Chapter 1
Rayne lifted her eyes from the book she held in her hands, and saw him, sitting at the table across the aisle, drawing random things on his paper as the teacher spoke. She knew he was listening to him: he was always was. Rayne was so concentrated on what he was doing, she didn't even hear the teacher.
"Alright.let's see, who haven't we heard from in a while.Rayne. Rayne?" he asked. She shook her head and looked up.
"What?"
"What's the answer?"
"Uh, Mr. Furlong, I don't even know the question." He sighed, and looked down.
"You have to start paying more attention to this class, Rayne. Zeke? Do you know the answer?"
"The geoduck." Mr. Furlong nodded. Rayne, attempting to get rid of the redness in her cheeks, dropped her head back into her book, but slowly lifted her eyes to find Zeke looking at her. She quickly looked away, and set her book down, picking up her pen, and taking notes on the class. This was already her second time going through Senior year: she didn't want to have to do it again.
The bell rang, and she gathered her books, and hurried to her locker. Zeke slid up beside her, and twisted the combo into the lock, yanking open his locker. She had forgotten his locker was next to hers. Rayne shoved her books into the tiny space, and thought for a second. It was the end of the day, and she was ready to go home. Zeke closed his locker, and looked at her. She jammed a couple books, her binder, a folder, a notebook, and her pens into her shoulder bag, pulled it out, and closed the door.
"Hi, Zeke."
"You okay?"
"I'm fine." She started down the hallway, just missing the rush of students speeding from the building. No sooner had she gotten to the sidewalk in front of the building did she realize her aunt wouldn't be picking her up. Turning around, she saw Zeke heading for his car. She took off running to the parking lot to catch up with him.
He had just closed his door, and rolled down the passenger window when she stepped up. Placing her hands on the door, she leaned in to see him.
"Zeke?" The black-haired boy lifted his eyes from the cigarette in his hand.
"Yea?"
"Could you do me a favor?" she asked. He raised an eyebrow.
"Like what?"
"Gimme a lift home? My ride ain't showing up anymore, and I forgot my car this morning." He hesitated, then nodded. She pulled open the door and slid in beside him.
"Thanks."
"No prob, but you'll need ta tell me where to go," he said.
"Well, it's kinda hard to miss. It's the only black house on the block."
"Street?"
"Willow Road."
"You live in the black house?"
"Yea, but I'm repainting it this summer. I am getting so tired of the black. I'll walk home from work some nights, and I'll be really tired, and start freaking out because my house is gone." Zeke laughed. She smiled a half smile, and glanced out the window.
He pulled up in her driveway, and stopped the car. She pushed open the door, pulled out her bag, and shut it.
"Thanks for the ride, Zeke."
"Your welcome. Well.I'll see you tomorrow." She waved, and headed up into her house.
She sat down on her couch, about to do her homework, when a knock sounded at the door. Sighing, she dropped her pencil into the middle of the book, and stood up. Rayne pulled open the door, and looked out at Zeke.
"Zeke?" she asked.
"Hey, Rayne."
"What're you doin' here?" He held up his hand, and she looked at the broken Celtic cross necklace in his hand.
"You left this in my car," she said. She smiled, and took it from him.
"I didn't even notice it was gone, Zeke, thank you.it's all I have left." she muttered.
"Of what?" She looked up.
"What?"
"You said it's all you have left. Have left of what?" She shook her head.
"Nevermind, it's not important. Thank you, Zeke. I'll see you tomorrow," she said. He nodded, and jogged off her porch. She closed the door and sighed, slipped the necklace on, and went back to her homework.
She pulled into the parking lot, turned off her car, and got out, taking her keys with her. Rayne walked around, and pulled open the trunk, hauling out her bag, and a pack of cigarettes. Looking around, she made sure no one was watching, and dropped them into her bag. She closed the trunk, and started into the building. Rayne stopped. Turning around, she saw Zeke pulling up in his black car with two red stripes, and squeal into the parking lot. He got out, and walked to the back of his car, pulling open the trunk. She turned and jogged back to him. Zeke was pulling two tapes from his trunk when she stopped running. He looked at her.
"Hey, Rayne." The two guys standing there took the tapes, paid him, and left.
"You want something?" he asked, waving his hand over his trunk. She glanced down, and pointed to a couple pens.
"What's up with those?"
"Scat." She nodded.
"How much?"
"Five a piece." She dug around in her pocket, and took out a ten.
"Two." He handed her two, she handed him $10, and patted his shoulder.
"Nice doin' business with ya." Turning, she slipped them into her pocket and went into the building. He watched her for a minute, and then went back to digging around in his trunk.
She kicked her feet up on the table in the science room, and attempted to finish her drawing of Zeke, one that she was entering in the art contest. He knew she was drawing it: she asked him to be her subject. Zeke sat at his table, thinking, posed for the drawing. Suddenly, a brown- haired boy walked in. She lifted her eyes. He walked up to the front, talking to Mr. Furlong, and Rayne slid her pencil into the notebook rings and set it on the table. Zeke leaned back, and listened to the conversation. Mr. Furlong took a small brown object, and placed it under the microscope.
"It's a pelagic organism," he said.
"What's a pelagic organism?" one student, Gabe, asked.
"A sea-dwelling organism," Zeke answered.
"Right.See, I don't recognize this surface tissue at all. Casey, I think you may have discovered a new species."
"Yea, right," Gabe said. Furlong looked up.
"Hey, it could happen. New species are discovered everyday."
"Could it be natho-simalia?" Zeke asked, looking at it.
"Nah.."
"Well, you just know everything, don't you?" a blonde girl asked. Rayne, who stood beside Stokely, rolled her eyes.
"Gotta call the university.have them check it out. Maybe get in on some of that grant money." Furlong looked up. "Our secret." He placed it on a dissection tray.
"Hey, Stokely, maybe it's one of your friends," Gabe stated.
"Oh, blow off, bozo," she said, hitting him. He knocked a cup of water onto the creature. It moved.
"Hey, did you see that?" Casey asked.
"What is it doing?"
"Ka-ching," Furlong said, picked up the tray, and took it to the back of the room.
"So you think its amphibian?" Zeke asked.
"Well, water resuscitated it."
"Yea, but couldn't this kill it? I mean, you don't wanna drown it," Gabe said.
"One way to find out." After he dropped it in the aquarium, it wiggled around the water, and suddenly, a bunch of red ropes shot out and attached to the walls. Everyone gasped and moved back.
"It's alright.it's okay." He reached up, and snapped on a white rubber glove.
"Mr. Furlong, what are you doing?"
"I wanna check its prostate.Actually, it's surface texture changed, so I wanna feel it." Rayne leaned down, and watched through the glass, and lifted her eyes, meeting Zeke's. Mr. Furlong reached down into the water, and touched it twice.and they watched as it suddenly divided.
"It can replicate.Sheeze." Rayne stepped a few inches back, and stood straighter, and walked around to get a better look. She stopped over by Zeke, but didn't realize it. Mr. Furlong reached back down into the aquarium, and left his hand there, as he watched it carefully. Suddenly, it bit him. His hand shot out of the water, and blood started covering the index finger of the glove.
"Ah, fuck! Oh, damnit." He looked around. "I'm okay."
"It has teeth.where did it get teeth?" Casey asked.
"I've gotta call the university."
Rayne lifted her eyes from the book she held in her hands, and saw him, sitting at the table across the aisle, drawing random things on his paper as the teacher spoke. She knew he was listening to him: he was always was. Rayne was so concentrated on what he was doing, she didn't even hear the teacher.
"Alright.let's see, who haven't we heard from in a while.Rayne. Rayne?" he asked. She shook her head and looked up.
"What?"
"What's the answer?"
"Uh, Mr. Furlong, I don't even know the question." He sighed, and looked down.
"You have to start paying more attention to this class, Rayne. Zeke? Do you know the answer?"
"The geoduck." Mr. Furlong nodded. Rayne, attempting to get rid of the redness in her cheeks, dropped her head back into her book, but slowly lifted her eyes to find Zeke looking at her. She quickly looked away, and set her book down, picking up her pen, and taking notes on the class. This was already her second time going through Senior year: she didn't want to have to do it again.
The bell rang, and she gathered her books, and hurried to her locker. Zeke slid up beside her, and twisted the combo into the lock, yanking open his locker. She had forgotten his locker was next to hers. Rayne shoved her books into the tiny space, and thought for a second. It was the end of the day, and she was ready to go home. Zeke closed his locker, and looked at her. She jammed a couple books, her binder, a folder, a notebook, and her pens into her shoulder bag, pulled it out, and closed the door.
"Hi, Zeke."
"You okay?"
"I'm fine." She started down the hallway, just missing the rush of students speeding from the building. No sooner had she gotten to the sidewalk in front of the building did she realize her aunt wouldn't be picking her up. Turning around, she saw Zeke heading for his car. She took off running to the parking lot to catch up with him.
He had just closed his door, and rolled down the passenger window when she stepped up. Placing her hands on the door, she leaned in to see him.
"Zeke?" The black-haired boy lifted his eyes from the cigarette in his hand.
"Yea?"
"Could you do me a favor?" she asked. He raised an eyebrow.
"Like what?"
"Gimme a lift home? My ride ain't showing up anymore, and I forgot my car this morning." He hesitated, then nodded. She pulled open the door and slid in beside him.
"Thanks."
"No prob, but you'll need ta tell me where to go," he said.
"Well, it's kinda hard to miss. It's the only black house on the block."
"Street?"
"Willow Road."
"You live in the black house?"
"Yea, but I'm repainting it this summer. I am getting so tired of the black. I'll walk home from work some nights, and I'll be really tired, and start freaking out because my house is gone." Zeke laughed. She smiled a half smile, and glanced out the window.
He pulled up in her driveway, and stopped the car. She pushed open the door, pulled out her bag, and shut it.
"Thanks for the ride, Zeke."
"Your welcome. Well.I'll see you tomorrow." She waved, and headed up into her house.
She sat down on her couch, about to do her homework, when a knock sounded at the door. Sighing, she dropped her pencil into the middle of the book, and stood up. Rayne pulled open the door, and looked out at Zeke.
"Zeke?" she asked.
"Hey, Rayne."
"What're you doin' here?" He held up his hand, and she looked at the broken Celtic cross necklace in his hand.
"You left this in my car," she said. She smiled, and took it from him.
"I didn't even notice it was gone, Zeke, thank you.it's all I have left." she muttered.
"Of what?" She looked up.
"What?"
"You said it's all you have left. Have left of what?" She shook her head.
"Nevermind, it's not important. Thank you, Zeke. I'll see you tomorrow," she said. He nodded, and jogged off her porch. She closed the door and sighed, slipped the necklace on, and went back to her homework.
She pulled into the parking lot, turned off her car, and got out, taking her keys with her. Rayne walked around, and pulled open the trunk, hauling out her bag, and a pack of cigarettes. Looking around, she made sure no one was watching, and dropped them into her bag. She closed the trunk, and started into the building. Rayne stopped. Turning around, she saw Zeke pulling up in his black car with two red stripes, and squeal into the parking lot. He got out, and walked to the back of his car, pulling open the trunk. She turned and jogged back to him. Zeke was pulling two tapes from his trunk when she stopped running. He looked at her.
"Hey, Rayne." The two guys standing there took the tapes, paid him, and left.
"You want something?" he asked, waving his hand over his trunk. She glanced down, and pointed to a couple pens.
"What's up with those?"
"Scat." She nodded.
"How much?"
"Five a piece." She dug around in her pocket, and took out a ten.
"Two." He handed her two, she handed him $10, and patted his shoulder.
"Nice doin' business with ya." Turning, she slipped them into her pocket and went into the building. He watched her for a minute, and then went back to digging around in his trunk.
She kicked her feet up on the table in the science room, and attempted to finish her drawing of Zeke, one that she was entering in the art contest. He knew she was drawing it: she asked him to be her subject. Zeke sat at his table, thinking, posed for the drawing. Suddenly, a brown- haired boy walked in. She lifted her eyes. He walked up to the front, talking to Mr. Furlong, and Rayne slid her pencil into the notebook rings and set it on the table. Zeke leaned back, and listened to the conversation. Mr. Furlong took a small brown object, and placed it under the microscope.
"It's a pelagic organism," he said.
"What's a pelagic organism?" one student, Gabe, asked.
"A sea-dwelling organism," Zeke answered.
"Right.See, I don't recognize this surface tissue at all. Casey, I think you may have discovered a new species."
"Yea, right," Gabe said. Furlong looked up.
"Hey, it could happen. New species are discovered everyday."
"Could it be natho-simalia?" Zeke asked, looking at it.
"Nah.."
"Well, you just know everything, don't you?" a blonde girl asked. Rayne, who stood beside Stokely, rolled her eyes.
"Gotta call the university.have them check it out. Maybe get in on some of that grant money." Furlong looked up. "Our secret." He placed it on a dissection tray.
"Hey, Stokely, maybe it's one of your friends," Gabe stated.
"Oh, blow off, bozo," she said, hitting him. He knocked a cup of water onto the creature. It moved.
"Hey, did you see that?" Casey asked.
"What is it doing?"
"Ka-ching," Furlong said, picked up the tray, and took it to the back of the room.
"So you think its amphibian?" Zeke asked.
"Well, water resuscitated it."
"Yea, but couldn't this kill it? I mean, you don't wanna drown it," Gabe said.
"One way to find out." After he dropped it in the aquarium, it wiggled around the water, and suddenly, a bunch of red ropes shot out and attached to the walls. Everyone gasped and moved back.
"It's alright.it's okay." He reached up, and snapped on a white rubber glove.
"Mr. Furlong, what are you doing?"
"I wanna check its prostate.Actually, it's surface texture changed, so I wanna feel it." Rayne leaned down, and watched through the glass, and lifted her eyes, meeting Zeke's. Mr. Furlong reached down into the water, and touched it twice.and they watched as it suddenly divided.
"It can replicate.Sheeze." Rayne stepped a few inches back, and stood straighter, and walked around to get a better look. She stopped over by Zeke, but didn't realize it. Mr. Furlong reached back down into the aquarium, and left his hand there, as he watched it carefully. Suddenly, it bit him. His hand shot out of the water, and blood started covering the index finger of the glove.
"Ah, fuck! Oh, damnit." He looked around. "I'm okay."
"It has teeth.where did it get teeth?" Casey asked.
"I've gotta call the university."