Ambush. Part 13

"That's it," she soothed sarcastically. "Blame your upbringing."

We moved from geography to geometry and then did a little Spanish. Kate was even prettier speaking a different language.

"What are you staring at?" she asked.

"You," I replied.

"Well, knock it off," she said nicely. "We're almost done."

"I can't help it," I replied. "It's your fault. You're really beautiful."

Kate actually blushed and started pretending she was looking for something in her backpack.

I closed my Spanish book and smiled at her coyly. "What say we knock off the books and go out into the garden?"

Kate looked at me with her blue eyes s.h.i.+ning and her pink lips curled at the ends.

"I have a better idea," Kate said. "How about instead we turn the elevator back on and go down to the cavern?"

I tried not to let the panic show in my eyes or voice. "I don't think we should. Thomas was asking more questions this morning."

"About what?" she asked.

"Closets," I replied.

"So he just asks you random questions about closets?" she questioned. "What kind of questions?"

"Like do I think closets are important," I said, sounding like a fool and not being able to come up with anything else quickly.

"Really?" Kate said, tilting her head slightly. "And what did you say?"

"I told him yes," I lied. "I told him how I thought they made storing things really easy."

Kate was still just as beautiful as before, but I could tell from her eyes that she was growing suspicious.

"Tell me another question Thomas asked."

"They were all just closet related."

"One more," she pushed.

"Oh, he asked me if I knew the difference between a linen closet and a storage closet," I said sounding pathetic. I decided to add some Millie to soften things. "And Millie told Thomas to stop pestering me and let me eat."

"So you didn't answer him?" Kate said.

"No," I replied. "But for the record I would have said you put linen in linen closets and storage in storage closets."

Kate kinda smiled at me.

"Are you hiding something from me?"

"No," I said laughing. "Why would I make that up?"

"I can't stand it when people aren't honest with me," Kate said strongly. "You know that's my worst thing."

"I'm being honest," I lied.

"Something's not right," Kate insisted.

My palms started to sweat, and the soles of my feet suddenly felt like they were burning. I knew from the popular saying that a liar's pants caught on fire, but I wasn't aware that feet could burst into flames as well. I figured that information was in a second verse that I had never learned, due to my poverty-stricken upbringing. Kate could smell blood in the water. She knew I was holding something back, and she was going to find out what it was.

"What's going on, Beck?" she asked sincerely.

I did the only thing I could. I stood up, knelt down, and then asked her to the prom. It was spontaneous, it was cheesy, and it was the only thing I could think up to take her mind off me and my lying. Kate was so surprised, she actually gasped.

"Prom?"

"It might be kinda lame, but it'll be a good memory," I explained. "I just think that . . ."

Kate interrupted me by throwing her arms around me and kissing me. I kissed her back, marveling at the fantastic direction our conversation was going. She pulled back and looked me in the eyes.

"So is that a yes?" I asked.

"Yes," she said with more joy than I had ever heard her express.

"What is it with girls and prom?" I asked her.

She was too excited to answer.

My mind raced with images of myself wearing a tux and having to open car doors and making reservations and having Thomas drive us and the lie I was hiding from Kate.

I should have felt happy. Instead I felt worried, and possessive of the secret I would never share with Kate.

"I should go," Kate said. "I need to tell my mom."

"Your mom hates me," I reminded her.

"She just doesn't know you," she said, standing up to leave.

"Chances are if she knew me she'd hate me more."

"That's a good point," Kate agreed. "Still, she'll be impressed you had the guts to ask me."

"What about your dad?"

Kate picked up her own backpack and slung it over her shoulder.

"I don't think I'll tell him just yet."

"Yeah," I agreed. "Wait until we're married and have a couple of kids."

Kate smiled, kissed me once more, and then left.

I felt awful. I knew the lie I was hiding was going to cause Kate big grief at some point. I sat there alone. My only hope was for the dragon to hatch, grow quickly, and devour me before it was ever discovered.

Chapter 18.

Any Time at All Let me say that I truly wish I had learned my lesson while being suspended. It would have been nice if I had spent my days in misery and remorse wis.h.i.+ng that I were back at school-but that wasn't the case at all. My days away from Callowbrow were going great. I spent all my time traveling up and down to the gla.s.s cavern. I was getting a pretty good supply of water and food ready for the day when the dragon hatched. I was even stockpiling containers of gas for the generator near the elevator. And one day I brought a wooden post down and installed it in the middle of the cavern. The Grim Knot had taught me long ago that dragons need some sort of post or pin to feel emotionally tethered to.

Kate still came over every afternoon. She still had some interest in the elevator, but her main concern was that I would be ready for prom. I guess she knew that sometimes I was a little loose with details and planning. I wanted to point out to her how well I was doing in my preparation for the dragon, but I knew that example would just complicate things.

On the second Friday of my life in exile Kate didn't come over because she had to complete some ch.o.r.es for her parents before the weekend. So I spent the evening a.s.sisting Millie in the kitchen and trying to be helpful around the manor. It felt good to be helpful, but it felt even better to go to sleep that night knowing that tomorrow was Sat.u.r.day and the weather forecast was for warm and sunny. Nice days occurred so infrequently in the Hagen Valley that it was a big deal when they did. Millie had already promised me that I would be allowed to spend the day anywhere outside if it was sunny.

"It'll be good for you to spend some time outside of the manor" were her actual words.

I didn't have the heart to tell her that I had been sneaking out to gather hay and food for two weeks now. So I went to bed thinking the next time I was awake it would be sunny and warm.

At 2:15 in the morning, someone knocked on my bedroom door and it wasn't sunny or warm. I woke up and tried to figure out what was happening.

"Beck," Wane said through the door. "Beck, it's me."

"Come in," I mumbled.

Wane came in and flipped on the light. I blinked at the brightness and let my eyes adjust on Wane. She was wearing a sweats.h.i.+rt and pants, and her hair looked like it could use a little care.

"What's going on?"

"Your dad," Wane said. "He wants to see you."

"But . . ."

"We tried buts," Wane said. "He won't wait until tomorrow. He wants to see you now."

It wasn't unusual for my dad to ask to see me at odd hours of the day and night, but unlike before when all I had to do was go up to the dome room, now I had to travel into Kingsplot, and someone had to take me.

"Put something on," Wane instructed. "I'll be down in the car waiting."

I was relieved that it would be Wane taking me and not Thomas. I like Thomas, but there was only so much time the two of us could spend together.

I put on a sweats.h.i.+rt and jeans, used the bathroom, and then ran downstairs and got into the car.

"Are you sure you won't fall asleep while you're driving?" I asked Wane.

"I'm sure."

"Isn't this nuts?" I asked as we drove down the driveway.

"A little," Wane replied. "But it's the job."

Wane and Thomas and Millie seemed so much like family to me that sometimes I forgot they were actually employees of my father. They were paid to look after me and the manor.

"Still," I complained, "he could have waited until we were all awake. Is the hospital even open?"

"Visiting hours are long over," Wane said. "But your father still has some influence. The Pillage family has always been treated with exception."

"Do you know what my dad wants?" I asked.

"No idea," Wane said. "They just said he was frantic for you and needed you as soon as possible."

"Frantic?" I asked nervously. Most conversations with my dad were a bit awkward, but if he was frantic it would be much worse. "Last time I saw him it wasn't great."

"Your father is having a difficult time," Wane said. "The hospital is trying their best, but he's a difficult patient."

"And father," I said.

"And employer," Wane added.

The lady with the big nose was waiting in the lobby and opened the front door the moment we pulled up.

"She doesn't look too happy," I told Wane.

"Good luck," Wane said halfheartedly.

I entered the hospital and thanked the woman for missing out on her beauty sleep.

"It's what we medical professionals have to do sometimes," she replied.

It actually looked like she must do it a lot. I was escorted down the hall to my father's room. There was an orderly standing outside of his door. The orderly unlocked the door and motioned for me to go in.

My father was standing near the one window, staring at the curtains with his hands clasped behind his back. As the door snapped shut behind me, he spun around.

"Beck," he said, shaking.

"What's the deal, Dad?" I asked sincerely. "It's really late."

"That's of no consequence," he said, stepping up to me. He grabbed my shoulders. "Did you plant the stone?"

I nodded.

"Has it hatched?"