Magian High (10 page)

“Is this a joke or a threat?” asked Amity.  It looked like someone had taken rolls and rolls of yellow police “Caution” tape and decorated the school with it.

Laughter won in me, and I shook my head.  “We’ll find out, but either way, it’s pretty funny.”

“Who did it?” she insisted.  “Some of those streamers are pretty high up.”

“A Mage must have f
lown up there.”

Rikki and Max came up next to us.  “Oh, that’s awesome!” giggled Rikki.  “
What a funny prank!”

Max whistled.  “Someone’s got a good arm
to chuck the rolls that high.”  I must have given him a confused look because he continued, “Didn’t you ever TP someone’s house before?”  He motioned throwing something over the school’s roof.  “Some outfielder or quarterback must have done it.”

I thought it
was interesting that I assumed it had been done by a Mage using magic, and Max assumed it had been done by a Nomer—probably a Corporal—using sheer strength and skill.

“So you think it’s just a prank?” asked Amity.

Rikki shrugged.  “Why else would anyone do it?”

“We used to see stuff like this at Corporal sometimes,” said Max.  “It’s harmless, but the teachers and principals usually go nuts.  I bet we hear another lecture over the P.A. about how we should respect school property and stuff.”  He nudged my elbow lightly.  “
Aren’t you coming to P.E.?”

We headed towards the locker room and sure enough, two minutes into the morning announcements, Mr. Blakely came on and talked about the
caution tape.  He said he hoped we’d take pride in our school and that we should stay focused on getting the most out of our education, and then he said two things that made me uncomfortable: “The administration is investigating the motives behind this prank in case the use of caution tape was meant as a threat, and we will be conducting a survey of Mages to find out which of you has Wind magic, since that may have been used to spread the tape so high and so far in such a short period of time.  This was done within a ten-minute window of opportunity this morning as teachers were arriving.”

***

Our newly hired chemistry teacher introduced herself as Mrs. Seechak, but midway into class, Amity nicknamed her Mrs. YakYak.  The woman could talk for five minutes straight without breathing or changing tones.  I thought we’d all be asleep before the labs even started.  Next to me, Amity started reading her textbook, and by the time we were putting on our goggles and lab aprons, she’d outlined two chapters.

I stared blankly at the rack of tubes with different crystals.  “What are we supposed to be doing again?” I asked.
  “I’ve been asleep with my eyes open.”

Amity flipped to a page in the book and thumped a chart with her finger.  “Here
, you look at this and tell me what each of these reactions mean.  I’ll heat up the—oh…yeah.  Our Bunsen burner’s busted.  Can you light your thumb for me?”

But
before she could hold even one of the tubes over the flame, YakYak came clicking up to us in her very high heels and said, “I told you, no magic in my class.  This is about
science
.”

“But our Bunsen bur—”

“School is not a playground!” snapped YakYak.  She turned to help another kid who had his hand raised.

Amity’s face flushed with anger.  “Okay, look.  Hold the Bunsen burner with your hand like this so the flame from your thumb looks like it’s coming from it.  I’ll keep an eye for
YakYak while you heat each tube.”

Fudging the angles, we managed to keep one of us between
YakYak’s line of vision and my thumb for the rest of the period, and we got all the work done.  Amity also took extra pains to make sure that both of us made notes on the worksheet, and she added extra analysis based on the stuff she’d read ahead.  “I figure she’ll think we’re both geniuses now and cut us some slack, huh?”

“I don’t think I’ll
be fooling anyone on that count.”

We cleared away our station, and then I got an idea.  Being careful to look casual about it, I pretended to trip and knock our Bunsen burner onto the floor.  Amity caught on and gasped appropriately.
  “Oh
no!
  Did you
break
it?”

YakYak
came clicking back to us.  Amity and I scrambled to set it on the counter and then YakYak tested it.  Of course, it didn’t work.  It never had.  With a heavy sigh, she unplugged it and whisked it into her arms.  She carried it towards the front mumbling something about clumsy idiots.  I followed after her apologizing profusely, but she waved me out of the room.  At the door, Amity stopped and turned a worried face to the teacher.  “Are there any spares that work?”

“I don’t know,” said
YakYak.  “I haven’t had time to inventory the supply closet.  I certainly hope so, for your sake.”

Amity turned back to me, both of us hidden now from
YakYak’s view.  Stifling a giggle, Amity squeezed my hand.  “Well, you are a genius after all.  That ought to get us a new burner!  See you at lunch.  Try and talk to Curry before we get there.”

***

Mages were summoned down to the office in alphabetical order, so Curry came into the office while I was waiting the next turn.  He nodded in greeting and sat down next to me, even though there were four other kids who should have gone between us.  They weren’t going to argue with a guy that big.

“You think they found any Blowers
other than you?” he asked in a low voice.

“I’m not a…”  I’d already taken the blame
for Kelsey in
The Morning Edition
, but I wasn’t ready to be the fall guy for every Wind-related prank ever pulled.  “It wasn’t me,” I said, hoping I hadn’t given myself away.

“Duh,” said Curry.  “But it’s rare enough.  It could make you look bad.”

The door to Mr. Blakely’s office opened and a kid came out looking relieved.  Mr. Blakely poked his head out and saw me.  “You’re next, Kincaid,” he said, sounding worn out.

I went in and shut the door behind me.  As he sat down, he looked at me strangely.  “When did you start hanging out with Punkers, Kincaid?”

“What?  Oh, Curry?  He’s…”  I found myself grinning.  “He’s not so bad once you get a cute little Corporal girl under his skin.”

Mr. Blakely’s eyebrow shot up.  “He’s got a Nomer girlfriend now?”

I beamed.  “Love conquers all!”

He smiled.  “Tames the beasts, huh?”  Drumming his fingers on his desk he said, “You know I have to ask you this, but did you have anything to do with the Caution tape?”

“Of course not, sir.”

“Yeah, I know.”  He leaned forward on his elbows.  “But…did I hear correctly that you have acquired Wind magic?”

I must have blanched.  Sinking into the chair opposite him, I said, “Sir, can I be totally honest with you?”

“Haven’t you always been?”

“Well, yeah…but…Well, this isn’t about me.  It’s…”  Mr. Blakely watched me with the kind, trusting eyes I’d come to know for years.  “
The Morning Edition
got it wrong when they said it was me who Blew the Punkers out of the air.  It was my little sister, Kelsey.  She just got the power like a week ago, and hasn’t really learned to control it yet.”

He sat back.  “Isn’t she awfully young?”

“Yes, sir.  That’s what’s so weird.  But I can’t do it.  She’s the one who—”

“Why did you let them accuse you without explaining that?  No one would have faulted a little child for that.  You could have avoided all that mess with the police at the school and the bad publicity.”

I stared at my feet.  “I know, but she’s just a kid.  Mom and I didn’t want a bunch of people testing her magic and pulling her into the spotlight for it.  It seemed easier to take the blame and hope the whole situation righted itself.”

We
looked at each other in silence for a minute.  “You’re a good kid, Kincaid.”

“Thanks, sir.
  I try.”

He slammed his hands onto his desk with a burst of energy and grinned.  With a fake angry look, he barked, “Get to class, you hooligan!”

Mr. Blakely’s goofy sometimes, but he’s so sincere about it that it’s hard to hold it against him.  I left the office and gave Curry the OK sign.  He almost cracked a smile.  “See you around,” I said.

“Yeah,” he answered.

Yes.  Curry would be okay.

***

Amity and I walked home from school grateful that the Punkers had left us alone ever since Jack had gone over to Wiser.  We talked about normal stuff like music and homework, and all felt right with the world—until we walked into my kitchen and saw Detective Sheldon sitting at the table with my Mom eating a sandwich.

“Uh…hi,” I said.

Mom and Sheldon both turned to us and smiled in a funny way, like they’d been caught sneaking cookies after bedtime.

“Welcome home, honey,” said Mom.  “Can I get you anything?”

With my eyes still trained on Sheldon, I sauntered casually across the room.  “Oh, I can get it.”  I opened the fridge and stared at its contents.

“How was it at school today?” asked Detective Sheldon. 
“Any weirdness?”

I shut the fridge and turned around.  Gesturing to Amity, I said, “Amity
, this is Detective Sheldon.  Detective Sheldon, this is Amity.  She’s my friend from Wiser.”

He
flashed his crooked tile teeth at us and repeated the question.  “Any weirdness at school today?”

“Is this an official interview?” I asked.  He wasn’t wearing a uniform, but I didn’t know if that meant he was undercover or something.

He reached inside his jacket and fumbled for a second.  Then he placed his badge on the table.  “Off duty, no badge,” he said.  “I was just wondering.”

Amity turned to Sheldon pleasantly.  “Actually, the school was decorated with yellow police Caution tape today.  They did a real number on it.”

“Did they trace who did it?” he asked.

“No, but the
y questioned all the Mages, trying to find someone with Wind power,” I said a little bitterly.  “Apparently it was done really fast, so they don’t think flying would have been enough unless there had been a big group of kids helping, and then they would have been seen.  At least that’s the story.”

Sheldon and my mot
her exchanged a worried glance.  “Uh huh,” he nodded.

“Do
you
know anything about it?” asked Amity fearlessly.

“I know it wasn’t a student,” he said.

My eyes about popped out of my head, and Amity and I both sank into chairs beside them.  “How do you know?” I asked.

“I don’t know who did it, but I know who ordered it,” he said.

“Bagler,” said Amity and I in unison.

Sheldon nodded.  “She’s got at least one person on the faculty in her pocket, but we don’t know who.  And Petercriss has been seen lurking around.”

“Yeah, what about that?” asked Mom.  “Isn’t anything going to happen to him?”

Sheldon drew a deep breath and leaned on his elbows.  “Let’s just say there were some convenient irregularities in the way his case was handled, and he’s getting off on a technicality.
  It’s not even coming before a jury for indictment.”

“You mean he’s coming back to Magian
High?” I asked, my voice cracking.

“No, no.  He’s on leave for the rest of the year
, but the district will find him work to do.”

“Bagler
’s work,” I said.

“For the NMI,” added Amity.

“Probably,” said Sheldon grimly.  He picked up the badge and slipped it back into the pocket of his shirt under his jacket.  “Okay, badge on for a minute.  I need to talk to you two about something I’d like to set up.  A sting, if you will.  It also involves your father, Amity.”

“Dad?”
  She looked nervous.  “Why?  What did he do?”

“It’s not what he did.  It’s what he knows.  He called me earlier today about the NMI land deals you found.  When my shift ended, I decided to take a drive out of town to see the property the
Bagler-Farrell Foundation is offering.”

“And?” asked Amity, leaning in closer.

“And I found it interesting that the lot the Foundation is trying to sell already has such a large foundation built on it.”

“What do you mean?” asked
Amity.

“
Your father thinks they’ve already started construction of the Academy,” said Mom.

Amity’s eyes narrowed.  “Like they know they won the bid already.”

“Uh huh,” said Sheldon.  “Even though no one is even asking for a private Institute for Mages…yet.”

“They must be pretty sure we’re going to screw up,” I said, rubbing my fingers through my hair.