House of Korba: The Ghost Bird Series: #7 (The Academy)

by C. L. Stone

  “What is it?”

  He grunted, and looked back at Nathan, who had stopped and was leaning with his back against the wall, watching us curiously. North turned back, lifted his sledgehammer over his shoulder and headed for the hallway. “I’ll tell you later,” he said as he passed and cut through the kitchen, heading to the door out to the garage.

  I watched as he left, confused.

  Nathan cocked his head. “What was that about?”

  I shrugged. “It’s a secret, I guess.”

  He smirked, and shoved his fingers through his hair, his deep blue eyes lighting up. He leaned over the open door, looking around. “He’s out in the garage?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Good.” He grabbed my hand, dragging me into the bathroom and shoved the door closed. The room was missing the counter, the toilet, and now the closet. The tub was gone. It was simply a blank space with exposed two by four beams, and ready for sheetrock.

  Nathan pushed me until my back was against the door. He planted a palm on either side of my neck. He leaned in, his lips finding mine and he kissed me. It was a shallow kiss, simply pressing his lips to mine, but lingered long, like he didn’t want to stop. A spark lit up from it, sinking down into my heart, and dipping further, giving my stomach butterflies. His bare chest grazed against my breasts as he leaned in, sending another wave of warmth through me. The scent of cypress and leather mixed with some sweat and sheetrock dust filled my nose.

  I tried to respond, though I felt my kiss was sloppy. I was still kind of new to this kissing thing.

  He backed up, smiling so wide that I couldn’t help my own lips from grinning, he was that infectious. “Hi Peanut.”

  “Hi Honey. What are you doing to your bathroom?”

  “I didn’t like it anymore, and after my dad broke the toilet and some other stuff, I’d been thinking of doing something new to it. That and North wanted a new project to work on.”

  “So you’re redoing the whole thing?”

  “Yup,” he said. He turned around, pointing. “I was going to put the sink there, this time, and there was a walk in shower I saw at the hardware store. I think I want to get Silas to put in one of those shower fixtures that goes into the ceiling. You know, like the one at Victor’s house.”

  Alarm seized through me. “No tub?” I asked, trying to sound excited because he sounded like he was.

  “Naw,” he said. “I never use the damn thing. And this will be great. It’ll make the rest of the bathroom smaller, but I think all of the other guys will like it, too. Especially Silas. He’s always griping about the shower fixtures being too short here and at Kota’s.”

  I wanted to keep listening to him, but my head was swimming with the thought of just a shower at Nathan’s. Since Nathan’s dad was now working a half a world away, and there wasn’t the risk of him coming by, at least surprising us like last time, I had hoped to spend more time here, but now I worried about being discovered for something I wasn’t sure I was ready to reveal.

  Nathan didn’t know I was terrified of showers. I swallowed the urge to tell him, feeling awkward and unsure. It was Nathan’s house, after all. He really wanted this new shower. I guessed that Victor didn’t tell him, or didn’t know they were replacing the tub, because I thought he might have mentioned it. He must be keeping his promise to me still to keep it between us for now. I didn’t want the others to try to fix me or worry about me when they did so much for me already. It sounded like Silas had already approved of this shower, or would like it, too. Certainly North did, which was why he was here.

  The longer I didn’t say anything, the more complicated this was getting. Every time I even thought to shower or tried, I panicked, once I even fainted. What would happen when I needed to wash, and all Nathan had was a shower?

  Nathan turned back to me, the same crazy smile still stuck on his face. “But it’ll take time. Knocking everything out was the easy part. The hard part is putting the pieces in. We’re going to be stuck using my dad’s bathroom for a few days at least.”

  We’d been using that one since the toilet broke until they could find the time to fix the bathroom. I worried now they might replace the tub in his dad’s bathroom, too. I could only hope that would stay. I could find reasons to use that one instead of the shower for the most part. Maybe that would work.

  He took my wrist, tugging it up until it was around his neck. My other arm followed, completing the embrace. He wrapped his arms around my body. “What do you say? You want to go with Gabriel and pick out tile colors and new towels?”

  I smothered the lump in my throat. “Today?”

  He laughed again, and dipped his head. He kissed me on the nose. “When you and him have a moment, I guess.” He hugged me close.

  I stared at the wall, at the mess they had made. A new shower. Silas running for homecoming king. Secret Academy meetings.

  Is this what my life would be like from now on?

  ♥♥♥

  North returned to help clean up the mess in the bathroom. With the close quarters and two big guys trying to work in there, I was in the way, so they shooed me out.

  I ended up in Nathan’s bedroom for a while. I took the pencils out of my hair and sprawled out on the bed, messing up the maroon blanket I’d put into place that morning.

  The room smelled like Nathan, of cypress and leather. It felt like him. There were little touches of me now mixed in as well. A bookshelf had been added, with the books from my bedroom, plus a few extra ones thanks to Kota. There were hair clips on the nightstand, and on the dresser was a bathroom kit with the few things I’d taken from the house. I left a lot for Marie.

  There wasn’t much, but then there wasn’t much that was mine at the house, either. I also needed to leave some things there, so if I had to return, my father would think I’d been there the whole time, so the stereo, old clothes and other things I didn’t really need had remained just to make it look like I still lived there.

  I sucked in a breath, and held it, for no reason other than it was a moment when nothing was happening. Surreal. I started to doze. I didn’t want to sleep, but just relax and try to figure out what Mr. Hendricks was up to, among other things.

  I’m not sure how much time passed before there was a knock at the door. It felt like only minutes, but the hoarseness in my throat told me it was longer than that. I scrubbed my face with a palm. “Huh?” I called to the person behind the door. I started tugging at the hem of my shorts that had ridden up my thighs.

  The door opened, and Mr. Blackbourne looked in. His gray eyes scanned the room and settled on me.

  My eyes widened and my heart jumped. I scrambled to sit upright. I should have answered the door properly, not called out without even a solid word. I was embarrassed to be so improper. “Mr. Blackbourne,” I said by way of greeting.

  “Miss Sorenson,” he said.

  “Sorry,” I said as I smoothed out the shirt on my body and combed back lose strands of my hair.

  “Don’t apologize,” he said. He opened the door wider and took a step inside. He was as immaculate as ever, with his hair brushed back, the gray suit and maroon tie. The shirt was a slightly different than normal, with a more gray to the usual white, and the tie had a thin gold stripe instead of being a solid color. His eyes shifted as he studied the room. “I thought you’d like to join us now.”

  “To talk about Mr. Hendricks?” I asked.

  “For a family meeting,” he said. “Now that our Academy business is out of the way, and we’ve got most of our members here, we should probably have one.”

  Silas had once told me they held family meetings but I hadn’t yet to be invited to one. I nodded, eager to listen in. My heart fluttered, too, nervous at the idea of being a part of them in such a way. I started to climb off the bed.

  Mr. Blackbourne stepped forward, holding out a hand, staring right at me.

  I stopped my movements, at first confused with what he wanted. He wanted me to hold his hand?


  Then I understood he meant to help me climb off the bed. I sucked in a breath, holding it as I eased my hand into his.

  He grasped it and held strong. He touched lightly at my elbow, guiding me to stand up beside him.

  The smallest stretch of that millimeter smile appeared. “I’m sorry I’ve been so busy lately,” he said.

  “We’ve all been,” I said quietly.

  “We shouldn’t be so busy that we don’t have time to talk properly.”

  “You know,” I said, “perhaps we could...” I trailed off because I realized it was idiotic, and also because he still had a hold of my hand. He held firmly, like he was assisting holding me upright. His palm had been cool, but started to warm quickly. The longer he held on, the harder my heart started to pound.

  He stared at me after I hesitated. “Yes?” he asked.

  “I know we’re not really supposed to text much about Academy things,” I said, “but I wondered if, since you’re busy, maybe we should...maybe since we go so long...” I stumbled for the right way to suggest it. I’d been so used to texting the other boys, or calling them, but Mr. Blackbourne was always someone I only bothered if I needed something. I couldn’t imagine just calling him to talk about everyday things. I thought perhaps if I could text him on occasion, it’d be easier. I’d get to know him more, even if he was busy.

  He stared for so long, his lips pursed. I wasn’t sure if I had said the wrong thing.

  “Of course,” I continued, “I know there’s security protocols. And I know there—”

  “Family first,” he said, his voice softer. “We shouldn’t text or talk on the phone about Academy issues, but any other topic should be fine.”

  I nodded. My heart tripped over itself, and I pushed my free palm to my thigh, trying to still my hand from shaking. I tried to think of something I’d want to tell him that wasn’t about the Academy. I knew several things, but being brave about saying it out loud was difficult.

  His head tilted, and those gray eyes glided down to my T-shirt and shorts. He touched a finger briefly to the corner of his dark-rimmed glasses, adjusting them. “Would you like to change before you come out to the living room?”

  “I don’t want to hold everyone up,” I said automatically, and then realized he had been suggesting I change and I’d dismissed it right off. He wasn’t a shorts and T-shirt type of person. I was out of place next to him, with the suit and tie.

  He released me, straightening, and then headed for the door. “We shouldn’t be too long.”

  I made a fist with my hand, holding onto the bit of warmth we’d shared in the moment. I tried to soothe the feelings before following him out.

  ♥♥♥

  In the living room, Kota, Victor and Gabriel sat on the couch. North and Nathan were sitting cross-legged on the floor. They had their shirts back on, but they were still a little dusty and grimy-looking. Dr. Green was in the armchair. Luke was perched on the coffee table.

  I was surprised to see he was back from the diner so soon. The news was on the television and they were mostly focused on that.

  The moment I appeared with Mr. Blackbourne, Victor moved to sit beside Luke on the coffee table and motioned for me to take the spot he’d opened.

  Normally, I would have protested that I could have sat on the table, but with Mr. Blackbourne there, I didn’t want to make a fuss. I sat between Kota and Gabriel. Gabriel put an arm on the couch pillow behind me, smiling, putting a spark in his crystal blue eyes.

  I tried to focus on Mr. Blackbourne, who moved to stand by the television. Dr. Green hit the mute button, leaving the television on, images of the news flashing across the screen.

  Gabriel’s fingers drifted out until he was brushing his fingertips at the back of my neck. He slid them back and forth, like strumming a guitar.

  I smiled, warmed by the touch. This was a moment for me. I could feel it in the air, electrified and yet no one was saying so out loud. This was a boundary I was crossing. A family meeting was something they regularly did together, and now I was part of that, because I was part of the family.

  “Mr. Lee,” Mr. Blackbourne said quietly. He stood tall, his shoulders pulled back. “Would you like to begin?”

  Heads turned toward Kota. Kota looked at me, directly. “Did you get the last of what you needed at your house?” he asked me.

  “I think so,” I said. “I was looking for my birth certificate.”

  He squinted at me. The rest of them seemed to stiffen. Kota tilted his head. “Did you need it for something?”

  “Won’t I?” I asked. “I mean, I guess I could go back for it later. I left a note for Marie to look for it. Unless you mean I’ll be back there and...”

  “There’s no need to return anymore,” Mr. Blackbourne said, “not unless you want to. You shouldn’t need your birth certificate at the moment.”

  I nodded, responding that I understood his meaning. He didn’t want me to return unless I had to.

  My mind spun, thinking of all the things I may have forgotten, wondering and worried about my father returning, or someone else discovering the truth. Perhaps that’s why he said it like an order. To close that door, and not allow me to linger by looking for things I really didn’t need.

  “If the move is finished,” Kota said. “Then there’s the remodel of Nathan’s house.”

  “We’ve cleared out the bathroom,” Nathan said. “We’re just cleaning up. The next step is putting in shower fixtures and...” he trailed off, as if trying to remember all the details.

  “It’ll take a couple of weeks,” North said. He stared at his own black jeans, rubbing at a spot. “Especially with Silas being called in so much for Academy business lately. I could do it, but I’d prefer if he was here before we went any further. I planned this badly. I thought he’d be done by the time we needed him.”

  At the mention of the fixing of the bathroom, I checked out Victor, who was looking at North instead of me, so he didn’t notice me looking at him. Did he not know about the shower? Maybe he didn’t know of the plans, he just knew it was being remodeled.

  “Otherwise, the street is fairly quiet,” Kota said. “My house is business as usual.” He looked at Victor. “Is your dad still in Europe?”

  “For now,” Victor said. “After the security fiasco, the guards at the house have been temporarily doubled. They’re upgrading the system to require double checking schedules. They all check in with me at regular intervals, now.”

  I listened intently, trying to figure out if this was part of the family meeting process. Kota went down the line, checking in with each person about any issues at home. Family meeting was a check-in so everyone could see what was going on?

  “How’s Pam?” Kota asked Gabriel.

  “Peachy,” Gabriel said. He grunted, stilling his hand on my neck and leaving his palm there. “She’s got this new boyfriend, though. Not sure if I like him.”

  “We can’t make choices for her,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “Is he a threat?”

  “He keeps her out at night,” Gabriel said. “I haven’t checked the accounts to figure out if he’s spending money on her or if she’s paying.”

  “I can check, if you want,” Victor said.

  Gabriel nodded. “It’ll help. If it’s his money, I don’t care. She doesn’t have a whole lot to spend on anything else right now. I don’t want to have to cover for her because of this.”

  “Are you there by yourself at night?” Mr. Blackbourne asked.

  “These days? A bit more than usual,” Gabriel said. “I can handle it, though.”

  “Maybe you should consider staying with Victor,” Mr. Blackbourne asked, although I sensed it really wasn’t a suggestion. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, but there’s been more than the usual security issues lately. You should stay with others whenever possible.”

  “He could stay here,” Nathan said quickly.

  “He can stay with us,” Luke said. “We’ve got the new house fixed up better now. There’s
a spare room.”

  “Victor’s closer to his home, just in case Pam needs anything,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “Although we should consider moving her and you to a different location.”

  “She likes the place too much,” Gabriel said. “Still holding onto the past.”

  My head was spinning trying to keep up. I didn’t know much about Pam, and I wanted to ask questions. It sounded like Gabriel took care of Pam, rather than the other way around. The conversation also made me wonder exactly where Gabriel lived.

  “Maybe the new boyfriend will be good for her, then,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “Maybe she’ll change her mind.”

  My lips were glued together, even with a hundred questions still hovering. They revealed so much about each other, looking out for each other. In a way, I also felt useless. I didn’t know to suggest anything.

  “I think that covers everything going on home-wise,” Kota said, although he checked with Dr. Green, who simply nodded. Nothing new there; he worked a lot, and his routine was fairly fixed.

  “There is one Academy issue we need to discuss with everyone,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “Despite what Mr. Hendricks says about requiring me to be absent at these events, we need to focus on security for the homecoming game and the following dance.”

  At this, everyone sat up. I scanned the room. Eyes were attentive, focused. I had to assume North and Nathan had been filled in about Mr. Hendricks.

  Mr. Blackbourne focused on us. “I don’t take this lightly, but we don’t have a choice. There’s the safety of the students involved. Our anonymous bomber has become more brazen.”

  “So he thinks the bomber will focus on the game or the dance?” Kota asked. “If you’re not there, couldn’t he still be tempted to try, anyway?”

  “I think we’re dealing with someone who likes to show off,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “We don’t know what he wants, but he likes attention, whoever it is. I’m not convinced I’m the only one he’s trying to draw attention from.”

  “Isn’t it Volto?” Gabriel asked. “That punk kid with the mask?”

  “I’m starting to wonder,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “Volto liked to make an appearance. He liked to show off, but he showed us his mask when it was him. He followed us off campus. This bomber is repeating himself and stays anonymous. He seems more focused on the school. He’s not following us anywhere else.”