Silver Moon (8 page)

“Get out of my face,” I command, wanting so badly to shove him away from me.

He laughs. “You need to go far, far away, little one.”

Déjà vu. Didn’t think it existed, but apparently it does.
Just like my dream.

“I’d love to go home, but until I graduate, I’m stuck here.”

He
tsks
me, shaking his head.

“What is your problem? I mean, what did I ever do to you?” I blurt.

“Long story.”

“But I haven’t been here that long.”

“Oh, Candra, it’s painful how little you know. You have no idea what’s about to happen to you, yet everyone around you does.”

“You kicking my ass?” I guess.

He belts out a laugh. “Not even close.”

“So, wait…you’re not going to kick my ass? I’m confused.”

He only smiles at me, sucking in a deep breath, and then exhaling. Nothing more is said when he brushes past the circle of people. He glances over his shoulder and says, “Tell Randy and Beth we’re coming for them. Soon.”

My head feels like it’s full of helium. The incessant
tick, tock
of the clock on the wall drives me insane. I grit my teeth. Like I don’t have enough to deal with right now… My chest feels fuzzy and an electric vibe pulses through my arms and legs.

“
We’re
?” I ask, my teeth clenched so tightly I think they’re going to crack into hundreds of pieces.

With his back still turned to me, he says, “Oh, yes.” He acts like going after my family is an easy task.

“Stay away from them. I don’t know what you’re up to, but you won’t get away with it.”

He wheels around to face me, and the corner of his mouth curves into a conniving grin. He closes the distance between us. “I can get away with anything. Neither you nor that pathetic aunt and uncle of yours can stop me.”

“The police could,” I say.

Laughter spews all around us. I forgot he has a fan base.

“You really are new,” he says.

Then I remember what Jana said about his family being in with people of authority.

“It’s not right.”

“Call the cops.” He throws his hands up and parades around the hallway, only causing more laughter at his charade. “I surrender.”

My fingertips tingle.

“I don’t know what your problem is, but I’ll do everything in my power to stop you from going near my family,” I tell him.

“I’m shaking. Really.” He steps closer to me and whispers, “Plus, I’d like to see you try.”

Tears well up in my eyes, not from being scared, but because I’m so fed up with arguing. He’s like talking to a kid. The clock on the wall won’t shut up. I do the only thing that comes to mind, which is childish in itself.

Tick, tock
.

I push him. Not hard enough, in my opinion.

Tick, to—

The surface of his body, for the nanosecond that I touch him, feels like concrete. He’s airborne the moment before his body crashes through a window across the hallway. Everyone’s faces are plastered with shock.

There’s no
way
I can generate enough force to cause a seventeen-year-old boy to fly across a room. Screams are somewhere distant, but I hear them. Voices are deep, delayed. Students scramble in the hallway. The floor is covered with glittering glass debris. A gaping hole now resides in the window.

They’re terrified of me,
I think.
What have I done?

Glancing up, I see the clock on the wall stopped at the exact moment Cameron hurled through the window. That’s not possible. It’s not
right.

My feet are glued to the floor; it’s like another force holds them in place. I glance at my hands, and then back up at the students running past me. There’s an exit door nearby, and I bolt out of it. I don’t stop until I reach the parking lot. My breathing is intense and labored. My mind has all these crazy thoughts repeating over and over about what just happened,
how
it happened. The world swirls around me.

“Candra, wait!” someone yells.

I hear them, but don’t see them. I’m seriously
not
in the mood to talk, and I sure as hell don’t need them asking me what happened, because I have no
freakin
’ idea.

“Candra!” yells the voice again.

Propping myself against a car for support, I silently pray that everything will stop spinning. Someone grabs me and shakes me. Looking up, I see a figure shrouded by the sun.

An angel.

But it moves, and I see that it’s Benjamin.

“Talk to me,” he says. “Say something.”

“Something,” I mumble.

He grins.

“What are you doing here?” I wheeze.

He glances toward the school. “I have classes here, in case you forgot.”

I want to punch him, but I’m too afraid I’ll send him flying into a windshield or dent a car.

He drops the joking. “You’re going to be okay,” he says.

“No. Something’s seriously wrong with me. I need help.”

He pulls me into his arms, so my head lies against his warm chest. I need to be calm and collected, but it’s hard when the person I thought avoided me for no reason decides to be my savior during a crucial time. The fibers on his shirt tickle my cheek. Everything gradually stops whirling.

“Your brother,” I mumble.

“
Mmm
?” His hot breath tickles the tip of my ear.

I can barely breathe out the words, “He’s probably cut up pretty badly.”

“Cameron will be fine.”

I jerk my head away from his chest, but he doesn’t let go of my arms. “Fine? The guy went through a window! I’m sure he has glass stuck in him and is bleeding everywhere.”

“Why are you so worried about him? He threatened your family.”

“You saw everything?” I cringe. “I only meant to make an impression, not, well—you know.”

“C’mon, I’ll show you he’s okay,” he says, motioning for me to follow.

“I can’t go back in there. I saw the look on everyone’s face. They think I’m a freak.”

Benjamin smiles. “No more than I am.”

Deep down I know not returning to school isn’t an option. I’ll have to find out the extent of Cameron’s injuries. I’ll be sent to a boot camp for girls once my family hears about this.
 

I trail behind Benjamin. Pandemonium occurs throughout the school once word travels about my encounter with Cameron. Mr. Garrison, the principal, stands in the hallway speaking to a few other teachers. Eyes fall on me and he turns around to see what the fuss is about. His hands are firmly stuck to his hip bones and his lips form a thin, straight line. The hands drop, along with his face. He immediately walks over to me.

“Candra, come with me,” he says.
 

I oblige. Maybe I’ll be sent back to
Charleston
…or an alternative school. Any place other than here would be good for me. Hell, I’d take prison over this.

Mr. Garrison’s office is in the very back of the main office. He paces the floor behind his massive desk. I take a seat in one of the two brown leather chairs facing him.

           
His desk is bigger than any teacher’s desk I’ve seen. It’s made of wood, and not the fake kind, either. Picture frames with black-felt backs adorn both sides, and a gold-stemmed lamp lights one corner. School memorabilia—mostly sports—sit on bookshelves against the wall to my right.

Mr. Garrison fiddles with a few papers on his desk, not really reading them. “Ah, where to begin,” he says, shoving his hands in his pockets. Loose change clinks every time he moves a finger. He doesn’t really speak to me—his eyes are fixed on the ceiling.
 

“I don’t know what happened. I swear,” I say.

He glances at me this time. “No, I imagine you don’t. Um,” he begins, rubbing the scruff underneath his chin, “I remember when I was your age.”

Oh, God.

He continues. “Nothing was easy, and it’s even tougher today. There’s always going to be those kids that bully you, but you don’t have to take it.”

“But I—”

He holds his hand up to stop me from finishing my sentence. “I know. Not your fault. Cameron’s a rock. His family is favored. And you’re shit out of luck.”

My eyes bulge. Did he just say that to a student?

“You have a lot to learn about living in this town. Most of which you won’t like. But I will tell you that I’ve never cared for the
Conways
. I do, however, care a lot about your aunt and uncle. They’re good people.”

I nod, still confused at what his point is. Or if he’s ever going to reach it.

He exhales through his nose rather loudly. “I think good runs through your veins, so I’m letting you off on this one.”

“Whoa. Really?”

“However,” he says, pointing a finger at me, “nobody is to know of this. If anyone asks, you got suspended. Think of it as a mini vacation. You need time to collect your thoughts and time to talk to your aunt and uncle about what happened today. School doesn’t need to interfere with that. I’ll write it off, so it doesn’t count on your record.”

“This is awesome,” I mumble, not sure if I’m still in la-la land or not.

“Now, get out of here. Go home. I’ll see you next week.” He winks.

I stand and basically stumble toward the main office door.

“Tell Randy and Beth I said hello!” he calls behind me.

I sort of nod and traipse through the door, my mind in a haze. The whole day has been a blur, really. Nothing makes sense. I can’t get past the weird things that continue to happen to me.

Cameron tries to stop me outside. Him and his little posse. They jeer and snicker at me, because they
think
I got in trouble. Ben was right—there’s not a scratch or cut on him, from what I can see. I know what I saw, though. He went
through
the glass. So how can he walk away with no harm done?

I sulk and ignore them, acting like it ruins my week. Idiots.

In the parking lot, Benjamin catches up with me, falling in sync with my step. I stop long enough to hear him out. He apologizes for my suspension and for the way his brother’s been acting.

“If he’s so bad, then why don’t you stop him?” I ask and continue walking.

“He’s too…powerful,” he replies, catching up to me again. “Besides, he’s Mom and Dad’s favorite.”

“Ah, I see. The One Who Can Do No Wrong.”

“Exactly.” Benjamin snorts.

“Aren’t you the oldest?”

He nods. “I am.”

“I see…” I’m at a loss for words. The whole day wobbles before me. “Listen, I don’t really need your help all the time, you know.”

He glances at me; confusion plastered across his facial features.

“You being the Town Hero and everything,” I explain.

“I’m not,” he says modestly. “And call me Ben.”

I nod and say, “So, you came to help me in the parking lot because…”

“Because I know how my brothers can be. I don’t want to see someone else get hurt due to their stupidity.”

“I’ve heard your family can’t be stopped,” I joke, but he refuses to look at me.

“Listen, it was great talking to you and everything, but I need to head home.” He points in the opposite direction.

Honestly, I don’t know what to tell him.
Run home to Mommy and Daddy.
I teeter back and forth, push my hands in my pockets, and say, “See
ya
.”

He hesitates for a moment, but nods, giving me an awkward wave goodbye.

Chapter Eight