Free Talisman by S.E. Akers

and handed her my exam.
    “I’m not surprised,” Ms. Fitzpatrick remarked with a grin.
    I smile d back and returned to my seat with a good fifteen minutes left to kill.  I couldn’t let my thoughts dwell on the mine, so I grabbed my Geology book and started reading the next chapter.  The bell rang before too long, thankfully .  Katie had just handed in her test and was returning to her seat.
    “I’ll meet you in the Caf,” Katie called out.
    I confi rmed our plans with a quick nod and then hurried down to the second floor where my locker was located.  It was uncomfortably close to Mike’s, especially today.  I’d successfully avoided a conversation with him last period, but I knew he would be along soon.  I still couldn’t stomach the idea of a face-to-face about “the dance”.  Chloe could fill me in on any pending details later.  In the midst of my frantic rush to dodge him, I dropped all the books I was scrambling to put away.  Crap!
    I tried to gather them up as quickly as possible when I heard a hostile male voice say, “We need to talk .”
    I saw a pair of black Asics with white piping and looked up.  There , standing above me was the jackass , in the flesh.  Disappointed and defeated, I rose up and pitched the last book in my locker.
    “What about, Mike?” I replied, pretending to be puzzled.
    “ Look …I know Chloe has already filled you in on our proposed date ,” Mike countered.  “I really don’t care.  I’d rather go by myself, but my parents are insisting I go with someone… Anyone ,” he stressed, nostrils flaring.  “Just don’t embarrass me.  I’ll pick you up around 7 o’clock, so be ready.  None of this keep-me-waiting-because-you’re-not-ready ‘girl-crap’.  Got it? ” Mike demanded and then smugly strutted off down the hall.
    I slammed my locker shut and gave the combination lock a quick spin clockwise.  I’m sacrificing my Saturday night to spend it with an asshole , I raged to myself.  To help out two ungrateful witches!
    My “selfless act” had already lost its luster and was in no way giving me the warm & fuzzies any more.  I stormed off down the hall towards the cafeteria to meet up with Katie.  I wasn’t the least bit hungry.  I didn’t know if it was because I’d eaten such a big breakfast or if my stomach was flipping around full of worry over the situation with the mine.  Probably a little of both, with an added touch of nausea about the dance — and my “date” , I thought as I yanked open the cafeteria door.  Yeah, he’s a regular “Prince Charming” all right!
    The scene in the lunchroom seemed markedly amiss.  Everyone was huddled into his or her cliques like always, but the room was relatively quiet — almost “focused” — not the least bit lively like it usually was. Even the teachers were gathered around a large table near the back, engrossed in their hushed conversations.  Each and every one of them looked extremely apprehensive, and I didn’t need three guesses “why”.
    I felt a tap on my shoulder.
    “How’d you do on the test, Shi?” a familiar and stirring voice asked.
    A warm sensation tingled my entire body, which forced my eyes to ignite.  I whipped around to see Tyler Smith standing there, smiling back at me.  My stomach flipped, but I knew that reaction wasn’t because I was thinking about the fate of any ’ole coal mine.
    “I think I did pretty well,” I replied humbly.
    There was something quite fine about Ty ler Smith.  It wasn’t his sculptured physique (of course, that didn’t hurt), or even the way his eyes glistened whenever he smiled.  That only forced me to remember to breathe.  The fact that he made straight A’s and cared about his grades was merely a perk.  Truthfully, it was because with all that going for him, he was still so down-to-earth and radiated this indescribable gentle kind of confidence.  That’s what pulled my trigger.  Realistically, Ty could be as cocky as