Pinehurst

by Nicole Grane

  * * *

  It was Friday! Everyone seems happier on a Friday. With promises of a great weekend, no school, sleeping in late, and the occasional party . . . I was more than ready for a break.

  I was still giddy when I ran into Roland after lunch on our way to Spells. I couldn’t help but blush at the sight of him. His unexpected kiss last night had left me frazzled to say the least, and the rumors that followed such a public display were in full force.

  “Evie, I’ve been looking for you.” He was beaming at the sight of me. How cute!

  “Yeah?” I wasn’t sure how to react. There was no protocol, that I knew of, explaining the rules of the day after an unexpected kiss from a guy you may, or may not, be dating because you only agreed to attend the spring dance with him. I smiled warmly.

  He put his arm around me and continued on to class—I guess that answers the dating question.

  “I hope I didn’t embarrass you last night?” He pulled me closer to him. My head slightly rested against his chest. The smell of his cologne was no doubt rubbing off on me. I didn’t mind. I inhaled the subtle scent of spice once again and smiled.

  “No. You didn’t embarrass me. I just really didn’t expect you to kiss me in front of everyone. You just . . . took me by surprise.” I was babbling.

  “I thought so,” he laughed. “You didn’t seem into it at first. It was almost like you’d never kissed anyone before.”

  I stopped short, nearly causing Roland to stumble over his feet.

  “What’s wrong?” He lowered his arm, stepping back a little.

  I didn’t need a mirror to know that I was blazing red. I could feel it scorching my skin! Not because I was mad at him, but because I was too embarrassed to explain. Fortunately, I didn’t have to.

  “You’re kidding me! You’ve never kissed anyone before?” His face was full of wonder.

  I rubbed my forehead, feeling the onset of a killer headache.

  “Evie, I’m sorry. I wouldn’t have done that if I knew.”

  “What? You wouldn’t have wanted to kiss me if you knew I’d never kissed anyone before?” My voice raised a little like it always did when I was feeling threatened. Especially since Antonio’s sort-of-rejection still smarted.

  “No! I would have kissed you. I just wouldn’t have done it in front of everyone. I thought by the way you came up to me— ” he stopped clearly rethinking his words.

  “What? That I went around kissing boys?” I glared at him. Daring him to confirm my assumption, knowing he’d get an ass kicking of a lifetime if he did.

  “No, of course not, I just thought—” His words came out all flustered. “I’m sorry.” I could see real regret in his eyes.

  I decided to let him off the hook. “It’s okay. It was . . . nice.” I blushed. I couldn’t help the grin that found its way to my face. Roland really was sweet.

  He smiled back at me.

  We walked into class, his arm around me once again. I’d expected all eyes to be on us, but that wasn’t the case. No one even noticed us entering the room. The entire class was transfixed on an enormous black spider.

  I jumped behind Roland, gripping his arms tightly—so much for being the brave Slayer-in-training. He stepped back, too. One of his arms wrapped behind him, holding me protectively against his back. The other—ready for anything!

  “What . . . is . . .that?” I breathed.

  “It’s a Ragno, one of the protectors of the Underworld.” Roland’s answer was almost mechanical. He was in as much shock as the rest of the class; who by the way were all petrified in their seats.

  “Ah, Miss Hollyander, I see you and Mr. Vandenberg aren’t fans of the Ragno either.”

  Ms. Spicer was in the front of the class, a good distance away herself from the hairy intruder. The Ragno’s body had to be a good twelve inches wide. As for the legs, there was a span of about three feet or so. It was perched on her desk, studying the group. We were the newest arrivals and the current focus of its attention—it was looking right at us.

  “What is that doing here?” I hissed, gripping onto Roland tighter. I hated spiders, especially ones that I couldn’t suck up in the vacuum. This one would leave a considerable dent in a car if you tried to run it over. Forget about the vacuum—it’d suck your face off before you even got close to it!

  “Our friends at the Mageian Zoo of Wonders, lent it to us for the day to study its unique hunting style.” Ms. Spicer boasted. She was clearly ecstatic about the whole thing. I however had visions of the entire class hanging from a giant web, waiting our turn to be drained dry by the demon from Hell.

  “I figured since we had it, we might as well practice our defensive skills as well. I realize I’m jumping ahead a year, but I couldn’t waste this opportunity. Learning to incapacitate a Ragno will give you the advantage if you’re ever caught in its web,” she added cheerfully.

  As if I’d ever be anywhere near its web. Fortunately, I didn’t plan to vacation in Hell anytime soon.

  “Incapacitate? If that thing came after me, I’d kill it. Never mind incapacitating it,” Victor piped up from the back, attempting to give the illusion he was brave. I could see the beads of sweat on his forehead from where I stood: across the room.

  Ah, Mr. Chambers, it’s harder to kill a Ragno than you think. They have a very thick husk beneath their hairs that make their skin impenetrable. No weapon made of man may kill it. As for the staff the Slayers carry, that is another story. The unique blade can penetrate its belly. Of course you have to reach it first. That is if you can get past its large and extremely venomous fangs.”

  Another reason I wanted no part of being a Slayer. I tried to swallow the lump in my throat. I’d have to remember to ask Antonio if I could get one of those staffs ASAP.

  Antonio . . . forget him Evie! I scolded myself mentally. I was standing in a room with a giant spider that was looking at me like I was its next meal. Not to mention I had my arms around Roland like he was my lifeline.

  “Since most of us won’t be privileged enough to be carrying a staff, the Inabilitara spell would be your only defense against the Ragno.”

  Figures! A spell I’ve never tried before would be my saving grace.

  “Now, you two take your seats,” Ms. Spicer said. “Slowly. We don’t want to agitate it. It’s just studying you for now.”

  I gripped Roland tighter—if that were even possible.

  “Go on. I have it under the spell now. It can’t move.” I noted the soft pink glow surrounding it.

  “But it wants to,” Gillian squeaked.

  “Well of course it wants to.” Ms. Spicer laughed. “You’d make a tasty snack Miss Brown.”

  I wasn’t moving, and neither would Roland if I had anything to say about it. I spied Gillian up front. She sat stiff in her chair, chalk white, and I was sure she hadn’t taken a breath since I’d walked in. My seat was empty beside her, and that’s the way it was going to stay.

  “I’m not going anywhere near that thing.” I spoke firmly, my eyes never leaving the Ragno. It was still watching me, probably planning several different ways to dismember me before draining me dry.

  “Oh, very well Miss Hollyander,” Ms. Spicer huffed. “You may sit with Mr. Vandenberg in the back.” She rolled her eyes as if I was overreacting— I wished! “I’d have thought this would be right up your alleys; potential Slayers and all.”

  We shuffled slowly to the back of the room. I grabbed a nearby step stool and placed it beside Roland’s desk. There was no way I was walking up to the front of the room and sitting next to that thing.

  “Now, the first rule with Ragno’s,” Ms Spicer began cheerfully, “ . . . is you never, ever want to place yourself in a position in which you’re lower than its eyes. It sees this as a sign of weakness. You’ll be lunch before you can even scream for help.”

  I stopped mid-sit, noting how low the stool was. I decided to stand behind Roland and Victor’s seats instead—I could see better anyway.

  “Eyes fro
nt people!” Honestly, where else would they be? Every freaking eye was on that spider.

  “As I said, to incapacitate the Ragno, you must use the Inabilitara spell. It must be performed with precise pronunciation. Let’s all practice, shall we? Perfection is essential! There are no second chances with a Ragno.”

  You could feel the fear emanating throughout the class as we all repeated after Ms. Spicer: “Inabilitara.” That was sure a mouthful!

  “I must warn. It’s an extremely powerful spell that can exhaust the caster. So I suggest, that unless you are confident in your ability to hold the charm,” Ms. Spicer’s words became dark and foreboding, “ . . . don’t go walking where angels fear to tread.” Sound advice if you asked me.

  “What about Slayers?” Victor whispered to Roland. Those beads of sweat on his forehead were glistening down the side of his face.

  “Now!” We all jumped in our skins. “Who’d like to try first?” Ms. Spicer asked.

  Since no one volunteered, Ms. Spicer had us all stand up, and one by one attempt the spell. She naturally was ready in an instant to intercede if need be. And believe me, the need be!

  None of my classmates would have stood a chance up against the Ragno. They were almost instantly drained just attempting the spell. Luckily Ms. Spicer was quick to charm the Ragno after each student failed. Inabilitara was one of the most powerful spells I’d seen. And having lived with George Hollyander, that’s saying something! The spider looked ready to pounce at the first opportunity—unfortunately it was my turn.

  I shot Roland an anxious look before I made my way to the front of the class.

  The Ragno was well aware of my presence. It looked agitated from being zapped by spell after spell. I guess Ms. Spicer wasn’t a PETA member.

  I stood a good ten feet away from it. My palms were already sweating.

  “Alright, Miss Hollyander. On the count of three, I’ll release the Ragno. When I see your charm begin to waver, I’ll take hold of it once again.” Ms. Spicer spoke in a tired voice. I was guessing that the Ragno was wearing on her. Great! Who was going to take over when her charm wavered?

  “One. Two. Three!”

  “Inabilitara!” My finger pointed firmly at the Ragno. A brilliant orange glow surrounded it immediately, halting the little beast mid-strike.

  “Well done Miss Hollyander. I suspect if you had a staff, you’d be able to kill it if you had to.” Ms. Spicer was beyond pleased. “And such a strong force you emit, most unusual for a girl of your age.”

  I walked back to my stool aware of the twenty-five pairs of eyes gawking at me. My charm held strong for the remainder of the class, giving Ms. Spicer a much-needed rest. Apparently casting the spell over and over was not recommended. She was looking a bit green.

  “You were amazing!” Roland and Victor gushed as we walked into P.E AKA Slaying class.

  My cheeks had to be a healthy shade of pink—I could feel their burn. “Thanks. I still don’t know how I did it.” I was starting to feel the aftereffects of the charm Ms. Spicer warned us about. My equilibrium was slightly off. I stumbled.

  “You okay?” Roland caught my elbow steadying me before I wobbled into a wall.

  “Yeah, just a little dizzy. I probably shouldn’t have charmed it for so long it being my first time and all. I’m gonna go change. I’ll see you guys out there in a few minutes.”

  “You sure?” Roland hesitated before letting go of me.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. I’ll be out there in a minute,” I promised before heading into the locker room.

  It took me longer than usual to change into my gym clothes. Tying my shoes was particularly hard considering I couldn’t focus on the shoelaces. My eyes kept seeing spots. I made my way to the mat just in time for roll call. Gunny was in fine form. His voice bellowed out instructions to the others as if his mouth was a megaphone. I was excused to find Antonio who I assumed was out on the track waiting for me.

  I gave Roland a quick smile before I staggered, a little sideways, out the double doors, to the track field.

  The fresh air did nothing for me. I felt like I was walking through a haze. Sounds were somewhat muffled and the distinct feeling that I was walking at an angle was starting to freak me out. Antonio was nowhere to be seen.

  I started running without him, hoping that the movement might jostle my brain out of the strange fog that seemed to be looming around me. My feet felt like they were someone else’s. They were heavy, moving my body slowly around the track until they were no longer moving at all. I collapsed were I stood.

  “Evie. Evie, can you hear me?”

  My eyes opened slowly. A black silhouette leaned over me. “Can you hear me?” Antonio’s voice sounded anxious. His hands pressed lightly against my face, the cool touch, welcoming.

  “I can hear you, but I . . . I can’t see you very well.” It was true. If he hadn’t spoken to me, I wouldn’t have recognized him.

  He lifted me into his arms and carried me across the field. “Let’s get you to the infirmary.”

  Instinctively I drew my arms up around him, taking in the sweet smell of musk he wore. Perhaps I would have recognized him. His scent was all his own. Figures! The only time he held me in his arms and I was too blind to see it. Why couldn’t Roland have found me? If I didn’t have to endure these close encounters with Antonio, it would make it a heck of a lot easier to forget him.

  Antonio’s grip stiffened. “Evie, I don’t want you to forget—”

  “I’m going to be sick!” I jumped out of his arms—luckily diving into a nearby bush. I held my stomach as I heaved my lunch with as much dignity as a kid at a pie-eating contest.

  “That’s the last time I do that spell,” I moaned from inside the foliage.

  “What spell?” Antonio was behind me, holding back my hair. Talk about embarrassing. I wanted to die then and there. I tried to wave him away—the smell! He wouldn’t go.

  “What spell?” he asked again, his voice sounding impatient now.

  “In Spells, we had to do an Inabilitara spell on a Ragno,” I groaned.

  “A real Ragno?” I could hear the panic in his voice. Damn, if those things didn’t freak everyone out. And Antonio hadn’t even been there!

  “Yes.” I held my stomach, prepared to heave again.

  “Stupid woman,” Antonio growled under his breath.

  “Excuse me?” Did he just call me stupid?

  “No.” he answered my unspoken question. “Your Spells teacher. She was stupid to bring a live Ragno into class. Let alone allow you to perform spells against it. You aren’t strong enough to restrain something that powerful yet.”

  “I am too! I charmed it for more than half an hour.” I boasted smugly. Well, as smugly as I could, considering my head was in a bush, overlooking a puddle of vomit. I closed my eyes and tried not to think about it.

  “That’s not possible! You’re too young!”

  I huffed. “Well I did. Ask anyone. Ask Roland! He was sitting right next to me.”

  “No wonder you’re deathly ill,” Antonio grumbled.

  “I’m not ‘deathly ill.’” I choked, before purging myself once again.

  “Whatever you say.” I could hear the sarcasm in his voice.

  “You really don’t have to stay with me.” I didn’t need his commentary right now. I could die just fine by myself. “Seriously, you don’t have to stay.” I got to my feet, swaying slightly. Thank heavens my vision was returning. “I can make it back to the dorm. It’s not far.”

  “No. I’m not leaving you until I know you’re alright.” The fire that burned in his eyes yesterday was back. I still didn’t understand it. No one had ever looked at me that way. Not even Roland when he kissed me last night . . .

  “Roland kissed you last night?” Antonio asked incredulously.

  Damn! I kept forgetting he could hear me. “Yeah, so?” I tried to sound indifferent about the whole thing. What did he care anyway? He was the one who said it couldn’t be him—whatever that me
ant?

  “I care a great deal,” he retorted.

  “Well, don’t. I’m just having a schoolgirl crush anyway remember? Something that will fade in a few weeks.” I threw his words back at him. “It’s not like it’s any of your business anyway.”

  “You are my business,” he announced firmly.

  “Excuse me? I don’t remember you being my dad, or my boyfriend for that matter.” I put my hands on my hips, giving the best haughty look I could muster considering I’d just yakked up my entire lunch and possibly breakfast not three feet away from him.

  “I may not be your boyfriend Evie, but you are my responsibility.” The words came out almost snarled.

  I huffed. “So you’re training me. Big deal! That’s gym class. My personal life is just that. Mine!” I started walking toward the dorm. “I can date whoever the hell I want to,” I muttered under my breath.

  Antonio caught up to me quickly, yanking me around by the arm. The motion made me want to hurl all over again.

  “It’s not that simple,” he snapped. His eyes looked angry for the first time.

  My smile felt more like a sneer. “Hey. You want to be my trainer, fine. But you will not tell me who I can go out with.” I removed his hand from my arm and stomped up the steps to the dorm not giving him a second look. Yea Friday!