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anger, my frustration seemed to vanish. Instead, as I touched
Varun's arm, I felt only serenity, only calm. Then, all at once,
the serenity turned to chaos, as what felt like enormous tidal
waves washed over me.
I staggered back. “What was that?” I looked around.
“What was what?” Varun helped steady me.
“I just felt waves of...” I laughed at how silly I
sounded. “Something.”
“Probably nerves, eh?” Varun patted my arm.
As I looked up at Chance, he seemed even angrier
than before. His arms were crossed and his eyes were dark
with hatred. And as I stared at the shadow that he cast on the
wall behind him, I noticed something very strange indeed.
His shadow seemed to be surrounded by flames.
45
KAILIN GOW
Chapter 4
Varun led me back out into the receptionist's office.
“So, you ready to see the brave new world of Aeros
Academy?” He laughed. “It's not that scary, I promise. Not
everyone here's like my cousin Chance. Speaking of
which...” He looked up, waiting for Chance to follow us. But
he had vanished – seemingly skulked off while we hadn't
noticed. “Typical,” he said. “I guess Chance thinks he's too
cool for orientation. Never mind. It'll be his own fault when
he can't find the room for AP Post-Erosion History.”
I smiled back at him. I could definitely see shades of
Antonio in Varun – far more than I could in his biological
son, Chance. I understood now what my mother had said
about Antonio only having one 'true' son. Where Chance was
aloof, snobbish, and rude, Varun had the same laid-back
sense of humor as his uncle. He certainly wasn't the type to
insult a girl while dancing with her. If Antonio had asked
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Varun to dance with me, I thought defensively, he would
have done it like a gentleman, and never let on that he was
only doing it out of obligation.
I felt more at ease with Varun than I had with anyone
since I had arrived in Aeros. His affable, easy charm was like
balm on my fears, quenching the anxiety inside me. Even if
Chance didn't turn out to be the friend I had hoped for – a
fact that was looking less and less likely the more I got to see
of him – it looked like at least one Cutter cousin would be
there for me.
We walked through the hallways as Varun pointed
out for me the classroom numbers (ascending, clockwise)
and the locker numbers (counterclockwise). He made an
imitation of Ms. Weaver, the English teacher, speaking in a
high-pitched British tone. Then he imitated Mr. Cook, the
physics teacher, shuffling his feet and looking down as he
talked to the class. I laughed. Varun knew how to break the
ice and make me feel more at ease. I was glad I was stuck
taking what could have been a routine tour, with Mr.
Gorgeous and down-to-earth Varun. Everybody seemed to
like Varun, or at the very least, respect him – he said a jovial
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KAILIN GOW
“hello” to every group of people we passed, and they all
responded in kind.
“You don't have to be so nervous,” said Varun,
patting my shoulder. “Everyone's nice here. Or at least they
will be – once they get to know you. We're not all cliquey
here. It's a friendly place.”
“I'm sure,” I said with some trepidation as we
approached a group of girls lounging langorously by the
water fountain. They were the most dressed-up of any of the
girls I had seen so far today – immaculately slathered in
layers of makeup, each strand of hair individually
highlighted, no doubt, by an expert stylist. Their eyes fixed
on me in a unified plan of attack – rather, I thought, like the
approach of feral wolves.
Varun seemed blissfully oblivious to their suspicious
stares. “Hey, girls!” he waved broadly. “Skipping class
again?”
“Va- rooon!” The tallest of the girls, a slender blonde
with blood-red nails and heavy mascara, reached out her
arms like tentacles, ensnaring him in something between a
hug and a caress. “Va- roon, I haven't seen you in for- eev-er.”
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“Haven!” Varun patted her back. “Been busy with the
swim team! How've you been?”
“Oh, you know.” She laughed, a laughter that died
away when her eyes fell upon me. “Who's this?” said Haven,
looking as if Varun had presented her with a dead cockroach
instead of a live girl.
“My new girl! Meet Mackenzy Evers” said Varun.
“I'm Orientation Leader this year.”
Haven's dark lips curled in a smile. “Oh, that's so
sweet! Helping the little lost newbies find themselves some
friends.” She turned to me, her smile turning to treacle. “You
must be so grateful having someone take pity on you to show
you around. I know I'd be so scared if I turned up here on my
first day – not knowing who to talk to, how to dress...” She
gave a pointed look at my
