Birthright

CHAPTER SIX

Monday morning, Kray woke up with a brain-splitting headache. He quickly downed a couple of painkillers, checked on Grams, and took off for school. Classes were unbearable because of the pain, even Native History, which had always been his favorite. But he propped his chin on his hands and paid attention anyway.

The discussion with the Morrisons had changed a lot. He kept analyzing everything Mrs. Carmen said in class, wondering what the Sansers' take would have been. Would they agree that the ANEF's limitations on the Outskirts after the war were fair? Did they hate that, as years passed and more of the land outside the Mainland gates recovered from the Burning War, the ANEF kept seizing Sanser land and expanding the Mainland?

And what were their feelings about the Rebels? He hoped they didn't support them; that was the one thing Kray couldn't overlook. The Rebels were thieves and murderers, a threat to the safety of every native on Earth. They were the cause of the conflict between Metas and Sansers.

Thirty minutes into class, Leah, who sat to his immediate left, leaned over and said. "Are you okay? You look awful."He ignored her."Still mad at me? You are so mean, Kray."

And she was nuts. He couldn't believe he'd ever found her pouty act cute.

"You know, I heard the most interesting thing from Alex. You didn't waste much time before moving on to another girl, did you?" Leah sounded snide. What was her problem? She couldn't possibly be jealous. "I know you two haven't talked since and I bet you're dying to know what Alex said about you. What if I told you she thought the kiss was awful? I mean, compared to Robert."

His fingers tightened around the edge of his desk for a fraction of a second before he relaxed them. He wouldn't let her see how much the words got to him. "I'd say you're lying." He shot her a lopsided grin that barely hid his disdain. "You of all people know that."

"Kray," Mrs. Carmen snapped. "Quiet or you'll be making an impromptu trip to the principal's office."Deadpan, he gave her a short salute. "Sorry. Carry on, Mrs. C."

Favorite class. Just another teacher itching for a reason to pick a fight with him.

#

When the final bell rang, Kray trudged through the hallways. The pounding headache had worsened, and now it felt like fireworks were lit up in the back of his head, each explosion creating a stab of pain and light. As if that wasn't bad enough, he was so exhausted, so drained that every step felt like it might be his last.

This wasn't normal. He'd gotten sick plenty of times before, but this felt nothing like he'd experienced before. Pulling on his blue cap, Kray crossed the school grounds on foot. Walking home five miles like this felt like a death sentence, but riding a driffer was out of the question. So he gritted his teeth against the pain and kept moving.

About a mile later, someone on a driffer pulled up next to him. Alex. She hopped down and asked him the same thing Leah said earlier.  "Are you okay?" Only difference was that she actually sounded concerned instead of making small talk.

He was soaked in sweat by then, panting for breath. "I'm fine. Why did you tell Leah about what happened in the workout room?"

She frowned at him. "Why wouldn't I? You two are dating. I thought she deserved to know the truth. I couldn't hide it from her."

"What makes you think we're dating?" he asked, confused.

"Leah has made that abundantly clear the past few days."

Kray closed his eyes, both because of the dizziness and out of frustration. "She lied to you. Leah and I have nothing to do with each other. And no offense, since she's your friend and all, but she has serious issues. I'm through with her."