Everything was the same the next couple of days, until Friday at their gym class.
Tara was chief of the volleyball team and was barking orders at the girls on her team, while at the other end of the gym, Nate and Sam were playing basketball peacefully.
"Where the hell is Sydney?" yelled Tara at one of her classmates.
"I don't know" said one girl.
Tara started looking around the hall, when she saw another girl.
"Hey! You," she pointed towards a short girl with braids, "where the hell is your friend Sydney?"
The girl started shaking and stuttering. "S-She got c-caught up w-with M-Mr. Sanchez."
Tara turned around and stomped off towards her gym teacher.
"Mr. Smith may I be excused for a moment? One of my players isn't here and I want to look for her."
Mr. Smith turned around and frowned. "Who's missing?"
"Sydney Sayers."
Just as Mr. Smith opened his mouth to answer he looked behind Tara and frowned. Tara looked behind her, only to see Sydney going to the girl's locker room.
"Never mind, coach" she muttered and went after Sydney.
She threw the door open and the red eyed Sydney jumped.
"Where the hell have you been?" asked Tara, still furious but when she saw her red eyes she softened her face and sat down next to her.
"What happened? Where were you?" asked Tara as gently as she could.
Sydney sniffed and ran her shaking hands over her face. "Nowhere."
Tara started looking uncomfortable. This was way too emotional for her expertise.
"I heard you were held off by Mr. Sanchez did he lower your grade or something? Cause if he did, I'll make him raise it for you" suggested Tara.
Sydney shook her head and started crying silently while changing her clothes.
"It-It's nothing. I'm fine" she said.
Tara frowned. "Do you really think I'm going to buy that?" said Tara.
Sydney laughed but kept crying.
"Do you want me to kill him or something?" asked Tara still uncomfortable, scratching her head even though it wasn't itchy. "You know you can tell me anything. We're a team, remember?"
Sydney finally caved.
"He- He kept touching me." Tara grew alerted at that single sentence. She touched her arm but Sydney jerked hers away.
"And not just that, he kept asking me about my instrument."
Tara frowned at that. "What do you mean?"
"He kept asking what itwas and what it can do. I told him that it was an owl necklace but I didn'tknow what it did. He then asked if he could see it and I told him it wasagainst the rules to show it or use it and that was when he started touchingme." Sydney started crying even more while Tara grew more uncomfortable by thesituation. It was too emotional for her to handle it.
"Maybe I should go call one of your best friends or tell one of the teachers?" suggested Tara.
"NO!" jumped Sydney. "No, I don't want anyone knowing about it."
"But what he did..." started Tara, but got caught off by Sydney.
"He didn't do anything. He just wanted to know about my instrument that's all. Nothing happened" said Sydney as she was re-doing her makeup. "And I'll appreciate it if you wouldn't tell anyone either."
Tara didn't get the chance to respond because Sydney was out the door in a second, and that left Tara feeling more vulnerable than she have ever felt.
After a while Tara shook off the feeling and went to the gym. She saw Sydney talking to one of her friends, she wasn't crying but she wasn't laughing either. Instead of forming two groups for volleyball, Tara ran over to where Sam and Nate were playing basketball, ruining their game.
"Hey, mamacita. Want to join?" asked Nate with a smile on his face.
Sam looked over. He frowned as he looked at Tara's face. "Hey, what's wrong?"
And that's when she dropped the bomb on them.
"Holly shit!" said Nate as he ran his hand through his hair.
"What are you going to do?" asked Sam, looking worried by the minute.
"I don't know, that's why I told you guys'' explained Tara.
The bell rang and they all looked at each other.
"Look," started Tara, "obviously she doesn't want anyone to know. It's up to her. It's her life after all. If she wants to tell someone, she will. We can't do anything."
"The hell we can't" said Nate, looking furious.
Tara looked towards him. "Even if we did say anything she could deny it, and we know Mr. Sanchez would never admit it." She put her hand over Nate's shoulder. "There is nothing we could do."
They all went towards the changing rooms to change.
"What kind of school do we even go to?" Sam asked no one in particular, while he sat down on one of the benches and started undoing his lases. "I mean c'mon, that is just gross."
"I know man" said Nate as he tugged off his sweaty shirt. "To not even comment on my good skills in basketball is a crime" he said as he balled his shirt and did a slam dunk on his gym bag.
Sam scowled at him. "C'mon man, seriously."
Nate sighed and continued changing. "I don't know why you're surprised by this, it's not like he's the only one."
"What?" said Sam, surprised.
Nate looked at him with a bored look. "I'm telling you he's not the only one" he said, shrugging. "I know for a fact Ms. Dey is sleeping with Owen from the swimming team."
"What?!" asked Sam, his mouth open wide, not really believing what he's hearing.
Nate nodded. "Oh yeah, and Mrs. Goff and that guy that teaches I.T." Nate frowns, his brow furrowing. "What's his name again? Vlatko Tvardovsky? Skavrosky?"
"It's Dragoljub Boskovsky" said Sam with a frown. "But he just got married" he said looking up at Nate. "And had a baby."
Nate shook his head. "Forgot you took his classes" he said and zipped his bag closed. "And you wonder why girls don't talk to you."
"Hey!" Sam smacked Nate on the arm. "Say what you will, but technology is our future."
Nate rolled his eyes. "I don't have anything against it, but the classes you go to have like absolutely no girls."
"There are girls" said Sam defensively. Sam knew that Nate didn't "approve" of his chosen classes. He always said they were nerdy and that they will get him nowhere. But Sam liked his I.T. classes and his politics and law studies, he even went to a poetry class after school every Tuesday. But now that he thought about it, Sam knew that Nate was sort of right. There were no girls in his I.T. class, there were a few girls in his PL class but they intimidated him too much to make an approach, then there was the poetry club. There were girls there, one in particular, Mi Sujin, but he never told Nate about her because then he would have to tell him that he went to a poetry club and he'll never hear the end of it.
"Oh you mean those man eating things that go to your politics class? I don't think so" said Nate and went out the door.
Sam glared at his friends back but didn't say anything else on the subject. As he went to his locker, Sam saw Nate from the corner of his eye. He was leaning against a girls locker, his arms crossed, showing his large arms and smiling down at her. Sam turned fully to see who the girl was but his sight was blocked. He frowned and adjusted his eyes to the person standing in front of him.
"Hey man" said Roberto Sombilon, his History of Religions and Myths partner. They hugged quickly.
"Hey dude, did you finish the report?" asked Sam as they went to their class together.
"Sort of" said Roberto sheepishly. "I still need you to look it over, I probably have a thousand mistakes. I still confuse the God of thunder and the one with the other hammer."
"That's Lodar, God of Battle" said Sam and sat in his seat.
Sam loved this class. For one thing he shared it with Tara, which was seated two rows behind him with her partner Dalia, and the other, well he got to learn more about the gods. How they created this world and why. How all the people of the Shadowlands were in their service, but most of all, they learned more about their instruments.
.
.
It was after a week when Tara burst through Sam's bedroom door, breathless and red in her face.
"You can't believe what just happened" she said, still breathless.
Sam looked up from his computer and frowned.
"Tara, it's eleven at night" he said, and stood up to hug her, "what are you doing here?"
Tara took off her red jacket and sat on Sam's bed.
"I saw him."
Sam sat back on the chair and turned towards Tara. "Saw who?"
"Mr. Sanchez!" she said, looking excited. "I saw him. He was talking to the book again."
Sam looked surprised.
No one forgot about him, but no one spoke of him either. They didn't know what he was doing and decided not to do anything. No one was supposed to use their instruments, it went against nature. That's why they were given to the people, so they could keep them safe and away from those who could use them for evil.
"Where did you see him?" Sam asked. He was getting interested again.
Tara looked a little stressed and worried.
"Okay, but you can't tell anyone" pleaded Tara.
Sam frowned, feeling confused. "Why? What did you do?"
"I used the necklace."
Sam sat up straight. "What?!"
Tara sat up too, looking more worried.
"Look, it kind of happened. It was an accident."
Sam started walking around the room. He couldn't sit in one place.
"Do you realize that you could have been seen" said Sam, trying to reason with her. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "You could go to prison, or worse have your instrument taken."
Tara sighed, and sat down on the bed again.
"Don't worry, I was at grandmas" she explained. "Besides it was her idea."
Sam ran his hand through his hair and started pacing impatiently again.
"Hate to tell you, but your grandmother is nuts."
Tara laughed. "I know. But still, don't you want to know what happened next?"
Sam couldn't do anything but nod his head. Ever since a week ago this whole thing has been in his head, bugging him.
"The book wrote only one thing" she sighed and looked up at Sam "Gongor city."
Sam finally sat down. "So what does this mean?"
"It means that whatever he is looking for it's worth breaking all the rules. And it's right here in Gongor city."
"Yeah but what is it?"
Tara shrugged. "An instrument could be anything. Who knows what it is?"
They sat there, looking at the floor, until suddenly Sam looked at Tara.
"The book."
"What?"
"The book could tell us what it is" said Sam with a small smile.
Tara's eyes rounded. "Yeah, but where can we find the book. He probably has it with him all the time."
They grew silent again, until Sam saw Tara smile wide at him.
"You figured it out didn't you?" asked Sam, suspiciously.
Tara didn't say anything but kept smiling at him.
.
.
The next morning, all three of them were standing in front of the school going over their plan and when the bell rang they all silently went to their first class.
When the last bell rang announcing the end of the school day, all three of them nodded at each other and stood up.
Everyone exited the class, everyone that is, except Tara.
She walked over to theteacher, leaned over the desk and smiled.
While Tara was trying to distract Mr. Sanchez, Nate and Sam were heading over to the teacher's lounge. They both stopped in front of the door and looked at each other.
"You go first!" they both said at the same time. "No you!"
Nate shifted from one leg to the other. "Fine, I'll go first."
Nate knocked on thedoor, and immediately stepped behind Sam, just as one of the teachers openedthe door.
Nate smirked at Sam, while he gave him a look.
"Yes?" it was their math teacher Mrs. Collins.
Sam looked uncomfortable. "Mrs. Collins we're here because Mr. Sanchez told us to get his bag for him."
Mrs. Collins narrowed her eyes and flipped her bad dyed blond hair and stepped back.
The teacher's room was spacious. It had two long tables in the middle of the room, with cabinets behind them on one of the walls. They were filled with books and maps and all kinds of personal things. Some of the teachers were there, sitting and drinking coffee.
They went towards the cabinet that had a sticker on it that said "A. Sanchez"
They both started going through his personal stuff, they found all kinds of painted sheets, including theirs, but they didn't find any book.
"Great," said Nate. "It's not here."
When they left, Nate started texting Tara.
"It's not there. Must be with him, try to find it".
They both headed towards Tina's car, when Nate's phone buzzed.
He pulled it out and read "R u kidding me? Fine."
They both sat near the car and waited for Tara.
"What do you think they are doing in there?" asked Nate.
"She's probably battering her eyelashes at him" answered Sam, while kicking a pebble with his foot.
"I think it's going to need a little more than a few looks for her to get the book. This isn't for a grade."
Sam looked up at Nate,surprised. "C'mon, I know her. She would never sleep with him. Not even forthis" said Sam, but Nate didn't look convinced. "Don't worry. Besides he's a teacher, he would never sleep with a student, he would get fired" tried to reason Sam.
Nate looked at him and made you're-kidding-right?-face. "You do realize that Tara saw him break the law a week ago, he also tried to have sex with Sydney just because of a stupid instrument, and he would worry if he could get fired."
Sam gulped and looked at the front door of the school, looking worried. "What if he does try? What do we do then?" asked Sam.
Nate looked at the front door too, and after a while he answered "This is Tara we're talking about, she always has a plan B, it's just that we don't know what that plan B is" said Nate, but Sam saw in his face that he wasn't so sure too.
"Oh, shit" said Nate as Sam looked up towards the school.
Tara was just exiting the school. Sam could see she was shaking from head to toe, and she just had that look in her face that said she saw something that wasn't age appropriate. She didn't say anything to them as she stumbled with her car keys or as she drove them towards her home like a bat out of hell.
Both, Sam and Nate were patiently and silently waiting for Tara to come out of her bathroom so they could talk. When she did, she was already dressed in her red and grey pajamas.
Neither of them spoke as she started combing her wet hair, but then she sat down on her bed and she leaned her head on Nate's shoulder and closed her eyes.
"It wasn't there either" said Tara in only whisper, like the words were too heavy for her. She looked tired too and the dark circles under her eyes confirmed that.
Again neither, Nate or Sam replayed, until Tara opened her eyes and looked at Sam with a pissed off look.
"And if you tell me togo to his house to get it I will strangle you" threatened Tara.
Nate shook his head. "No way in hell am I going to let you near that guy again" said Nate as he put his arm around Tara. She weekly smiled but didn't say anything further.
"What are we going to do now?" asked Sam as he started pacing around the room.
Tara remained silent while Nate answered "Maybe we should just let it go."
Tara frowned and looked up at him.
"I mean why are we doing this?" asked Nate. As Tara opened her mouth to replay Nate cut her off, "Yeah I know that you saw him break the law and everything but why are we the ones doing something about it instead of somebody else? Like I don't know the Takers or something?"
Tara shook her head. "Even if we did tell the Takers, who do you think they will believe, us- the three teenagers, or a professor with a master's degree?"
Sam frowned and looked at Tara. "He has a master's degree?"
Tara didn't say anything but her shaking answered Sam's question.
Nate, looking more andmore worried, started hugging her and offering her comforting words, whichsurprised Sam. He'd never seen Tara like this or Nate at that matter. Taranever broke down. She was the rock in this group, to her, showing emotion waslike walking down the street naked. And Nate, he has always seen Nate flirtwith her, or at least start to flirt with her, but she always shut him downwith her witty comments, and then they all laughed it off. But this Nate he hasnever seen. He knew Nate was there for Tara, but so was Sam, just like Tara wasthere for both of them. But Sam looked more closely now towards Nate and hewasn't sure, but he could see that Nate offered Tara more than friendship. Samfrowned. Oh, this isn't good.
After everything that happened they all agreed to let it go and not to get involved in something they shouldn't. As Nate and Sam started going towards the bus stop, Sam could no longer keep it in, he had to ask.
"How long?"
Nate sighed. "You saw?" he asked.
"I would have, even if I was blind" answered Sam as he sat down on the bench. Nate sat down next to him and pulled out a cigarette and lighter out of his jacket.
Nate lightened his cigarette, exhaled a puff of smoke and he looked towards Sam with a smirk on his face. "Took you long enough.''
Sam shook his head and asked "Seriously, how... long?"
He couldn't dare to say the word "love" and Tara in the same sentence. To him somehow the combination didn't fit.
"Since forever," replayed Nate. "At first I thought it was some lame hero worship thing, but as the years went by the feelings stayed the same."
"Ever thought of telling me?" asked Sam. He still couldn't believe what was happening. This was even bigger than the thing with Mr. Sanchez.
Nate shrugged and drew in from the cigarette. "I don't know. Never thought it was a big deal" he said as the bus came and, with a loud hiss, stopped. Nate dropped his cigarette and stood up.
Sam jumped up. "Not a big deal? Are you kidding me?" asked Sam and followed Nate on the bus.
Nate sat next to awindow and Sam sat next to him. He started staring at Nate, but he didn't replyanything he just kept staring with a distant look on his face.
"Nate," said Sam quietly "are you ever going to tell Tara how you feel?"
Nate closed his eyes for a long minute and then he looked over to Sam, his bright blue eyes shining.
"No" said Nate, with no emotion at all. Usually this kind of responses came from Tara, and Sam was used to them, probably because he always thinks she has no emotions at all. But coming off from Nate was like a chill has just run up Sam's spine. He shuddered.
After a couple of minutes, Nate was himself again, but he didn't look at Sam as he asked "If I do tell her, what do you think she's going to do?"
Sam didn't look at Nate either, he kept staring out the window too, and answered "She's probably going to laugh in your face and think it's joke. Or she's going to make it a joke."
"Or she's going to bitch-slap me so hard I'm going to count all the starts in the universe" suggested Nate.
"And tell you to get over yourself and then she's going to stomp off and never talk about it" added Sam.
Sam then looked at Nate and asked "You think Tara knows how you feel?"
Nate snorted. "You do realize that you put Tara and feel in the same sentence, right?" asked Nate, but again he didn't look at Sam.
"I know" said Sam in a small voice, still looking at Nate, feeling sorry for his best friend.
Nate started shaking hishead. "After all this years I have no idea how that woman works. Everything shedoes is unexpected. You think you know her, but then tomorrow comes and it'slike you have no idea who she is. She changes every single day."
Sam nodded. "Today she likes the color red the next she doesn't."
Nate nodded along. "Sometimes she changes so quick it makes me dizzy. So quick that I think I'm talking to a stranger. And at times she just pushes me so far away that..." Nate stopped talking altogether. Sam looked at the back of Nate's head.
Gods, it's like I have no idea who I'm hanging around with.
With a small voice Nate continued "...That makes me feel so alone and empty inside."
Neither of them said anything further, not even as Sam climbed off the bus and saw Nate leaning against the window as the bus drove away.
Sam felt like he was not the same person he was a week ago. He felt like he'd grown a foot taller or gained a lot of weight. After everything that happened he knew that all three of them are going to act like nothing happened in Tara's room. Nothing at all.