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Chapter fifteen

Kaiden

I zip up my jacket, wanting nothing to do with the brisk weather or my task for Ecology class trying to find a few perfect leaves that haven’t been trampled by the feet of my classmates. The Academy grounds are so well kept you almost wouldn’t know it was fall or that only yesterday, the grounds had been destroyed by an unnamed deviant Unfortunate wanting to ruin the beautiful koi ponds that took our parents months to petition for. Remnants of the movie night still linger, with a few missed popcorn bags tucked away beneath the booth window that was used last night for concessions.

I’ve been fighting back an unbearable headache. Rae mentioned having one this morning and Max was too preoccupied with my sister and the Officials even to acknowledge my question if he had one too. I sometimes pity Max when I see how hard he tries for Forest. I’m half convinced the only reason he’s interested in talking to Xavier about the Official’s Training Academy is because of my sister’s sudden interest in the charming blonde, who isn’t him.

I know she was hoping I didn’t see anything when we came around the side of the house this morning, and for the most part, I didn’t. Never in my life had I seen Forest willingly allow someone to be that close to her. The way they looked at us when they pulled away from each other, you'd think they had just committed a crime.

Maybe Forest finding some sanctuary in Xavier would be good for her. She can’t spend her whole life making poor decisions and hoping I will be there to help her brace for the fall. Maybe if she cozies up to an Official, he’ll have more luck than me in regulating her sudden mood swings.

I drop another broken leaf, questioning how possible it is to get away with just taping two similar ones together and making my teacher work with it. I notice a small area of the grass in front of where the tarp for the movie once stood is withering away, pale and void of color, dying while everything around it thrives. I run my finger over the dry grass, removing my hands as the intense smell of bleach and weed killer hits my nose. I quickly shove down the gag trying to reach my throat, doing my best to wipe away the residual odor on my pant leg.

A motion of activity in one of the farther bushes lining the grounds creates a clatter of noise. I take my focus from the patch of dead grass, looking over towards the movement with curiosity.

Without thinking, my legs begin moving, pulling me further away from the patch on the lawn and closer to the shaking branches. My hands are tucked deep in my pockets, far enough away from my nose I don’t have to catch another whiff of whatever laced the dead grass. I finally spot a uniform-clad figure kneeling behind the bush, covering themselves in the dirt around their white stockings.

I see her brown hair wound tightly into a ponytail on her head. Her sharp jawline and green eyes scan the area in front of her, clawing her hands into the surrounding dirt to make more room for whatever is in front of her. I have to stop myself from yanking her back by her ponytail, ready to question why she’s digging around in the ground at ten in the morning.

“Forest?” I begin, ready to hit her with a line of questioning while dragging her away from the foliage.

Her body shifts out of its position, giving me a clear look at what it is that has her knee deep in the dirt. Her eyes shift up to meet mine. Her jaw clenches as she gives me a moment to observe what’s in front of me.

What seems to be a significant claw mark tattoos the rock she’s dug up. The wood and greenery around the slashes are scorched, all burned away as if a lighter had lingered on the space for several minutes. The indent of an animal's paw is pressed into the earth.

“I think I saw something hiding here last night,” Forest says, pausing as she looks over the space around her.

I see now just how many branches are broken. Something large had to be standing where she now kneels to cause the amount of damage abundantly obvious here now. “It must have left this behind in the process,” she finishes, rising from her knees to finally join me on the other side of the bush. I help her wipe away the dirt from her clothes, trying to prevent brown smears from coating her legs.

“Wouldn’t the Officials have noticed something big enough to leave these marks?” I question.

Her nose scrunches at the mention of Officials, turning upwards as it usually would have had I mentioned the Unfortunates. A feeling of unease comes over me as I continue to look at the scorched space. Her hands fumble in her bag, pulling out her sketchbook. She begins to trace a quick image of the area in front of us. Her hands work quickly yet carefully, and I can tell she’s trying to be as detailed as possible. I hear a small scoff leave her throat once she fully processes my question.

“I don’t think the Officials even knew it was there. They must have been too preoccupied handling other affairs last night,” my sister says, hiding many emotions I can’t quite pinpoint.

“What are you even doing outside of class?” I question, pushing the bush back to its normal position to stop her rapid sketching. She looks over the paper with little satisfaction before shoving it back into her bag. Her hands are now covered in charcoal. She glances toward the wilted grass.

“I never showed up to my first period. Why are you out here?” she states, keeping her eyes on the bleach stain in the grass behind me.

“I need some leaves for Ecology. Do you know what happened there? The ground is covered in chemicals,” I question. Once more, her nose scrunches anxiously, giving me my answer on whether or not she knows more than she’s letting on.

“As I said, the Officials were preoccupied handling other affairs last night,” she reiterates.

I reflect on how close we sat last night to that patch of worn grass.

“We were feet away from that spot. I feel like if they decided to spray chemicals last night, I would have noticed, and don’t feed me that bullshit that it happened after we left. I can see it all over your face that something is wrong. What aren’t you telling me, Forest?” I push, half expecting her to hit me with the truth and ask me for whatever advice I can offer like she always does. Instead, she stands her ground, looking me over with lowered eyes.

“I can't tell you. They won't let me,” she whispers, her response fueling me to add to the list of questions that are starting to manifest in my head.

“Who won't let you, Forest?” I question, grazing the goosebumps on her arms with a gentle touch I know she needs right now.

Her eyes dart behind me, causing her to pull away from my touch. I look behind me at the two Officials walking outside, both deep in conversation as they exchange a few laughs. I keep my eyes toward them, ready to motion them over.

“Maybe they will know what to do about the tracks,” I begin, raising my hand above my head to waive them over. I look back at Forest, dropping my hand instantly as I watch her foot cover up the track and the soot with a few kicks of her shoe, coating the track in a layer of dirt.

She arranges the branches back to their original unbothered position, even going so far as to shove me a few feet forward, farther away from the bush. She covers the damage like it's nothing, giving me no time to react as the Officials finally take notice of our presence.

“Forest, what the hell-”

“Kai. Shut the hell up and let me talk,” she hisses in a tone I’ve never heard from her. I close my mouth without thinking, letting my line of questioning die off the closer the two men approach us.

The two Officials are ones I have seen occasionally in passing, one younger, the other’s name is Adam. Forest still grips my shirt, clenching it with white knuckles. She shifts uncomfortably where she stands. The men pause in front of us, curious as to what they’ve walked over to. Adams's gaze lingers on my sister, watching her much longer than I’m comfortable with. She holds her head high, offering him a slight smile once he clears his throat.

“What are you two doing out here?” Adam questions, only looking at my sister as he speaks.

“I was helping my brother with an Ecology project. We were trying to find some….” she trails off, unsure what the nature of my scavenger hunt really is.

“Intact leaves, but the grounds are so well kept we’ve been having some difficulties,” I finish for her, finally getting my first glance from Adam and the man beside him. Forest nods in agreement at my explanation, subtly drawing in a deep breath, no doubt waiting to see if they believe us.

“I suppose we might have lost track of time,” Forest admits, tapping the watch on Adam's wrist.

I know she could care less about what period we are in.

Adam's cold stare turns into a soft smile. He relaxes as he observes her, looking around the area before landing his eyes in the air. I watch his hand reach up as a leaf twirls down from one of the high aspen trees. Its golden yellow color catches the light as his fingers carefully snatch it from the air. Adam places the leaf in my sister's hair, tucking it behind her ear. Once more, I watch her nose scrunch. It’s a gesture I am starting to realize only those who observe her often would notice.

“I’d say that’s intact enough. You both had better get back to your classes,” Adam says, pulling his hand away from my sister's face. Once again, she gives him another empty smile.

I feel her hand tug my shirt, pulling me along with her, both of us giving the Officials a slight nod.

“Of course, sir,” she says, acknowledging the other man with a curl of her mouth before dragging me farther away from the pair. I watch her hand claw away the leaf from her hair. Her eyes look wild as her slow breaths become quick heaves. Her hand is clenching my shirt so hard I can feel the anxiety controlling her grip. There’s an outline from the sweat coating her palm on my front. Only once she’s made it past the side doors and we’re back inside the Academy does she pause, dropping the leaf in the front pocket of my shirt. I ready myself to speak to her, watching her finger press over my lips, silencing me again.

“This isn't a problem you can fix this time, Kai,” she whispers, pulling away from me and moving down the nearest hallway.

I stand in silence, feeling the leaf beneath my touch as I fumble in my pocket. I still feel the place her hand clenched on my front, feeling the wet material brush my torso as one question lingers in my mind louder than all the rest.

What was she so afraid of?