Part 7
Kaitlyn had lost track of the amount of times she had changed her outfit. Donna was eyeing her dubiously from her seat at her desk, distracted from the paper she was trying to write. "Anyone would think you were off to a Hollywood premier," she snorted.
"Not quite. Some old friends of mine are coming over. I haven't seen them in ages." Kait ran a brush through her hair.
More than anything, she was trying to keep herself busy and distracted. She had done all her homework the previous night. There had been no word from Gabriel from the last three days, and his walls were blocking his mind. Whatever he was up to this time, he was deliberately keeping her from finding out.
"These must be some friends," Donna said.
Kait smiled. "The best anyone could ask for." She checked the clock. She was supposed to be at the ten minutes.
She gathered the folder she had put her drawings in, picked up her purse and squared her shoulders, taking a deep breath. She talked to everyone all the time on the phone, but it had been over a year since she had actually seen any of them, apart from Gabriel.
"See you later." She left her dorm room, walking confidently across the campus to the diner.
Through the window she could see Rob and Anna already in one of the booths, close together. Kait felt a flush of guilt as she sighed, almost forgetting how striking Rob was with his golden food likes. With her Native American beauty, Anna was as gorgeous as ever. Together they made a stunning couple. They both looked up seeing her and waved.
"No Lewis yet?" Kait asked after hellos and greetings had been exchanged.
"Lewis is running a little late," Anna said with a smile. "He'll be here as soon as he can."
"Perpetual lateness seems to be Lewis's thing at the moment," Rob added with a grin.
Kaitlyn watched, trying to keep a neutral expression as she watched his arm slipping around Anna's shoulders as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Anna sighed, and snuggled against him. Kait's eyebrow rose. "Am I missing something here?"
"Well, we were going to wait until everyone was here, but," Anna looked over at Rob, who nodded. Anna splayed her left hand out like a starfish on the table. On the fourth finger was a plain gold band, and another ing with a tiny diamond displayed in the centre. "We eloped on our way here."
Kait didn't know what to say. Rob had been her first true love, her first experience of that wave riding emotion, something she would never forget. Granted, she had chosen Gabriel over him and despite his attitude issues, didn't regret that choice. She had never really thought of Rob and Anna. Maybe it was a little shallow, but she hadn't thought of him...well...anyone else.
"Wow. That's...great. When was this planned?"
"We didn't say anything because we didn't know if it would turn into anything, and there was really something great between us, so..." Anna smiled, almost dreamily, snuggling against Rob.
Kait didn't say anything. They were her friends. She should be happy for them.
"So what was it you wanted to tell us?" Rob said as the stretching silence started to get uncomfortable.
"I'm here, I'm here!" Lewis came running through the diner door, back pack hanging around his neck. His face was red, as if he had just run a marathon. "Stupid train was late."
"It's great to see you Lewis," Kait said, with a real smile. That smile she really did mean.
Lewis took a few deep breaths. "Okay, so what's the new disaster?"
Kait showed them her drawings and told them what Maria had said about her sister Chyna.
"And what about Gabriel?" Anna asked.
Kait ignored Rob's frown. "He said he had something to do. He'd be back when he could. He's blocked me out so I can't get to him through the web."
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Lewis muttered. "So we've got one new psychic to worry about...What about the fire thing?"
"That's why I called you guys in," Kait said.
There was an awkward silence. Kait felt a disturbingly familiar ebbing in her hand. "Oh, no."
"What?" Rob asked.
"I need to draw. Now."
"Thought this might happen." Rob reached into Anna's purse and pulled out a notebook and a box of pastel crayons. Kait was in no mood to ask why he had them. It was the type of thing she usually had on her, but she had been so distracted...^Not the time, Kait,^ she told herself.
She reached into the set of crayons and pulled out the purple and began sketching. When she was finished, they all crowded round to look at the drawing, including Kaitlyn.
"That can't be right," Lewis said, perplexed.
Anna frowned. "Still in business? I thought Joyce told us it was going to be demolished."
Kait had drawn the Zetes Institute. She just shrugged helplessly, tears burning in her eyes. "I don't understand."
"We'll figure this out," Lewis said, patting her arm sympathetically. "We're the good guys."
Kait smiled weakly, but could only think of one thing. //Gabriel?// she called vainly though the mind link. //Gabriel, please, I need you.// He hadn't run off to abandon her, not wanting to deal with the rest of the group again? He had never been that thrilled with the idea. What the hell was he doing? He'd answer, wouldn't he?
* * *
Kaitlyn had lost track of the amount of times she had changed her outfit. Donna was eyeing her dubiously from her seat at her desk, distracted from the paper she was trying to write. "Anyone would think you were off to a Hollywood premier," she snorted.
"Not quite. Some old friends of mine are coming over. I haven't seen them in ages." Kait ran a brush through her hair.
More than anything, she was trying to keep herself busy and distracted. She had done all her homework the previous night. There had been no word from Gabriel from the last three days, and his walls were blocking his mind. Whatever he was up to this time, he was deliberately keeping her from finding out.
"These must be some friends," Donna said.
Kait smiled. "The best anyone could ask for." She checked the clock. She was supposed to be at the ten minutes.
She gathered the folder she had put her drawings in, picked up her purse and squared her shoulders, taking a deep breath. She talked to everyone all the time on the phone, but it had been over a year since she had actually seen any of them, apart from Gabriel.
"See you later." She left her dorm room, walking confidently across the campus to the diner.
Through the window she could see Rob and Anna already in one of the booths, close together. Kait felt a flush of guilt as she sighed, almost forgetting how striking Rob was with his golden food likes. With her Native American beauty, Anna was as gorgeous as ever. Together they made a stunning couple. They both looked up seeing her and waved.
"No Lewis yet?" Kait asked after hellos and greetings had been exchanged.
"Lewis is running a little late," Anna said with a smile. "He'll be here as soon as he can."
"Perpetual lateness seems to be Lewis's thing at the moment," Rob added with a grin.
Kaitlyn watched, trying to keep a neutral expression as she watched his arm slipping around Anna's shoulders as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Anna sighed, and snuggled against him. Kait's eyebrow rose. "Am I missing something here?"
"Well, we were going to wait until everyone was here, but," Anna looked over at Rob, who nodded. Anna splayed her left hand out like a starfish on the table. On the fourth finger was a plain gold band, and another ing with a tiny diamond displayed in the centre. "We eloped on our way here."
Kait didn't know what to say. Rob had been her first true love, her first experience of that wave riding emotion, something she would never forget. Granted, she had chosen Gabriel over him and despite his attitude issues, didn't regret that choice. She had never really thought of Rob and Anna. Maybe it was a little shallow, but she hadn't thought of him...well...anyone else.
"Wow. That's...great. When was this planned?"
"We didn't say anything because we didn't know if it would turn into anything, and there was really something great between us, so..." Anna smiled, almost dreamily, snuggling against Rob.
Kait didn't say anything. They were her friends. She should be happy for them.
"So what was it you wanted to tell us?" Rob said as the stretching silence started to get uncomfortable.
"I'm here, I'm here!" Lewis came running through the diner door, back pack hanging around his neck. His face was red, as if he had just run a marathon. "Stupid train was late."
"It's great to see you Lewis," Kait said, with a real smile. That smile she really did mean.
Lewis took a few deep breaths. "Okay, so what's the new disaster?"
Kait showed them her drawings and told them what Maria had said about her sister Chyna.
"And what about Gabriel?" Anna asked.
Kait ignored Rob's frown. "He said he had something to do. He'd be back when he could. He's blocked me out so I can't get to him through the web."
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Lewis muttered. "So we've got one new psychic to worry about...What about the fire thing?"
"That's why I called you guys in," Kait said.
There was an awkward silence. Kait felt a disturbingly familiar ebbing in her hand. "Oh, no."
"What?" Rob asked.
"I need to draw. Now."
"Thought this might happen." Rob reached into Anna's purse and pulled out a notebook and a box of pastel crayons. Kait was in no mood to ask why he had them. It was the type of thing she usually had on her, but she had been so distracted...^Not the time, Kait,^ she told herself.
She reached into the set of crayons and pulled out the purple and began sketching. When she was finished, they all crowded round to look at the drawing, including Kaitlyn.
"That can't be right," Lewis said, perplexed.
Anna frowned. "Still in business? I thought Joyce told us it was going to be demolished."
Kait had drawn the Zetes Institute. She just shrugged helplessly, tears burning in her eyes. "I don't understand."
"We'll figure this out," Lewis said, patting her arm sympathetically. "We're the good guys."
Kait smiled weakly, but could only think of one thing. //Gabriel?// she called vainly though the mind link. //Gabriel, please, I need you.// He hadn't run off to abandon her, not wanting to deal with the rest of the group again? He had never been that thrilled with the idea. What the hell was he doing? He'd answer, wouldn't he?
* * *