Chapter Three

My attempt to look casual as Tanner approaches me fails miserably. The frustration on his face makes my stomach knot up. This day just keeps getting better and better. Tanner doesn’t say anything as we leave the classroom. He keeps up his silence as we walk the few feet back to my locker. When we reach it, I stop and look up at Tanner, flinching when I see Bas standing across the hall watching us intently.

Putting Bas out of my mind as best I can, I say to Tanner, “I’m really sorry.”

Before I can say anything else, Tanner interrupts. “For which part? Sitting with Bas instead of me or intentionally seeking out that new girl when you told me you would try to stay away from her?”

“First of all,” I say defensively, “I did not sit by Bas. I was trying to get away from him and he thought it was funny to keep pestering me. And I didn’t mean to sit by Sibeal. I wasn’t paying attention when I sat down. I was just trying to get away from Bas.”

For some reason, Tanner starts laughing. I have no idea what he thinks is so hilarious. My throbbing head and short temper are stoked even more. I try not to snap at him, but my voice is a little sharp.

“What is so funny?”

Tanner chuckles a little longer before answering. “Sorry for laughing at you. It’s just that, well, I admit I got pretty jealous when I looked over and saw you sitting next to Bas.” Tanner looks a bit ashamed at that admission, but he shakes it off. “I mean, you’ve heard people talking about him all summer. When I saw you, I thought maybe he had somehow charmed you away from me.”

My answering huff of irritation and a scowl thrown in Bas’s direction makes Tanner laugh even more.

“I was worried you liked him, but that clearly doesn’t seem to be an issue. Bas, of all people, is the one person in town you apparently can’t stand.”

Rubbing my head again, I say, “Feel free not to worry about Bas sweeping me off my feet any time soon.”

Now Tanner is intrigued. “What did he do to make you dislike him so quickly?”

“Just forget it,” I say. I’m not giving Bas the satisfaction of dwelling on it. “It’s not that important.”

“If you say so,” Tanner says after a moment. His hands slide onto my hips and pull me closer. He leans down as if planning to kiss me, but stops midway. “What about that girl, though? I thought you were going to stay away from her?”

Sighing, I say, “It was just an honest mistake, okay? I sat in the first desk I saw. I didn’t realize she was even sitting next to me until after class started and it was too late to move.”

“Still…”

“Tanner, please. What did you expect me to do?” I attempt to diffuse his remaining irritation by linking my hands behind his neck, but he doesn’t even seem to notice.

Tanner’s frown returns. “Arra, I know you don’t want to consider it, but this could be serious.”

“You don’t know that,” I argue. “Besides, Sibeal seems like a really nice girl. She’s super shy and she doesn’t know anyone. Well, other than Bas, now, but he doesn’t count.”

“It doesn’t matter how lonely she is, Arra. I don’t think you should hang out with her. You have no idea what might be going on. Her problems are her own. It’s too big of a risk for you to get involved. Stay away from Sibeal,” he says firmly.

His voice isn’t overly loud, but his timing is terrible. Sibeal pauses only a few feet away and stares at Tanner, looking like she has just been slapped. Her wide eyes and fearful posture push me over the edge. I turn away from Tanner, frustrated that he won’t back off this even though I understand where he’s coming from. This wasn’t the time, and definitely not the place to discuss it. The embarrassment and shame filling Sibeal’s expression as she scurries away is too much. I leave Tanner standing at my locker and hurry after Sibeal.

She doesn’t answer when I call her name. I pick up my pace and catch her before she reaches the cafeteria and disappears. Sibeal jumps when I put my hand on her shoulder. She spins around so fast I almost get whacked again.

“Sibeal,” I say, “wait a minute, please.”

Sibeal’s eyes dart around the hallway. The desire to bolt is clear on her face. I feel absolutely terrible to be part of the reason she is so agitated. Tanner didn’t mean to hurt her feelings, but I know I need to fix this. I’m just not really sure how.

“Um, listen. I’m sorry about what just happened. Tanner didn’t mean anything by it.”

Tears begin to fill her eyes. “Why did he tell you to stay away from me?”

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I scramble for some kind of answer that makes sense and doesn’t sound completely lame. “Look, Tanner and I, we…uh, had this really bizarre and scary experience over the summer. I almost died. What he said, it wasn’t anything personal against you, I promise. It’s just new people, new situations,” I pause, not sure how to finish. “Because of what happened, Tanner’s really protective. He’s afraid of me getting hurt again.”

“Why would he think I’d hurt you?” Sibeal asks, horrified that someone could think something like that of her.

“It’s not you, exactly. It’s just that he doesn’t know you, and that scares him.” I sigh, realizing that I sound like an idiot. “I’m really sorry about what he said. He didn’t mean it quite the way it sounded.”

Sibeal looks like she is pretty far from being convinced, but she nods her head anyway.

“Do you want to eat lunch with me?” When her eyes go wide again, I say, “Not here. We can leave campus. There’s this great diner down the street.”

She looks at me warily. I’m sure she’s trying to decide if I’m really as psychotic as she probably thinks Tanner is at this point.

“My treat,” I say to sweeten the deal.

Sibeal looks longingly at the cafeteria doors behind her, but she turns back to me with a smile that looks more scared than friendly. “Um, okay. If you’re sure.”

“I’m sure. Let’s get out of here.”

We’re both quiet as we walk the three blocks to the diner. It’s awkward, but I figure she probably feels out of place enough without me badgering her. As we walk, I contemplate the wisdom of what I’m doing. There’s no question in my mind that Sibeal is the girl I saw in my dream. Figuring out what that means, for me and for her, is a lot harder.

I definitely understand Tanner’s fear. It scares me, too. What is the point of running away from Sibeal, though? It certainly didn’t do me any good the first time around. The Aztec god, Tlaloc, still snatched me up regardless of anything I tried. I escaped fate and death by understanding the situation and taking control the only way I could, by offering my life as a sacrifice for the young women’s lives who would come after me. Luckily, my grandfather realized my life wasn’t the one Tlaloc wanted and convinced Kivera, the girl who started the curse, to give up her life instead.

Running from the dreams did nothing. Learning about what had been behind them was what saved me. Perhaps that is true in Sibeal’s case as well. Whatever the dreams mean, I doubt I can change anything by pretending they don’t exist. Learning about the dream means learning about Sibeal. Tanner will undoubtedly not like this theory, but I know it’s the only way to go.

I pull the door open for Sibeal when we reach the diner. I’m surprised by the students all crammed in here. I think it might be the majority of the high school. When I look around for somewhere to sit, I come up empty.

“Wow, it’s pretty crowded in here,” Sibeal says quietly.

“That’s alright,” I say more cheerfully than I feel. “I’m sure someone will let us squish in.”

Just as I say it, I wish I could swallow my words. Bas walking up to us with a pleased smile on his face is not what I meant at all. Sibeal, at least, looks happy.

“Ladies, looks like you need somewhere to sit. There’s room at my booth if you’re interested.” Bas gestures to the far side of the restaurant where there is indeed an empty booth.

Sibeal looks at him gratefully. “Thanks, Bas.”

Maybe Sibeal is just too sweet to notice how little I want to eat lunch with Bas. I try not to hold it against her. When she turns toward the table, I frown at Bas as I try to puzzle out his motivations. He responds to my frown by grinning shamelessly.

“So, Sibeal,” Bas says once we’re all seated, “how do you like Grainer so far?”

Expecting to hear many of my own thoughts after moving here echoed back at me, I am surprised when Sibeal smiles. “It’s really nice here. I like how quiet it is. It’s very peaceful.”

Bas and I both look at each other in surprise. Granted, I like Grainer just fine now, but mainly because there are a lot of great people here, not because I love living in Mayberry. Bas seems to share that sentiment. That’s a bit of a shock given how people talk about him around here, but who am I to judge?

“You and your family are renting the Turner’s house, right?” Bas asks.

Sibeal looks mildly surprised that he already knows this, but she nods. “Yes, it’s a nice little cottage. But it’s just me and my mom, so we didn’t need anything big.”

Immediately, I am curious about her dad, but I recognize it might be a sensitive subject. My guess is that her parents have just split up. I wouldn’t want to talk about that if it were me, so I keep my curiosity in check. Bas, not surprisingly, doesn’t hold back.

“So, where’s your dad?”

I spear him with a glare meant to ask him if he is indeed the most insensitive person in the world, but he ignores me. I turn back to Sibeal, hopeful she isn’t completely offended by Bas. She tries to hide the hurt in her eyes with a fake smile, but she isn’t fooling anyone.

“My dad is still in Boston.”

Sibeal keeps up her smile a minute longer before bailing and excusing herself to the restroom. As soon as she is out of view, I pin a stern glare on Bas. “What is wrong with you?” I ask.

“What?” Bas says.

“Seriously, were you raised by wolves or something? Did she look like she wanted to talk about why it’s just her and her mom here?”

“I was just curious,” Bas defends.

I look up at the ceiling, begging for a little restraint. “Bas, maybe if you’d taken a moment to think before you starting speaking you’d have realized how upsetting that question might be. What do you think is going on in her family? It shouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that her parents are probably in the middle of a divorce or separation, and it’s obviously been hard on Sibeal. I’m sure she really appreciates you bringing it up.”

“I was just trying to get to know her a little better,” Bas says.

“Next time, try asking about her hobbies instead,” I hiss quietly as I spot Sibeal on her way back from the restroom.

Bas and I both plaster on pleasant expressions, pretending the last few minutes never happened. Sibeal seems to appreciate the effort, though I’m sure it’s far from convincing. The silence persists as we all scan the laminated menus on the table. Bas and I both set our menus back down fairly quickly since we’ve eaten here too many times not to have it memorized. The waitress pops over soon after and hurries off with our orders.

When I look up, I spot Tanner walking into the diner with Evan and Jackson. Our eyes meet, but I don’t really know what to do. There isn’t enough room for all three of them at our table, and I doubt Sibeal really wants to see Tanner anyway. I feel terrible not inviting him over, though. Tanner seems equally unsure. I watch as he pulls out his cell phone and starts typing.

A few seconds later, my phone buzzes and I flip it over.

I’m sorry about earlier, but I doubt Sibeal wants to see me. I’ll eat with Ev and J.

OK. Meet after school today to talk?

Meet U at your locker.

C U then.

I am about to set my phone back down when it buzzes again. I open the text message and groan.

Bas??

My eyes narrow as I consider Bas. He’s like a bad penny, I reply.

Looking over at Tanner after sending the message, I see him chuckle. He looks over at me with a sympathetic smile. Grateful he isn’t mad again, I smile back. Tanner turns with a wave and follows Evan and Jackson to the other side of the diner. I abandon my phone on the table, expecting it to stay silent now. The rumble of the metal case draws Sibeal’s eyes.

I pick it up, wondering who else would be texting me right now.

What’s so funny? ~ Bas

My eyes snap up to Bas. “How did you get my cell number?”

“Mayberry party planning committee,” Bas says smugly.

“Mayberry what?” Sibeal asks.

I shake my head at Bas and turn to Sibeal instead. “It’s just a group of teens in our class that usually set up all the bonfires, parties, and movie nights. They text everyone the info and what people are supposed to bring.”

“Why is it called the Mayberry committee?”

“It isn’t,” I say, “Bas is just trying to be funny.”

Sibeal nods her head as if she gets the joke, but she obviously doesn’t. Our food arrives about then, so we all just forget about it. As I fixate on my delicious burger, I wonder how long Bas is going to keep up the Mayberry jokes. Probably until he gets me to call him Sherriff Andy. I shake my head thinking that is never going to happen.

Sibeal and I are content to eat quietly, but of course Bas has to be the center of attention. “So, Sibeal, what do you like to do in your spare time?”

Startled by the question, Sibeal doesn’t answer right away. “Um, I like to read a lot.” She looks down at her food. “I like to take pictures, too.”

“Really? What kind of pictures?” I ask.

She shrugs. “Everything.” She bites into a fry, not looking at either of us. “I used to be in the photography club at my last school, but I haven’t done much lately.”

I can see Bas’s mouth opening. I glare at him again before he can ask why Sibeal doesn’t keep up her photography anymore, which I’m sure has something to do with her parents splitting up. He scowls at me, but keeps his mouth shut for once.

“There are some really pretty spots around here for pictures,” I say. “Maybe we could hike a few of the trails around town so you can see them.”

“Yeah, I know some great spots north of town,” Bas says.

I look over at him with an exasperated sigh. He knows perfectly well that we did not mean me and Sibeal and him.

“Maybe you could even come to the party and take pictures for the yearbook,” Bas suggests. “It’d be nice to have better photos for once. Usually everyone is too busy having fun to get anything better than a crooked pic on their phone.”

“Really?” Sibeal asks.

“Sure. I think it would be great if you took pictures for the yearbook. Don’t you think so, Arra?” Bas asks.

Sibeal turns to look at me hopefully. I smile. “Yeah, I think that would be a great idea.”

The glow on Sibeal’s face actually looks genuine. The fear and sadness that constantly plagues her is momentarily lifted and I am amazed once again that Bas managed to do something like that.

Bas tosses his napkin down on his plate and slides out of the booth. “Good, it’s settled then. We’ll pick you and your camera up Friday night.”

“Bas,” I start.

He waves me off. “I live right next door to Tanner. I’ll grab him first, then get you two.”

Bas doesn’t even ask, just says it like that’s the way it’s going to be. I keep my irritation to myself for now so I don’t scare Sibeal away from coming, but Bas is in for a rude awakening if he thinks he can boss me around like that.

Sibeal slides out of the booth as well, and I follow, grabbing my purse and fishing around in the bottom for the cash I know is in there somewhere. I snag a twenty and reach for the table, but my hand is stopped by Bas’s. I look up, startled.

“It’s already covered,” he says.

I look down at the table and see a pile of cash already sitting there. I know there is enough to cover all three of our meals and the tip. Part of me tries to dig up some righteous indignation at him, but it was actually a very nice thing to do. I’m not really sure why, but I stuff my money back in my purse and meet his eyes.

“Thanks, Bas.” The surprise on his face makes me laugh. “What? It was a nice thing for you to do. Thanks.”

Bas nods, but doesn’t say anything. He gestures for Sibeal and I to go in front of him. The three of us head toward school, but I still look longingly back at Tanner wedged into a booth with Evan and Jackson. He waves at me, but doesn’t try to catch up even though I know he’s getting ready to leave as well in order to make it back to class on time. I turn toward the school wondering how Tanner will react to Bas’s plans for Friday night. We have the rest of the week to figure it out, and if these dreams work the same as they did the last time, I only have to wait until tonight to learn more about whatever Sibeal’s past is hiding.