There's an Invisible Man Sleeping in My Bed

Chapter 15

            Students milled around in the hall, talking and moving in little groups as Colt watched. Beside him, her back against her locker and a book against her bent knees, Thalia read, clearly absorbed in her own world. It was a nice change from the usual after break activity of keeping Ruth in check, Colt thought. Ruth was in her “weekly mandatory counselling session”, whatever that entailed. Thalia had said it was the school’s attempt to keep Ruth in line. She had also said it was an exercise in futility.

            A shadow fell over both of them making Colt look up. An unfamiliar young man was standing in front of them, smiling down at Thalia who still hadn’t noticed his presence. That fact seemed to register with him after a few moments when he hunkered down in front of her. “What’re you reading?”

            Thalia’s head jerked up and she stared at him for a few seconds, blinking. “Napoleon’s Buttons,” she replied, her eyes just as blank and as impenetrable as the clouds before rainfall.

            “That sounds good. What’s it about?”

            “Chemistry and how it’s changed history. Are you a new student?”

            He smiled at her, leaning a bit closer. “No. I’m just following my cousin today. How’d you know?”

            “It’s a small school and you look like you’d be in my grade but I don’t recognize you.”

            Seeing another, Colt supposed it was supposed to be charming, smile cross the man’s lips, he glanced around, hoping his cousin would come and remove him. What he noticed instead were the people staring. Actually staring at Thalia. Frowning, he saw one student approach, gaze drifting casually as she aimed for the stairs. Her eyes went to the stranger in front of Thalia then to Thalia herself. For a moment she looked confused, then her eyes widened and colour quickly drained from her face. She stopped, looked around, then edged towards one of the groups watching and whispering. Having lived as long as he had, Colt could recognize fear and worry on the other students’ faces without problem. He just couldn’t understand why. In the months he’d known her, the most violence he’d seen out of Thalia was the day she’d found a centipede in the kitchen sink.

            A sudden halt in movement drew his attention and he saw another student stop dead, his mouth dropping open as he stared at the pair. Colt turned his gaze back to them as well, noting the way Thalia frowned slightly at the newcomer. “Isn’t it near the end of the year for you as well? Aren’t you worried about missing important material that’ll be on the exams?”

            The young man laughed. “No it’s fine. I’ve got a friend collecting the notes and I’ve already been accepted to Western. All I need is the actual diploma. And our exams are never that hard.”

            An arm came into Colt’s field of vision and he found the youth he’d seen stopping open-mouthed was attached to it. “Dev,” he said, eyes still wide as they bored into the stranger’s. “C’mon. We need to go.”

            Dev frowned. “Why? The bell hasn’t rung yet.”

            “I-I haven’t finished my homework yet.”

            “Well then you go do that. I’m fine here.”

            He shook his head. “I need your help, Dev.”

            Thalia, who’d been watching them intently, smiled. “I can help you if you want, Conrad. Unless it’s for French or Spanish because I’m useless with those.”

            Conrad met her eyes for a brief moment then dropped them, shaking his head as he closed a hand around Dev’s arm. “That’s alright. I’ll be fine with just Dev’s help. And you’re clearly trying to read so we’ll leave you,” he said, standing and pulling the other man up with him.

            “Aww, c’mon man,” Colt heard Dev say. He then leaned in to whisper something to Conrad, though Colt couldn’t understand the significance. It sounded like he’d been accusing Conrad of stopping his roosters and that made no sense at all. He assumed he misheard.

            Because they were intent on what looked like a whispered argument, neither Conrad nor Dev noticed as the students who’d been watching them and talking, all suddenly went quiet. Colt did and looked around, wondering if one of the instructors was approaching. It was someone nearing, but it wasn’t one of the teachers. He saw the now silent students part, allowing a tall figure to walk towards them unimpeded. The figure was one familiar to Colt.

            Conrad noticed him a few seconds later, his face losing colour to the point where he resembled snow under torchlight. Colt heard him whisper “Liam”, as he took a step back, dragging Dev with him.

            Thalia noticed him as well and smiled. “Hi Will.”

            He returned it, meeting her eyes long enough to say “Hi,” back before turning to the two men. “Hello Conrad. Who’s your friend?”

            “H-he’s my cousin. Dev. He’s down for the funeral and following me around for today and this is his first time at our school and he’s never really been anywhere except our house before,” he replied, struggling to meet William’s eyes.

             “Ah. I see. Well,” he said, stepping forward and sliding an arm around Dev’s shoulders. “If he’s new here he won’t know how anything works. Why don’t we go outside and I can explain things for him. I’d hate for him to be confused.”

            Thalia frowned. “What are you planning? You’d better not be going to the park!”

            William flashed a smile at her. “Nothing like that. Just a friendly chat by the doors. He’s new and doesn’t know the rules. I’d hate for him to get into trouble.”

            “I wouldn’t think school rules would be that different. I mean it’s not like he’s from a different country or anything.”

            “Well you can’t be too careful. I’ll see you after school.”

            That got a smile out of her again. “We’ll wait for you.”

            William gave her a mock salute before he dragged Conrad and his cousin off, the silence in the hall continuing until the last echo of their footsteps had faded away. Not that Thalia noticed. As soon as they’d turned she’d gone back to her book.

            As conversations slowly restarted and the students began moving again, Colt began processing what he’d seen. He didn’t much care for the answer he was coming up with, even if it meant that Thalia wasn’t really invisible to her fellow students. He was left wondering at what kind of power William had that he was able to control what looked to be the entire school.