Pure (Book 1, Pure Series) (6 page)

           
I heard the door to the bathroom creak in protest as it was flung open.
 
I spun around startled.

           
Irina stalked into the bathroom, her eyes sweeping over the area suspiciously, looking for me.
 
"Katie?
 
Mr. Del Gatto sent me to see if you were in here.
 
He says you're ill."
 
She sounded like she didn't entirely believe it.

           
She caught sight of me, and I saw her eyes widen in surprise.
 
"You're so pale.
 
Are you okay?"

           
My head was swimming, but I gave her a reassuring smile.
 
"Yes, I think so."

           
Irina took a step closer, scrutinizing my face.
 
"Are you sure?
 
It looks like something's really wrong."

           
I was surprised to see genuine concern in Irina's dark eyes.
 
"I'm not ill.
 
I just had kind of a spell."

           
Irina frowned.
 
"What do you mean by a 'spell'?"

           
"I don't know exactly," I admitted.
 
"But it's been happening more often lately."

           
"Maybe you should see a doctor."

           
I ran a hand across my forehead unsteadily.
 
"I think you may be right."

           
"Are you well enough to go back to class?" Irina asked.
 
"Or I can walk you to the nurse if you're not up to it."

           
"I can go back to class," I replied.

           
The two of us walked out of the bathroom together.

           
As we made our way back to class, I felt weak and unsure of my footing.
 
Irina kept a watchful eye on me, as if she feared I would collapse.

           
When we reached the door to Mr. Del Gatto's class, I stopped.
 
"Thanks, Irina," I said.

           
Her eyes narrowed warily and her usual mask slipped down over her features again.
 
She opened the door and swept into the classroom without a word.
 
She did not look back at me.

           
I followed her rigid back into the room.

           
"How are you feeling, Katie?" Mr. Del Gatto asked.

           
"I'm okay now, Mr. Del Gatto," I said, though I wasn't entirely sure that was true.
 
I did know that I wouldn't be able to watch any more of the movie.
 
I didn't want to see that strange face again.

           
The room was dark, and I could hear the actors on the TV speaking their lines.
 
I tripped over someone's backpack as I made my way back to my seat.
 
At least in the dark no one could see the blush that rose to my cheeks.

           
I sank into my chair and covered my eyes with my hands.
 
I had no idea what I was going to do.

Chapter 3.

At the end of class, someone tapped me on the shoulder, and I jumped.

           
I turned to see Charisse standing next to my desk.
 
The lights were on now.

           
"It's okay, Katie.
 
The movie has been turned off."
 
Charisse was staring at me quizzically.
 
"Why did you have your eyes covered? Are you feeling all right?
 
You don't look very good."

           
"I'm okay."
 
I began gathering up my things quickly.
 
"Let's just get out of here."

           
"I can take you home," Charisse said.

           
"No, I'm fine," I replied.

           
We walked out into the hall.
 
Charisse was eyeing me just as Irina had – as if I were in imminent danger of collapsing.

           
I made an effort to smile.
 
"I'm better, really."
 
I decided I would make that be true.
 
I still felt unsteady, but the strange night call had subsided.
 
At the very least, I felt like I could think straight.
 
As long as I avoided reflective surfaces and the face of the harsh-featured man, I would be fine.

           
"What happened in the middle of the movie?
 
Why did you run out of class like that?"

           
I knew I couldn't tell Charisse that I was losing my mind.
 
"I-I suddenly felt very ill.
 
But luckily, it wore off."

           
I figured it would be a good idea to change the subject.
 
I didn't want to discuss the weird things that were happening right now.
 
Charisse would never understand.
 
"So where were you and Branden?
 
It's not like you guys to cut it so close.
 
You were almost late, and you know that's an automatic detention."

           
Charisse smiled mysteriously.
 
"Branden had a question to ask me – something very important."

           
"About the quiz?"

           
Charisse giggled.
 
"No."

           
"Then what was it?"

           
"I'll tell you later.
 
Right now, it's a secret."

           
"Charisse!"

           
"I'll tell you, I promise.
 
I'm not trying to be mysterious.
 
I just told Branden I wouldn't tell anybody until he gets everything ready."

           
"You know you're only making me want to know more."

           
Charisse laughed.
 
"The news will be worth the wait, trust me."
 
She paused in the busy hallway and looked at me closely.
 
"Are you sure you're okay?"

           
"Yes, I'm fine."
 
Charisse continued to stare at me.
 
"Really."

           
"All right," Charisse said.
 
"I'll see you at lunch.
 
If you still aren't looking good then, I am definitely taking you home."

           
I spent the next two classes avoiding glass or anything that could hold a reflection.
 
I was still a little rattled, but I was feeling close to normal again as I made my way into the cafeteria for lunch.

           
I went through the line and bought a bottle of juice and a pack of crackers.
 
I wasn't quite feeling up to a full meal yet.
 
I spotted Charisse and Branden at a table and began to walk toward them.

           
Someone stepped into my path, and I was startled.
 
I looked up, and I was relieved to see it was only Simon.
 
Of course it's only Simon
, I thought to myself.
 
Were you expecting someone else
?
 
I realized that for just a moment, I had had a crazy idea that the man from the mirror had found me.
 
I told myself not to be so jumpy.

           
Simon held up a small envelope.
 
"This is for you."

           
I looked at the envelope, puzzled.
 
I had no idea what could be in it.
 
"Thanks."

           
Simon continued on his way toward a table where Irina sat waiting for him, beaming.

           
I went over to join Charisse and Branden.

           
Charisse looked up as I sat down.
 
"I'm glad to see you're looking better."

           
"I'm definitely feeling better, thanks."

           
"So what happened?" Branden asked.
 
"It looked like you were going to barf in English class."

           
Charisse frowned and kicked him under the table.

           
Branden winced and shot Charisse an injured glance.
 
"Ow.
 
There's no need for violence."

           
"There is as long as you say silly things," Charisse replied.

           
Branden and Charisse were glaring at each other playfully, so I opened Simon's envelope, knowing I wouldn't be observed.

           
I pulled a card out with a big red heart on the front.
 
On the inside Simon had written, 'I'm thinking only of you.'

           
I glanced up, looking for Simon.
 
I spied his table.
 
He was already watching me.
 
When I caught his eye, he smiled and waved.

           
I smiled back.
 
The card was really thoughtful and so was Simon himself.
 
I felt a rush of affection for him.
 
At the same time, I felt a wave of sadness wash over me.
 
I wished my feelings for him were as strong as his were for me.

           
I made it through the rest of the day without a repeat of the visual disturbances that had plagued me earlier.
 
I was in a relatively good frame of mind as I walked home.
 
I decided that if the visions of the strange man returned, that I would just ignore them.
 
I would be in control of my own mind.
 
But I was still worried about Simon's brother, James.
 
I hoped that he would return home soon.
 
I hoped, too, that James would be cleared of the shooting.
 
He really had been trying hard to straighten out lately.
 
James was a senior and wanted to go to college, but his past record was against him.
 
I wanted to see him make it.

           
When I got home, GM was already there – she ran her graphic design business out of her home office.
 
So she was usually around when I returned home after school.

           
I knew she'd be horrified if I told her I'd been seeing things that weren't there, so I didn't say anything to her about my strange day at school.
 
Instead, I hurried up to my room.
 
I figured I should do some research online.
 
I'd decided that I would ignore the dark-haired man if I saw him again, but I still wanted to know what was happening.
 
Maybe I could find out something about the legends of Krov that could explain what was going on with me.
 
Both my mother and I had been born in Krov – and apparently both of us had seen strange things.
 
Maybe there was a way to stop the visions from happening again.

           
I searched, but all I found was frustration.
 
Not only was there nothing online about superstitions or folklore of Krov, there was nothing about Krov at all.
 
It was as if the town of Krov didn't exist.

           
I thought back to what Aleksandr had said in the kitchen – he had mentioned spirits, vampires, and something called the Leshi.
 
Searching on spirits and vampires brought up more results than I could possibly sift through.
 
I did read some of them, though, but none of them seemed to be related to my situation.
 
Searching on the Leshi simply told me that he was a Russian nature spirit – a green-haired guardian of forests and animals who could change his appearance.
 
I read that when impersonating a human, he had bright eyes and wore his shoes on backwards.
 
As Aleksandr had said, he seemed to be a good fellow, but the Leshi didn't seem to have anything to do with me.

           
I did a final search on visions, but that search had more results than I could realistically go through, too.
 
I decided to give up on my research.

           
I sat back in my chair and sighed.
 
There really didn't seem to be any information available on people from Krov who had visions.
 
Could I have imagined the visions?
 
Could my subconscious have gotten carried away after Galina had suggested my mother was murdered?
 
I'd considered that possibility once before, and I was starting to lean in that direction again.
 
Maybe the scene in the kitchen had been harder on me than I'd realized.
 
Maybe I just needed some rest and things would get better.

           
I got started on my homework, and then later that evening I helped GM make dinner.

           
GM didn't seem to notice that anything was wrong with me, so I began to feel like things were back to normal.

           
Right after dinner I received a text from Simon saying that James had returned home and everything was fine – he would give me the details tomorrow.
 
I was enormously relieved, and I texted back how happy I was that James was okay.

           
As the evening wore on, the night calling remained at bay, allowing me to concentrate on my homework and finish it properly.