“Mr. Gray, Dr. Penworth tells me he has asked you to help Miss McKenna catch up on your history material.”
Aidan nodded. “He did.”
“I might ask you to do the same with our class material, then. Would that be too much of an imposition?”
A strange look passed between the headmaster and Aidan, and I shifted my feet uncomfortably. Finally Aidan spoke. “Of course not.”
“Very well. Thank you, Mr. Gray.” He turned his attention toward me. “Miss McKenna, I vow you will not find a more able tutor here at Winterhaven.
Mr. Gray will have you caught up in no time.”
“Great,” I muttered, casting a sidelong glance at Aidan.
“Off with you both, then.” He dismissed us with a nod toward the door.
Sixth period was next, the last of the day. Only problem was, I had no idea where the gym was. Hurrying back to my desk to retrieve my bag, I pulled out my schedule. Sixth period, Varsity Fencing, Gymnasium Studio A. That was all it said. I turned back toward Dr. Blackwell’s desk, but he was gone. Great. Tossing my bag over my shoulder, I hurried out into the hall, hoping I’d run into someone who looked familiar.
“Above the gym.”
“Oh!” I stopped short, my breath catching in my throat. Aidan stood there, leaning against the wall. “You scared me.”
“Sorry,” he said with a shrug. “Studio A. Above the gym. Come on, I’ll walk you there.”
“Don’t you have a class or something?” I asked, trying to slow my breathing as he pushed off the wall and fell into step beside me.
“Nope. I’m free sixth period. Independent study.”
I could only nod.
“It’s not far,” he said, his tone conversational. “Back through the courtyard, the one with the fountain, and then two buildings behind the dormitory, just up some stairs.”
“I’m sure I can find my way,” I mumbled, feeling ridiculous. It wasn’t that I didn’t like being around him — in fact, the opposite was true. It was just that I knew that the more time I spent with him, the more likely I was to embarrass myself. As it was, I could barely form coherent sentences.
“I don’t mind walking you,” he said with a smile.
The afternoon sun was hidden by thick, gray clouds. The breeze blew some leaves across our path, and I shivered.
“You look cold,” Aidan said, his brows drawn together.
“I am cold.” I rubbed my arms. Maybe I was coming down with something — maybe that was why I felt so funny.
“Here.”
Before I knew it, Aidan had taken off his striped scarf and was wrapping it around my neck. “I can’t have you dying of hypothermia before I’ve had the chance to catch you up on your coursework.” His mouth curved into a smile, and my heart did a little flip-flop.
Without thinking, I pulled the scarf up over my nose and inhaled. Immediately the sidewalk began to swim before my eyes.
Aidan reached out to steady me, his hand grasping my wrist. I took a deep breath as his face swam back into focus. “You really don’t look well,” he said.
I shook my head, trying to clear it. I didn’t know what was wrong, but I was totally and completely losing it. “I’m fine,” I lied. “I haven’t eaten much today, that’s all. God, your hand is cold.”
He snatched it away and headed toward a steep staircase. “C’mon, this is a shortcut.”
With a nod, I followed him up, trying my best to stay focused, to put one foot in front of the other. Finally we reached the top, and I paused to catch my breath. Aidan waited patiently, watching me. I took two deep, calming breaths — and then it happened, like it had so many times in the past.
My vision darkened, tunneled, and I sank to my knees with a groan. Squeezing my eyes shut, I fought to block the vision, but it came anyway, flashing across my mind’s eye like a sped-up movie.
It was dark, nighttime, and I was walking down a mostly deserted street. I knew it was New York City, though the street was unfamiliar, more seedy than Patsy’s Upper East Side neighborhood. Dark, swirling fog obscured the sidewalk as I hurried on, in pursuit of someone. Something.
A flash of movement to my right caught my eye and I sped off in that direction, seemingly unaware of any danger. A flyer on a post, HOW TO WRITE A NOVEL IN A WEEK spelled out in black type. Up ahead, I saw a figure materialize in the fog, a shadow in black. “Aidan!” I cried out, my hands cupped around my mouth.
Aidan? And then the vision ended, just like that. No more than a couple of seconds had passed, and I hoped it just looked like I had stumbled.
Aidan was beside me in a flash, reaching for my hands and helping me to my feet. “What happened?”
“Nothing, I. I tripped is all.” My entire body felt flushed as I swayed against him. Damn it, I hated this. Hated it. Why couldn’t I be normal? Here it was, my first day at a new school, in a new state, for God’s sake, and everyone would see right off the bat what it had taken years for my friends at home to notice.
He shook his head. “You didn’t trip. I don’t know what it was, but you called out my name.”
“No, I didn’t.” Did I? No. No, I hadn’t said a word. I heard myself call out his name in the vision, but in reality I hadn’t said a thing. At least, I didn’t think I had.
“Forget sixth period,” he said. “I’m taking you to the nurse. Now.” Without another word, Aidan reached for my hand. He took off toward the building just ahead, pulling me along.
“I’m fine.” I tried to pull my hand from his, but he only tightened his grip. I knew he was trying to help, but it was humiliating — he probably thought I’d had some sort of seizure or something. Of course, that was better than him knowing the truth.
For the first time since I’d arrived at Winterhaven, I wished I’d stayed in Atlanta after all.
“You’re fit as a fiddle,” the school nurse proclaimed in a cheery Irish brogue. Nurse Campbell, she called herself. “No temperature, your blood pressure is fine. Did you eat well today?”
“Not really,” I murmured. Just a couple of bites of that chicken salad sandwich.
“Well, there you go. You youngsters are always so busy, rushing from one place to the next and not taking the time to properly nourish your bodies.” She peered at me more closely, her brow furrowed. “Not on some crazy fad diet, are you?”
“No, of course not,” I said in indignation. I’d just been. nervous.
“I’m glad to hear it. Well, off you go, then. I’ll send a note around to the office and tell them you’re excused from sixth period. Take some time before dinner to rest, dearie.” She pushed aside the white curtain, and I followed her out of the exam cubicle.
Aidan was still standing where I’d left him, leaning against the wall beside the reception desk.
“Can I count on you to see her back to the dorms, Mr. Gray?” the nurse asked.
“Sure,” he said. “Is everything. okay?”
“Nothing a little dinner won’t cure,” she answered, patting me on the shoulder. “See that she eats, won’t you?”
Feeling like a child, I looked up at Aidan and smiled weakly. “I told you I was fine.”