Runes

8. DAMAGE CONTROL

“Thanks for making dinner, sweetie,” Mom said when she walked into the kitchen. She picked up a toast of garlic bread and took a bite. I’d just pulled out the tray from the oven. “Oh, crunchy. How was school?”

“Terrible.”

She frowned, putting the toast down. “What happened?”

“Kate Hunsaker died.”

“Oh, honey. Come here.” She gave me a hug, then leaned back and rubbed my arms. “You should have called me.”

I shrugged. “The principal talked to us, and there were grief counselors for those who needed one. Some stupid guy confronted me and Cora in class and said it was our fault. You know, because of the party.” Mom’s back grew stiff, her green eyes flashing. I couldn’t believe I’d said that to her. “That was before we were told Kate died.”

“Who’s this guy? What’s his name?”

“It doesn’t matter, Mom. He’s an idiot.”

“People are always lashing out when they grieve.” She peered at me. “Listen to me, sweetheart. I feel terrible Kate died, but it wasn’t your fault or Cora’s or Eirik’s. If the blackout was meant to happen, it was going to happen. If it was her time to die and move on, nothing and no one could have stopped it. You should not feel responsible for what happened,” she stressed, starting to repeat herself. “None of you should.”

“Do you really believe everyone has a time to die?”

“Oh yes. Death is the one thing you can’t escape. When it’s your time to go, you will go.”

I bit my lower lip. Did she believe it wasn’t Dad’s time to go? Was that why she didn’t believe he was dead? Or was she just being delusional like Mrs. Rutledge claimed? I didn’t dare ask.

After dinner, Mom disappeared upstairs. I was surprised when I didn’t hear from Eirik. Sleep didn’t come easily. I kept checking to see if Torin was home.

“Wake up, Raine.”

Mom’s voice reached me as though from afar. I squinted, trying to find her. “What?”

“You slept through your alarm, sweetie. You’re going to be late for school.”

I flung the covers aside and saw the time. I had twenty minutes to get my butt to school. I showered and changed in record time and raced downstairs. There were several texts from Eirik and one from Cora asking if I needed a ride. I called them back, but they were already at school.

“Do you want me to come get you?” Eirik asked.

I stared at my car and chewed my lower lip. He was so sweet, but I didn’t want him to be late for his first class just because of the stupid runes on my car. “It’s okay. I’ll drive. See you later.”

I closed my phone and slowly walked toward my car, staring at it like it was a viper. I could ask Mom for a ride, but she would want to know what was wrong with my car. Of course, finding out that it was okay would only reinforce her belief that something was wrong with me.

“Need a ride, Freckles?”

I exhaled and turned to face Torin. “No, thanks.”

“I could get you to school in two minutes flat.”

It took me ten minutes most mornings. “Is that before or after you get a speeding ticket?”

“The cops would have to see me to give me one,” he bragged and extended his helmet toward me. “Unless of course you want to drive your car and learn firsthand the curse associated with those runes.”

My stomach hollowed out. “Curse?”

“Or blessing. Depends on how you look at it. Come on.” He disappeared inside his garage.

I studied my runes-covered car, then crossed our yards. He was playing with my head again, yet curiosity drew me to him. Could he really get me to school in two minutes? He was already straddling his bike when I reached him.

“How come you live on your own while Andris and his harem are living with a host family?”

“No one would have me.”

Was he serious?

He grinned, and I knew he was teasing me again. “You should have seen your face. Don’t ever feel sorry for me, Freckles. I have money and can afford to live on my own. Come here.” He lifted the helmet.

My heart pounding, I moved closer. He placed the helmet over my head and tucked my hair behind my ear, the gesture so gentle and unlike the violent guy I knew him to be. He snapped the strap in place, then rolled a lock of my hair between his thumb and fingers.

“You have soft hair,” he murmured in a husky voice.

I somehow found my voice and said, “Thank you.”

He smiled. “Okay, uh, do you have a waist strap for your backpack?”

I nodded and secured it with hands that weren’t steady. Usually, I went toe-to-toe with him on anything, but today, a shyness I couldn’t explain had crept in on me, and I hated it. I glanced up and found him staring at me.

“It’s going to be okay,” he said, his voice gentle.

I believed him. I didn’t think he’d hurt me or anything like that. It was just that being close to him messed with my head. Having to actually wrap my arms around him scared me. I straddled the bike and sat.

“Closer. I don’t bite,” he teased. “No, that’s not true. I do, just not when nosey neighbors are watching.”

I glanced over my shoulder at Mrs. Rutledge’s and caught a movement behind a curtain. Oh well, here’s something for you to gossip about. I scooted closer to Torin’s back, our bodies touching, his warmth enveloping me. A shiver shot through me. I didn’t understand this effect he had on me. It was both scary and exciting.

“Give me your hands,” he said huskily. I did. He took my wrists and wrapped my arms around his waist. “Hold on tight.”

I tightened my grip. He slipped on his sunglasses and started the engine. Talk about sitting on such a powerful machine and hugging an even more powerful one. The difference was a bike could be controlled. Torin couldn’t. He was an unknown entity. Unpredictable. All muscles, heat, and forbidden desires.

Firm muscles flexed under my knuckles as he took off. The T-shirt he wore was so thin he might as well be shirtless. I tried my best to pretend he was Eirik, someone safe, loving, and kind. It wasn’t happening. Both men had their special scents, and Torin’s was intoxicating.

As soon as he hit Orchard Road, he picked up speed. My hands curled, grabbing his T-shirt since his jacket was unzipped. His broad shoulders made it impossible to see in front of us, so I felt rather than saw the runes. It was as though an electric shock shot through him and leaped to me, charging us both. Everything became blurry as he picked up speed. Soon it felt like we were moving at five times the speed of a rollercoaster. I closed my eyes and laughed. Instead of fear, I felt exhilarated, free, like I was one with the wind.

How could we move so fast without hitting something or someone? Just like he’d picked up speed, he slowed down. I opened my eyes and smiled. He was entering Riverside Boulevard, the street in front of our school. No wonder he’d appeared suddenly near Longmont Park the day of Ultimate Frisbee.

He found a place to park and turned off the engine. A few students hurrying to the school turned to look at us. I looked at my watch and grinned. Two minutes. “That was… wow. How can you ride like that and not hit something?”

“Practice.” He unsnapped the helmet, lifted it from my head, and brushed hair away from my face, his knuckles lingering on my cheek.

I laughed to cover my hot cheeks and exhaled with relief when he turned and picked up his backpack. We walked toward school, so close our hands almost touched.

“You did great for your first ride,” he said. “I heard you laugh.”

“I closed my eyes.”

“I know.”

I rolled my eyes. “How?”

“Because I know everything there’s to know about you, Lorraine Cooper.”

“Yeah. Right.”

“Ask me anything.” He held the door and followed me into the main hall. The first bell rang, and the few students hanging around hurried away. I had no time to take my backpack to my locker. “I dare you,” Torin added as we headed upstairs to our math class.

“I hate the name Freckles. Why?”

He chuckled. “Some idiot teased you about the cute ones on your nose.”

Cute again. This time I forgave him. “Any two-bit shrink would know that. Tell me when, where, and by whom.”

“At the playground, Kayville Elementary School, by Derrick Gregory, who had an awful crush on you and hated that you and Seville were best friends.”

I’d stopped walking as soon he mentioned Derrick. How could he know such details of my life? First, the light signal Eirik and I used, now this? Could he read minds? See the past?

“How did you know?”

A wicked smile lifted the corner of his mouth, but all he did was push open the door to our math class. He indicated I walk ahead of him. Eyes followed us. Mrs. Bates was already in class. Frank Moffat pressed against the back of his chair, his eyes fixed warily on Torin. Yeah, Torin had definitely been behind Frank’s meltdown. I sat at my desk while Torin continued to the back of the class.

How had he known about Derrick Gregory? I glanced back. He winked and indicated that I turn around. I wrinkled my nose and faced forward. I must have glanced back a hundred times and caught his twinkling eyes on me. I couldn’t wait for class to be over.

“How did you know about Derrick?” I asked him when the class ended.

“That will have to wait.” He glanced over my shoulder. “Golden Boy is waiting.”

I turned and saw Eirik by the door. Dang. Sighing, I went to join him. Eirik slipped a possessive arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer, then glanced at Torin and nodded briefly. We moved away from the door and headed for the stairs.

“I didn’t know Torin was in your class,” he said. “Isn’t he a senior?”

I shrugged. “I think so. I was surprised to see him in my class, too.”

“What’s up with the backpack?” he asked.

“I didn’t have time to drop it off. So… what are you doing tonight?” I asked before he could bring up my car.

He shot me an easy smile. “Nothing. Want me to come over?”

“Sure. You can have dinner with us and, uh, bring your swim suit.”

“We’re going swimming?”

“Yeah, around seven thirty.” The sound of giggles reached me, and I turned to find the source. Torin stood in the hallway surrounded by girls. I recognized a few cheerleaders and swimmers. Even though he was talking to them, his eyes were on us.

“How’s your new neighbor?” Eirik asked, following my gaze.

His voice sounded strained, and I berated myself for letting Torin get to me. The problem was he was like a magnet. Not just to me, but to other girls from the looks of things.

“Torin is… Torin. He keeps to himself and causes a lot of ruckus with his bike. He’s your typical high school guy.” Yeah, right. Between ten years in Land of Mist and rune magic, he might be a lot older than he looked. An Immortal, whatever that meant. Eirik, on the other hand, was very much the guy next door, normal and human. He was also my boyfriend. I should’ve been happy, content.

Downstairs, we put my backpack in my locker, collected the rest of the books for my morning classes, and Eirik walked me to my next class, leaving me with a peck on my cheek. He was sweet. Safe. Why, then, was I drawn to Torin? He wasn’t nice or even remotely safe.

***

Gina Lazlo, a student aid, walked into my computer tech class and handed the teacher a note. Mr. Finnegan looked around the classroom then walked to my row. “Lorraine Cooper, you’re wanted in the main office.”

My stomach hollowed out. Students turned to stare. We were rarely summoned to the office unless we’d done something wrong. I collected my books and hurried out of the class. I ran to catch up with Gina.

“What’s going on, Gina?”

“I don’t know, but Mrs. Underwood is with Principal Elliot.”

Mrs. Underwood was my counselor. I hadn’t done anything that would interest her. One tardy didn’t count, and I wasn’t failing any of my classes.

Inside the office, the secretary looked up and impatiently waved me in. My stomach churned faster. Principal Elliot stood when I entered the office, though Mrs. Underwood stayed seated.

“Lorraine, sit,” the principal said, indicating the seat next to Mrs. Underwood’s.

I sat on the edge of the chair and licked my lips, which had suddenly gone dry.

“How are you doing, Lorraine?” Principal Elliot asked.

“Fine.” My hands clenched the books.

“How are things at home?”

Was this about my father? Was he back? Or had they found his body? I swallowed, heart pounding. “Uh-hmm, okay.”

“We want you to know that we are here for you, Lorraine,” Principal Elliot said. “If you need to talk, my office and Mrs. Underwood’s are always open. We want what’s best for you and all our students.”

I nodded when he paused.

“But if a situation arises that makes it impossible for students to learn, it is our job to find out what’s going on. If it’s something we can take care of, we do it. If they need help coping, we help them cope.”

This was definitely about my father, the one subject I didn’t want to discuss with anyone at school. I bit my lower lip and hoped I wouldn’t start crying. I wasn’t a crier, but every time I thought of my father, the waterworks started.

“Is there something bothering you that you’d like to discuss with me or Mrs. Underwood?” Principal Elliot asked.

I shook my head. “No.”

“Kate Hunsaker’s accident was not your fault, despite what anyone says,” the counselor said, shifting in her seat so she faced me.

“I know. My mother told me the same thing.”

Mrs. Underwood’s brow furrowed. “Do you talk to your mother a lot?”

I smiled. “Of course. With my father go… Yes, we talk,” I finished quickly.

“There’s still no news about your father?” Principal Elliot asked.

I blinked. “You know?”

“Yes, Lorraine,” the principal said in a voice I’d never heard him use. It was gentle. Fatherly. “Your mother came to see me during registration and explained the situation.”

I’d thought no one in school knew. I wasn’t sure how I felt now. “No, there’s no news.”

“Do you ever talk to him when you’re sad or scared?” Mrs. Underwood asked.

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Some people find relief when they talk to their diseased or absent family members, especially when they’re upset,” the counselor explained. “Yesterday, you were seen in the parking lot during the assembly yelling and talking to yourself.”

Oh, crap. The thought that someone might have seen me talking to Torin never crossed my mind.

“Lorraine,” Mrs. Underwood urged gently.

I couldn’t tell them the truth, so that meant doing some damage control. I braced myself for the lie of the century. “I do that sometimes. Talk to my father.” I stared at the principal, my eyes welling. The tears were real. I missed my father, missed talking to him. “He and I are close and often discussed school, my goals, and any problem I might have. He’s always there for me. Even though he’s not here, I feel like he can hear me, so I tend to pour out my heart to him. In my head.”

“I understand.” Mrs. Underwood nodded, pity in her eyes. I really hated to be pitied.

“I didn’t know I was vocalizing my thoughts,” I added, glancing at the principal. He squirmed. It was obvious he was uncomfortable with a student crying in his office. He slid a box of tissues toward me. “Thank you.”

“Lorraine, I want you to try something else,” the counselor said.

I nodded, dabbing at the tears.

“Whenever you feel like talking to him, write your thoughts down. Tell him everything just like you would if he were standing before you.”

I was so happy to leave the office and go back to class. No more talking to Torin and his friends when they were covered in their runes.

***

Cora frowned as she studied me and Eirik across the cafeteria table. “So you’re going swimming, too?”

“Yep.” He glanced at me and winked.

“What’s going on? There’s something different about you two, something I can’t put my finger on.”

My face warmed. I hadn’t had a chance to tell her that Eirik and I had kissed. From Eirik’s smug smile, he hadn’t said anything either. I bumped him with my shoulder.

“Tell me. I hate secrets, and you two are buzzing with one.” Eyes narrowed, Cora scrunched her nose and leaned forward.

“You haven’t heard?” Keith said, joining us. He sat next to Cora and planted a kiss on her lips. “They’re dating.”

“No, we’re not,” I said quickly. Eirik and I hadn’t exactly discussed it and made it official.

“Absolutely not,” Eirik added, but he spoiled it by smirking.

Keith looked confused. Cora gave me her ‘I know you’re lying’ look. Then she glanced at Keith and pouted. “Do you have to volunteer tonight again?”

“My mom insists. She’s on call this week, so I can’t skip. I’ll make it up to you next week.” He looped an arm around her shoulder and gave her another kiss, a longer one.

“Get a room already,” Eirik mumbled.

Cora gave him a saucy smile. Then she frowned, her gaze on something behind me. “Wow, Eel strikes again.”

I glanced over my shoulder. Jessica Davenport was making goo-goo eyes at Torin, her arm linked with his, her annoyingly perfect smile at full throttle. Jess was a senior co-captain of the Trojans Swim Team. Her on and off-again relationship with Drake, Kayville High’s bad boy, often played like reality TV. They usually had a public breakup and then an equally nauseating make-up session. Their last breakup was on the last day of school, which meant she was on the prowl for an interim boyfriend. Some say her nickname ‘Eel’ was because she moved like an eel under water. Cora insists it was because she was a predator. No guy was safe around her, and Torin fit her type to a T—athletic, gorgeous, bad attitude. From the smile on his face, she was his type, too.

I turned around and stared at my food, my chest tightening with an emotion I couldn’t explain. I ate without tasting the food. Torin and Jess looked perfect together. They both had black hair and gorgeous, unusual eyes. Hers were violet.

“I thought she and Drake were back together again,” Cora said, but no one responded. “Knowing her, she’d play with poor Torin’s heart, then dump him and go back to Drake.”

“So that’s Torin,” Keith said.

“Why do you say it like that?” Cora asked, going all defensive.

“He was the dude at the club.” Keith glanced over at me with a frown. “The one who told you to stay upstairs, right?”

“Yes.” Please talk about something else.

“Darrel said he also hauled out a guy who was bothering you,” Keith continued like a derailed train.

“Whoa, who was bothering Raine? When?” Eirik asked.

“It was nothing,” I said quickly.

Eirik frowned. “Where was I?”

“You’d gone for our drinks, and a guy came on to me. Torin happened to pass by and told him to get lost.” My attempt to make it seem trivial failed to placate Eirik.

“Do I know this guy?” Eirik asked.

I rolled my eyes. “Will you forget about him? I didn’t even recognize him under the crazy club lights.”

Eirik glanced over his shoulder at Torin and scowled. “But Torin came to your rescue. He seems to be around a lot when you’re in trouble.”

Cora leaned forward, eyebrows cocked. “Really?”

“He’s exaggerating,” I said, even though I knew he was right.

“No, I’m not. At the park, at the club, and yesterday when you had a nose bleed. I don’t know whether I should thank him or accuse him of stalking you.” Eirik sounded annoyed, as though he was looking for an excuse to take on Torin.

“Sounds like a stalker,” Keith said.

“Keith,” Cora protested, but her eyes were on my face. “He’s a nice guy and Raine’s neighbor. Of course he’d want to help her if she’s in trouble. Have you guys thought that maybe Torin likes Raine? I’d rather he dates her than Ms. Violet Eyes.”

Silence followed Cora’s statement. Keith’s eyes moved back and forth between me and Eirik. I sat stiffly, listening to Jess’ annoying giggles, wishing I could tell her to shut up.

Eirik took my hand and squeezed it. Then he smiled at Cora. “He can’t date her because Raine and I are together now.”

The smiled disappeared from Cora’s lips and a wounded look crossed her face. Then she kicked me under the table.

“Hey, what was that for?” I protested.

“For keeping me out of the loop, that’s what.”

Lunch was awkward after that, and I didn’t get to talk to Cora again until the end of the day. Her eyes were red as though she’d been crying. “You okay?”

“My life sucks.” She closed her locker with so much force it rattled. “You, my best friend, are keeping secrets from me. Things are not working out between Keith and me. I want to dump him, but he’s so nice and sweet and supportive.”

“And an amazing kisser,” I added. “You told me.”

She made a face. “I might have exaggerated a bit to, you know, gross out Eirik. He was giving me one of his scornful looks.” Her breath hitched. “Oh, let’s not talk about me. Let’s talk about you. Have you two kissed?”

I laughed and linked our arms. “Give me a ride home, and we’ll talk. This is all new to me, so I’m not sure how much I should tell you.”

“Everything.” We barely left the parking lot when she said, “Okay, spill.”

I leaned back, closed my eyes, and tried to relieve the kisses Eirik and I had exchanged. Instead of Eirik’s face, I saw Torin. Torin laughing at something I’d said. Torin pushing my hair away from my face. Torin telling me I was beautiful. My stomach lurched, and my breathing quickened. Why was he intruding on my most cherished thoughts? He wasn’t my boyfriend. Eirik was and he was perfect in every way. He was my best friend, the boy I’d loved since I became old enough to appreciate the difference between boys and girls.

I pushed images of Torin away and focused on Eirik. “We kissed for the first time at the club. It was so beautiful, Cora. Perfect.” Kissing Eirik was like floating in the clouds, so comforting and pleasant. “Every time we kiss, I want to—”

The car swerved, yanking my attention to the road.

“Sorry about that. A dog dashed across the street out of nowhere.” Cora’s knuckles were tight on the steering wheel, her face pale. She looked pretty shaken.

“If you want me to drive—”

“No, I’m okay,” she said through clenched teeth. “I hate it when people don’t restrain their stupid dogs.”

“Cats are worse. Anyway, back to Eirik—”

“You know what, I think I’ll let you drive the rest of the way.” She signaled and pulled up on the edge of the street.”

We traded places. As soon as she sat, she removed her phone and texted Keith. For the rest of the drive, she kept busy texting. The subject of Eirik didn’t come up again and became a non-issue when I entered our cul-de-sac. My car was gone.