Shared Skies (16 page)

She ignored Renny’s pointed sighs and
coughs. She was scared to try. Scared it would go wrong and have
some weird effect on people.

As the maths class was coming to an end and
Mrs. Kane was writing their homework on the board, Renny nudged
Gaiah. Gaiah saw her friend's penciled eyebrows disappearing
beneath her fringe, her eyes wide as they could go, and her head
nodding urgently in Mrs. Kane’s direction. Renny was not subtle.
Gaiah had to react before anyone noticed this ridiculous
pantomime.

She took a deep, wavery breath and thought
as clearly and as forcefully as she could at Mrs. Kane. I want…that
you feel…that you want…to change your mind about giving us
homework. She wiped her palms on her jeans, and waited.

The chalk stopped and Mrs. Kane turned and
said, “Actually, I've just realized I want to wait to do this work
until after we have completed the quadratic equations, so just look
over what we did today–there’s no written homework.” She collected
her books and left. A cheer went up.

Gaiah clasped her hands tightly together
under the desk to hide their trembling. Renny smiled proudly and
mouthed, ' Very well done.'

Donald beamed. “How about that?”

A chair scraped loudly behind them, Gaiah
looked around. Neal was standing. His eyes almost disappearing
under the weight of his frown.

“
What's wrong with you?”
asked Donald.

Neal stalked up between
the desks. “Nothing,” he muttered but his unfathomable gaze was on
Gaiah as he walked past. Gaiah felt her stomach knot up.
What was that about? Why was he acting like that?
He couldn't possibly have known, could he?

Graeme was still in his place, leaning back,
chair on two legs, with his arms behind his head, grinning at her.
He lazily waved an arm and said, “Don't mind him–he's a stick in
the mud.”

This confused Gaiah as
much as Neal's remark.
What was it with
these guys?

Gaiah and Renny headed to economics class,
on their way they were passed by Neal going to the art room. He
stalked past, head down, hands deep in his pockets.

Gaiah scowled after him. “What a jerk.” she
muttered.

Renny’s shrug did nothing to mollify
her.

Gaiah was relieved when
the final bell went that day. She’d been feeling odd since Neal's
reaction in maths class and, unable to figure out why, had become
increasingly annoyed with him.
What was it
about? Why was he angry? Anyway, why wouldn't he talk to her? If
only there was some way of knowing what he thought…Could she, just
slightly, encognate that he talk to her? It could hardly hurt? And
she'd be doing it with the best of intentions, wouldn’t she?
By the time they'd reached the school door, she'd
more or less decided to try it the next chance she got.

There was no sign of Kaley yet so they stood
outside and chatted to Cassie and Donald in the dulling, grey light
of the late afternoon. Gaiah jumped as a heavy arm fell across her
shoulders. “At last! Got you. You´re usually gone like a bat out of
hell after school.” Graeme´s voice was close to her ear. “Come and
talk to me.” She found that she was being propelled away from the
others. Renny made to follow but Gaiah's shake of the head slowed
her down.

Graeme stopped walking but kept his arm
around her. Gaiah felt her face going hot. He turned her to face
him, pulling her in against his chest. The contact made her gasp.
His voice was soft. “Look, it's been weeks since you agreed to come
out with me. Let's decide on a time now. You´re a very difficult
person to get on your own, you know. That Renny is a bit of a
watchdog, isn't she?”

It was hard to think with him so close and
she really did want to push back that flop of dark hair hanging
over his eyes.

“
What about next weekend?”
He tilted his head to one side and waited for her
answer.

She tried to pull her eyes from the sculpted
softness of his lips. Her legs felt strange, she wanted to sit or
run, she couldn't tell which. Her voice was shaky. “Sounds good.”
She had no time to say more because Renny was next to her, pulling
at her arm.

“
Kaley's just here, let's
go!”

Graeme glared at Renny’s intrusion, his eyes
narrowed. Then he smiled, his grin brilliant, annoyance
banished.

“
Okay, Gaiah, next weekend
for definite. We´ll make plans during the week.” His hand rested on
the back of her neck under her hair, and her heart went into
overdrive. Panic or excitement? She couldn't tell.

He looked at her, his eyes impossibly dark.
He leant closer and whispered, “See you soon.” His breath brushed
warm against her ear and sent chills through her. He turned
suddenly and left, loping across the grass to his car.

Renny’s eyes were bright. “Well? What did he
say?”

Gaiah was amazed Renny couldn't see the
trembling turmoil Graeme had thrown her into. She worked up a
smile. “We´re going to sort something next week. Remember, don’t
say anything to my gran. There’s no need for them to start fussing
about nothing.”

Gaiah collapsed into the passenger seat with
a sigh. What a day. Those two guys had been bothering her, one way
or the other, ever since she got here. She really had to sort
it.

“
Well? How did it go?”
Kaley smiled across at her.

Gaiah looked back blankly.

“
The encognation. Today
was the big day. Did you do it? Did it work?”

“
Oh, yes. Yes I did, and
it did.”

“
It was perfect,” said
Renny approvingly. “Just the right amount of force, subtle but
strong, and we have no maths homework. Could become a
habit.”

“
Renny!” said Kaley
warningly, and lectured them on the art of responsible encognating
all the way to the cottage.

At home, Alasdair had been working on the
assumption that Gaiah would have done her encognation perfectly. He
had made a celebration dinner–a Gaianan feast. He greeted them with
a flourish and led them to the kitchen, where the table was
disappearing under huge colourful platters. Gaiah hugged him. “Wow!
Thank you. It smells delicious and I’m starving.”

The kitchen was a warm oasis. The heavy
curtains blocked out the approaching night, and Alasdair had a
classical music station playing softly in the background.

Gaiah dipped garlic and parmesan roasted
vegetables into tangy dips and creamy sauces. “This is astounding,”
she marveled. “It’s like I never tasted these vegetables before,
yet I know I recognize them.” Bursts of citrus and mellow mustardy
flavours transformed each bite into a different sensation.

Renny reached out to fill her plate again.
“You're a brill cook Alasdair–even my mum couldn't do better, and
she’s pretty electric.”

It was a lovely,
light-hearted evening, but Gaiah still felt bothered. This
situation with Graeme and Neal was on her mind.
Really, it’s time to take some action, go on that date and
see how I got on with Graeme, and finally figure out what was up
with Neal.

It was difficult to get to sleep that night.
No matter how she justified encognating Neal, she wasn't prepared
to tell Renny what she was going to do. This felt wrong, but the
more she tried not to think about it, the more it was the only
thing on her mind.

This disquiet was still with her next
morning. Luckily, Renny and Alasdair were noisily exchanging jokes
and Gala's silence on the way to school wasn't noticed. Staring out
the window, the only thing that was clear to her was, her life was
in turmoil and she was sure of nothing.

Chapter
Thirteen

First class was double maths and she scanned
the room as she entered, but there was no sign of Graeme. Neal was
a looming presence in his usual place in the back. Gaiah was
conscious of him the entire time but deliberately didn't turn to
catch his eye.

As soon as the bell went, Cassie's haloed
head peered around the door. “Hey guys, could you help me bring
some things to the art room please?”

“
Sure!” Renny jumped up.
“C’mon Gaiah.”

Gaiah got to her feet. “Yeah, no problem.”
She followed Renny to the door, Donald behind her.

Cassie looked past them. “Neal, I'd really
like your opinion on something too, please, if you don't mind?”

He didn't respond but he got up and walked
out with them. Gaiah's senses went into overdrive as he walked
close behind her. She was even aware of him breathing, despite the
heavy tread of his boots. They followed Cassie to her locker, where
she loaded them with long papier maché snakes. “They are fairly
delicate and maybe a bit wet so be careful.”

Gaiah smiled at the sight of Renny and
Cassie walking ahead. Renny was in full gypsy mode, wearing a
belted white shirt over a flowing coloured skirt with boots, and a
bandana on her hair. She was towering over Cassie who was in flat
ballet shoes, black tights and a black mini dress. They were both
laden down with trails of colored crepe paper and serpent
heads.

“
I feel as if we're about
to walk on stage in a pantomime,” muttered Neal.

Gaiah laughed, “I was just thinking much the
same.” She was inordinately glad that he was talking to her
again.

While Cassie´s questions about the
positioning and quantity of the snakes on a Medusa head were being
sorted by Neal, Donald offered to zoom ahead to the canteen and
grab their table.

As soon as things were sorted to Cassie’s
satisfaction, they all headed for the canteen. Renny and Cassie
were in deep discussion about dreadlocks as they went out the door.
Gaiah reached out an arm as the door swung back, and caught sight
of a long streak of green paint tracking along her hand, wrist and
jumper. “Damn! I love this jumper.”

Neal looked at it. “It's only poster paint.
It will come off easily, don't worry.”

Gaiah headed to the bathroom. “Okay, I'll go
get it off and follow you to the canteen.”

It did come off quite
easily and she was out the door again in a minute or two. To her
surprise, Neal was leaning against the wall waiting for her. His
arms were folded and his expression serious. He watched her
approach and straightened up. There was no sign of Renny.
What did he want?

“
Are you okay,
Neal?”

“
Yeah, let's go.” He
pushed off from the wall and dug his hands deep into his
pockets.

Damn! What was this
about?
He
had
been waiting for her, and she
knew it. But why?
What was he not
saying?
Then almost unbidden,
Okay, Gaiah, time to give it a go!
And she encognated as clearly and as forcefully
as she could. I WANT that...YOU FEEL that…YOU WANT…to tell me
what’s going on.

Nothing!
Not a flicker! She tried again but it was as if
her thoughts were bouncing off into a void. She pulled herself back
to reality, aware she had been just standing staring into his eyes
for the past few seconds and he was staring back just as intently
at her.

She wrenched her attention
away from him but her heart felt like lead.
What happened? I was standing so close to him. I know I
encognated perfectly. I know I did. But there was nothing. How can
that be? Oh God! Now, I know he isn’t just a normal human boy going
through a bad time. Oh no, could he be an Or’kan occupied? Could
Kaley help?

“
Gaiah…I–” Neal got no
further because Renny appeared, striding down the corridor, her
face twisted with anxiety.

“
Hey Gaiah, where did you
get to? You know you can’t…” She glanced at Neal. “Well, anyway I
saw Graeme heading for the canteen! You’ll catch him there if you
want to organize your date.”

Neal almost transformed in front of them.
His face became thunderous and his emerald eyes darkened. “You’re
going out with Graeme?”

“
Well, yes, why not?”
Gaiah was taken aback by Neal’s reaction. “What’s wrong? I thought
you two were friends?”

“
We’re not!” shouted Neal,
“and if you have any sense, you’ll stay well away from him.” He
stalked off. Gaiah was trembling, what had happened?

One minute she was getting
lost in his eyes and the next he was like an ogre.
Oh Shit! Was it the Or’kan manipulation? Had Neal
nearly broken through its control and spoken to me? He'd started to
say something before
Renny interrupted.
Or, maybe my encognation actually worked and he was slowly trying
to get his thoughts together to talk to me? If he was just a boy
and the encognation had worked, well then, boys aren’t exactly
known for their speed in having emotional conversations. But then,
that would mean he wasn't an Or’kan possession.

Her head was in a turmoil. He
was…so...well…he certainly wasn't as good looking as Graeme but he
had a lovely mouth and she wanted to get to know the guy who made
the art that had moved her so much.

“
Powers Almighty! Let’s
go,” Renny waved her hands wide with exasperation. Gaiah knew Renny
was oblivious to what had happened. Because in reality,
nothing
had
happened. Gaiah had just been in the middle of an emotional
bombshell.

The canteen was full, but Donald had
succeeded in bagging their table. Graeme was sitting with him,
talking to Cassie. He waved them over and made room for them on his
bench.

Graeme smiled at Gaiah in a way that almost
made her forget the trouble with Neal. He leant close to say
something, close enough to make Gaiah catch her breath as his lips
approached. Graeme's smile faded, making Gaiah look around. Neal
was barging over to the table.