Disclaimer: I don't own rights to The Darkest Power Trilogy.
Chapter Two: Injury
Chloe felt like the dorms at Lyle were quite prestigious; quaint but clearly expensive. She wanted to scope out the dorms more and see if after looking at them by herself whether she still had the same impression. She tiptoed out of bed in the night and walked to the kitchen once she left her room.
Water was on her mind. A nice refreshing drink. As Chloe headed towards the kitchen she decided to get a large cup. After retrieving it she wandered the halls. Then she noticed a room light on. The fog coloured glass prevented her from peeking so she decided to be courageous and enter.
To her surprise, what she found was shocking. The large boy from before wasn't large like the way she thought. He was muscular and tall. Dare she say it, he looked rather good. His now greasy hair was tied back and his panting from exercise seemed overly addicting to Chloe. The 'good' side of Chloe quickly pushed the idea out.
He clicked the off button on the treadmill and sat on a bench relaxing his arms as he stretched out his legs.
"Hi." Chloe said timidly. He looked up at her and then back at his legs.
"Here." she said as she handed him her glass.
He glanced at it skeptically.
"It's not poisoned D-Derek." She said as his name came out with hesitance.
He took it and pulled out his own bottle and drank it in large gulps. The ice cold water feeling wonderful as he swallowed.
Chloe continued to watch carefully to see what else he would do or maybe even say. Although she began feeling slightly ridiculous thinking he hadn't brought his own.
He grunted and she assumed it may have been a 'thanks but no thanks' sort of reply. His cheeks that were fading in heat from his jog grew back quickly as he noticed Chloe's stares.
He wanted to hide from her gaze quickly as her blue orbs reflected a different essence than any other girl's before.
"Night." she softly before rushing out.
Chloe sighed and walked back around the upper floor.
Her heart beat was slowing back down to it's original rhythm and she questioned her sanity for thinking that maybe, just maybe, Derek would speak to her.
In the morning, Chloe woke up to singing in the shower, particularly good singing.
"Liz?" Called Chloe.
"Shower!" she hollered back. "Go on ahead."
"I need a shower too."
After a few moments of waiting and flipping through the pages of a novel, a clanging bang resonated from within the shower.
"Liz
"Hey Chloe, could you get me some ice?" she asked in a voice that sounded like she was holding back a groan.
"I'm gunna help you. Hold on." Chloe attempted to unlock the door but to no avail. It seemed like her nonexistent history of lock picking finally caught up with her.
Chloe dashed out of their room in search of someone who could help. She checked the kitchen to find Simon and Derek eating. With Chloe's evident panic written over her face, Simon immediately stopped eating to decipher Chloe's cause of such distress.
Should Chloe ask Simon and Derek? Scratch that. Only Simon. No, that would be bad. Telling a guy she barely knew to pick a lock to help a distressed naked teen in the shower. Sure he may understand but she didn't quite trust him yet.
"R-Rachelle. Is sh-sh-she around? D-Do-" Chloe said quickly almost in a slur of words overly rushed.
"Slow down." Simon told her which only made her more nervous. It was one thing for adults to say it and another for someone around her age to say it.
Chloe breathed out an annoyed sigh. Calming herself down she asked again, slowly, enunciating each word.
"Room 113. Why?"
Chloe debated whether or not to tell the truth but the concern in Simon's voice convinced her otherwise.
He nodded slowly. Internalizing what her reasons were.
"Yeah, Rachelle can really help you here. Locks are her talent aside from other things." He said trailing off. "If that doesn't work, Derek could probably break the door down." He said playfully.
Derek worked out and he seemed rather muscular. Chloe didn't doubt that Derek couldn't break down the door. She smiled and said, "If Derek's was willing to."
Derek had now stopped eating to listen in on the conversation. His gaze intensified as Chloe said his name. A shiver running down his back at her calling him. He felt an urge to interrupt the conversation but held back.
"Anyways," she continued, "Thanks alot Simon." She said with a grin before running to find room 113. She then ran out in search for Rachelle.
On her prompt arrival to her door, Chloe fidgeted. What if she didn't answer? What if she said no. Worried clouded her judgment as she hesitated.
"What are you doing? If you're here to get her, then knock." he growled.
When she turned she flinched back crying out in a tiny high pitched yelp.
"Skittish as a kitten." the deep voice rumbled.
Suddenly there was knocking.
"Umm." Chloe said dumbly. It was the only word that left her lips. Questions such as 'Why are you here?' or 'How did you get here so quietly?' were the most important to her at the moment but neither were asked.
"Simon." he said quietly. Which Chloe assumed was the one who sent her.
When Rachelle answered the door she began to glare at the glowering teen before her.
"What?" she spat.
Derek said nothing, he mumbled an inaudible sentence then left.
Chloe mentally reminded herself to never ask Derek to do something that required conversing. Then again, he was at least nice enough to knock.
When Rachelle turned her attention to the much smaller body standing at her doorway her face grew less contorted.
"Yes?" she asked in a slightly snarky tone.
"Hi, Rachelle. Liz got hurt in the bathroom. Can you pick the lock?"
Rachelle nodded then dragged Chloe in the direction of the room in question. On their way, she corrected Chloe.
"Rae."
"Huh?"
"I prefer Rae."
"S-sorry." she stammered. "Rae it is." she managed with a faint smile.
As she reached the bathroom door, she began using odd metals and devices to open the door. As Rae did she began to speak. "So, what's your name?"
"Chloe."
"What …. got you into the …. school?" she asked in a few fragmented breaths as she snapped a card then removed it adding something new to the lock.
"I wanted a new place. Dad let me."
"Money. I see. I got in the same way."
"What do you mean?"
"There's only certain people accepted in this Academy; the rich or the intelligent. Maybe there's a third category that I don't know about but my dad is the Principal so there's my 'in'."
With small clicks here and there, the door knob tumbled to the floor.
Chloe's eyes popped in surprise wondering why unlocking the door led to taking the handle off.
"I couldn't get the lock so I just did the nob. With a shove, the door swung open.
Liz looked up at her savoirs with utter glee. Rae turned the shower off and Chloe handed Liz a towel and supported her to the bed.
"What happened."
Liz burst into tears. "Rae, it happened again." she sobbed.
Rae cursed under her breath. More concern showering over her than before.
"Again?" Chloe asked.
With Liz's approval Rae began to explain.
"There's this poltergeist that follows Liz. Depending on her mood, the ghost tends to throw things."
Liz spoke up to explain more to clarify for the confused Chloe.
"I was thinking of my grandma. I miss her and then pow! The bottle exploded and I slipped. God, my ankle hurts."
"Need some ice?" Rae asked.
"Oh yeah, I'll get some ice." Chloe said as she left the room slightly shaken.
"Poltergeist." she said allowed.
Chloe attempted to think things through. It didn't look like Liz was lying but a ghost blew a shampoo bottle up? For what? Don't ghosts haunt things, not move objects and blow things up.
Was it possible?
Returning to the kitchen, Simon awaited her arrival and tossed her a bag of ice.
"How did you-"
"Dunno. Derek said you needed it."
Chloe scanned the room for Derek but he seemed to have left. Simon quickly noticed.
"Probably went for a walk. He does that alot."
"I wasn't-"
"Going to ask? Well my brother may not be the friendliest but he sure is interesting." he told her with a large grin.
Talking about his brother appeared to make Simon shine. It was obvious that he admired his brother. It made her want to know just a little bit about Derek. What really made him so great?
With the ice handed over to Liz, the injured blonde decided to hobble her way with Chloe and Rae to the clinic.
"Later Liz." Chloe said reassuringly. "Get some proper treatment for that and I'll come back for you. Just text me."
The usually excitable blonde nodded slowly and said goodbye. She wanted to ask Chloe to stay but felt as though it would be too much of a burden for the new girl to babysit her.
After a few hours Chloe began to worry. Liz hadn't texted her. Was she okay? Did she go out? As Chloe finally formed a resolve to go to the clinic to check a ping sounded from Chloe's phone and she quickly checked her message.
It read:
Hey Chloe, I'll stay the night with Victoria. Don't worry.
Chloe eased into a chair and relaxed. Now she had no reason to be worried. Victoria, whom she assumed was Tori, would take care of Liz. There was no need to be concerned.
Liz would be safe.