Maverick (Maverick Academy Series) (5 page)

As they walked into the school, they saw a
woman waiting for them right inside the front door. She looked Whit over thoroughly before stepping forward and offering her hand to Mona and then Whit.

“Good morning
, and welcome to Maverick. I hope your trip up was peaceful,” She said in a charming British accent. Mona smiled and nodded, while Whit stood as still as a statue. The woman looked toward her. “You must be Whitni Ballentine. It’s lovely to have you here for a visit. I’m Mrs. Audley, the assistant dean of students. You will meet Mr. Tolman, the headmaster, later in the day. Since you’re only here for a few hours, how about we start with a tour of the school?” Mrs. Audley turned to do just that before they had a chance to reply, and Mona and Whit scrambled after her.

Whit examined her as she led them down a hallway.
She was wearing a black, knee-length pencil skirt with a matching blazer, and appeared to be in her late thirties. From her rigid stance and the tightness of her well sculpted ponytail, Whit thought she must be a little up tight.

“Our school offers classes to students ranging in age from
nine to nineteen, depending on circumstance. Some of the classes are strictly for certain ages, whereas others are determined by the level of ability within the subject or course. All students are given a qualifying exam upon admittance to determine placement. Of course, some courses are mandatory for all Maverick students, like History of Specials. This class covers the histories of the different groups that make up Maverick. You will learn very valuable information in that course. Class time varies from 8 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon. We offer a variety of extracurricular activities as well. Any questions so far?” Mrs. Audley glanced over her shoulder at Whit and Mona, and continued imparting information when they remained quiet.

“This hallway is for students between the ages of
thirteen and nineteen. We find that most discipline problems fall within that range, and therefore put them closer to administration. Whitni, I understand you are sixteen, is this correct?” she asked. Whit nodded but remained silent, overwhelmed by this entire experience.

“What year are you currently at Martin Bradley High School?” she inquired.

“I’m a sophomore,” Whit replied politely.

“
Well then. The classes offered here are very similar to your current classes, with many of the same electives. Our purpose is to prepare students for college and the outside world. We take our responsibility very serious,” Mrs. Audley noted sternly.

Whit felt slightly confused by this tour.
She didn’t doubt Mrs. Audley’s statement that they took their responsibilities seriously, but wasn’t this a school for “special students?” Why wasn’t Mrs. Audley talking about that? Whit thought about asking her about the abilities certain students had, but the words wouldn’t move from her throat. She could barely answer the questions she was asked, and didn’t really want to try confronting this stern woman about the true purpose of the school.

Mrs. Audley stopped after about three doors
down, and gestured to the classroom on the left. She cracked the door silently and whispered, “This is one of our high-level science classes – Advanced Placement Chemistry. As you can see, we have state-of-the-art lab stations and students really do receive a hands-on education.”

Whit peeked through the crack and
saw that it looked like a typical science classroom. The lab stations were set up on one side of the room, while rows of desks took up the rest of the space. She glanced at the students, who looked normal. But all of those students were here for a reason. She knew that probably at least one of those students was a vampire. She examined each student, trying to find the one, but no one stood out.

Without waiting for her to close the door,
Mrs. Audley continued down the hall, divulging information about the other classes and their facilities. Then a bell rang and suddenly classroom doors were swinging open and students were spilling into the halls. They moved loudly down the hallway, but quieted when they spotted the assistant dean. Most traveled in groups like normal high school students. Mrs. Audley directed Mona and Whit to move into an alcove until after class change.

Whit
backed into the space and studied the students as they trekked to their next classes. Several students eyed her curiously, probably wondering what gift she had. Whit found she was wondering that very same thing about every student she saw. One particular guy caught Whit’s attention as he exited the classroom across the way from the alcove. All she could see was the back of his head, but there was something about that hair that made her pause. As he turned, Whit caught her breath, the guy from her dream. His sandy blond hair swung across his forehead and into his eyes. He was wearing jeans and a black polo, like many of the other boys, and fit in with the crowd. His gaze wandered over the niche where Whit was standing, and he looked at Whit for a few seconds with a twinkle in his eye before continuing down the hall with his friends. Whit watched him walk away, then turned and focused on the other students rushing to class.

Once the majority of students had cleared the halls, Mrs. Audley progressed with the tour.
She explained that many of the student advisors were free during this time of day, and that she wanted Whit to meet Mrs. McFaddin, the head adviser. The advisors’ offices were found on the fourth floor of the main building, which meant a hike up the stairwell. There was an elevator, but Mrs. Audley explained that because of its age, only students and faculty with physical handicaps were allowed to use it. Whit didn’t mind the steps, since she loved exercise and the way it relaxed her body, but not even the stairs could help her. Relaxing wasn’t an option today. She was simply too tense about this whole situation.

The fourth floor was divided into five areas.
Each area had numerous offices and was marked by small plaques on the wall. Mrs. Audley walked toward the area marked MIND. Mrs. McFaddin’s name was printed on a card above her open door. Once in front of the door, Whit could see Mrs. McFaddin sitting in a comfy-looking recliner. She appeared to be asleep. Whit thought she looked like a middle aged fairy, with wispy, shoulder-length brown hair. It looked like a cloud of frizz around her head. Mrs. Audley approached the office and knocked loudly.

“Mrs. McFaddin, I would like you to meet Whitni Ballentine.
Whitni will be attending Maverick soon and she will be one of your advisees. I thought it might be a good idea to introduce you two and give you a chance to talk for a few minutes. Is this a good time?” she asked.

Mrs. McFaddin grabbed a pair of glasses off her desk and slid then onto her nose.
“Now is a perfect time. Whitni, why don’t you come in and keep me company for a moment, while your aunt and our assistant dean talk over the forms and all that official records business?” she said, waving her hand for Whit to come in and sit down.

Whit moved into the office and sat down across from where Mrs. McFaddin was stretched out.
She glanced around the office, eyeing the books on the shelf next to her chair. Most of the books appeared to be about psychology and the brain, but Whit’s eyes froze as they collided with several titles that contained the word psychic.

“H
ow are you enjoying your visit so far?”

Whit wondered how exactly she was supposed to respond to that question.
Mrs. Audley acted like this was a normal school, so maybe they didn’t realize she already knew what it was actually about. “Everything seems to be pretty normal, similar to the school I go to now,” she stammered, feeling uncomfortable for about the hundredth time today.

“L
ooks can be deceiving you know,” Mrs. McFaddin said with a smirk. “I could do the small talk thing, but that really isn’t my style, so I’m going to jump right in. How much do you really know about Maverick?”

“Just a little bit
,” Whit answered. “My aunt told me a few things, but I’m having a hard time believing it.” She said glancing around the office to avoid eye contact.

“
How about I start by telling you a little about me then?” Mrs. McFaddin asked. Once Whit nodded, she continued. “I’ve been the counselor here for ten years. I also teach a class on extrasensory perception. Do you know what that is?” she asked with a tilt of her head.

“No, I don’t think I’ve
ever heard of it,” Whit replied with a shake of her head.

“Basically
, it means the same thing as being psychic. I teach students how to control and focus their unique gifts. It’s my gift as well. I know that your family also exhibits these skills. Is this correct?” she asked with a great amount of patience.

Whit wondered how many times Mrs. McFaddin had to talk to new students and ease them into talking about this school and their talents.
She looked at the floor and nodded. It was too hard to talk, so she remained silent, but something about acknowledging it to someone else made it feel … safer.

“Okay, I won’t force you into talking before
you’re ready. I will tell you though, that I had a vision about you. Would you like me to tell you about it?”

“I don’t know,” Whit whispered.

“That’s a fair response. Well, since you’re undecided, I think I’ll decide for you.” Mrs. McFaddin stopped talking and winked in Whit’s direction. “It was a happy vision, so it should actually ease your worries,” she said with a grin. “In my vision, it was a sunny day and you were on the quad, sitting with five other people in the shade of a big tree. I could tell you were close friends with these five by your body language. The whole group was huddled very close together, whispering and laughing. You smiled throughout the whole vision.” When Whit didn’t respond, Mrs. McFaddin decided to let that information sit for the time being.

“Well M
iss Whitni,” she said, “I think I hear footsteps. It must be your aunt and our illustrious Mrs. Audley. If you decide you need to talk or have any questions, feel free to call me or come see me. I’m always available to my students,” she said as she handed Whit a paper with her name and number scribbled on it.

“Thank you,” Whit said without thinking.
Even though the conversation had been awkward, she felt less tense. Mrs. McFaddin seemed like a genuinely nice person, and Whit felt a bit better knowing she was available if and when she needed her. Eventually, she thought she would probably find herself back in this office.

As Whit left the office,
she saw Mona and Mrs. Audley walking down the hall toward her. They were talking quietly, and Whit guessed they were discussing her and when she would start school here. When they reached her, they’d finished their conversation.

“The lunchroom is still serving lunch.
Are either of you hungry?” the assistant dean inquired politely.

“I think
that’s a wonderful idea, right Whit?” Mona answered, gazing at Whit with a questioning look.

“That’s fine
,” Whit replied. Without another word, they started down the stairway.

The Maverick cafeteria was in f
ull swing when Whit followed the assistant dean into the room. The octagon-shaped lunchroom had windows along four of the sides, so that it was brightly lit with natural sunlight. Whit wondered again how the vampires within the student body handled this sunlight. For that matter, did they even come to the cafeteria, or did they go drink blood elsewhere? Whit shook her head to clear her thoughts. She noticed that the tables were arranged in the usual rows, and looked just like the ones at Martin Bradley. She continued to follow Mrs. Audley and her aunt until they reached the various lines for food options. Mrs. Audley explained that lunch was included in tuition, and pointed out the signs describing the food served in each line. Mona and Mrs. Audley opted for the hot lunch of meatloaf and mashed potatoes, while Whit wondered over to the salad bar line and continued to look around curiously. She noticed some of the students watching her, obviously interested in the new girl touring the campus. It was always the same at a new school, it seemed.

“Hi,” someone
said from behind Whit. She ignored the greeting, assuming they weren’t talking to her. She realized she was wrong when she felt a light tap on her shoulder.

“Hey, you new to
Maverick?” Whit spun around and saw a petite blond with a smile. She stared for a moment, because the girl was tiny and so beautiful. She had blond hair that cascaded down her back in thick curls. Whit knew that her brown own chin-length hair probably looked like she’d just gotten out of bed in comparison. The girl’s skin was so pale and blemish free that Whit was automatically jealous of such perfection. She was wearing jeans and a clingy black top that most likely had every guy in the school panting.

“Just visiting today, but yeah soon
,” Whit replied with a lift of her eyebrows. “Taking the tour today.”

“It’s a lot to take in,”
the girl said with a nod. “I’m Ellie.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Whit,
” she said as she grabbed a plate and started piling random vegetables on it. She wasn’t really paying attention to what she was getting.

“W
hat grade are you in and when do you start?” Ellie asked as she started making her own salad.

Whit snorted at the run-together questions.
“Sophomore, and I don’t really know when I’m going to start.”