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“Hi.” My voice cracks. “How did you…?” I shake my head, “Never mind, I don’t want to know how you managed to call me from inside.” Right away, my defenses are up. If he is calling, it doesn’t mean anything good.
“That doesn’t matter, sweetheart.”
“Is something going on?”
“No, not here. Your mother informed me that you’re having a tough time at Corium. That people are after you.”
“After me would be a very loose statement. They want me dead but can’t find a way to do it without it causing problems.”
“You’re stronger than you think, Aspen, and even if it feels like the walls are crumbling around you, they’re not. There is no safer place for you than inside Corium.”
“It’s literal hell here.”
“Well, in case you need some leverage, I can tell you this…” He looks away from the camera and then back again like he’s trying to determine if someone is listening or watching him. “The answer to his question is Xander.”
Xander? And who’s question? “What are you talking about?” I ask, confused by the riddle.
“You’re smarter than you think, Aspen.”
“Smart has nothing to do with it, Dad. I don’t understand what you’re telling me—”
“I can’t say more than I already have since calls from inside are monitored,” he interrupts.
My lips part, and I’m about to say something else, but then the screen goes dark, and the call ends. Did he really just hang up on me?
I sit there baffled by the conversation, staring at the screen for five minutes before I decide to close it. What could that mean… the answer to his question is Xander. I already know it’s referring to Quinton, but I’m not sure in what sense.
Obviously, my father knows things I don’t, and instead of telling me, he’s speaking in a foreign language, leaving me to figure it out on my own. My frustration toward my mother and father has reached a new height. They both think I’m safe here, but I don’t see it, and I certainly don’t feel it. How can they think being hospitalized is safe? I was almost killed for crying out loud. Every day here feels like I’m one second away from being tossed into the pits of hell.
How can I continue forward? How can I make myself as feared as Quinton is? I don’t want to hurt anyone, but I have to find a way to make myself stronger. When Q was teaching me those moves in class, I had never felt so powerful, so in control.
In a lot of ways, it gave me strength that I never had before. Suddenly, I feel cooped up inside this room. Normally, I want to keep myself hidden, protected by these four walls, but I’m being driven to seek out something else.
I grab my key card off the desk, and my eyes catch on the edge of the map. There’s a book covering the majority of it, but in the bottom corner is the map key, and I notice a single word: sunroom.
Shoving the book off the map, I scan a route to the sunroom. I’ll push through a crowd of my enemies for a few moments of sunlight. I’m giddy with excitement when I leave the room. After the conversation I had with my father, this is exactly what I need.
The corridors are congested with students making their way back to the dorms. With my head down, I push through the horde to the elevators. An elevator is already going up with a couple of students in it, so I slide inside and press my back to the wall. The two girls inside exchange glances while the remaining occupant, a guy, pays me no attention. I pretend they don’t exist and ignore their glares.
At least they aren’t saying anything.
The elevator chimes, and I remember then that I forgot to push the button for the sunroom, so when they all step out, and I’m left alone again, I push the “s” button and take a step back, happy once more.
When the elevator chimes again and the doors open, I step out and have to shield my eyes almost immediately. Even though it’s afternoon, the sun is still beating down on the covered sunroom. It’s been a while since I saw the sun this fully.
I notice chairs and tables with little plants are scattered around the room. It’s a cozy vacant space and one that might be my hideaway for when the library isn’t an option. Slowly, I walk deeper into the room and take a seat at one of the tables.
The sun beats down on my skin, and I bask in the vitamin D it’s providing me. Even through the thick glass surrounding me, I can still feel the hot rays. Maybe I’ll be less depressed after this? They say the sun can make you feel rejuvenated. Too bad it can’t get rid of all the assholes at Corium.
