Maverick (Maverick Academy Series)

by Layman, Tate

  Whit understood now that mindbending was basically making someone believe something other than the truth, even going so far as to change what that person was seeing. McFaddin had shown Whit exactly what that meant. She’d made Whit believe that there was a huge bug climbing up her leg. Whit, of course, hadn’t known that it was a trick. She tried to knock it off several times, but the little booger just wouldn’t go away. Whit became so upset about the bug that she’d started screaming for someone to help her get it off, but at that point McFaddin and dropped the illusion. Whit was stunned at how realistic it had been. She was also surprised that she was so susceptible, since she could also do it. McFaddin explained that protecting the mind was a different skill, and one that they would work on next semester.

  Instead of starting a new skill, she told Whit to practice moving heavier and heavier things with her mind, to develop her mind strength and endurance. As far as mindbending went, McFaddin advised her to get a couple of friends to practice on, but to ask for their permission beforehand. All in all, Mind Study had become an eye-opening experience.

  Within the first couple days of pushing herself, Whit’s telekinetic skills had improved so much that during team practice she’d been able to float a net while discussing possible ways to trap the Silent Assassins. Whit had told them about the vision she’d had, though they’d already found out who they were playing, thanks to Nolan’s team winning their first match. She’d described everything, except for her thoughts about a certain sexy guy. Rory encouraged Whit to keep trying to dream, because she just knew she would see something that would give them an advantage over the Silent Assassins.

  After practice, the team always went to the cafeteria and relaxed for a bit. Ellie had finally got fed up with Rory, and told her to shut up about the game at least during dinner. So the new rule was no game talk during supper. Talk usually centered on class work or gossip, but tonight Whit told them about the article she’d read during Specials History. Their reactions were, as expected, horrified. Whit asked them the questions that had occupied her mind since that class.

  “How do they find the schools?” she asked, glancing from person to person.

  “Nobody knows, but they do sometimes.” Ellie focused on her spaghetti.

  “Could they pretend they’re students and get in the school that way?” Whit asked, knowing these questions were probably just as terrifying to them as they were to her.

  “No, at least I don’t think so. To get in, the school does a background check on the person and their family. All gifts are genetic, so it’s easy to find out if your family attended a school somewhere,” explained Lindsey.

  For the remainder of dinner, the conversation seemed stilted, and everyone was quiet. Whit regretted bringing up the topic at all, though she’d been dying to know the answers. Dinner was the only time they weren’t focused on the game, and she’d ruined it today.

  On the walk back to the dorm, Whit spotted Nolan sitting on a bench beside the walkway. When she approached, he stood up and waved to her.

  “Hey, can I talk to you for a sec?” he asked.

  Rory and Ellie stayed by Whit’s side until she nudged them on and sat down on the bench. “What do you need?”

  “I was just feeling weird about the upcoming game, since we’ll be playing against each other.” He focused on his feet and kicked a rock into the grass. “I mean, I hate it that we’re going up against each other. I’m afraid it’s just going to make it harder for you to give me another chance.”

  Well, now was the time. She’d been hoping for an opportunity to talk to him, and this was it. “Look, I’ve been thinking about it and maybe I can forgive you. I’m just having a hard time trusting again,” she said sadly.

  Nolan turned toward her and grabbed her hand. She didn’t want to pull away, so she stayed still. After they sat there holding hands for several minutes, Nolan finally looked at her and smiled. Whit couldn’t help herself, and smiled back.

  “I did miss you, and I guess I’m willing to give you another chance. But you better not lie to me again,” she said seriously, looking him straight in the eye. “Also, the thing with Darby …”

  “There isn’t anything with Darby. I promise,” he pleaded.

  “Well, I just know that when I see you with her, you guys are always touching. It bothers me. How would you feel if I was letting another guy touch me all the time right in front of you?”

  “I get it. I’ll make it clear to her that I am not interested and she needs to stop,” he said. He leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers. “You’re important to me and I don’t want to mess it up. Once the competition’s over, she won’t have a reason to be near me anymore. I promise you that I won’t make you feel that way again.”

  Whit felt unsure of her decision to give him another chance She was happy to be with him again, but at the same time scared of being hurt by him a second time.

  As they walked back to the dorms, she noticed that Nolan wouldn’t let go of her hand, even when she reached her building. Pulling her into the shadows next to some bushes, he hugged her to him.

  “I can’t believe how much I’ve missed you these past few weeks,” he said. When he saw her puzzled looked, he clarified, “I mean, I’ve never really missed being with one particular girl before. I usually just move on to the next one, you know? Shit, that makes me sound like a real player, doesn’t it?” He winced.

  “Yeah, it does.” Whit laughed. “But I already knew you were a man whore.”

  Nolan chuckled. “Thanks a lot. Just what I want my girlfriend to call me.”

  He pressed her body against the wall behind her while she was still reeling over the label; he’d never called her his girlfriend before. He glanced down at her lips, then slowly leaned in. Whit felt her heartbeat speed up as he drew closer. Nolan’s hand slid up her arm and into her hair, holding her head steady as his lips met hers. The kiss quickly got out of control. Whit felt starved for him, and he must’ve felt the same way, because she heard him groan as her tongue slipped into his mouth. One of Whit’s arms circled his neck, while the other strayed into his hair to play.

  She couldn’t believe this was happening. It was like all the dreams she’d been having over the past few weeks were coming true. Her body was filled with excitement as Nolan’s hands pressed her closer to his body. His hands but didn’t remain still. They roamed down her back, over her hips and stopped on her butt. Normally Whit would’ve stopped him at this point, but she’d missed him so much. What could a little bit longer hurt?

  He must have felt her give in because the next thing Whit felt was Nolan unzipping her coat and rubbing her back under her shirt. She heard herself whimper as he continued to knead her butt and run his fingers along her spine. Her hands pushed his coat off and shirt out of the way. His skin felt hot as her fingers drifted across his lower back before stopping on his sides. Nolan pressed his hips against Whit’s, drawing a soft moan from her. The hand along her back glided across her side and slid up until it was grazing the underside of her bra. Whit felt her insides quiver as she tugged his shirt over his head.

  As she dropped his shirt to the ground, Whit realized suddenly that Nolan was outside shirtless in December. Taking a deep breath, she stopped kissing him and leaned her head back against the wall. Nolan’s mouth moved to her neck as he brushed his hand slowly over her breast.

  “Wait, Nolan.” She pushed him back a step. His eyes drifted open and looked down at her disheveled clothes. His hand slid to her stomach when she pushed him back, but he made no attempt to remove it. “It’s winter and you don’t have a shirt on. Aren’t you cold?”

  “Whit, do I really need to answer that? You were keeping me plenty warm.” He winked, but she rolled her eyes and nudged him away. Once her clothes were fixed, she hugged him and, after a quick kiss, moved toward her dorm.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow Nolan,” she called over her shoulder. Whit thought she heard him chuckle as the door closed behind her.


  Her heart was pounding from his kisses, but her head remained unsure about her decision. Could she trust him? He said all the right things and she’d believed him, but was Nolan really capable of changing? In her heart, she didn’t think he would change. She knew that thought had been lurking in her head the whole time, but she hadn’t wanted to acknowledge it. If she was really honest with herself, she knew it was just a matter of time before he hurt her again and inside she called herself a fool for giving him another chance.

  Chapter 31

  Over the next few days, Whit ran around like a chicken with her head cut off. She studied for exams, practiced with her team, practiced alone in her room, tried to force herself to have visions, and last but not least saw Nolan whenever possible. She wanted to see him as much as she could since holiday break started in four days. Three weeks apart was a long time when she’d just got him back. They had already exchanged email addresses and phone numbers, but it wouldn’t be the same as seeing each other. Nolan’s family lived near Nashville, Tennessee, which was a bit far to visit for the day. Whit hoped she could talk Mona into letting Nolan come and visit for a few days, or maybe he’d invite her to his house. At least that way they’d get to see each other.

  The time they’d managed to spend with each other since they’d gotten back together had been rushed and short. They studied together, but because of exams that meant they’d actually studied. Whit still laughed when she thought about the one time they’d managed to be alone and free from books for five minutes. Since she had never seen his room and Mark was playing basketball in the gym, he’d pulled her into his dorm.

  His room was the typical teenage guy’s room: clothes scattered around on the floor and across the furniture, beds unmade, and a poster of a swimsuit model on the wall. Whit started laughing when she looked around. Nolan chuckled, then tackled her so they were lying on his bed. It didn’t take them long to get hot and heavy. Whit whimpered as Nolan pushed her shirt out of the way so he could kiss her stomach. Her hands were fisted in his hair as his lips slowly moved up her body. They’d been so caught up in the moment that neither of them had heard the door open and close.

  “So this is why you couldn’t play basketball?” Mark laughed before flopping down on his own bed.

  Whit felt her cheeks heat up with a blush and tried to hide her face in Nolan’s chest.

  “Mark, don’t you have somewhere you need to go?” Nolan asked, clearly trying to get rid of him.

  “Nope. We only got fifteen minutes until team practice. I’m afraid if I leave, you’ll miss practice all together. Can’t have that, since the game’s tomorrow. Sorry, Whit. Can’t be helped.” Make shrugged.

  Whit was disappointed, but understood. Nolan wrapped an arm around her waist as he walked her out. She’d noticed that since they’d gotten back together, he touched her constantly, almost like he was afraid if he didn’t she would disappear. She liked it though. It made her feel cherished and wanted.

  ***************************

  Her brain felt exhausted from practicing. She felt good about all the progress she’d made, but her mind definitely needed a break, especially since they were competing against Nolan’s team tomorrow. She hated to think about Darby being with Nolan, but she trusted him. Whit didn’t know much about Darby’s talent, even after she’d asked around. All she knew was that Darby was considered a “good” mindbender. Whit wondered if that meant powerful, or if she was just good rather than great. Regardless, it made her to worry. If Darby got the chance to torture Whit in any way during the game, she would do it.

  Whit closed her eyes, hoping for sleep for once. She’d spent every night since Dark Conquest started trying to have visions about the upcoming games. She’d managed to have a few dreams, but only one more about the game, and it’d only shown Ellie being captured. Whit had told her team, and Ellie had looked defeated when she’d heard it. Whit explained that her visions didn’t always come true; sometimes things changed and the vision became false. She told Ellie not to worry about it, and that she didn’t even know if it had been a vision. It could’ve just been a regular dream.

  The dreams that had really bothered her, though, had been about someone watching her. It was similar to the dream she’d had a few weeks earlier, where someone was watching Ellie, Rory, and her as they went to a party. Only this one had been worse.

  In the dream, she’d been unpacking her clothes at Mona’s house. The scariest part was that she was watching herself from someone’s eyes. Someone watching her from outside her aunt’s house. Whit had watched herself eat dinner, then watch some television. She’d then got a phone call, because she’d watched herself run back into her room to talk on her cell. She guessed it’d been Nolan or one of her friends, since she wanted to talk in private. The dream had ended when the person who’d watched her walking slowly to a black car. They got in and shut the door. As they drove off, Whit saw a gun sitting on the front passenger seat.

  When she woke up from the dream, she’d been covered in sweat, her pajamas sticking to her. Why would someone watch her? Did it have something to do with Maverick? Was it the Redeemers? Were they trying to gather information on Maverick so they could attack? It scared Whit so badly that she discussed the dream privately with Mrs. McFaddin. Whit expected her teacher to downplay the dream, but she didn’t. She actually looked worried, and told Whit to tell her immediately if she had any more dreams like that one. Whit tried to ask questions, but McFaddin had claimed that she needed to talk to the headmaster, and left quickly.

  It stilled terrified her to think about someone watching her, maybe waiting for the chance to hurt her or someone she loved. She told Ellie, Rory, and Nolan about the dream, and told them to be careful. It bothered them as well, especially Nolan. He didn’t like the idea that someone was following her away from school, and even suggested that she go home with him or one of her friends instead of going to Mona’s. His concern touched Whit, but she knew Mona wouldn’t let her go home with someone for the entire three weeks. Maybe for a few days, but not the entire break.

  Whit accepted that someone was going to be watching her, but that didn’t mean she had to accept it without doing anything. She decided that she was going to try to figure out who it was, at least. When she mentioned her plan to Nolan, he became so upset that she thought the vein in his head was going to pop. He didn’t want her getting in trouble or making any enemies. They’d finally agreed to table the discussion until after their game on Wednesday. Whit knew he wouldn’t like it, but she was determined to find out who was watching her and why, even if it scared her to death.

  Chapter 32

  Whit’s team huddled in the release room and watched the clock count down slowly toward game time. Rory was going over their strategy for the billionth time. First they’d quickly search for any usable objects. They hoped the net was nearby again, since it had been so useful last game. Then, because they already knew the game floor, they’d start hunting the enemy. The same was probably true for the Silent Assassins, but the Vixens hoped they’d get the jump on the boys. Rory reminded everyone that their team had two bonecrushers, a fire caster, a stalker, and a mindbender. Whit knew the members were Nolan, Mark, Tavis, Sam, and Darby.

  She and Nolan hadn’t discussed their games or the strategies they’d used at all, since there had always been a chance they’d compete against each other. Now Whit was glad she’d kept her mouth shut; it would definitely have hurt her team if she’d told him anything. When they were doing their research, they found out that the Silent Assassins had destroyed their opponents, the Smokin’ Aces. Nolan’s team had managed to capture four out of the five members. Whit knew that meant one of two things: either the Silent Assassins were very good or the Smokin’ Aces had sucked. She didn’t know which it was.

  Her visions of the game were fresh in everyone’s minds but Whit didn’t think they would do much good. They hadn’t given them much to work with. Ellie was determined to change the vision about her, and
not get caught. Whit wished she’d been able to give her more information, but all she’d seen was Ellie being led to the hold. Rory had also told Whit that she needed to come up with some ideas to use her mindbending. Since Mark was targeted in her dream, she started there. She had some ideas, and told Rory that when the time came she would try it out.

  Now she glanced at the clock again: 5:45 left before the game started. The waiting was the killer. Just standing around watching that clock made her want to pull her hair out. She could feel the nervousness in the room. Lindsey and Ellie were pacing around like trapped jungle cats. Misty sat in the corner with her eyes closed. Her face looked relaxed, but Whit knew she wasn’t, because her feet were tapping continuously on the floor. Rory kept calling out instructions and encouragements, trying to make sure everyone knew what to do. Rory was very competitive, but since her friend Tavis was on the other team, she wanted to beat them for bragging rights as well.

  As the clock went under the minute mark, Whit’s hands started to sweat. She hated the feeling of being hunted, and didn’t really like hunting others. She knew that the next time Dark Conquest was played, she’d stay out of it. It was too nerve racking for her.

  Then the horn sounded and her team pushed through the door. The game floor looked exactly the same, as far as she could see. But she’d forgotten how dark it was. Last time, it’d taken a while for her eyes to adjust, and it looked like it would be the same this time. Whit quickly trolled the area near their hold, looking for anything useful. Before long, she spotted something hanging off a stack of crates, and started climbing. It was a large, dark-colored blanket. She threw it to the floor before climbing down, and hurried back to their safe zone with her find.

  Rory was ecstatic and immediately came up with a plan to use it. The plan was to move toward enemy territory, then find a spot and wait. Rory would hide under the blanket, while Lindsey played the bait. Once a member of the Silent Assassins wandered in, Lindsey would freeze their legs together, and Rory would leap out and wrap the blanket around them. Lindsey would then freeze the blanket closed and Rory would carry the bundle to the hold.