Hidden in Sheridan (Tainted Series: Book 1)
EPILOGUE:

TAINTED (Book two)

Sheridan High School (AM) - The large yellowed envelope, blurred in and out of focus on the desk in front of her. Its computer printed letters and the thick stamped postmark ran together like cheap ink. Excited mummers circulated around the classroom. Metal chair legs scraped across the floors as students lean in to get a better look. The pressure of eyes and unwanted breathing, beat down on her back adding an invisible weight to her shoulders. Yet it was the unwanted congratulations that harshly prickled beneath her cold skin.

Drawing a deep breath through her nose, Trinity managed to control the burning in her chest. She ran her fingers through the loose brown locks and allowed the irritation to sharpen the edges of each printed word.

Her name, accompanied by the schools address, rested in the receivers location.

“Your excitement is overwhelming, Trinity.” Mr. Enigma sarcastically tapped his desk at the front of the classroom. “You are the first student in seven years to be accepted to a study abroad program. I wish you had told me you applied.”

Teeth locked together, Trinity’s cheeks pulled back into a tight smile before looking up at her teachers round chipmunk face. But a side glance at Cassidy’s scrunched expression, suggested Trinity’s feigned happiness may have been too exaggerated. Her eyes returned to the inanimate object in front of her.

“Wait,” Cassidy’s speculative interjection quiets the other students. “The study abroad programs are submitted by the foreign language classes. How did the mute girl get chosen?”

Trinity’s eyes rolled back as she pressed her eyelids closed. Ever since Cassidy had decided to stick around, she’d made it her mission to poke holes in Trinity’s mute facade. Trinity had no idea why this had become her soul mission, but Cassidy never missed an opportunity to try.

“Sign language is a part of the language program.” Levi defended. Knocking his knuckles on Trinity’s desk, her eyes flew open to meet his dark brown complexion. “Congratulations, Ity.” Though he had been more guarded around her the last few weeks, his genuine smile still softened the tension in Trinity’s cheeks and her lips parted.

Wanting so badly to speak, perhaps to explain, but she quickly closed them again and turned back to the envelope. The smeared postmark was dated four days ago, in - S.E.A - the rest of the stamp was unreadable.

She ran the letters through her head. As far as she knew there was no city in Wyoming that started with those letters. Just to be sure she glanced at the map on the wall, allowing her mind to review each individual city. The hope, that this document had come from an official Wyoming Educational Office, drained away with every name she mentally crossed off.

“Open it.” Another student shouted, his excited pitch rapped against Trinity’s ear drums. She winced as he spoke, “Lets see what country you’re going to!”

“It’s American sign language idiot. She can’t go far.” Another student mocked which then launched another discussion about the rights of handicaps and how ASL was known around the world. Levi again came to her defense sharing details she hadn’t realized he’d noticed. Like the fact she writes in French, German and reads Japanese literature. But it made sense that Levi would know all about her. He had been her official stalker for the past year.

Which, as annoying as that had been, right now none of that mattered.

Though the color of the paper was bright and happy, a heavy sense of dread seeped from all four corners of the envelope. Trinity’s hands drew back from her waist level desk, folding tightly around her middle.

A sharp whistle from the front of the room quieted the pack of students. Finally, Mr. Enigma waved them all back to their seats.

“I’m curious too, but if she doesn’t want to show you, she doesn’t have to.” He ordered. Just then a knock at the door redirected his attention. Outside the principal waved for the teacher to meet him in the hall. “Return to your seats and begin reading Chapter seven of your text. I’m right outside.”

Teenage whining vibrated across the classroom windows.

“Ity?” Reaching from his desk behind Levi, Sterling tapped Trinity’s shoulder as he whispers, “Are you okay? You don’t look too excited.”

With a breath her lips parted again as if to answer, but even if she were able to speak in front of everyone she didn’t know what to say. Instead, Trinity lazily rotated her thumb and forefinger over her shoulder. This signaled a familiar,‘Later.’ Which would have to do.

Understanding, Sterling nodded and sat back. Cassidy however, had something else in mind.

“What if we rip the bandaid off?” She said jumping from her chair she tried to strip the envelope from Ity’s desk. Trinity’s fast reflexes slammed her hand down, pinning the mail to the desktop. The loud slam of her hand startled the entire room into silence.

After a moment, eyes shifted to the door but both adults hadn’t noticed the disruption. Cassidy maintained her hold on the edge of the envelope, while Trinity sat frozen. “You know Ity, it’ll be easier to keep track of you if we know where you’re going.”

Ity’s eyes rolled, but instead of resisting, she shoved the envelope toward Cassidy. Small disappointment crossed Cassidy’s face, she had been counting on more resistance.

Ity’s leg began to bounce as she watched Cassidy flip the thick packet over. Her golden brown eyes sparkled beneath her thick eyebrows and her finger successfully sliced open the envelopes flap. As the thin stack of papers was being pulled through the opening, Trinity jaw tightened. She pressed down on her knee, muting its bounce, and searched deep inside herself for a feeling of hope which never came.

“Drumroll!” Levi’s comical flair filled the room with energy as Cassidy pulled the papers from the envelope, just far enough to reveal what information they all were needing, however she paused. “Well?” Levi pushed.

“It says Brand? Where’s that?” She practically snarled. Levi jumped from his seat to squint over her shoulder. Neither one flinched at there sudden closeness,

“It says outside of Grindelwald,” Levi said scanning farther.

“Isn’t that the place in a movie?” Someone asked.

“It’s in Switzerland.” Cassidy finally found it.

Awes went up. Bodies shifted to the world maps on the walls, and Trinity’s face sunk into the palms of her hands. Her long brown hair covered her expression, had anyone paused to take notice, they may have spotted the dread that overtook her composure. Sharp stinging rapped against the back of her clenched eyeballs. If there had been any hope, it now sizzled like a mouse caught in a lava bed.

“No,” The hushed word, slipped past her lips into the loud room. Taking her hand from her eyes she pressed it against her mouth and glanced, through the curtain of her hair, to confirm no one had heard.

Safe.

Pushing her hair out of her face, Trinity looked to the door. Her mind quickly mapped out a route for a swift escape, but she didn’t know how to get there. The two adults just outside would demand an explanation. What she needed was a logical excuse for a brisk exit.

“A handicapped foster kid gets the backing to go Switzerland? Yeah, that’s not suspicious,” Cassidy mocked. Her tone changed the excitement in the room, to gasps.

Trinity’s eyes sparked, ‘Thank you Cassidy.’

Ity slammed both her fists angrily into her wooden desk. Reaching out, she blindly pulled the papers from Cassidy’s hands. Head down, she stormed past desks, pushed by her classmates, and broke out into the hallway. Mr. Enigma and the principal called after her but she was far enough away they wouldn’t chase her. First they’d seek answers from inside the classroom, giving her the freedom to take a sharp turn up the stairwell and onto the roof.

The afternoon sun beat down not warming her skin but soothing her irritation. Lifting the papers closer to her eyes, a large lump rose in her throat - ‘Brand, Switzerland.’ She read the details of the letter for herself. ‘A privately funded study abroad experience, extended to Trinity Rhoche, 16 years old from Sheridan, Wyoming.’

The pages shivered between her fingers. “He found me that fast?” The unfamiliar sound of her own voice hung in the air.

She grabbed the edges of the paper and began to pull them in opposite directions, stopping short of the first tear. Her face twisted for a moment, until her arms dropped lifelessly to her side.

Thump. Thump. The rapid footsteps echoed up the stairwell changing to crunching gravel when Sterling stumbled through the door. “Are you okay?”

She didn’t look at him. She kept her eyes on the thick trees that were scattered through town. They swayed slightly with a calm breeze. The same breeze that listlessly pushed her two and fro.

“Sorry it’s me, Levi got caught …” He trailed off. “You’re not mad they opened it.” He concluded. Trinity shook her head and waved him off. If they hadn’t opened it, she would still be staring at it, willing it to disappear. “You looked like you wanted to say something before … no ones around to hear you.” He pushed one more time.

Trinity opened her mouth again to have no words come out. What could she tell him? That it was sham. One that she can’t reject. Even though all she wanted to do was pretend the summons had never arrived.

No, she’d never be able to outrun the consequences.

Instead she let out a short laugh through her pained expression but Sterling wasn’t fooled. He stepped into her line of sight, his eyebrows pulled together in concern, his arms wide in the most unthreatening pose he could make.

“What’s in Brand, Trinity?” He asked. “Why do you, someone who’s not scared of anything, look afraid?”

“Do I smell like fear?” She asked.

“I’ve been taught not to comment on a girls smell while in human form.” He said. A flirty smirk pulled at the corners of his mouth but when she barely blinked he decided to be honest. “You smell of defeat. Like you’re facing a moment where you don’t have choice.”

Trinity’s eyes glanced over the edge of the building at the blacktop a few stories below.

“I have a choice. I won’t get to see what that thing in your stomach does to you,” She said. She slid the white sheets of paper back into their torn envelope, rolled it into a funnel, and held it tightly in her hand. “And if I’m lucky Sterling, I’ll see you in hell.” sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ FindNʘᴠᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Placing her white sneaker on the deep red brick of the roofs ledge, Trinity stepped off.

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