Orion (9 page)

Chemistry whizzed by thankfully.  The next two classes were over fast and I was heading back to the lab.  Getting there ten minutes early I looked around, saw no one, and set out to investigate Quinn
’s desk. 

It was believed that Quinn might know who the one person was I was looking for here at the
Hunter’s den, but I had to find out on my own without blowing cover or asking him.  Someone had answers about my brother's whereabouts.  My father said Quinn would lead me in the right direction and the safest place for me to look was right here.  I doubted his reasoning, but accepted that maybe he trusted me to find out something on my own. It was the first time he'd let me lead.  They’d already pulled a lot of weight in getting me in here, I couldn’t mess it up with questions to the other teachers.

I searched the drawers.  Nothing.  Cabinets.  Nothing.  Sigh.

I headed to the lab desk and began working on the experiment.

Calum walked in when I was halfway done, checked my work, nodded and  “hmm” at the right moments like a teacher would then pointedly said, “A!”

“What?” I asked perplexed by his odd ways of conversing.

“I give you an A,” Calum appraised.

I  laughed with that.  “Well, thank my tutor.  If all my tutors looked like you back home, I’d have never got my work done.”  That was an accident.  My hand flew to my mouth.

“Ahh!  So you
’re overwhelmed with my good looks?” he smirked with the smugness of a cartoon character. 

I gave him my best dirty look.  “Egotistical ever?  And you knew you were good looking before I came here.  Don
’t be an ass.”

“Ahh, maybe.  But I didn
’t care what anyone else thought before you came here.”

My hands stopped midair.  The stunning might have stopped us earlier, but right now, the air was buzzing with something else.

“Sorry.” Calum backed away.  "I didn't mean to scare you.  I’ve never acted this way before.”

“Ever?”  I told myself to shut up already.

“No!”

“No other Hunter girl has ever cast a spell on you?  I find that hard to believe,” I scoffed but laughed to calm myself.

“Is that what you are doing to me?” His devil smile played around the side of his mouth.

I was speech impaired with his comeback. He sounded like a movie character I knew, but couldn't place it.  I might think he rehearsed it, but he looked as dumbfounded as me.

“Um…joking,” Calum explained quickly trying to hide the open look his face  portrayed.

We both laughed to ease the tension.

“You know, I’ve never laughed like this with anyone before,” I piped in between chuckles.

“Are you saying I
’m funny looking?”  He put one hand to his chest indicating as if hurt, but his face was anything but.

Under my breath and turning to get the tube he needed for our experiment, “Hardly.  More like weak in the knees drop dead gorgeous.”

“That good, huh?”  Calum chided.

“You heard that?” I was in shock. 
Crap!

He pointed to his ears, “
Hunter!”  He said it like a duh.  I was blushing and reminding myself to think like a Hunter.  I needed the reality check here because the truth was, Calum was a Hunter, and I’m not.

Changing the subject after the mix of something
puke green and yellow and now good as done with the experiment, “Why were you so rude when we met, yet nice and even a gentleman today?”

Calum turned away.  “My dad told me to keep an eye on you, right?  He said you were…bred to be a heartless wench and wouldn
’t hesitate to have a killer’s instinct.  To make sure you knew your schedule, and…and…make sure no one hurt you.”

“Hurt me?”  I knew the real reason, did his father know more than I realized.  “Heartless?”  I paused.  Not a pretty picture they painted.  He didn't answer so I asked, “Well, how
’s that panning out for you so far?”  I had to know what he and others might think of me.

“He was right about one thing,” his
mout stayed open like might say something profoundly earth shattering.  Ultimately, I did what he wanted and keyed up straighter on the high back lab chair. “You do have a killer’s instinct.  I wouldn’t step into a ring with you throwing knives unless we were side by side.”

Dang it on the eyebrow.  It was intriguing and I
’m sure he caught my gasp.

“Side by side is good.  We
’d make a great team,” Calum repeated.

“One secret,” I offered.

“What?  Are we done with convalescing together?”

“I
’ll tell you one secret.  But not now, moron.  Quit being an ass.”

He didn
’t respond.  He just started cleaning up and smiling the whole time.

We said goodbye without a single touch and both headed to our rooms before dinner.

I was already eating, somewhat starving today only because it had been days since I ate last any real food
other than cake, when he walked into the dining hall and stopped behind me.  I smelled the fresh scent of his particular cologne before he spoke and turned sideways to look standing above me.

My knees forced Calum to step back to keep from touching me, both of us avoiding that particular subject.

“You’re moving.” He didn’t have a bashful look about him as he announced he was telling me directives.  He looked so sure of himself.  I was sure there was more to this Hunter boy than his tough exterior he displayed.  I looked back at the girls; they nodded largely together in unison, with big O mouths bobbing. 

“If I wanted a new schedule, I
’d have discussed this with your father.”

Calum grinned. “Oh, that can be arranged.”

He took my plate and headed to the end of the very same table and sat down not looking back.  The dang man was so sure I would follow.  I wanted to throw the plate at him.  I reluctantly swallowed my thoughts and went down the length of the table to sit opposite of each other.  “What do I owe this occasion since it’s apparent once again, I’m noticing, that the entire dining hall is watching us?”

“I told you, you
’re lovelier than you give yourself credit.  You’re hair alone is mesmerizing.” 

Okay.  So this Hyde boy likes to play dirty when he
’s being watched and smooth operator when he’s alone with me.  We’ll just see about that.

“Mesmerizing?  My hair is a nuisance.   I only keep it around for one reason."

“Well, I like it.  Don’t change a thing,” Calum said curtly.  “What reason?” 

Okay, I
’d expected him to ask, right?  Wrong. “I like the way it feels on my neck when it’s cold.”

He considered that, noting it internally.
  I didn’t really think he would ask so I didn’t have a good fake answer ready.

“So, everyone, Maze that is, says you
’ve never sat with another girl since she’s been here.  Why is that?” I was feeling bold since he got me up so daringly and showcased me around the dining hall.

“Well, no one caught my eye before.”

“No one?”  I tried raising the one eyebrow.  I’d practiced in the mirror before dinner.

Calum noticed it.  Score!

He followed raising the right, then the other making me laugh out loud.  Maybe all boys practiced things like that in the mirror.

“YOU!”  I hit his arm.   Don
’t know why I did that.  Fabric, not skin.

“It does something to you, doesn
’t it?” he asked.  “The eyebrow thing.”

“You have
no
idea... what you are in for, moron.”  I was feeling hot and flustered and remembered I’d not been allowed around boys before now.  Fumbling words was so new to me.

“You like that word.  I might just take offense if I didn
’t like you.  If you’re asking if I’ve noticed other girls before, well yes, I am male as you call it.  But no, I’ve not wanted to ever get to know any of them before with much more than a few laughs.  You’re different somehow.”

Yeah.  Try
way
different. Like a different species as far as we are both concerned.  “So, do you think you’ll still like me if you know all of my secrets?”  Total chance talking here, but not revealing.  And so not caring either.

“Are you really a man under that shirt?”  Calum momentarily looked at my chest.  Not in a vulgar way, but definitely playful and intentional.  I looked around to see if others were still watching.  Only Maze.  And Derrick and Lee.  They reminded me of a movie I once saw on my father
’s TV.  Batman and Robin.  Simply because they were always together, I guess.

“No, I
’m not really a man.  This is the real thing under here.”  I can embarrass him back, right.  I felt like I was in one of my movies trying to come up with one- liners.  Mostly, I'd only ever tried them on my bedroom mirror.

Calum didn
’t look up, but grabbed a cheese puff from the plates of food and ate it.  Then he tossed some carrots and meatballs all over the plate and popped them in after each swallow.  I took my time tearing apart the yummy cheesy bread and dipping it in the olive oil in the center of the table.  I didn’t think about the double dipping.  Oops!  I backed away from the oil.

“And you
’re not here to break my…uh, spirit and then run away,” he asked.

Too close to the truth,I answered truthfully, “No, that
’s not what I’m here for.”  I looked down at my bread desperate for a subject change.  And was he just about to say heart? “So, what else are you good at besides, weapons, chemistry, tutoring, good looks, and putting spells on me?”  I asked perplexed by where the last comment’s point might have been leading too.

“My spell is working then?” a wide toothy grin played across his lips.

“I’d say not, moron!” I muttered with a chunk of bread going in my mouth and eyes raised but never looking up.  I didn’t realize it yet, but my world was closing in on a too small bubble around me and this incredible smooth talking sarcasm filled Hunter Hyde boy.  I forgot we were in a crowded dining hall. I forgot about this magnetic pull Calum had drawing me to him whether I wanted to or not.  I forgot to be me.

He chuckled purposefully. 

“Not cocky, are we?”   Calum truly was enjoying this.

“Er
, I bake a mean pizza," he offered.  Where the crap did that come from?

“Seriously!  That
’s like the only thing I eat.  Hence,” I looked down, “Italian bread.  I think my mother was Italian and…”  I stopped, feeling lame and giving way too much information.  I totally didn’t just say that, did I?

“That explains the food but definitely not the hair, eyes, and cream colored skin.”

He just described my skin as cream.  Did guys really do that?  “Um, yeah, my mom’s side I guess.  Enough about me, back to your repulsive features.”   Yes, ice queen.  No, not really meaning it.  Yes, not letting this boy see.  No, because he’s the first one to see through it. When he didn’t answer I asked, “How about your mom?”

Calum looked down, “She died when I was born.”

I stopped chewing my piece of bread, “So did mine.”

We just stared in mid chew, both of us, at each other.  After a second, we continued eating quietly.

“She left me something.  A letter.  I kept it for years, but lost it a few years back.  Don’t know why I told you that.”  Calum watched his fork move his food around on his plate after saying such a thing uneased by his own admission.

“You miss her like I d
o mine even without knowing her,”  I offered and looked down affirming our mutual feelings.  We were both uncomfortable at the turn of conversation.

“Not really.  I never knew her.  She just left me with a lot of secrets behind.”

“Same here," he replied casually speaking telling me to change the subject.

“Any more talents?  I
’d liked to be forewarned before I’m in shock again.  You seem to stop my heart a lot with the electricity thing ...or make it cringe...disgusting really.”
Did I just say that?
I raised my chin up knowing my eyes were moving into the pained looked my dad always said made me an open book.

“
I do, do I?” he pressed.

Yep, I just said that.  Dorkwad!
             

He leaned in closer to whisper, “I read a lot.  Not really a talent.  More a hobby.”  He leaned in closer and we were practically leaning halfway over the table now, “now you know one of my secrets no one knows about me, tell me one of yours.”

His lips were so close, I could feel the warm air of his mouth hitting against mine.  He took a drink of the mint tea and swallowed.

I thought, but not too carefully, “I
’m deathly afraid that I shouldn’t be here…with you,” I muttered darkly.  And before he could react, Derrick was beside him kicking his shins.  We both sat up rather quickly and looked at him.

“Ya
’ll want that room now?”  He held up the sock he’d just whisked off by the smell of it, “Cause the whole room is talking about how the two of you are about to get it on right here on top of the table.  And they are all eager to watch.”  He didn’t look the least bit amused by his own humor.

We both blushed.  I knew just what he meant now by the sock. 

Calum looked at Derrick then around the room at everyone staring.  This was such new territory for me.  And
way
off my mission.  At least I’ve done
some
searching, right?                    

Calum shifted as I did and we both stared blankly at each other.  If I keep this going I can get information out of him.  If I think like the spy that I am, I can do this without getting too involved.  It is just I have a sneaking suspicion there is more to this than just a simple boy vs. girl episode here.  Something else entirely is afire.  For now, I will play along.  Oh, the hardship.

“Um, I’ll see you in class tomorrow.  And it’s your turn.”  He raised the eyebrow, my own little secret goodbye just for me seemingly not embarrassed by his friend’s suggestion at marital bliss on the table in the dining area.  I felt stupid for not getting the hints about dating, but aware of the current predicament.  I walked away in my regular not faltered, I’m a badass chic mode that I always did. 
Bad A-Chic-A-Rella Princess!  That my inner call name of sorts.

I walked back to Maze and sat long enough to say I
’d see her upstairs in class.  Liz was shaking her head. 

“What?”  I asked.

“Yesterday, you acted like you didn’t have a clue, but that PDA going on, on top of the table no less, was way not like anyone who doesn’t have a clue.  What’s the story?”

“Don
’t know what you mean?  We were just talking,” I shrugged with insouciance spilling out of my words.  Playing the just didn’t care attitude was better than the alternative.  Ignorance.

“Um, how can you not know when a boy wants his tongue down your throat?  You
’re better at the flirting thing than you think.”

“My throat huh.”  I grabbed my throat in a perfectly faked freak mode.  It felt like floating on a cloud, but this sounded like I was piercing the cloud with my spear and daring it to provoke me.  They had no idea how new this was to me.

“And egging that boy on is like rubbing your cricket legs together in a slow dance in case you were looking for a definition,” Maze rolled her eyes, then continued her antics, “But not to be confused with the louder song of the male cricket who calls to his honey and wards off the other males.  Not that Calum’s not singing or anything, but his song is loud and clear.”

That is definitely what I was doing.  I
’m so in over my head. 

“If you really are that naive, just please, if you do anything more than kissing, use protection.  And please make him take you out on a date before you give it up.”

“Like what?  And give what up?” I smiled deviously knowing this was dangerously out of line with decency.

“
Oh, heck!  I can’t do this.” Liz leapt up.

“Just tell him, okay.”

And I watched they both walked away.  I really might need to go to the library tonight and google some of this.  Too many things were happening fast on this train and I can’t seem to keep up with the engine.  And I thought I knew all there was to know about boys.  NOT!