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Chapter Thirteen~ Results

Days passed. Weeks passed. Evidently, Eastland had forgotten about the Carthowa students just as quickly as the rest of the world forgot about my Ander.

I continued to work for Ervin, learning bits about the students, bits far more interesting than the years they graduated. Conversations never quieted when I neared; as a girl I was invisible, so I could glean most any information that earned my curiosity.

Adam Zephen seemed to speak for the group, the leader of sorts. Though, Killian Feefra was close behind the possibly imagined hierarchy. The two conferred in almost everything, not making a decision before asking the other, yet whatever choice they came to was still voted upon by the rest of the group. Adam provided an analytic brain, contrasting Killian's apparent morals. Yet despite their balanced opinions, they always asked what Ander would think of a given situation, as if my boyfriend had truly been their leader.

Excluding Killian and Adam, the most vocal Heretic was by no doubt Lewis Bahoral. He voiced his, often controversial, opinions without fear of the frequent admonishments he received from Adam. Lewis had the good sense to lower his voice when Ervin entered the vicinity, but past that, lacked most other forms of tact.

Owen Feuilly carried a vast amount of respect from Adam and Killian, who seemed to turn to him whenever they had a question. Apparently he'd been one of Ander's closest companions, so they believed Owen could best guess what he'd suggest. The Foreign Policy major (an all but fake degree seeing as there was little to no foreign policy to be studied) held down a part time job at his father's corn packaging company, apparently the only member of the group with responsibilities outside their schooling.

Christopher McCarrel had allergies. Or, at least was far more susceptible to the contaminated Trujohn air. On his worst days, the chestnut haired boy even wore his Filtration Mask indoors. Perhaps his constant sneezes and coughs were reasons he went into medicine. Despite his ailments, Christopher was never without a smile, by far the most cheerful of the Heretics.

Excluding Adam, Killian's closest friend was John Brammer. The Before Studies major was quiet, but when he spoke, his words flowed, so eloquent and vivid. Yet his smile was so mischievous I could never doubt that his quiet lips guarded the most active of minds.

Neal Casswell had a hairline like a tsunami before the flood part. His father was a member of the Patri, so I assumed the stress of being a Heretic under such a pious father had led to his premature balding. The clumsy boy made light of the situation, cracking jokes with his friends, but I noticed that more often than not Neal stayed at someone else's house.

Usually, Neal stayed with Eddie Marnas, the newest member of the group who'd be inducted directly after making it into the summer program. Eddie's reddish hair and freckles made him look young, and, paired with his overall wonder of the world, I could never guess how the innocent boy intended to join the Patri. I assumed it was his father's influence, a Patri member as well.

The most disagreeable student was no doubt Hadley Linstead. Shaggy black hair and scraggly beard concealed vivid green eyes that watched everything with interest. He rarely spoke, but when he did, it was some ribald comment that made me sink deeper into my Trench coat, even if the jibe was never directed towards me, or anyone in particular for that matter. His sneer was cold, and that was definitely directed towards me. I couldn't guess why Adam and Killian tolerated him, and even less so why Ander had. Yet, the group seemed to have forgiven him for making me take that test.

I hadn't. The Eastland officials must have laughed when they received a woman's name.

So utterly invisible, I could learn about every one of the mens' personal lives and habits. I knew their personalities, who was closer to whom, where they worked, and who their fathers were. And they were unaware I lurked a mere foot away. I was used to going unnoticed. Invisible unless someone needed me to fetch something, though none of Ander's friends ever asked. It shocked me if a pair of eyes landed on me as if they actually saw a person, not just thin air or a coffee-pouring robot. Yet Adam and Killian and all the rest, would glance in my direction as they spoke. At times I believed they intended for me to hear. Why else would Lewis Bahoral talk so unabashedly? But that couldn't be. I was still a girl, and besides, not one man had said a word to me since I'd been coerced into the test.