“What happened?” I asked, still searching her eyes.
“When you stood up you started to wobble and then you hit the floor. Are you all right?”
What had just happened? My teacher showed no sign of remembering the conversation we had just had. Was this something that was going to happen regularly?
“Is Noreen really dead?” I asked her, blinking. I wasn’t sure what was real and what wasn’t for the moment.
“Yes, dear. They found her body this morning in the woods.” She stroked my cheek soothingly.
“That’s horrible,” I said, still struggling to make even the slightest sense of what had just happened.
“Maybe you should go to the nurse, Dawn. Have a lie-down and relax for a few minutes.” She ushered me toward the door. “You hit your head pretty hard when you went down.”
I took a step outside and immediately collided with someone going past. Despite my confusion, I was taken back immediately to my first meeting with Wesley. But when I looked up to see who it was, I saw eyes that were far less friendly than Wesley’s had been. It was the boy from class that I had not recognized. He didn’t appear at all happy at being run into.
“You know, you should watch where you’re going,” he said in a scathing voice.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t see you,” I said meekly. There was something in his eyes that was creeping me out. It was also vaguely familiar like I should remember his face from somewhere.
“Next time look up when you walk out a door.” He grabbed me by the shoulder and shoved me out of the way. “What’s your name?” he demanded.
“Dawn.”
“I’m Shawn,” he said, his voice dripping with disdain. He looked me up and down, pausing for a second at my waist like he was sizing me up.
“Nice to meet you,” I whispered automatically. I was too afraid to put my hand out so he could shake it.
“I would say likewise, but I’m not so sure it would be true.” He sniffed and turned away.
I felt anger and rage flow through me. What a complete asshole!
****
“You are feeling better, darling?” the school nurse asked me as she put her hand to my forehead.
“Yes, thank you.”
I had done exactly as my teacher had asked. Mostly because I knew that she would call ahead to make sure I made it there.
“Ms. Masters said you took a pretty good blow to the head when you hit the floor,” she said as she shone a light in my eyes. “Well, you don’t have a concussion. You should be okay.”
“Thank you, Ms. James,” I said, rubbing my eyes and blinking.
“You’re good to head back to class.” She smiled at me and walked back to her desk to make notes in my file. “Can you tell me something?” she asked, flipping pages.
“What’s that?” I replied, grabbing my sweater from the chair beside her desk.
“You have never been sick, never seen the nurse, never had a single broken bone or pulled muscle. Your shot records are up to date, but no physicals. How is it that an eighteen-year-old girl has never taken a sick day before in her life?” She looked at me, puzzled.
I should have known that sooner or later someone was going to ask this question. I wasn’t entirely human, but I had all the characteristics of one. My blood was red, I had a heart and lungs thought with a brain. I just never get sick! I fell from heights, and I never broke a bone. The only being who had ever seriously hurt me was John. I supposed my hospital records relating to that occasion hadn’t made their way into my school file. It seemed the only thing that could hurt me was someone of the same species; those who were also not quite human but not quite something else. I felt the color drain from my face.
“I was attacked last December. I had a broken nose and several cracked ribs. I was beaten up pretty bad too.” I sighed, hoping it would get her off the subject.
“I remember hearing about that. Your hospital records don’t come to me. You didn’t miss any school because of it either. When you came back, you seemed to be moving fine.” She eyeballed me and then shrugged. “You must be one of the lucky ones.”
“I must be,” I said, giving her a small smile.
“I just wish I had your immune system.” She laughed and handed me a pass to go back to class.
I took it and left before she could ask me any more questions. Aaron was waiting in the hallway outside the nurse’s office, a concerned expression on his face.
“You okay?” he asked, touching my cheek. Why did everyone keep touching me all the time? “You weren’t at the meeting.”
“No, I collapsed in fourth period. The teacher sent me to the nurse after I hit my head. I’m fine though. Nothing but a bit woozy,” I said as he put my hands in his.
“You hit your head? Are you dizzy?” He was fawning over me now, pulling me to one side of the hallway and tenderly checking all over my body, asking if it hurt. I knew Aaron’s dad was a doctor. It still didn’t make any sense as to why he was so concerned about my incident when I’d already told him I was okay. Humans fall over all the time without getting hurt.
“Aaron, I’m fine. I promise,” I said, laughing.
“Well, all right... You want me to tell you what the meeting was about?”
“Sure,” I said as he started walking me to my locker.
“Well, Noreen McDonald, as you’ve heard, has been found dead. Apparently, there are some pretty shady circumstances, so they’re asking that we don’t go out past dark. If we do, we are supposed to either travel in groups or have our parents drive us.” He let out an irritated laugh. “They don’t want another casualty before they
