The Bonding Chronicles Ch. 19

Andrew's movements were mechanical as he considered those students' moods, his bag getting packed and his feet leading him out of the room while his mind worked to make sense of his sudden and unexpected insights. It wasn't until he was in the hall that he turned and saw Seth was still studying him.

"What?" Andrew asked, his head cocking to the side as his eyes sparkled with curiosity.

Seth clasped him on the shoulder and responded, "It's nothin' bro. We'll rap about it in sixth."

While Andrew was curious, he found himself far more excited by the history class that he was about to go to, and the teacher who would lead it. So, while Seth began to walk away, waving over his shoulder as he blended into the crowd, Andrew maneuvered his way through the mass of people in the opposite direction.

It surprised him how much faster he used to be able to make his way across the school when everyone tried to ignore him. With so many people nodding their heads at him, and saying things like, 'What's up?" and "Yo, Andrew!" he found himself constantly having to slow down and acknowledge or respond.

In a weird way, Andrew missed the anonymity he once possessed, but was surprised to realize the attention didn't bother him. Rather, he was just frustrated at not being able to b-line to his next class. But, he enjoyed knowing that so many people recognized, and in some strange way liked him. Whether it was his legend or his personality, he was not sure, but more and more people were recognizing him each day.

Karen looked at him with a puzzled gaze, her eyes confessing her uncertainty at his strange mood. With a smile and a wink he put her at ease, swaddling her sprite within his mind and sharing his love with her as he made his way to the back of the room.

"So, is Dr Blake getting nicer, or what?" Sara asked the moment Andrew was settled in.

Andrew looked over her shoulder while he said, "No, he's still the douchiest."

His eyes squinted for a moment, and then he nodded and declared, "I think our white-feathered friend is back."

He dared not avert his gaze while Sara's turned around, her gift helping her spot the owl in a matter of moments. If anything, she was amazed by how clearly she could see it, the animal looking large as her eyes focused in on the distant creature. It was massive, much larger than she had ever realized.

"Damn, SD... How large are snowy owls?"

It took Andrew a couple of moments to access his phone, and through it the internet.

"Just under two feet. Why?"

Sara continued to study the magnificent bird, its feathers looking perfect as they ruffled in the breeze that washed through the forest off in the distance. It took her a bit to find enough reference points to be able to estimate the creatures size, but once she did she whispered, "Because its almost four feet tall."

There was no doubt that it was watching her and Andrew, her supernatural vision allowing her to see the subtle shifts in the birds eyes as it glanced between Andrew and her. As the bell rang, the mighty bird leapt off of its perch, and with a few beats of its wings lifted above the tree line and turned, vanishing into the distance a few seconds later.

"Here, Karen," Andrew provided in a pathetic attempt at a female voice after their teacher called out Sara's name. A smile spreading across the wise old woman's face as tittering laughter danced around the room.

Sara waited another minute before she turned her attention to the class, hoping to see the owl appear again but realizing that it would not. There was intelligence in its eyes, well beyond anything she had ever seen in an animal. Even Thunderfoot, who exceeded her every expectation did not show the same kind of presence of mind she had seen in the owl's piercing gaze.

True to her nature, her worry was fleeting, and Andrew's stare was met with her warmest and most sincere smile as he reached out towards her. She rested her face into his warm palm, the gentle seeming fingers hiding strength that she could feel in his every movement. Sara's eyes closed and she savored that contented feeling that washed over her, knowing that Andrew and Karen loved and worried for her.

In that moment, as Andrew's fingers traced the artificial scars that covered her cheeks, she could feel his magic slowly seeping across their bond and powering the spell that made her appear flawed and mundane. She had no idea how distracting it was for Andrew to maintain the spell, or how strange it must have felt for him to constantly be draining his magic to conceal her new appearance, but she loved him all the more for the effort. His eyes shone with the same adoration he could sense swelling up within her, and as Karen's speech slowed and picked up a subtle sultry tone, they all shared in that moment.

With a farewell kiss to his palm, Sara yawned and grinned as her head found its way to her desk. Andrew listened to Karen's lecture, until ten minutes later he too found the swaddling comfort of her melodic stories a siren call leading him towards blissful relaxation. Those naps, which had become a common part of his day, were still a surprise to Andrew, who luxuriated in Karen's tales while feeling the deep relaxation of his faux slumber revitalizing him.

Karen's words were captivating and powerful, though as he annotated them within his phone he could feel a distinct difference from the lecture she had given earlier that day. In second period, her stories had pulled him through an emotional journey, where each and every word painted a picture within his mind. Her joys and fears had become his, as her powerful prose seemed to flow through his very soul. With his head on his desk, as he listened to her words, he could feel a difference, and was reminded of classes past.

Something was different, and while he loved listening to her speak, he found himself wishing for the emotional journey he had experienced those few hours before.

Soon enough, his muddled thoughts were roused from his introspection as the bell rang, bringing his attention from the near slumber that he had coasted through the class in. Sara tucked her book and notepad away, while Andrew yawned and stretch beside her. Their bodies were limber and relaxed, their catnaps having provided a bit of relief for the remainder of their day.

With a sly grin they passed Karen, the older woman working hard not to smile in return as the young couple darted into the hall. Unfortunately, their remaining classes were far apart, and while neither of them wanted to separate they knew they must. Sara handed Andrew the keys to their car.

"Don't wait after sixth, just take Patches and hit the store. Get the fixings for stew and some soft drinks, we're getting low."

Andrew's eyes scrunched up as he considered what she was up to.

"Ohh, stop being so suspicious. With everyone coming over for study group, one of us needs to take care of the fridge. Unless you think you can explain what's in there to everyone?"

WIth a gasp, Andrew opened his mouth to speak, which was interrupted by Sara who kissed him before he could ask any questions.

"I'll keep the skin and the bones, but what should I do with the meat?"

Again, Andrew opened his mouth to speak, but Sara continued before he could even utter a syllable. "Ohhh, I know. I'll use that beef stock to slow cook the meat until you get home. Try and get it a bit more tender since I doubt there's any fat in it." She pulled back with a smile, peering over his shoulder and into Karen's classroom. "Who would've known that watching all those cooking shows would have rubbed off on me."

The tip of her tongue poked out from her lips as she gave Andrew a playful pat on the butt. Chuckling, he nodded his head and tried not to laugh as Sara beamed with pride at her own plan.

"Glad we could have this talk. Seeya tonight," Sara almost sang, as she hiked her bag further up her shoulder and pranced away, her long and lithe legs leading her towards her last class.

"You're so silly," Andrew whispered.

With surprising clarity, he could hear the words, "No I'm not," filter through the chaos of the crowd, Sara's voice somehow reaching him through the drum of the students.

The journey towards his final class was delightfully uneventful. Rounding the last corner caused Andrew to slow down as he expected to run into Will, only to find a busy but unassuming stretch of hallway before him. Seth was already there, as well as most of the students for the class. Allison seemed to have been there for a while, her project not only setup but well advanced of where he had last seen it.

As Andrew dropped his bag at the corner of their standing desk, he could not help but notice a strange sense of expectation hanging in the air. Looking up, he could see Mrs Rose glancing his way, before movement at his side made him aware that Seth was also paying close attention to what he was doing.

While Andrew knew what Mrs Rose was waiting for, he was growing tired of Seth's strange behavior. With a quiet voice, Andrew asked, "Okay, what is it already?"

Seth had just unboxed his little metal figurine, the small warrior looking impressive despite its diminutive stature. With a sideways glance, Seth stopped what he was doing and took a deep breath, seeming to measure his words carefully.

With a shake of his head, he began. "I don't know... You've been acting, I don't know. Different. It wasn't until after Calc that I figured out what was bugging me."

His friend looked around the room, as if he expected everyone to be listening in on what they were discussing.

"Why aren't you more upset?"

Andrew looked at him as if Seth was speaking another language, his question hanging in the air unconnected to anything Andrew could associate it with.

"Last week you were fuckin' pissed at Dr Blake. You had me thinkin' you might pop a cap in his ass, but now... Shit, man. Now you seem annoyed but kinda disinterested too. It's just freakin' me out how unemotional you seem about it.

"Don't get it twisted, I'm glad you're more tempered about this shit, but what's with the change?"

It was true, Andrew realized, that the antics of their teacher were not bothering him as much as they had the week before. The truth was, much of the anxiety that Andrew had felt about his classes were no longer there. It had been a long day of strange and unexpected revelations for him, but Seth had guided Andrew to an uncomfortable fact.

"It doesn't matter," Andrew responded. "None of it does, man."

Andrew smiled at Seth, seeing the disconnect in his friends eyes.

"Look around man, do you really think this is preparing us for the real world?" Andrew chuckled as he thought about that statement. "Whatever that even is," he mumbled under his breath, considering that the real world had a whole new meaning for him.

"I guess I'm just having a hard time taking this shit seriously."

The more Andrew considered his classes, the more he was reminded of everything that he had been through. The shock of the explosion, and the scent of direwolf entrails revisiting him as he realized what a joke it all was. Whatever course his life had been on was derailed by the events of that weekend, and a highschool education seemed to have no bearing on the direction he found himself on in the wake of those experiences.

An A in Calculus was not going to help him protect his mates from the supernatural threats that he could sense around the next corner. It would not help him understand his gifts, or learn to hone his abilities. The truth was, he already knew everything from his science classes before he even moved to the pacific northwest. What benefit was an A in a subject he understood better than most instructors.

There was worry on Seth's face, and Andrew could feel his friends anxiety hanging in the air like a cool breeze.

"I still don't like what Dr Blake is doing, but it just seems silly and stupid."

With a huff, Seth shrugged and adopted a slight pout. "If that's how you feel, I guess it makes sense."

Andrew shook his head, suspecting that Seth thought he was about to lose his best friend.

"Honestly, if it wasn't for all of you," he turned his gaze towards Allison, who was still working on her project, before returning his attention on Seth's sour expression. "I would probably just test out and get my GED. Beyond a few classes, the only valuable thing here is my friendship with you."

It was true, and Seth knew it. The young redhead found himself wondering just what Andrew had gone through that weekend. He had found it strange that Andrew had never responded to his texts, but also knew that his friend was probably occupied with his wild and unpredictable girlfriend. Seeing how the small yet insightful man had been behaving made him realize that Andrew had been changed over those brief days since Friday.

"Anyway," Andrew said with a bit more volume than was necessary. "Let's see if this damn thing works, shall we?"

Everyone, Allison included, made their way to Andrew and Seth's table while Andrew pulled his large project out of his locker. It was just as he had left it, shiny silver wire jutting out from its circuit board base. With the electronic device held in his hands, Andrew could see a model of it in his mind, projected by The Monolith.

Each component was analyzed and every electrical pathway was tested, until with absolute certainty Andrew knew that all physical pieces were perfectly assembled. Focusing on the controller board, the logic he had embedded into the chip floated out into the air, his new understanding of programming allowing him to optimize the simple logic, and create more interesting timing loops.

Nothing crazy, just enough so that patterns would appear in flickering lights in unexpected ways. Most people would probably not be aware of what was happening, but he hoped that it would register within their subconscious, making his piece of art seem all the more captivating as their minds seeked to identify the patterns that felt so elusive and yet evident in the glittering lights.

Without being asked, one of the students went over and dimmed the lights, setting the mood for what everyone hoped would be an impressive display. Andrew tipped the device up and wormed his hand underneath, popping the battery into place without the need to look.

The moment power flowed through the circuit, his logic began its first cycle, one timer triggering the first light to fade into quarter power over half a second, while two more loops started their timers.

It didn't look like much, just a single dim light in the center of a criss crossing grid of silver wires. Just as that dim light faded out, two more lights in distant parts of the grid faded into focus, one brighter than the other. Then as those faded out four more faded in, each a slight degree dimmer or brighter than its neighbor.

The brightest of the lights seemed to draw their attention, its white light shimmering between the wires and seeming to create the illusion of more lights as it shone from the edges of adjacent wires. Just as the pattern seemed to emerge, only two of the lights faded out while one more faded in. Then the last two from the previous cycle faded out and two adjacent lights on either side of each of those faded in.

Andrew watched the logic patterns cycle through his mind, marveling as the pseudo-random routines routed power through the various circuits based on the rules he had established. There was enough flexibility in the design that each pattern would deviate just after enough cycles that the viewer would think they could predict it.

When it had started, he could feel their disappointment as it caressed his skin, but the more they watched, the more he could feel their surprise and delight as unexpected reflections and changes in routine would catch them by surprise. It was a simple device, but within that simplicity there was a beauty that was difficult to deny.

"That's impressive, Andrew," Mrs Rose entoned.

"Good job," Allison provided, before turning and walking back to her desk.

Over the next few minutes the students each lost interest, still admiring the device but becoming bored by its simple nature. There was something hypnotic about how it worked, and even after they returned to their projects they found themselves thinking of the twinkling lights and the patterns they had created, but soon were lost in designs of their own.

Andrew tilted the large plexiglass enclosure and pulled the battery out from its housing underneath, causing the last of the lights to immediately go out.

"Well done, dude," Seth said with a broad grin, amazed at how Andrew had built that thing in one attempt. "Whatever you decide to do, I'm sure you'll succeed."

"Thanks."

Andrew's voice dripped with excitement and pride, his heart swelling with joy at seeing the simple yet elegant device working. As he looked at it, he realized he needed a new challenge.

With only a few steps, he crossed the room and asked Mrs Rose, "Well, I guess that project is done."

She was studying her own painting, her long straight black hair pulled back into a pony tale. A broad infectious smile crept its way across her face as she turned her attention to Andrew.

"Looks that way."

"So... Do you have any special requirements or restrictions?"

The skinny, middle-aged woman laughed and shook her head. "No. Considering how well you did on that last project, do whatever you want. I only require two projects for this class, and you have over six weeks to complete your second one."

She glanced back at his project, the straight lines of the silver wire looking out through the clear glass enclosure back at her.

"Considering what you did in two weeks, I'm really curious what you will do with what's left."

Andrew grimaced, not used to being given that kind of freedom.

"Okay... I guess."

She chuckled as he walked away, inspiration hitting her as she listened to him carry his project into her office and place it on her desk.

Andrew leaned against his work table, sketching in his notebook while he tried to find his own inspiration. Seth was hard at work on his figurine, each limb taking shape more and more with every passing minute. Allison seemed annoyed and was pulling out large pieces of clay from the tombstone house on her project.

He knew better than to ask her about it, and could tell by how she refused to look at their desk that they were at the center of her unfortunate mood. It wasn't until the closing moments of class that Andrew struck on the idea for what he wanted to do, and given the time available to him he felt confident he could achieve his goal.

After searching the internet, he found a couple of options that might help him succeed at what he wanted, but there was still one thing he would need to confirm. Mrs Rose had just finished applying her latest color to her canvas, and was cleaning her brush when Andrew appeared at her side.

"I'm guessing you have a new crazy idea?"

It was Andrew's turn to laugh. "I prefer to think of it as an inspired idea, but it is rather unconventional."

"I think you'll be okay. Like I said, I'm willing to give you some pretty significant leeway."

Despite her sentiment, he still felt the need to confirm just how much flexibility she was willing to offer.

"What if it meant that I had to miss a few classes to make my next project?"

That peaked her interest. Through a squinted gaze she tilted her head as she studied him.

"Two weeks. I want to see some kind of proof of what you're doing in two weeks. If you can't provide something tangible in that amount of time, you'll need to come up with something you can work on in class."

She paused long enough to ensure that Andrew was listening to her. "Sound fair?"

Andrew smirked and asked, "Don't you want to know why I won't be in class?"