Zap!

We didn’t have to wait long for Mr. Logan to show up. He stormed into the room like an angry hurricane, beer in hand. I swear, he could have passed for Hugh Jackman’s twin after he got a haircut and shaved and put on some clothing resembling something one could wear on a red carpet. (SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: The author gives you the right to giggle at this as she did. Yes these are the lame jokes that entertain me during the day. Don’t judge). No one really looked at him, so obviously this was regular behavior for him. I looked at Vi and whispered, “What’s wrong with him?”
She shook her head frantically, and I became aware of a low growl coming from deep inside Mr. Logan’s chest. My eyes widened, and I focused on painting my canvas a pretty dark blue. An hour later, I escaped from his animal-like stare and the once welcoming room.
I went back to the dorms and did my homework like a good little student. Then I made some lasagna which Luke and Patrick ate before I could even get a bite, and then fell asleep on the couch. I woke up in a cold sweat, wrapped in a thin blanket and the lights out. I escaped from my cotton prison and barely made it into my bathroom before my dinner of cereal made a repeat performance, this time in a bowl of porcelain. Faith rushed in, a thin sheen of sweat showing on her forehead.
“Are you ok?” She asked in a faint voice. I shook my head no quickly before dropping my head into the toilet again. Faith sat on the tub next to me and pulled my hair back from my face. Her hands seemed to calm me, making my nauseous stomach ease, and I discovered that Faith can push her feelings onto others after sensing theirs. Five minutes later, I was feeling a lot better than I had been, and Faith got me into my bed. As she left the room, I mumbled, “Hey Faith, thanks for taking care of me.” And then I tumbled into dreamland.

The next morning, I called Black and offered my apologies, but I would be spending my learning time popsicles and puking. Hmm. Two p-words. I also decided I would make a list of all the p-words I could think of. I changed into my sweatpants with the holes in the knees and a Powderpuff football jersey from when I played on my schools team last year. Then I crawled to the couch and lay on my stomach, turning on the Jeff Corwin Experience. I’d witnessed tortoises mating and iguanas mating by the time everyone except Jack left. Seriously, watch the show one time. You have no idea how many times they find animals mating. But Jack left after making me some chamomile tea and bringing me some Saltines. I fell asleep again after witnessing (on a different episode of the J.C.E) lions mating. Fun. When I woke up again, it was dark out and there was a small note on the table with curly writing.

C-
We all left to do some bodyguard duty for one of Black’s friends. Be back tomorrow! Be good!
- Vi

So now I’m “home” alone. And I’m sick. Great. And I just heard breaking glass in the hallway. Even more great. I pulled myself up from the couch and grabbed one of the thorny vine seeds from my pocket. I pushed my feet into my sneakers next to me and raced into the hallway, ready to battle any evil forces that dare breech my fortresses walls. Or windows. Or whatever. A dark figure stood hunched over in the hallway, brushing glass pieces out of his long coat. He looked up, and a pair of reflective, catlike, red eyes met my gaze and I froze for a millisecond. Then I charged the seed as much as it would allow, causing the plant to shoot out and extend its weapons of pointy pain. The vine wrapped tightly around the man and or woman and squeezed tightly.
“Who the hell are you and why are you interrupting my sick time?”
A flash of red suddenly showed up and a glowing card was thrown near me. I held my control over the vine and ran away quickly as the card crashed against the wall and exploded. Not a good time for me to discover that this guy could blow me up with the Ace of Spades.