"Well, we're here," Gavin said, jarring her from her thoughts.
Gavin pulled off the road at a large brick building with a bright neon blue sign over the top which read, 'Carl's Laser Tag.' The parking lot half filled with cars was bathed in a gentle azure light. He found a parking spot at the front and pulled into it, then shut off the car.
"Laser tag?" Fawn raised an eyebrow.
With a grin, Gavin glanced at her. "I thought a movie was a bit of a tired date too. Plus, if you don't remember anything, then laser tag is going to be a new experience for you. Tonight is going to rock your world."
What's laser tag? Images filled her mind. Plastic guns with red lasers. Black Velcro vests. Kids. Laser tag was a war game played with glowing lights. She wondered where the images came from. No way had Jax ever taken her laser tagging. She imagined him with his dirty clothes and ragged face with a plastic gun in hand. No, that wouldn't work. Suddenly, a more sinister image permeated her mind. Jax holding a smoking gun, panting. The smell of gunpowder filled the air. Jax's breathing was ragged. With a gasp of shock, she gripped her chest and bent over, unable to comprehend the memory.
"Fawn, are you all right?" Gavin asked, his voice high-pitched.
"Yes." Fawn straightened up, shaking her head. "I just…a flashback maybe…"
"Of what?" Gavin gazed at her with caring, probing eyes which made her feel like she could tell him everything. It was like he could see into her soul and know all the things she knew and some things that she didn't. Suddenly, she wanted to tell him what her parents had told her about Jax being her real father and the men that were after him.
"Gavin, I—"
With a loud, ear aching bang, somebody slapped their palm against the front windshield, making them both jump. Gavin whirled around and glared out the window as a scrawny, messy-haired brunette boy pressed his face against the pane while laughing. His face left a slimy drool stain on the glance. Behind him, another boy and a girl lingered.
"Bo," Gavin groaned. "I should have known."
"Did I get you? Did I?" Bo asked, his voice high-pitched and trill.
"I'm sorry." Gavin winced. "Looks like I wasn't the only one who thought of laser tag. Are you okay with this? We can go somewhere else. A movie may be tired, but at least we'll have a bit more privacy."
Though the idea of sharing Gavin made her stomach churn, she saw his grinning friends who waited for Gavin to get out of the car. She realized if she chose to opt out now, they wouldn't like her. And if they didn't like her, they'd let Gavin know it. Even though Fawn was new to this world, she understood words could be just as venomous to a person as poison.
"Let's go." Fawn's jaw became set with determination.
"You sure?" Gavin still didn't move to open the door.
"They're your friends." Fawn shrugged. "We'll have time for the two of us later. There's no reason why we can't all go together for now."
Fawn was unsure of why, but Gavin's face lit up with glowing affection. His eyes dropped to her lips and she thought he might lean forward and kiss her, just like she had seen on TV. She wondered what it would be like in real. When Bo banged on the window again, the moment was broken a second time. Gavin opened his car door and climbed out as Fawn did the same.
As Fawn wound around the car, Bo looked her up and down and whistled appreciatively. Gavin punched his arm, making him wince.
"Back off." Gavin mock sneered at him. "She's mine."
"I don't know how you managed to get a girl like that." Bo stepped forward, seized her hand, then kissed the top of it. "My name is Bo. Nice to meet you, beautiful."
With a frown, Fawn stole a confused glance at Gavin. Just as Bo grinned at her, eyes gleaming, the other girl stepped forward and elbowed the boy out of the way. The girl's hair was cut short in a pixie style. Her bangs were the longest part, cutting across her round face. The first strands were bright neon green. She wore a pair of jeans two sizes too small and a baggy black t-shirt that almost concealed the bulge her pants created. She was plump but not unpleasantly so. Her smile was friendly.
"My name is Zelda." Zelda held out her hand to Fawn. Her fingernails were painted black and she wore a leather bracelet that looked like a pant belt. "Ignore this idiot."
"Hi." Fawn grinned. For some reason, she liked Zelda at once.
"This guy is Rick," Zelda said. "But we call him Mute."
Zelda seized the arm of the final boy of the group and drug him forward. This boy was Bo's opposite. He was as bulky as Bo was lean with a belly that strained his bright green t-shirt. He had hair cut short into an army cut. Unlike Bo, he refused to look at her and kept his hands in his jean pockets. When he spoke a "hello," it was so quiet she almost didn't hear it.
What an odd assortment of people. Fawn glanced from person to person. Gavin wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed, giving her an affectionate glance. Having his arms around her was comforting like he was her own personal guard.
"Looks like you and Mute will get along well," Bo observed. He turned toward Gavin. "Your girl doesn't talk much, does she?"
"Or maybe you talk too much." Zelda elbowed Bo in the ribs again, making him exhale in mock pain. "Come on, Fawn. Let's go inside."
With a nod, Fawn followed after Zelda. As she walked, the garble of Gavin's friends faded out as she caught sight of a man lingering in an expensive black car three parking spots down. She could swear he'd used a spotting scope. As she squinted to see better, the man lowered the scope and put a cell phone to his ear. She swayed, uneasy, as Gavin squeezed her arm to catch her attention. Though her stomach churned, she walked again.
****
While Gavin, Bo, and Mute played another round of laser tag, Zelda sat at the table across from Fawn eating a piece of pizza with pepperoni and extra cheese. The girl picked up the pizza, put it into her mouth, and grease drizzled down her chin. She grinned at Fawn and wiped the grease away. After she was done chewing, she wiped her hands too.
"I'm sorry we ruined your date." Zelda shook her head. "To be honest, it was Bo's idea."
Anxiety hit her like a rock. "What? You did it on purpose?"
"Yeah, well…" Zelda shrugged. "We won't do it again. It was just, Gavin has been through a lot, you know. He's an attractive guy. A lot of the cheerleaders and other girls at school are after him. He's always ignored them. Then one day he comes to school raving about how adorable his next-door neighbor is and how she's the most amazing person he's ever met. Bo may act like an idiot, but he looks out for his friends. He's like a dog—a little goofy and not always the smartest, but loyal as anything. He just wanted to make sure you weren't somebody who would hurt Gavin. It sounded like an okay idea, so Mute and I went along with it. I should have figured Gavin wasn't stupid and wouldn't choose a bad girl to like."
Zelda's words eroded her anxiety. So this was what real friends did. They protected each other. Suddenly, Fawn couldn't help but feel envious. She wanted relationships like Gavin. She wanted a group of people to have fun with who would protect her at the same time. "I see." Fawn stole a glance at the laser tag arena. "You wanted to protect him. I understand."
"I like you, though." Zelda grinned and took a slurp of her coke. "I think Bo and Mute do too. I thought you might throw a fit or something when we showed up, but you seemed pretty cool about it. That's what I meant by we won't do it again. Though I would love it if you came with us this Saturday to a show."
It took Fawn a moment to realize what Zelda was doing. Zelda was reaching out to her, giving her a chance to enter her world. A world of friends. If it meant having people to be with, she would have gone rat hunting at the stroke of midnight.
"I would love to." Her heart pounded in excitement. "What kind of show? An art show? My mom talked about a home show once."
Zelda snorted and dark cola spilled from her nose like a pipe, dousing the table. As Fawn winced, Zelda continued to laugh even as she placed her fingers over her nostrils and her cheeks became blotchy and red.
She tried to hide her nervousness with a smile and shook her head.
****
That night when Gavin walked her to the door, Fawn noticed his hands shook. When he saw her looking, he buried them in his pockets and hung his head. She went the last few steps and then lingered. He glanced down at her with a grin on his face. His cheeks were a bright pink as he ran his hand through his hair.
"I'm sorry. Today didn't go as planned." Gavin blew out a sigh. "I got so caught up in laser tag I left you all alone, too. I am such an idiot. I would understand if you never want to go out with me again."
"No." Fawn quashed him quickly and watched his face fall. "What I mean is, no, I would love to go out with you again. And I like your friends. They're nice."
Gavin appeared surprised. "You think so? The kids at school have other names for our group. We're a bunch of oddballs."
"Your friends love you, Gavin." Fawn cocked her head. "I think a person who has friends who care about him so deeply is a person worth having around. You have to be a good friend to have them."
"Hmmm. For someone who doesn't remember anything but the last couple of months, you sure are wise." Gavin touched her arm.
She shrugged. "It was just something I noticed."
With a grin, he glanced at his apartment door. "Well, I better start heading back. It's such a long walk back home."
"It might take you all night to walk." Fawn agreed. "Be careful. Walking so far at night you could get mugged."
Both of them looked at each other, then laughed. Gavin's expression sobered almost at once, though.
"But seriously, Remy will kill me." He moved his hand from her arm to her cheek. "I should go."
"I know."
But neither of them moved. Fawn could have spent an eternity gazing into Gavin's eyes. They were so deep she could have sworn they went on for miles. Shakily, he stepped forward, pecked her on the lips, then jumped back as if she'd electrocuted him. He grinned but his face was bright red. He whipped around and darted for his apartment door. She placed her fingers to her lips, stunned by his kiss. As far as she was concerned, it was her first one.
Chapter Ten
When Fawn entered her apartment abuzz with energy after her kiss from Gavin, she spotted her mom and dad watching a comedian on TV. Neither of them laughed, though the audience on screen did. As she walked over to greet them, her dad turned off the television and her mom looked at her. Her eyes were wide with concern.
"Everything go alright?" her mom asked.
"Yes." Fawn nodded with a grin. "It was fantastic."
Both of her parents exchanged worried glances like a fantastic date was as bad as homicide. Why are they so concerned? I made it back by curfew. Her eyebrows furrowed as distrust poked her heart with an angry spear.
After nobody spoke for several moments, Fawn said, "Well, I better get back to my bedroom. I'm tired. It was a big night."
Her mom slowly nodded and her dad's lips tightened. She padded to her room. She stopped short when she realized something was wrong. White blankets lay curled up on the floor. Her mattress was overturned. Some of her books lay strewn about the carpet like trash. One of her curtains hung half off of the copper rod. Her window was ajar.
"Mom!" Fawn screamed. "Mom, Dad!"
Loud feet thundered in the hallway. Her dad burst into the room first then skidded to a stop right behind Fawn. Her mom arrived a second later, gasping from air after the sort stint.
"Did one of you do this?" Fawn turned to look at them.
Both of her parents shook their heads, mouths open wide. Her mom's face was prune-colored and her bottom lip quivered. Her dad's eyes were as wide as goose eggs.
"Have the men you were talking about found me?" Fawn whispered. "Am I in trouble?"
Nobody said anything for a few seconds.
"Fawn, you didn't tell Gavin about what I told you, did you?" Her dad's voice was soft and not accusatory despite his words. "Be honest. We have to know."
"No." Fawn shook her head. "Nobody knows. I didn't tell Gavin."
"Okay." The trusting glance her dad gave her made her realize he believed her. "It looks like we've got to call Jax. He'll know what to do. I can't believe this mess happened. I wonder if somebody came in while we were at the grocery store?"
Her dad disappeared and her mom hugged her. Her blood boiled. Her perfect night was ruined by this horrible event. What did this mean for her future? Could one torn up room mean she would have to be placed somewhere else when she finally got her feet on the ground? Again?
****
Fawn and her parents sat on the couch in the living room. Somebody knocked on the door. She and her mom stood back and watched as her dad opened the door. Her dad let out a sigh of relief and allowed the person inside. It was Jax. Their eyes met. Even a single look from him made her feel relieved. She wished she could embrace him, but she wasn't sure he would like that.
"Are you all right?" Jax's eyes probed hers. She could see fiery concern bubbling inside of him.
"Yes." Fawn nodded. "Nobody has done anything to me. My room got torn up. Maybe it was nothing."
"I doubt that," Jax muttered. "Oliver told me what happened. I'm guessing Ark is looking for proof you are who he thinks you are."
It felt as though she'd swallowed a cookie all over again. Nobody spoke. Her stomach did somersaults.
"Do I…" Fawn shuddered. "Do I have to move again?"
Jax surveyed her with intelligent eyes. Her dad opened his mouth to speak, but Jax held up his hand and silenced him. In that moment, she saw how powerful Jax was. Even though he looked like a bum, he radiated power. She thought if she concentrated on him hard enough, maybe she could see it as well as feel it. It was a force fierce enough to touch.
"Fawn, this is up to you. This ruse with your parents cost me everything I owned. The plan took a long time to carry out." Jax didn't break her gaze to glance at her parents. "I want you safe, though, and would be willing to take you with me somewhere else if it means keeping you away from Ark and his people. The question is, what do you want?"
Her mom said, "I don't think she's able to—"
"She can make decisions as well as you or I. Better, even, because she's smarter." Jax continued to train his intense gaze on her. "What do you want to do, Fawn?"
She'd never felt so much pressure in her life, not even when she'd woken up in a burning house. The atmosphere in the room could have weighed ten billion pounds at the moment. Yet she knew what she wanted. She didn't want to give up her life here when it had just begun. She didn't want to give up Gavin or her new friends. Maybe it was selfish of her, but she didn't want to throw it away so easily.
"I want to stay here, even if those men have found me." Fawn sighed.
Her dad groaned, but a smile crossed Jax's face.
"Then stay you will. I want you to have all the choices available to you. You shouldn't have to suffer because of my mistakes." Jax's eyes were soft as he spoke but then grew as hard as coal as he continued. "But we have to figure out what to do with Ark and his cronies."
"So you know for sure it's Ark's doing?" Fawn raised an eyebrow and exchanged glances with her parents.
"Yes, I know for sure. I would bet my life it's him or another member of Galliham who ransacked your room. I will not let him do this to me again." Jax's jaw tensed. "I've been keeping tabs on you and him to ensure your safety. He is strong and fast. Unfortunately, he never works alone. All the others at Galliham are just as evil as he is."
With a growl, her dad stepped forward. "How can you let Fawn stay here? She is in great danger. Wasn't what happened to your family last time enough? We can't lose Fawn. She's special."
Jax frowned. "This will not be a repeat of wha
t happened to my family. I have a feeling Ark will loathe the day he ever set eyes on Fawn. She is special, but for reasons even you don't know about. And you owe me, Oliver. Or did you forget your part in this?"
Her dad's expression sobered and he fell silent. Her mom shook her head, her bottom lip trembling. Suddenly, Fawn felt uncomfortable again. She thought her parents weren't the only ones who were not being one hundred percent truthful. Now it felt like everyone in the world had a big secret and, while she was a part of the riddle, she was not allowed to hear the answer.
Chapter Eleven
The next day, Fawn stood in the kitchen helping her mom dry dishes. The phone rang. Both her and her mom exchanged worried glances like the phone could blow the apartment to smithereens. Finally, she put down her dish because her mom was elbow high in suds and picked up the phone from the base. She didn't speak a greeting in fear of who was on the other side of the line.
"Hello?" said Mr. Dungam.
"Mr. Dungam?" Fawn asked, shocked it could be anyone else but a blood thirsty group of killers.
"Fawn!" Mr. Dungam drew out every syllable of her name like he was warming up to sing on stage. "I'm so glad I caught you. I tried to give you a call yesterday, but nobody answered the phone. It's about your test results. They're fantastic. Nobody told me you were a genius. It's no wonder you thought the tests were so easy."
Fawn stilled, shocked. "What?"
"You're a genius," Mr. Dungam repeated. "The test results came back. Even after your memory loss, you answered all the questions right in all of the subjects. We wanted to talk to your dad about allowing us to IQ test you. Your intelligence is probably through the roof. You have the potential to go to a university straight away."
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