The Gryphon Project (7 page)

“I did not.” Phoenix hurried ahead. “I can’t stand you babbling on and on anymore. It’s driving me crazy.”

Thankfully, Gryph stayed with Fawn so Phee could march on ahead, fully engulfed in her misery. He was good for that, even now.

At the station, Gryph waited with Fawn until her train came, and then he signed for her with the children’s monitor and joined Phoenix at the other end of the platform, where the train that picked up the high school students would stop.

“Don’t take it out on her.” Gryph shoved her. “She’s just a kid.”

“Take what out on her? I don’t even know what’s going on.”

“Doesn’t matter what’s going on.” Gryph shrugged. “Don’t pick on her.”

“Fine, Gryph. Whatever you say.” Phoenix hugged herself. “I won’t pick on her, if you won’t pick on me. Deal?”

“Wow. Sometimes you can be a real bitch, you know.”

Phoenix shrugged. “Takes one to know one.”

Gryph laughed. “That’s the best you’ve got?”

“Yeah, it is.” Phoenix backed away. “Leave me alone, Gryph.”

“Happily.” Gryph wandered off down the platform to talk to a redhead who was new to the Shores. Phoenix rolled her eyes. The girl was smiling up at him, twirling her hair and batting her eyelashes like a living cliché. She got on the junior high train and waved at him until it was out of sight. At times like this, Phee wished her family had a private shuttle so she wouldn’t have to take the train and endure the drama that surrounded Gryph every day.

“A bit young for you, don’t you think?” Phoenix said, as Gryph rejoined her when their train pulled in.

“She was at the snowboard race,” Gryph said. “And my last rock climbing competition.”

“A groupie. How exciting for you.”

Gryph shrugged. “I was just talking to her, Phee.”

They got on last, and as Phoenix stepped on, the door shut too soon, catching her backpack. She yanked it free, and found a seat.

“Something must be wrong with the sensors.” Gryph took the seat across from her. “Huh. Interesting.” He watched the door at the other stops; it was definitely shorting out or something. Jackets, backpacks, even arms were getting stuck. Each time, they expected the intercom to announce that the car was being removed from service and they all had to get off, but it would seem that a cascade of security and safety measures had failed, leaving the doors of the car to work like jaws, snapping shut on the unsuspecting. Phee figured they were working on fixing it remotely.

Nadia and Neko got on at the first Bay View stop, and Phoenix told her what had happened the night before. She was only half listening, though, because she and Saul were texting back and forth, even though they’d see each other in minutes.

“It’ll blow over,” she said, smiling at whatever Saul had just texted her. “You’ll see.”

“I don’t know, Nadia.”

“It will.” Nadia sent a reply off, her phone beeping to confirm it was sent. She looked up. “My parents fight all the time, and they always work it out.”

“But your parents hate each other.” The train slowed at Saul and Tariq’s stop. “My parents aren’t like that. They never fight.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Nadia’s phone rang. “Morning, handsome,” she purred into it as she rose from her seat, craning over the other students to catch a glimpse of Saul. He was making his way to their car, phone at his ear. “See me, baby?”

He waved. She blew a kiss at him. Phoenix groaned.

Tariq came up behind Saul just then and tripped him, sending him sprawling. His phone soared through the air and over the edge, plummeting to the ground two storeys below the elevated tracks.

“What an asshole!” Nadia said. “He’s going to have to pay for that phone.”

Saul leaped to his feet and sprinted to catch up to Tariq. They scrapped playfully on the platform, like a couple of puppies, until the lights flashed and the recorded voice announced the train’s departure. The two boys got up, and made one last dash for the car. They reached out as the door was shutting, which would normally trigger the sensors to reopen the door and delay the train. If the sensors had been working.

“This should be fun.” Gryph stuck his hand over one of the security cameras. “Neko, get the other one.”

“Don’t you dare,” Nadia said.

Neko glanced at Nadia, then back at Gryph.

“I’m not going to tell you twice, scrote. Do it.”

Neko stood on a seat and covered the other camera.

“Saul!” Nadia screeched as the doors rhythmically tightened against his arm, trying hard to shut.

“Hey!” Tariq yanked at the door with his free arm as the train started moving.

Neko dropped his hand, eyes wide with fear.

“Camera, Neko,” Gryph growled. “I’m warning you.”

Huy gave Neko a shove and he obscured the camera again.

“Open the doors!” Phoenix yelled. “Stop the train!”

The other students on the train yelled for it to stop too, several of them frantically pressing the emergency buttons located at intervals along the wall.

“Don’t worry,” Gryph said, but only loud enough for Nadia and Phee to hear. “We’ll open the doors before it’s too late.”

He was putting a show on for everyone else, Phee decided. He knew what he was doing. And for a few seconds, that seemed to be true.

Tariq and Saul jogged along the platform as best they could as the train sped up.

“No emergency detected,”
the automated voice said.
“Passengers are reminded to access security only in the case of an actual emergency.”

“It’s true!” Nadia screamed, trying to push her way to the door. “Stop the train!”

“Open the doors,” Gryph finally ordered, and as if he’d broken his own spell, students stormed the doors, trying to pull them open.

But the doors were jammed, still trapping the boys.

And the technical failure was system-wide, so the train kept gaining speed.

“We should be able to get the doors open.” Gryph pushed his way to the door and pulled with all his might.

The end of the station was coming up, after which the train tracks launched into the air, high above the city.

“Recalibrating systems. Please stand by.”

“Stop the train!” Nadia screamed. “Make it stop!”

“I’m trying!” Gryph and the others tugged hard on the doors, but they would not budge.

“This isn’t funny, Gryph!” Outside, Tariq stumbled, banging on the train with his free hand. “Come on!”

“Help!” Saul screamed. Tariq’s expression was one thing, but Saul’s was another entirely. He reminded Phoenix of the people rioting below the shuttle in the no-per zone. Flooded with panic. Fear. Desperation.

Gryph saw it too. “I’m trying, Saul! Hang on!”

Phoenix pushed the alarm button nearest her again, but there was still no familiar ding.

With a primal growl, Gryph yanked on his side and Neko on his, along with the strength of anyone who could gain purchase on the steel doors. “Saul! Hang on!”

“Systems recalibrating. Do not access alarm until the system has been recalibrated.”

“Stop the train!” Phoenix pounded on the alarm button anyway, as Nadia screamed and screamed, her face fixed with terror.

“Pull harder!” Gryph commanded. His face was white, and his arm muscles bulged from the effort.

Outside, Tariq and Saul stumbled and tripped, trying to stay on their feet. And then the look on Saul’s face fell into sheer despair. Phee turned to see what he was seeing.

The narrow passage for the train to exit the station was not wide enough for Tariq and Saul to pass through as well. They would smash into the wall, likely leaving their arms inside the train as it sped onto the next station.

“Pull!” Gryph hollered, and then again as the door shifted a tiny bit. “Pull! Now!”

Everyone tugged hard, and finally the doors groaned open just enough for Tariq and Saul to fall free. They tumbled backwards and hit the platform hard, just as the train cleared the station.

“Thank God,” Gryph said. “That was too close.”

If Phee hadn’t been reeling from what had just happened, she would’ve pounced on his words. How dare he declare his prank
too close
? How dare he thank God for fixing a mess he got himself into in the first place?

“Saul!” Nadia flung herself at the rear window, her hands pressed against the glass. Saul sat up and waved at her, giving her a shaky thumbs-up.

“Thank God!” Nadia crossed herself. Then she turned and slapped Gryph across the face. “You’re such an asshole, Gryph!”

“Wow, Nadia. That’s some bitch slap you’ve got.” Gryph poked his tongue at his reddening cheek. “Look, I’m sorry, okay?”

“You want another one, asshole?” Tears streamed down Nadia’s face. She raised her hand. “I can’t believe you did that!”

“I got the doors open, didn’t I?” Gryph raised an eyebrow. “Well?”

Nadia glared at him, her hand still poised, ready to slap him again.

“You sure you want to hit me again?” Whatever uncertainty and regret had softened Gryph when his friends were truly in trouble was diminished now as his face took on a familiar darkness.

“Absolutely.” Nadia brought her hand back, but Gryph grabbed her thin wrist in midair and stopped her easily.

“Don’t, Nadia.”

The other students on the train were still watching, the atmosphere taken up by Gryph and his exploits. They watched with the same slack-jawed fascination that Fawn had when she watched television. This is what Gryph liked: the limelight.

“Let me go!” Nadia tried to wrestle free, but Gryph held tight, glaring at her.

“Let her go, Gryph.” Phoenix took her other hand. “Come on, Nadia. Let’s sit down.”

After another long moment, Gryph let go. Nadia let Phoenix sit her down. Everyone on the train relaxed, shaking off the incident and resuming their usual morning routines of catching up with friends and trading homework answers. Nadia leaned her head on Phoenix’s shoulder and cried as she rubbed the red marks Gryph had left on her wrist.

“He almost died!”

“But he didn’t.” Phoenix stroked Nadia’s hair. “Saul didn’t die. He’s okay.” She glanced over her shoulder at Gryph. He and Neko sat slumped in their usual seats, talking about something, looking for all intents and purposes as if nothing had happened. “He’s okay.”

Saul was okay. But what about Gryph?

The Good Gryph had been losing out to the Bad Gryph lately. Where was the proud champion athlete? The doting brother, loving son, fiercely loyal friend? More and more lately, there was only this dark, dangerous Gryph. And God help anyone who challenged him. Piss him off in front of his peers, challenge his leadership, and suffer the consequences. Nadia knew all this. They’d spent several recent sleepover hours trying to figure out how he could go from being the Gryph who’d patiently taught them how to ski on the bunny hill to being the Gryph who could pull something like the stunt on the train. Someone who would put his friends’ lives in danger.

All of a sudden, Nadia sprang to her feet and stalked up to Gryph before Phoenix could stop her. Phoenix ran to her side and pulled her away.

“Come on, Nadia. Leave it.”

“You know what, Gryph?” Nadia shook a finger at Gryph’s smug smile. “You’re not always going to get away with shit like this.”

Gryph glanced around the train. Everyone’s attention was back on Gryph. And he was happy to play to the crowd.

“They’re fine, aren’t they?” he said, the smile having slipped just a bit to reveal a snarl below.

“Let’s go sit down, Nadia.” Phoenix widened her eyes. “Please.”

This was the worst Gryph, when he had a stage and the adrenalin in his system to strut across it, star of his own little drama.

“You do that, kids.” Gryph brought his phone up to his ear. His eyes still on Nadia, who hadn’t budged, he spoke into his cell. “You guys okay?” He nodded. “Cool. Pass the phone to Saul.”

“Let me talk to him!” Nadia lunged for the phone, but Gryph held it out of reach.

“Saul?” Gryph turned his eyes to his lap as he spoke, and his tone dropped too. “You okay?”

Saul must’ve told him he was.

“Good. Sorry, man. I didn’t think it’d be so hard to open the doors.”

The two friends talked for another minute or so, with Nadia pleading for the phone until Gryph finally handed it to her.

When the train pulled into the school station, Phoenix waited with Nadia for Saul and Tariq to arrive while Gryph steered Neko ahead of him into the building, heading for the stairwell where they normally met Huy every morning. By the time Saul and Tariq got there, Tariq was laughing about the whole thing, and Saul was too. He sounded okay, but when she got closer to him, Phee could see that he was deathly pale and shaking. Gryph must’ve said something to him about meeting him right away, because he let Nadia hug him only briefly, and then he pulled away.

“I’m okay, Nadia. Really.”

“I was so scared! I thought you were going to die!”

Phee wouldn’t have thought it possible, but Saul paled even more, his skin nearly translucent under his eyes.

“I didn’t though, did I?”

“But still—”

“I’ll see you later, okay?”

“Where are you going?” Nadia reached for him as he turned away. “You’re shaking!”

“I’m fine. I’ve got to meet Gryph.”

“Don’t go!” Nadia got hold of his jacket and he stopped. “Saul, please!”

Tariq kept going, slowing only to toss Saul a warning look. “Don’t be long, man.”

Saul nodded, prying Nadia’s hands off him. “I have to go, Nadia.”

“Do you love me, Saul?”

“I love you, Nadia.” Saul kissed her. “You know that.”

“Then stay with me now,” she said. “Just this once, choose me over Gryph.”

“I’ll see you later, you know that.” He kissed her again. “But right now, I have to go.”

“But you don’t! Not really. Not after what just happened! You almost died!” She grabbed his trembling hand. “You can stay with me! Just this once.”

“I know you understand, Nadia.” Saul pulled away and walked backwards, toward the school entrance, where Tariq was waiting for him. “I know you do.”

He turned and jogged away. He caught up with Tariq, and the two of them disappeared into the school.

Nadia sat down on the nearest bench and cried. “I can’t do this anymore, Phee.”