36. Ollin
Ollin
The Optics Are Terrible
Mavrik spent the last two nights in Thea’s room. I tell myself it’s good. That he can be trusted. Max said that people don’t like him, but that Thea does. I trust her judgement more than ‘people.’
When he calls and tells me what happened, I know I made the right decision.
Rewinding the cameras, I zero in on her dorm, see a guy stumbling toward it. Who let him inside?
Then running like a bat out of hell away. Tripping and falling as he looks behind him like someone is chasing him.
What did they do to him? He won’t be coming back tonight. That’s for certain. I tell Denny I’m going to do rounds and start making a loop. I can pretend all I want. We both know I’m going straight to her dorm.
I’m going to lose my job if I keep being a stalker instead of a security guard. After I clock out at five I go home.
“Papa, do you have any magic locks?” I ask.
“What for?”
“Someone broke into my… friends dorm last night and I need to replace hers.”
“That girl you’ve been stalking?” Cat asks as she walks in and gets herself coffee.
“An enchanted one,” I tell Papa, ignoring Cat’s smirk.
“I can get one at the market today. I know a guy who sells nearly unspellable ones,” Papa says. “But they’re a few hundred dollars.”
I pass him my credit card.
“You didn’t answer if it’s for that witch,” Cat reminds me.
“Goodnight, everyone.” I walk to my room.
“That wasn’t a no,” Cat calls after me. I crash hard. Sleeping in a ray of sunshine.
When I wake up, a box is sitting on my desk. I do a quick workout before changing into my uniform and heading to eat breakfast. Ma has made me chilaquiles even though it is dinner time for everyone else.
“Thanks.”
She gestures to the box I set on the table.
“It’s not what it looks like.”
“No?” Ma asks. “Because it looks to me like you’re spending the money you should be putting towards school on someone who doesn’t even know you exist.”
Probably true.
“It’s my job to keep the students safe.”
“Then why isn’t the school paying for it?” she challenges.
Because I think they want her dead.
I finish packing my food, kiss her on the cheek and head out to my pickup. I call Mavrik on the drive. They’re both laughing when they meet me outside the dorm, both wearing workout gear. I follow them upstairs and into her room.
I pass her the instructions for the magical part of the lock and get to work on the nightblind part.
“You’ll have to get a key to the RA,” I explain. “But no one will be able to open it with magic.”
“Thank you so much for this, Ollin,” she says. Sitting on her bed and reading the paperwork. “How much do I owe you?”
“Nothing,” I answer quickly.
“The receipt says it cost $650.” She waves it. Dammit.
“It’s fine.”
“Oh look at that, you have Venmo attached to your number.”
Mavrik laughs and I glare at him. He presses his lips together but keeps laughing.
“You’re all finished.” I stand and leave. Annoyed for absolutely no reason as I head into work. I’ve just sat down at the screens when my phone vibrates.
Unknown:
You have a new $3,000 deposit.