But of course that meant they were late for class.
Nissa slid in beside them just as they opened the door. They entered as a group, and the teacher stopped talking and looked at them. So did everybody else in the room.
Quite a few jaws dropped open.
Keller allowed herself a grim inner smile.
Yeah, they were probably a bit of a shock for a small town. Four Night People-well, former Night People, anyway. A witch who was almost as small as Iliana, with a mop of vivid strawberry-blond curls and a face like a pixie on holiday. A vampire girl who looked like cool perfection straight out of a magazine, with cropped mink-colored hair and a strangely penetrating gaze. A shapeshifter boy who could have taken the place of any prince in a book of fairy tales, with hair like old gold and classically sculptured features.
And, of course, a panther. Which happened to be walking on two feet at the moment, in the guise of a tall girl with a tense, wary expression and black hair that swirled witchlike around her.
And, of course, there was Iliana in the midst of them, looking like a ballet dancer who had blundered in from the Nutcracker Suite.
There was a silence as the two groups stared at each other.
Then the teacher snapped shut his book and advanced on them. Keller held herself ready. He had a neatly trimmed beard and a dangerous expression.
It was Iliana who took him on, though. She stepped forward before Keller could draw a breath to speak.
"Mr. Wanamaker! These are my cousins! Well- some of them are my cousins. They're from...California. Hollywood! They're here to... do research for . . "."
"We're really just visiting," Keller cut in.
"A new show about a high school. Not like that other show. It's more of a reality-based-"
'It's just a visit," Keller said.
"But your dad is a famous producer," Iliana said. She added in an undertone to Mr. Wanamaker, "You know, like that other producer."
All eyes, including the teacher's, fixed on Keller.
"Yes-that's right," Keller said, and smiled while clenching her teeth. "But we're still just visiting." She nudged Winnie with her elbow, but it wasn't necessary. Winnie was already staring at the teacher, brainwashing him with witch power.
Mr. Wanamaker bunked. He weighed the book he was holding as if he were Hamlet holding Yorick's skull. He looked at it, then he looked at Winnie and blinked again.
Then he shrugged and looked at the ceiling. "Okay. Whatever. Sit down. There are some chairs at the back. And I'm still marking you tardy." But Keller noticed that as he returned to his desk, his posture was very erect.
She did the best she could to glare at Iliana without drawing any further attention to them. "A famous producer?" she whispered through her teeth.
"I don't know. It was more interesting than just saying you're friends."
You don't need life to get any more interesting, Bubblebrain, Keller thought, but she didn't say anything. She found one thing out that surprised her, though, and she found it out quickly. Her job was made harder by the fact that everyone at the school was in love with Iliana.
It was strange. Keller was used to getting attention from guys-and ignoring it. And Nissa and Winnie both were the type that had to beat them off with sticks. But here, although the guys looked at her and Nissa and Winnie, their eyes always seemed to return to Iliana.
At break, they crowded around her like bees around a flower. And not just guys, either. Girls, too. Everyone seemed to have something to say to her or just wanted to see her smile.
It was a bodyguard's nightmare.
What do they see in her? Keller thought, frustrated almost beyond endurance as she tried to edge Iliana away from the crowd. I mean, aside from the obvious. But if all this is about her looks...
It wasn't. It didn't seem to be. They weren't all hitting on her for dates.
"Hey, Iliana, my granddaddy loved that get well card you made."
"Illie, are you going to tie the ribbons this year for the Christmas benefit bears? Nobody else can make those teeny-weeny bows."
"Oh, Iliana, something awful! Bugsy had five puppies, and Mom says we can't keep them. We've got to find them all homes." "Iliana, I need help-" "Wait, Iliana, I have to ask you-" Okay, but why come to her? Keller thought as she finally managed to detach the girl from her fan club and steer her into the hall. I mean, she can hardly be the best problem solver in this school, can she?
There was one guy who seemed to like Iliana for the obvious. Keller disliked him on sight. He was good-looking in a carefully manicured way, with deep chestnut hair, deep blue eyes, and very white teeth. He was wearing expensive clothes, and he smiled a lot, but only at Iliana.
"Brett," Iliana said as he accosted them in the hall.
Brett Ashton-Hughes. One of the rich twins who were having the birthday party on Saturday night Keller disliked him even more, especially when he gave her a coolly appreciative once-over before returning his attention to Iliana.
"Hey, blondie. You still coming Saturday?"
Iliana giggled. Keller stifled the urge to hit something.
"Of course, I'll be there. I wouldn't miss it."
"Because, you know, it would kill Jaime if you didn't come. We're only inviting a few people, and well have the whole west wing to ourselves. We can even dance in the ballroom."
Diana's eyes went dreamy. "That sounds so romantic. I always wanted to dance in a real old-fashioned ballroom. I'll feel just like Scarlett O'Hara."
No, Keller thought. No, no, no. No way is she going there. She's going to the Solstice Ceremony, where the shapeshifters and the witches are meeting, even if I have to drag her by the hair.
She caught Nissa's eye and saw that Nissa was thinking the same. Galen and Winnie were simply watching Brett with troubled looks on their faces.
"Yeah, and I can be Brett Butler," Brett was saying. "Plus, the indoor swimming pool will be heated. So if you get tired of being Scarlett, you can be a mermaid for a while."
"It sounds wonderful! Tell Jaime I said so."
Winnie bit her lip. Keller got a fresh grip on Diana's arm and started guiding her away.
"So it's a promise, right?" Brett called after her.
Keller squeezed.
"Yes, but-oh." Iliana managed to smile and wince at the same time, her arm limp in Keller's grasp. "Oh, Brett, there's one thing. I've got my cousin and her friends staying with me."