The Mediator

Chapter 14

I woke up the next morning with a terrible headache. I stumbled out of bed. I considered getting dressed before going downstairs to eat breakfast, but I was too tired to bother changing.

I looked at myself in the mirror, examining the small red mark under my left eye. The one feature that gave me away as a mediator, according to Rob. Why was it even there? What was the point? I began to wonder if Rob would ever explain more about being a mediator. There was something he wasn't telling me and I was sure of it, but then again, maybe I was just overreacting. When would I ever have a run in with a soul reaper anyway?

I looked at the clock on the microwave when I got to the kitchen. It was twenty after nine. I didn't think much of it, and searched the kitchen for something to eat.

I pulled a box of pop-tarts from the cabinet above the stove. When the pop-tart was in my hand, the time on the microwave hit me like a ton of bricks. It was just after nine on Tuesday morning, and it was the last week of school; I was two hours late! I ditched the pop-tart and sprinted back upstairs to get dressed.

When I got to school I went straight into the attendance office. The woman behind the desk was on the phone so, I waited for her to finish. When the secretary hung up the phone she turned around to speak to one of her co-workers who was in the back. "That was another one." She hissed in monotone. I would venture enough to say this woman was a major chain smoker. The woman turned to face me and pushed up her glasses as she spoke. "Can I help you, dear?" Her voice scratched on every word.

"Um, I overslept," I admitted sheepishly. "Can I get a tardy slip so I can go to class?"

The secretary turned her focus to the computer in front of her. She typed something quickly and then began clicking around with the mouse. "Name?" she asked without looking up at me.

"Cassandra Wood," I replied.

She clicked a few more times. "Grade?"

"I'm a senior."

The woman clicked randomly a few more times. When she had found whatever she was looking for in the computer files she looked back up at me with a harsh expression. "You've been called in sick."

I was a little taken aback. I'd had no idea Claire had called me in sick.

"Would you like to go to class?" The woman's voice cracked on every word.

I debated for a moment. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know." I mumbled. "I'll just go home." I was embarrassed now. The secretary probably thought I was crazy.

Kyle's car was in the driveway when I pulled up to the house. "Shouldn't he be in school?" I muttered to myself.

Kyle jumped out of his car as soon as I pulled up next to him. I got out of the Saturn and met him at the front of my car where he was standing. "What are you doing here?" I asked suspiciously. Kyle reached for my hand and then towed me through the garage and into the house.

"I have a better question," he said as we stopped walking once we were in the laundry room. "Where were you just now?"

"School."

Kyle raised his eyebrows, "Why?"

"Why not?" I asked. Kyle stared at me like he was trying to decide if I was joking, which I wasn't. "I didn't know my mom called me in sick." I told him. "I'm not sick."

I walked out of the laundry room and pulled Kyle along with me to the kitchen table. "What did she tell you?" I glowered at him.

"About last night," Kyle said simply.