Chapter 24

"Did you feel it? It happened again, didn't it?" Melinda said as she ran up to Jason.

"Yes, Melinda, I think we all did," replied Jason.

"I can still feel something."

"Yes, I think Heather is still talking to--"

"And she's still trying to get into Heather's head!"

Jason sighed. "Melinda, please, calm down."

"But shouldn't we go help her? God, I hope we find a way to get Ms. Hollis fired or something. No way I want her as my teacher!"

"Chrissakes, Melinda, enough with the whining," Richie grumbled. "Givin' me a fuckin' headache."

"Fuck you, Richie, I ... oh, wait, I think Heather got away!"

"News flash, pipsqueak: we'll all tuned to the same channel. Don't hafta give us a freakin' play-by-play."

Jason stepped between Melinda and Richie before she could retort. "Melinda, calm down. Richie helped us this time, or Heather wouldn't have been able to hold up like she did."

Melinda sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes but otherwise subsided.

"Man, that was freaky," Richie said. "It was like I could see what she was seeing, kinda."

"Here she comes!" Diane called out.

Melinda whirled around. "No Aura! Again!"

"And you're not going to ever see one on her from Ms. Hollis," Jason announced.

"Sorry I didn't get here sooner," Heather said, out of breath. "First Ms. Hollis kept me--"

"We know!" Melinda cried.

"And then I had to tell Ned I was okay. I think Cassie's avoiding me."

"Oh, just because you make her feel like she wants to boink you right in the hall whenever she gets close to you. Yeah, can't imagine why she'd avoid you."

Heather looked past her sister to Jason. "What did you mean by what you just said about never seeing an Aura on me?"

Jason was about to reply when he suddenly looked over Heather's shoulder.

Heather glanced behind her, then gave him a perplexed look. "Jason? Something wrong?"

He stared for another few seconds where he thought he had seen a large blur across his vision at the end of the lockers, but nothing appeared to him now. "Huh? Oh, sorry. No, everything's fine."

"So are you getting the same feeling about this that I am?" Heather asked.

"That this has nothing to do with the Darkness, at least not directly? Yeah. I'm almost sure now that Ms. Hollis' Aura is a feint, or an illusion."

"Crap," Richie muttered. "She's fuckin' scammed us."

"Maybe. At the very least it's misdirection. Someone wants us to think the Darkness is behind what's happening to Heather."

"Then how is Ms. Hollis doing it?" Diane asked.

"I almost had it," Jason said. "I could almost understand it. It may not be the Darkness at work, but I was seeing patterns in Heather's mind like I do in Auras."

"And I thought I was close to resisting it completely," Heather said in rising excitement. "I could do it by the end of class when I told her 'no.' God, I've never seen Ms. Hollis so pissed!"

"Well, sucks to her, then," Richie declared.

"No, it'll be sucks to us if she's mad enough to really fuck with me tomorrow!"

Melinda looked stricken. "Well ... well ... isn't that what we're supposed to be taking care of after school? We get Miss Sexpot Bubblehead here all powered up or something?"

Heather smirked. "Oh, yeah, now you're all hot to do it, huh?"

"Oh, shut up, Heather, I just meant--"

"Guys, we can't keep talking about this now," Jason said, gesturing to the thinning crowd of students. "We have to get to class. Let's talk at the house later."

"Before or after the boink-fest?" Melinda said.

"Whenever. Let's get going."

Diane's eyes darted between her comrades as the group started to break up. She waited until Jason headed away before she jogged after him. "Jason, wait, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Jason slowed but didn't stop. "Diane, it'll have to wait until--"

"It's sort of personal. I need to talk to you alone. It's really important."

"Okay, catch me before my lunch period."

Diane smiled. "Thanks."

Seeger waited until he heard no more students milling about in the hall before he stepped out of the unused classroom.

He hated himself. Eavesdropping on a conversation struck him as unethical, despite any claim from Laura that he had the right to do it. That alone was reason enough to avoid it.

Moreover, he had shirked his duty. They were loitering about instead of getting to their next class. He should have stepped up to them and sent them on their way. Yet the more of their conversation he heard above the waning din of the other students, the more bizarre it became, and the more he was compelled to listen.

Some of what they said made little sense to him. Darkness? Auras? And what were those odd risque comments spoken by the younger Sovert girl?

It was obvious to him now that Heather was having some sort of problem with Terri Hollis, just as Laura had suspected. He had no idea what the circumstances were, but she and her friends were upset about it.

They were the same circle of friends on hand during the altercation between Brad and Richie.

And that odd stain on Heather's jeans...

And what Richie told him when he had released the boy from detention...

And the strange puddle on the floor of Terri's classroom...

Seeger frowned. Something far more serious was happening at Haven High than he had realized, but now he had to decide what to do about it.

Brad glanced at Heather's empty seat as he waited for his next class to start, uttering a short sigh and shuffling his feet.

He had thought it odd that Ms. Hollis would seat her in the front for no apparent reason. Not that it should have mattered to him. He was sure Ms. Hollis had offered some explanation to Heather. Perhaps he dwelled on it only because of the seat into which Heather had been placed.

Brad still did not know what he saw in Gina. She was cute, but not very exciting. He had not noticed her until she had asked him to the party. Now it was all he could think about whenever he looked at her. He anticipated the event with eagerness and was not sure why.

"Hi."

Brad tore his gaze from Heather's seat and looked up. Gina smiled at him.

"Oh, uh, hi," Brad said, his returning smile automatic.

Gina glanced at the empty seat when Brad's eyes darted to it again. "Something wrong, Brad?"

"Huh? Um, no, it's cool." He paused. "I'm looking forward to the party Monday."

"Oh, so am I. I think we'll have a lot of fun."

"So, um, decided what you're gonna wear?"

"Actually, no, I haven't. I suppose I'll need to find a costume of some sort."

Brad smirked. "Well, yeah, that would help. Got any ideas?"

Gina shook her head, then paused and looked thoughtful.

Your sexuality is meant to be seen and offered.

"Perhaps I should wear something sexy."

Brad stared. "Say what?"

"Something sexy. Something revealing so you can see my body."

Brad's eyes flicked over Gina as if imagining her in such an outfit.

"Would you like that, Brad?" Gina asked.

Brad had never considered Gina in that manner, but now it preoccupied his thoughts. His cock hardened with a rapidity that only Heather had managed to elicit. "Oh, hell, yeah."

Gina licked her lips and let out a husky sigh. "We can have sex, too."

Brad's eyes widened. His head snapped back and forth to see if anyone had overheard her. His face betrayed mild disappointment when he saw that no one had. "Shit, are you serious?" Brad whispered.

Your sexuality is meant to be seen and offered.

"Of course," Gina said, her voice quavering from growing excitement. "I'll do whatever you want me to do."

"A-anything?"

"Yes, anything." Gina paused. "That's what I'm supposed to do, isn't it?"

"Wait, what?"

"It's what I'm supposed to do. Offer myself to you. Offer my sexuality."

At the moment that Brad realized something was wrong -- and even a bit creepy -- Gina's words settled over his mind like a fine mist, until everything was glistening with a gentle but persistent lust.

Of course it was right. It was the way it was supposed to be. He had wanted to fuck Gina all along. He felt as if he had done it already, and this would just be a repeat performance.

Brad nodded with a lascivious grin. "Yeah, that'll work," he said in a low voice. "Wear something real sexy. Something we can get off real quick."

"I'm sure I can find something." Gina lifted her dark eyes to the front of the room. "I better get to my seat. Talk to you later."

"Yeah, later." Brad grinned. He stared at Gina's ass as she walked towards her seat. His gaze slid over and past Heather without really seeing her.

She's probably gonna be a better lay than Heather ever was, Brad thought, his erection pulsing in the tight confines of his briefs.

"Jason, I'm really sorry about earlier," Cassie said. "When I wouldn't come by when Heather was there."

Jason closed his locker door. "Cassie, it's okay. You don't need to apologize."

"It's just that Heather got in my head somehow. I already can't stop thinking about later. It would only get worse if--"

"Hey, Cass, chill, okay?" Richie drawled, lounging against the locker next to Jason's. "He said it's cool."

"And Heather wasn't upset about it, either," Jason added.

"See, babe, I toldja," Ned said.

Cassie sighed. "I just don't want to hurt anyone's feelings."

"Ya didn't. Honest injun, Heather understood when I told her."

Jason stuffed the rest of his book-bag into his locker and closed it. He turned to Ned and Cassie. "How about you two sit with us for lunch today?"

"What?" Ned said in mock shock. "An' rob us of our lunchtime make-out session?"

Richie snorted and smirked.

"Oh, we do not!" Cassie said, blushing furiously, though the corners of her mouth twitched upwards. "We just like to have the private time, but I want to hear what the rest of you talked about earlier. Melinda told me you think Ms. Hollis' Aura is fake?"

"Either that or we're being distracted by circumstantial evidence," said Jason. "We'll tell you all about it."

They started away from the lockers. They were only a few strides down the hall when Diane ran towards them. "Jason! Jason, wait!"

Jason stopped, the others with him. "Oh, I forgot, Diane wants to talk to me about something."

Diane rushed to a stop. "Do you have a minute, Jason?" She glanced at her fellow Harbingers. "Um, alone?"

"I'll catch up with you," Jason said to the others.

"Yeah, we'll check out the Mystery Meat of the Day," Richie said.

"Likely served with the Sauce That Time Fergot," Ned chimed.

"You know, I do have to eat it, too," Cassie admonished as they headed away.

Diane waited until they were gone. She took a step closer to Jason. "I'm sorry, this won't take more than a minute."

"Not a problem, Diane," said Jason. "What's up?"

"Well, it's about the Book."

Jason tried not to react, though he did let out a slow sigh through his nose. He wondered when the others might start asking for it again. "What about it?" he asked in as neutral a voice as he could muster.

"I'm a little worried about it."

"Worried about it? How?"

"Well, how do you know it's safe?"

Jason thought about the pendant fragment in his pocket. He had meant to slip it on in the bathroom between periods just for a moment to see if he could sense that the Book was safe, but he was afraid he would start hearing that voice again. "Well, for one thing, we're the only ones that know where it is, besides Mrs. Radson."

"But your mother is the only one there to stop anyone from going in and taking it."

"Yes, but I don't think anyone is going to do that, not if what Heather's vision suggests is true."

"But if someone did try, your mother would succumb easily."

"But ... well ... yes, I guess that's true, but--"

"Wouldn't it be a lot safer if it was in sight all the time?"

Jason paused, his lips parting as if he intended to speak. His eyes twitched.

"Think about it, Jason," Diane said in a softer voice. "If you had it all the time, you'd know it was safe."

Jason hesitated. He struggled to say something, the words having to be forced from his brain to his mouth. "But ... Diane, we know someone is after it. If I have it with me all the time, then--"

"Then you would know it was safe."

Jason opened his mouth, then closed it again without saying a word.

"All I'm concerned about is the safety of that Book."

Jason nodded. He understood that now. Perhaps he had been suspicious earlier, but it made sense that Diane's overriding concern was the safety of the Book.

"It's not safe unattended," said Diane. "It's better to carry it with you all the time. That's really the proper thing to do, isn't it?"

Diane wanted the Book to be safe. It was obvious to Jason that she had given this much thought. He should listen to her. It was only proper to do so.

He nodded once.

Diane smiled. "I'd feel better knowing it was safe with you, Jason. Carrying it with you all the time is really the only way to do that."

"Yes, I suppose it is," Jason said.

"It has to be kept safe."

"Yes, of course," Jason said with rising confidence in his voice.

"Thank you, Jason," Diane said in a more cheerful voice. "Thanks for listening to me."

Jason smiled. "Of course. And thanks for giving me the advice, it makes a lot of sense."

"I knew there was some phoney-baloney goin' on around here," Ned muttered. "An' I don't mean lunch."

Cassie lowered her fork. "Goodness, isn't anyone else frightened by the thought that there is some power at work here other than the Darkness?"

"Ya know, I don't so much think we got a new player here as we do a new weapon."

"I don't follow you."

"Look, do ya think something like that Dark Smoke of the Sith we saw at Melissa's jamboree would play second fiddle to some other power? Nah, I think the Darkness is still the Grand Poobah of Evil in this town, but she's got a few new tricks up her sleeve."

"So you're saying that Ms. Hollis' Aura is real but she's not using the Darkness against Heather? Does that even make sense?"

"I ain't sayin' nuthin' like that til I know more. I'm jus' sayin' that this could be something like 'hey, look over there!' while the real thing is goin' down somewhere else. I'm thinkin' we should be lookin' more inta what Richie saw at the church and what Heather and Melinda heard from their mother. This thing with Heather could be designed ta do jus' what it's doin': tyin' us up in twisty little passages of logic, all alike."

Cassie sighed. "This is all so confusing. Richie, you haven't really said anything, do you have ... Richie?"

Richie was staring off into the distance. "Did you hear that?"

Cassie exchanged a look with Ned. "Hear what?"

"I thought I just heard Diane say something."

"She's not here, dude," said Ned.

Richie frowned. "I know that. But I swear it was like she was right in front of me." He looked around. "Hey, where the fuck is Jason?"

"He was talking to Diane, but ... oh, here he comes," Cassie said.

Jason jogged over to them. "Sorry about that. Let me go grab some lunch and I'll be right back."

Richie's hand flicked out and grabbed his arm. Jason nearly fell over in his surprise, and Cassie gasped. Ned raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Jason said.

Richie narrowed his eyes and scrutinized his friend. "You okay?"

"Yes, why wouldn't I be?"

"I dunno, I just... " Richie trailed off, aware of the others staring at him. He let go of Jason's arm. "Forget it. See ya in a bit."

Jason nodded once, his gaze lingering on his friend for another second before he left.

Richie glanced at the others, glowering. "Fuck, we're all gonna be jumping at the freakin' shadows on the wall before long."

Laura peered at Seeger over her folded hands, elbows resting on the sides of her chair. "Is that all you heard, Seymour?"

"Isn't that enough?" Seeger said, scowling. "I have already proven your suspicions that Terri Hollis is making inappropriate advances on Miss Sovert. Or if not outright advances, she is certainly asking things of the girl that are making her upset and her friends angry."

"Yes, and thank you for that," Laura said. "But did you hear anything else? Anything unusual?"

Seeger had not told her about their talk concerning Darkness or Auras. He remained silent as he considered his options.

Laura leaned forward, transferring her elbows from the hand rests to the desk. "I want to know about anything unusual going on in this school, Seymour," Laura said in a faintly admonishing tone. "Anything at all."

Seeger wondered if she suspected that he had more information. Yet he had dismissed their talk as nonsense, and convinced himself that Laura could not be interested in such things. "I am sure I heard nothing else of consequence."

Laura paused, weighing Seeger's words. "I will be the judge of that, if you didn't mind."

"Perhaps if you gave me some idea of what you were talking about, I could provide more information! Good heavens, Laura, I already feel like I don't know what's going on with the students, don't make yourself into as much of an enigma as them!"

Laura considered for a moment. "Very well. I suspect that some of the students have been organizing secret clubs or organizations here in the school."

Seeger frowned. "And why should this be a concern so long as they are abiding by the school rules?"

"But that's just it. I am not sure that they are."

Seeger could not shake the feeling that Laura was on a fishing expedition. "Do you have proof of this? Or is this another one you wish to keep to yourself until either the 'appropriate time' or until I get so frustrated that I wheedle it out of you anyway?"

Laura raised an eyebrow. "A little tense, Seymour?"

"Only because I feel everyone around me is trying to make life hard for me here."

"Times are trying here at Haven High, I know. I trust you will continue to persevere."

Seeger decided to wrest the conversation back to the original topic before he had to bear any more useless platitudes. "Now that you have some confirmation of Terri's inappropriate behavior, may I ask what you intend to do next?"

"I will speak with her, and hear her side of it."

"Do you wish me to attend that meeting?"

"No, I will handle it."

Seeger had guessed that would be the answer. He wished he knew how Laura had become this way. Her typically insular nature had deteriorated into secretiveness. He suspected blatant deception as well, but he had no proof of such an accusation. He kept that thought buried in his mind, lest he succumb to the same paranoia that he felt was behind Richie Gardner's lurid claims.

"Very well," said Seeger in a tired voice. "Is there anything you wish me to do?"

"Keep your eyes and ears open. Let me know if anything unusual happens." She paused and leveled her gaze at him. "Or if you happen to remember anything else you overheard earlier this morning."