Chapter Five
If I thought Yuri had freaked, then Taylor was way past it. After telling her that I had a proposition for her money problems, she’d immediately asked us to cease conversation until we got to her headquarters. Her headquarters however, resembled more of a computer lab— minus the graffiti drawings and anime posters on the wall. Taylor had found the perfect spot on campus that the guards or teachers wouldn’t dare think to look. Far off behind the athletic department a few feet in the woods sat the building for the school’s custodian staff, and beneath it was an abandon basement that apparently had been boarded up since forever.
“Okay, so let me get this straight.” Taylor said her voice filled with laugher after I’d told her everything including about our past robberies. “You two want me to help you break into a highly secured museum to steal a painting that is in France. Did I get that right?”
“You forgot the part about it being cursed and being presented by the Queen of England, and did I mention we plan on stealing it that night.” Yuri said all nonchalant while tapping on one of Taylor’s computer gadgets. “How did you sneak all of this down here without anyone seeing?”
“I simply loaded them and myself onto the carts the janitors push during lunch. It took four trips to get everything down here.” Taylor said folding her arms. “You guys are serious, aren’t you?”
Taylor wanted me to say no, but I couldn’t. She was the best at what she does. We needed her. So I simply nodded.
Taylor shook her head. “This is insane. I know you guys have robbed stuff before, but you’re talking about a museum. What if the painting really is cursed? I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready to die.”
“Hey, you’re the one who said you need the money. Autumn and I can swing it without you, but we really want you to help us.”
The room was silent for a while before Taylor agreed to help us. “Fine, I’ll help you. But I want my money up front. You can pay me half now and the other half when we get the painting. Deal.”
“Deal.” Yuri and I agreed.
Standing in front of my bathroom mirror, I wiped the fog off as I tied the extra towel around my hair. I had the room to myself thanks to Yuri hanging out with Mark. The usual vomit reflex came to me as I thought of Mark. What was it that truly made me sick to my stomach about him? There were plenty of guys Yuri had dated that I didn’t like, but for some reason Mark took the cake. Anyway, as soon as the sun was up good, she high tailed it out of here to him.
Walking out the bathroom I walked over to the window and stared down into the courtyard, I watched a group of guys play toss football as some girls sat near them cheering. Moving my eyes away, they came to focus on something or should I say someone entirely different. Micah Martin sat on a bench up under a tree staring at a notebook.
A certain feeling came over me and before I knew it, I was stripping out of my towel and throwing on my clothes. Micah Martin was alone and this could be my chance to finally talk to him. Maybe even find out why I was so interested in him. I hurried out of my dorm and made my way over to him. The temperature today wasn’t as hot as it been the past two weeks. There was coolness to the air, perfect weather for a dress I’d bought this summer. As I got closer to Micah, I waved to a couple of my friends and even people I hardly knew. It always made me feel ashamed the way their face would be filled with surprise at me speaking to them
Finally, I was in front of Micah. He was so into whatever he was drawing that he seemed to be unaware that I was standing there. I didn’t mind though. It gave me a chance to stare at him without him noticing. Surprisingly, he wasn’t sporting one of those nerdy graphic tees he had been wearing lately, even though I secretly admitted to myself that some of them were quite funny. Today though, he was dressed in a gray V-neck, a pair of blue jeans, and some sneakers.
“Hello.”
Micah looked up startled before his dark brown eyes narrowed on me. Giving him one of my best smiles, I watched as his eyes gave me a once over. “Hi.” He then turned his attention back to his drawing. Had I been a sensitive person, his actions would have seriously offended me or worst sent me running away in embarrassment. As it were, I was thick skinned and I didn’t believe in running, even if I was being chased by a mob of zombies.
“What are you drawing?”
Micah stared at me again for a moment before answering. “Nothing.” He flipped his book closed and stuffed it in his bag.
Okay, so maybe this was a bad idea. I had nothing I really wanted to talk about, and it was obvious he felt the same way. “Look, I just wanted to apologize for last week. I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that. That’s all I wanted to say.” Giving up, I turned around to leave.
“Autumn.”
I turned around shock that he knew my name, and thrilled about the way he said it. His voice was like smooth silk, and as he said my name, I pictured the silk wrapping around it, caressing it.
“You didn’t need to apologize. I understand. You were in a rush. It happens.”
“Still, the least I could have did was helped you up. After all, you caught me from permanently damaging my face with the ground.”
Micah smiled then. Oh my. His teeth were pearly white and even. He could model for a Colgate commercial. “Your face colliding with the walkway would have improved the walkway.”
We both froze as we stared at each other. Did I really just hear him call me beautiful? Granted the words weren’t outright “you’re beautiful,” but the meaning was there. I heard it, and apparently he did as well.
Feeling the butterflies thumped to life in my stomach, I tried to detour us from this awkward situation. “So Micah, you know who I am. What category do your parents fall into?”
Micah smiled, glad for change of subject. “It’s funny you should ask that, my parents fall into neither category.” At my confused look, he laughed. “My father is a mechanic and my mother owns a flower shop.”
“Oh.” I said still confused. Everyone at this school was either the child of a royal or a politician. This was why our school was so exclusive and heavily guarded. So what was Micah doing here? “That’s Cool.”
“You don’t have to say that. I know I’m not what you guys are used to around here.”
I stared at the ground uncomfortably as I moved a piece of hair behind my ear. “So why are you here?”
“How about we save that story for another time?” Without giving me a chance to answer, Micah picked up his bag, throwing it over his shoulder. “I’ve got to go. I promised Paige I would meet her and some friends at the movie theater.”
I pursed my lips together at the bitter taste of Paige’s name coming from his lips. I could have been a little malicious and made up some nauseating rumor about Paige to make Micah stay, but instead I decided not to. Paige was an idiot. She would end up making herself look bad with or without my help.
Putting on a smile I said. “Ok okay, well see you around.”
Turning on my heels, I made my way from Micah. The slight wind had ruffled my hair as I turned back to stare over my shoulder at him. Imagine the surprise I felt when I notice he was still in the same position, staring directly at me. Feeling my face flush, I gave a little wiggle of my fingers and continued walking.
As I walked past the group of boys I’d seen playing football earlier, I began to chastise myself. I was getting googly feelings about Micah and I didn’t like it. Googly feelings usually lead to vulnerability and I hated to feel vulnerable. But I had to admit, I enjoyed the feeling of butterflies in my stomach. The feeling was foreign to me, and I couldn’t help but want to know more about it.
As I headed across the campus, I caught sight of something red on the track. Moving closer, I realized that it was Kerry Diamond. Today was a free day, and yet she was spending her free time doing this. As she neared me, I noticed the worried expression on her face. It was an expressi
on I knew all too well. Kerry had gotten herself into something she had no idea how to get out of. I didn’t know her, but I knew that expression.
Pulling out my phone, I dialed Taylor’s number.
“Hello.”
“Give me everything you can find out on Kerry Diamond.”
Kerry Diamond was crying for help, and I was going to save her.