Clemency

"So what's all this about some kid coming over later?" Aaron asked in the car on the way home.

"His name is Carrick, and I'm helping him out with math. He's new here, and his old class was more… slow-paced, I guess."

Aaron nodded and shot me a look. "Well, like, is he cute?" he asked in a disturbingly good impression of a teenage girl.

For what had to have been the hundredth time today, my cheeks heated and I glared out the window. "I guess some people might think that he is."

"What do you think?" Aaron asked, smirking. It was all too easy for me to picture him; his softly curling, ultrawhite hair, his sparkling champagne-colored eyes. The strong jaw and muscles barely hinted at under his shirt…

"He's alright," I muttered, and fished around the recesses of my mind for something to change the topic to. "You seemed pretty distracted at lunch. What was that about?" I asked.

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing."

"What am I doing?" I asked, widening my eyes innocently and batting my lashes when he glanced over.

"Changing the subject."

"I plead the fifth."

"You can't plead the fifth. You're not on trial. Now, why don't you tell me more about this boy? Do you think I'd be able to take him in a fight?"

"What is this, the Spanish Inquisition? Besides, I bet he could take you down in a minute." I said this half because it was true, and half because I liked teasing Aaron. The one fight he had ever lost in his life had been against Millie Stevens in sixth grade. He hadn't wanted to hit her, because she was a girl. Then she sucker-punched him and pulled at his hair, and he was laughed at for weeks.

"You think so?" He didn't seem nearly as cheerful now.

"Oh, yeah. I mean, he's like three times the size Millie was. You'd be toast." Aaron groaned and, reluctantly, let the subject drop.

Oh, sweet victory.

I rushed around my house, wondering what the heck I should be doing. It was still pretty pristine, considering we had only been living here for three days, so cleaning was out. Cooking anything would make it look like I was way more eager to tutor him than I actually was.

Though secretly, some part of me was ridiculously happy about it. I almost felt like I had some sort of claim on the hot new boy. I had heard the gossip around the school. He was the new it.

And all of my homework was done.

I felt admittedly lame, sitting around and staring at the clock, wondering when Carrick would show up. Heck, maybe he wouldn't come at all. I'd really look like a fool then. And so I turned to the one thing that always promised to keep me occupied, my art. I pulled out my journal and studied the sketch I'd done earlier, right next to the devil I had drawn yesterday. It was a miniature, cartoony Carrick, but for some reason, I'd turned him into an angel, feathered wings, halo, and all.

Not too shabby, I decided. In fact, this might very well have been my best work to date. It was an exact replica of what I had pictured in my head, right down to the smallest stroke.

A knock on the door had me springing to my feet and racing to open it at an embarrassingly fast pace. I looked through the peephole to make sure that it really was Carrick- the events of last night had made me overly cautious- and forced myself to wait a moment before opening the door. I didn't want him to think I was too eager.

"Hey," I said, opening the door as nonchalantly as I could manage.

"Hi. I hope this is a good time," he answered.

"It's a great time," I answered immediately without thinking, and winced. There was that eagerness problem again.

But if he noticed, he didn't say anything. Instead, Carrick merely smiled and said, "Good."

I led him over to the kitchen table, where my math things were already piled and ready. "What is it, exactly, that you had problems understanding?" I asked.

"Why don't we just start at the beginning of the lesson?" Carrick suggested. "It pretty much all went over my head." I could tell as he said it that this bothered him.

"Don't worry about it. I'll have you practically teaching the class in no time," I told him with more confidence than I felt. I never had been good at explaining things. Hopefully, this time would go better than previous attempts.

And maybe it did. I was surprised by how quickly Carrick was able to pick things up. It was almost as if he was just reviewing, almost as if he didn't need my help at all. But then he'd ask a question about something that was so fundamental, I figured there was no way he'd be asking unless he really was confused.

After a little while, Aaron came into the kitchen. I glared at him, but he just grinned cheekily and said, "Just getting a drink." Aggravatingly, he took his good sweet time in selecting just the right glass, then filling it with the exact proportions of three different kinds of pop. All the while, he was openly studying Carrick.

I was mortified, but Carrick seemed unperturbed. "You must be Jade's brother," he said easily, leaning back against his seat.

"Yeah. And since we're stating the obvious… you must be the new kid."

"Aaron! Go away," I ordered. Why did he have to do this? Every time, every single time, I brought a boy home, for whatever reason, he always acted like a jerk.

Aaron smiled at me and started walking out of the room with his drink. He ruffled my hair, as he had a habit of doing, and then his eyes fell on Carrick. "I'm just going to get this out of the way now. If you do anything to hurt my sister, I will break you."

Strangely, Carrick looked amused. "I wouldn't have it any other way," he said. Aaron frowned, trying to figure out whether that was an insult or not, I guessed. In the end, he simply nodded stiffly and left.

"I'm sorry about him," I apologized immediately, doodling on my notebook as an excuse not to meet his eyes.

"No worries. I would be protective of you too, if I was your brother. You look like you couldn't ward off a kindergartener."

"Hey!" I protested, glaring at him.

Carrick held up his hands and his smile was so disarming that I decided against taking offense. Maybe he did have a point. "I have a solution. How about I help you learn how to defend yourself? Crime rates are going up, and I happen to be a bit of an expert."

I balked. He really wanted to teach me how to fight? I tried to picture it, but the very idea was laughable. I studied Carrick, trying to figure out if he was serious. He was still smiling lightly, but there was an intensity in his gaze that made me think my answer actually mattered.

"Come on, please? It'll be in exchange for these math lessons. You've really helped me out. Let me do the same." Well, when he put it like that, it was marginally less ridiculous. My mind strayed to last night. What would have happened if I had come across whoever the people who were doing the screaming and breaking all of that glass? It probably wouldn't have ended well. Not well at all.

I shuddered. Maybe this wasn't such a silly idea, after all. And if he was willing to help me out, where was the harm? "Alright. It could come in handy, I guess," I said as casually as I could manage. Carrick grinned and sprang to his feet. Was it normal, to be so graceful? Catlike, almost.

"That's what I was hoping you'd say. How about we start tomorrow? That way, we can work outside. It's already dark." Then Carrick's entire expression changed. One instant, he was cheerful. The next, he was looking strangely serious. "I don't know how things were back where you were from, but it's not safe here to go out after dark. Promise me you won't."

I was taken aback by the intensity in his voice. "What?"

"Please, Jade, just don't go out at night. Say you won't."

My stomach rolled. It was the first time he'd called me by name. A secret of mine was that, if someone used my name, I had problems saying no. I didn't know why- maybe because it made the request more personal? Either way, it wasn't the sort of thing I shared with people. And so of course I couldn't refuse. "Alright. I promise. Besides, around here, I'm not sure I want to." Yet again, my thoughts drifted to last night. The screaming was still playing in the back of my mind. The terror still clutched at my heart every time I thought of it. I couldn't hold back a shudder.

Carrick noticed. I could tell by the little frown, the furrow in his brow. "What happened?" he asked, and I found myself genuinely wanting to tell him. Don't be silly, I told myself. You've just met him. But I felt like I could trust him, stupid as that might have been. Or at least, I wanted to trust him.

But I hadn't even told Aaron about this. Besides, I didn't know if I wanted him knowing about the necklace. Something in me knew with absolute certainty that it had to be kept secret. "Nothing." I shook my head, trying unsuccessfully to clear my thoughts. "Don't worry about it."

"Jade, I won't tolerate being lied to," Carrick said in a hard voice.

"You have no way of knowing whether I'm lying or not. Ever think that maybe I'm just wary around here because it's unfamiliar?"

"I just know," was all Carrick said. Some part of me didn't doubt him.

"Sorry." I sat down and stared at my journal. Should I tell him? Where was the harm in it, was the better question. Sure, it felt wrong to tell anyone about anything involving the necklace, but I also felt like I could trust him. Maybe the two negated each other, and the decision was simply up to me.

I picked up my pencil and started sketching, not really paying attention to what I drew. It was more for something to keep my stress level down while I spoke. "I was out walking last night. It's something that calms me. Everything looks the same in the dark, you know? I could have been anywhere. I could have been back home, or I could have been traipsing the streets of Paris, or out in the middle of nowhere." I felt my cheeks heat. He probably didn't want to know that much about me. It was that problem of mine again- I always either held too much back, or offered too much. "Sorry. I was walking, and it was dark. And I started hearing… well, there was crashing and yelling and I completely freaked out. It wasn't very far from where I was."

I shuddered again. What could have happened to me last night? It didn't bear thinking of. I kept sketching and hurriedly told him the rest of the story. I decided to leave out the part about the necklace.

Carrick nodded gravely. "Then you understand at least a little how important it is that you don't go walking at night. Not anymore." Was that really all he had to say about it?

I finished my little drawing and realized that it was an exact replica of the necklace, right down to the intricate design of the casing that spiderwebbed around the gem. Moving too quickly for me to have any hope of stopping him, Carrick reached over and took my notebook, then examined the sketch.

"You're very talented. I can't find a single mistake. I'd wager you even have the exact number of links in the chain." I knew my expression in that moment would be comical, but I simply couldn't help it. So what if my eyebrows were so high, they were hidden by my bangs? Who cared if my mouth was hanging open a little?

How did he know the necklace was real? "Oh, that's not of a specific necklace," I lied quickly. "I was just doodling."

And now Carrick looked angry. "Didn't I tell you not to lie to me? I'm glad you're keeping this a secret, but not with me, alright?"

Well, color me confused. "I don't understand."

"You will. But not yet. I've got to get going. I'll see you in school tomorrow. And remember, no leaving the house after dark. I don't care if it's just a quick trip to the store. Don't do it. I mean it."

And with that, he left.