CHAPTER FIVE
HOMECOMING
The day started with another thunderstorm. It had been pouring for almost two weeks straight. Ever since they found out Kristen Miller disappeared. It never rained this many days in a row, but it wasn’t the only weird occurrence going on. Not only had Kristen vanished, Nicole Eckrich and Scott Tingle had also gone missing without a trace. The police of course were doing everything they could, but that still didn’t quell the worries of parents and even students.
Ava pulled into her parking space and shut off the car engine. She hated the rain. The more it came down, the more she thought about her mom and the streaks of lightning that looked like brilliant white veins. The memory permanently seared her mind. The heavy rain soaking her as she cried for her mother…She shook her head but it didn’t erase the images.
She jogged out of the cool rain and into the school. Her hair had probably ballooned into some big frizzy mess now even after she had straightened it this morning. Just as she opened the second set of doors, Thomas was there waiting. She hated how he always waited for her. She could walk to her locker on her own.
He smiled down at her, licked his lips, and then gave a quick kiss. “Good morning.”
“Morning,” she mumbled.
“Someone’s grouchy.”
She immediately felt defensive. “It’s raining. And I hate mornings.”
“True. I hope it stops. For both our sakes.”
Ava looked up at him. Had Thomas actually remembered why she hated the rain? It impressed her. But she had to be sure. “What do you mean?”
“It sucks playing in this stuff, and I can imagine sitting in the bleachers watching must suck too. I’m tired of practicing in the mud. And if we don’t win tomorrow…” He shook his head.
The impressiveness quickly vanished. Of course, he was more concerned with football than anything else. Ava wondered what her mom would say about her still being with Thomas.
“Ava! Thomas!” Gillian ran toward them.
“It’s happened again,” she cried. “Something’s going on.” Her body shook while tears leaked from her large blue eyes, and her chin quivered.
Thomas grimaced. “Damn, calm down.”
“What’s wrong?” Ava asked.
“Link Harris.” Gillian caught her breath. “No one had seen him since Sunday. Jeremy said he missed basketball practice this whole week.”
“What the hell is going on?” Thomas demanded.
“I don’t know. There’s more.”
“What?” Ava and Thomas asked together.
“Kristen and Link are back. Unharmed.”
Ava shifted. “What about Nicole?
“I haven’t seen her. But apparently Kristen’s parents claim they forgot she was with her grandmother.”
Thomas lifted his eyebrows. “Yeah, okay.”
“I’m not lying.”
“How do you just forget your daughter is with her grandmother?” Ava asked.
“I don’t know. But you’ll never recognize Kristen.”
“Why?” Thomas asked. “Did she finally get that makeover Melissa’s been wanting to give her?” He laughed.
Gillian glared at him. “You are such a jerk. She’s completely different. And Link isn’t nice anymore. He’s so mean. You know Chasity Waddell? He totally just pushed her out of her wheelchair!”
Ava’s mouth flew open.
Thomas laughed, probably from how uncharacteristic it was of Link Harris, but Ava knew better. “Wait, good ‘ol boy Link? Like, the same Link that does all the soup kitchens and everything?”
“Yes!”
“Just on a whim, he shoves her out of her chair? Is he trying to be badass or something?” Thomas asked. “Link Harris? What’s he trying to prove? He’s so perfectly good.”
“I don’t know what’s going on.” Gillian covered her face and fell into Ava’s shoulder.
Ava placed an arm around her. “I don’t either.”
The three of them walked to Ava’s locker, where Melissa, Lance, and Jeremy lingered.
“You guys have to see this,” Melissa said.
The loud voices in the hallway immediately hushed. Ava turned her head to see Kristen slowly saunter down the hallway confidently instead of her usual hunched-over walk. Everyone was aghast at the sight of the new Kristen, with a grin on her face that could get anything she wanted. The boys drooled, and everyone stared wide-eyed at the unbelievable transformation that had taken place. She no longer wore the grandmother cardigans. Today, she donned a black leather jacket, a short black skirt, and black patent heels. Her brown hair, no longer bushy, was sleeked into several twisted strands that bounced past her shoulders. With a hand on her hip, she headed straight for Ava and Thomas.
“Hey, Thomas,” her now sultry voice greeted him, and she caressed his chin with her finger. She continued walking by as his eyes followed her backside. Ava elbowed him, but he only shrugged. Kristen continued to stroll until she stopped next to Xavier. They embraced as if they’d been together forever and kissed so passionately that Ava had to avert her eyes. Several gasps resonated off the walls, and then loud chatter resumed.
“Well, new kid is into drugs too,” Melissa said. “Pay up, Ava.”
“Shut up.”
“And so is Link,” Melissa added as he walked up next to Xavier and Kristen.
Link had dyed his blond hair jet black and now sported a five o’clock shadow. He looked as though he’d aged in the past few days. The three of them laughed and ignored all the stares and whispers. They carried on as if they had been friends for years. Ava couldn’t take her eyes off the scene that unfolded before her.
The tardy bell rang, and students scrambled into their classrooms, including Melissa and Ava, who interrupted Mrs. Duke’s monotone role calling. She gave them a stern look but continued. Once finished, she stood at the front of the room, slowly writing down numbers on the dry erase board and continuously sliding her glasses up her small nose.
Ava wasn’t listening to anything Mrs. Duke said. Kristen and Link’s new appearance circled in her head. How could Kristen’s parents just forget something like that? Or was that just something Gillian said? Obviously, something wasn’t right. Could someone have tampered with her parents’ memory? Gillian? No. How could she even think her best friend was involved? Then again, Gillian did act a little too freaked out by it. Were they playing games with Xavier? He was the new kid, and no one liked him. Had Melissa and Gillian convinced Kristen and Link to hang out with Xavier? It seemed far-fetched, and it didn’t explain their disappearing act. But the way Melissa acted lately she wouldn’t put it past her.
Ava knew Melissa would be upset if she asked, but she had to know for sure they weren’t involved. Maybe she’d talk to Thomas first.
Class ended and Ava walked to chemistry and took her seat. The second she saw Peter, she smiled. No matter what, he always made her heart skip a beat.
“Good morning.” Peter sat at his desk. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” How did he even know something was wrong?
“Okay, liar,” he teased.
“Even if I told you, you wouldn’t believe a word I said,” she told him.
“Try me.”
She shook her head, knowing she could never tell him about their powers.
“Is everything okay?”
“Sure.”
Class ended, and Peter accompanied her to her locker, where she switched out her books. She searched the hall for Thomas and waited.
“You know you can talk to me if you need to.”
“I appreciate it,” she said.
“I’ll see you later.”
“Okay.”
Peter strolled down the hall, and she was immediately guilty for leaving it like that. The one time she’d gotten to see him today, she’d brushed him off. She was just too preoccupied.
Thomas walked up and kissed her cheek. “Hey, Babe.”
“Do you think Melissa convinced Gillia
n to tamper with Kristen and Link’s mind?”
“What? Why do you say that?”
She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I know you and Melissa wanted to play games. Something is going on. I mean, don’t you think it’s odd?”
“What is wrong with you?” Thomas seized her arm and pulled her closer to him. His eyes burned into hers. “How can you even think we had anything to do with Kristen and Link’s disappearing act?”
His stern tone and sudden hostility surprised her.
“I’m sorry, but how many people do you know who can control minds?”
He loosened his grip, and his eyes rolled in the back of his head. He lost his balance and leaned over. Ava caught him from collapsing to the floor, and with a gasp, wondered how she was easily able to hold him. She dropped him immediately, before anyone could notice.
“Thomas?” She slapped his face then glanced up to see Xavier, Kristen, and Link pass by, completely absorbed in their own worlds.
Thomas groaned and opened his eyes. “What happened?”
“You just fainted.”
He sat up. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” He got to his feet, and Ava positioned her body as if he were going to fall. “I’m not gonna do that again, okay?”
She dropped her hands and stood upright.
“Whatever you do, don’t tell the others. I don’t need Lance getting on my case.”
“Did you get hurt in practice yesterday? Hit your head on something?”
“Ava? Come on. I don’t get hurt.”
She rolled her eyes. “Of course not. Do you think it’s your blood sugar?”
“Stop worrying. I’ll be fine.”
“You just fainted. Don’t you need to see the nurse?”
“Give it a rest,” he snapped. “You’re as bad as my mom.”
“I’m just trying to help.” Anytime his precious ego was wounded, he had to act like a jerk.
“I don’t need your help. It’s no big deal.”
Ava threw up her arms and made her way to the lunchroom. She swung open the door and stormed to their usual table. Slamming down her book bag, she realized they had all looked up at her.
“What’s wrong with you?” Melissa asked.
“Nothing,” Ava said. “I just don’t get this whole Kristen/Link thing.”
“It was my fault,” Gillian said.
Melissa sighed. “No it wasn’t, okay? You didn’t do anything.”
“You know,” Thomas blurted. “Ava thinks you convinced Gillian to mess with their minds.”
Ava glared at him, and clenched her teeth.
Gillian’s jaw dropped.
Melissa gave a disgusted look. “I can’t believe you would even think that.”
“It just crossed my mind for a second.”
“Why would it?”
“You’re the one who said you wanted to mess with people.”
“Are you freaking kidding me, Ava?” Melissa snapped. “I was talking about stupid things, like pretending to be a ghost in the girl’s bathroom or something. None of us knows what’s going on. You’ve been acting so weird since our powers developed. What’s with you?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re just freaking out over everything.”
“And Gillian’s not?”
Gillian huffed. “That’s not fair.”
Ava felt guilty. Did she really believe her friends had anything to do with all this craziness? Maybe she secretly wanted it all to be some prank because that lessened the fear. “I just wish I knew what was going on.”
“We all do, okay?”
Ava nodded, and then looked up and met Xavier’s cold eyes. He was staring at her with a dark grin on his face.
CHAPTER SIX
CONFRONTATION
A month passed and school was anything but normal. If the disappearance and sudden reappearance of Kristen and Link wasn’t enough, three more students had disappeared and come back as if nothing happened. Scott Tingle, Liza Butler, and Nicole Eckrich had returned, dropped their friends, and joined Xavier. All of their parents dropped their cases and the police strangely concluded that everything was fine again. It didn’t make any sense.
Ava constantly watched Xavier’s demeanor, confused by how he controlled Kristen as if she were his property. They all acted as if they belonged together. And what was with their enormous personality change? They walked the halls of the school like kings and queens of a court but kept to themselves. Each one of them hated everyone else. They ignored them, pushed them, vandalized their cars, called them names—the list was endless, and somehow they never were caught. Xavier had started a gang, and it frightened several students, including Peter.
He slid into the chair next to Ava without a greeting. She looked up and saw his face twisted in bewilderment. He balled his hand into a fist and punched the desk.
“Peter? What’s wrong?” She placed a hand on his shoulder. He was shaking.
“I can’t believe this.”
“What?”
“Seth is now Xavier’s friend.”
Ava was shocked. “What?”
“I thought he was sick, and that’s why he’d missed the last three days. And then I saw him this morning. He completely ignored me, and told Amanda to leave him alone. Just this weekend they finally kissed.”
She gripped his shaking hand, uncertain as how to calm him. “I’m so sorry.”
“And then this morning, Andre Hill went to talk to Xavier because they wrote trash on his sister’s car. Xavier laughed, and then they circled Andre. Then, he fell onto the floor. Just…collapsed. No one touched him to make him fall.”
Ava thought of Thomas. “Maybe he just fainted.”
Peter shook his head. “While he was out, Xavier stood back while Link, Scott, and Seth kicked him. And then left him there. If they can do that to him, what would they do to someone like me?”
“I-I don’t know.”
“And Andre remembers nothing. I was there, Ava. I stayed hidden in the bathroom stall. It happened so fast, I couldn’t help him. After they left, I came out and woke him up.”
Thomas hadn’t remembered anything after he fainted either.
“I’ve had enough of this,” she said. “I’m going to talk to Xavier today.”
He met her eyes. “You can’t.”
“I want to know what’s going on. You don’t just come to school, not knowing a single person, and then kidnap students and suddenly they’re your friends and then start bullying everyone who isn’t in your gang or whatever. I want to know what he’s up to.”
“Please don’t,” he said.
“Why?”
“Because he could—you could be next.”
“I won’t let that happen.”
“Ava—.”
“He can’t keep doing this and get away with it.”
“He will hurt you,” he said, and then blushed. “I couldn’t take that.”
“I’ll talk to him after class. Would he attack me with all those kids there?”
“I’m coming with you. If something happens to you, I’d rather be there so that I can try to protect you.”
“You shouldn’t be there.”
“Neither should you.”
“You’re so stubborn.”
He raised his eyebrows. “I’m stubborn?”
When the incredibly dull lesson ended, the bell rang, Ava and Peter walked side-by-side out into the crowded hall. She knew he was scared, but he didn’t let it show. Some students were already leaning against lockers, talking or kissing. Some were frantically trying to beat the late bell. Ava scanned the crowd for Xavier. Then, she saw him standing at the end of the hall against a wall of lockers, arm locked around Kristen, and laughing with his new friends, Seth included.
Peter cursed. Ava marched toward Xavier, her heart pounding, but she wasn’t about to let him see her fear. She knew Thomas wouldn’t see her standing by her locker
and knew he’d be upset, but she had to know the truth.
As soon as Xavier saw Ava, his smile disappeared, and his eyes darkened. “What do you want?” His sallow face held so much darkness.
“What are you doing to these people?”
“What? I’m not allowed to have friends?” Xavier removed his arm from around Kristen and crossed it with his other in front of his chest. He straightened his stance, making him tower over Ava.
“You know what I mean,” she said through clenched teeth.
“He didn’t do anything, okay?” Kristen smiled. “We all just started talking, and well, he saved me. He saved all of us.” She gazed up at him.
“What are you talking about?”
The late bell rang as the hallway cleared of the students, but Ava ignored it. She couldn’t tear her gaze away from Xavier’s eyes. The same frustrated look contorted his face as before.
“You should leave before this gets ugly,” he said.
Ava glared at him. “I’m not afraid of you.”
Xavier shortened the distance between them, and his thin lips stretched into a menacing grin. “That will change soon.”
“Why did you beat up Andre? Why are you terrorizing these people?”
Peter tugged on her arm. “Come on, Ava. Let’s go.”
“I will find out.”
“No doubt,” Xavier said.
“I will put an end to this.” She let Peter pull her away.
“I’d like to see you try.”
Ava stopped and turned back, ready to accept his provocation, but Peter jerked her away. They walked down the empty hallway, turned a corner, and headed straight for the cafeteria. Ava relaxed.
“What is he doing with those kids?” she asked. “It’s like he’s completely brainwashed them. They are all so different now.”
“Did you see Seth? He looked at me like we’d never been friends.”
“I’m so sorry, Peter. Mel thinks they’re doing drugs, but I don’t agree. I’ll find out.”
He stopped her outside the cafeteria. “Please don’t do anything. If we don’t entice him, maybe he’ll leave us alone. I mean, I can fight him, but I don’t think I could take seven of them.”
His eyes pleaded.
Under A Blood Moon (Elemental Enchanters) Page 5
