seemed crushed, and while she was sure he'd understand, she just wasn't comfortable with the idea of him coming along. She didn't like talking to the plants when there were other people around to see.
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