now too horrified and impressed with the body count not to give the history teacher their full attention.
“Mr. Hain, perhaps you can also tell me which country suffered the largest number of casualties?” he asked as he wrote “WWII, 72 million deaths; most from….”
“The Soviet Union, with twenty-five million deaths. Most of them were civilian.”
Lehrer glanced over his shoulder at the new boy. His expression was unreadable. “Once again, you’re correct, Mr. Hain.” He turned back to the board and continued to write. As he did, he spoke to the class. “Most would imagine Germany to have the greatest losses. Or, even the United States or Japan. However, as you can see, that isn’t true.” He finished writing and then turned to face the class once more.
“How many of your parents have yellow ribbon decals on their cars?” Lehrer asked next. A few students raised their hands.
He nodded. “We worry for our soldiers. It’s natural. However, the vast majority of people who die in a war are not the soldiers who fight it, but the civilians who are unwittingly caught up in it,” he said. He began to pace through the room then, his hands clasped behind his back. “The soldiers, after all, are armed and trained for combat. Women, children, and the elderly are not .”
The bell rang then, and Mr. Lehrer unclasped his hands. “Don’t forget your tests on Monday. Have a nice weekend, class.”
The students were a little slower at leaving than they normally were. Katelyn could imagine that they were processing what they’d just learned. It took a good deal of energy to learn something new. And if it was something bad , then it took even more.
“Miss Shanks, if you’d stay for just a moment, I’d like to have a word with you.”
Katelyn inwardly groaned, but offered Mr. Lehrer a smile and a nod. She finished gathering her things and looked up just in time to watch Sam Hain walk by her desk. She froze and stared up at him, caught at once in his tall, dark form and the aura of bewitching darkness he seemed to carry about himself.
He looked down at her and smiled, flashing beautiful white teeth and slightly predatory canines. Katelyn stopped breathing beneath that piercing, ice-blue gaze.
“Hi,” he said softly as he walked by.
Katelyn was too stunned to reply, which was unusual for her. She was normally one of the first to make a new boy’s acquaintance. But something about Hain had thrown her. So, she silently turned in place, staring at his broad back as he left the room.
“Katelyn,” Mr. Lehrer addressed her. She whipped around to face her teacher and he went on. “I remember seeing Logan this morning in the hall. Did she happen to mention to you her reason for missing class this afternoon?”
Dietrich Lehrer was staring down at her, a worried expression on his youthful face. He always reminded Katelyn of the British watcher guy on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Except that he was German instead of British. And he had no accent, anyway. But his countenance was the same; especially with those wire-rimmed glasses and the brown suits he always wore.
“No, Mr. Lehrer. She didn’t. But knowing Logan, she had a good excuse.”
Lehrer nodded. He looked away, seeming to consider something for a moment. When his gaze lingered on the noisy, bustling hallway past the door, Katelyn turned to see what he was looking at. Sam Hain passed by the opened door, a tall blur of darkness and leather.
“Very well. Have a nice weekend, Katelyn. Stay safe.”
Logan shoved the last batch of pumpkin and ghost-shaped cookies into the oven and closed the door. She straightened and pulled off the mitts, plopping them down on the flour-covered counter.
It was so, so nice not having Randy Hodges around to give her a hard time as she worked. Mrs. Witherspoon had put her in charge until further notice; in other words, until Randy decided to stop being AWOL and take responsibility of the store again.
Personally, Logan hoped
“Mr. Hain, perhaps you can also tell me which country suffered the largest number of casualties?” he asked as he wrote “WWII, 72 million deaths; most from….”
“The Soviet Union, with twenty-five million deaths. Most of them were civilian.”
Lehrer glanced over his shoulder at the new boy. His expression was unreadable. “Once again, you’re correct, Mr. Hain.” He turned back to the board and continued to write. As he did, he spoke to the class. “Most would imagine Germany to have the greatest losses. Or, even the United States or Japan. However, as you can see, that isn’t true.” He finished writing and then turned to face the class once more.
“How many of your parents have yellow ribbon decals on their cars?” Lehrer asked next. A few students raised their hands.
He nodded. “We worry for our soldiers. It’s natural. However, the vast majority of people who die in a war are not the soldiers who fight it, but the civilians who are unwittingly caught up in it,” he said. He began to pace through the room then, his hands clasped behind his back. “The soldiers, after all, are armed and trained for combat. Women, children, and the elderly are not .”
The bell rang then, and Mr. Lehrer unclasped his hands. “Don’t forget your tests on Monday. Have a nice weekend, class.”
The students were a little slower at leaving than they normally were. Katelyn could imagine that they were processing what they’d just learned. It took a good deal of energy to learn something new. And if it was something bad , then it took even more.
“Miss Shanks, if you’d stay for just a moment, I’d like to have a word with you.”
Katelyn inwardly groaned, but offered Mr. Lehrer a smile and a nod. She finished gathering her things and looked up just in time to watch Sam Hain walk by her desk. She froze and stared up at him, caught at once in his tall, dark form and the aura of bewitching darkness he seemed to carry about himself.
He looked down at her and smiled, flashing beautiful white teeth and slightly predatory canines. Katelyn stopped breathing beneath that piercing, ice-blue gaze.
“Hi,” he said softly as he walked by.
Katelyn was too stunned to reply, which was unusual for her. She was normally one of the first to make a new boy’s acquaintance. But something about Hain had thrown her. So, she silently turned in place, staring at his broad back as he left the room.
“Katelyn,” Mr. Lehrer addressed her. She whipped around to face her teacher and he went on. “I remember seeing Logan this morning in the hall. Did she happen to mention to you her reason for missing class this afternoon?”
Dietrich Lehrer was staring down at her, a worried expression on his youthful face. He always reminded Katelyn of the British watcher guy on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Except that he was German instead of British. And he had no accent, anyway. But his countenance was the same; especially with those wire-rimmed glasses and the brown suits he always wore.
“No, Mr. Lehrer. She didn’t. But knowing Logan, she had a good excuse.”
Lehrer nodded. He looked away, seeming to consider something for a moment. When his gaze lingered on the noisy, bustling hallway past the door, Katelyn turned to see what he was looking at. Sam Hain passed by the opened door, a tall blur of darkness and leather.
“Very well. Have a nice weekend, Katelyn. Stay safe.”
Logan shoved the last batch of pumpkin and ghost-shaped cookies into the oven and closed the door. She straightened and pulled off the mitts, plopping them down on the flour-covered counter.
It was so, so nice not having Randy Hodges around to give her a hard time as she worked. Mrs. Witherspoon had put her in charge until further notice; in other words, until Randy decided to stop being AWOL and take responsibility of the store again.
Personally, Logan hoped
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