Wander Dust (17 page)

She harrumphs behind me.

Above, on the catwalk, it appears to be three times as high. I walk ramrod across the mesh iron walkway, holding my breath. A bead of sweat rolls down my forehead and into my eye. It burns, and I want to rub it away, but my hands are locked in a death grip around the paint chipped railings. I attempt to only look ahead, but my gaze continues to flutter to my feet, where I appear to be walking over a piece of metal as flimsy as a piece of lace. I know my face is a sickly green color, and I hope Perpetua can’t see it from the ground.

When I reach Ms. Midgenet, she’s thrilled by my eagerness to go first as though I’m the perfect experimental subject. I’m ill with my complete act of stupidity.

“Where are we skipping to?” Bishop asks Ms. Midgenet. When I peek up at him, he’s completely calm and confident.

“Just to the patio, beside the pool, with the other students. Focus on the landing.” She points at him. “I’ll bungee cord you both for the first go round. We do this over the pool for the scaredy cats.” She makes a face at me and snickers to herself.

She positions Bishop and I closely, face to face. Then she begins the process of strapping us in. I look at him now because I don’t want to look anywhere else and remind myself what I’m about to do.

“We don’t have to do this, you know?” Bishop says, assessing my body language.

“
Yes,
we do.” I peek over my shoulder and down at Perpetua. Even from this high, I can tell she’s freaking out that Bishop is this close to me. Someone is moving in on her territory. More importantly, she can’t do anything about it. This is payback enough for her cold stares. Although, she’ll never realize that skipping from this height will irk me more than her jealousy toward me. I smile weakly, looking back at him, hoping I’m not going to barf.

“You’re scared of heights,” he says tenderly.

“No,” I blurt, embarrassed. I don’t want him or anyone else to know how weak I really am.

I nod no again and take a shaky breath. Despite my denial, I know he understands because he instantly slides his arms around my back in an unexpected embrace. His fingers splay. Somehow, they envelop my entire back. He tightens his body around me. I rest my head on his chest, taking in several more deep breaths. The fragrance of his aftershave calms me. It swirls through my body and quiets my racing heart. My tense shoulders fall from next to my ears and relax. After a moment, my breathing matches the rise and fall of his chest. Now, I realize, hidden behind his strong arms, I could be anywhere and it wouldn’t matter.

“Mr. Bishop,” Ms. Midgenet interrupts. “Do you have the marble relic in hand?”

“Yes,” his head shakes above me.

“Focus on the pool deck and your landing.
Do not
, under any circumstances, let go of Seraphina during the transition.”

Bishop tucks his head into the curve of my neck and whispers, “That won’t be a problem.”

::24::
Horseplay

His warm whispers send waves of emotion leaping through my body. I shudder lightly. In response, he holds me tighter. I close my eyes.

“It’ll be over quick,” he says. One moment we are upright, and the next, we tip over the edge of the catwalk. We tumble down the tube that will connect us from one point to the next, without losing or gaining time. I don’t look, but I suspect the earth does not fold over us.

“It’s over,” he says softly.

I peek around and take a deep breath of relief. His landing was so controlled. I never thought about anything other than being close to him.

Through his arms, Perpetua stands in my view, seething. Both of her hands are clenched in tight fists on her hips. I smirk. I can’t help it. Victory is mine in her little game, even if only temporary. She stomps away, angry.

Bishop releases me, pats me twice on the shoulder. Even though she’s jealous of me, he is still hers. I sigh and watch him meander away.

I walk to the far wall, lean against it, and slide down until my butt hits the ground. I draw my knees to my chest and watch Bishop linger with his friends. He’s laughing at something someone has said. I find his smile dazzling. He turns and catches me looking at him. I quickly avert my eyes, looking down at my fingernails. I chip off a piece of gray polish, but I’m still thinking about him, and I’m certain he’s still looking at me.

When we skipped, Bishop promised that he wouldn’t let go until we landed safely. I wished he had never let go.

Sam walks toward me and spills herself smoothly onto the floor beside me.

“That was good. I mean,” she corrects herself, “you did well. I would’ve never been brave enough to do that. I hate heights, too.” She halfway smiles. I realize she saw the anxiety plastered across my face on the catwalk through Bishop’s mind. The invisible chain connects them to each other, and he to me.

“Thanks.” I try not to act surprised at her uncharacteristic friendliness. I just hope that she’s finally warming up to me. Maybe I’ve won her over with my fake bravery.

“Where are you from?” I ask her, hoping I can get to know her better, while she’s still in a sociable mood.

“D.C.” She plays with a white ribbon tied to a long braid at the end of her hair.

“I lived there once, for a little while. What part?”

“Downtown, in Capitol Hill.”

“Me too. Small world, eh?” She doesn’t look up, just sits quietly and rolls her braid between her fingers.

“Miss it?”

“I miss my friends and my mom.”

“Only child, too?”

“No, I have an older sister, Alex. She’s in college.”

“A wandering university?”

“No, she’s a Normal. She’s lucky,” she says sadly. I realize Sam doesn’t want to be here. She wants to be
normal
like her sister.

“Except she’d probably wish for this life, if she knew it was an option.” I nudge her arm, trying to make her feel better.

“Maybe.” She smirks and looks up at me. Then she untucks her legs and brings her knees to her chest, mirroring my stance.

Together we quietly watch poolside, as each team takes their first official skip with their partners from the catwalk.

What’s more interesting is that Perpetua has pulled Bishop away from his friends. The two have migrated to the other side of the room to have an intense conversation. One in which I’m trying not to watch, but it’s difficult with her throwing a fit and waving her arms erratically.

Our team’s turn comes again quickly. I walk over to break up their heated discussion. Bishop looks relieved when I pull him away from her for a second time. And I’m happy to take him.

When we skip again from the catwalk, the exercise is as terrifying and enjoyable as the first time. A dichotomy. A quick moment later, we’re finished and standing poolside. His arms are wrapped around me. I reluctantly pull myself away from the warmth of his touch and resume my spot against the wall with Sam.

After watching everyone, I realize no one else appears to be put off by heights but me. Of course there’s Sam, but she will never have to face her fears.

Perpetua relocates nearby and taunts me like a prissy bully. She says horrible things about me. On the inside, I just want to rip her face off for it. Outwardly, I ignore her and try to appear serene. I don’t want to stoop to her level—a bottom feeder.

Finally, Stu walks up to the pool, leans down, and swings his hand across the water’s surface, spraying Perpetua with a handful of water. She shrieks in disapproval, calling him a “jerk.”

Stu turns to me, smiling. “I’ve got your back, Sera.” He shoots me a one handed pistol, and then he turns and follows Perpetua to elevator for their second try at skipping.

I smile. Even with Stu’s over-confident ways, I appreciate his chivalry. Next to me, Sam giggles at Stu’s small act. I glance over at her, realizing this is the first time I’ve
ever
heard the girl laugh. Then I assess her body language. I can tell she likes Stu. I mean, like, likes him. It seems to fit in my mind. Stu is younger than most of us, fourteen at best, and a year older than Sam. It’s no wonder she feels a connection with him.

I keep the new information secret when Macey joins us. She plops down on the other side of me. “You’re gonna wanna watch this,” she announces cryptically with a look of satisfaction in which she can hardly contain.

Stu and Perpetua take their place above on the catwalk. They’re not in the bungee harness this time. They’re simply standing on the edge, holding hands. Although I’ve done this twice, it’s hard to watch. It gives me the chills, making my entire body convulse in reaction to the life-threatening scenario. Only in my new, impossible world would teachers ask students to free fall from five stories above a pool. I squash my shoulders up to my ears and wrap my arms around my knees, anticipating the uneasiness of looking down five stories. From the corner of my eye, I see Sam mirror my actions.

When Ms. Midgenet gives the okay, the pair jump without hesitation. Sparkles meander through the air just below the dome, and at the same moment I hear a huge splash. Water splashes us from the pool, leaving large puddles on the patio.

I gasp and rush to the pool’s edge in a panic.

Are they okay? What happened?

My face turns pale with chills at the thought of what could have happened if the pool hadn’t been there.
Is it possible to have a landing end in disaster?

Ms. Midgenet, now next to me, bends down, sticking her green megaphone to the water’s surface. She screams,“What happened, people?”

Perpetua bobs her head above the surface, spitting out a mouthful of water. She’s screaming in absolute irritation.

Stu drags himself out of the pool like a wet fish, but instead, he’s laughing hysterically.

“What’s wrong with you? You leech!” Perpetua yells at him.

The whole group explodes with laughter.

“Accident or not, maybe this is karma’s backlash for harassing other students, Miss Gray!” Ms. Midgenet yells at Perpetua, her megaphone three inches away from her head. Perpetua’s body recoils from the sound as she pushes her wet, blonde mop away from her smoldering face.

Stu rolls off the floor and gives me a wink. That’s when I connect the dots. Their impromptu swim wasn’t an accident. He planned to give Perpetua a water dunking in retaliation for her snarky remarks to me.

Stu’s little water splash earlier was simply a diversion to dunk the marble relic into the pool, making it possible to land there. Perpetua never even saw it coming.

I laugh, hiding my teeth behind my hand. She finally got what was coming to her.

Out of thin air, Terease appears before us, dragging Stu off the drenched floor. The laughter halts as her presence steals the daylight, darkening the entire atrium. Even Ms. Midgenet takes a step back in shock.

“Terease,” Ms. Midgenet says, “I’ve got everything under control. Besides, I think Perpetua really had it coming.” She secures her fists on her hips, taking a defensive pose.

“Mave Midgenet, there are extreme consequences for horseplay. I assure you that Stu will get the punishment that you do not have the discipline to give him,” Terease spits when she says the words. A dark fire grows in her ink eyes. “And for the rest of the students,” she whips her perfectly trimmed bob around to engage the group, “although unlikely,” she smirks, “you should endeavor to grow a little backbone. Sticks and stones the saying goes.”

“I’m rubber, you’re glue, whatever you say—” Stu starts to say until Terease shakes him into silence. His voice trails off into a whimper, not daring to finish the children’s rhyme.

Ms. Midgenet moves her body toward Terease in a defiant manner. Terease only laughs. The malicious sound echoes through the atrium. She takes off in a blur, pulling the darkness behind her, and Stu gripped in her slender white fingers.