2.
Max, Liz, Michael, Isabel, and Tess all sat at the school bleachers near the football field a couple days later. Michael sat above Isabel and lightly massaged her shoulders.
"I should've been there," said Michael.
"It wouldn't have mattered," said Max. "Had you been there it most likely would have been worse."
"He's right," said Isabel. "My dad most likely would've tried to kill you given the mood he was in."
"Still I shouldn't have let you go through it alone."
"She wasn't alone," Max added.
Michael looked at Max. "Sorry Maxwell, I keep forgetting you're actually on our side."
"Well you need all the allies you can get. We only have each other."
The bell rang and they got up to go to class, Michael and Isabel doing so reluctantly.
Having taken her seat in astronomy, Isabel was fidgeting in her bag when she heard someone enter who was not Mr. Seligman.
"Clearly I am not Mr. Seligman."
Isabel jumped at the sound of that voice. It was one she had come to know through her dreams. As she looked up to confirm her suspicions Kivar looked in her direction and smiled a friendly smile.
"I'm Kevin Andrews. As you all may have heard, Mr. Seligman and his wife were in a car accident on their way from a weekend trip in Ruidoso. His wife died in the crash but Mr. Seligman remains critical condition. It's touch and go at this point. As a result I will be taking over for the remainder of the semester."
"I think I'm gonna be sick," Isabel whispered.
Without asking for permission she got up and left the classroom.
Kevin placed his hands against the desk in the front of the room. "Guess she's not too fond of the new guy."
The class laughed everyone except Michael who rose from his seat and simply said, "Maybe I should go check on her."
Kivar watched as Michael followed Isabel. It would be so easy to kill him. The headlines would read 'Substitute Teacher Shoots and Kills 3 Students, Kidnaps 4th.' Of course maybe he'd have to add in a few other students to the body count whom he didn't know this way it would seem as if the murders were random and not targeted to a specific group of outsiders.
As much as Kivar wanted to see the members of the Royal Four dead he had to think strategically and currently that meant playing the role of a boring old high school teacher in the middle of nowhere.
