by C. S Luis
He grabbed my hand, keeping it on his cheek. “Believe me when I say I did not want to leave.” When he opened his eyes again, he look completely overwhelmed.
“Tell me how to help you,” I pleaded. His lips quivered when they parted, releasing an almost orgasmic moan.
“You already have, my pet.” Quentin took another deep breath, then slowly released me and leaped onto the ledge, extending his hand out to me. He seemed suddenly alive, radiant and full of vigor. “Come with me.”
I looked back at the door to the staircase and hesitated. A feeling that someone was trying to reach me from beyond just wouldn't leave me alone.
'Come to me…' Quentin whispered in my mind.
I felt another tug, trying to hold me back.
'Forget him.' Quentin grabbed my hand. 'Come with me.' When still that didn't change my mind, he frowned, studying my concern. “You are not pleased to see me?”
“Yes,” I forced myself to say.
“Then come with me, my pet! Let me take you to my world. I have so much more to show you.”
I stumbled closer. “But… Michael. He'll be worried about me.”
“He means nothing, does he, my pet?” Quentin whispered. “Come. I want you near me! Let me take you away!”
The words died before I could say anything else. I felt powerless and at the same time stronger than I had ever felt before when he was near.
“I couldn't bear being away from you.” His grip tightened on my hand. “Nothing, no one, can keep me away from you. Come with me.”
The feeling of being searched for filled me again, pulling at my heart.
'Where are you, Claudia?' Finally, there was his voice, calling desperately. 'Please be safe. Where are you?'
“John?” I exhaled.
'Yes! Where are you? I want to see you. I'm sorry if I said something to frighten you… Claudia?'
Quentin yanked a little hard on my hand, frowning at me until John's voice disappeared. “He means nothing.” He pulled me toward the ledge, then dropped over the side and nearly took me with him.
I screamed and closed my eyes just before someone else's hand grabbed my other arm and pulled me to the floor. When I opened my eyes, I saw Alex staring down at me, trying to wake me up.
“Claudia!” she screamed.
I blinked up at her and realized Quentin was gone. “What happened?” I asked. “Where—”
“What happened? You almost fell to your death, you idiot!” Alex grabbed my hand and lifted me to my feet. I stumbled but managed to regain my balance with her help.
I staggered beside her toward the entrance to the stairwell, only glancing back once before we disappeared through the door.
Chapter 23:
The Absent
The bell rang for the last time when Michael looked across the classroom. The teacher he was evaluating and the students were all busy working on a project she had given them to last the entire period. The new principal, Dr. Müller, had given him quite a few teachers to evaluate, since Michael was good at the job. He looked toward the doorway and saw Mr. Claypool peeking his head up beside the door's window and signaling for Michael to join him.
“Mrs. Robertson, please continue with your assignment while I step out for a moment,” Michael said.
“No problem, Mr. McClellan.” The mousy-looking woman with brown hair and a pink pantsuit nodded.
The class remained quiet, as if he had never said a word, while the teacher continued writing her lesson on the chalkboard. A few students barely glanced up, uninterested. Michael stepped into the hallway to find Mr. Claypool's worried face looking back at him.
“Anything?”
The tall, blond assistant principal shook his head.
“Did you look everywhere?” Michael asked.
“Michael, I'm beginning to think she's not in school at all,” Mr. Claypool said.
“That's impossible. I saw her leaving with Alex Burton.”
“Alex Burton?” Mr. Claypool raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, I know. That's why I'm worried.” Michael glanced back into the classroom.
“Knowing how Burton behaves, I'd say they're at the mall,” Mr. Claypool said.
“Well, I need to finish all these evaluations Dr. Müller gave me,” Michael said pacing the hallway.
“You want me to send Vasquez?” Mr. Claypool pulled out his radio.
“No. If Dr. Müller hears I sent him on an errand to find Claudia, it won't look good for either of them. I don't want Dr. Müller to think this is how we handle things around here. I just had dinner with the man last night. And now this… He plans to pull strings with the district regarding repairs…”
Mr. Claypool put the radio down and smiled. “That sounds promising. So, what do you want me to do, sir?”
Michael frowned up at him. “All we can do is keep our eyes open… If she's with Burton, then the mall is our best bet. But that lady is gonna have a lot of explaining to do when I find her.”
Mr. Claypool shook his head. “I'll tell Vasquez what's happening.” He lifted the radio again, but Michael stopped him before he could use it.
“It's best we just keep Dr. Müller out of the loop. Tell Vasquez in person.” Mr. Claypool nodded, and Michael returned to the classroom.
Chapter 24:
Troublemaker
I managed to walk the rest of the way down with Alex behind me, who gave me a strange, motherly lecture about safety. We stumbled out the door into the hall.
“What the hell were you trying to do?” she snapped.
“What are you talking about?” I still really didn't know what had happened. One minute, I was with Quentin, and the next, Alex was shouting at me while I was laid out on the roof.
“Claudia, you nearly fell over the edge. If I hadn't come when I did… Let's just say we wouldn't be standing here talking.” She eyed me for a few seconds. “You don't remember, do you? Are you okay?”
“I'm not sure,” I said, stumbling away. “I have to go. I need to find John…”
His voice was calling to me. Alex shouted for me to come back, but I didn't stop. Michael's troubled mind searched for me. He had Mr. Claypool and Mr. Vasquez looking for me too. When Michael found me, I knew I'd be in big trouble.
I raced down the second-floor hallway, turned the corner, and crashed into Mr. Thomas. He simply looked at me. “Everyone's been looking for you.”
I bit my lip as he motioned for me to follow. Alex ducked back into the stairwell before Mr. Thomas led me away in the other direction.
Chapter 25:
At the Principal's Office
I was expecting to see Michael in the principal's office. Mrs. Wallace wasn't at her desk. Dr. Müller's office door was closed. Mr. Thomas knocked, then narrowed his dark eyes at me. I knew very little about Mr. Thomas, only that he was pretty strict.
“Come in,” Joseph called from his office. As the door opened, he saw me with Mr. Thomas and immediately dropped what he was working on. There was a distortion in the sound around us, coming from him—a wave in the air like a radio frequency. Whatever it was, it was malfunctioning, and I could hear it.
I gasped. I didn't want to be here. Mr. Thomas extended an arm for me to enter first, then we stopped in front of Joseph's desk. Joseph gave me a ridiculous smile. I couldn't meet his gaze. I was both embarrassed and scared that he would know there was something different about me. The man wanted to keep me away from John, and then I tried not to think of John at all. Instead, I took a deep breath and calmed the nervous, frenetic energy. Glancing at Joseph's wrist, I looked for the watch beneath the sleeves of his pastel-blue dress shirt. The silver body seemed to shine from the outer edges of the sleeve. I tried to see if the needle hands were moving, but it was difficult to tell from this distance. Then I had to look away before he caught me.
“Sorry to disturb you, Dr. Müller,” Mr. Thomas said, “but I found her in the second-floor hallway coming from the roof. She was obviously skipping class…”
Joseph looke
d at me, the corners of his mouth curving slightly. 'Miss Belle, you are just the person I wanted to see.' I tried not to look like I'd just heard his private thoughts, and then he gazed down at his wrist. Oh, no. Had I just made the watch move? He regarded his watch suspiciously, then he looked away both from the device and from me. 'What just happened? Another surge? I hope John is closer to finding the cause. Whether it's ET product or something else… At least the girl is here, away from him. She's far too distracting, but maybe she can offer something.'
Offer something? I still couldn't look at him, my stomach tying itself into nervous knots, now. Control yourself, Claudia. That seemed to work a little.
“I see,” Joseph finally replied. Then he stood and stepped around his desk to stand in front of Mr. Thomas. “I'll handle this, Mr. Thomas,”
“Should I inform Mr. McClellan?”
Joseph glanced at me. Michael would not like the fact that I stood in Dr. Müller's office now, or that I'd been skipping class.
“No. No, I'll do that myself,” Joseph said, still staring at me. I glanced briefly at him, and he grinned.
Mr. Thomas didn't look pleased, especially because he'd known Michael a lot longer than both Joseph and I had. “She's not a troublemaker,” he said, apparently trying to convince Dr. Müller of the same.
“I'll make that conclusion, thank you, Mr. Thomas. Now, please just make sure you lock the door up to the roof.”
“There is no lock, sir.” Mr. Thomas glanced at me, and his gaze softened. 'Don't worry, kid. I'll tell Michael. I'm not sure about this guy.'
Though his thoughts obviously weren't meant for me to hear, they still made me feel better. I hid my smile behind my hand, grateful that Michael would know where I was. But now I wondered why Mr. Thomas didn't trust Joseph, either.
“Well, we need to secure it,” Joseph continued. “Get Mrs. Wallace to call a locksmith. Keep students from going up there. The last thing we need is a lawsuit on our hands.” The man looked down at me again as he spoke.
Just breathe, I told myself. A tingle raced up my arm. My gaze settled on a pen in the cup of them on his desk; it popped free and rolled across the wooden surface toward the floor. Both Joseph and Mr. Thomas glanced at the desk, and I stared at my shoes.
Joseph knelt to pick up the wayward writing utensil. He examined it briefly then glanced at me. “Well, what are you waiting for?” He looked up at Mr. Thomas and waved toward the door. “Get that taken care of. I don't want anyone else wandering up there.” Then he dropped the pen back into the cup.
“Yes, sir.” Mr. Thomas went to the door but shot me a final glance. Then he was gone, and it was just Joseph and me, alone.
Breathe. I lifted my head slightly as Joseph turned to his side of the desk and sat. I just stood there, unable to look at him for a long time, concentrating on my breathing.
“Are you okay, Miss Belle?”
I looked up slowly and met his gaze. “Yes, sir…”
“Strange. It almost seems you're trying to control a bad habit.” When I frowned in confusion, he smiled. “You don't have a bad habit, do you? I won't tell Michael if you tell me you smoke.” Then he winked. “I'm kidding, of course. But please, don't smoke. It's quite bad for you.” He gave me that same clever smirk he'd worn as a dinner guest last night.
'What's your story?' he wondered, still unaware that I could hear him. 'Why does John like you so much? Why? John doesn't like anyone. But you are occupying his mind more than anything else these days…' It was so strange to hear him ask what he never intended for me to hear. This could be a good thing for him, though.
I blinked at him, waiting for more, but the man seemed to have finished his private brainstorming. I didn't know what to say to him—or what to think. It felt a lot more like he was playing some strange game with me, only I didn't know any of the rules.
“Have a seat,” he said firmly. I collapsed into one of the chairs in front of his desk.
'Claudia, where are you?' John's voice broke through my scattered thoughts again.
John?
'Yes. Where are you? What's going on? I feel how afraid you are right now. Are you okay? Tell me, please. I want to see you. Is it something I did?'
I didn't know how to answer that.
'Why are you scared? Are you in danger? Tell me. I'm coming.'
Again, I took a breath.
“Miss Belle, you don't have asthma, do you?”
I shook my head.
“Well, that's good. I don't want to be responsible for stirring your symptoms.”
“Am I in trouble?” I interrupted. It was a bold move, but I needed to get out of here.
Joseph's eyes widened in surprise, but his smile widened. 'You are far more than just in trouble, my dear.' “More or less,” he said. “What were you doing on the roof?”
“Nothing.”
I was never really good at lying. By the way Joseph just wrinkled his nose and kept smiling, I figured he'd been properly trained to deal with this sort of thing.
“Oh? Would you rather I ask Michael? Mr. McClellan is a nice man, and I had fun at his home last night. I like him. So I don't want to disturb him with this news about you, Miss Belle.” He glanced down at his wrist again, pulling lightly at the sleeve of his dress shirt. “Which makes me wonder… Why did you leave dinner last night? Is there something going on that I should know about?”
I stared at him, not really surprised that he was bringing that up. This just seemed like an odd time to have that conversation. I wanted to tell him the same thing I'd told John—that it was none of his business. But I had a feeling Joseph wouldn't let this go as easily as John had.
“Did you being on the roof have anything to do with what happened last night?”
“Last night?” I saw him tap the face of his watch, though that was as much as I could see from where I sat. “Do I make you nervous?”
I shook my head.
“Did my nephew say something to upset you last night?”
“Why would he?”
“I don't know. You left abruptly, Miss Belle. Maybe he said something ungentlemanly.”
“No, he was nothing but nice to me.” What was he getting at.
Joseph stood again and sat on the front corner of his desk, looming over me with that undying smile. “You were alone in your room with him, weren't you? Maybe he wasn't polite. You can tell me. If my… nephew said something to upset you, I need to know.”
Now this felt like an interrogation, and it really didn't seem right. “No,” I told him firmly. “John's always been polite.”
He challenged me with another smile. “You like him?”
The butterflies in my stomach swarmed, and my cheeks flushed with heat.
“John can be such a romantic,” Joseph continued. “He gets it from his father.”
Father? I knew that was a lie.
The principal tapped his watch again. “Just be honest, Claudia.”
“Yes,” I said. “I like John.”
After staring at me for a few more seconds, he shrugged. “Well, do you know how he feels about you?” he asked. “Because I want to be honest with you, Miss Belle. My nephew has had many girlfriends. I just want you to know that. He's wowed them and dazzled them. You're not the first.”
My heart ached.
“I know what you're thinking. You're different. But my dear, I'd hate for you to get your heart broken. And with his father's line of work, there is always the potential of finding another position in another state. We move a lot…”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. Why didn't he want me to get close to John?
“It might sound harsh, yes, but I'd rather you know the truth. John may act like he's interested in you, but my nephew has a way with girls. And I feel connected to Michael, so I don't want to see you hurt. I hope you understand. Forgive me for being so forthcoming.”
I nodded.
'Claudia? I'm here…'
“I mean, I'm sure he told you he already has a g
irlfriend, right?”
“Girlfriend?” I frowned at him, even though I knew he was lying.
“Her name is Rachel. They met the first day in class. You know her, right? The cheerleader. John has a thing for cheerleaders. It kind of comes with the territory of being a football player. Of course, he's decided not to try out this season, but that doesn't stop the girls from finding him.” Joseph grinned, leaned forward, and put a hand on my shoulder. “I'm sorry, my dear. You didn't know?”
I shook my head, tears swimming in my eyes. I knew he was lying, but it didn't make the words any less hurtful. Joseph tapped his watch, I exhaled, and the cup of pens toppled over. He glanced beside him on the desk as pens and pencils rolled everywhere.
I got up and rushed toward the door. “I have to go to class.”
“It was nice talking to you, Miss Belle.” I glanced back long enough to nod at him, but before I could grab the handle, the door flung open.
“Claudia!” John gasped. “I've been looking—” The words died on his lips when he saw Joseph rising from the corner of his desk.
“Nephew! Look who came to pay me a visit. We were just having a little discussion—”
“What did he say to you?” John whispered. I gazed at him, and he reached up to wipe the tears from my cheek. I couldn't help but turn my face away. “Claudia, whatever he said, it's not true. You know me. I told you everything…”
Joseph walked toward us.
“Who's Rachel?” I asked. John just blinked in surprise, and now I saw in his eyes that everything Joseph had told me was true. Why hadn't I seen it before? Was I that blind to think that he actually wanted me? What else hadn't he told me? Maybe he was actually planning to take me to the people he said wanted me. Maybe it was a lot worse then I wanted to believe.
“I had to,” he whispered. “It was part of the job.”
“Am I part of the job too?”
“No. Never. You're different. You mean something to me.”
I moved past him, and he grabbed my hand. My body reacted with a very real electric shock, but when he ground his teeth together through the pain, he wouldn't release his grip on me. “Let go,” I whispered.
