chapter seven

Chapter  Seven

 

 

The rest of second period (I hate gym anyway) was spent touring around the hidey-hole. Nick is sort of the leader here but it’s really Hailey that pulls the strings.

Hailey was in the middle of destroying another archery target with her crossbow when I asked “Won’t we get in trouble for being gone this long?”

Tony burst out laughing so loud and startled Hailey who let the cross bolt fly way off course and nearly hit him.  He leaped away and yelled “Watch where you’re pointing that thing!”

Hailey laughed apologetically before answering my question, “You know the stones on our Bane symbols?”

I nodded, fingering the silver claw, interlocking crescent moons, and dragon scale symbols that hung from my neck.

“Well we don’t use everything we…scavenge… for those, we have a sort of agreement with the teachers not to notice our absence”

“You bribe teachers?”

“Well, pretty much, you shove a big gemstone in a middle aged woman’s face, she won’t ask questions”

“Or” Tony added “Just show her a video of Nick with his sword when he is really angry” another series of dull thuds echoed from the next room over where Nick was practicing with his broadsword.

Hailey thought it to be immensely funny and doubled over, barely able to breathe.

Tony checked his watch, “Hey guys, it’s about half an hour ‘till third p’s out” he said.

“Alright, we had better head back” Hailey said

“Okay” I said

“I’ll text you when we’re meeting up next, and you can come down here anytime, your one of us now” Hailey said to me, then to the wall “HEY NICK  WE GOT TO GO NOW!”

“OKAY SEE YOU LATER!” came the reply, the wooden walls were more sound proof then they looked, so you always had to shout to the person on the other side.

It’s a long story, nick pretty much lives in the hidey-hole; his family had been killed by a Wizard. You’ll hear the full story another time.

Tony, Hailey and I headed back to the first section then through the archway. No one said much, we walked back to the trampoline in the dark.

It kind of gave me the feeling that they thought something horrible could happen to anyone at any time. Like if you said good-bye it really could be good-bye for real and when you leave there’s a chance that no one will ever see you again.

That’s why I didn’t tell nick or Hailey’s stories, it would make you feel hollow without them there to say ‘it’s alright, it’s over, and I’m just fine’. That’s exactly what they said to me after I heard.

I guess they’re right, something horrible could happen to anyone at any time, and that’s what the banes are for, we make sure wizards can’t make horrible things happen.