Chapter 1. He’s Awake!
“Mom, can I please stay home?” Jacob fingered a chipped spot on the door frame to his parents’ study. He held his breath, waiting for her answer. Today would be his first day as a freshman at Mountain Crest High School, and he’d been dreading it.
His mom looked up from her desk. “No.” She put her pen down. “You’re acting like you’re in first grade again. This isn’t that difficult, Jacob. Besides, your friends will all be there. Tani, Gus, Josh, and Kevin, plus Matt and his group.”
“Kevin? Great.” Jacob groaned. “I thought he was going to Logan High.”
She tilted her head. “Aren’t you good friends with him?”
“No, Mom. Haven’t been since third grade. He’s a jerk. And being Coach’s son only makes him worse.”
Jacob’s mom frowned. “Don’t talk like that, young man. Be more respectful. And you are going to school. Your education is important, regardless of what the Makalos say or need you to do.” She picked up her pen and continued what she’d been doing, signifying the end of the conversation.
The Makalos were a group of people—a race—Jacob had met two weeks ago when he’d gone through a link to a different world near his home. His adventures had been so incredible, he was having a hard time adjusting back to ordinary life.
Matt, Jacob’s sixteen-year-old brother, honked his truck horn out front, and Jacob ran to his room to get his backpack. At least he’d be able to bring the journal the Makalos had given him. That way, he’d have something to do if his classes were boring.
The drive to Mountain Crest was quiet and didn’t take nearly as long as Jacob had hoped it would. Matt parked the truck and walked ahead to meet Sammy, his girlfriend, by the door.
Jacob looked at the school—now his school. It was foreboding, almost like the Lorkon castle. He shivered, thinking about that place. He hoped he’d never have to go back. Not only was the castle dark and creepy, but his nightmares since then had come from the experiences he’d had there.
Jacob felt nearly the same amount of fear toward his school, and he couldn’t figure out why. It was just a stupid building, and the people inside were just humans.
The early morning sun was covered with dark clouds—uncharacteristic for the first week in September. Maybe an early snowstorm would hit and school would get canceled. Or maybe the building would be struck by lightning.
Jacob squared his shoulders. In the last two weeks, he’d faced more than these people would probably face in a lifetime. If he could handle a Molg and the Lorkon, he could deal with this. He strode into the school.
While searching for his locker, he finally put his finger on why going to school—not just high school—bothered him so much now. He’d almost been hoping he wouldn’t have to go back. After two weeks of people telling him he was special and would save lives . . . going to school seemed mundane. He wouldn’t be important here. He’d be just another student. Jacob sighed. Back to real life.
He found his locker and opened it, surprised it didn’t creak or need to be hit to open. It smelled like onions, though, and he sighed in resignation, putting a couple of his textbooks on the top shelf.
“Jake!”
He turned. His friend, Tani Webb, ran up to him at top speed, throwing her arms around him, nearly knocking him to the floor in her excitement.
“Summer was so long!” She drew out the “o” in “so” until she almost ran out of breath. “I really missed you! You missed me, too. Say it. Oh, you did! I can tell! Okay, so my locker’s just around the corner. Can you believe how big this place is? I almost got lost looking for the girls’ bathroom! And there’s only one in this part of the school. I mean, how ridiculous is that, you know? ‘Course, I’ve been here before—lots of times for Teegan’s games, but still.”
Jacob smiled in reply. He already felt better. Her upbeat attitude always raised his spirits when he was grouchy. He and Tani had been friends for years. Even though she lived half a mile away, she was one of his nearest neighbors and always played basketball with him and his friends. His smile disappeared when basketball crossed his mind.
“I’ve got to find Coach Birmingham. Is he here yet?”
“How should I know?” She probably hadn’t even thought of him. “What’s your first class?”
Jacob pulled out his schedule and groaned. “Math. Great. First class ever in high school, and it’s math. They must hate me.”
“Who’s the teacher, though? I’m sure not all of them are as bad as Mrs. Peterson.”
“Uh . . . Coolidge. Anyone with that name has to be cool, right? Coolidge is cool.” Jacob sighed. “Or am I just being dumb?”
“Yes. Give me your schedule.” She snatched it out of his hand. “Math, history, woodworking—good, glad you’re doing that again—lunch, science, and choir. Awesome. We have science together. And choir. You’re on your own for math, though. Should’ve taken honors last year.”
“Yeah, and get stuck with Mrs. Peterson for two classes? Not likely.”
The first bell rang and she handed back his schedule. “I’ve got history now. See you at lunch. Josh and Gus are eating with us.”
Tani practically bounced down the hall and around the corner. Jacob sighed, feeling his spirits drop again. He turned the opposite direction. He couldn’t believe math used to be his favorite class. Before Mrs. Peterson had ruined it all.
Kilenya Series Books 1, 2, and 3 Page 46
