Chapter Fifteen
“EVA SOUNDS as if she just doesn’t want to face the truth,” Callie said, sitting cross-legged on the grass at the main campus, the sunshine giving her dark skin a warm orange tint. “Her boyfriend probably wants to ditch her but doesn’t want a massive fight about it.”
It was lunch-time the next day and they had brought snacks outside, so they could talk without being overheard. Not that Elliot really believed there was any big mystery. “I thought something similar,” he said, “but Eva is convinced something’s really wrong and it’s possible she’s right. Drugs would be an obvious explanation of a complete change in someone’s behaviour and, if that’s a possibility, then I think we’re justified in reading Nolan’s mind without his permission, so he can be helped.”
Sprawled out on the grass, elbow bent so he could rest his raised head on his hand, Fal gave him an amused look, clearly seeing straight through the justifications and knowing Elliot just wanted an excuse to do magic again. “Let’s start with this kid’s friends and see if they know what’s going on.”
“Eva already spoke to them,” Elliot said.
Callie wiped apple juice off her chin and said, “They’d hardly tell her if Nolan was planning on dumping her. If they don’t like her they wouldn’t have a reason to tell her anything at all.”
“Okay,” Elliot reluctantly agreed, fearing the matter would be solved without any magic being necessary. “We can start with them. This is what Nolan looks like.” He got the photo Eva had given him out of his briefcase and passed it around. “According to Eva, he’s a born athlete and everyone who meets him loves him. He also loves animals, or at least his dog, Milson, whom he misses constantly while he’s away from home.” The others smiled at this and studied the picture as Elliot tried to remember more of the long list of Nolan facts Eva had felt he should know. “Lately he’s been behaving oddly with both her and his friends, like a different person, and he’s moody, keeping to himself much more than usual.”
“He’s probably in the canteen having lunch right now,” Fal said, handing the picture back to Elliot and tipping his head back as he drank something orange out of a bottle. His blond hair had twenty different shades in it in the bright weather, the long strands looking as if they would be silky to the touch. He lowered the bottle and licked his lips, pink tongue leaving a hint of moisture on the plump mouth. “We could go and see who Nolan’s hanging out with, then try to get a word with one or two of them.”
Elliot dragged his gaze away and put the photo back into his case, then collected together his rubbish to put in a bin. He got to his feet. “All right. Let’s try it.”
Fal put the lid back on his drink, shoved his backpack over one shoulder, picked up his sandwich wrapper and stood up, rumpled looking and alert. When Barve and Callie followed suit, Fal said, “You two don’t have to come if you don’t want to. The whole thing’s probably a waste of time.”
Barve shrugged and Callie said, “If there’s a chance you two will do magic again, I want to be there for it.”
Her comment surprised him as he had got the impression that their magic unnerved her, but perhaps his words about it not being dangerous had changed her mind.
The four of them headed back inside, walking through corridors that were cool compared to the unexpected heat outside, towards the canteen full of nattering kids. Elliot looked about from the doorway but it was Barve who gestured to the right and said, “There he is.”
They all turned to stare at Nolan, who was at a table with Eva and six others. Eva was talking to the girl beside her while Nolan was just eating and glancing over at Eva from time to time. His kicked puppy expression certainly didn’t suggest that he wanted to end things with Eva. In fact, he looked more distressed about their problems than she did. Elliot also couldn’t see any signs that he might be taking drugs, his appearance healthy, but he really didn’t know much about the subject.
Callie grabbed his arm. “Come on – we can’t stand here staring. Let’s find a table near theirs.”
They manoeuvred through the obstacle course of chairs, tables and bags strewn across the floor and sat down opposite Nolan. Several teenagers at the table shot dark looks at the two Neans and left, which gave them more room. They got out the remains of their food and drink, staying silent as they tried to hear what was being said at the other table. Nolan answered questions in little more than monosyllables, making Farlden seem talkative in comparison.
Eva caught sight of them after a few minutes and gave him a quick smile before turning to Nolan and saying loudly, “I was just thinking about that amazing party we had last year, the one where Shaun and Laura got together. Wasn’t that great?”
“Yeah,” he said.
“I was so wasted that night,” another boy said, grinning. “What were we drinking?”
Nolan didn’t answer and someone else said, “A mixture beer, vodka and cider.” He nudged Nolan. “You dared us to mix it all together and drink it.”
Nolan gave a faint smile and then looked away.
“What was that CD we were playing all night?” Eva said to Nolan. “The Killers?”
He nodded and the girl next to Eva said, “No, it was Katy Perry’s first album. You insisted on putting it on. We loved it but all the boys complained that it was too girly.”
“I bought a new dress for it. The blue lacy one.” Eva was still looking at Nolan. “You said how sexy it was.”
There were a few cat-calls at this and Nolan smiled. “You looked beautiful.”
“But it was the red dress, I remember now,” she said and he dropped his eyes, smile vanishing.
They went silent and Callie leaned closer to Elliot and the other two, whispering, “So he doesn’t remember a party where he got really drunk. That’s not a shock.”
“It is if he’s like that about everything,” Elliot said in an undertone. “Eva said he didn’t remember their first date or other big things.”
“He looks uneasy about something,” Fal added, glancing round at the boy.
The conversations at the other table resumed and they sat back to listen. Nolan didn’t look at ease with the group, saying nothing unless prompted and showing little interest in anything but Eva. The blonde girl caught Elliot’s eye again and looked meaningfully at the other people at the table before asking Nolan to come with her. The two of them packed up their things and left the canteen, leaving the rest of the group behind.
Elliot quietly asked his friends, “Should we admit that Eva wants us to find out what’s happening or try to be more subtle?”
Callie rolled her eyes at him and spoke to the freckled girl who’d been sitting next to Eva. “Excuse me, but is Nolan okay? A friend of mine met him last year and, when he tried to talk to him recently, Nolan just blanked him.”
“I don’t know what’s going on with him,” the girl said. “He’s been weird with everyone.”
“He’s not acting like himself,” a lanky boy added.
“Oh, no,” Callie said, feigning worry. “You don’t think he’s on drugs, do you?”
A few people gave her uncertain glances, as if thinking that she was being nosy or that the question was out-of-order, but the boy said, “He’d never do anything like that. He’s not the type.”
“So what do you think is bothering him?” Callie persisted but the group had clearly had enough of her questions and just shrugged or ignored her. She turned round to whisper to Elliot’s group, “Let’s leave so we can talk.”
It was almost time to leave for their lessons anyway and Elliot needed to drive Barve to the art campus, so they wandered towards the car park, talking as they meandered.
“It seems as if there might be something going on,” Callie admitted.
Elliot nodded, thinking about Nolan’s odd reactions. Eva’s attitude had been a bit too spoilt for him to like her but she obviously loved Nolan to go to this much trouble to try and help him, so Elliot found that he wanted to get to the bottom of the mystery.
“Yeah,” Farlden agreed and looked at Elliot. “I guess we’ll have to use our magic after all.”
And, just like that, the day was a thousand times improved.