The Geis: Awakening Part 24

"Fine," I said, taking in deep breaths. "I'm ok, it's just twisted."

"What happened?" Leah asked.

"Sorry, I came down wrong." I put pressure on my foot, and tried not to gasp when the pain shot up my leg again. I headed for the bathroom, pa.s.sing by an oblivious Zoey, who practiced her beginner reel in a circle around the lizard.

Rourke caught my eye and signed, Lovely.

I gave him a small smile and limped into the bathroom, leaning against the locked door.

How had I missed Josh's feelings? Had Leah and Rourke noticed? Christa must have kept it a secret. Josh was her brother-she had to know.

I sank to the bathroom floor, wrapping my arms around my knees. The tile was cold through my spandex, but I barely noticed.

Josh didn't fumble his steps anymore, like he had that first day when Rourke took him aside. His steps were sure and precise now, thanks to Leah's drilling. Not only did he try to feel the music as Rourke requested, but today he had danced with emotion. Emotion that I was trying to come to grips with.

I tried to picture us together. The thought made my stomach flip upside-down. Josh was good-looking in a clean-cut, farm-boy sort of way. He was always looking out for me. But I didn't know how to deal with the intensity of the emotions I felt coming from him. I pushed the thought away for later.

Josh probably didn't have any idea that I knew how he felt. As far as he knew, things between us were the same as always. And they could continue on the same as they had in the past. Until I figured out what this could mean.

I checked my face in the mirror. My eyes were red, and my neck splotchy, but I could blame that on my leg. I tested my weight on the muscle, and pain shot through me again.

The injury would set me back. I didn't know how I would be able to perform at the feis next week. I blinked back hot tears.

Leah pushed open the door and stood next to me at the sink. She looked at my tear-stained cheeks.

"How does it feel?" she asked, checking my leg with her hand.

"It hurts, but it isn't broken."

Leah ducked under my arm and propped me up. I leaned on her. "Let's get you some ice."

Josh was still on the dance floor, rubbing at a scuffmark on the wood with his toe. When I came out of the bathroom, his eyes lit up, and my face flushed a deeper shade of red. He took my other arm and supported my weight so Leah could get the ice. His body was warm, and I wondered how he could smell so good after dancing for an hour.

Rourke signed to me before we were halfway to where he stood at the sound system.

Did you feel that? Your emotions rolled right across the dance floor and plowed me over.

Leah repeated what Rourke signed for the others.

"I let my mind go blank, and my feet took over," I said, signing and speaking at the same time. "It was incredible-I felt like a bird."

A lovebird?

I glanced at Josh, my face flus.h.i.+ng again. Leah stopped interpreting-her lips disappeared into a thin line. She glared at Rourke.

"Cla.s.s is over," Leah announced. "Great job everyone. Keep practicing, and let me know if you need extra help." I waved to the other girls as they left.

Josh helped me to the bench and propped my leg up. I winced as pain shot through my calf muscle. Zoey left the lizard and curled up next to me. I put my arm around her.

"Does it hurt?" Josh asked.

"I'm fine, it's nothing." I pushed his hand away. Was I the only one who hadn't noticed Josh's feelings toward me? I was suddenly embarra.s.sed at his attention. Josh sat next to me on the bench. I felt claustrophobic under his gaze.

"Do you want me to get you some ice?" Josh asked.

"No!" I didn't mean to shout it. "I don't want your help." Instantly I regretted snapping at Josh. The wounded look his eyes matched the hurt feelings that settled like a rock in my stomach.

Josh grabbed his bag. He stood by the door and watched as Leah got me an ice pack. I didn't know what to say to make things better. Josh took one last glace at me before he left, not even bothering to change out of his shoes.

I put my head in my hands, wincing when I tensed the hurt muscle in my leg. I didn't mean to make Josh feel bad. He hadn't done anything wrong.

Rourke paced in front of the mirrors. He stopped and signed to me. I struggled to keep up with his fluency.

This is a good sign. You are learning how to express your emotions in such a way that others feel them too. But you have to learn control. You must learn to channel that emotion, and use it to fuel your ability. The next time you dance, I want you to concentrate and see if you can continue what you did today.

Leah strode up to Rourke, putting herself between us. Frustration and anger flowed from her. "How can you talk about emotions? You lock your own feelings up so tight that you push everyone away." Leah's voice wavered, and I was surprised to see tears in her eyes.

They seemed to forget that I was in the studio with them. Rourke faced Leah for several moments before stepping away. I can't change the way things are, Leah.

Rourke formed an L with his fingers for Leah's name and circled it next to his face like the sign for elegance. Leah stepped to Rourke and took his hand in her smaller one. I adjusted the ice pack on my leg. Apparently there was more going on between Rourke and Leah than I knew.

"I don't know what you've been through." Leah choked on her words. "And I don't know why you won't let me in. But you are not the only one who has suffered pain and loss."

Rourke's face relaxed a little. I thought I saw a look of longing in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by hard determination. He released Leah's hand and turned toward me.

I looked away, feeling like I had been eavesdropping on a private conversation. Rourke strode to where I sat on the bench. He crouched next to my leg, and I leaned back, uncertain of what he was doing. Rourke reached his hand out as if to touch my leg, but instead he let it hover in the air above my injured muscle. He moved his hand down the length of my leg.

Rourke scooped the air together with both hands, as if he were forming a ball of air above my injury. The lizard stood beside him, his eyes focused on me. I s.h.i.+vered and looked at Leah, but she was concentrating on Rourke's hands.

A blue light formed between Rourke's hands. The light burned brighter until I could make out the neon symbol of a dragon hanging in the air above my leg. I gasped, and Rourke gave me a warning look. Beside me Zoey stared, wide-eyed.

At first I didn't feel anything, but as Rourke continued to stir the air around my leg, a tingling sensation spread from the area. I took in a quick breath, and Zoey squeezed my hand. The strange tingling turned to warmth that washed over my entire leg. I tried not to squirm, but the heat increased until it was almost unbearable. I couldn't help wiggling my toes in discomfort.

Rourke looked at my face and stilled his hand. The heat subsided, and the rune disappeared. I pointed my toe, responding to an impulse to stretch. There was no pain. I looked at Leah in surprise. "It doesn't hurt," I said, pulling myself to a standing position. I put pressure on the injured leg. Whatever Rourke had done, my leg felt the same as it had when I had walked into the studio at the beginning of cla.s.s.

"How did you do that?" I asked Rourke. He was already at the sound system, collecting his music and notes. He shook his head at my question, but a smile played at the corners of his mouth. Leah watched him with a thoughtful expression. Zoey danced up and down the floor, alternately doing hops and her own version of a leap-over.

"I landed wrong off of that leap. I should be limping for a week, but instead I feel like I could go for another hour of practice." I demonstrated a leap, and Leah put a hand out to steady me. "See?" I told her, pointing to my leg. "In fact, I feel more energy than before."

"Amazing." Leah wasn't looking at my leg. Her eyes were focused on Rourke.

"I better get my bag." My voice seemed to break the spell. Leah looked my way.

"I'll give you and Zoey a ride home," she said.

I walked over to Rourke. "Thank you."

Remember how you danced today, he signed. Your emotions are a powerful tool that can be used to your advantage.

I nodded. Rourke meant the upcoming feis, but his words implied more than the compet.i.tion.

I knew Star Valley got a lot of snow, but I didn't realize how fast winter could come, or how much snow could fall in one day. By lunchtime there were at least six inches on the ground, and it was still coming. My old school would have closed down for the day during a blizzard like this, but no one seemed fazed by the storm here.

I looked for Josh at every cla.s.s break, but he must have been doing a good job of avoiding me. Christa shrugged when I asked how Josh was at lunch. I walked to my locker.

My phone rang. I grabbed for it, ducking out of view of the office. Only my mom would be calling me during school.

"McKayla, where are you?" It wasn't Mom-it was Aunt Avril.

"I'm at school. Why are you calling me?" She mumbled something that I couldn't understand. "Aunt Avril, what's wrong?"

"I'm afraid that I have some bad news. Do you remember Mrs. Saddlebury's neighbor, Betsy?"

"Betsy the busy-body?" I asked.

Aunt Avril didn't laugh. "She won't be busy anymore. Betsy is dead."

I stared, unseeing, through the crowded hallway.

"Can you come and get me?" I asked Aunt Avril when she had finished telling me that Betsy's death was just like the others-no visible cause of death. We knew better.

"No. Stay at school and go to dance, or whatever you have going on, like usual. The last thing we need is to let the banshee know that we are aware of her."

"What are you going to do?"

"I need to call and speak with Betsy's husband. I'll let you know what I find."

Christa and I were supposed to meet at her house after school to catch up on math homework, but I didn't really want to run into Josh right now. "Aunt Avril, let me go with you. I can get a feel for what's going on."

"Absolutely not. The banshee wants all of us dead, remember? You be on the lookout. I'll talk to you tonight."

The rest of my cla.s.ses dragged on. I couldn't concentrate. I kept picturing Betsy, with her quick smile and taste for gossip. How could she be dead? She must have gotten a little too nosy. A chill fluttered down my spine. I didn't want to be in school-I wanted to be with Aunt Avril, figuring out what was going on. It was frustrating, not being able to do anything.

Christa's mom picked us up so we didn't have to walk home in the snow. Josh stayed at school for practice. I stared out the window. Just when I thought things were going well, I had to go and upset Josh. There wasn't time for awkward moments. We had to get Rourke home and stop the banshee's plan to eliminate my family. I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice Christa's frosty att.i.tude toward me until we were in her room.

"Listen to this one." I rolled over on Christa's oversized beanbag and swatted her with a magazine. "Is your crush ready for love?"

Christa looked up from the desk where she had her homework spread out, and gave me a blank look. My homework sat in my backpack, untouched.

I read Christa the first question in the love quiz. "When you text him, he: a-doesn't answer until the next day, b-types until his thumbs must be sore, c-answers with TTYL."

"Derek doesn't text." Christa turned back to her homework.

"Ok, what's up?" I leaned forward so I could see Christa's face.

She rolled her eyes. "You really don't know?"

"I'm sorry, Christa. I don't know what to think."

Christa shrugged, taking the magazine from me. She ran her finger down the page until she found a question. "The best thing about him is: a-his eyes, they make me want to melt, b-his designer clothes, where does he shop? or c-he is so easy to talk to."

Josh's green eyes filled my vision. I shook my head. "Eyes, for sure."

"Here's a good one." Christa leaned forward over her knees. "When he talks to you he calls you: a-using the nickname your friends gave you, b-a pet name that he made up, just for you, c-by your first name, at least you think he did once." Christa laughed. "Do you remember when Lucas called you McKenzie?"

"I'm trying to forget about that, ok?" I s.n.a.t.c.hed at the magazine. Christa squealed and almost fell off her chair.

"You need to figure out what's going on with you and Josh." Christa's face was serious.

"Nothing is going on with me and Josh." I blushed. Christa raised her eyebrows.

I lay on my back and stared at the ceiling fan. Ribbons hung from the light, and they spun as the fan whirled around. Someone played the piano downstairs. The song was fast and intense-the melody marched through a sequence of furious rhythms.

"Who plays the piano?" I asked.

"That's Josh. He mostly just plays when he is upset." I could feel Christa watching me. "Mom and Dad make us all take the piano until we are in junior high, but Josh still plays. He's the best out of all of us."

"I didn't know Josh could play the piano." Josh wasn't that great at the banjo, but listening to him playing the piano, it was obvious that he had talent.

"There are lots of things you don't know about Josh." Christa said it quietly. Her tone of voice caught my attention.

"Like what things?" I asked.

Christa came to sit, cross-legged, in front of me on the floor. I sat up.

"Like, do you know why he got suspended from school last month?"

"He got in a fight with Lucas."

"Yes, but do you know why?"

"Because that's what guys do?"

"After you went out with Lucas, he said that you let things get a little crazy."

"What?" I stammered.

"He said you let him touch your-"

My stomach lurched. "I did not!"

"I know. Josh heard Lucas say it, so he decked him. They were in phys. ed. and the princ.i.p.al suspended him. Josh made me promise not to tell you."

My stomach fluttered. I had known that there was more to Josh getting suspended than he let on, but this threw a whole new light on things. "Does everyone at school know?"

"Pretty much, but don't worry, it's old news now."

The piano song changed keys, and Josh's fingers pounded out his frustration.