Part 2:
Ulterior Motives

Chapter 7: Back to Work

September 9th

(ISABEL)

"Isabel! Despierta, querida!"

The sound of her mother's voice was enough to make Isabel Castille try to bury her head deeper into her pillows. She didn't know what time it was. She did know her mother was yelling at her to get up, but that was the last thing she wanted to do. No, she just wanted to stay here, where it was warm and comfortable and-

"Isabel!"

It wasn't meant to be. Isabel pounded her pillow.

"Estoy hasta, la madre!" she shouted back, allowing some of her irritation to show. She usually called her mom "Mom." She only became "mother" when she was vexed. Of course…Isabel was starting to feel like she was often vexed. It didn't seem like it used to be that way. She wondered what had changed…but not for long. There was too much else to do.

"Are you dressed yet?" her mother, Noel, called from downstairs. There's no pleasing this woman Isabel thought, her brain still hazy from having just woken up.

"Not yet Mom!" she shouted back, again in English. While the Castilles spoke Spanish at home from time to time, they still primarily communicated in English. "We're Americans" her father, Alfonso, was fond of saying. "We have to talk like Americans."

"Hurry up!" her mother shouted back. "Breakfast is almost ready!"

That was enough to hurry Isabel along. Not an especially Mexican way to start the morning, but her mother made the best pancakes in the State as far as Isabel was concerned.

There were, of course, some important decisions to make beforehand, though. Like deciding what she was going to wear to school. Until a few years ago, Isabel hadn't been too concerned by what she wore. For one thing, her mother said she had a natural fashion sense. For another…it just hadn't been that big a deal. Isabel more or less picked clothing at random and it worked.

Something girly today Isabel decided. There was a nice, pinkish red dress she was especially partial to. Yeah, this, and this…perfect.

And so the head of Countermeasures was ready for school.

(KIRK)

Breakfast with the Godivas was an interesting affair. Helena Godiva, Kirk's grandmother, had some bizarre aversion toward meat in the morning. He had no idea why, and further had no idea how to ask. He suspected it'd just become one of those things he'd have to deal with living here.

It wasn't all that bad, of course. The Godivas were big believers in fruit, so there were oranges, apples, and bananas to choose from. Lily had picked an apple, something Kirk really wanted to remark about, but couldn't. He picked a banana. It was quick and easy.

It was a lot simpler than breakfast with his dad. Kenneth Abel was a big believer in big breakfasts, so at home he was used to starting off with a muffin (which for some unfathomable reason they insisted on calling "biscuits" here), bangers (which had the bland but at least logical name "sausage"), and bacon, which may or may not have been accompanied by rashers (which they called "hash browns" here, a name he found a bit more appetizing). Mainly, Kirk liked it because it was the one meal his dad was accomplished at cooking.

"So, what's in store for you today, Lily?" her mother asked.

Lily was in the process of cutting up her apple. She didn't look up, focusing instead on eviscerating her fruit. "Well, you know, same…stuff, different day. Mainly I'm looking forward to getting home tonight. Then I can actually get some real work done…there" she added, setting down her knife having successfully pared her fruit. The cuts weren't especially neat, but then again, his aunt wasn't an especially precise person.

"What about you, Kirk?" his grandmother asked next. "Anything exciting in store for you?"
Kirk shook his head. "No, not that I know of."

"How do you like American school?"
Kirk shrugged. "Oh, I like it well enough, but I don't think I'm very good at it."

Lily looked at him in puzzlement. "What makes you say that?"

"Well…they want me to come back again today." It was the kind of joke his dad would've told. Normally it would've elicited a groan from Kirk, but he found it was better to give terrible humor than it was to receive it.

Helena Godiva looked mildly perplexed by this train of logic. Lily snorted. "What're we gonna do with you?"

"I don't understand" his grandmother said, still puzzled. "Of course they want you to go back. That's how school-"

"Don't worry about it, Mom" Lily said. She leaned over and kissed her mother, then turned to her nephew. "See ya later, Kirk" she said with a smile.

Kirk returned it. "You too!"

And another day began in another household.

(ISABEL)

It was, Isabel decided, rather like one those Japanese companies you saw on TV from time to time. The boss shows up for work, and everyone's waiting for him with a smile on their face. Well, waiting for her in this case Isabel decided.

"Good morning, Isabel" said Thomas, smiling at her.

"Thomas" she replied with a smile. "Good morning."

"You look nice today" said Alex. "That dress looks really good on you."

"Thank you" Isabel replied, smiling at her friend. She did like this dress, truth be told. She liked to feel like a girl, every now and then. Not so for Alex; she always seemed to dress in such a way as to be as unflattering as possible. Isabel didn't understand it, but that was Alex. Poor, plain Alex Isabel thought, shaking her head. Content to fade into the background.

"Izzy!" someone else shouted. Isabel looked to see Violet and Amy walking toward her and her friends, Violet waving excitedly. "I'm so glad you're feeling better!"

"Thanks" said Isabel, looking down at her shorter classmate. "Me too."

Her illness had come as a complete surprise, and that had been worrying enough as it was. After all, what if she was sick because of It? She'd called Thomas the night before to float that suggestion, but he'd just chuckled after she'd described her symptoms.

"It's nerves, Isabel. You're worried. That's all it is."

Well, she certainly felt better now, Isabel decided, and it was nice to bask in the glow of her friends' love. She was glad she had people like this to count on…

August 8th

(ISABEL)

Isabel stared at the letter, her hands trembling. "No..." she whispered.

Noel Castille rounded the corner and found her daughter standing in the doorway. "Que te pasa, me querida?" she asked.

Isabel didn't respond. She couldn't. Instead, she simply handed the letter to her mother, not even looking at her.

Noel scanned the letter. "This is your schedule for this year, mi amore. What's the pro-Madre de dios!" she exclaimed, when she reached the part causing her daughter so much grief. "Alfonso!"

The urgency in his wife's voice brought Isabel's father running. "Noel, what's the matter?" he asked, looking between his wife and his daughter. "Is everything okay?"

"Look!" Noel exclaimed, thrusting the letter in his face.

Alfonso had to scan the page for a few seconds before he saw it, but when he did, Isabel saw her father's eyes widen behind his glasses.

"No…" he said quietly, unconsciously echoing his daughter's own reaction. "Not again…"

September 9th

(ISABEL)

Isabel shook her head. This nightmare had begun over a month ago, but so far, things had gone according to plan

And if we're lucky, things will stay that way.

(KIRK)

For obvious reasons Lily couldn't give Kirk a ride to or from school. Kirk thought it was a little absurd: Thomas and Sherry already knew she was his aunt, and he lived next door to that Alexandria girl, so there was no telling how long it'd take her to put two and two together, if she hadn't already, but still, appearances had to be kept up.

His grandmother had offered to give him a ride in the Godiva family station wagon, but Kirk had declined. It was a nice day, it wasn't far, and he felt like walking to school.

That meant he got to school a good half hour before class actually started. With that information in mind, Kirk decided he could play around a little with his departure time. He was just glad the doors were…

"What's this?" he wondered aloud, staring at the door. Try as he might, he couldn't get the thing to budge. Maybe I'm not supposed to be here this early after all.

"Hey, newbie, scan your badge" said a voice behind him.

Turning, Kirk saw a boy about his own age, with evenly cut dirty-blond hair and a self-assured look on his face. There was something familiar about this one, but he couldn't quiet place it.

"I'm sorry?" Kirk asked, blinking at him in confusion.

"Your badge, newbie" the other boy said in exasperation. He pulled a small plastic card from his own pocket and waved it in front of a small plastic box next to the door. There was a click, and the other boy pulled the door open.

"Oh. Thanks" Kirk said, starting to follow the boy inside.

The other boy held up his hand. "Uh-uh, newbie, you gotta scan in too. Otherwise, security will come and get you."

"What? Why?"
The boy rolled his eyes. "Jesus, don't you watch the news? Didn't you hear about what happened here last year?"

Kirk was now thoroughly confused. "No?"
"Well, just swipe your badge. It's not hard, newbie."

Kirk did as instructed, then followed the other boy into the building. "Thanks for clearing that up for me. I'm-"

"Kirk Abel, the limey foreign exchange student" the other boy replied. "I know, we're in the same homeroom."
"What's your name?" Kirk asked, trying to be friendly, but finding himself fighting an uphill battle.

"Lincoln" the other boy replied. "Now go on, find someplace else to be. I've got…things I need to get done." Without another word, Lincoln turned and walked off down the corridor.

Kirk stared after him. "That was…weird" he muttered, before heading in the opposite direction.

Kirk had always had a good memory; as a result, he'd more or less memorized the school on his tour with Sherry the previous day. So…Up two flights of stairs, down the hallway, hang a right, past the water fountain, and…Here Kirk thought, stepping into the library.

This particular room was in reality several, spread across much of the third floor. Each section was accorded its own alcove, and there were tables and chairs scattered among the shelves, apparently for students to grab a book and immediately start reading it. Kirk decided he liked this room.

And sitting at one such table was…

"Nice to see a friendly face" Kirk said, setting his backpack down next to Holly's. "Do you mind?"
Holly looked at him in genuine confusion, her sketch book open in front of her. She seemed to be drawing some sort of doll. "What are you doing?"

"Well, I'm being polite and asking before I just sit down. I don't know about in America, but in England we call that common courtesy."

Holly blinked at him, her one visible eye fixed on him, brown and liquid, her eye patch obscured by her hair. "Well, yes, that's correct. But…why here? Why me?"
"We're classmates, aren't we? I'm just trying to get to know you better."

"But are you sure you want to be doing that?" Holly asked.

Kirk didn't know how to respond to that. "Would I be here if I weren't?" he asked.

Holly seemed to accept that at face value. "Fair enough. But don't say I didn't try."

"Try what, Holly?"

"I told you yesterday, getting to know me wouldn't be a good idea. For me or for you."

"What are you-?" Kirk's question was interrupted by the arrival of a third student, a small girl with dark hair she wore in two braids down either side of her head, her hair parted precisely down the middle; her appearance, much like Holly's, put Kirk immediately in mind of a doll, albeit a doll of a different kind. She looked from Holly to Kirk and back again through thick, oval-rimmed glasses.

"Holly and…Kirk, isn't it?" the girl asked.

Kirk nodded. "Yes, that's right, uh-"

The new girl blinked. "Oh. Right, how rude of me. Carly. Carly Tachibana." She held out her hand. "Pleased to meet you…officially, that is."

"What do you mean-?"

"Carly's in Room three-nineteen as well" Holly explained. "She sits in the back, next to Nolan Fletcher."

Carly nodded. "That's right. I heard your introduction yesterday. You're not a very confident speaker, if you don't mind me saying so." Kirk didn't read any malice behind that; it was a statement of a fact. She wasn't trying to be rude… she was just doing it accidently

"You didn't say anything then" Kirk replied. "At least, I don't remember you…"

"Carly usually has her nose in a book" Holly explained, smiling faintly. "And she gets two periods a day here in the library, the lucky duckling."

Lucky…duckling? Kirk wondered, but didn't question Holly's turn of phrase.

"Oh, well, I like it here" Carly replied, somewhat embarrassed. "It's quiet, and calm. Just me and the books. Not many people come in here. Not after last year, anyway…" She paused. "I thought I saw you reading yesterday. What kind of books do you like?" she asked.

"I'm a big horror guy. King, Matheson, Poe. You know, the big ones. And a friend just started me on Lovecraft. What about you?"

Carly nodded. "I see. Me, I'm more into fantasy and…erm, romances…" Her face reddened a little. "Anyway, since you're a reader too, you oughta join me and my friend Trip. We have a book club that meets here Wednesday afternoons. It's not an official club, but…it's a lot of fun, I promise." She smiled faintly.

"Sounds interesting. I may check it out" Kirk allowed, realizing this was the third such invitation he'd gotten in two days and class hadn't even started yet. These people are extremely friendly he thought, except when it comes to this Countermeasures business…or last year.

Just then one of the doors at the opposite end of the library slammed loudly shut. All three of them whirled around to see what had happened. Kirk thought he caught a glimpse of something red darting past one of the windows.

"What was that?" Kirk asked.

The two girls exchanged a worried look.

"You should go" Holly said.

"What?"

"I told you it was a bad idea to talk to me" Holly said. "Now I'm telling you to leave."

Carly looked at the other girl. "Holly…"

Holly looked at her. "You know the rules. He can't be here."

Carly seemed to think about it, then sighed in resignation. "You're right." She turned to Kirk. "Sorry, but I have to ask you to leave. The library's not open this early."

"But you're both-"

"Please leave" Carly said, firmly.

More confused than ever, Kirk gathered his things and left.

(ISABEL)

Wonderful, absolutely wonderful! Isabel raged at herself. Things can't have gotten out of hand this quickly, can they?

She'd gone to the library to grab a supplement for history (which had put her in an already foul mood), only to step inside and find Kirk talking to Carly and-Whoa, Castille, let's step back off that ledge.

Relax she told herself, heading for class, making her way down the hallway as the bell began to chime. We can fix this. All I have to do is sit him down and explain things…But how? Thomas said it himself. You can't explain Countermeasures without breaking Countermeasures. But there's gotta be a way…

On the plus side, Isabel knew she had all day to worry at the problem. She suspected she'd need it.