A Murder Of Crows {13}

I got up and shoved my notebook in my bag. Students were gathering their stuff, talking eagerly, excited to have lunch and get a break from lectures.

I saw Mia leaving the room, not bothering to wait up for me. That was fine. Dealing with Mia exhausted me.

I saw Jamison out of the corner of my eye, talking with two other students as they headed for the door. He looked back at me, but a girl caught his attention with whatever she was saying, and he politely returned his attention to her.

Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I left the classroom. I had my last day of detention today and then I was free again. Kieran would probably be stuck in ISS for a while if he couldn't get his temper under control and at least pretend he could manage good behavior.

The worst part about Kieran's ISS punishment was that they let him out for lunch. That meant I had to deal with him in the dining hall, and I'd honestly rather have him punch me in the face for an hour straight than deal with his angst while I was trying to eat.

I looked up and spotted Val and Cole standing near the door, probably waiting for me. I quickly hid myself behind a group of students. God, I didn't want to deal with Val right now.

It took a few minutes, but Val finally tugged Cole's arm to get him to follow her out of the door, giving up on me. Relieved, I stepped away from the group and slowly made my way towards the door.

After checking to make sure Val wasn't waiting for me outside, I slipped out the door and started for the dining hall. The path there was mostly empty now, kid no doubt already swarming the dining hall to fight over the best food.

But I slowed as I neared the dining hall, because I saw Kieran just rounding the side of the building. The smart thing to do would be to pretend I hadn't seen anything and just go inside.

Unfortunately, I was growing into quite the nosy person lately. So, naturally, I crept around the side of the building, slowly making my way along until I heard Kieran's voice.

"-make this fast. I might get expelled for hitting you, but it would be worth it," Kieran said.

"You'll be expelled if you hit anyone, especially Cor." Jamison's voice. "Pity will only excuse your punishment so much."

"Speaking of pity, you seem to have taken a liking to Cor pretty fast," Kieran said.

"Jpeg, as I've heard you like to call him. Another lame nickname of yours?" Jamison said.

"The one I gave you was pretty accurate," Kieran said, his voice cold.

"Is it? Either way, I'll be watching you. One wrong move, you're out of here," Jamison said. "I had hoped you'd learn to control your temper as you got older, but I see it's only gotten worse."

"You'd love it if I got expelled," Kieran said, a bitter laugh chasing his words. "Not happening, president. I'll haunt you here until graduation. I'll always be here as that reminder that you're not the sweet, charming president everyone thinks you are."

"I do what I have to do." Any hint of warmth was gone from Jamison's voice. It was that dangerous tone he'd used with Nia, now. "We all do what we have to do to succeed. We were both in a tight spot."

"A tight spot?" Kieran sounded incredulous, and so, so angry. "A tight fucking spot? Your parents had the money for your tight spot, you fucking leech. You like to make yourself sound like some noble hero, but all you did was leave me broke when my mom desperately needed money."

I felt intrigue misting over me, and though I knew I should leave and mind my own business, my feet stayed rooted to the spot. I didn't dare peek out around the corner at them. If either of them saw me, who knew how ugly the scene could get.

"You act like I robbed you. I was better suited for the job than you were. I never stole a thing from you," Jamison said.

"You stole everything," Kieran snapped. "You like to think you're a good person, but you're not. You think you're a hero and I'm a villain, but that's only because your pride warps the truth of what happened back then. I always had the temper, but I was a better man than you could've ever hoped to be."

"'Was'," Jamison said. "And what are you now, Kieran?"

"I'm what I had to be to keep going," Kieran said. "You think I want pity from any of you? I don't. I don't need it, I don't want it."

"Your mom would be disgusted to see who you've become," Jamison said.

"And what about your family? You think they'd be proud to know the scum their son turned into? A damn leech, that's all you've ever been. You take and take and take and when it's time for you to give, you cut the ties and move on to the next victim. Cor's your current target now, isn't he? I bet he's got something you want, and you'll charm it out of him and use his back as a step to your next goal."

Jamison gave a dry laugh. "That's what you think, is it?"

"It is," Kieran said. "I was too close to see who you really were under that smile, but Cor's not. He doesn't get close. He doesn't know how. So whatever you want from him, you won't get it."

"You underestimate people. You always do," Jamison said. "Besides, what would you care what my relationship to Cor is? You tried to knock his face right off."

"He runs with me. That alone means you'll back the fuck off," Kieran said, everything about his words a threat.

"But he's not a friend. Do you have any friends, Kier? Mia is always following you around, and what a keeper she is," Jamison said.

"You and Kenz deserve each other. You both ruin lives and never look back. Kenz knocked Mia over the edge and never gave a thought to how hard the fall would be," Kieran said. "But go on and preach how I'm the bad one here. You and your Crows are perfect angels."

"I'll keep anyone else from falling in line with you. I know you, Kieran. You're not innocent, and I know it. You think you're protecting Cor? He'd be better off far away from you," Jamison said.

"What, he'd be better with the Crows? He doesn't care about any of you." It was silent for a moment, and I was tempted to peek. But then Kieran spoke again, and his voice was closer to me than before. "We're done here. Back off, or I'll make you back off."

I hurried away until I was hidden safely from view. I watched Kieran stomp by, fists clenched and face furious. He was taking slow breaths, trying to calm himself. I watched him until he disappeared around the corner.

I waited to make sure Jamison wouldn't take the same route. But several minutes passed, and there wasn't a sign of Jamison. I left my hiding spot and went inside, debating if I even wanted to get lunch.

I decided against it, instead buying a snack from the market and settling myself on a bench outside. Kieran would be in a mood, and Val would no doubt taunt him all period and only rile him up even more. I didn't want any part of that.

Instead, I nibbled on my snack as I picked apart their words from earlier. So Mia had been part of their group at one point, and her problem was with Kenz, not Jamison.

But just what had Jamison done to Kieran? And how did Cole fit into this picture?

Something about a job. Kieran needed money, and it sounded like Jamison had stolen his chance at getting it. Was then when Kieran turned to be a Collector?

I didn't know anything about Kieran's family, which made it even harder to piece this all together. They had to have money if they sent Kieran to this school. Sure, the Academy gave scholarships to let poorer students attend, but I was pretty certain Kieran wasn't a scholarship recipient. But if his dad lived far enough that the headmaster needed to video chat with him instead of having an in-person meeting, maybe Kieran's parents weren't together. Maybe his dad was the one paying for his education here, and his mom was struggling financially.

There were too many possibilities, and guessing at Kieran's life wouldn't get me anywhere. Only more information would help me put the pieces together.

"Cor?"

I looked up at Jamison. He frowned and came over, sitting next to me on the bench.

"What are you doing out here? Why aren't you eating with your friends?" he asked.

"Didn't feel like it," I said. "What are you doing out here?"

"Just needed some air. You know how crowded and hot the dining hall can get," he said. "You mind the company?"

"Yea, but you're going to sit there anyways," I said.

He grinned a little, that lighthearted grin that spoke of a mischievous nature, not a cruel one. "You're right. Glad we got that out of the way."

How could he switch so fast? From threatening Kieran to grinning and teasing me. Just what was Jamison's true nature?

The side he showed Kieran. That had to be his true nature. People always hid their true selves and constructed a mask to wear for the world. He showed me what he wanted me to see, but Kieran already knew the truth and there was no reason to dress up for him.

"Hey, Cor, what did your parents say about..." He gestured to my lips.

"My parents?" I furrowed my brow.

"Aren't they angry that Kieran did that? I'm sure the headmaster called them after he talked to Kieran's dad. Probably before, if he had to set up a day to talk with Kieran's dad," Jamison said.

I shook my head. "I don't know. I didn't know he'd tell them."

"Well, didn't you tell them?" Jamison looked surprised now.

"Why would I? It's not their problem," I said.

"But you're their son, and someone attacked you," Jamison said, surprise turning to confusion. "You didn't think that was important enough to mention to them? If someone hit me, my parents would march onto campus and drag their ass to the headmaster's office."

"I'm old enough to handle my own problems. They have other things to deal with," I said.

Jamison's expression was hard to read. "You're their son."

"I understand that. But I'm 17. My problems are mine, not theirs," I said.

It hadn't even crossed my mind to tell my parents about the attack. I also hadn't thought about the fact that the headmaster would call them to report it to them.

But why would I tell them? It wasn't their issue, and they wouldn't have time to listen to me complaining about being hit. If I couldn't handle it on my own, then I was nothing more than a dependent child.

Jamison looked down at his hands. "Sorry. I just...My parents and my grandpa would fight this whole Academy if someone here was hurting me."

"Your grandpa?" I said, raising an eyebrow. "You need your grandpa to defend you?"

A small smile peeked through on his face. "He's old, but he'd throw fists for me. It makes me sad when I see kids who think spending time with their grandparents is lame. They won't be around forever."

"No one will be around forever," I said.

But now I thought of my own grandpa. Every time I saw him as a child, he'd place a hand on my head, give me a big grin, and bellow "Sproutin' right up, tot!". He'd been a big, loud man, always chasing his own jokes with a hearty laugh.

I could remember when he got sick and ended up in the hospital. My aunt took me to see him, and he placed a shaking hand on my head. I could remember his sad smile, the crack in his voice when he said, "This is as much as I see you sprout, tot. Walk as tall as you grow."

At his funeral, it had been open casket. I'd stared at his big hands, folded over his chest. I'd reached out to touch one, and my mom had impatiently swatted my hand away and told me to have some respect at a funeral.

So instead, I'd sat at the front of the funeral parlor and stared at his hands until it was time to leave. My grandma took one of the pictures off the picture board and gave it to me, a shot of my grandpa with his hand on my head and the big grin on his face.

I'd tucked it away under my pillow, staring at it every night when I put myself to bed. I'd get this heavy feeling in my chest, and sometimes I'd even reach up and place my own hand on my head, frustrated at how small my hand was.

It wasn't until I was older that I understood; I missed him. I'd cared about him, and never understood it until it was too late to matter.

But what did it matter now? He'd been dead since I was a child. No one had placed their hand on my head and told me some silly phrase about how I was sproutin' since that day in the hospital.

"You're right," Jamison said, breaking my thoughts. "No one will be around forever. That's why we should cherish the time we have with people."

"Calm down Hallmark," I said.

"I think Kieran's habit of giving bad nicknames is rubbing off on you," Jamison said.

"What did he call you?" I said.

His smile stretched thin enough to announce its fakeness. "Midas. He called me King Midas."

Everything Midas touched turned to gold. Even his own daughter.

"That's a shit nickname," I said.

"He never was good at nicknames. But calling me Jamie would've been too simple, so he went for an absurd nickname," Jamison said. Jamison stood up. "I'm sorry. I just came out for some air. I've got to go talk to the Crows about some business. I'll catch you later, Cor."

"Please don't," I said.

He laughed a little, but it died off and he frowned over at me. "It's none of my business, and I'm sorry. But I just...when people don't have a biological family they can rely on, they have to build their own. Everyone deserves to have people around them who will support and protect them. You deserve that, Cor." He looked away from me, straightening his Crow pin. "I won't let Kieran hurt you. I just want you to know that."

I watched him walk away, leaning back on the bench a little. I wasn't some pet he and Kieran could fight over. And I wasn't some defenseless child who needed protecting.

I closed my eyes, elementary school flashing back to me. Yes, I could remember it. An older boy slapping my Gameboy out of my hands, telling me I was stupid and lame. So childish. He'd tried to grab me, but I was too fast for him. It made him angry, and the next three days he'd slap my Gameboy out of my hands, telling me he'd break it before the week was over.

But he was just another victim of those blue eyes. Those delicate hands, balled into fists that hurt more than they looked like they should.

"You don't need to be able to fight. That's what I'm here for, Cor. I'll make sure you and your Gameboy are fine, so don't worry, okay?"

Why? Why did everyone think I needed protecting?

I stared down at my own hands. I reached up and lightly brushed my fingers over my wounds, feeling the way the cuts stung at my own touch.

What was Jamison trying to achieve? Was he after Kieran? The Collectors? Me?

"Jpeg!"

Val ran up to me and brushed her hair behind her ear. "You never showed up to lunch. I saw Jamison coming from outside, and, well, I took an educated guess and backtracked his path."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" I said.

Val shook her head. "You're so slow. He's all over you. Maybe he thinks you're cute!"

"Good for him," I said.

"Oh, don't act like you're not interested," she said, elbowing me lightly. "I know you've got your eyes on boys."

"So? That doesn't mean I want to fuck every boy I see," I said. "How did you know that, anyways?"

"Educated guess. I'm good at those," she said, grinning a little.

"Keep it to yourself. I don't want to be fetishized," I said. "Anyways, it's got nothing to do with Jamison bothering me."

"What, you really think that?" Val said. "You're not a bad looking guy yourself, Cor. And Mr. President seems to have taken a liking to you. More than he really should. Cole let it slip that Jamison talks about you an obnoxious amount."

"Me?" I frowned. What was there to talk about when it came to me?

Val sat next to me and pat my shoulder. "You are a little boring and very closed off, but I think you're intriguing in your own way."

I swatted her hand away. "I don't care what you think."

"But you cared what a certain someone thought," she said, the hint of a grin on her face.

"Do you want my hacking skills or not? We had a deal, Valeria," I said.

"And I'm sticking to our deal. Your secrets are safe with me. Well, as long as you cooperate," she said cheerfully.

Jamison thought Kieran was the dangerous one of the group, but he was grossly underestimating Val. She was someone I wouldn't want to mess with.

I enjoyed hacking for the fun of it. Val enjoyed hacking for the information she got.

"I sat out here because I didn't want to deal with any of you," I said. "Go away, Val."

"You're so grumpy." She laughed and stood up, ruffling my hair despite the glare I shot her. "I'll see you after your detention."

"Don't bother," I said.

I was in a mood now. If Val was planning on showing up to my room, I'd just make sure I wasn't there for her to bother.

I tossed my snack in my bag, my appetite gone. It wasn't possible that Jamison had taken a genuine liking to me. He suspected me of being part of the Collectors. There's no way he'd be stupid enough to trust me.

But what if...?

Shit. I think Jamison and I had lost sight of the game for too long. Things were leaking into reality, and I wasn't sure how much farther we'd take this.