Thrall (4 page)

“I do. Nice to make it official.” In the light of the dining hall, his eyes looked greener than they had this morning – a light, rich green flecked through with gold. I felt a shivery thrill passing over my skin.

Derek planted his hand on the table between us, snapping me out of the moment. He smiled at me coolly. “You owe me for dry cleaning,” he said. His friends stood behind him, ready for the show.

Royal frowned. “I thought you soccer guys spent lunch practicing your ball handling.”

Derek glanced over at Royal. “Keep your personal fantasies to yourself. This is between me and cupcake here.” Derek turned back to me. I looked helplessly around the table. Cassie, never good with conflict, stared at her plate. Royal’s jaw was tense. And Lucas... Lucas’ eyes had gone flat, hard. “Fifty bucks ought to cover it. You have expensive taste in icing.”

I stood, looking for any way out. “Anyone else feel like eating on the quad?”

Cassie followed my lead, pushing her chair out. Too late, she realized she had just blocked my escape around the back of the table. I tried to slip past Derek.

He trapped me with his arm. “Um, where do you think you’re going? We have business to settle.”

I felt my face grow hot again. “Move your hand, Derek.” Derek slid his free hand around my waist and pulled me snug against him. I heard someone chuckle behind us. I jerked away from Derek, humiliated.

Derek smirked. “Be more specific next time.”

“You want specific?” Lucas hauled back and punched Derek in the face. Derek staggered backwards. Parker and the others stared, too shocked to move for a moment. Lucas glanced at me, calm. “You okay?”

I nodded woodenly.

Two of Derek’s friends tackled Lucas. Cassie screamed. That got everyone’s attention. It only took a second for the dining hall to process what was happening. Somebody bellowed “Fight!” and students rushed to surround us in a mob. I was dimly aware of a teacher sprinting for the phone. Within moments, everyone in the dining hall was clustered around us.

The guys who tackled Lucas pulled him upright, yanking him off the floor by his arms.

Cassie stared in horror. “We have to do something!”

The boys turned Lucas to face Derek, each pinning one of his arms tightly behind his back. Derek cracked his knuckles, putting on a show for the crowd. The skin over his jaw was turning red where Lucas had hit him. His eyes narrowed in anticipation, hungry for revenge. Lucas watched him, focused. Derek gripped the front of Lucas’ shirt and raised his fist to strike. My heart leapt into my throat, but Lucas twisted at the last second and Derek’s punch landed across his teammate’s face.

The crowd screamed encouragement. Lucas scrambled back, his eyes locked on Derek. Derek turned on him, surprise giving way to fury. Lucas shrugged slightly, smiling as if to say,
we can stop this anytime you like.
Derek’s scowl deepened.

Parker joined Derek, clapping a hand on his shoulder to let him know he had backup. Lucas pushed his shirtsleeves up, ready for more.

I heard Cassie’s sharp intake of breath. I glanced at her and saw her concern deepen. Her attention seemed split between Lucas and Parker. I didn’t share Cassie’s divided loyalties. I just wanted someone to intervene before Derek and his friends took Lucas apart.

Parker dove first. Lucas surged forward. His movements were fluid, almost formal. His fist connected and Parker staggered back with a growl of pain, clutching his nose.

Cassie covered her mouth, cringing and shutting her eyes, tight. I couldn’t look away from the fight.

Derek turned to his teammates. “Come on!” Parker and the other boys ringed Lucas. Lucas glanced around at them, calculating. Only the slightest tension seemed to enter his eyes. But Derek - he was a different matter all together. His customary swagger had vanished. His mouth was twisted in determination. Everything about him seemed taut, ready to spring. Panic raged in the back of my mind. This wasn’t just a fight anymore. Derek wouldn’t stop until Lucas was seriously hurt. I scanned the dining hall for a teacher, but saw only the mass of students grouped around the fight.

I saw Derek glance at Parker, who edged back behind Lucas.

“Careful--!” I warned, but I was too slow. Derek feinted, and Lucas took the bait. When Derek pulled back, Lucas ended up swiping thin air where he thought Derek would be. The move cost him; Lucas stumbled, losing his balance.

Parker, seeing his opening, drove a fist into Lucas’ side. Lucas recoiled, eyes watering, but he kept his hands up. Derek threw a savage punch at Lucas’ face. Lucas twisted out of the way, caught the punch, and jerked Derek off-balance. As Derek careened wildly forward, Lucas twisted Derek’s arm and shoved him face-first into the crowd. The two other boys charged Lucas from behind.

“Behind you!” I shouted.

Lucas turned and dropped, kicking out a foot to trip one of the boys while he shot a fist up into the other boy’s stomach. His attackers both hit the ground, groaning. Lucas rolled to his feet, but Parker was ready for him. Parker’s fist smashed into Lucas’ mouth with a sickening crack. For a minute it looked like Lucas might fall, but he shook his head, found his footing, and turned to face Parker unsteadily. A trickle of blood traced a thin line from the corner of Lucas’ mouth down to his chin.

Before either boy made a move, the whole dining hall heard Fiedler’s voice, harsh with anger. “Where? Where are they?!” The crowd parted. The headmaster approached, furious. He stopped in the center of the chaos.

Lucas lowered his fists and glanced at me. In that moment, he looked almost vulnerable, as if afraid of what I might be thinking.

Fiedler glared at the boys as the assembled crowd buzzed with excitement. “All right. Who started it?”

Everyone’s gaze shifted to Lucas. Lucas straightened. His eyes lingered on my face for a long moment, and then he turned to face the headmaster.

The wind was starting to pick up as we left the dining hall. Headmaster Fiedler led Lucas and the other boys straight to his office. I followed, along with half the school. People would be dishing about this fight - and the new kid - for weeks. The buzzing crowd dropped away as we crossed the quad. By the time we reached the administration building, I was the only one who followed Fiedler and his charges inside.

Fiedler stopped outside his office and gestured to the benches resting against the walls. “Sit.” Derek opened his mouth but Fiedler held up a hand, furious. “Not a word, Derek. I’m going to speak with Ms. Fitch, and then we’ll start calling your parents.”

Ms. Fitch must have been the teacher I’d seen run to the phone as the fight was beginning. She glared at Lucas, arms crossed. She’d clearly already decided who was to blame for the fight. Fiedler held the door open and Ms. Fitch disappeared into his office. Fiedler shot one more disapproving glare around the room, and then followed her inside. The door swung shut behind them with an ominous thud.

Derek and his friends collapsed on one bench, muttering angrily to one another.

I sat beside Lucas on the other bench. “Let me go in with you,” I said quietly. “I can explain what happened.”

“I think he probably already knows what happened.” Lucas smiled dryly. Mid-day sunlight flooded the administration hallway, kicking up off the white floor. It made everything achingly bright.

“But he doesn’t know why,” I said.

“In my experience, they don’t care why a fight got started. They’re more concerned about finding out who started it.”

I didn’t know what else to say. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m not.” Lucas’ eyes were clear of any resentment or blame. “That guy had it coming,” he said. “I’d do exactly the same thing if it happened again.”

Warmth bubbled up through my chest. The door opened and Fiedler appeared. “Don’t tell him that,” I whispered into Lucas’ ear. He smiled.

Fiedler scanned the faces of the boys sitting outside his office. “Lucas Mitchell? Not a great way to get started at Coronado Prep. Come on in.” I watched Lucas follow Fiedler into the office. “Ms. Murphy,” Fiedler said, spotting me. “Shouldn’t you be getting to class?” Lucas gave me one last smile, and then the door closed behind them. The bell rang, marking the start of the next period. I had to run to class.

I skidded into the gym after throwing on a pair of burgundy gym shorts and a gray t-shirt. I expected to get chewed out by Ms. Davies for being late, but she hadn’t arrived yet. Cassie and Royal waved from the bleachers. I joined them. All the magic of Homecoming was gone; the gym was back to normal, just like the rest of us.

“What happened?” Cassie asked in a hushed voice. She’d tied her hair into two silky black corkscrews on top of her head, but she was sucking on one long tendril that had escaped.

“I wish I knew,” I said. Cassie heard the frustration in my voice and squeezed my hand.

P.E. had never been my favorite subject, but it was the one class that I didn’t have to share with soccer jocks or cheerleaders. Usually, this was something to celebrate, but today I was dying for any word about Lucas’ fate, even if it came from the enemy.

Our gym teacher, Ms. Davies, entered carrying an old boom box. Some of the students groaned. She waved this off cheerfully. “Change of plans, kids. After Saturday night, it became evident how desperately you all need some formal dance tips. Pair up. We’re going to start with a waltz.”

Cassie might have been the only kid in the whole gym that brightened. “Ooo, dancing!”

Royal fished in his pockets and drew out a small piece of paper. Royal’s older brother was a doctor. Occasionally he took pity on Royal and wrote him a few fake doctor’s notes to excuse him from class. Royal called them his ‘get out of jail free cards’ and tried to save them for emergencies. “Cassie,” Royal said. “Waltzing is not dancing. Dancing is about letting the music inspire you. It’s about freeing all those things we carry inside that can’t be expressed in words. It’s about...”

Cassie grabbed the doctor’s note right out of Royal’s hands.

“Hey!” Royal tried to snatch it back but Cassie was too fast.

“Very inspiring.” Cassie said, tearing the note up. Royal’s eyes widened with horror.

“What was it this time?” I asked. “Sprained ankle? Dehydration?”

“Pre-migraine,” Royal said. “But now...” he looked at Cassie, irritated. “I guess I’m dancing. Okay, girls. There are two of you and only one of me. Who’s the lucky lady?”

The gym door opened and Lucas walked in, looking a little lost. I stood, my heart leaping into my throat. “I should... I should make sure he’s okay.”

Royal turned to Cassie. “Looks like Fate is smiling on you.”

“Don’t I know it,” she said.

Royal gave me a little ‘shoo’ gesture.

I met Lucas in the middle of the gym, more than a little surprised at the relief flooding through me. “Whatever you told Fiedler must have been good if you’re still here,” I said.

“They usually let you off with a warning your first week at a new school.” Lucas looked so calm you’d never guess he’d been fighting five guys less than an hour ago. What would it take to shake this guy?

“Spoken with authority,” I said.

“I have some experience with this.”

Ms. Davies clapped her hands for everyone’s attention. “All right. Guys. Arms up like this, one for her hand, one for her waist. Lead with your left foot. Watch me.”

Lucas and I glanced at the class. Everyone else had already paired up for dancing. Which meant we were now partners. I looked back at Lucas, suddenly tongue-tied. He offered his hand, and I took it gingerly. He slipped his other hand around my waist. I could feel the warmth of his palm radiating through my shirt into the small of my back. It was hard to pull my concentration away from the sensation. My heart was beating so hard I felt sure Lucas would feel the pulse through my fingertips.

After a moment, Lucas took my other hand and placed it on his shoulder. “I think that’s the general idea,” he said.

“Right.” I was keenly aware of lean shoulder muscles under my hand. Part of me wished the floor would open up and swallow me. The other part hoped this class might last forever.

Ms. Davies hit a button on her boom box. The full orchestral strains of a waltz echoed through the gym. “If you can count to three you can dance the waltz,” she said. “All right, gentlemen. You’re leading this party. Let’s go.”

Lucas guided me forward with the lightest possible pressure. There was something so confident about the way he moved, I found myself relaxing into his arms. We glided over the slick gym floor as though we’d been fashioned one for the other, made for this dance.

“Watch your form, people! You’ve got to learn the rules before you can break them.” Ms. Davies swept through the crowd. She passed us and nodded. “Excellent, you two.” Ms. Davies moved onto the next couple, but I stumbled, suddenly self-conscious.

“Whoa,” Lucas said. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” I cleared my throat, casting about for something to say. “So... You have a lot of experience with first days?” I suddenly remembered the muscular man on Lucas’ porch this morning. “Let me guess,” I said. “Your dad’s in the military, right? My dad was a soldier. A long time ago. They have that same look.”