Sanctuary (8 page)

“Hey!” she laughed. “You can
not
ask me that.”

“You’re still very trim,” I said, and her face turned red as I examined her. “But now you’ve got these great curves…”

“Chase!” she cried and she flung a red pepper at me. I sat down and we talked.

Katie was lined up to be one of our valedictorians, and her schedule this coming semester was brutal. We didn’t have any classes together, which would make the next few months less enjoyable, but once again our lunch periods matched, along with Cory and Lee.

Just for fun I asked her if the Outlaw had visited, and she glowered at me. The Outlaw
had
visited her (twice) at the beginning of the calendar year, a fact she revealed only after growing irritated with the man in the mask. She hadn’t heard from the Outlaw since he rescued her in March and she was peeved.

I am the Outlaw. And I would tell her soon. I hadn’t told her in the past because I didn’t think she’d believe me and because Tank had threatened to hurt her if I blabbed.

Tank woke up from his coma a different man. He’d always been intense and prone to anger, but now he bordered on being unhinged. He was never violent towards Katie, and in fact seemed more deeply attached to her than ever, or so she told me. I pretended to vomit. And I almost did authentically. But now Tank would go through periods of rage and dementia, which the doctors said would eventually go away. But I knew otherwise; Tank was Infected, just like me, and the disease had permanently altered him.

“He hates you, Chase,” she said at one point. She was cooking tortillas in the frying pan and she stopped momentarily. “I mean…really hates you.”

“Do you know why?”

She shook her head and said, “No. Tank is very proud, though. He gets that from his parents. Everyone is beneath him. I think maybe it’s because he’s not threatened by anyone, except you.”

“That makes sense.”

“You offend his superiority.”

I asked, “Do you enjoy this characteristic of his? You used to value kindness, not arrogance.”

“Tank is very charismatic. He’s engaging and fascinating, and his pride is part of that.”

“How can you date someone that hates me?” I asked. “I’m so lovable.”

Katie didn’t answer but she didn’t have to. I knew. She started dating him while I was dating Hannah, a colossal mistake on my part. She was with Tank because he had pursued her in a way that I hadn’t. But I was determined to never make that mistake again.

“Do you ever think about Hannah?” she asked a moment later.

“I just was, actually.”

“It’s been five months since she died,” she said, the frying pan forgotten. “And I’m still not over it. Even though we weren’t great friends.”

“Yeah but you were there,” I said. “You saw it. That’s one of those things that gets inside us and makes us who we are. Permanently.”

“Sometimes I think it doesn’t seem fair, that I made it out and she didn’t. You know? I’m sure her parents feel that way.”

“No they don’t,” I objected. In my mind’s eye I could see the whole thing in startling clarity. During that awful night, Katie had been brave and tried to survive, while Hannah waited in her car and complained. A lot of people freeze in times of danger; not Katie. She’d been amazing. “I spoke with them several times. They know. Hannah chose to wait in a lake of gasoline. You didn’t.”

“It’s not my fault,” she said, wiping her eyes and offering me a half smile. “I know that. I tell myself that several times a day. It wasn’t my fault. But still…”

Samantha returned from wherever it was Samantha always went. I wanted to ask her a million questions about Croc but I couldn’t because Katie was with us. Then Dad came in and we all ate together. Dad and I usually eat at the television but this was better. We talked and laughed like a family is supposed to. Even Samantha enjoyed herself.

For dessert, Katie laid chocolate cake on the table. Samantha and I ate it all. Infected are drawn to chocolate. I don’t know why.

Later that night, Katie and I were alone on the couch. We were under the same blanket and she was leaning against me. The lights were off and the Dodgers were beating the Braves on the television. I must have fallen asleep because I didn’t remember Samantha and Dad leaving.

“We’re alone,” I observed quietly. She tilted her head back so she could look up at me. Her thick brown hair tickled my neck.

“Yes,” she said. The light from the television was suspended in her eyes.

“As it should be.”

She smiled. “Remember when we were just little kids?”

“That was a lifetime ago.”

“Do you still love me?” she whispered.

“Always.”

“Why? I’m dating your arch rival.”

“I love you in spite of your glaring faults.”

“Hey,” she snickered and pinched me. “But. But what if everything changes?”

“What do you mean?”

“High school girls are lonely. Even me. We just are,” she said. Her hand under the blanket was stroking my leg. “A lot of my world is built around you. What if…all this changes…and we aren’t friends anymore? I would have nothing.”

“As long as I live, I will be
at least
your friend.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Think about it,” I smiled. “You’re dating someone that would honestly kill me if he had the chance. What other more terrible thing could you do? How
could
you drive me away?”

She smiled. Her lips were very close to mine.

“You shouldn’t be with him,” I said. “You have to know that.”

“Chase Jackson. Are you going to pretend,” she asked, “that you’ve never been conflicted romantically? About whom to date?”

Very clear memories surfaced. Of me. Being in love with Katie last fall. But dating Hannah. While sneaking off to Natalie North rendezvous. I was in no position to judge. “I will not pretend that.”

“Good.”

“Good.”

“Want to know a secret?” she asked, a twinkle in her eyes.

“Please.”

“I’m jealous of Samantha.” Her cheeks colored a little. “She gets to sleep here and I don’t.”

“That’s cute.”

“I’m so jealous I can barely speak to her. Even though I really like Samantha.”

“Would you like to sleep over too?” I winked.

“Yes. But. Mamá would kill me. And I have a boyfriend.”

“What a confusing scrum we have.”

School began. I was a senior now and the pristine hallways were full of tiny people staring at me. Somehow, due to the mysterious forces at work in high schools, I’d become popular. People I never met were my friends, which was surreal but enjoyable. Excitement was already building for Friday’s football game and even the principals wanted a high-five.

Both Samantha and Mitch were in my first period Science class. I stared them down suspiciously. Mitch (or Croc) was creating mayhem wherever he went, just by smiling. Two girls got into an actual fistfight over being his lab partner! Even the teacher shamelessly adored him. Samantha fumed.

Samantha had given me the intel on Mitch. He was the only known Infected in Australia, and long-time chums with Carter. During the 90’s he’d been a championship rugby player, and now he raced dirt bikes. He never lost, she said, unless he crashed on purpose, which actually he enjoyed. His permanent home was deep in the outback, where he owned a colossal and prosperous cattle ranch.

“So he’s handsome and fascinating and rich,” I said.

“Yeah. So?”

“And he asked you to marry him?”

“Twice. So?” she asked, a dangerous glint in her eye. I dropped the subject quickly.

Next, second period. I walked into my new English classroom…and found Samantha and Mitch. Again. Already there. Waiting on me.

“You two,” I hissed through clenched teeth. They smiled innocently from their desks. “Out. Get out. This is
my
English class.”

“We’re enrolled in this English class too,” Samantha shrugged, palms up.

“Strange coincidence, mate,” Mitch grinned and all the surrounding girls sighed loudly. I stormed out of the classroom and dialed my least favorite computer hacker.

He answered and I said, “I’m going to kill you, Puck.”

“Don’t be mad at PuckDaddy. Samantha made me. And then Croc made me. They’re worried the Chemist will find you.”

“Are they in
all
my classes?” I asked.

“……maybe.”

“Find me another senior English class. This very second, Puck.”

He sighed loudly and dramatically. “Fine, fine, hang on. No big deal, I’m just coding some bitching software that’ll access cellphone cameras, but whatever.”

“Get me another class, and transfer them out of my third and fourth periods. I’m not playing with you.”

“You’re worse than Carter,” he grumbled under his breath. I waited impatiently while his keyboard clicked. Traffic flowed around me in a mad dash toward second-period classrooms. “Okay, here we go. Hmmmm, not a lot of options, your majesty. All the other low-level English classes are in the afternoon.”

“Low-level??” I yelped. “I’m not
low-level
!”

“Well…you’re not smart.”

“Yes I am!”

“Chase, you’re a badass. You kick butt. I’ve never seen someone move like you. But you’re kinda dumb. Your GPA is pathetic.”

I stared wide-eyed at the phone. “No it’s not. It’s like a 3.5!”

“Exactly. I graduated with a 4.5 when I was fifteen, stupid.”

“Yeah, but…I’m very busy, and… Just put me in another English class!!”

“Fine. I’m force-adding you to the honors class down the hall.”

“Thank you. And get those two goons out of my other classes.”

“Hmm. Maybe. Maybe not. We’ll see.”

I hustled to the classroom, furious that everyone thought I needed a bodyguard, and tried to sneak in. I failed. The students buzzed when I entered, and the befuddled teacher asked if I’d completed the summer reading list.

Whoops. Hadn’t expected this.

“The summer reading list,” I repeated, thinking fast.

“Right,” the teacher smiled, her hands tightly clasped together. “The list of novels?”

“The list of novels,” I repeated again, turning red. Maybe I should just start running.

“Yes, he read them,” someone chirped from the back. “We read the novels together.”

Katie. She sat smoldering in the middle of her giggling friends, queen of the nerds, watching me with predatory eyes. With the teacher’s permission, I took the seat behind her.

“What are you doing here??” she whispered. “Not that I’m complaining.”

“Just a strange coincidence, mate,” I grinned.

“This class is hard. You will fail.”

“Worth it.”

All her friends listened and smiled. I wanted to shoo them away.

“You might need a tutor…” she mused.

“I’m not
that
dumb.”

“I wasn’t insinuating you were dumb. I was hinting that I could help you study.”

“Every night,” I agreed. “For hours and hours. I’m deeply stupid.”

“Obviously.”

“I like to hold hands while I study with a tutor.”

“I’m afraid my boyfriend is the jealous type,” she winked.

The cute girl next to Katie said, “I’m available for tutoring!”

“You’re hired.” I stuck my tongue out at Katie.

“She can have you when I’m through with you,” Katie whispered. Her eyes sparkled, and she turned back around.

Our lunch table experienced a population explosion. I walked into the cafeteria and found all the seats taken. A couple of young football players were sitting with Cory; Lee was presiding over a physics discussion with some fellow inventors; Katie had become a minor celebrity after both ESPN and Time magazine featured stories on her and Tank, and so she had a new retinue; finally, Samantha and Croc were new and they had groupies. In a school full of beautiful people who valued physical perfection, those two were royalty. They were athletic and lean and attractive (not to mention they looked like college students, at the very least) and currently a gaggle of girls were laughing at something Mitch said. Samantha had been noticed and admired last semester, but now she was being worshipped.

In the past, my friends and I had taken up four or five seats at a table for meant for twelve, near the door. Now, extra chairs were brought and there
still
wasn’t a single vacant spot.

I was on the verge of demanding a share of someone’s seat when a school administrators hustled in and handed Katie a vase of a dozen short-stemmed red roses. All of the girls ooh’ed and aah’ed and took pictures of Katie blushing.

“Tank,” I grumbled, and I trudged outside to eat alone at one of the picnic tables in the courtyard.

Much to Samantha Gear’s chagrin, Croc used his disease-enhanced body to walk onto the football team and earn a starting spot on defense. He was playing linebacker, and playing it so well Samantha and I kept reminding him to take it easy. He was
everywhere
on the field, as if he always knew where I was going to throw. On the bright side, he’d be able to hit Tank hard when we played the Dragons. Croc wasn’t as big or as strong as Tank, but he was Infected, a Hyper Sapien, and he leveled the playing field.

During practice, while the special teams unit was kicking, Mitch came over and stood beside me. He made our uniform look super cool.

I asked, “Have you heard from Carter recently?”

“Best not to worry about that one, mate, always off on a dodgy walkabout. Could be on the North Pole,” he grinned. “Haven’t seen him in weeks.”

“I’m surprised he doesn’t stay in Los Angeles, considering what’s going on in Compton,” I said.

“Carter stirs a lot of pots. He’s a deadly information broker, one of the most powerful men in the world. Hard to pin him down. That’s why he asked me to come. Lend a hand.”

“Where are you staying?”

“I don’t sleep much, mate. But I rented a few rooms. One here, one in Compton, and another in Santa Monica.”

“Compton?!” I yelped.

“Well, truth be told, I didn’t exactly rent that one. Just broke into an empty room. Thought it might be suspicious, otherwise.”

“You’re staying inside the Chemist’s territory?”