Aunt Pia dropped us off to school again today. I waved goodbye to my brother once we were out of the car and headed towards my class. It was disappointing that I couldn't see my brother over the break because of this rule.
The sun glared down at me as I stepped outside and into the courtyard area where I knew Fera was waiting for me. Thank god for her instructions this morning or I would've gotten lost. The area was practically empty, except for two students training on the field and another leaning against a pole near some tables, arms crossed, and with a distant look shadowing her eyes.
"Fera!" I waved, making my way to her. Her head swerved in the direction of my voice and a grin lit up her face upon seeing me.
"So," I say when I reach her, "why did you want to see me?"
"Let's sit down first."
We both take our seats on the bench before she continues, "it's nothing too major. I just wanted to catch you before class."
"Oh, yeah?" I ask "What for?"
"To give you this." She reaches into her short pocket and pulls out something before dangling it in front of me. It is a bracelet made of green and red beads with some sort of Phoenix on the frontal bead.
"Say something," she says. "Do you like it? Is it your style?"
I realize I have just been staring at it. Fera just kept surprising me. As she keeps doing things like this, it's only becoming more certain that befriending her was a great thing.
"Yeah," I nod. "I like it. Thanks, Fera."
"I'm glad." She breathes out a sigh of relief. Slim fingers grip my hand and draw my arm closer to her. The other hand fiddles with the bracelet until she slips it past my hand and it settles on my wrist. The object warms my skin immediately.
Ring. Ring.
"Looks like that's our cue. See you at lunch?"
"Yep," I say. "See you then."
########
It was a long wait to grab our food before we swarmed past students to a table at the back of the cafeteria. We had both chosen the lasagna but even when Fera sat down she dug through her bag and placed a yoghurt beside her meal on the table. I mentally noted to expect her to bring a yoghurt every day for lunch.
Breaking a piece off with my fork, I scooped the cheesy goodness into my mouth, all while my I thought about my little brother. Had Noah made it to the office yet for his medicine? My fingers itched to call him on my cell, but I shook the idea away. I was already over-protective as it was, and I didn't want it to show around any possible friends he had made. It might make them look down on him for it.
"What are you thinking about so strongly?" Fera asked from the other side of the table. She stared at me as if the longer she looked she could discover the answer. I decided to end her suffering.
"Oh, nothing much. Just wondering if my brother made it to the office by now for his medicine."
"Oh, that's right. I've been meaning to ask you..." She pauses, thinking carefully about how to word whatever it is she wants to ask me. "I hope this is not a sensitive topic or anything, but why does he need to take medicine?"
"That's all?" I laugh, hoping to ease her nerves. "Noah has a very weak heart and cannot strain his body physically too much or he can get very high blood pressure and it can get dangerous," I explained.
"Hmm..." she nods her head. "That does seem serious. And for such a happy looking kid too." We both sit silently thinking over the words that she said until she claps her hands together and says, "well, I'm sure he's made it to the office by now."
"Mmm..." I nod.
This lunch break consisted mostly of us making sleepover plans and talking about our weekends. I purposely left out the part where we stumbled on the bloodied guy in the alley. The whole thing still weirded me out that I didn't even want to talk about it. Plus, I wasn't good with blood and didn't want to recall it. I noticed a girl with violet streaks dash towards the table in front of us. She was breathing heavily like she was running from somewhere.
A guy with dreads greeted her with a high five and she greeted him back quickly. Darting her eyes around the room, she checked for any eavesdroppers before leaning into her group of friends. She didn't seem to see me looking at their table. Even though they were huddled together it was easy to hear their voices from where I sat.
"What's so interesting that you stopped talking?" Fera whispered in a low voice. Her breath tickled my ear and I crinkled my nose. Somehow, she had managed to swap sweats and scooted closer to me till our elbows were touching. I jerked my chin out to the table in front of us. She followed my line of direction and homed in on the conversation taking place. "Wow, gossip. I likey."
"Hey, have you heard?"
"Nah..." one friend responded.
"Some of Striker's boys were dragging this kid with them. All I know is he's some new kid with ash-brown hair. Man, I wonder what he did to get in trouble with Striker."
While I secretly evesdropped, a bad feeling was forming in the pit of my belly. I locked gazes with Fera, my concerns communicated through my eyes. "Verona," Fera said slowly. "Call Noah right now and see if he answers."
The serious expression taking over her features meant she was thinking what I was thinking. I drew out my phone and dialled his number. "Well?" She held my stare. I shook my head, suddenly very worried. She nodded back, swiftly.
Scooting out from her chair, she took big determined steps towards the other table. I followed behind until we stopped in front of them. Feeling someone looming over their shoulders they all turned up to see who it was. The girl with violet hair raised an eyebrow at us. "Can we help you?" She said, with a bite to her voice.
Fera ignored her hostility and got straight to the point. "Does this person look like her?" She pointed a thumb to my face.
"Look like who?"
"The boy who Striker's guys took. You know, the one we heard you talking about a second ago."
"There no way you would have heard us."
"Well, doesn't look like you were as quiet as you thought." Fera shrugged. "Now could you please answer my question?"
She looked at me breifly before saying, "I don't know."
"Well, look again."
Small eyes burned into me as she attempted for the second time before her eyes widen. She points a finger at me while nodding her head. "Now that I think about it, he does look very much like you- just with lighter hair."
"Great," Fera replies. " Now where did they take him?"
"To the old classrooms that don't get used anymore. The ones down at the west wing."
"Thanks."
"No problem."
"Follow me," Fera tells me as she grabs my hand. I run behind her to where the west wing must be, or I think so... because Fera suddenly stops outside of this door.
"Fera, are we here?"
"Uh-huh. But I'm going to need you to go in first as I have to make a call."
"A call at this time?"
"Yep. But it's important, okay?"
"Okay."
I trust her and she seems to know what she's doing.
"Now go." She tells me with the wave of her hand. I nod my head and take hold of the door nob which used to be a solid silver but has turned green with age. I didn't know what I was to expect behind that door, but they had better not have hurt my brother. There was only one way to find out. The nob turned in my hand before I entered the room.