Intrinsical - Lani Woodland [21]
Outside the building, my head was still pounding, and I needed to be alone. I headed toward the trees that Cherie and I had cut through to get to the pool a few days before. After a short walk, I found a stone bench in the middle of a small clearing and dropped my belongings next to it. I gracelessly collapsed on the bench, stretching out on my back, and gulped in the fresh citrus air, ridding myself of the overpowering scents from my class. The sun heated my cold body, but was too powerful for my eyes and I let them slide closed. Slowly, the thudding in my ears faded, replaced by the soothing, lulling hum of the groves. The woods were peaceful and I let their tranquility wash over and heal me, lessening the severity of my surroundings. Refusing to even think about what had happened in class, I drifted off to sleep.
Some time later, I woke and slowly stretched, feeling refreshed. Noticing how high the sun now hung in the sky and where I was reminded me of what had brought me here.
My spirit left my body. Wow.
It was beyond freaky and I knew I should be scared but I found myself more annoyed than frightened. It’s not like my grandma hadn’t told me stories like these; I had just never thought they would happen to me. It was not uncommon among very strong Wakers, but this didn’t bode well for me and my plans for complete normality. I laughed as the irony of the situation settled into my mind. Great. Not only was I a Waker, I was a strong Waker!
My grandmother would be thrilled. Vovó had plans for my future, and seemed to think it was me and my sister’s destinies to take her place to help communicate and assist the ghosts someday, just as she had replaced her mother, and she had replaced hers. Since the gift for seeing ghosts was passed down through the female line, that hope jumped my dad’s generation and now fell to us. With my dad marrying an American woman, Vovó was nervous that the gift might be too diluted and would not take root in me. I was nervous too— that it would. Now it had.
I wanted to go back to bed.
The hairs on the back of my neck prickled, interrupting my internal debate. I was being watched. Jerking to an upright position I spun toward my watcher, my heart beating hard against my rib cage.
Relief flared in me when I found it was Brent’s brown eyes watching me, his arms folded across his chest, staring intently at me. He walked toward me and sat down at the far end of the bench.
“You missed lunch.” He handed me an open bag of my favorite candy. “I took the liberty of eating all the greens.”
“Thanks,” I said, willing the sudden warmth in my heart to cool. I took the candy and poured a few into my hand, then tossed them into my mouth.
“You want to talk about what happened to you in class?”
My muscles all coiled, waiting to spring, my breath caught in my throat, and I choked on the candy. “What are you talking about?” I asked between coughs.
Brent made a tsking sound. “Do I really have to ease into the topic? Can’t we just cut to the chase?”
I started to sweat. “What do you think happened?”
“Really? You won’t show me yours until I show you mine?” Brent sighed reclining back on the bench.
“You wish,” I spat, giving him my best “drop dead” look. I pulled a flower from the ground and twirled it in my fingers. “How’s your head?”
“Fine, how’s your crazy friend?” He multitasked by rubbing his bruised temple and glaring at me at the same time. “Of course, it might be safer to deal with her insanity than your temper.”
“Temper?” I asked through a clenched jaw, my fingers compressing together so tight I bent the flower’s stem in half. “You chucked a book at me because I called her insane. Yeah, I would say you have a temper.” “You deserved it, calling her crazy,” I huffed, plucking the
purple white petals from the flower and dropping them in my lap.
“I’ve been called a lot worse than crazy.”
“Nothing is worse than being called crazy. You don’t joke around with that word.” My eyes bored into his intensely so he would understand exactly how much I meant what I said.
When he finally looked away