space. A silhouette of a boy on a skateboard heads toward us from a distant corner. When he kicks up his board in front of us, I recognize him immediately from Macey’s description—Quinn Hayes. She’ll be so devastated when she finds out he won’t be in biology class anymore. I hope it might help Xavier’s cause, at the very least.
“Hey, Ms. Mona.” He pushes back his blonde dreads and leans on his board. It’s not like any skateboard I’ve ever seen. The three-wheel design looks like an old, funky spaceship with cogs and pipes.
“Quinn.” Mona nods her head. “How are you adjusting?” she asks him.
“Dude, I mean, Ms. Mona, it’s awesome!”
“This is Seraphina, my niece.” Mona gestures toward me.
“Just, Sera.” I wave my hand in an arch.
“Hey, just Sera.” His smile is brilliant against his bronzed skin, and I immediately understand Macey’s attraction. He looks back at Mona. “Gabe sent me down to ask you to wait in the study. He’s running late.” Quinn points to a room off to the right.
Mona thanks him. He hops on his board. With two quick shoves from his free foot, he rolls away, melding, once again, into a silhouette. “Later!” he yells back over his shoulder.
We sit quietly in the study for a while. “Sorry, Gabe always feels like he has to make an entrance. I’m sure that’s why he is keeping us,” she explains.
“Why would he do that?”
“Doesn’t everyone love an audience?” a man announces, as he appears at the door. He laughs as he approaches Mona and gives her two air kisses. “Don’t you think my Mona Lisa?” he asks her.
“Oh, most definitely,” she says. Together they turn toward me. “Gabe, this is my niece, Seraphina,” she says.
“Seraphina. I’m so glad to finally meet you. I’m Gabe, the Activities Director,” he says shaking my hand.
I look at Mona then back at Gabe. I size him up. His elaborate outfit looks like something from a runway show in New York. You know, the kind of outfit where you ask yourself, “Who would ever wear such a thing?” I definitely have my answer.
“I plan parties, outings, and many other activities for the students. It’s my job to make sure everyone is having a fabulous time!” he explains with a flip of his hand.
“Really?”
“Oh, yes! You’re absolutely going to love it here. I’ll make sure of it.”
“Follow me,” he says then bounces off around the corner.
When we catch up with him, he’s primping in a nearby mirror, crunching his light yellow curls. He swings around to face us. “Sorry, just a maintenance check.”
He clasps his hands together, signaling the beginning of our tour. “Here you see we have a beautiful indoor pool.” He gestures toward the atrium.
The glass archway from the lobby extends into a T shape behind the building. The pool, shimmering in morning light, sits against a wall of glass with iron details.
Gabe’s hands flutter toward the ceiling. “It’s lovely because this space is absolutely fabulous for parties—which, I, of course, am in charge of.” He smiles his perfect, gleaming white smile and continues, “in fact, there’s a soirée this evening for all the students to mingle. You must attend, Seraphina,” he says and grabs my hands in his.
“Um—definitely.” I say as I look at Mona for permission and she nods, yes. “Cool.”
“Now, first things first,” he looks at his watch, “you’re due to meet with the big cheese—five minutes ago,” he says and quickly takes off through a series of halls.
As we follow him, I’m careful to take in my surroundings. Gold nameplates mark the owners of faculty offices. We pass a glass wall with a hundred TVs behind it. Visibly, it’s some kind of security room. Compound is the word that comes to mind. No matter the building’s beauty, I feel some unease. Should I be skeptical of this place?
Gabe pushes through a set of carved doors at the end of the hall. Anxious, I follow closely behind.
::12::
A
“Hey, Ms. Mona.” He pushes back his blonde dreads and leans on his board. It’s not like any skateboard I’ve ever seen. The three-wheel design looks like an old, funky spaceship with cogs and pipes.
“Quinn.” Mona nods her head. “How are you adjusting?” she asks him.
“Dude, I mean, Ms. Mona, it’s awesome!”
“This is Seraphina, my niece.” Mona gestures toward me.
“Just, Sera.” I wave my hand in an arch.
“Hey, just Sera.” His smile is brilliant against his bronzed skin, and I immediately understand Macey’s attraction. He looks back at Mona. “Gabe sent me down to ask you to wait in the study. He’s running late.” Quinn points to a room off to the right.
Mona thanks him. He hops on his board. With two quick shoves from his free foot, he rolls away, melding, once again, into a silhouette. “Later!” he yells back over his shoulder.
We sit quietly in the study for a while. “Sorry, Gabe always feels like he has to make an entrance. I’m sure that’s why he is keeping us,” she explains.
“Why would he do that?”
“Doesn’t everyone love an audience?” a man announces, as he appears at the door. He laughs as he approaches Mona and gives her two air kisses. “Don’t you think my Mona Lisa?” he asks her.
“Oh, most definitely,” she says. Together they turn toward me. “Gabe, this is my niece, Seraphina,” she says.
“Seraphina. I’m so glad to finally meet you. I’m Gabe, the Activities Director,” he says shaking my hand.
I look at Mona then back at Gabe. I size him up. His elaborate outfit looks like something from a runway show in New York. You know, the kind of outfit where you ask yourself, “Who would ever wear such a thing?” I definitely have my answer.
“I plan parties, outings, and many other activities for the students. It’s my job to make sure everyone is having a fabulous time!” he explains with a flip of his hand.
“Really?”
“Oh, yes! You’re absolutely going to love it here. I’ll make sure of it.”
“Follow me,” he says then bounces off around the corner.
When we catch up with him, he’s primping in a nearby mirror, crunching his light yellow curls. He swings around to face us. “Sorry, just a maintenance check.”
He clasps his hands together, signaling the beginning of our tour. “Here you see we have a beautiful indoor pool.” He gestures toward the atrium.
The glass archway from the lobby extends into a T shape behind the building. The pool, shimmering in morning light, sits against a wall of glass with iron details.
Gabe’s hands flutter toward the ceiling. “It’s lovely because this space is absolutely fabulous for parties—which, I, of course, am in charge of.” He smiles his perfect, gleaming white smile and continues, “in fact, there’s a soirée this evening for all the students to mingle. You must attend, Seraphina,” he says and grabs my hands in his.
“Um—definitely.” I say as I look at Mona for permission and she nods, yes. “Cool.”
“Now, first things first,” he looks at his watch, “you’re due to meet with the big cheese—five minutes ago,” he says and quickly takes off through a series of halls.
As we follow him, I’m careful to take in my surroundings. Gold nameplates mark the owners of faculty offices. We pass a glass wall with a hundred TVs behind it. Visibly, it’s some kind of security room. Compound is the word that comes to mind. No matter the building’s beauty, I feel some unease. Should I be skeptical of this place?
Gabe pushes through a set of carved doors at the end of the hall. Anxious, I follow closely behind.
::12::
A
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