The bell rang an hour later and Harriet exited as quickly as possible. I closed my book and slipped it into my bag.
“Georgiana,” Luke said. “You ok?”
“I wish everyone would stop asking me that.”
“Well you’ve rubbed your neck raw.” He pointed to it.
“I did?” I put my fingers to it and sure enough it stung. “I didn’t notice.”
“Are you sure everything’s ok?”
I looked at him and nodded. He was concerned, but then again Luke was always concerned. I walked out the door tucking my hands into my coat pockets. My water bottle clipped onto my bag so I didn’t have to carry it.
I wandered out of the building and headed to my next class. I had to really snap out of it since I was about to see my mother. But I couldn’t shake my buzzing headache and a sense that something was about to happen.
I walked into class and my mother was immediately at my side.
“Put your stuff down and then come talk to me.”
I nodded and put my stuff down at my chair. I walked up to the front of the class and sat on the edge of her desk.
“How are you feeling?” she asked.
“I’m fine Mom. Really.”
“Your brother got you your jacket, good. I’d figured you’d need it.”
“Thanks Mom.”
“Did you do your homework?”
“Yes.” She looked surprised. “I sat and did the whole thing,” I teased her.
“Honey. You were in the hospital. You didn’t have to.”
“I wouldn’t be your daughter if I didn’t.”
She smiled. “That’s true. Alright. Get to your seat.”
She patted my leg and I went to my seat. I shrugged off my jacket and hung it on the back of the chair. I rested one arm on the desk and rested my head on my other hand, which was propped up by my elbow. I was in a window seat again and again I spaced out. I took in the cracks of the paint and the details of the glass used. My eyes drifted down to the tile on the floor, taking in each speck of dirt.
A hand rested on my shoulder and I snapped out of it. I looked up and Michael was standing there. He took my hand down from my neck.
“You’re bleeding,” he said softly.
He looked over at my mother and I turned to look at her. The bell hadn’t rung yet and she just nodded.
“Come on. Let’s go,” he said.
“Where are we going?”
“Technically I should take you back to the infirmary…”
“No. I’m fine.”
“Then let’s go to the bathroom. Leave your stuff here.”
I got up and followed him out of the room. The bell rang when we were halfway down the hall. It was eerily quiet. Michael knocked on the girl’s bathroom door and when no one called back he went in.
“Michael, I’m fine.” I looked in the mirror. “See? It’s already healed.”
He ran some warm water and soaked a towel. He pressed it against my neck which brought him in close proximity. I breathed in and out, focusing on that.
“Tell me what’s going on? You’ve been spacing out all day.”
“Nothing’s going on.”
“Georgiana.” He looked me in the eyes. “Don’t lie to me.”
“I’m not. My coat probably just irritated my neck and I’m allowed to space out every once in a while. I’m a teenager.”
“You never did it before.”
“Things change Michael,” I said staring him in the eyes. “You should know that. You’ve been around forever.”
“No I haven’t. Just a little longer than you.”
“A little? We must have different definitions of that word.”
He wiped the blood away gently and then told me to get it out from under my nails.
I scrubbed and scrubbed. The blood was crusted under and I couldn’t get it all out. I turned off the water and dried off my hands. I braced myself against the sink and closed my eyes. I took deep breaths and tried to clear my head.
“You’re under a lot of stress,” Michael commented. “No one expects you to be a statue.”
“I’m just trying to stay strong. I keep telling myself this will all be over soon and things can go back to normal.”
“What is your fascination with normal?”
I looked at him through the mirror. “I’ve never had it.”
He frowned. “Georgiana, you need to accept that you will never be normal. Your mother had to come to terms with that as well.”
“She told me she’d met you once, before you came here.”
He nodded. “It was in Los Angeles. She was having an opening. The images she painted were from our world, images no one would recognize unless they were from here. I walked in and there she was seven months pregnant.”
I turned and looked at him. “Why did you offer her your help? Did you know I was of dual parentage?”
“No. I assumed you were half human. Slayers usually don’t leave our world. There aren’t many of them left and most think they’re duty bond to stay here and defend the innocent. But I recognized her for what she was and the moment she laid eyes on me she knew who and what I was.
“She came over and told me not to cause trouble. That this opening meant everything to her and her child and if I ruined it she’d hunt me down and kill me.” He smiled. “I didn’t doubt it, even in her condition I was sure she’d do what she threatened. I told her I didn’t mean any harm to her or her child. She was immediately filled with relief but asked me what I was doing there. I told her I liked her work. That I was planning on buying one. She smiled at me and told me to take a look around and to let her know.”
“And you did?”
“Of course. Your mother’s work is exceptional. But there was one piece in particular I liked and I had to fight to buy it. In the end I was the one with the most money. Your mother was surprised by the amount I was willing to pay for it.”
“What was it?”
He eyed me cautiously. “It was a landscape. A view I hadn’t seen in years. My homeland.”
I nodded. “Did you ever buy anything else?”
He nodded. “She had an opening maybe few years later. She was back in our world of course but she still showed and sold her work through the same gallery. The piece actually wasn’t for sale but once your mother heard who wanted it, she accepted.”
“What was it?”
He sighed. “I’ll have to show it to you. It’s hard to describe.”
“You brought it here?”
“It’s hanging in my apartment.”
“Try to describe it to me,” I said, leaning back against the sink.
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because you need to get back to class before your mother sends Luke after us.”
“Scared to be alone with me?” I teased.
His face was serious however as he approached me. He didn’t say anything but reached out for a tendril of my hair. He wrapped it around his fingers and then looked me in the eyes.
“Are you?” he said softly.
“No,” I said carefully.
He let go of my hair and touched my face. “You should be.” His emotions now clear on his face. He wanted me. This situation tortured him. He leaned forward and brushed his lips against my cheek.
I shivered and not from the cold. Only Michael could cause that reaction from me. And just as I thought he was going to move on to my lips, he pulled back. His face a mask of seriousness.
“You should get back to class.”
I swallowed and nodded. I literally ran back to class. No one noticed my agitation when I got back. I slid into my desk and paid very close attention to what my mother was saying. I wasn’t going to think about what Michael had said or done. I wasn’t going to think about my own reaction and how I really, really wanted him to kiss me. I wasn’t going to think about it at all. I was just going to forget about it. Forget it ever happened.
I breezed through my next two classes. I paid attention, I answered questions, and I didn’t think about Michael at all.
When I exited the classroom, Aidan was waiting for me. Every girl looked at him but he was only looking at me. I gave him a genuine smile. I was really, really glad to see him. When he was around thoughts of Michael fled instantly.
“Hi,” he said.
“Hi.” He took my hand and we started out of the building.
“How was class?” he asked.
“Which one?”
He shrugged. “Herbology.”
“You want to know about Harriet?”
He laughed. “Not really but that’s your first class. I’m running through the list.”
“It was uneventful. Well that is until I thought Harriet actually cared. But at the end of our brief conversation she told me that if I had too much on my plate she’d be more than happy to take you off my hands.”
“And what did you say?”
“I told her that I could manage.”
He smiled. “Good. Do you want to try my idea today?”
“What idea?”
“The one we were supposed to do yesterday but never got around to.”
I thought and then as what he’d told me yesterday sprung up and I smiled.
“Yes.”
“Yes?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
We exited outside and walked over to the dinning hall. I buried my face in the arm of his coat, the wind threatening to take my breath away. We got inside and I looked up and around. There were tons of people inside today. He sent me over to our table to reserve it. I walked over and sat down, resting my head against the cold surface.
“Don’t have a headache do you?” I heard Sophie ask.
“No.” I looked up at her with a smile. “Just tired.”
She sat down next to me. “That’s understandable.”
“Glad you could join us today. They’ve been picking on me.”
“Who?” she said frowning.
“Everyone.”
She looked around fiercely, ready to defend my honor. Sebastis headed over and when he slid into the seat next to her she slapped him on the arm.
“Ow! What was that for?”
“Picking on your sister.”
He looked at me. “You told her?”
I smiled. “Pay back’s a bitch.”
Sophie launched into the reasons why I needed his support more than his brotherly pickings. Aidan sat down on my other side.
“What’s going on with those two?” he asked, placing a cup of broth and crackers in front of me.
“Nothing.” I smiled. I wrapped my hands around the warm cup and my smile got bigger. “Warm.”
Sebastis looked over at me and I knew he had a quip on the end of his tongue but he held it in. I gave him a smug smile.
“So…” Mark said. “Party this weekend?” he asked Aidan.
Aidan thought about that. “Hmm. I don’t know dude.”
“Come on. It’s getting colder and you and I both know when the cold weather rolls in the skin gets covered up.”
“Speaking of skin,” I said. “Where’s your snow bunny?”
“Jassica is having lunch with her friends.”
“Why aren’t you with her?” Sophie asked.
“We are having separation time. She thinks we are together too much.”
“You guys just started dating,” I said. “How much together time can you have?”
He shrugged. “Don’t look at me. I didn’t say it.”
“She seems nice,” Sophie said.
“She is. I just…I don’t know,” Mark said.
“The honeymoon over already?” I asked.
“I’m starting to think that yeah.”
I laughed. “God Mark. Give the girl a break. Yeah her southern drawl is a bit annoying but she’s not…too bad.”
“Wow,” Mark said raising his eyebrows. “I can’t believe Georgiana Vertigo is saying she likes my girlfriend.”
“I didn’t say that,” I quipped.
“Ana, you and I both know you don’t like her. You barely tolerate her.”
“True but if she makes you happy I’m willing to be nice to her.”
“Nice?” Mark said. “Nice?”
“Ok, time to change the subject,” Sophie said. “Yes or no on the party, Aidan.”
“I’ll go with yes…” he said hesitantly, looking down at me.
“I can’t go. Not without one of those two.”
Aidan turned and looked at my Beavis and Butthead. He got up and approached them. He spoke to them real quick and finally I saw Luke nod. Aidan jogged back over.
“Ok. Party. Saturday night.”
“What was that?” I said.
He just shrugged. “You have permission.”
I looked over at the goons. “That was too easy.”
“Of course there are stipulations…” Aidan said.
“Go on,” Mark said.
“The party has to take place during curfew hours, no booze, and no drugs but we never have drugs.”
“So no fun at all?” Mark said.
“Dude,” Aidan said. “That’s the deal. That’s the only way she can come.”
“Then I won’t,” I said. “I’m not going to impede on your fun.”
“No. No, no,” Aidan said.
“Aidan, Mark wants to have some fun. That’s not going to happen around me as long as those two are tagging along. You guys deserve fun.”
“It won’t be fun for me if you’re not there,” Aidan said.
“Aw. But this is for Mark. So I’ll stay home, just this once."
Mark brightened. “Thanks!”
“You better enjoy it,” I said. “I am sacrificing a night out for you.”
“I have an idea,” Sebastis said.
I looked over at him. “Care to share?”
“I’ll tell you about it later. But don’t ever say I never did anything for you.”
“Scheming, little brother?”
“I never said I wasn’t bad.”