There's an Invisible Man Sleeping in My Bed

Chapter 9

            Goosebumps rolling across her skin, Thalia glanced up and down the hallway but saw no one. Just the same white walls and fluorescent lighting that was every else in the school. Shaking her head at her own paranoia, she knocked politely at the door to Mr. Bowen’s office.

            It opened almost immediately, Mr. Bowen smiling at her. “Ah! Thalia, you’re always so punctual. Come in, come in. Please ignore the mess,” he said, standing to one side.

            She walked in and took the only other chair besides the one behind the desk. The room was filled with books, some piled in the corners, while a huge stack of papers took up most of the desk in front of her. More Shakespeare posters were on the dark yellow walls, giving the place a bit of personality.

            Only when she was seated did Mr. Bowen close the door and take his own chair. But instead of staying behind the desk, he scooted the rolling chair around to one side of it, leaning forward slightly as he again smiled at Thalia. “So how are you, Thalia?”

            She shrugged. “Fine.”

            “Wonderful! Now I’m sure you’re wondering what kind of reward I’ve got for you, but don’t worry, I’m sure you’re going to love it.”

            Frowning, she glanced around the tiny room before looking back at him. “Shouldn’t we wait for the others?”

            He blinked for a moment. “What others?”

            “You said everyone who got over ninety…”

            His smile was back, just as wide as before. “Ah well, you’re the only one who managed that. Highest mark in the class in fact. You have a bright future ahead of you, I can tell.”

            “Thanks,” Thalia replied. She met his gaze steadily, her mind already beginning to drift. This wasn’t the first time a teacher had taken it upon themselves to talk about what path she should take.

            Her attention jerked back to him when she felt his hand on hers. He grinned at her, the bracelet snapping onto her wrist. “I’ve seen some other girls with these. Just make sure you finish it before class. And keep it as a secret between us,” he said, winking. “Or I’ll have every student in school coming and demanding one.”

            She stared down at the candy bracelet, the pale rainbow beads of barely flavoured sugar encircling her wrist. She looked back at Mr. Bowen, who was still smiling at her. She forced a polite smile of her own and said “Thank you.”

            As he settled back into his chair, she heard a familiar voice right by her ear. “I think it’d be best to leave as soon as you can.”

            She stiffened slightly, resisting the urge to stare at the spot beside her. Colt was invisible so even if she turned she wouldn’t see him. Heart beginning to hammer as she realized how easy it would be for Mr. Bowen to discover Colt in the tiny office, she stood. Her teacher copied her, a frown wrinkling his forehead. “Is everything alright, Thalia?”

            She forced another smile onto her face and nodded. “It’s getting late, Mr. Bowen. I still haven’t eaten lunch yet and well…pretty soon you’ll be hearing my stomach complain.”

            He returned her smile. “Okay then. Far be it for me to keep you from your lunch. But please remember, my door’s always open to you. If you ever need anything, give me a shout.”

            She nodded, opening the door before turning back around and thanking him again. Only when she was sure Colt had made it out did she close the door behind her. Only then did she dart around to the stairwell, ducking into the alcove between the stairs and the doors to the parking lot. “Colt,” she whispered, looking around for some hint of him. “What are you doing here?”

            “Watching you. Your house is kind of boring during the day. Especially when your parents are home. And I’m glad I did come. You ought to know better than to meet a man alone in such an isolated place. What of your reputation?”

            Thalia shook her head, part of her wondering if Colt realized how much he was showing his age. “Mr. Bowen’s a teacher so you can relax.  He’d be fired if he tried anything and arrested to boot since I’m still underage.”

            “Hmmm.”

            She rolled her eyes at how obviously convinced he was. Then she focused on more important matters. “Is it safe for you to be here? Won’t you be found out if someone runs into you or something?”

            “In the crowds it hardly matters. And I’m quite careful the rest of the time. Besides, it’s not the same feeling as hitting a purely physical body. The most I cause people to do is to stumble, like they’d tripped.”

            “I’m just not sure it’s a good idea for you to be here.”

            He laughed. “It’ll be fine. I’ve followed plenty of my friends around. I know how to avoid detection. And it will be far more fun than remaining at home would be. I do enjoy being in schools.”

           Thalia sighed but couldn’t disappoint him. He sounded so eager to her. “Alright then. Just be careful. Especially around Ruth. She’s nowhere near as dumb as she sometimes pretends to be. Now c’mon, I really do want to eat lunch before the bell rings.”

            “Don’t worry. It’s better for both of us really. If anything happens, I’ll be right here to help you.”

            “Fine, just be quiet. The last thing we want is someone to find out about you and start saying the school’s haunted.”

            His irritated mutter of “Not a ghost,” made her smile.