Garrett had already polished off his meatballs and was sucking down a drink. She looked over at his bright yellow hair and several hoops running up one ear. The black eyeliner and goofy grin belied his age.
He handed her a drink. She grabbed it, but he didn’t let go.
“Do you have a plan for the virtuals?” His grin gone and his large eyes containing no hint of laughter.
Her stomach sank, and she wondered how he knew. “No. Just hope they don’t kick me out until after Christmas,” Ari gave a forced laugh. It was either laugh or cry.
He relinquished his hold on the cup. “Okay, then.”
She sipped her soda, a unique rich flavor, with a hint of cream and salt. The soda reminded her of her father, something he’d always splurge on. She rubbed a spot on her chest and cursed herself for missing her father. He left us. She stared out at the lake for a while longer wondering if she had the courage to even show up for the next class.
“You ready for your class?” Garrett asked.
“No,” Ari replied, “But do I have a choice?”
“We could get drunk, steal a boat, and roam the river like pirates.” Happy Garrett was back, with his bright eyes and smile.
“Ask me in two hours, and I might take you up on it.”
Garrett hopped off the rock first then turned to help her down. For some reason her muscles didn’t want to work as her brain requested. She stumbled a bit, and Garrett reached out to catch her.
“You okay there?”
His voice sounded farther away than usual. She looked at him, wondering what he was talking about. He could almost be a fairy with his pointed nose and light pink lips. Why was she thinking about fairies?
“Ari,” he called her name.
He asked her a question, but she struggled to focus on the words coming out of his mouth.
“You’ll be fine. It will relax you.”
“What?” Something wasn’t right. He took her hand and led her back to the virtuals building.
The sun warmed her skin, a fuzzy heat she drank up. She tried to stop and bake in the sun, but Garrett kept pulling her hand.
“Class,” he said loudly. “School. Remember, not getting kicked out till after Christmas?”
Then she did. She hoped she wasn’t late to class. The virtuals. She should be freaking out, but again her body didn’t want to obey.
“What did you do to me?” she asked Garrett. “Did you put a tab in my drink?” She would have tasted it.
“Sort of. A relaxing tab I got after a skiing accident. A little help to get you through your virtuals.”
Ari grabbed his shirt, angry. “You drugged me?”
Her third day away from home, and she’d been drugged. She could be a poster child for those warning posters in school, showing you what not to do. Her mother would probably reprimand her for trusting boys with colored hair and rings in their ears. If he was a fairy, he was a bad one indeed.
“It wasn’t a lot. I didn’t think it would affect you so much. You must not tab often. Get through your class and then you can yell at me. Okay?”
“O ... kay.” Ari’s speech slowed as her brain took in everything he said. “Class first, then yell at you.” She wiped his chin where he’d missed the sauce from his sandwich and then licked her finger.
Ari couldn’t help but laugh, happy everything else was gone.
“Come on. You better hurry to class or you’ll be late.” Garrett led her to class like a gentleman, except for the whole drugging thing, of course.
Everyone was already seated when Garrett handed Ari her bag and pushed her through the door.
The teacher stood in front of the class with an unhappy look on his face. “Welcome, Ms. Mendez. Glad you made it to class today. I hope you can stay.”
Unsure if he asked a question or made a statement, she played it safe by heading straight to her chair. Her purple painted shoes took one step after another. She slumped into the chair with a bump, letting a surprised squeak escape.
“Sorry,” she mumbled. Sitting was good.
Dr. Coleman resumed his lecture. Ari only caught phrases about sending homework to their class hard drive and what to focus on in today’s virtuals. Without warning, Mica appeared at her side to help her hook into her virtual.
“Mica, will you give me a happy virtual today?” Ari asked.
“Dr. Coleman assigns the virtuals, not me. Let’s get you hooked in.” Mica directed Ari’s head to the chair and inserted her data port.
The next time Ari opened her eyes, a gray bird—a pigeon maybe—stared at her, cocking its head from side-to-side as if curious.
“Caw,” Ari squawked at the bird.
The bird twitched and then flew off.
It took her a few moments to realize where she was. The damp air and smell of old fish and seaweed brought an unexpected smile to her face. She loved the ocean.
Her feet ran along on a wooden walkway. Dodging tourists, she weaved her way around small brightly painted restaurants and gift shops. She turned a corner and hit the railing. Gripping the cold bars, she watched the raw power of the ocean as it crashed onto the shore.
A loud breath escaped her lips. The beauty overwhelmed her, the immense nature of the water. Waves shattered with a force of a wild animal. Pushing and pulling, back and forth. She briefly glimpsed Professor Coleman, but the waves demanded her attention.
Dark over-sized rocks blocked the path down to the beach, creating a wall of sorts. She’d never been in the ocean before, and she wasn’t about to lose her chance. Lifting herself over the ledge, she climbed down. It probably wasn’t her smartest decision. It took longer than she wanted
