The Island Curse

Discoveries

"Can you repeat that? I didn't quite catch all of it."

I glared at Kieran, fingers itching to remove the smirk from his handsome face. "I said I was sorry for overreacting yesterday. I still don't think I saw a glare, but I shouldn't have been such a brat."

"Well, that's a backwards apology if I ever heard one, but I'll take it."

We were in a small courtyard.. It's where the other early birds had been hiding when I arrived yesterday, and I'd arrived almost as early today to make sure I could find an escort to class. Mrs. Walsh escorted me to the area, and I'd spied Kieran reclining on a bench, his nose in a book and a pencil pushed behind his ear.

"Good," I responded, "because that's all I've got."

He snapped his book shut and put it in his bag. "I'm guessing you don't know where our first class is?"

"You'd be guessing correctly."

Kieran threw his arm over my shoulder, jerking back when I let out a hiss of pain. He didn't ask permission before pushing back the collar of my shirt to see the heavy bandages I'd put over the cuts. Eyes flashing, he brushed the carefully arranged bangs from my face, and his jaw clenched at the bruises and angry lines he found there. His thumb hovered just above the tender spot.

"Do you not think it'd be best if you went to see a doctor?"

"It'll be fine. Heal up and hair over."

The darkness vanished, and his mouth dropped open. "Heal up and what?"

"Sorry, it's just something my MiMi used to say when we'd get hurt, though I'm pleased to say nothing has ever grown back hairy."

"Well, that's a relief." He dropped his hand to his side just as Al and Tara entered the courtyard. "Well, we've got Biology first, and Mr. O'Doyle is a pain in the arse."

"I prefer a hands on approach with Biology, if you know what I mean," Al purred and winked.

"We know," Tara said, rolling her eyes and making an obscene gesture that had Kieran choking.

I burst into laughter, not sure whether it was from her brazen attitude or his acute embarrassment. Al didn't even register his sister's remark, choosing to take the Biology book I had under my arm and put it under his.

"Can't let a beautiful woman like yourself carry yer own books." Kieran's face was still flushed, but from the dip in his brows, I didn't think it was from mortification anymore. Ignoring the other boy's clear irritation, Al whispered in my ear, "Isla, I'm going to need a lab partner, and I was hoping you'd want to be mine."

"Umm, doesn't the teacher usually assign these things?" Not that I minded spending time with Al- I wanted to get to know all the students- but he didn't seem the most studious. And one thing I hated was carrying a group grade.

"I told you this morning," Tara began, taking my book and returning it to me, "She's going to be mine."

"But you and Niko always pair up," he whined.

"And she and Leslie are taking advanced Biology courses with Dr. Bryant. So she won't be in the class this year." She batted her eyes at him and hooked her arm through mine. "We'll be late if we don't get going."

Kieran patted Al on the back in consolation, but he looked anything but contrite. The boys trailed behind us, giving me an opportunity to study my new lab partner. Her bright yellow cardigan was a size or two bigger than she needed, making it loose and long. Instead of yellow knee highs, she wore stockings, and I made a mental note to ask where I could pick some up in my assigned color.