Not Your Ordinary Date

I TRIED TO warn Dustin about these latest developments, but I couldn’t even catch his attention long enough. The stupid boy was still too busy showing off to his perfect macho girlfriend. Unfortunately, True insisted on gaining Candy’s trust. What better way to do so than to offer to help her out with her first official date with Dustin?

To my dismay, she accepted, insisting that we help her get ready in her own dorm room. Her roommate, Sheila, was a total slob. She left her junk strewn all over the floor. When Candy asked her to pick some of it up, she just shrugged her shoulders and went back to listening to her iPod, her messy head nodding to the music.

We trudged through the sea of junk and headed for the bathroom. It was spacious and the counter was surprisingly free of clutter, so we were able to set down all the cosmetics we were going to use to give Candy her makeover. I started applying smoky gray eyeshadow to her lids while True searched for the right dress back in the war zone of clothing and accessories.

“Why are you doing this for me?” Candy asked after a moment, closing her eyes so I could apply eyeliner.

“Because,” I said, “every girl deserves to have the perfect first date. Even at a place like this. Look up at the ceiling, please.”

She obeyed. “Maybe…but I get the feeling there’s something else on the agenda here.”

I paused for a second before picking up the mascara wand. “OK, so maybe there is something else.”

After I had finished Candy’s eye makeup, she looked up at me expectantly. “Which is…?”

My friend with the perfect timing took this chance to make her grand entrance with the dress. While Candy changed, True and I discussed whether to just ask her about the secret group. I had already filled True in about the strange little army Dr. Wacko was forming, so we both knew the stakes were getting higher by the minute. We definitely needed help and these people could be our only hope.

Candy came back and we abruptly ended the conversation. She dazzled in her slender emerald evening gown. The makeup was perfect, if I don’t say so myself. Dustin had to be coming to pick her up any minute now, so she hurried to grab her purse and make her way to the lobby, with True and me close behind.

Dustin sat in one of the purple lounge chairs, playing with a little red yo-yo. He shot up to his feet the minute he heard us coming down the stairs. Tucking the toy back in his pocket, he regarded True and me with a cordial nod. Then he saw Candy and you know what happened after that. Total puppy mode. True, bless her heart, found something to fix on Candy’s dress and hair, leaving me alone with Dustin for a precious few minutes.

I took the time to give Dustin a hard pinch, snapping him out of it for the moment. He jumped, immediately staring down at me. “What was that f—?”

“There are things you need to know. Your dad wasn’t kidding when he said he was building an army,” I whispered, cutting him off.

He stopped rubbing his arm to stare quizzically at me.

“What?”

“When your date is over, just come and find me. Okay? It’s about time we had a little chat.”

Dustin took a breath to say something, but Candy had already escaped True’s fussing.

Giving his shoulder a friendly punch, I forced a smile. “You look good, Romeo. Have fun.”

I watched as he linked her arm with his, feeling a strange tug from deep inside my chest. He flashed a confused glance back at me. I waved halfheartedly. The curfew was in a few hours, but I had a feeling that really wouldn’t matter.

True and I hung out in the lounge area for a while, chatting with the other girls who stayed behind while their roommates were out and about around campus. Unlike the other academy I had been forced to attend, no one really knew who I was. Well, they did, but nobody knew me as the girl wonder sent just for the headmaster’s son. For once, I was simply Lily, and it felt good.

Still, the clock seemed to be going extra slow. One hour passed and then another. There was no sign of Dustin or Candy. As it got closer to curfew, the girls began to trickle away up to their rooms. Finally Casey, who now served as our dorm leader, announced that it was time for everyone to get to bed. She would be making her rounds in five minutes to make sure everyone was tucked in. Reluctantly, I began to follow True up the stairs.

“Wait,” Casey called, stopping everyone in their tracks. “Has anyone seen Candy?”

Right on cue, the girl in question came bounding through the door, breathless. Her cheeks flushed and dress slightly ruffled, this was the most disheveled I had ever seen her.

“I’m here,” she gasped, leaning against the doorframe for support.

“All right, everyone upstairs,” Casey ordered with a cheery smile.

Giggles and teasing followed Candy as she made her way up the stairs. She simply smirked, not saying a word. When she passed me and True, she paused.

“I finally figured out what you want,” she muttered with a sly smile.

Without saying anything else, she made her way up the stairs and down the hall to her room.

That night was one of the worst nights I had since my arrival. For some reason, I couldn’t fall asleep at all. Two full weeks had already gone by without any contact with the outside world. For all I knew, Agent Cooper and the rest of the FBI had fallen off the face of the earth. I could only wonder what the heck was taking them so long. Dustin was a whole other issue. He probably didn’t even remember what I had told him before he went off on his perfect date. From the sly look on Candy’s face, it had probably gone well. There were so many things I wanted to tell him, had to tell him.

For the tenth time, I rolled over to face the wall, hugging the pillow like a teddy bear. This was going to be a very long night.