Dancing with Death

A Bus to the Grand Canyon

Eliza turned the page of her book, blinking rapidly as the letters on the page blended together. The uneven road certainly didn't help her dyslexia as the bus jounced ever closer to its destination. She sat cross-legged on the bench seat in the back of the vehicle. Her dark brown hair was dyed red on the tips and hung around her face, blocking out her surroundings.

Jason and Piper lay together on the seat next to her, sleeping soundly despite the rough road. Eliza had to chuckle. Those two were adorable and Eliza had rejoiced when they finally got together.

Leo sat in front of them, cycling between drumming his legs, twisting pipe cleaners, and tugging at the sleeves of his jacket. That kid couldn't sit still for more than a minute.

Jason stirred next to her and sat up groggily.

"Good. You're awake." Eliza turned another page. "I was starting to think you would sleep right through the field trip."

He surveyed the bus in confusion, his eyes settling blankly on Eliza. "Where am I?"

She scoffed. "Ha ha, very funny." She placed a bookmark between her pages and closed her mystery novel.

Jason stared at her without a shred of recognition.

Leo turned and started calling Jason out for playing the amnesiac. Piper watched him concernedly. Eliza studied his terrified face. Maybe he was being serious.

Couch Hedge interrupted her thoughts by yelling into his megaphone, which came out sounding like Darth Vader and animal noises.

The whole bus cracked up and Leo almost fell to the floor.

Eliza rolled her eyes. "How you haven't been expelled yet, is a mystery even I can't solve."

"The only way to get expelled from the school for juvenile delinquents is to commit a crime." He replied through fits of laughter. "I haven't done that yet. Unlike some people." He eyed Piper.

"I didn't steal the car." Piper crossed her arms.

"Riiiight." Leo drew out the word sarcastically. "What was your story again? You talked him into letting you take it?"

Piper blushed and turned away. She didn't like talking about her past.

"Of course, neither of us comes close to Eliza." Leo continued, taking the heat off Piper.

Eliza looked up with a annoyed gaze. "I thought I told you never to speak of it again."

"Oh come on." He pouted. "It's too good. Besides," he made his best puppy dog eyes. "don't you want to help Jason remember?"

"One word." She locked eyes with him. "That's all you'll get out before I silence you."

He chuckled nervously. "'Silence me.' What's that supposed to mean?"

She smirked. "Why would I tell you that? It's more fun to let your imagination run wild."

He gulped and turned around in his seat, riding in silence until the bus pulled to a stop in front of a quaint museum in the middle of nowhere.

"Alright cupcakes!" Coach Hedge yelled through the bus. "Pile out and stay with your partners."

Eliza raised her hand. "Uh... Coach Hedge?"

The coach met her gaze curiously, his tough facade wavering for a split second. "Yes?"

"My partner got sick this morning and had to stay at school, do you mind if I join another group?" She smiled innocently.

Hedge sighed. "Very well." He addressed the rest of the bus. "Everybody out!"

Eliza shot Leo a mischievous grin and he sank into his seat.

The four of them followed the other students off the bus and made for the museum with Coach Hedge shouting orders through his haywire megaphone.

"Please do not throw anybody over the edge!" He called, his voice deep and muffled.

"No promises." Eliza muttered so only Leo could hear her. She loved to make him squirm.

A boy with annoyingly bright teeth and an arrogant smile sidled up next to Piper, squeezing between her and Jason. "Come on, partner, you shouldn't be associating with these lowlifes."

Eliza clenched her fists and glared at the boy vengefully.

Her anger made him laugh. "What are you gonna do, pipsqueak?" With that, he dragged Piper away.

Eliza glared after him, her fists quivering. She was pretty self-conscious about her small, skinny build. It wasn't her fault she was born 4 months premature.

Jason placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

She faced him. "I'm fine. I learned a long time ago that you can't let guys like that get to you." She met his concerned gaze. "What?"

Jason seemed to snap out of a trance. "Nothing. It's just... nothing."

She studied his awkward mannerisms. Something was definitely off, but she let it go. "If you say so, Airhead."

He rolled his eyes.

Leo, who had been cowering from the guy who'd taken Piper, finally spoke up. "Speaking of Airheads, what happened to your partner?"

Eliza flashed a grin of mock innocence. "I may or may not have slipped some blueberries into her breakfast this morning."

Leo looked at her in complete confusion.

Eliza rolled her eyes. "She's allergic."

"What?!"

"Not fatally." She clarified. "Now, come on. We're falling behind and I, personally, would prefer to take the bus back to school." She walked ahead of them, leading the way into the museum.
                                  *   *   *
The tour was long and boring. Eliza had never though it was possible to fall asleep standing up, but she noticed a few kids having to be nudged awake by their partners as the group moved to the next exhibit.

As usual, she and Leo had to stop Jason from intervening where Piper didn't want him to and embarrassing her more. Even with amnesia he was protective of her.

Finally, Coach Hedge led the group outside where a glass catwalk jutted out over the Grand Canyon.

The sight took Eliza's breath away. The sheer scale of the canyon was mind-boggling, not to mention the coloring and layering of the rock walls and the powerful river raging below.

As the students surveyed the canyon, they filled out worksheets summarizing everything they'd learned, which, with these kids, was nothing.

Leo leaned over the railing and stared straight down. He nudged Jason. "I dare you to spit over the edge."

Eliza stood with her arms crossed and resting on the railing. "You two are so immature. Besides, if you want a real show, you throw a person over." She gazed intently into the canyon. "If they landed on their back it would make a louder crack," she tilted her head. "but, if they landed on their head, it would leave a bigger mark."

Leo stared at her in terror. "What are you?"

She faced him. "Why don't you tell me?"

"Because I have no idea." He took a step away from her. "But it's definitely not human."

"You're right." She shot him a mischievous grin. "I'm more like an Evil Genius."

A/N
Tada!!!! Chapter 1!!!!!