�You might want to get out of here, there's more of them around.� He says, turning his head to look at my other rescuer. The board starts to float into the air and I clutch my arms around Stormspell. I really have to find out his whole name. His back is like chorded wire and I feel somewhat comforted. It�s nice to know I�m not the only one on edge.
Then I remember I haven�t really thanked the other guy so I turn my head back as best I can and yell behind me, �Thank you!�
The board leaps and my words are snatched by the wind. I hope he hears me.
Stormspell flies like he does it professionally. That means he takes corners practically sideways and straightways are a total blur. The wind is dragging my hair back and I�m holding onto him like my life depends on it, because it does. I have no idea where we are when he slows down, except that we end up on top of somebody�s roof. And that it�s only been a couple of minutes. Very long minutes.
He jumps off casually and I mimic the motion, grateful for my excellent balance. My legs are shaking. He sits down on the ground and waves his hand out, obviously intending that I use the blastboard as a stool. That�s okay. I plop down on the ground next to him.
�Thanks you.� I say after an awkward silence.
�Lyssra.� Great. He remembers my name even though he must have seen over a hundred students yesterday, and I�m only taking a guess at his. A guess I�m thinking is probably wrong.
�Yes?�
�I think�� He runs his hand through his too long bangs. ��I think you might be in some trouble.�
�Would the gang keep at me for revenge?� I ask. I�d figured I�d have to stick to public areas and catch an aircab from work at night for the next couple of weeks. After that, they should have forgotten about me. Or decide it�s too much effort. That�s how it usually works with bullying types. Then again, maybe gangs are different. As if things aren�t bad enough. My stomach sinks.
�I doubt it. They got their butts kicked. But that�s not what I mean.�
�Then what do you mean?� Now I�m just confused. I think the gang is enough to tell the truth. I don�t want to know what he�s going to tell me. It�s probably not good. But I�m listening anyway.
�Someone has been recording you on campus.�
�What!� Why? I can�t think of any good reason why someone would want to record my first days at college. It doesn�t even sound like the makings of a good joke. I guess I look pretty shocked because he starts talking again, this time faster.
�Well, you see, I have a video link in my visor,� He points the goggles, �so I can have vids of Blastboard games. It transmits in the 1 ghz-2.6ghz range so when I�m on the track I won�t lose data due to interference of the magnetic rails. But that�s not the point. When I got the first spike of static I wasn�t too worried, but when it happened the second time I punched record on my board. I got home, downloaded it, and all of the footage was focused on you.�
�Oh.�
�Listen, I was going to tell you the next time I saw you.�
I don�t say anything. I guess I�m more numb. Trying to piece things together. I pull my knees up and wrap my arms around them, staring out across the city. We�re facing the center so most of the buildings rise higher than us, many swallowed up by the clouds.
I feel something light and warm touch my shoulder and I realize he�s trying to comfort me. �I�ve got a friend working on it. He�ll find out who�s doing this and we�ll handle it.�
�He�ll keep this to himself?� I don�t know why I ask. It hardly matters now anyway. I just feel like I�ve lost some control of my life. As nice as this Stormspell guy seems, I don�t even know him. Now I find out he�s right on top of my problems, and him and a friend of his I haven�t even met are going to handle things. That�s not enough for me.