Chapter 7
November 24, 2003
Mel tried in vain to push past his supportive crowd to get to any of the responding campus police officers, but when he was able to, no one would give him any answers. He muttered an expletive under his breath and turned back to his friends.
“Really, guys, I appreciate all the support, but I’m fine. We’re just trying to get to the bottom of all this, that’s all,” he said with a somewhat tired smile. “I know you guys have better things to do than to wait around all morning with me.”
“Yeah, right. Just shut up and let us take you down to Jax’s for a cup of coffee and a bite to eat or something,” Scarlett said with a tug on his sleeve.
“Nah, I’m not really in the mood for eating right now,” Mel replied. “Besides, I want to be here whenever they find out something.”
“Then that settles it, we’re staying,” Shannon said stubbornly, taking a seat on one of the nearby lounge chairs. She flipped on the television and found a music station. “If we’re going to stay here, we may as well make a party out of it!”
“Come on, Melashaun,” Summer coaxed. “You know you want to bid it.”
Mel rolled his eyes. “I would except that my room is totally trashed, and I don’t know if anything was taken, and I don’t know who’s after me, and—”
“We get the point,” Christian interrupted. “I figured we’d run into this situation, so why don’t we play—Cranium!”
Three-fourths of Mel’s crowd of friends let out a jubilant cry and crowded around Christian, who had suddenly produced the game from behind his back.
“I don’t know, Chris—” Mel began hesitantly.
“I’m sorry, but I’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer, so just shut up and pick which color game piece you want,” Christian retorted firmly, placing the game on the coffee table in the middle of the lounge.
Mel sighed and, seeing that he had no other choice, joined the nearly hysterical crowd fighting for the multi-colored game pieces.
Antonio was jerked mercilessly out of his sleep by a loud banging on his door followed my a shrill calling of his name. At first, he thought he was still dreaming, so he pulled his pillow down hard on his head. When the continual banging and shrieking refused to stop, he screamed into his pillow and got up. Clad only in a white tank top and boxers, he opened the door.
“Ooh la lah,” was Valerie’s sophisticated response. “Maybe I should start doing this every day.”
“Valerie!” Antonio shouted angrily. He quickly grabbed his robe from behind the door and put it on. His shaggy brown hair was in a dissaray, and his normally tranquil expression was heated with an angry fire. “May I ask why you decided to come bang on my door this early?”
“Well, it looks like Mel’s in trouble,” Valerie said, pushing her way past Antonio into his room. “So, I decided to make the rounds and get all the newspaper staff people together and go see what was up. I already talked to Ty—he’s on his way—and Carly said she was already there when I called her. Mandy and Elise said they’d be there soon, too, so you’re the only one left.”
“Why didn’t you call me like you did them, then? Am I special or something?” Antonio angrily grumbled.
“Judging by the looks of things, I made the right decision,” Vallerie flirted. “Besides, I have some interesting news to tell you.”
“What would that be?”
“Why don’t you get dress and go with me down to Mel’s dorm and I’ll tell you. I have a feeling you’ll be quite interested in it.”
Kim glanced at Caleb across the crowded room full of excited Cranium players. She knew that he was oblivious to her glance, but she didn’t care. If all went according to her plan, he would notice her—and soon.
“If you know what’s good for you, Kim, you’ll stay away from him.”
Kim spun around at the sound of Chloe’s voice. She looked at her curiously for a moment, then shook her hair out of her face apathetically. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Ri-i-ight, well, let me just say this: he’s bad news, Kim, and I wouldn’t advise you to get involved with him,” Chloe said before starting to walk away.
“Wait a minute! How do you know so much about Caleb? I didn’t know you two were so close.”
Chloe paused before turning around as she chose her words carefully. When she did, she said quietly yet strongly, “I know a lot more than you’ll ever know about him, and I’ll just leave it at that.”
Matt, who had witnessed the exchange, walked over to Kim when Chloe had left. “Do you know what that’s all about?”
Kim shook her head and furrowed her brow in confusion, and then turned back to Caleb. “I have more important things to worry about, like how to pique Caleb’s interest in me.”
“Why?”
“Well, that’s a dumb question,” Kim said. “Let’s just say I have my reasons. By the time the Ides of March comes, Caleb will be in the palm of my hand. That I’m sure of.”
Cliff was looking at the excited bunch of board game players, but he wasn’t seeing them. He was daydreaming, or, if correct terminology is desired, daymaring about the same thing he had been for the last couple of days. However, it had occurred so much that he no longer lived in perpetual fear of it. The constant plague of dreams had desensitized him to its images, and so he now only saw the visions fly past his eyes without actually feeling anything.
“This is Mase of Base calling in to Agent Cliffhanger. I repeat, this is Mase of Base calling in to Agent Cliffhanger, do you read?”
Cliff was snapped out of his reverie by Mason’s playful James Bond-like voice. He smiled at his friend who was now positioned at his side and shook his head slightly. “Yeah, I’m out of it.”
Mason groaned and rolled his eyes. “That’s an understatement. I’ve been doing this for about the last thirty seconds or so. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Cliff brushed Mason off and stood up straight. “I guess I’m just tired after that madness last night. Have you talked to Randall this morning?”
“Uh, no, not really,” Mason said evasively. “I’m sure I’ll catch up with him later. Besides, I’m curious as to know who was behind this thing with Mel.”
“Seriously. I hope he doesn’t have some psycho stalker after him,” he said, then added mysteriously, “But you never know around here these days.”
Mason opened his mouth to question Cliff, but thought better of it. His friend had been acting strangely for the last couple of days, and he didn’t want to do anything to further upset his balance, so he laid the subject to rest. “How about a breakfast down at Aunt Bea’s? I could really use one of her bacon biscuits right now.”
Cliff suddenly perked up. “You know what, that doesn’t sound to bad right now. Maybe it’ll get our minds off of all of this stuff going on now.”
Mason assumed a superhero pose and pointed up at the ceiling. “Then to Aunt Bea’s we go! Away!”
Nerissa spotted the black-cloaked figure lurking outside of the dormitory. Even amidst all of the chaos within the dorm lounge, Nerissa could see that the figure was interested in the events playing out within. As menacing and ominous as the figure looked, Nerissa was quite fine with regarding it calmly. For her, it was not a figure of despair, but rather one of hope for her new cause.
Nerissa, she heard a faint, dreamlike voice call to her.
She looked around to see from where the oddly soothing voice was coming, but could see no one looking her way. Again, the voice called to her, this time a bit stronger. She now turned back towards the window beyond which the black thing continued to stare. As if by magic, she could hear its voice without seeing its mouth move or actually being able to hear it thorugh the glass. It was almost as if the voice were coming from inside her mind.
Are you talking to me? Nerissa thought to the creature.
Come outside, Nerissa. We have much to talk about, the figure replied serenely.
Nerissa, nearing a trance-like state, pushed past the loud crowd to the door leading to the courtyard behind the lounge. She could not see the figure when she first stepped outside, but after more careful examination, she saw it leaning against one of the nearly hidden trees of the garden.
“You wished to see me?” she said audibly for the first time.
“Yes,” came back the girlish voice. “You want to be my friend, don’t you?”
“Do you need me to be?”
“I have no friends anymore,” the voice said sadly. The tone held a childlike quality while retaining the fullness and firmness of a young woman’s voice.
“What do you want me to do?” Nerissa asked quietly.
“Oh, there’s a lot I want you to do. Between you and I, Nerissa, I think we can be a good team, and I think you’ll think so too after you hear what I have to say.”
“All right, all right, I’m out,” Mel said, throwing down his game piece. “I didn’t know I was playing with a pack of cheaters.”
“Yeah, yeah,” they roared back at him.
“Besides, I’m going to go check up with the police and then grab a bite to eat,” Mel said, getting up off his knees and making his way to the lounge door and down the hall.
“Whoa, wait up, Mel!” Scarlett called after him, followed by Shannon, Christian, and Summer.
“Guys, I really can take care of myself,” Mel said somewhat agitatedly.
“Sure you can, Mel. Sure you can,” Summer teased.
Mel shook his head and turned back to the police officers directly ahead of him. “Anything yet, officers?”
“We’re working on it,” one of them replied without turning to look at him.
“Nothing at all has turned—”
“We’re working on it,” the officer interrupted smoothly and almost callously.
Mel stopped in his tracks and smiled. “Well, all right then, officers. Thanks for your time and effort.”
He waited for a reponse, but when he received none, he turned back to his friends. “Okay, guys, where to?”
“Jax’s?” Christian offered.
“Nah, doesn’t have good breakfast,” Mel answered.
“Aunt Bea’s?” Summer suggested.
“Nah, too busy this time of day. Where else?”
“Why not the Breakfast Room? I hear they’ve got a great breakfast buffet,” Shannon offered with a shrug.
“Oh, yeah! I ate their a couple of days ago with Mr. Weldon and his fiancée the other day,” Scarlett said, her voice suddenly trailing off.
Mel eyed her. “Yeah, that’s exactly what we all need to talk about, so let’s go.”
“Okay, so you dragged me out of bed half-naked and told me you have something important to tell me. I’d really like to know what that something is,” Antonio whined impatiently.
“All right, already,” Valerie replied with teasing impatience, “but do you really want to hear it? You may not like it.”
“Would you just tell me?!” Antonio nearly yelled, flailing his arms above his head.
“Okay, well,” Valerie paused for dramatic effect. “Rumor has it that you and a certain other member of our newspaper staff did the horizontal tango, if you know what I mean.”
Antonio stopped in his tracks. His hand flew to his mouth in disbelief. “You can’t be serious.”
“Oh, but I am, baby,” Valerie shot back. “It’s all around campus, now.”
“This is insane! Who do they think I—I—” Antonio stammered as he tried to find the right words.
“Shared your innermost secrets with?” Valerie laughed. “Well, I was pretty shocked when I heard it, but this is what people seem to think. It’s Carly.”
Antonio’s eyes suddenly filled with a dangerous, enraged flame. His fists clenched to the point where his knuckles turned white, and his face blanched in rage.
Valerie, noticing Antonio’s sudden physical change, put a calming hand on his shoulder, which was promptly jerked off. “Antonio, please calm down.”
“Calm down?” Antonio looked at her incredulously. “You want me to calm down? I’ll freakin’ calm down when someone call tell me why the hell someone would spread crap like this around the school? Oh my freakin’ God, I came here not a year ago trying to get away from this bullcrap, and now I’m starting this nightmare all over again?”
Suddenly, he calmed and turned to Valerie, cold and deadly. “Who told you?”
“Antonio, no—”
“Who the f*** told you?!”
“Brenda, who said she heard it from Jenna, who said Crissy told her, who said she found out from Lisa, who said that she heard it from—” Valerie faltered.
“Who, damnit?!”
“Shannon.”
And suddenly it all made sense to Antonio. His fists relaxed, but his face remained pallid and his eyes just as fiery. “Then that settles it. My ex and I are going to have to have a little chat…right now!”
Chloe eyed Kim across the room, then shook her head. She knew that Kim would be making a big mistake in pursuing a relationship with Caleb. She had been burned already by him, and she had made it her mission to protect unknowing girls like herself who could be drawn in by his wiley charms.
“Oompa, loompa, doompaty doo!” came a rather hoarse-sounding voice at Chloe’s side.
She turned quickly, and there was bug-eyed, mullet-haired Tick standing with a smug, snaggle-toothed grin. Her face crinkled up in disgust, then she darted past him and into the hallway in an effort to get away from him. There, she ran into someone she certainly wasn’t in the mood for seeing.
“Bonjour, mon amie,” Luc said, his intense, dark brown eyes staring into hers. He touched her elbow lightly.
Chloe slapped his hand away, and it was all she could do to keep from spitting on him. “Don’t you touch me. Ever. Just stay away from me, okay?”
“Oh, but why?” Luc said, grabbing her arm to keep her from walking away. “Why should I stay away from me when I’m the only one who can help you?”
Chloe’s fierce glare faltered. “I think you’ve lost it.”
“Don’t play games, Chloe. I know what happened in Kansas.”
In that moment, everything seemed to come crashing down around her. There was absolutely no way that Luc could know what happened in Kansas. He hadn’t even been there, so how could he know? But perhaps…no, it was unthinkable. No one else had been there, so no one else could know.
“I—you’re out of your mind, but I’ll make excuses. Prolonged jetlag from your flight from France, maybe?” Chloe said, but her tough exterior was cracking.
“That’s right, Chloe, keep insulting me. As we say in France, though, ta vie est bientôt la mienne, mon amie.”
Chloe had taken enough French to know that things had suddenly taken a wrong turn and all of her plans were flying out of the window. There was a sinister grin on Luc’s face as he turned around and began walking down the hallway, leaving her shattered and wondering where and who she even was.
Cliff was surprised to see Kim burst through the side door of Aunt Bea’s. He waved to her, but the crowd was too thick for her to see him, so he went over to greet her. Her eyes were searching for someone, and he was almost afraid to ask.
“Please not Caleb, Kim. Please tell me you’re not looking for him,” Cliff groaned.
“Shut up and help me look for him. Someone said they saw him come in here,” Kim said, pushing down on Cliff’s shoulders to look past him.
“Whoa, is someonse acting a little obsessive here?”
Kim slapped his shoulder. “Don’t ever call me that, okay? I just—well, I need to talk to him. We have—uh, business to discuss.”
“Business?” Cliff asked, then broke down in laughter. He poked Mason, who had come to join them, in the said and asked, “Did you hear her say business?”
“Why, yes, actually, I did,” Mason said quite seriously. “I don’t think I get the joke.”
“Oh, haha, funny man, but I’ll have you know that I got a job working down at Matt’s dad’s law firm,” Kim replied smugly. “Who’s laughing now?”
Certainly not Cliff. While the thought had been funny at first, when he began to realize that she was quite serious, all jokes were off. “You’re kidding, right? There’s no way Matt’s dad would ever hire a high-schooler to work at his firm. My dad couldn’t even convince him to hire me as a mailboy.”
“Well, whatever that’s supposed to mean, I don’t care. Fact is, I’m working there, Caleb’s working there, and we have certain business items to discuss.”
Cliff stared at her a moment. The trance had come back over him. He grabbed her arm suddenly and painfully.
“Ow, you’re hurting me!” Kim complained, trying to jerk free from his steel-like grip.
“If you continue to pursue Caleb, you will pay for it, Kim!”
“What in the world are you talking about?” Kim asked while continuing to struggle to get free.
“Cliff!” Mason exclaimed. “Let go of her! What’s gotten in to you?”
“Leave Caleb be or you will regret it. If you continue to go after him, you will pay for it dearly.”
Kim recognized the alien eyes from her encounter with Cliff in the park. When he finally released her, she flew out of Aunt Bea’s. She knew better than to ask questions first and pay for it later.
“Hey, is there a problem here, guys?” one of the Aunt Bea’s employees, grimy and work-worn, asked.
“No, no problem here, sir. We’ll be on our way now,” Mason said, taking Cliff by the shoulders and escorting him outside. When they were alone, he finally said, “Look, I don’t know what’s going on with you, but you’re going to get us into trouble real soon, so knock it off, okay?”
Cliff looked at Mason strangely. “What are you talking about?”
“You know damn well what I’m talking about, so cut it out, all right?” Mason snapped angrily. “Now, let’s find someplace else to eat, and this time, don’t act like that freaky little kid from The Omen so that we can get some food, because I’m starving!”
Nerissa listened to the dark figure’s tale with interest and pity. The story was a sad one filled with betrayal, mockery, hopelessness, and sacrifice. There were several times when she felt tears springing to her eyes, a sensation that she hadn’t experienced for many months. When it was over, she could only scoot closer to the figure and try to embrace her.
“No!” the voice shrieked and recoiled from her. “No, don’t touch me! You can’t touch me, okay? You just can’t touch me, ever!”
Nerissa quickly backed away. “Okay, I—I’m sorry. I promise I—I didn’t mean to—”
There was silence as Nerissa’s voice faded away. For a few quite minutes, the two just set on the bench under the hidden tree. Both felt each other’s pain and immense sadness. Somehow, they, strangers, were bonded in their grief. Finally, the voice spoke up again.
“You can help me.”
Nerissa nodded. “I know I can.”
“Do you know how?”
“I—I think so,” Nerissa hesitated, looking away.
“Do you know why you’re helping me?”
“I have nowhere else to turn to. I have no friend that I can trust, no family whom I can count on. Maybe if I help you, we really can be friends. That’s all I want. That’s all I’ve ever wanted,” Nerissa said softly. Then, quizzically, she asked, “What is your name? I’m sorry I didn’t ask it before.”
“Do you really need to know?”
“I must if I am to help you.”
The hood of the figure nodded. Slowly, the hood came down, revealing at first the long, thick golden hair, and then the creamy white face and hazel-blue eyes. She held her head up high as she said, “My name is Ariel. Ariel Winchester, and I am back to gain what is rightfully mine: justice.”
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