The Geis: Awakening Part 11

"Sounds fun, as long as you have some clothes I can change into," I said. The patch of water on my jeans was growing, and the water didn't help the blister rubbing on my toe.

Christa invited Holly and JiaLin to watch the movie with us. I picked my way down the trail, and took one last look back at the mountain before we drove away.

The sun's failing light filtered through the trees, producing shadows that crept across the rocky canyon. High above the stream, a wraith-like figure stepped from her hiding place behind a stone pillar.

Little more than a shadow herself, she watched as the young people made their way down the trail. It had been too easy. The girl had found the comb that she had cursed, and already its magic was weaving a connection between them.

She clutched a string of aquamarine beads in one hand and closed her eyes, breathing deeply as energy flowed from the stones into her bloodstream, renewing this body she had chosen.

The longer the girl had the comb in her possession, the stronger the bonding would form. She would be compelled to wear it everywhere she went, and it would be easy to track her down.

Years. It had been years since she had hunted. The thought was intoxicating, and she was tempted to end the chase before it began. But she had to be more careful now than before, more deliberate in her actions if she were to keep her plans a secret from the council. It would be worth it to wait. The girl would lead her to others like herself. The wraith sucked in a breath, and let it out with a low, rattling sound. When the time was right, she would kill them all.

I scooted my desk next to Lucas. Why hadn't I thought of this before? Mr. Netty always let us work with a partner on Mondays. I had slipped in the door to physics just as the bell rang. The only empty seat was in the back, right next to Lucas. I couldn't have planned it better.

Before cla.s.s I'd hoped that physics would get over quickly, so Rourke could help me polish up my dances for the compet.i.tion. Now I hoped the cla.s.s would stretch on as long as the rest of my day had.

"Do you get this stuff?" Lucas asked. He opened his book. The hair on my arm rose where his elbow sat, inches from mine. We didn't touch, but I could feel the warmth coming from his body. He studied the first problem, and then looked over at my unopened book.

My face flushed, and I knew that the bright pink rash would soon be spreading up my neck. I took a few quiet breaths to calm down, and flipped open to the correct page.

"Sort of. My dad is a math whiz, and he helps me with the homework."

Lucas leaned over to look at my work, resting his forearm on my now-open book. I could smell the musky scent of his shampoo.

We worked together for a while, each of us tackling a problem, then comparing answers. I relaxed.

"How's your kid brother?"

"Do you mean Benji?" I'd forgotten that Lucas saw me carrying my sleeping brother at the fair bonfire. The fact that he remembered made me flush even more. "He's a great kid. It's my sister who's a handful."

"I know what you mean," Lucas said. I wondered how he could relate, being the youngest of a bunch of boys. "My brothers all say that I'm a pain in the b.u.t.t." Lucas laughed, causing a few looks from other students.

I looked up to see Lucas studying my face. This close, I could see a few freckles sprinkled across his nose. I swallowed hard and focused on my math book.

He leaned forward in a half-whisper. "You doing anything this weekend?"

"No." I swallowed.

Lucas turned his body to face me, one arm on the back of his chair and the other resting on his desk, inches from my hand.

"Do you want to go see a movie?"

I stared at Lucas. Was he asking me on a date?

"Me?" I stammered.

"Unless you already have plans."

"What about- " I stopped myself from blurting out Taminy's name.

"Taminy's not speaking to me right now."

Never had I dared believe that Lucas would be interested in me. Now that he sat next to me, asking me on a date, I felt like I was watching this moment happen to someone else. The bell rang and a stream of people filed past us toward the door.

"No. I mean yes," I croaked. "No, I don't have plans. Yes, I would love to."

Lucas smiled, and the little scar on his cheek dimpled. "Great. Sat.u.r.day then?" he crammed his books into his backpack. "See you tomorrow."

I hugged my math book and watched Lucas until he disappeared into the crowded hallway.

"You have to let me do your hair." Christa turned me so that I faced out the car window, and swept my hair on top of my head. When I met Christa at her locker after school, she squealed so loud I worried that Lucas would hear her clear down the hallway. It was all we could do to keep quiet during dance. "I can hardly believe it."

"Believe what?" Josh pulled out of the parking lot.

"Lucas asked McKayla out." Christa said.

"Lucas Hyde?"

Christa ignored him, "Tell me what he said, every word."

My hands still shook a little from my conversation with Lucas. I took a deep breath and tried to conceal a grin that kept surfacing.

"He asked me if I was busy this weekend. I said no, and then he asked me if I wanted to go to the movies with him."

"I thought he had his eye on Taminy," Christa said.

I shrugged, remembering the smug look on Taminy's face after she'd emptied her water bottle on my costume. If only I could see the look on her face when she found out that Lucas took me on a date.

"Why would you want to go out with him?" Josh asked from the front seat.

I thought of the way my stomach flip-flopped when Lucas asked me.

Christa answered for me. "Lucas is hot, and McKayla's only been dying for him to notice her."

My face burned. I knuckled Christa's knee. "He's nice," I said in a lame attempt to save face. Josh raised his eyebrows in the rear-view mirror. Why wouldn't I have fun with Lucas? I imagined myself sitting in the movie theater alone with him, and my chest tightened with excitement.

"Are you going this weekend?" Christa's eyes widened. "What about the feis?" It sounded like she was saying 'fish'. The word still sounded foreign to me, even though I knew Christa was talking about the dance compet.i.tion. I panicked, and then realized that Lucas asked me out for Sat.u.r.day, not Friday.

"The feis is Friday, after school. Lucas is taking me out Sat.u.r.day." Saying it out loud made the date official. I grinned. It was going to be a weekend to remember.

"Is this the right place?" Mom checked her smart phone's navigation system again. The hour-and-a-half drive to Jackson dragged on forever, with Zoey talking non-stop all the way. Mom and I both sighed in relief when we got to the compet.i.tion in Jackson.

I patted my hair comb to make sure it was secure. The blue aquamarine didn't really match my beginner's costume and I thought about leaving it at home while I competed, but the thought put me on edge. I made it my lucky talisman.

"It says Jackson Hole High School, so I guess this is it." I got out of the car and shook my legs.

"Are you sure you want to do this, honey?" Mom pulled my dance bag out of the backseat and handed it to me. "You look a little green."

"Aren't all beginners considered green?" I tried to laugh at my own joke, but it came out sounding unsure. "I really want to do this mom."

"I know." Mom put her hand on my back as we went in.

Once inside, I squared my shoulders and pretended that I knew exactly where to go. The hallway was teaming with dancers and their families. A jolt of excitement surged through me. This was only the second time that I had been to a compet.i.tion, and the first time only by accident. This time I would be a part of it.

"Where do we register?" Mom stopped a girl who carried a wig in one hand and a dress bag in the other. She glanced at me, and pointed down the hallway of the school where a crowd gathered around two folding tables.

I smoothed the front of the white, b.u.t.toned shirt that identified me as a beginner. Rourke had encouraged me to find out everything I could about competing. An online guide had been a lifesaver, including a first-timer's guide on what to wear and how long my hornpipe should be.

"I need to go to the bathroom, right now." Zoey pulled on my hand. I pulled away.

"Leave McKayla alone, for now." Mom said, holding out her own hand to Zoey. "We'll be quick," she told me.

I tried to look confident as I stood alone in line at the check-in table. The dancers in front of me were given a compet.i.tor number and a program of events.

"Are you competing today?" The dancer in front of me set down one of the many bags she was holding. Her wig bounced as she stood back up.

"Yeah, this is my first feis. I'm doing the hornpipe."

"Your teacher lets you start with hard shoe? Lucky." She stuck her hand out. "I'm Emily, from Boise."

"McKayla." Her comment made me nervous. I didn't think it mattered what dance you did at a compet.i.tion. "I like your hair," I said. "What are you competing in?"

"Hard shoe and soft shoe. I've only ever done soft shoe, so this is the first time I'll be doing all seven dances, plus a team dance."

"Seven dances? How do you remember them?" I asked.

"It's not as hard as you think." She moved to the front of the line. "What school are you with?"

"My teacher is in Star Valley."

"Really? I heard that there used to be a school there, but I thought it closed."

I opened my mouth to ask her more, but she stepped up to the registration desk.

"Good luck," Emily said, gathering up her bags from the floor.

"Thanks, I hope you remember all of your dances." I stepped up to the table where a woman sat behind a box labeled 'M-Z'.

"What's your name?" The woman asked.

"McKayla McCleery."

She rifled pages. I noticed a box of safety pins and picked one out, grateful, because I hadn't known that I would need a compet.i.tor number. I hoped there wouldn't be any more surprises.

"Did you say McCleery?" the woman said, going through the box a second time.

"Yes."

"Are you looking for your tutu?" A familiar voice came from behind. I turned around to see Taminy joining the line, her pink solo dress hanging from one hand. She had a painted smile on her face, but the friendliness didn't extend to her eyes. I had known that I would see Taminy here, but I didn't want a repeat of what happened at the last feis.

"h.e.l.lo Taminy," I acknowledged her, and turned back to the table.

"I don't have you down on my list." The woman picked up another box and rifled through it. "What school are you from?"

Technically, I didn't go to a dance school. I could feel Taminy's self-satisfied smile boring into the back of my head. Leaning forward, I whispered, "I don't attend a school."

Eyebrows furrowing, the receptionist reached across the table to where another woman handed out registration information to last names A-L.

"Marilyn, I need your help with this one," she said. While she waited for Marilyn to finish, she ran her finger down a printed list in front of her. "How on earth did you register if you don't belong to a school?"

Before I could reply, Marilyn leaned over to help.

"This girl says that she doesn't dance with a school. Can she still compete?" The receptionist asked.

"Oh honey, you can't compete in a feis here if you don't have a certified teacher. Who do you take lessons from?" Marilyn spoke to me like I was in a kindergarten cla.s.sroom.

I realized that I didn't even know Rourke's last name. I glanced down the hall. Mom sat waiting with Zoey on a bench against the wall. What should I do? I wondered if I should have Mom come over.

"McKayla is a ballerina, not an Irish dancer." Taminy's honeyed voice came from behind me.

I had been nervous before, but now I panicked. The online guide didn't say anything about having to pre-register. How could they prevent me from dancing? And what made a teacher certifiable? I scratched at my neck, the telltale splotchy rash proclaimed my embarra.s.sment.

"I am a ballet dancer, but I do Irish, too." I couldn't bear the looks of pity given by the women who I knew were only trying to help.

Taminy joined me at the table, raising her eyebrows in mock sympathy. "How nice of you to travel all the way up here to watch me dance."

"Oh, that's right, Lucas mentioned that you would be dancing today." I knew I shouldn't bring up Lucas, but I couldn't help myself.

Taminy's eyes flashed. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means there's room for more than one person on the dance floor."

"Can I get you checked in?" Marilyn interrupted.

Taminy narrowed her eyes at me. She flipped her wigged head around, and gave Marilyn her name.

Dazed, I walked to where Mom and Zoey were waiting. Zoey's mouth was going a mile a minute.

"I can't dance," I told mom. Zoey chattered on, but Mom ignored her. My confidence deflated.

"What? Is there some mix-up?" Mom said, shushing Zoey with her finger.

"No, there's a rule that I can't dance if I don't have a certified teacher. And I should have registered before we came."

"Can we talk to someone who's in charge?" Mom's face still looked pinched from the long drive.

I shook my head. "No Mom, I just didn't know." I looked toward the front doors to where people were streaming in for the compet.i.tion.