Maverick (Maverick Academy Series)

by Layman, Tate

Whit felt different when she woke up. That dream had felt different. She’d been able to think and look around during the dream. She even thought she had made the first vision end when she started feeling uncomfortable. It had felt like she’d had some control for once. Elation filled her body. Finally, a breakthrough. Maybe this would get McFaddin off her back for a while.

  A sweat droplet trickled down the side of her face, and Whit suddenly realized how hot she felt. There was also a tingling sensation in her hands. She felt parched. She thought about how heavenly water would feel to her dry throat, and the bottle of water she had set on her desk earlier floated across the room towards her. The bottle continued to hover in front of her face until she grabbed it. She stared at it in wonder. Had she made it come to her? Had she actually wished for it and brought it all the way across the room?

  Well, only one way to find out. She started thinking about doing her homework. Her backpack instantly shifted on the ground next to the door, where she’d dropped it after class. It lifted up, then sailed through the air to her outstretched hand.

  Whit grinned. She couldn’t believe it. She was telekinetic. She could move things with her mind. She remembered the feeling of being restless earlier, and how her emotions had felt out of control. She wondered now if that had somehow broken through walls in her mind that had previously blocked her abilities.

  Mrs. McFaddin would definitely be surprised tomorrow.

  Chapter 19

  The Maverick Running Club met several times a week and ran the trails around the school. The core group of the club consisted of seven very dedicated runners. Whit tried to run with them at least once during the week and then also on Saturday. Sometimes she made it, sometimes she didn’t.

  This morning, her alarm clock went off for the run, but she didn’t even need it. She’d been laying in bed awake for at least an hour, going over the events of the day before. At the sound of the alarm, Nalini grumbled and smashed her pillow over her face. Whit dressed in running tights, a long-sleeved dry fit top, and then at the last minute threw a fleece pullover on to be safe. She quietly left the room, trying her best not to disturb Nalini further.

  Whit flew down the stairs of the dorm and jogged toward the cafeteria to get there faster. It was November in the Blue Ridge Mountains, so it had gotten chilly in the mornings. She grabbed some cereal and flopped down at an empty table close by. The running club met early on Saturdays, but Whit knew from experience that she would pass out if she didn’t eat before she ran. Glancing around the room, she wasn’t surprised that it was mostly empty. The students here were like any normal teenagers and just wanted to sleep in on the weekends. With the exception of the running club.

  Focusing on her cereal, she didn’t notice Mark until he was slouching into the chair beside her. They acknowledged each other with a nod but remained silent. This had become their routine since Whit first started joining in on the Saturday runs. Mark ran as well, and they usually ran together.

  When he was finished, Mark finally shot Whit a knowing look. “So, want to tell me about Biology yesterday?” he chuckled.

  “Nope.” Whit’s cheeks flamed.

  “No need anyway. I mean, Nolan is my roommate,” he said with a knowing smile. “Plus it’s making the rounds on the rumor mill. “

  “Wha … What are people saying? How do they know?”

  “Ya’ll weren’t exactly hiding. I heard a whole class caught you making out on top of one of the lab tables.” He nodded with an evil grin, like he was enjoying her discomfort way too much. “But by far the worst version I heard was that certain articles of clothing had been removed and the deed was about to be done right there in the Biology room,” he finished with a flip of his eyebrows.

  She gasped. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “Sorry, but no. That’s actually what I heard last night at dinner. Nolan was sittin’ there with me,” he said. “He said nothing to clear it up, either.”

  Whit sat, stunned and in absolutely horror. People actually thought that she and Nolan had had sex in the Biology classroom between classes? What the heck? She covered her face with her hands and thumped her head down on the table.

  “Nolan just laughed it off. It’ll blow over in no time,” Mark comforted with a grimace.

  After that revelation, Whit had wanted to go hide in her dorm. “Why didn’t he clear it up? Tell everyone the truth,” she asked.

  “He just shook his head and laughed, then kept eating.”

  “Why is he such a jerk? Doesn’t he know that people will think the worst about me now?”

  “He was just being normal. There’s always rumors about him and some girl, he never explains. That’s just how he is,” Mark shrugged. “But I’ll tell you one thing, he was really quiet about the whole thing with me, which isn’t normal. He usually tells me everything.”

  “So?” Whit clearly didn’t understand what Mark was trying to tell her.

  “He’s different about you. You’re like the only subject he won’t talk about.”

  “What does that mean?” she asked still clearly confused.

  “Nolan doesn’t like to talk about things that really matter,” he whispered. “He keeps a lot of things inside. That’s how I know you matter, but he doesn’t want you to.”

  “Why?” Whit asked even though she felt the same way. She didn’t want him to matter, but it seemed that he did.

  “His parents are going through a pretty nasty divorce. His dad left his mom for another woman and his mom is a wreck. He calls her everyday to make sure she’s out of bed. Shelia, his sister, is only ten so he’s constantly worried about her too.”

  “That’s awful. He told me his parents were getting divorced, but that’s it.”

  “That’s more than he’s told anyone else,” he said rubbing his eyes. “He wouldn’t like it that I told you.”

  “I won’t say anything,” Whit promised.

  “I’m only telling you now because I think he really likes you, but he’s scared.”

  “Scared? Of me?” she said pointing to herself questioningly.

  “Scared of being hurt and left again. I think he talks to his mom and tries to be as different from her as possible. She’s hurt and alone, so he’s acts like he doesn’t care about anything or anyone.”

  Whit looked at Mark then stared at her bowl of cereal. How could she stay mad at Nolan now that she knew what he was going through? Whit almost decided to go back to her room and think but Mark dragged her to the picnic tables where the running club met. He argued that she would feel better with a little exercise.

  Upon arriving, Whit noticed several people looking at her and whispering. Some were laughing as well. Mark stayed by her side and tried to distract her by telling her about some upcoming sporting competition, but she couldn’t concentrate. She kept hearing whispered comments about Nolan and her in the biology room. She had never done anything remotely gossip worthy. Until now, it would seem.

  She was so caught up in the fact that everyone was talking about her and thinking about Nolan that she completely forgot to tell Mark about her new ability to move things with her mind.

  Chapter 20

  Saturday nights at Maverick were a lot different than Whit thought they would be. She’d assumed that because the dorms were monitored, students would spend evenings hanging out with friends or watching movies in the television rooms. Not that those things didn’t happen, because they did, and Whit thought they were fun. Then again, she’d been a loner for so long that it just felt good to have friends again. When it came to Saturday nights, though, she was also squeaky clean compared to the majority of the Maverick students. They wanted something a little more diverting and “satisfying,” as Rory had put it. Whit wondered exactly what that meant. She had an idea, but was too embarrassed to ask Rory to clarify.

  This particular Saturday there was a midnight party in the woods beside the school. Whit had been at Maverick for a month, but this would be her first party. She wondered how they
kept from getting caught, not only at the party but also sneaking in and out of the dorm. Ellie had made it sound like that wasn’t even in the realm of possibility when she first moved in.

  When it came down to it, after dealing with all the staring and whispering at the run this morning, Whit wondered if she even wanted to go. She knew it would be worse at the party, especially if Nolan was there. And she knew he would be. He had a reputation for being a good time guy, in every possible way, which was exactly what he wanted.

  On one hand, she wanted to avoid him. If they were seen together or in the same vicinity, it’d make the rumors worse. On the other hand, he had blindsided her with that kiss and she was confused. What did it mean? Was she just another girl to him or was Mark right? And how did she feel about him? She thought she understood him a bit better after what Mark had told her. But would seeing him untangle her thoughts and feelings or just make her confusion worse? If she didn’t clear this up, she would have to deal with him in class on Monday. They were lab partners, so dodging him was out.

  A little before midnight, she dressed in jeans and a sweater. It wasn’t like anyone was going to see her clothes, since she had to wear a coat over them to stay warm. It had gotten cooler around here, especially in the evenings, so Whit grabbed a knit cap along with a pair of mittens. As she headed to meet Rory and Ellie – who she hadn’t seen all day – she decided to hold off on telling them about her new ability. At least until after she talked to Mrs. McFaddin. They would ask questions that she couldn’t answer and for tonight she just wanted to have a good time.

  As she walked down the hallway, she began to get nervous and started questioning if going to this party was smart. What if they got caught? Sneaking around had never been her forte, and she felt nervous about the whole situation. Why couldn’t she make herself have visions about certain things? If she could have a vision about whether or not they were going to get caught, that would be helpful.

  Once Ellie had approved of Whit’s attire, the girls took the stairs to the second floor. Whit followed behind them anxiously, but at the same time she couldn’t deny that she was a little bit excited. It was her first time really sneaking out, and the adrenalin was rushing through her body. Their way out ended up being a window in the stairwell. How had she never noticed it before? It was already open, she guessed that all the girls were sneaking out to the party that way. Ellie gracefully climbed out and shimmied down the tree that grew right next to the window. Rory leaped through the window and immediately jumped straight to the ground. Whit was stupefied – it was at least a 15-foot drop. Then she remembered that Rory was a bonecrusher, which meant she was physically stronger than normal people.

  For her own part, she scrambled into the window and immediately regretted looking down. Rory and Ellie smiled encouragingly from below, and she slowly inched her way onto the tree. She got to the trunk and tried to get situated, but slid several feet down before she got a good hold. She gasped and grabbed a branch tightly, succeeding in climbing the rest of the way without further injury. When she got to the bottom she peaked at her hands, but the stinging that had instantly followed the slide had already began to fade. She turned and grinned sheepishly at her friends, and the threesome quietly made their way into the woods using a well-used hiking trail.

  Déjà vu hit Whit as she curved around the trail. This path was so familiar. She thought back to the Saturday runs, wondering if they’d used the trail at some point. She couldn’t remember ever coming this way, but knew she’d definitely been here before. Then she realized why she recognized it. The dream where someone was watching them. But in the dream, either Ellie or Rory had used a flashlight to get them to a party. Did that mean the vision would still happen in the future, or could it be that the flashlight had just been forgotten? Whit tried to see if anyone was in the woods around the trail, but it was just too dark. The only sounds were their shoes crunching over twigs and leaves, and their hushed voices.

  Before she knew it, they were standing in the small clearing from her dream. There was a fire and about twenty-five people huddled around it, talking and laughing. Whit glanced around once more, trying to see if anyone was watching from the woods, but she couldn’t see into the dark that surrounded them. She must have been looking around for several minutes, because when she turned to say something to Rory and Ellie, they were both gone.

  Whit felt chilled and the fire was giving off such warmth that Whit automatically started moving closer to it. She noticed a few girls eyeing her as they whispered, and knew the rumors were still making the rounds. One even pointed at her, before stifling a laugh when she noticed Whit watching her.

  It embarrassed and infuriated her that people were talking about her. And lies no less. After overhearing several comments about her and Nolan, she couldn’t stand it any longer. She rounded on the latest rumormonger to set them straight.

  “That is a lie! Nothing happened and you need to shut up,” she snarled.

  The girl was completely caught off guard and backed away with her hands raised. Whit glanced around the fire and saw that everyone close by was eyeing her curiously. She sighed and knew she had probably only made the gossip worse with her explosion. Rolling her eyes, she went in search of Rory and Ellie.

  Rory was drinking a beer and flirting with a guy Whit didn’t know. Someone had managed to get a few cases of beer, which boggled Whit’s mind. How had they gotten beer to such an isolated school? Most of the people mingling around the fire were drinking, but Whit had never had a beer, and didn’t really want to start tonight. Knowing her luck, she would get drunk off one and then totally embarrass herself, thereby making the gossip about her juicier.

  As she was looking for something else to drink, a high-pitch squeal from across the fire drew her attention. What she saw made her heart drop. There was Nolan and, of course, he had his arm looped around another girl. At that moment, the girl turned around and Whit’s breath caught. It wasn’t just any girl with Nolan, it was Darby. Whit stumbled back and right into Rory. Before she could fall, Rory grabbed her arms and laughed.

  “Hey, some people are getting a game going. You want to play?” she asked excitedly.

  “What’s the game?” Whit asked. She would do just about anything to get away from the vision of Nolan with Darby, but if they were playing a drinking game, the answer was going to have to be no.

  “It’s spin the bottle,” Rory grinned. “So, you in?”

  Whit wasn’t too surprised by Rory’s willingness to play a kissing game. She always seemed to be trolling for guys, but it was entertaining to watch. Whit gazed back across the fire at the happy couple and made up her mind.

  “What the heck, let’s go make out with some cute guys.”

  Chapter 21

  Before the game could begin, the group decided that instead of spin the bottle, seven minutes in heaven would be more fun. Whit had gone to a few parties, but always hung out with her friends. She’d never hooked up with anyone, and she certainly hadn’t played any of these games. Rory pulled her into an empty space at the circle, muttering about how much fun it would be. As Whit glanced around, she realized that she knew some of the participants, while she’d seen others around but had never spoken to them. Mark and Christopher were also sitting in the circle, and grinned at her when they saw her checking out the rest of the people.

  Whit turned and raked her eyes over the students huddled around the fire, pretending to think about it. She glanced at the couples cuddling on the blankets nearby, and wasn’t surprised to see Ellie and Roscoe cozied up to one another. They really were an adorable couple. Then her stomach lurched when she caught another glimpse of Nolan and Darby. They were on a blanket near the fire snuggling.

  Whit couldn’t believe she’d gotten her hopes up about him. She’d thought since her conversation with Mark that she’d actually thought she was different, but she wasn’t. She was just one of the many girls he’d messed around with to forget about his family falling apart. At the dance
, he’d said he liked her. Based on his actions, though, he liked a lot of someones. She had to give it to him though – he was good at making a girl feel special. Too bad it didn’t mean anything.

  She had been so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t realize how long she’d been watching them. Nolan must have felt her stare or maybe glare, because he looked directly across the fire at her. Whit thought his eyes looked sad, even though he was trying to cover it with a smile.

  Darby whispered something in his ear, trying to get his attention. When he didn’t respond, she waved her hand in front of his face to draw his gaze back to her. She must’ve figured out where he was looking then, because she glared in Whit’s direction and quickly shot her the bird.

  From there it got ugly pretty quick. A tipsy Rory saw the hand gesture and started calling Darby names, in a rather loud voice. Luckily, the game started at that point, drawing Rory’s attention. Otherwise Whit would’ve had to keep Rory from attacking Darby.

  With one last peek at Nolan, Whit turned her attention to a guy everyone called Smurf, who was going over how to play the game. Basically, people took turns spinning the bottle and then the two picked had to disappear into the woods for seven minutes. Pretty straight forward. Whit had never played, but she’d seen it in several movies. Except in the movies, it was a closet instead of the woods.

  Not surprisingly, Rory volunteered to spin first. It landed on Alec, who was part of Rory’s tall boy gang. The two quickly got up and disappeared into the woods hand in hand. Whit wondered if it would affect their friendship. Could she have made out with Seth and then acted normal, like it had never happened? She didn’t know. What she did know was that she didn’t want to mess up her friendship with Mark. He had become a really good friend and she didn’t think she could look at him the same if they spent seven minutes doing who knows what.

  Suddenly someone tapped her on the shoulder and pointed to the bottle laying in the middle of the circle. It was her turn. Whit felt clammy and nervous. She didn’t have much experience with boys, so why would she have thought this would be fun? Someone told her to hurry up, so before she could over think it, she grabbed the bottle and spun it like a top. It started slowing down and eventually stopped on a tall guy with black hair. Whit didn’t know him, but she’d heard someone call him Timothy. He walked toward her and held a hand to help her up. When she accepted it, he pulled her into his side. Obviously he felt comfortable playing this game with a complete stranger. Whit couldn’t say the same for herself, unfortunately.