Tuesday through Thursday flew by. Cheyenne's days were packed with enough to keep her distracted from thinking about her parents, and especially Denver. After all, that was what Saturday, when she saw Dr. Warhol, was for. The homework load was heavy on reading for the weekend, and that was all she planned to do.
Curling up in her bed with a book of any kind felt appealing. She needed the time to digest the past week. The twins had brought up the idea of going into town again for some light shopping or maybe a movie. It sounded like fun, but she was in desperate need of some time alone. Her new active social life was beginning to wear her thin.
Friday was supposed to be a perfect day. She had her usual classes, of course, but the weekend was near, and this gave her fuel for the day.
She should have known something was up when she had seen Denver at the Old Union. After all, it couldn't have been a coincidence that he showed up there, nor should it have been a coincidence that Anj knew so much about what happened. Denver fit in well with the profile of students attending Vala.
Still, she hadn't made the connection that the reason she saw him again was because Denver attended the school. Naturally, when he strolled into her third-hour chemistry class, she was more than a little shocked.
Denver walked into the classroom fifteen minutes late. The teacher didn't seem to notice or care. No doubt this was a regular occurrence for him, and that was assuming he even bothered to show up at all. She hadn't seen him in the class on Tuesday or Wednesday. Skipping was no doubt frequent.
He wore dark, thick sunglasses over his eyes. His clothing looked as if he had literally rolled out of bed and grabbed the nearest T-shirt and pair of jeans he could find on his floor. The blue “Transformers” vintage T-shirt he wore was lazily half tucked into his jeans, and he hadn't bothered to tie the laces on his sneakers. His hair hadn't been combed, and he had about a day’s worth of scruffy facial hair. Just as no one in the room acknowledged him, he did the same toward them. He walked to the back of the row closest to the door and sat down, directly behind Cheyenne.
Staying focused was next to impossible for her now. Thankfully Halyn was in this class with her, so she had someone she could look to for support.
Cheyenne scribbled a quick note to her roommate. He's here. Quickly, she passed it to Halyn, who sat next to her.
The girl glanced up from her work and opened the twice-folded square of paper. She read over the words a few times and then stared between Cheyenne and Denver before writing her response and quickly tossing it back.
No way, that's him? If he wasn't such a jerk, I’d say he's kind of cute. Are you going to say something? You should kick his butt!
Cheyenne laughed at her friend's response and then quickly wrote back. What am I supposed to say to him? I don't think there's anything I can say. I doubt he even recognizes me. He isn't paying attention. Not like he was when I last saw him. I don't want to tell anyone else. If this got out, I don't know what people would do.
What if he gave you rabies or something? Halyn replied quickly.
I don't have rabies! Though the thought had crossed Cheyenne's mind several times. She hoped any symptoms of such a disease would have made themselves known by now.
You never know. Maybe they're weird vampire rabies, or it could be an STD or something.
I didn't have sex with him!
You can still get AIDS without sex.
Maybe, but I don't think it's an STD. Was that why her wounds weren't healing over? Had he given her some kind of rare blood-borne disease? At this point, anything could be a possibility.
You need to talk to him. You need to talk to someone. Try Mrs. Orinda. She's not scary. I bet she would know something.
I get a weird feeling she already does though. I think all the staff does. If they're not worried about it, I don't think I should be either.
How do they know though? You didn't tell them.
They know everything.
Nobody knows everything.
I'm pretty sure they do.
Did you hear what she just said? I missed it thinking about how funny you are.
Cheyenne couldn't help but roll her eyes. Thankfully, she had been paying enough attention to class to know. We're picking our lab groups. Finally!
They were doing their first lab of the year. It would be a nice change of pace from the boring lectures. Chemistry class seemed to drag a lot worse than any of the others she had, but this may have had something to do with her not being good at science or math.
Naturally, when it came time to form lab pairings Cheyenne and Halyn immediately clung to one another.
“Everyone should be partnered up, no exceptions.” Mrs. Tibunous looked pointedly past Cheyenne. “Denver, are you awake?”
“Yes,” he said with a grunt. “There's an odd number of students in the class. I guess I have to work alone again this year.”
“No, actually you'll be joining the two girls you're sitting by.” The mousey, blonde teacher was referencing Cheyenne and Halyn. “See me after class, Denver.”
“Yeah. Fine. Whatever.” He grunted again before leaning toward Cheyenne and Halyn. “I don't want to work with you. In fact, I don't want to do any work period. So this is how the semester is going to go: I come in as little as possible. You slap my name on all of our assignments. I get by with a D or C average, and you don't have to deal with being anywhere near me for an hour. If you mess with this plan, I make your life miserable.”
“And you don't already?” Cheyenne mumbled under her breath. She refused to turn and face him.
He leaned in extra close to her and whispered, “I make a special exception for you, princess.”
She couldn't help but shiver, and she knew he enjoyed getting a rise out of her. He would enjoy it even more if he knew just how much of a rise he was actually getting. Her shiver had been fueled by desire more than fear. To cover it up, she let out a loud and disgusted sigh before pushing his face away from her. She couldn't stand having him breathe down her neck anymore.
“You're a pig,” Halyn added.
The remainder of the hour was spent trying to ignore him, but he wasn't the type of person who was easy to forget. When the bell freed them from their seats, the two fled the room and went off to their respective classes. For a moment, Cheyenne believed she was done with him for the day. One class was more than enough for her to tolerate him through. She should have known she didn’t have that kind of luck. Out of the five classes she had for the day, Denver was in three of them.
She didn't even want to think about the three classes she took only on Mondays and Thursdays. Would he grace those classes with his sporadic appearance, as well? What made it worse was that he clung to her side for the sole purpose of tormenting her.
“Why don't you go bother someone else now? Why are you following me around like a lost puppy? I thought you were afraid of me because I was a freak or something,” Cheyenne said as she cleaned up her books and shoved them into her bag after their last class of the day, Literature II. That was supposed to be Denver's cue to leave her alone, but instead he packed up his bag as well and waited for her to finish.
“I'm pretty scared of the Ebola virus too, but I still think it's fascinating,” he replied with a smirk and folded his arms in front of him. “You take a long time to pack. Maybe if you didn't carry so much crap in your bag you'd have an easier time with it.”
“No, you're missing the point of me taking a long time,” she explained coolly. The comparison between her and Ebola rolled right off her back and she continued with her business. She liked the disappointed pout he gave her. “I'm trying to bore you and give you the hint that I don't want you around anymore. Leave me alone now. You're already in every group activity for every class we share together. I don't want to deal with you any more than I have to.”
“You can't deny my good-looking face.”
She denied him by ignoring him, swinging her bag over her shoulder, and walking away from her desk. She didn't look at him. He pulled on her bag ferociously, nearly ripping it off her back, and made her stop to listen to him.
“Don't walk away from me when I'm trying to talk to you. You're mine.” He snapped. His voice took on a darker tone, an almost inhuman sound. It didn't seem as if he had spoken loudly, but she must have been mistaken because everyone in the room and in the nearby hall stopped to look.
Cheyenne would have punched him if she thought she could get away with it. Even if the teachers turned their eyes on the act, she was fairly certain he was the type of guy who wasn't afraid to hit, girl or not.
“No, I'm not,” she snapped. “I don't belong to anyone, and you have a lot of nerve saying so.”
“I know you're mine because you bleed for me. That's a theory I'll share with you another day, or better yet another night.” He was moving closer to her again. His hands threatened to touch her in an intimate way, but they held in place over her. Still, her imagination was vivid enough that she knew exactly what it would feel like to have him hold her. She hated him for putting the thought in her head. It was nice and made her feel awfully warm, and she hated that he could make her feel like this.
This time, her hand did raise to slap him, but she held it back. Instead she clenched her fist tightly and returned it to her side. “Stop talking to me. I don't want anything to do with you.”
“Fine.” Denver took a couple of steps back. His hands were up in a peaceful gesture, but it still didn't appear genuine enough for her to trust him. “I guess you'll never know how to heal your bite then, and I won't be here long enough to tell you. Not like you care or anything, but I'm going to get expelled without your help.”
“You should be expelled anyway,” she whispered. Louder she said, “Try asking again, only this time leave out the part about how you own me, how I want you, and add a 'please.' If you really want to earn some good brownie points, say 'I’m sorry' too, and I just might consider it.”
The bustle of the students began to dissipate around them, and slowly the luxurious hallways of the school started to empty. This worked to her advantage, because all of the noise would have made it hard to hear Denver mumble under his breath.
“Yeah, fine, sorry,” was the most of his speech she was able to make out before he raised his voice back to its normal volume. It mildly satisfied her. “They aren't going to expel me for biting you, by the way. They know I couldn't help it. Sometimes I can't. It just happens.” And that was the most explanation he gave her.
Then he changed topics. “Okay, I have this problem.”
She sighed, disappointed the staff was giving him only a slap on the wrist. If he couldn't help it, then maybe he was truly sorry. If he wasn't such a jerk about the whole thing, forgiving him would be a lot easier. But on the other hand, she didn't want to make enemies—and he was gorgeous. Thankfully her brain was still working enough to keep her guard up.
“Problems would be more accurate, but I'm assuming you're going to tell me about the one I can help with,” she said after a moment had passed.
“This is why I like brunettes. They're so much smarter than all the others.”
“Let's walk and talk. I have to meet people for dinner hour,” Cheyenne said. Instead of letting him fluster her more, she took the initiative to leave for the dining hall. She made sure to walk slowly to allow him to catch up.
Denver strolled coolly next to her. He was a little too close to her, acting as if she was his territory. He didn't have to touch her to make everyone they passed believe the two of them were a couple. Every time she tried to put more distance between them, he would only move in closer. What irritated her most, however, was that he wouldn't talk.
“I can't help you if you won't tell me what's going on,” she finally snapped at him angrily. “What's wrong with you? Do you have magnets in your pants or something? Do you have to practically suffocate me every time we're in the same room together?”
He snickered quietly. “I think it’s best I don't answer.”
“Pervert.” She gave him a sharp jab in the stomach with her elbow. “Talk.”
“You humans are always so pushy, even the not-normal ones,” he mumbled. “Okay, my problem. I have to show up to class or I'm going to get expelled.”
“All right.” She bit back all her sarcastic comments. “And how am I supposed to help you?”
“It gets more complicated,” Denver said. He was having a hard time opening up to her. This wasn’t one of his power games. Once more when she looked at him, she saw the same fear he’d had the night at the Old Union. “I'll leave it at I've been here for a long time. The school board is starting to grow tired of it. They've given me an ultimatum. I'll spare you all the details, but I need to graduate in the next two years. I don't do schoolwork. I don't do class. You obviously know how to do these things. No offense, but you scream nerd. I also like that you don't know anything about me. It's not your business, and it's never going to be your business, and because you don't know anything about me—”
“I'm not going to judge you like the other students,” she finished for him. A stupid assumption to make, because she judged him based on a lot of things, especially his behavior toward her.
“Something like that. You don't like me, and that's fine because I don't like you. I still have a theory about the whole bite thing. If you can get me through this quarter, I'll tell you what you want to know.” He held his hand out to her for a truce.
Hesitantly, she shook it. “Good, because you have a lot of explaining to do. You better not go back on your word though.”
He shook his head slowly. “I don't go back on a deal.” For the first time that day, he removed his sunglasses, and he stared down at her with unfiltered, powerful green eyes. If she didn't have a stronger sense of self-control, she was certain she would have swooned, again, under his gaze.
“Okay,” was all she could manage.
Upon entering the dining hall, food in hand, she quickly moved to her regular table. Everyone was already there and beginning to eat. Halyn motioned for her roommate to quickly sit between her and Zes. Cheyenne did so gratefully. Halyn made sure to close the gap between them, practically squishing her next to Zes. His entire body tensed up as he ate, his eyes never leaving their invader. Denver wasn't dumb, but she knew enough about him to know he didn't care. He sat down on the other side of Jewl as though he belonged with them.
“I see you've brought a guest with you,” Anj said dryly once everyone was settled. “It's been a while, Colorado.”
“Denver,” he said. “How are you and your seeing-eye dog doing? A lot better now that you're both away from the water?”
Zes bristled slightly at Denver's words, but as usual he couldn't quite get whatever he was thinking out and instead focused on his food. He shoved his dinner into his mouth and took a long time to chew each helping.
“Now this sounds like a story,” Halyn said excitedly.
Anj scoffed and ignored her inquiry. “Yes, and much better knowing this is our last year of having to deal with you. We were able to graduate on time. I heard a rumor somewhere that some students have a difficult time with it. My self-confidence is greatly reassured now. After all, only an idiot wouldn't be able to pass all of their required classes in an appropriate amount of time.”
“Aw.” Denver leaned in toward the table. His voice was mockingly hurt and he was able to create a rather convincing empathetic facial expression to match it. “He just called me an idiot. How cute. I guess you have every right to, seeing as how you're the smart one with all of your big words and proper grammar.” He picked a French fry up from his plate and used it to point toward Zes. “At least I know how to swim.”
Hiccups started to erupt out of Zes's mouth, his face red. His hand shook slightly as he reached for his soda can, and then he steadily gulped the liquid down. Denver continued to eat the last of his meal, watching Zes intently with the apparent goal of making the poor guy suffer. He almost succeeded when Zes began to cough, but Denver suddenly stopped the game short after he took a glance at his watch.
“Thanks for the company, all, but it's time for me to make like a baby and head out. I'll catch you later, babe.” The last statement was directed at Cheyenne, and he accompanied it with a rather seductive wink before he deserted the table.
“What a freak,” Jewl said. She peeked over her shoulder to see if Denver had heard her. If he had, he didn't do anything to indicate so. “Don't listen to that moron, Zes, because that's what he is. A moron.”
“Uh-huh,” Zes said. His twin's hand rested gently on his shoulder and squeezed it firmly.
“You're fine just the way you were made,” Anj said, and forced a smile. “Now, I was hoping tonight we could go to the bowling alley. It's moonlight lanes tonight, and I happen to know the manager well enough so we'll be able to stay long after they kick out everyone under twenty-one. I figure it might be a nice alternative to going back to the Old Union to dance again since the new girls need to see everything in town. So long as the nightlife is diverse enough, we should be able to blend in just fine. Though I do love coming up with stories to explain your little pointy things, Zes.”
Jewl let out a quiet and disgusted snort. “There isn't much to see. I know you have a personal bias and everything, dear—”
“Don't call me that.”
“—but you gotta realize to us city folk, this place is pathetic. And I can call you whatever I want.”
“Well,” he started, “I'd prefer it if you didn't. Perhaps it is a bit pathetic here compared to your skyscrapers and high-class trendy clubs, but I don't see why—” He stopped talking when Halyn erupted into a fit of giggles. One of his dark eyebrows raised and he turned to face her. Once more the soft blue glow surrounded his eyes. “Excuse me, but could you please tell me what's so funny?”
Halyn waved her hands frantically before placing them over her mouth. It took her a minute, but eventually she composed herself enough to speak coherently. “Nothing, although I don't think the town is pathetic at all. It’s just that the last time I went bowling it was down a hallway of a hotel with plastic pins made for preschoolers.”
“You're outvoted, because I know Cheyenne and Zes will side with me too,” Anj told Jewl.
Jewl folded her arms in protest but didn't argue with him further.
Watching Jewl with Anj reminded Cheyenne too much of an old married couple, which was no doubt why Halyn was giggling so much. This was a good break in the conversation to politely excuse herself from the table.
“That sounds like a lot of fun guys, but I should probably stay in tonight. I have to do a lot of reading, and tonight's my only night I'm going to be able to get it done. Thanks for the offer.” Cheyenne didn't want to mention Dr. Warhol. The only one who needed to know she was crazy enough to visit with the school doctor was her roommate. The twins gave her a rather depressing pout in an effort to persuade her, which was difficult to resist.
She waved at them politely, not letting them sway her, and walked away from the table alone. This was the first time she had truly been alone all day, and the farther she got from the table and out of the dining hall, the more she wanted to turn around and wait for someone to join her. Being alone felt wrong now. She was just about to give in and go back to wait for some company when Zes startled her with a tap on the shoulder.
Spinning around quickly, she fell into him with a loud shriek. The two would have landed on the floor had he not braced himself for her weight.
“I'm sorry, I just wasn't expecting you. What are you doing here?” she asked, her cheeks flushing slightly.
“I didn't mean to scare you. We were talking about you and Denver at the table. I wasn't sure if it was a good idea for you to walk back by yourself, 'cause it kind of seems like he's bothering you. I know we're worrying too much, but—”
“No,” she said softly. She readjusted the weight of her book bag with a smile. “It's okay. I'm glad to have friends who are concerned about me for a change.” She couldn't believe she admitted it to him. The small confession didn't seem to bother him much, so she went a little deeper. “I mean, because I'm not used to having people—”
“Not treat you like you're strange?” he finished for her. “Don't worry about it. Everyone is different here. He is especially though.” He paused and stared at her and then down to her torso. Cheyenne shifted before folding her arms in front of her chest protectively. Zes was a perceptive teenage boy. “I'm s-sorry. I wasn't looking at, not to say I wouldn't, but I mean, you just look like you're carrying a lot of weight…in your bag! I mean…”
Cheyenne bit her lip and took off her book bag, handing it to him so he could carry it. “I'd rather have you be unnecessarily chivalrous than have a meltdown.” The two began their trek to the dorms. “If it’ll make you feel better, I'll let you walk me back to the dorm too. I know full well Denver is dangerous though, so don't worry. I'm prepared to deal with anything when it comes to him.”
“I'm glad you are. My brother says I worry too much. We've known Denver for years now though, and I've never seen him do anything anyone would consider 'good.' He gets off or something whenever he hurts people, and he's taken a special interest in us. It started with Anj being born blind. He got pushed around a lot when we were younger by Denver. We've been going to Vala since elementary school, so I guess you could say we've got a history. Then when the secret that I don't swim got out, he had more than enough material to stay entertained. I don't want him to use you or take advantage of you.”
She wasn't quite sure how to respond. All she could do was nod. The walk through the courtyard was quiet and peaceful. The only real light to see by was the moon, and as they walked past the fountain with the stone angel, Cheyenne was glad for his company. Before, when she walked through there in the dark, she’d always been distracted with conversation. Now, as they passed by, she couldn't help but shiver at the sight of the statue. In the day it was welcoming and safe. However, with the shadows shading and distorting the figure, it appeared almost demonic. The closer they came to it, the closer she moved to Zes.
“They say it was once a real angel,” he said quietly, glancing up at the statue. “Anj told me a long time ago when this used to just be a man's home, before it was a school, that the angel sacrificed himself to protect the household. I guess he was a guardian for a member of the family or something. He bravely took the attack that sealed him in that position forever. The master of the house made the fountain as a monument.” He grabbed her arm gently before stopping in front of the statue. He stared up at it. “I guess it’s kind of creepy, but when I think of the story, I think about how much he loved his ward to still be watching over this place. It's like a safety zone or something for me.”
“That's sweet.” She nodded in agreement. She stared up at the statue as well. Her eyes were still playing tricks on her, but the story eased her mind at least. “Do you have nightmares here?”
“I don't dream. Why?”
Cheyenne couldn't be too sure, but she sensed a slight double meaning in his words.
“I was just thinking maybe that's what the angel protects us from,” she mumbled. She felt like an idiot now for even bringing it up. “I haven't had any nightmares since I got here. I know I haven't been here for long, but it was just a thought. He looks like he's fighting something right now, but whatever it is, we can't see it.”
Zes nodded slowly and gave her arm a gentle tug. “I wouldn't be surprised. There are a lot of things happening here most of the students don't know about. The professors are good at keeping us safe and in the dark. I don't know a lot about what's going on with you, but I've heard things. Can you do something for me?”
“What have you heard, Zes?” She risked a glance up at him, trying desperately to get a reading from his face for a clue, but he was like a stone wall. The only expression she could find was the determination in his eyes.
“Can you do something for me?” he repeated, completely ignoring her question.
“Maybe.”
The two stopped in front of the dormitory building, and he pulled her to the side so they could speak away from the door. He shivered a little as the cool fall air began to catch up with them.
“I'm not going to ask a lot of you. I just want you to try to not be so brave you don't ask for help. I mean, if you're in trouble. 'Cause you don't have to do anything alone anymore. I know what it's like to grow up with the neighbor kids and to be called a freak behind my back. To not have anyone understand, and to not understand yourself, why you're so different from the rest of the world. Don't try to take on our world alone. Is that too much to ask?”
Cheyenne shook her head with a smile. “No, it's not. Can you please tell me—”
“Anj is tight with the teachers. They didn't tell him much either though.”
“Did you walk me back because of what he told you?”
“No.”
“Then why—”
“I can't tell you.”
She let out a disappointed sigh. “Figures. Thank you for walking with me.”
“You're welcome.” He pulled out his keys and unlocked the door for them. He made a grab for the handle to hold it open for her, but Cheyenne beat him to it. He let out a sigh and followed her in.
“Good night,” she whispered. She was trying hard not to be angry. Whatever it was, he must have had good intentions behind his actions. There was no doubt a logical reason why he had to keep them top secret. However, it still hurt her, a lot. Her whole life had been full of secrets, and she certainly didn’t want to deal with any when it came to her friends.
“Cheyenne, I—” His eyes met hers. He stumbled over his words and couldn't get anything out beyond a few incoherent consonants before he finally gave up and shook his head. “Good night. I'll see you tomorrow.”
She nodded and gave him a small wave before digging through her pockets for her keys. She stood outside the door leading to the girls’ side and frowned deeply. Then it dawned on her. “Zes?” She turned around, hoping he hadn't left.
Zes had just walked through the door for the boys’ side when he poked his head out hopefully. “Y-yeah?”
“I need my bag.”
“Oh,” he said. He handed it to her quickly and ran back to the boys’ door. “’Night.”
She watched him leave and waited for the door to close behind him before she went to her room. She sat at her desk and pulled out all of her schoolwork, organizing and prioritizing it. Then she turned to a much more important task. She grabbed her personal journal from its hiding place and began to write down questions. More specifically, all of the questions she needed answers to. Tomorrow, she’d begin her quest. She’d ask the most important question on her mind: what was the danger surrounding her?