Allison followed us in her hatchback to the gravel lot beside the school. Liam parked near the front, drawing attention from half the student body. So many things had changed since Friday afternoon. Basically everything. I’d learned that things unseen were real and they saw us. Dozens of heads turned our way, speculating about the new kids. The mysterious Hale brothers didn’t scare me anymore. They were allies sent to protect Justin. Definitely my kind of friends.
A banner with Kristy’s senior picture hung above the school’s front doors, covering the stone where Zoar High School had been etched a century ago. Dozens of matching signs hung from second story windows and on light posts surrounding the parking lot. Inches from Liam’s shiny hood, flyers flapped in the wind. Stapled to the telephone pole alongside weathered school spirit signs and faded bake sale announcements, a crisp white paper curled and flexed at the corners. The community had arranged a candlelight memorial for Kristy on the school football field at dusk. Nausea burned my chest. The world shimmered. How awful were her final minutes? What did she think was happening? Did she understand they weren’t human?
A knock on my window sent me into the console between Liam and me. Allison rubbed her arms and bounced in place outside my door. “Come on. Open up.”
The power locks popped up. Allison pulled my door open.
“Let’s go. It’s freezing out here.” She grabbed my hand and hoisted me from the toasty warm interior.
The Hale brothers trailed us into the crowded school. Women in black dress suits lined the space inside the front doors, handing out flyers. My heartbeat sped. Allison and I received our flyers in the same second from two different sets of hands.
“Join us at twilight for a candlelight memorial in honor of Kristy Hines, Zoar High School senior, student council member, and color guard.”
Allison scrunched her nose. “We have color guards?”
“I guess.” I stuffed the paper into my bag and weaved through the hallway, away from the suited ladies.
Justin leaned against my locker, his easy smile visible over the crowd. I hurried through a break in student foot traffic and stopped at his side. He tipped his chin in greeting to the Hales before turning intense blues eyes on me. “Are you going tonight?”
“I don’t know.” I’d never bought the “safety in numbers” thing. A big gathering like Kristy’s memorial seemed like the perfect place to attract trouble. If the Stians wanted to add girls to their collection, the memorial was a perfect opportunity. Then again, the running theory was they’d targeted Kristy because they’d seen her with Liam. It was a flimsy theory that didn’t explain why the other girls, the Wells students were killed. The Hales had never met those girls.
“We should go.” Allison leaned against Oliver’s chest. “The whole town will be here. Our community’s like that.”
Justin’s mouth tugged low on the sides. “She’s right. I can almost guarantee my folks will be there. Mom’s probably stopped unpacking from their weekend away so she can bake cupcakes for three hundred people. It’s unreal. Stuff like this doesn’t happen here.”
Liam nodded. “He’s right. We should all go and support Kristy’s family.”
Hannah and a group of haters sauntered by, wiping tears and wearing black armbands. My friends exchanged looks but didn’t speak. Another reason I approved of my little clique. They knew when it wasn’t worth stating the obvious.
“It’s just so tragic,” Hannah lamented to a group of lackeys and guidance counselors on hand to assist us with the sudden loss of a classmate.
A shiver lifted goose bumps on my arms. “Like grade school.”
“What?” the Hales echoed.
I looked at Allison. She told the story better than I did. A shiver coursed through me as faded memories resurfaced.
“A couple girls went missing when we were kids and people dressed like that”—Allison nodded to the adults eating up Hannah’s performance—“came to the grade school every day for a week, but we were all too young to understand the girls weren’t coming back.”
My teeth chattered.
“Callie?” Justin nudged me with his elbow. “Callie?” He gripped my face with rough, familiar hands.
“I’m fine. I didn’t sleep well last night.” All week. Whatever. I dropped my bag. Black spots danced in my periphery and the uneasy edge of a blackout crept over me. A moment later, my head hit Justin’s chest and I was flying. He whipped my feet off the ground and jogged through a parting sea of students with me in his arms. I raised limp hands in protest as we angled past the front desk of the school office. Chaos erupted in the space behind us as Oliver held back onlookers and Liam fought the secretary for permission to follow us. Every voice rang clear in my beating head. Justin’s face hovered over mine like an angel. He laid me on the padded table against the nurse’s wall. Paper crinkled under my weight. Bright lights glowed around Justin’s head. Antiseptic filled my nose.
“I’m texting your mom. I bet she’s here before you can get off this table on your own.” Justin’s voice was steady, but his eyes crinkled in worry.
I nodded. “Fine.”
“What’s the matter?” A woman bustled around the small office.
“I think she was about to pass out.” Justin didn’t look up. He watched me as if his life depended on the task. His strong hands held me in place, probably sensing my urge to sit up.
“Excuse me.” The school nurse’s face edged into view. “Did you eat any breakfast?”
“No, ma’am.”
The nurse huffed. “Move it, Mr. Maze. I need to check her vitals.”
“Work around me.”
I rolled my eyes and took a deep breathe. “I’m fine. Shaky, but fine.” Stressed. Afraid of losing Justin, and the pending Viking apocalypse, but fine. A tear slid from the corner of my eyes and into my hair. Ice filled my veins. I didn’t have time to be sick. Justin needed me. Something was coming for him. What if he became a Viking and Adam’s clan nabbed him? Oh my lord. They didn’t want him for their clan. They wanted to kill him. The sudden revelation amped up my adrenaline. If the Stians craved ultimate power, they’d find the marked one from the prophecy and eliminate him. Without the Vikings’ one true leader, the Stians could finish off the Hales and add every new Viking to their legions.
Cold fingers probed my head, wrist, and neck. “Did she hit her head?”
“No. Ma’am. We were at her locker talking. Nothing happened.”
“Get her a juice from the fridge beside the desk and I’ll call her mother.”
Justin ducked away and returned with a box of apple juice. “I already texted her.” He slid his arm under me and levered me into a seated position. I flicked the bendy straw he’d shoved into the tiny box and he smiled. “You scared me.”
“Sorry.”
The nurse held a phone to her ear. “No answer.”
I sighed. Didn’t she listen? “Justin texted her. She’s probably on her way.”
The little woman huffed and scribbled across a notepad. “She’ll need to sign you out before you go.”
“What’s happening?” Liam boomed.
I scooted to the edge of the table and Justin helped me onto my feet. I moved cautiously into the waiting area. “I’m fine. I’ll do anything for an apple juice.”
Justin chuckled. “Tell your mom I saved your life again.”
I patted his arm. “My hero.”
He pressed a wide palm against my hand, holding it in place for one long beat. “Being a hero is exhausting. Some days I just want to be normal.” He winked and sauntered away like a boss. A handsome, dork of a boss.
Liam looked me over. “You’re sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah. I’m worn out, stressed out and freaked out, but what can I do about that?” I chased the tiny, swiveling straw with my lips, unable to look away from Liam’s sincere expression. “I’m fine. I get woozy after practice sometimes, too. Low blood sugar.”
He raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Low blood sugar.”
I elbowed him in the ribs. “Just another glorious bonus of the human condition.”
“Because there aren’t enough outside forces willing to harm you. Your body has to make a few extras. That’s brilliant. Lovely, really.” He scrubbed his face in both hands and settled into the chair beside me.
“I just need a little rest. I push myself too hard sometimes.”
“Why?”
I shrugged. How could I explain to someone like him? “It’s a swim thing. No pain no gain?”
He looked horrified.
“If you’d ever had to train for anything, you’d understand. Our bodies are capable of so much more than we think until we try. I guess I’m used to pushing. Sometimes I pass out.” I chuckled. “Wow. That sounds really dumb.”
“Then why?” His eyes were wild with worry.
“Because sometimes pushing myself leads to amazing things.” Plus I was stubborn and single-minded. And also…potential Viking apocalypse. I had tons to learn so I could help Justin when he changed.
Mom jogged through the office door, eyes wide, mouth open. Relief swept over her face when she noticed me seated in the office waiting area. “Oh, thank the Lord.”
“I’m fine.” I sucked on the juice box until the sides collapsed. “All better. Are you in your pajamas?”
“Justin said you collapsed and were with the nurse.”
The nurse waved a slip in the air and mom went to retrieve it. “Thank you.” She signed her name and extended a hand my way. Liam followed us through the crowd to the front door.
She pressed the door open and icy air ripped through my skin. “What happened?”
“I have no idea. I saw the counselors and got panicky. They’re here for kids dealing with Kristy’s death. My teeth started chattering. It’s cold.” The word death lodged in my throat like an ice cube.
“Oh, sweetie. Was it a panic attack?”
“No. I think I’m exhausted.” My limbs were as heavy as my eyelids.
Mom ushered me forward. “Well, I’m not surprised, but I am beat and I’m due back at work in less than twelve hours. I vote for comfort food and sleep.”
“Deal.”
She squeezed my hand. “You have to take better care of yourself next year. I won’t be around to make sure you eat or sleep. Maybe a swim scholarship is a bad idea. You never know when to take a break.”
I didn’t have the heart to point out living with her hadn’t kept me fed or rested either. “I thought you loved my tenacity and determination.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah. It’s great.”
Liam followed us into the sunlight. Mom unlocked the passenger door on her old Bronco and I climbed inside. She was as stubborn as me. She’d left her fancy Saab at Dad’s house when we moved out. She hadn’t wanted to owe him anything, though, in my opinion, he owed her plenty. I cranked down my window as Mom rounded the hood to the driver’s side.
Liam leaned over the window frame. “I’ll check on you soon. If you attend the memorial, I want to drive you.”
I nodded.
Mom’s door popped open. “Ready?”
The engine rumbled to life beneath us and Liam backed away. Mom drove home at half the speed limit, yawning through every intersection. She parked in front of the house and turned in her seat to face me.
“Liam’s coming to see you later?”
“He’s driving me to the memorial.”
“Only if you feel like it. You might be coming down with something. Take it easy tonight. Skip swim practice for a day or two. The season hasn’t even started, yet.”
“’Kay.”
“Are you really okay?” She stroked my arm.
Not at all. “Yeah.” I nodded. “I think all the drama over me needing a nap was a bit of overkill.”
She laughed. “Maybe.”
I slid onto the sidewalk and waited for her to meet me. “Thanks for bringing me home. I probably could’ve finished the day. I should’ve tried.”
She made a sound of exasperation and ignored the statement. “Liam seems nice. I can tell you like him.” Her mouth tipped at the side. “It’s funny how things work out. I’d give you a hard time about what kind of boy he is and how well you know him, but…” Tears welled in her eyes. “I’m glad you’re home today. You’re safe and smiling and you are hands down the very best thing that has or will ever happen to me.” She pressed her forehead to mine and petted my hair.
“Mom. I’m fine. I feel good. Tired and hungry, but good.”
“How about a toasted cheese sandwich then? I bet I have chicken noodle soup. Let’s get inside.”
We jogged up the front steps through frosty air that didn’t come close to the chill worry had left in my bones. Chester greeted us with his nose pressed to the glass on our front window. “Woof.”
Mom twisted the doorknob and Chester launched at us.
“Hello, baby boy.” Mom headed for the kitchen with Chester on her heels.
I went to bed. The dream started immediately.
I was back in elementary school. Lisa Hopkins hadn’t shown up for homeroom. The women with the dark suits and sad eyes came instead. They’d told us Lisa was dead. They’d come to help us sort through the details and make sense of our second loss that month. Amy Hirks had died two weeks before. Lisa, Amy, and I had met in infancy when our moms had weekly coffee dates and we’d drooled on one another. Amy and Lisa were born the same day as me. Mom had been on duty for their births, too. She’d delivered them the same afternoon Bio Mom wandered into her life and left me behind. When Amy’s and Lisa’s moms learned mine had a new baby in her charge, they’d became fast friends and bonded over motherhood. The girls and I had bonded over dry Cheerios and eventually, Barney.
Then they’d died. For a cautious second grader like me, it hadn’t taken long to realize I was next. Those girls had had two things in common, me and their birthdays. My birthday.
After a year of counseling, I’d added some new words to my second grade vocabulary. Coincidence. Tragedies. Accidents. Lisa had drowned. Amy had chased her cat into the road. Coincidence. Tragedies. Accidents. Until Justin showed up in fifth grade with his big hat and southern charm, I only spoke to Allison, convinced I was a curse or that I’d been cursed. Either way, it was safer for everyone if I kept to myself, hence the swim obsession. Swimming was a solitary ordeal. Well, it was back then. Lucky for Allison, we had nothing in common, and that made us safe friends. Eight-year-old logic at its finest.
My dream morphed from the little classroom, changing in fast forward from second grade to twelfth. In the hallway near my locker, the ladies watched Justin and me. They recognized Liam and Oliver. Swords of light hid inside their saggy black shirts and cardigans. Silly. Women weren’t Vikings. A scream pierced my heart and I pulled in a ragged breath.
“Callie?” Mom knocked on the door. “I have toasted cheese and chicken soup.” She set the plate and bowl on my nightstand. “Care if I lay in here with you?”
I tossed the blankets back, thankful for my mom, food and the relief she brought with her. The counselors were gone. It was only a dream. I sat slowly. Mom curled up beside me as I sipped soup and noshed on toasted cheese. She drifted into an easy sleep. For the first time in my life, I envied her. She did things right. She was rooted in her life and I was a lost balloon heading for the trees. I closed my eyes the moment I finished lunch. Dreams were kinder with Mom beside me.