Somewhere Over the Freaking Rainbow - By L.L. Muir Page 0,21

the city; there were so few students in Flat Springs they were easy to keep track of.

And what was it he’d lost track of again? Was it because Skye had gotten away that he once again felt as if he were forgetting something? Had to be. She was gone and the feeling was right back where it started, making him feel like an idiot, like he’d walked into a room looking for something but had forgotten what it was.

Maybe Skye wasn’t the thing he’d lost. Maybe she just made him forget everything when she was around. One thing was certain, though—it was going to drive him crazy until he remembered.

***

Skye’s visit to Kenneth was short. She tried to build his spirits by talking about his grandson, but his side of the conversation lacked his usual attention.

He was worried about the test.

She quit torturing him with her questions and chatter and helped him find something amusing on TV, but as soon as she walked out the door, she heard him turn it off.

Jamison pulled up in his mother’s car as she was walking out. Watching him unfold himself from the driver’s seat was riveting, he moved so smoothly for a tall boy.

“How is he?” Jamison rubbed his hands together then stuck them under his arms.

“Distracted. You know, you might want to give him a few minutes before you go in. He wanted a little peace, I think.”

Jamison looked at the doors, then back at her.

“Should I not go in?”

“Oh, no. I think you should go in, but just give him a minute.”

“Okay.”

“Are you all right?”

“Fine.”

“It’s cooling off. Come sit in my car.”

“’Kay.”

She turned on the engine and heater. Jamison always looked cold; his shoulders were often pulled up close to his ears, his hands buried under his arms or in his pockets, as if Colorado were more like Alaska when compared to Texas.

He also looked tired.

She knew he hadn’t had much sleep. His bedroom window had been lit up so late she thought he might have fallen asleep with the lights on, or else kept them on out of fear. Just as she’d begun to feel guilty over that, his light had gone off. She’d stopped worrying about him, at least until English, when she was afraid Lucas had tampered with too much of his memory. He said he’d only taken the memories of the ceremony, and all contact Jamison had had with Ray and Burke since he’d returned to Flat Springs. What she’d feared to most was Jamison not remembering her. But so far, so good.

Skye was also aware that Jamison and his mom had likely awakened without a care in the world. Even though it was a nice little mental vacation, a gift even, she disliked the fact Jamison’s mind had been manipulated...along with memories of a half dozen other people last night. As far as she could remember, no clean-up had gone that far before, and it probably could have ended with Jamison had she told the others Jamison was still in the tree house. But whatever the ultimate fall-out over the incident, she couldn’t let it interfere with her assignment.

Skye checked her internal thermometer, then reached for the knob on the car heater. Jamison’s sudden growl made her snatch her hand back before she could turn it down.

His feet stomped, his knees bumped the glove box, and his hands pounded the dash a dozen times. He got some good force behind the fist that slid sideways against the door with a boom, and the violence ended.

“It’s so unfair! I just got him back!”

“It’s all right, Jamie. Really it is.”

His hands started pounding again, as if the car had decided to fight him back, but it ended after a couple of thumps.

Maybe calling him Jamie, as Kenneth did, wasn’t such a hot idea. But it had felt good, like she’d finally pronounced his name right.

When he could catch his breath he muttered, “I’ve had to do without him for five years. I feel so cheated.”

“I’m so sorry.” She squeezed his arm. “I’m sorry for you all. But Kenneth is going to need something from you.”

Jamison turned to face her. “What?”

“The time will come when you’ll have to let him stop fighting.”

“He fights because he’s a fighter.” He faced forward again and glared at the offensive dashboard.

“Maybe he was once. But now he fights for his family. He’ll keep on fighting, even after it’s useless, if you let him. You’re going to have to watch for the time when