by Dakota Lake
It wasn't until I heard Ruby, that I looked up and scanned the room. Caitlin and Aimee were sitting towards the back, I smiled at them.
Caitlin mouthed “What happened” referring to my face.
I just shook my head smiling, it's not like I was going to shout it out to the whole classroom. The teacher pointed me to a seat. I kept my eyes to the floor as I made my way to an open desk three spaces back next to the wall, no where near the girls, at least I wasn’t at the front in the middle. Everyone still turned and stared at me though, they didn’t even try to hide it. The hour went by quickly, I had the right books as everyone else so that was a good thing. Mr. Turner the teacher only called on me once to answer, thankfully I knew the answer. After class I found my arm looped with Caitlin's as we walked along the corridor.
“So am I allowed to ask what happened?” Caitlin said.
Aimee followed behind us looking at her cell.
“Micah happened. There was a bat involved, it was an accident there’s not really much more to say about it. I’m trying to forget I have a hideous bruise across my face,” I half joked. “That guy sounds like bad news. What do have next next?” she asked looking at my schedule. “Biology-Miss. Williams, you'll be with Aimee for that, then English Literature-Mr. Gibson with MEEE.” she squealed in excitement. “But you'll want to head to the science block which is that way,” she pointed down the corridor, I was confused. “The heating in the English room is broken all the pipes burst it's a mess so they moved us into one of the chem labs for the lessons, so I’ll save you a spot next to me. This is great I don't have to sit next to the kid that never stops blowing his nose.” Caitlin unhooked herself from me. “I'll see you two later, Aimee look after her will you,” Caitlin said as she disappeared into the crowd.
“This way,”Aimee said her nose still in her cell.
Biology was a drag and seemed to go on forever, Aimee seemed as thrilled as I was about the subject.
I found my way to English easily enough, Caitlin waved me over as the teacher walked in. “Hey, how did you get on in biology?”
“It was all right, Aimee spent the hour flicking bits of paper at Robbie, he had no idea it was her and started retaliation on an innocent by stander,”
“Don't let her get you into trouble,” she said, lining her notebook and pens up on the table. “You'll like Mr. Gibson, he's really fun. He's the only thing that makes this class bearable.” I nodded looking over at the teacher, he was a lot younger then the last two teachers wearing jeans, a white T-shirt with a black waist coat.
“So today we are going to have a little switch-a-roo, the sound of nattering girls has been music to my ears for too long, not to mention the lack of work in the last two days. Yes I’m talking to you Millie,” Mr. Gibson said, raising his eyebrows at a girl near the front. She stopped in mid conservation with the girl next to her when she noticed him looking at her.
“Right, everyone up,”
“Oh no, he's rearranging us,” Caitlin said annoyed.
I picked up my bag and jacket only cause I saw everyone else doing the same thing. “Luke switch with Kevin,” Mr. Gibson said waving his arms in different directions. “So basically he's sticking us next to someone we hate, or never speak to in an attempt to get better grades out of us. Typical I finally have a friend in this class to sit next to, now he does this,” she said, tucking her stool under.
“Shane over here next to Lizzy, Chris switch with Amber, Eddie next to Caitlin.” “Great I’m stuck with the nose blower again,” Caitlin mumbled under her breath, as a tall skinny boy made his way over to us.
“New girl, Ruby move next to Mack,”
“Who?” I mouthed to Caitlin.
“The other new kid,” Caitlin said, pulling her stool back out again. “At the back,” I looked to where she was pointing, it was the boy in the red hoodie. Who now had a name, Mack. I made my way to the back of the classroom, Mack was already seated. I put my stuff on the table and pulled out the stool next to him. Mr. Gibson carried on with his list of names. I glanced sideways at Mack, he was looking back at me chewing the end of a pencil.
“I'm Ruby,”
“Really! I would of never guessed, it's not like the teacher just called it out or anything.” he said looking back at me with his green eyes that I didn't want to look away from. I couldn't tell if he was joking or just been rude. I turned to face the front resting my arms on the desk leaning forward, as far away from him as possible.
A few minutes had gone by when I realised I couldn't hear his thoughts.....nothing. He bumped me a few times removing his hoodie, I glanced back at him he had a white T-shirt on underneath that clung to him, his lean muscles were visible. His skin was tanned, a tan any girl would kill for and it reminded me of back home, he looked like he had been sunbathing on a beach back in California. He caught me looking at him and I quickly faced the front again trying not to look bothered by him, but I was bothered.
Bothered I couldn’t hear what he was thinking? Not that it was any of my business to hear what someone was thinking, but I was so used to hearing people's thoughts that the thought of not hearing someone felt wrong, something was wrong.
Since I had been in this town I had already met four people whose thoughts I couldn’t hear, Micah, Cam, boy in the woods and now Mack, what was happening to me, maybe it wasn't me, maybe there was something wrong with them? Mr. Gibson was talking about Shakespeare I had already zoned out. I rested my head on my hand and found my eyes drifting out the window. I saw a familiar raven land on the back of a bench, I knew it was the same bird because of the white splodge on it's head. It sat squawking and looking in my direction. The bird seemed to be everywhere I went like it was stalking me. Why did it keep following me? I felt a nudge on my arm, I turned to look at Mack.
“What?” I asked.
He nodded his head towards the teacher who was looking at me.
“The names Ruby, do you know any of them?” Mr. Gibson asked.
“Erm, names,” I said buying some time. I hated being put on the spot I had no idea what he was even talking about.
Didn't think she was listening, I heard Mr. Gibson's thinking, but I also heard a few random names bouncing around in his head and I thought it couldn't hurt to use them. It would at least look like I was trying, he wasn’t to know where I had got the them from.
“Hermia, Demetruis, Lysander, Helena,”
“Huh, that's very good Ruby.” Mr. Gibson said, returning to the board.
They were discussing A Midsummer Night's Dream, I would have never remembered any of those names.
“Could of sworn you weren't listening too busy gazing out the window at that bird,” I heard Mack say behind me. I just shrugged, noticing the bird was now gone.
“You had no idea what he was talking about, it was like you picked those names right out of his head,” I kept my eyes on the board.
“No that would be impossible,” I whispered back to him.
“For some,” he said almost so quietly that I wasn't sure I was meant to hear it or not. The rest of the class past in a blur. Maybe I had misheard him? I kept replaying what he had said in my head and by the end of class I was convinced I’d heard him wrong. The bell went and he was practically out the door before I had even put my book in my bag. I stared at the back of him, he didn't seem like the type of person to randomly buy lunch for someone they didn't know. Maybe the waitress had got it completely wrong that day.
“So what's he like? He's been the hot topic round here for the last two days that was until you got here,” Caitlin said fiddling with the strap of her bag.
“Rude, he kind of reminds me of someone else.”
“Well done on those names you looked like you didn't have a clue until you started reeling them off, I think even Mr. Gibson was surprised.”
“How did you get on with Eddie is it?” I asked.
“Eddie has allergies and he managed to spray them all over me, I won't feel right until I’ve showered.” s
he said scratching at her neck.
The cafeteria was packed, I was glad to have Caitlin to cling to. Everyone was whispering to each other and I even saw one girl point at me. We met up with Aimee, she'd saved us seats. I got sandwiched between her and Robbie. Caitlin sat down next to Josh on the other side. I had bought myself a chicken wrap and a soda.
“Guess who Ruby sat next to in English?” Caitlin smiled over at Aimee.
“Who? Not that skank what's her face?” Aimee replied.
“No, think male.” Caitlin said, unwrapping her food.
“Bogey face Eddie,”
“No I got stuck with him, Aimee the new guy. Come on,”
“What no way. You're so lucky, Mack is so hot he’s on fire and he has that whole bad boy thing going for him. I will be extremely jealous and heart broken if you two are planning to run away and elope,” Aimee said.
I looked at Caitlin who was giggling trying to bite her roll.
“Don't worry we didn't get that far by the end of the lesson he couldn't get away from me quick enough,” I took a sip of my drink “so where did he come from? He looks older then us,” I asked, I was secretly curious about him.
“I think he was put back a year or maybe more, no one really knows. There’s been all sorts of rumours about him flying around the school.” Caitlin said.
“Like how he set fire to his last school,” Aimee said.
“Millie was telling me yesterday he just left rehab for drug addiction,” Caitlin added, rolling her eyes. She obviously didn’t believe it.
“I heard he just got out of juvie for stealing cars,” Josh said.
“I heard he was in a fight club,” Aimee said, shocked and amazed at the same time. She on the other hand actually believed these rumours.
“That would explain the scars,” Robbie said.
“What scars?” Aimee asked attentively.
“On his back, two horrible massive gashes saw them this morning when he was getting changed for gym.” Josh said.
“How do you think it happened?” Caitlin asked.
“Dunno didn’t ask, he's not the sort of guy you ask about personnel stuff, if you get what I mean. He's kind of scary hard core.”
“Probably knife wound from his time on the inside.” Robbie said smirking.
“It all sounds a little far fetched,” I said, taking a sip of my drink.
“Maybe you could ask him next time you have English together,” Aimee said, nudging me. “Err no. It's none of my business and I doubt he'd tell me anyway. He made it perfectly clear he doesn't want much to do with me and the feelings mutual.”
But I knew that wasn’t how I really felt. I couldn't hear his thoughts, which made him different to everyone else in this school and I wanted to know why.
After lunch I went to class, trying to ignore all the strange face that were staring at me. I tried to distracted myself with class work, but my mind kept drifting back to Mack and the many rumours I had heard about him. What if some of them were true?
The last bell of the day sounded just as my cell vibrated in my pocket, it was Micah. I'm waiting outside.
I messaged back while walking to my locker with Aimee.
Just need to get something from my locker be out soon. “Oh break me off a piece of that yummy deliciousness walking towards us,” Aimee said. I looked over at her, wondering what she was talking about, then I looked in the same direction she was looking. Cam was strolling towards us, he was dressed in green overalls wearing the same scruffy cap holding a screwdriver.
“Hi girls,” he said, only looking at me.
I just smiled I hadn't forgotten the other day when he ran out on me and left me sitting on my own. “So how was your first day? They didn't give you to much homework did they?” “It was all right, nothing exciting,” I said opening my locker.
How did he know it was my first day? For all he knew I could of started yesterday. “So Cameron Teller, you're our new janitor/maintenance guy huh,” Aimee said, holding his I.D badge in her hand, invading his personal space.
“Started this morning,” he smiled, twirling a screwdriver around his fingers. I turned back to my locker pretending to sort through my books.
“Sorry about running out on you the other day, I had to go somewhere,”
He leaned back against the locker next to mine. I nodded, still annoyed with him it would of taken ten seconds to say goodbye to me, there was no need to of been rude like that. I tried to ignore him, but it was hard as he was staring at me with this huge grin on his face. I got the feeling he probably ran out on a lot of girls like that.
“Let me make it up to you, do you want to do something this weekend?”
“I dunno what I'm doing yet,” I said, trying to put on a good front. He made me nervous, I hated not hearing his thoughts. Sure he was gorgeous and any normal girl would be over the moon to get a chance to talk to him, but he was the sort of boy your mother warned you to stay away from, a proper heart breaker and there was probably only one thing on his mind.
“You know we're all going to be at The Jump on Saturday night if you're interested, Ruby will be there,” Aimee said.
I looked at her, this was the first I'd heard about this.
“The Jump, I thought that place got shut down by police?”
“It did, well the old place did. Locations moved, it's now located just passed the old factories outside of town. Everyone who's anyone will be there,”
“And you'll be there?” he asked me.
I was about to open my mouth and say something I wasn't sure what but Aimee beat me to it. “She'll be there I'll make sure of it,”
“I can't wait,” he said pushing off the locker. “Later princess.” he smiled at me.
“Why did you do that?” I asked scowling at her, when he was gone.
“What he's hot and clearly has a thing for you, I was helping you out. When did you two hook up then?”
“What? We didn't hook up. I bumped into him when I was out for lunch and he ran out on me, there's nothing more to it.”
“Hey, guess who I just saw wearing janitor get up?” Caitlin said, joining us.
“Yeah we saw him,” I replied, annoyed with Aimee.
I wasn't sure how I felt about Cam, something was off about him. Why was he so interested in me? “Wait how do you know him?” Aimee asked Caitlin.
“He's the guy that fixed mom's car that night at The Bowler.”
“Wow, now I really wish I had a time machine, to go back and get out the car with you two. Maybe then he'd be throwing advances in my direction cause little miss here doesn't seem that interested,” “There's just something about him, something different.” I mumbled to myself.
“Well I couldn't see anything wrong, he looked to be just the right amount of gorgeousness.” Aimee said, biting her lip.
I slammed my locker door shut, only to find Mack on the other side of it. He was casually leaning up against the lockers looking at me from under his hood.
“Who was that?” he asked.
“What?” I replied, unsure he was even talking to me.
“What did he want?” he said scooting along the lockers closer to me.
“What, the janitor?” I said, noticing Caitlin and Aimee had hovered closer.
“He was just inviting Ruby out on a date this Saturday he's meeting her at The Jump. Do you know where it is?” Aimee asked Mack.
“Yeah I've heard of it, kids go there to get drunk and swing in trees,” he replied looking unimpressed about the whole idea.
“Yeah it's called fun, maybe you should drop by,” Aimee said, smiling at him.
“We'll see,” he said quietly looking at me. Then he walked away and disappeared into the crowded corridor.
“What was that about?” Caitlin asked.
“How should I know, it's not like I can read his mind,” I said, more to myself than anyone else. We started walking to the main doors.
“What is it about you girl? You've got all the hot guys c
hasing after you,”
“Well I'm not doing anything on purpose, I don't even want the attention.”
“Well you're going to have a lot of it on Saturday, I think I just got you another date. I should be one of these matchmakers on TV they make a fortune,” Aimee said walking off in a different direction. “Catch you two later.”
“What is this place The Jump?” I asked Caitlin.
“It's just a clearing in the forest where teens and college students like to hang out. There's music, drinking and rope swings. It's all right, the last place was better but the police shut it down, as people were swinging over the river after they'd been drinking and one guy drowned.” “What that's terrible, it sounds dangerous,”
“Yeah it is if you want to get drunk and wonder off into the forest on your own. I never drink anything when I'm there, you never can be too careful. I just go along with Aimee to make sure she doesn't get into any trouble. Don't worry we never stay out too long after dark, it gets too cold.”
Chapter Eleven
Micah drove me home in silence, he didn't even ask me how my day was. I got the feeling he was annoyed about something, maybe something I'd done, but who knew he was way too complicated to figure out.
“Wait I have something for you,” he said jumping out first when we got back. I followed him over to his truck, he opened the drivers side door and a few empty energy drink bottles fell out. “Here it is,” he said retrieving, a large red gift bag from the other seat.
“What is it?” I asked, curious as to what was in the bag.
I followed him into the cabin, where he set it down on the table.
“Well go on then,”
He nodded his head towards the bag. I put my own bag down and peeked in the gift bag. “Is that a laptop?”
“Yep,” he reached in and lifted it out. “and it's all set up ready to use, WI-FI and everything. So you can chat to your friends, school work or whatever you want to do on it.”
“Who's paying for it?”
“Don't worry Seth can afford it and the laptop is a gift.”
I looked at him not sure what he meant by gift. “A gift?”
