I nodded. My heart tripped over itself, and I pushed my free palm to my thigh, trying to still my hand from shaking. I tried to think of something I’d want to tell him that wasn’t about the Academy. I knew several things, but being brave about saying it out loud was difficult.
His head tilted, and those gray eyes glided down to my T-shirt and shorts. He touched a finger briefly to the corner of his dark-rimmed glasses, adjusting them. “Would you like to change before you come out to the living room?”
“I don’t want to hold everyone up,” I said automatically, and then realized he had been suggesting I change and I’d dismissed it right off. He wasn’t a shorts and T-shirt type of person. I was out of place next to him, with the suit and tie.
He released me, straightening, and then headed for the door. “We shouldn’t be too long.”
I made a fist with my hand, holding onto the bit of warmth we’d shared in the moment. I tried to soothe the feelings before following him out.
???
In the living room, Kota, Victor and Gabriel sat on the couch. North and Nathan were sitting cross-legged on the floor. They had their shirts back on, but they were still a little dusty and grimy-looking. Dr. Green was in the armchair. Luke was perched on the coffee table.
I was surprised to see he was back from the diner so soon. The news was on the television and they were mostly focused on that.
The moment I appeared with Mr. Blackbourne, Victor moved to sit beside Luke on the coffee table and motioned for me to take the spot he’d opened.
Normally, I would have protested that I could have sat on the table, but with Mr. Blackbourne there, I didn’t want to make a fuss. I sat between Kota and Gabriel. Gabriel put an arm on the couch pillow behind me, smiling, putting a spark in his crystal blue eyes.
I tried to focus on Mr. Blackbourne, who moved to stand by the television. Dr. Green hit the mute button, leaving the television on, images of the news flashing across the screen.
Gabriel’s fingers drifted out until he was brushing his fingertips at the back of my neck. He slid them back and forth, like strumming a guitar.
I smiled, warmed by the touch. This was a moment for me. I could feel it in the air, electrified and yet no one was saying so out loud. This was a boundary I was crossing. A family meeting was something they regularly did together, and now I was part of that, because I was part of the family.
“Mr. Lee,” Mr. Blackbourne said quietly. He stood tall, his shoulders pulled back. “Would you like to begin?”
Heads turned toward Kota. Kota looked at me, directly. “Did you get the last of what you needed at your house?” he asked me.
“I think so,” I said. “I was looking for my birth certificate.”
He squinted at me. The rest of them seemed to stiffen. Kota tilted his head. “Did you need it for something?”
“Won’t I?” I asked. “I mean, I guess I could go back for it later. I left a note for Marie to look for it. Unless you mean I’ll be back there and...”
“There’s no need to return anymore,” Mr. Blackbourne said, “not unless you want to. You shouldn’t need your birth certificate at the moment.”
I nodded, responding that I understood his meaning. He didn’t want me to return unless I had to.
My mind spun, thinking of all the things I may have forgotten, wondering and worried about my father returning, or someone else discovering the truth. Perhaps that’s why he said it like an order. To close that door, and not allow me to linger by looking for things I really didn’t need.
“If the move is finished,” Kota said. “Then there’s the remodel of Nathan’s house.”
“We’ve cleared out the bathroom,” Nathan said. “We’re just cleaning up. The next step is putting in shower fixtures and...” he trailed off, as if trying to remember all the details.
“It’ll take a couple of weeks,” North said. He stared at his own black jeans, rubbing at a spot. “Especially with Silas being called in so much for Academy business lately. I could do it, but I’d prefer if he was here before we went any further. I planned this badly. I thought he’d be done by the time we needed him.”
At the mention of the fixing of the bathroom, I checked out Victor, who was looking at North instead of me, so he didn’t notice me looking at him. Did he not know about the shower? Maybe he didn’t know of the plans, he just knew it was being remodeled.
“Otherwise, the street is fairly quiet,” Kota said. “My house is business as usual.” He looked at Victor. “Is your dad still in Europe?”
“For now,” Victor said. “After the security fiasco, the guards at the house have been temporarily doubled. They’re upgrading the system to require double checking schedules. They all check in with me at regular intervals, now.”
I listened intently, trying to figure out if this was part of the family meeting process. Kota went down the line, checking in with each person about any issues at home. Family meeting was a check-in so everyone could see what was going on?
“How’s Pam?” Kota asked Gabriel.
“Peachy,” Gabriel said. He grunted, stilling his hand on my neck and leaving his palm there. “She’s got this new boyfriend, though. Not sure if I like him.”
“We can’t make choices for her,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “Is he a threat?”
“He keeps her out at night,” Gabriel said. “I haven’t checked the accounts to figure out if he’s spending money on her or if she’s paying.”
“I can check, if you want,” Victor said.
Gabriel nodded. “It’ll help. If it’s his money, I don’t care. She doesn’t have a whole lot to spend on anything else right now. I don’t want to have to cover for her because of this.”
“Are you there by yourself at night?” Mr. Blackbourne asked.
“These days? A bit more than usual,” Gabriel said. “I can handle it, though.”
“Maybe you should consider staying with Victor,” Mr. Blackbourne asked, although I sensed it really wasn’t a suggestion. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, but there’s been more than the usual security issues lately. You should stay with others whenever possible.”
“He could stay here,” Nathan said quickly.
“He can stay with us,” Luke said. “We’ve got the new house fixed up better now. There’s a spare room.”
“Victor’s closer to his home, just in case Pam needs anything,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “Although we should consider moving her and you to a different location.”
“She likes the place too much,” Gabriel said. “Still holding onto the past.”
My head was spinning trying to keep up. I didn’t know muc
h about Pam, and I wanted to ask questions. It sounded like Gabriel took care of Pam, rather than the other way around. The conversation also made me wonder exactly where Gabriel lived.
“Maybe the new boyfriend will be good for her, then,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “Maybe she’ll change her mind.”
My lips were glued together, even with a hundred questions still hovering. They revealed so much about each other, looking out for each other. In a way, I also felt useless. I didn’t know to suggest anything.
“I think that covers everything going on home-wise,” Kota said, although he checked with Dr. Green, who simply nodded. Nothing new there; he worked a lot, and his routine was fairly fixed.
“There is one Academy issue we need to discuss with everyone,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “Despite what Mr. Hendricks says about requiring me to be absent at these events, we need to focus on security for the homecoming game and the following dance.”
At this, everyone sat up. I scanned the room. Eyes were attentive, focused. I had to assume North and Nathan had been filled in about Mr. Hendricks.
Mr. Blackbourne focused on us. “I don’t take this lightly, but we don’t have a choice. There’s the safety of the students involved. Our anonymous bomber has become more brazen.”
“So he thinks the bomber will focus on the game or the dance?” Kota asked. “If you’re not there, couldn’t he still be tempted to try, anyway?”
“I think we’re dealing with someone who likes to show off,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “We don’t know what he wants, but he likes attention, whoever it is. I’m not convinced I’m the only one he’s trying to draw attention from.”
“Isn’t it Volto?” Gabriel asked. “That punk kid with the mask?”
“I’m starting to wonder,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “Volto liked to make an appearance. He liked to show off, but he showed us his mask when it was him. He followed us off campus. This bomber is repeating himself and stays anonymous. He seems more focused on the school. He’s not following us anywhere else.”