"Ida?"
That was Izzy after about God-knows-how-long later. Apparently returning from the dead. Or the water fountain. It was hard to tell, but she was done with whatever she'd left me for earlier.
Everything came in triples: three Izzys, all equally alarmed. She grabbed my right arm, but my bones had apparently resigned from their duties. I swayed like a loose coat on a hanger.
"What's happening, babe?" Izzy sounded out of breath herself.
"I could ask you the same thing," I muttered. "One minute I was standing. Next thing I know, I'm flailing like a freaking inflatable tube man at a car dealership."
My legs chose that moment to fully betray me. I tipped sideways again and bumped into a classroom door, which at least had the decency to stay put. That's when I noticed the small audience of students pretending not to stare while very obviously staring.
Izzy shot them a look. "Nothing to see here," she snapped, hauling me upright with more strength than I thought she had. She locked her grip around my arms and held me there until the world slowly stitched itself back together. The ringing faded and the floor finally stopped moving.
"Okay." I breathed. Even the hypocritical busybodies started dispersing, thank God. "I'm vertical again. That feels like progress."
"Yeah. Congrats," Izzy muttered. "Try not to kiss the floor again. News flash: it's filthy."
Leaning my forehead against the cool surface of some wood I've not even looked at yet, I closed my eyes for half a second. Bad idea. That strange guy, my first fall, the second swoon and everything few and far between came rushing back like it had beef with me.
"I'm okay," I lied quickly, because Izzy was already doing that scanning thing with her eyes. "I guess something weird happened."
Her brows lifted. "Define weird. Because you passing out before first period is already way up there."
"There was this guy," I said, finally pushing myself upright properly this time now that I could finally stand and the ringing in my skull had quieted. "Now that I think about it, he knew my name before I introduced myself. He was tall and had red hair. Too calm. Like… serial killer calm. Can you believe he was—"
"Hot?"
I gave her a look.
"What?" she shrugged. "I mean if he's hot, lead with that. Most likely to sustain my attention."
I rolled my eyes. "Fine. hot-adjacent."
Izzy snorted. "Now I'm interested!"
"No, listen." I rubbed my temples, but it only made his voice louder in my head. Take it easy, tiger. Every word replayed, sharp and clear. "The way he'd looked at me, like he was bemused and annoyed at the same time. Like he knew something I didn't, something I sure as hell did not want to know. Even his jokes had felt more off than anything else. He talked like he was bored of people. Like he'd already seen how I'd mess up my whole day. Like he knew me."
Izzy tilted her head. "That's oddly specific."
"Exactly! I remember everything," I said, too fast. "The way he stood by the wall. Long red hair. Those dark eyes. His eyes, Izzy, his eyes were wrong. Not creepy-contact-lens wrong. Creepy."
"First of all, a redhead? There is no such person at Qwuava High and trust me, I know everyone here. The only redhead on campus is Sam Finland and she's a chick." She studied my face, tilted her head and paused. "Okay. Breathe. Where did this mystery menace go?"
"He didn't," I said. "That's the thing, he didn't leave. He just wasn't there anymore."
Izzy opened her mouth, then closed it. "You're saying he…" She bit her lower lip. "Vanished?"
I winced at how crazy that sounded. "I'm saying one second he was beside me, and the next second I was on the floor seeing stars."
"Cool," she said. "Very cool. Love that for you on day two. But seeing as you're literally trailing blood right out of someone's office, I'd say it's probably a concussion."
I burst into laughter.
~~~
As though the idea just popped into my mind, I checked the frosted glass I was leaning against. In neat black lettering read: PROFESSOR GIDEON. GUIDANCE COUNSELOR
"I probably do have a concussion. You might be right." I sighed. "Could this day get any worse?"
Izzy followed my gaze. "Trust me, that door opening right now will cut it." And it did.
The guardian counselor, whom I had not met yet but will eventually when I finish picking all my classes and need his department's approval, stepped out like he'd been waiting right there the whole time. Though to be fair, us chatting and cackling right outside his door might have had something to do with it.
He was tall, but not in a noticeable way. A brown cardigan covered his narrow shoulders and wire-rim glasses that slid halfway down his nose dominated half his face. His slow smile seemed to have taken the long way around his face.
"Are you okay?" His unwavering eyes flicked to Izzy, then back to me. Yeah, it's for sure now: guys around here had a serious blinking problem. "Miss…?"
"Ida," I said. My throat felt tight. "I'm fine."
'Ida," he echoed, tasting the word. When his gaze dropped to my wrist more trickles of blood slid down in a thin line, dark against my skin. "Well," he said softly. "That's unfortunate."
So why was he smiling?
Izzy stiffened beside me. "She just fainted. She's new. It happens."
"Does it?" he asked. When he leaned closer, I could smell mint and something old. Paper? Dust? Both? "Pain like that doesn't usually come from nothing."
I snatched my hand back immediately when the weird-ass smile widened. I saw Izzy bristle beside me.
"Did someone hurt you, Ida?" he asked. One thing I'll tell you for free: this man did not know how to take a hint. "Or did you hurt yourself?"
The question landed wrong, as if it was already answered. Just like that guy earlier. Where did these weirdos keep popping out from, for Pete's sake?
"I'm good," I said. "Just clumsy."
"Clumsy," he repeated. "Indeed, Qwava can be quite overwhelming for returning students."
"How did you…"
"Oh," he said. "Don't worry your pretty little head about that."
Izzy stepped fully between us. "Okay, Professor Giddy."
"Gideon," he corrected gently.
"That's what I said. Giddy. " Her straight face remained in place. "She needs the nurse, not a pop quiz."
Izzy dragged me down the corridor before he could say anything else. Yet I didn't need to look back to know he was still watching. I could feel it; his attention clinging to the splatter of my blood like it belonged to him. Like he wanted to taste it, the same way he'd run my name across his tongue just now as though searching for its flavour.
As he remained in the doorway, I knew I shouldn't have looked back. There he was, smiling like he hadn't just watched me unravel minutes ago. He raised two fingers. Not a wave or a greeting. So what the hell was that? A number? A count?
The second he smiled, white-hot, blinding pain detonated in my hand and my chest tightened, like a hook sinking in and pulling slowly.
My fingers seized, bones grinding with an impossible pressure, skin stretching until I swore I heard it tear. For a heartbeat they weren't mine anymore, but longer, darker digits tipped with curved claws, before snapping back into human shape like it had never happened.
"What the hell?" I stared at my trembling hands, then at Izzy who was still walking by my side. I waited for someone to scream or at the very least notice. No one did.
No blood. Just the echo of agony still ringing in my nerves and of course Gideon's creepy-ass smile. No proof.
Poof! The pain, the claws, the professor's count… everything was just gone.