Knowledge: The Fifth Division Saga: Book 1 (2 page)

I pulled the strap of my backpack over my shoulder and made a mental note to buy a new bag as soon as possible. The sides of mine had ripped due to the overload of heavy books and excessive homework assignments. I picked up three of my many textbooks and set off to class with a quick goodbye to the boys, Kelsey chatting up a storm the entire way to my first period. 

The beginning of the day was long and agonizing. The only solace was the lunch period which I spent just as I always do: at the outside tables with a huge group of people including Kelsey, Caspian, and Danny. Kelsey had baked a colorful and delicious cake with icing that read “HAPPY BIRTHDAY”. The cake reduced to crumbs within minutes once the mob got a hold of it.

The last few periods of the day were stuffy. The day was hotter than normal for early spring and the humidity of the Oregon air made for a muggy afternoon. I sat by the window in my sixth period and the sunshine taunted me. I observed a butterfly perched on a purple bush, finding it’s glistening wings to be far more interesting than whatever my English teacher was droning on about…something about W.B. Yeats? I watched the clock, my impatience boiling over. Every minute was a year. I just wanted to go home and finish preparing for the big party tonight. So much to do and so little time.

Twenty minutes to go.

I focused on that cursed minute hand and the tedious way it dragged from one mark to the next. I willed for it to move faster, I needed it to. Suddenly a tug wrenched in my gut, and I felt that I would be sick. I raised my hand and quickly excused myself to the bathroom. I ran as fast as I could to the sanctity of the restroom and leaned over the nearest sink, waiting for the twist in my gut to worsen. This was not the first time this had happened, and it always seemed to be random. When I had tried to disclose my concern about it to my mother, she simply waved it away like it was no big deal. Saying it was “normal”. Luckily, the pain lessened and relief flowed through my body.

I straightened and, without even a glance at the mirror, hurried from the restroom.

The hallways were empty and quiet. The rays of pale sunlight reflected off the lockers and into my eyes. I lifted a hand up to shield my gaze from the bright light. The halls of Taft High School were mostly white with black and orange racing stripes painted along the top, contrasting greatly against the dullness. Vibrant orange flyers featuring an intimidating tiger proclaimed that the prom was only a few short weeks away. I already had my dress of course, considering I had Kelsey as a best friend and acquiring a proper dress two months in advance would still be considered “cutting it close”.

I sighed wistfully. With only a couple weeks until the dance, I remained dateless. Sure, a few boys had approached me with prom on their mind, but none of them were friends of mine and I figured going with a stranger and slow dancing with him would be incredibly awkward. I decided to hold out and wait for someone I knew better to ask me. This plan had not been going smoothly thus far but I remained hopeful.

I reluctantly shuffled down the hall, trying to prolong my return to class as long as possible. When I eventually reached the English door, I could not help but release a small groan of complaint at the thought of returning to the boring classroom. I had just barely curled my fingers around the door handle when the loud buzzing of the school bell sounded. My eyes widened and I flung open the door. My fellow classmates participated in their after school chatter, stuffing their papers and pencils into their backpacks as if everything were perfectly normal.

I pulled my smart phone from my shoulder bag and stared. I lifted my gaze up to the clock above the teacher’s desk. Dumbfounded by what I saw, I checked my phone once more and then back up to the clock. I scratched my head in confusion like a cartoon character who had just been bamboozled. Why was it that that my phone reported the time to be 2:15pm while the school clock said 2:30pm? I knew for a fact that, at most, my phone and the school clock were two minutes apart. I was sure because I only checked the time every five minutes or so while being held captive in the stifling high school. But
fifteen
minutes? That seemed like way too much disparity.

“Hey Mira! I am
so
pumped for your party tonight. Starts at six right? Just wanted to make sure. Oh, and I meant to ask you about what I should wear, I mean, I figured it didn’t matter that much but you know it would suck to show up in a dress and everyone else is, like in jeans or something, you know?” I realized with a start that someone had started talking to me: Carly McDonald, a rather bubbly girl who never ceased to have something to say. She was more friends with Caspian than with me, most of the girls in the school were “friends” with him, but I considered her to at least be an acquaintance.

Still baffled by the odd time lapse, it was difficult to pay attention to what Carly was saying. Something about clothes? “Yeah, it doesn’t really matter. Wear whatever.”

“Okay that’s what I thought. Is there a set end time? Because, you know, I wouldn’t want to overstay…”

“No, no, I don’t think so.” I did not mean to be rude, I really didn’t, but Caspian had just walked past the physics room. We always walked home from school together and I didn’t want him to be kept waiting. I started to walk towards the door, wondering if my brother had noticed the strange time lapse or if I was just losing it, it wouldn’t be the first time.

“Okay, sweet…” She started but I failed to let her finish.

“Yup, see you later.” And I rushed off to catch Caspian before I lost him and then had to spend the next half hour tracking him down just so we could go home. I slid out of the classroom to find him walking down the hall, practically covered in girls. I rolled my eyes though not surprised. No matter how long we lived in one place, and no matter how many hints he tried to give them, my brother never ran out of admirers.

One girl, whose name slipped my mind, had been unceasingly pursuing him ever since the move, “The big sixteen, huh?”

As I drew closer to them, I could catch Caspian’s response, “Um, yeah.”

“So, do you have your license?”

“I think Mira and I are getting them tomorrow, today is just too busy.” He ran his hand through his thick black hair uncomfortably and I couldn’t contain my giggle.

“Well, we should go for a ride sometime.” The girl purred.

“Hmm, I’m pretty sure I can’t drive anyone outside of family for six months.”

The girl turned her head to look at Caspian and I got a full view of the absolutely inappropriate smirk currently plastered on her face, it took everything in me not to gag. “Oh c’mon. Rules are made to be broken.”

I coughed lightly, just so Caspian could hear. He swiveled his head slightly, caught sight of me, and stopped very suddenly in the middle of the hallway. His posse halted with him in surprise. “Yeah, I don’t think so. Thanks for the offer though.” He paused for a moment as the girl’s face switched from sultry to frustrated. He pivoted on his heel and headed towards me with only a vague wave in their direction. “See yah later.”

He hurried to me, his eyes screaming with thankfulness. I slapped a hand over my mouth to keep from busting out in laughter. As soon as I did so, he did the same, only he failed to keep control and let out one guffaw before choking down his amusement.

“She’s persistent, that one,” I joked as we turned and started the opposite way down the hall.

“McKenna? Yeah, she doesn’t really take hints very well.” He blew out a gust of exasperated air and widened his eyes.

I smirked mischievously, “So, do you think you are going to ask her to prom?”

That earned me a death glare. I waited for him to shove me or retort in some way but instead he thrust his arm over my shoulders, bringing me closer as we trotted down the hall. Caspian stretched a good head and shoulders taller than me, so I fit very nicely underneath his arm. My eyes lazily scanned the parking lot, and to my surprise, the brown haired siblings I had seen earlier were lingering there just like all of the other students. They were huddled together suspiciously. Totally absorbed in their own discussion, they paid no notice to the high school chaos that surrounded them. Boys threw footballs, cars honked immaturely at one another, and the two were absolutely oblivious. I tilted my head, watching and trying to understand why they held so much interest to me. They appeared ordinary, except for the girl’s tattoo. The boy leaned against a silver Pilot while the girl spoke to him conspiratorially. The boy rolled his eyes until they fell onto me. I gasped in surprise as he stared, as if to study me. I ripped my gaze away, my heart beating for an unknown reason. I felt the need to rush home and lock myself in my room. I felt oddly drawn to them, a natural pull that was unexplainable and not exactly pleasant .I shook my head, as if I could clear the thoughts that were scattered around in there.

Stop it. I’m being ridiculous.

Caspian and I exited the school, stepping out into the parking lot together. I breathed in the fresh, salty Lincoln City air. I could almost feel the ocean’s waves with their magnetic push and pull and the roar as they crash onto the sandy Oregon beach. Something just felt rejuvenating about being outside after a long, cramped day stuck indoors.

The crisp May air had a similar effect on my brother, who closed his eyes and smiled faintly the moment we stepped outside. If I enjoyed the ocean, then Caspian was head over heels in love with it. It had always been quite the struggle to get him home every time we visited the beach, especially when he was a child and would throw insane tantrums as soon as we got in the car. This was one reason my family had decided to move to the coast. We headed home, only a mile away from the school. I yanked the strap of my brown shoulder bag up so it rested more firmly on my narrow shoulder.

We had barely taken a couple of steps in the direction of our house when a few of the guys from the football team called out to us. I glanced up at Caspian, whose face now set into a hard line. He wasn’t much of a fan of guys with egos and I couldn’t blame him. There were three of them, all tall and muscular with overly gelled hair. They ran over to where we stood, big grins plastered across their faces. When they reached us, they exchanged looks of triumph. Or at least, that’s what it looked like to me.

“Hey Mira,” said the one in the middle, Hank, I think his name was. He had a handsome sort of face, with laughing brown eyes and a defined jaw. His hair was a rich chocolate color and I could see the thick muscle that made up his arms.

“Hi.”

“So, I hear you guys are having some sort of party tonight?” he shot me a crooked smile while nodding politely at Caspian who stood stiff as a rock. His arm was still around me and I could feel his hand clasp my shoulder protectively, as he often did when guys he deemed unworthy spoke to me. I wanted to roll my eyes at his over-protective brother routine but I figured now was not the best time. Hank held up one of the neon green fliers I had printed off the night before that announced the party’s whereabouts and time.

I nodded, smiling amiably, “Yup. It’s a birthday party. Are you thinking of coming?”

“Oh we’ll be there.” The guy on Hank’s right answered. I felt bad for not knowing his name. He did not have the same good looks as Hank, with his blond hair and slightly crooked teeth, but he seemed nice enough.

“Great,” I replied, “I’ll see you there then.”

“Can’t wait.” Hank stared into my eyes for a moment longer than necessary before winking at me and running off with his buddies. I blinked, a bit fazed by the whole conversation. Caspian gritted his teeth before we once again started walking home.

I looked up a few minutes later to see his ocean colored eyes were dark, like a storm raging over the sea, “What’s got you in a fuss?”

“I don’t like those guys,” he huffed.

I snorted, “And why is that?”

“The way they look at you. It’s embarrassing.” He growled.

Shocked by his answer, I jerked back violently and jumped out of his grip. We had walked about a quarter of the way by then but we stopped to face each other. I squinted my eyes in confusion as he met my gaze unflinchingly.

Seeing his dark look, I attempted to lighten the situation by softly punching his shoulder, “Don’t be silly.” I waved my hand dismissively.

“I’m serious.” He shot back, clearly not ready to drop it.

I blinked. “First of all, they do not
look
at me. Second, you have never expressed concern over this sort of thing before. And lastly, what about all the girls who follow you around like puppy dogs? Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed.”

“Would you like me to answer in order or as I choose?”

I slapped my hand to my forehead. “Whatever floats your boat, Cas.”

A ghost of a smirk flitted across his face. He resumed walking, a bit more perk in his step so I knew his mood had improved at least a little bit. This was typical Caspian. One minute he raged on about who knew what and the next he was as blissful as could be. I followed closely behind and observed as he kicked rocks and twigs from his path as he marched on.

“Well,” he began, a snobbishness tainting his voice, “the girls that you notice ‘following me around like puppy dogs’ are just forward about their intentions. Now, it may be uncomfortable and disconcerting but they’re harmless. The boys that follow
you
around like puppy dogs are nasty males who are bigger and stronger than you. Therefore, the root of my concern.” He paused, as if expecting me to respond. But once he saw that I intended to remain silent, he continued, “I’m bringing this up because we’re older now and things are different than they used to be. You’ve always had plenty of guys after you, but now a lot of them don’t have good intentions and you are the most naïve person on earth. Someone could be evil to the core and you would find the good in them.”