by C. L. Stone
Kota frowned. He swung a distressed glance at the others.
“We could...” Dr. Green started. He looked over at Mr. Blackbourne intently. A silent communication of expressions passed over my head faster than I could keep up with.
Mr. Blackbourne shook his head. “No approval. It’s not a shelter.”
“Application?” Dr. Green.
Again Mr. Blackbourne shook his head. “Trial time. We don’t even know if she qualifies.”
“We could keep an eye on her until then. Special circumstances? Expedited? They can’t refuse us.”
“No,” Kota said. “I don’t want her there.”
“What?” I asked. I was having trouble figuring out this conversation. Did I miss something? Maybe I did need to sleep.
They all ignored me and concentrated on Kota.
Kota hooked his arms under my thighs and around my back, lifting me off of the floor and pulling me into his lap. “No, she’s not going there,” he said. He crossed his legs on the ground and drew me in close to him. His arms encircled my waist. His cheek touched my temple as he talked over my head. “She’s right. She has to go back.”
“Fucking hell no!” North shouted louder than the others but each of them expressed equal displeasure, all except Mr. Blackbourne and Dr. Green, who only looked curiously at Kota.
“Sang goes back,” Kota said in a louder voice. “But not alone. We’re going to set security up in her house. We’ll monitor her. We’ll be close by. Anything she needs, we’ll be there for her.” I felt his chest rising as he inhaled. The sound of his voice reverberated through me. “We’re not prepared to take her out of her house right now. She’s right. If her mother calls the police, we’re not equipped for it alone.”
“We can handle this,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “We’ve done it before.”
“We aren’t prepared right now, not without asking a favor. Her mother will call the police today if she figures out she’s gone. I’m surprised she hasn’t done so yet. What are the police going to do? They’ll arrest her mom and her dad and they’ll send her and Marie to live in a foster home.”
“We can’t get the police involved,” Mr. Blackbourne said.
Kota nodded. “It’s too volatile. We’ll get her mom treatment. We’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again. We need a better plan than just kidnapping her.”
“It won’t be kidnapping,” Dr. Green said. “You’re underestimating us. If we just call…”
“Not that.” Kota said, zeroing is gaze in on Mr. Blackbourne. “She is never going to the Academy. I don’t want them knowing any more about her. We’re going to do it without their help.”
My eyes popped open. Dr. Green and Mr. Blackbourne were going to send me to the Academy? How? I didn’t even know it was a possibility.
Why would Kota refuse to let me? And why wouldn’t he let the Academy help? Wasn’t he part of the Academy, too?
The silence in the room overwhelmed me until I shivered hard against Kota.
“None of you understand what you’re doing,” Mr. Blackbourne said.
“I don’t care,” Gabriel said. “Kota’s right. We need a little more time. I’ll stay with her. Whatever she needs.”
“I’ll do it,” Nathan said.
The others chimed in, too.
Dr. Green nodded. “I will, too. Maybe Kota is right. We need to keep her close. If we involve the Academy, she’ll be too exposed and it is far too soon for her. We need a little time, but I bet we could do it on our own.” His green eyes flickered at me before he turned to Mr. Blackbourne. “And I can’t believe for one second you’d tell us no.”
Mr. Blackbourne shifted on his feet, frowning.
“What’s the matter, Mr. Blackbourne?” North asked. “Don’t think we can keep up with one little girl?”
Mr. Blackbourne adjusted his glasses higher with a forefinger. His eyes closed as he talked. “Fine. If that’s what Kota wants, if it’s what Miss Sorenson wants, if everyone is sure, we’ll do it.” He opened his eyes again and pointed a finger at all of them. “But I want your word you’ll never take advantage of her, given her situation.”
“Who the hell do you think we are?” Victor barked at him. The fire roared to life in his eyes again. “You think we’d ever...”
“I mean it,” Mr. Blackbourne snapped back at him. “If I hear one word from her that you have touched her or so much as looked at her in a way she didn’t want, any complaint, any rumor, I’ll pull you all out of this, and I wouldn’t hesitate to drop you from the Academy.”
The threat hung in the air. Everyone drew quiet under the weight of what he was suggesting.
I couldn’t believe for a moment any of them would hurt me or do anything bad to me. They were my friends. Kota, Gabriel... all of them. I understood Mr. Blackbourne and his need to say it out loud. No one complained.
Mr. Blackbourne turned back to Kota. “And I’m telling you, Mr. Lee,” he pointed at this face. “If this happens again, we’re calling in the Academy. I won’t allow anything like this to continue. Not with us.”
Kota’s arms squeezed around me, his hands spreading over my stomach and waist as he glared back at Mr. Blackbourne over my head. I didn’t fully understand what was going on, but I did know they were granting my request. In what way they were going to allow it, I wasn’t sure.
“That’s enough for now, I think,” Dr. Green said. He waved a hand in the air. “Let me examine her and we’ll clean her up. We’ll eat and we’ll figure out what our next step is.”
Inner Sanctum
Two hours later, I was wearing the shorts and blouse I had on the day before, clean and fresh from Nathan’s laundry room. I stood in my parents’ driveway, with Nathan holding my left hand and Luke holding my righ. North pulled his black Jeep into the drive, bringing Victor, Mr. Blackbourne and Dr. Green. The others were close behind on foot.
Our orders from Mr. Blackbourne were to check to see if my mother was still sleeping and to stabilize her. If she tried to come after me again, the boys would pull me out of there.
I padded over in my bare feet, my bandages in place. My fingers tingled between the knuckles of both Nathan and Luke. With their palms pressed to mine, it eased my trembling. I didn’t quite know what to expect. I was bringing them into my world. This was way further than I ever expected them to be. Despite what we’d already been through together, was I ready for this?
We walked in to the garage together. At the steps, I let go of them both so I could open the door.
Once I cracked open the door, I stuck my head in and waited. The house was quiet. I looked back at the guys, stepped inside and out of the way.
My heart was in my throat as Nathan and Luke entered. Both of them scanned the room. Nathan did a second and third glance at the nearly barren family room, with a single, barely touched couch and not much else. Like my bedroom, the house had just enough and not a piece more.
While they both had been inside before, it was strange to me to have them walking in the side door. I felt like at any moment my mother might come around the corner and find them.
I knew if that happened, they were supposed to pull me out of the house. I’d been told repeatedly by all of them what was expected of me. If they couldn’t ensure my safety inside the house, I wouldn’t be allowed to stay.
I led the way through the kitchen and to the hallway on the other side. I stepped quietly in places where I knew the house wouldn’t creak. When I turned to the wall to slide over toward my mom’s room, I smelled Luke’s vanilla scent and felt his warmth. He was so close that his arm warmed mine. When I looked back, Nathan stationed himself at the other end of the hall, closer to the kitchen, standing by and ready to charge in or fetch the others as needed.
I willed myself to keep moving. I was scared. I was worried my appearance would alert my mother and she’d come after me again. I was worried for the guys, who would be at risk if they were exposed. I was stuck between these two worlds and unsure how to break them
apart again.
Did I want to?
I sucked in a deep breath and held it. I tilted away from the wall, so I could peek inside my mother’s room.
My mother was in her bed, in a deep sleep. She was snoring loudly this time, too. I moved quickly, pushing the door back to bump against the wall to see if she woke up. No response.
I stepped into view, shuffling forward along the beige carpet toward her bed.
She wasn’t sweating anymore. There was a pill bottle spilled over on the comforter. I recognized the morphine pills. The heavy curtains were drawn tight.
She’d blocked herself from the world she imagined was cruel and out to get her. How strange I felt about it now. Despite her efforts that she thought would keep me safe from being raped and murdered, I was now standing over her with a team determined to keep me safe from her crazy punishments. She feared people entering her sanctuary, and instead of warding people away, she drew Kota and the others in as they tried to protect me.
It felt wrong, even as I wished for my friends to remain with me more than anything. I had made excuses for her behavior in the past for punishments and lectures. Her illness made her confused and unable to control herself. My mother didn’t want anyone in her world. It felt wrong because she was sick, and her only request was to keep everyone out. Your family should come before friends or anyone else. You should always protect them. Why were principles such as loyalty and blood bonds such cruel, twisted things?
Luke stepped into the room. He crossed as quietly as I had, using the same spots I had picked out as my path. His lean, strong body moved with care and he hovered over my mother, his head tilted as he frowned. His blond hair fell in the way of his dark eyes. If my mother only knew, she would die right then. Despite how kind and affectionate Luke could be, she would only see a stranger, one of the scary monsters she feared.
Luke reached into his back pocket, pulling a tiny brown bottle out. He uncorked the top, and held it out toward my mother’s mouth and nose. My mother breathed in deeply as she slept. A moment later, the snoring softened, and her head tilted to the side.
“This should keep her out for a couple of hours,” Luke said quietly. He corked the bottle again and slipped it into his pocket.
“Where did you get that?” I whispered. I swallowed, knowing my voice was probably too soft for him to hear anyway. “Do you carry things like that all the time?”
He looked up at me, flashing a smile, his brown eyes catching a spark from the light streaming in through the windows. “Don’t ask those questions.”
I sighed, twisting my mouth. By saying he couldn’t tell me, he just answered both of my questions. Academy secrets.
Nathan popped his head in. His mouth opened like he wanted to say something, but he caught on my mother sleeping in the bed. His blue eyes darkened. “It’s hard to believe that’s the same person who...”
“I know,” Luke said. “It doesn’t seem possible.”
My eyes hunted out Luke’s. I wanted to get this over with.
He nodded to me. “Let’s get the others.”
♥♥♥
Moments later, Dr. Green sat on the edge of my mother’s bed, checking her pulse, listening to her breathing with a stethoscope and taking other vitals. Mr. Blackbourne sorted through the collection of pill bottles on her nightstand.
“There’s more in her drawer,” I whispered to them, sitting on the other side of the bed. I scooped up the spilled pills across the blanket and dropped them back into the open container. The boys were in the hallway, looking in on us and waiting for orders.
Mr. Blackbourne held out his phone, flashing a picture of the labels. “There’s at least five different doctors. Some of these prescriptions are repeats. She’s taking them irregularly and getting double the dose of the narcotics if these refill dates are right. Duplicates.”
“I’ll call their offices,” Dr. Green said. “I’ll get copies of her medical history faxed over.” He sighed, pulling himself away from my mother to sit up and rubbing a finger at his temple. “I’ll need to know more before making a decision. I need to get an IV in her, though. Sang’s right, she’s desperately dehydrated. I might have to order an ambulance. That’ll be complicated to do without the Academy.”
Mr. Blackbourne nodded. He handed the pill bottles over to Dr. Green. “Do your best to avoid it. Collect what you need.” He crossed the room, curling his fingers at me so I’d follow. I crawled off the bed, feeling unsure about leaving my mother alone with Dr. Green. What if she woke up and had a strange person so close to her?
Out in the hallway again, Mr. Blackbourne closed the door, leaving Dr. Green alone with my mother. He turned to us. “Okay, Luke, I want a map of this house, every exit point, every nook covered. Silas and North, go fix that bathroom upstairs. When Dr. Green is done, Nathan and Victor, I want you to get in there and look for any more ropes. Anything that can be used as a restraint, I want it gone.” He focused on me. “Show me your room.”
I blushed but turned at his command, guiding the way to the stairs. The others followed behind me, with Victor and Nathan staying behind for Dr. Green.
Silas pointed the upstairs bathroom door out to North. The frame was split. They collected near it, scanning the damage.
North’s face contorted, eyes going to the floor where the stool remained, fractured into pieces. His fists clenched.
Silas touched his forearm quickly, bringing him back to the job they were told to do.
Marie’s door was open and I could see the usual mess in her room. She was probably still over at Danielle’s. I hoped she wouldn’t pop over right now. I didn’t want her to know the guys were here. I didn’t want her to know what happened.
At my own bedroom door, I twisted the handle to open it and stepped in.
I stopped short, mortified by the mess. The window was open, probably where Nathan got in when he came to look for me. The bookshelf was smashed down across the carpet. The books were scattered across the floor and torn. My trunk was open, the contents completely dumped out. My school books were ripped through, the notebooks and papers spilled out. The contents from the closet were emptied across the carpet. The sheets were pulled from the bed. The mattress was slumped over, half hanging on the floor.
Mr. Blackbourne materialized next to me, frowning. Gabriel appeared beside me on the other side. He pressed his palm to mine, his fingers covering mine.
Kota tiptoed around the mess, his eyes seeking out answers to silent questions.
Mr. Blackbourne studied the room. “Was it like this before?”
I shook my head. “I had my school books on the bed but...” My whispering stopped. My voice wasn’t going to let me explain.
Victor emerged from the hallway looking curious. He remained quiet, his fire eyes moving over the contents of the room.
“She was looking for something,” Kota said. He knelt, picking up the edge of the bookshelf. Mr. Blackbourne crouched with him and helped pick up the bookshelf, putting it back against the wall. Kota looked over at me. “What would she want?”
I shook my head, blushing. I had no idea. I looked at Gabriel. He leaned his head in and I whispered. He spoke for me. “She said her mom found the notes from the boys at school and the detention slip; that’s when she flipped out. But the room was intact mostly then. She must have come back looking for more.”
“If she found more,” Mr. Blackbourne said, “this might have been much worse.”
North appeared in the doorway. His eyes, like the others, searching the destroyed room. He held up the pink cell phone. The face was cracked and blank. “It was in the tub,” he said. “I don’t think it’s working.”
I leaned in to whisper to Gabriel. “She says she’s sorry, Victor.” Gabriel smirked, chopping me on the head. “Shut up.”
Victor took the phone from North and pocketed it. “I’ll get her another one.” He flashed me a look and I tried shaking my head, but he pointed a lean finger in my direction. “Don’t even star
t with me.”
North disappeared again. I moved away to start sorting out the mess near the trunk. Gabriel went through my closet. Mr. Blackbourne and Kota stuffed books onto the shelves. Victor hung back near the door, watching.
Mr. Blackbourne picked up the stereo, putting it back on the top of the bookshelf. He turned it on, hitting play on the CD player. My guess was he wanted to test it to see if it still worked. A piano piece started. He blinked at it, tilting his head as he listened.
“What song is that?” Victor asked. He had his arms crossed over his chest and was leaning against the wall.
I looked at him, not sure if he could hear me across the room. He frowned when he realized it and came forward, kneeling next to me. I leaned to him, hanging on to his arm as I did to whisper in his ear. “Mysterious by Yuko Ohigashi.”
“Who?” Mr. Blackbourne asked him.
Victor repeated the name. “I don’t recognize it.” I tugged on his arm so he’d lean in again and I could whisper. He repeated out loud this time. “It’s one of her favorites.”
He reached out to me, brushing a finger across my cheek. He stood up, moving to the door and disappearing.
I went back to folding the old clothes and putting them back into the trunk. Mr. Blackbourne collected my school books. Kota started organizing the books on the shelves by author and title name. I didn’t have the heart to tell him he didn’t have to. Some of the books were torn. He collected the pages across the floor, finding where the missing pages went and tucked them neatly inside. He stacked the torn ones on the floor beside him.
He pulled out one that didn’t have a title, my journal, and absentmindedly thumbed it open, looking at the pages. His eyebrows shot up and he turned to me. “Sang? What’s this?”
Did he expect me to answer? Frustrated that they kept forgetting, I used sign language to quickly spell out, “Journal.” If Luke knew it, the others probably did, too. They were smart Academy guys.
