“Yeah,” he said enthusiastically.
I grinned and took a deep breath. This one was so much more personal to me—it was my heart’s song, Rumination. The definition meant a deep or considered thought about something. It also was a problem in anxiety and depression. Some people dwelled on an issue and continued to let it plague them. It caused them to have anxiety and then they would slip into depression. I could have let life take me down the dark path of depression, but with the help of the guys and clinging to the little good I had experienced before them, I had risen above that dark spiraling tunnel.
When I was done, I turned to see the look of deep thought on Gavin’s face and then froze when I noticed Dr. Allen in the doorway, and he didn’t look happy.
“Are you a student here, are any of you?” he asked with his arms crossed over his chest.
I knew from past experience that he was tough as nails. He liked to push people beyond their preconceived limits. He never pulled punches. He was blunt to the point of rudeness. And he was the best teacher in this school.
I gulped and sent an apologetic look towards Gavin. “No sir,” I replied. “I just got here yesterday, and I heard what an excellent music program you had here, so I decided to check it out. I couldn’t resist the call of the instrument.” I tried to lie smoothly.
“You didn’t sign a student guide expressing that this building was prohibited?” he looked at me skeptically. Luckily all his attention was directed towards me.
“No, sir,” I answered truthfully. I hadn’t. Not the first time or the second time.
“We shall see about that.” He pulled out his cell phone and started talking quietly into it.
I’m sorry, I mouthed to Gavin.
He shrugged and winked at me. I didn’t envision him being a rule breaker, but he seemed calm and was taking it in stride.
Later, we both were in the back of a security vehicle on the way towards the administration building. I noticed Dr. Allen was following behind us.
“I’m so sorry,” I muttered to Gavin.
“It’s all good,” he put an arm around the back of my seat. “They only slap our wrist for the first infraction. They won’t kick us out or anything.”
I sighed. “Good. I wonder where they’re taking us? I know Will and some of the board members have offices in this building,” I informed him quietly.
We pulled up in front of the building, and the security guard didn’t even bother pulling into a parking spot; he just parked in the fire lane and waited for us to leave the vehicle. I felt like a juvenile delinquent as the guard led us into the building. Dr. Allen was a few steps behind us.
My morbid sense of humor had me giggling. Gavin shot me a surprised look. I couldn’t help it. Most of the kids in my trailer park had turn to a life of crime, sex, drugs, and alcoholism once they hit puberty. They became a product of their environment, unlike myself. I had seen plenty of them being hauled off to juvie, or even jail. I never thought I would be being hauled in, in the back of a security car. Sure, it wasn’t the same, but this was the closest I got to being chastised or reprimanded by any authority figure.
We entered the building where I had only visited once before. We were led down a narrow hallway to a door that read Conference Room 1. Dr. Allen stepped forward and opened the door.
My steps faltered as I saw Will and Mr. Young sitting behind a long table. Will looked like he was busy rifling through a few files, while Mr. Young was shooting daggers at me with his eyes.
“Trespassing, Blake?” he asked. His voice dripped disdain.
I couldn’t help but let a small bark of laughter, in surprise. “Sorry,” I said with an unapologetic look. “I wasn’t aware that a public building in the middle of the campus was trespassing.”
“There weren’t any signs posted to the effect either,” Gavin said smoothly.
“Yet, Mr. Kincaid,” Will finally spoke, looking up; his eyes stern, his expression cold. “You signed the student handbook acknowledging the fact that the music hall was restricted to all non-students.” Then his cool blue eyes turned towards me. He seemed momentarily contemplative as he looked at me. A flicker of recognition seemed to linger in his eyes before he shook it off.
I realized without my wild dark curls, I could look like any other petite, dark haired, green eyed girl. I cursed myself for straightening my hair today. The first time we met each other again he had chided the boys for not recognizing me. At five, when I technically met Jace, Jaxson, and Will at the institute, I had distinctive features worth remembering.
He continued, still scrutinizing me. “However, Ms. Thomas, other than your class schedule and enrollment information, you are missing a lot of things in your file.” He leaned back and steepled his fingers over his lips. “Who was your sponsor? I see that you received a scholarship to attend here and you are…17 and attending college. Are you even capable of handling it?”
I stiffened slightly. “Mr. Young was my sponsor as far as I knew. I’m more than capable of handling it. I had a 4.0 GPA at my high school and taking college prep and AP classes.”
He nodded, then looked over at Zach Young who seemed to squirm slightly under his scrutiny. “We’re missing the copy of her birth certificate, any form of identification, her parent emergency information. She’s a minor, and I have zero parental consent papers. And her transcripts from her previous school isn’t even in here. It’s highly unorthodox to have a high school senior begin her college classes. We had a few who split their studies, yet you made the decision to place her in all college courses in the middle of the semester. How is she supposed to catch up and stay on top of current studies?”
Zach looked angry for one moment before he gave a charismatic smile. I knew from experience he couldn’t use his gifts on Will. Will was a telekinetic, but he was strongly gifted and was able to block any attempts at trying to get into his head. “I thought my secretary included all of that. Her father is dead, and her step mother is in jail. My secretary was supposed to track down her birth certificate and transcripts, put my information as an emergency contact, and I didn’t think the parental consent form was that necessary. We’ve waived them in the past. Blake is more than capable of meeting the challenge, aren’t you, dear?”
I felt his icy cold presence in my head and felt myself nodding. I was unprepared for his intrusion, and I was unable to speak. Otherwise I would have told him my birth name, reveal to Will my birthname and hope he could intercede on my behalf; let him know he had at least two spies in his ranks.