In the middle sara chron.., p.19
In the Middle (Sara Chronicles Book 2), page 19
“So do I, actually. What’s this program you mentioned?”
Sara was looked at, by Bridget, so did the talking.
“A full college education, in fifty days. That’s only seven, here, since it’s being done in the Noram reality. You can sign up, under the posters in the hallway. It hurts a bit, but it’s worth doing. I’ve done it. We have to get people from here a week off, but I bet that will be allowed for intensive schooling like that. It might sound hard, but… Honestly, it’s not bad.”
No one seemed that enthused, until Gwen spoke.
“Can we get that for my world, too, do you think?”
Sara tilted her head then.
“I… bet we can! That would be a selling point too, wouldn’t it? Go and take the classes and you can also meet people from different worlds? I’ll get with Taman Baker on that. It will be a few days. Oh… If anyone wants to get some powers going, or change your looks, we have some life changers coming in on Thursday, after school. Students, but they’re full mages already. That’s… It’s like having a medical resident work on you, really. They’re great, already. They need people to practice on, so are willing to do it for free.” She winced, feeling like she was stealing the spotlight.
Mrs. Harrison seemed incredibly impressed, instead of insulted.
“This world is fun, you know that? You’re having people in to give out super powers and good looks? Where were you when I was younger? Is this through the IPB?”
She shook her head.
“Not at all. The Federal Government is handling this one. I only know about it because Senator Roberts is a friend of a friend and mentioned it over the phone.”
Gwen nodded.
“Cool. I should get back to my talk. Not that I have anything prepared. What do you all know about airships?”
That wasn’t a lot, but the woman had some information about them. It was enough to fill the rest of the period, leaving them hungry to find out more. At the end, everyone clapped, politely, and both Darren and Parker were waved at by the woman.
Sara walked over as well, even if she didn’t have a good reason to, other than wanting to make sure their guest felt comfortable.
She looked at all of them, smiling.
“All right, you’d be the three, then? How do we set this up? You all need to learn to make radiatives?”
Sara got what she was offering and nodded.
“I can bring them both over for that, starting in five weeks or so? I’m grounded from using my powers. Before you ask, no I didn’t do anything wrong. The President and his Cabinet just did it, to mess with me. Grr.” She sounded playful at least, and the woman nodded.
“Great. That will give me time to set things up. You’re doing those courses in Noram first?”
Parker shook her head.
“I’ve already done that. Most of the lessons. I might need to catch up on the newest ones. Darren… You should do that. We can get you in, I bet. Sign up for it?” She looked at Sara, understanding she was part of the whole thing, even if the IPB wasn’t.
“That works. We’ll have him ready before that point, Mrs. Harrison. We’re going to be making movies and television shows for over there, as well? The projectors and devices, I mean?”
That got a terse nod from Gwen, who seemed excited by the prospect.
“Yes. Among other things. Very good. Oh, names?”
Those were exchanged quickly and then, rude or not, they all had to run off, leaving her there to do the second class of the day. Mrs. Ward seemed oddly pleased, as they left. Proud.
The rest of the day went in a pretty normal fashion. At lunch some people were actually excited, since they’d had an alien from a different reality there on campus that day. Darren, Parker and Sara weren’t the only ones offered a chance to learn a different style of magic, either. Interestingly, the woman had also been pushing the free classes in Noram.
The word had been spread and while not everyone seemed thrilled with the idea of lessons, they were collecting a tidy amount of names listed under the posters when she walked by them.
In the last class, Peter seemed a bit out of it as they shot at the poor targets. Tired, with dark circles under his eyes.
“All right there, Pete?”
She was hitting the target, as was the guy next to her, he was doing better, in fact. Tired or not.
“Yeah. I did three of those courses. They really do kind of suck. I learned Standard, customs and how to fight. Fox said that was stupid of me. I’m so tired. I felt fine this morning, I swear.”
She giggled at him.
“That’s stupid, yes. One per day, if that. If you push too hard, you’ll end up with a headache for about a week. Oh, good job, but seriously, also show some discipline in how fast you do them all? I need you, Thursday, after school. We’re having mages here in town, to practice making changes to people. They can give you some extra abilities. Change your looks, all that.”
He seemed sleepy, stifled a yawn and made a sound that seemed like the word yes.
“I can do that. What changes do you want me to get? A bigger dick?” He made a face then. “Sorry, that’s a bit crude, saying it like that. I could look better, though? Six pack abs?”
She took the next shot, before speaking. The arrow was a tiny bit off, about an inch, to the right.
“If you want? Better strength, speed, I was thinking that you might try for teleportation? Nothing too big, just so you can travel around quickly? If you keep it under a class two power, the government won’t really bother you. I’ll work up what you need that way, if you want?”
There was some tired nodding in response.
“Oh… So, um, we’re going out? We should, you know, do something?”
Sara, not thinking, simply agreed with that.
“We can’t have sex here, not legally. There are some other things we can do. Technically I have to be cleared for even that. We can meet after school? Not today, probably. After you learn to teleport, so you can come to my room on the base?”
The kid actually froze then. Several other people turned to look at her as well.
Peter cleared his throat, sounding like he was at least fifty.
“I was thinking watching a movie or something? Going for a nice walk? I mentioned you to Liza and she doesn’t believe that I actually know a girl, much less that I’m dating one.”
She thought for a bit, and then nodded.
“Well, that stuff, too, of course. Hey, did you get to meet Gwen Harrison?”
He shook his head.
“No, I heard about her, though. That sounds incredible. I have Mr. Wernaki, for CWP, so we keep missing out on all the cool stuff. I saw that there was a sign up for the lesson stones? I might do that, if I can. Fox is lending me his, so I guess it’s only about getting to go and visit, really. I mean, another reality? That sounds made up, doesn’t it?”
It did, so she nodded, went to get her broken down arrows and didn’t speak until Pete took his first shot. He was far more focused that day, tired or not.
“We’re going over there this weekend. For a little over two weeks? There, well, we’re legal, so no one will say anything if we share a room?”
Standing next to them, Cora Monroe, one of the school cheerleaders, a Senior, looked at her very frankly and made a face. A silly one. It was obviously overdone, for affect.
“Slut.”
Sara laughed, since the girl clearly meant it as a joke.
“None of that! I haven’t even slept with your boyfriend yet. Or you…”
That had Cora nodding, and taking a rather poorly aimed shot of her own, on her own target.
“I know! How rude of you, I mean, really. Taking Peter here out for a romantic weekend getaway and what do I get? Hmmm?”
Sara could see that one, really.
“I can get you in for those free classes? I know, learning, but…”
Peter nodded, rapidly, looking at the tall, decently tan, girl.
“Do it. It’s different than it sounds like. Not fun, sure, but so fast that it’s worth it. I learned a language in six hours. I wasn’t even bored, doing it. Just boom, I did it all. I mean, I’m totally fluent in that time, too, not just struggling to ask where the bathroom is. I can think in Standard, if I want. True, it’s for a different reality, but, yeah… Cheerleading isn’t a real career. Being an interpreter might be. There’s a lot of other stuff on offer, too.”
The girl went silent then, seeming to ignore them. Until they were sent into the locker rooms to shower. Then Cora stood next to her in the open concept room, under the water.
“So, this stuff hurts? How much?”
Sara scrubbed, moving rapidly, but wanting to be clean. Not that she’d broken a sweat playing with the bow and arrow.
“I won’t lie, it’s bad enough that you’ll notice it. It doesn’t injure you though, so it’s not comfortable, but knowing that makes it a lot easier to take. It can be like touching a hot stove. Not constantly, only if you stop paying attention. It’s meant to keep you focused, not hurt you.”
There was no speaking for a moment, then she nodded.
“I’m not great with pain.”
Sara knew a lot of people were like that really. Most of them, in fact.
“We can get you around that. You just have to be willing to tap a sigil. Weaker people than you have done it, so there’s no real excuse. I’m going to have to clear things with a lot of parents and the school. I… If we do it over a weekend, that will mean only missing four days of class here.”
The older girl nodded, and washed herself, a bit absently. Sara put more energy into it.
“I’ll do it then? Peter wasn’t wrong. Cheerleading isn’t a real career. My grades aren’t great, either. I think I can learn stuff, but I haven’t really done it, so…”
“Put your name on the list? It will be a bit, a week or two, before I can get that set up. Principal Rojas isn’t my biggest fan. She’s afraid of me.”
Those words had the girl wrinkling her nose.
“Why? That doesn’t make sense. I mean, you’re cute, but not exactly scary. Did you do something to her?”
“Nothing like that. She found out that I’m a class ten and sort of freaked. By the way, no, even if you didn’t know that was me, you don’t get to make a big deal of it now. I’m totally cool, obviously.”
That got a nod.
“No shit, right? I knew that one already. I just can’t see it as a big thing. I mean, I’m a ten too, and no one loses their minds over that. Well, most of them don’t. A few.”
It was funny, because, while attractive, the girl wasn’t a ten. Even Sara wasn’t. They were both really close to that.
“I keep telling people that. Get on the list and I’ll try to get you in the first group? Get with Fox Ortiz, Parker Hall or Fiona Lewis and take the lesson on Standard first, and it will put you ahead of a lot of people.”
“Fiona? I know her brother, Mitch. Some of my friends might want to try this too, if it isn’t unbearable. Is that okay?”
“It is, of course.”
The trick was going to be in getting people away for a whole week there. Also getting their parents to sign off on it. That and setting things up in Noram, at the actual school. Cora waved, and walked away, as Sara finished rinsing. She was dressed and outside, as Bridget jogged up, holding what looked like all the posters, rolled up.
“So, we have seventy-people signed up. I had to wait for five of them to get their information written out, which is why I’m late. This is bigger than I thought it would be.”
“That’s impressive. I’ll have to make a lot of calls. I also need to talk to Countess Thomson, so she knows we’re actually planning something. This would be so much easier if I was allowed to use my powers.”
She felt like she was whining, so tried to stop the feeling that was forming.
Bridget handed her the papers, then jogged off, to go and get her van. Sara nearly followed her, since she had legs, and could walk to the student parking lot, but was stopped, by Peter, who was on a cell phone.
“I can ask… Sara! Do you want to come over and meet my sister?”
She tilted her head.
“I can’t, today. I need to get with Countess Thomson, about setting those classes up. Not that I know how to do that. Or, well, I do have an idea. I’m not certain it will work, of course.”
Pete snorted.
“See, a real girl with a real voice. I told you she wasn’t something I imagined.”
The cell came out, for her to take. She blinked, felt awkward and then grabbed the thing.
“Hello? Liza?”
“Yeah. Is this Sara?”
“That’s me. I’m real and everything. Do you want to hang out, this weekend? Peter and I are heading over to Noram, which is a different reality. We’ll be gone for a while over there, but only two days on this side. Two and a half?”
“I can’t. I have to work. Still, that sounds nice. You’re that class ten girl? For real, I mean? Peter said that, but what are the odds, right? I mean, until a minute ago, you didn’t even really exist.”
The words indicated the girl was a bit drifty and out of it, high on something, most likely. Sara didn’t play with her though.
“Totally real. We’ll make a point of going another time then? On a day when you aren’t working?”
“Thanks. It’s… Pete hasn’t had an easy time, since our parents died. I’m happy he’s found someone. You sound cool.”
“Thanks! You do, too.” She passed the phone back, as Bridget pulled up in her love machine.
Peter waved and walked off, not stopping to let Bridget offer him a ride home. Then, it was only a few blocks, so not that big of a deal.
It took a few seconds to get in and buckled in place, then carefully, Bridget got onto the road and headed toward the base. She seemed pleased with herself, and explained why, not too long after they hit the highway.
“You know, not even one person here has cared that I’m me? I mean, the first day, I got some looks, but now, running through the hallway, no one acted like I was a freak or anything. Like they don’t care that I’m here at all. It’s… A lot different than I figured it would be. Nicer.”
“Yeah. People here are pretty cool, over all. I need to go to Noram, when we get back, if possible. I was thinking I’d ask the President to get Lydia to take me?”
Bridget sniggered. It sounded almost evil.
“That would work! Though, honestly, this is for an official program, not a pleasure trip, so I bet we could just ask Marcia. If not, we can go over her head, of course. Though, we should get with Richard Drake on this one. He can travel and take people to other realities, too. Also, this is kind of related to his other work there.”
Plus, the man didn’t care about rules and laws that much, so would be willing to help her get around them. Not that Lydia wouldn’t, on this one. She called the man directly, once it was mentioned.
“Richard Drake, how may I help you?”
“Sara Chambers here. I have business in Noram. I need to let Countess Thomson know that we have the first class, maybe two, of volunteers for her new school? I also have to work out how to con the school principal into letting everyone have a week off of school, without it hurting their records.”
There was a short pause.
“Con? A real one, you mean, not just a turn of phrase?”
“Almost certainly. She’s terrified of me, so it might be best if it wasn’t me doing it, personally.”
“Oh? That could also work, if it’s needed. I’ll handle this to start with. How long will they need to be gone?”
Sara took a deep breath, since it was a lot, really.
“Seven days. Slightly less than that.”
“What’s her name?”
“Rojas? Dorthea Rojas. Principal at Brackston. She seems like a good person, really. I mean, she clearly cares for the kids and all that. She just isn’t that comfortable with me being there. She seems fine with Bridget, for what that’s worth, so she probably isn’t an actual bigot or anything like that.”
“I’ll see what she says about this, then. In a matter like this, it’s all in the framing… Give me… Twenty minutes on the phone with her?”
That, it seemed, was really all it took for the man to win the older woman over to their side of the project.
Chapter thirteen
Rules or not, Sara was part of Richard Drake’s crew. She knew that, because he said so, as he winked at her. It was an old man move, when he did it. Ancient seeming. A thing from another era altogether. When she did it, the same thing was strange, at least at school or on the base. For the man who had taken her hand, then looked into a reflective, handheld, mirror and pulled her through his own subconscious mind into a different reality, it was just an old habit.
Even if he looked like they could have been dating, with no one, in either world, having an issue with it at all. A thing she thought about for a moment, before letting the idea go, totally. There were, she’d learned over the years, people who were simply off limits. Who were supposed to be out of bounds for romantic consideration. Most people had that in the form of family, of course.
Sara hadn’t really ever known anyone as being that. Not outside of a few who had claimed her. That list was, she had to think, a bit strange, when she considered it.
They came out of Rich’s mind, standing in the Noram Capital, outside of a building in the city, one made of tan mud, hardened and smoothed, with the ubiquitous thick walls of the place, having a rare feature for the area. A smooth expanse of glass, that had a faint reflection of herself in it. She was still wearing her school clothing, though Richard had changed into a fine suit. One created from magic. Technically Sara could have done that as well, but she hadn’t been walking around with a magical set of clothing, or even the amulet for that on. Not for days.
That was probably an oversight, on her part. Still, while a few people looked at her, glancing instead of staring, a few of them letting their eyes hover on her small chest or hind end, no one cried out for her to be arrested or removed. Then, she was in bright colors, and while most of the time people didn’t wear tight clothing in Noram, some did. So, she looked strange, but not poor, to most of them. Probably like a middling wealthy child of a merchant family, being strange to get attention.
