Chapter 4: Senior Year of High School

Chapter 4 in Variola some sexual references

While Tanya searched for the perfect birthday present at The Faire in Faerie, Niall Mac Aedh was showing Leonard his new lab. With magic and an almost unlimited budget, Lord Niall had been able to quickly set up the lab in an unused storage room at the back of his warehouse. They entered the lab through a lock that had to be activated with a magnetic card.

"You and I have the only cards to this place", Lord Niall said.

Leonard looked about in amazement.

"Isolation features in the entrance. High performance incubator/shaker, the best liquid dispensing system, all kinds of biohazard bags and containers, deep culture vessel in a biohazard container", -- Leonard tallied the equipment out loud.

There was even an isolated containment room within the lab.

"This is more than I'll need just to grow more of the variola virus. Get me a good DNA sequencer and I could set up my own biotech engineering lab here. How did you do all this so quickly?"

"Money and power can accomplish anything and I have my share of both. When can you start working?"

"Is there anything wrong with right now?"

"Right now is perfect -- splendidly perfect", Lord Niall replied.

A few days after Tanya picked out an exotic birthday gift at the Faire in Faerie, Deirdre arrived home from her job at the wildlife sanctuary to find her family waiting for her in the living room. Her parents were formally seated in the high-backed love seat that resembled a throne. Her brothers sat to the left of her parents on a couch. Deirdre bowed to her parents.

"Your wish, Father?"

"Sit down. We want to discuss your surveillance of the young intern".

Deirdre sighed and sat down to her parents' right.

"I wish I had more to report. Reading this young human's mind is more difficult than one might expect. Eric Johanson's mind is so full of anger, hostility, and hatred that it clouds his thoughts. Yet he presents himself with an air of easy charm and intelligence to the humans. It is a human kind of glamour - almost worthy of a Sidh."

"If the situation were not so grim I'd be amused by his -- glamour talents", Lord Cormac said.

"I've learned this much. The Sons of Gaea conspirators and Niall Mac Aedh, are planning some kind of terrorism attack. It involves a biological weapon of some kind."

Lady Nora gasped.

"Terrorism attack! How very un-Sidhe!"

"The Sidhe use terror as a weapon. We used it against the Thorntons", Coran said.

"Yes, but in an encounter that was very personal. We do not launch impersonal attacks on an enemy we cannot even see face to face like humans do. That Lord Niall would ally himself with such men shows how very far his hatred of humans has corrupted him", Lady Nora said.

"Should I try to channel some kind of subtle warning to the FBI through Tom Clancy?", Deirdre asked.

"No! The less the FBI is involved the better. We do not want the US government finding out we exist. We'll have to take care of this one ourselves", Lord Cormac said.

Tanya's senior year continued to be her best year of high school. Freed from the trauma of anorexic starvation and the fear of insanity, she maintained an A average. She even began to make friends among the crowd Connla ran in.

Although the outgoing red-head was accepted by jocks, cheerleaders, and the student council politicians, Tanya soon realized that Connla's close friends were all bright articulate students. The closest thing to a jock was sandy-haired "Biff" Long who played on Crystal City High's basketball team. But he was also a member of the honor society. Biff's girlfriend, Cindy Simms, was a sensitive girl who wanted to become a social worker or counselor. William Sewecki was a computer geek and future physicist. Vanessa Lopez, a dark-eyed girl attractive enough to be a professional model, was a straight A drama student who dreamed of a career on the legitimate stage. Her younger brother, Carlos, was also a good student who played on the soccer team. None of them were snobs and none of them cared that Tanya had snake tattoos on her arms. They thought her wanting to be a herpetologist was cool.

Towards the end of September they were wolfing down their lunches in the cafeteria.

"So, did you ace Danann's biology test, Tanya?", William asked as he gulped down a bland chili dog.

"Hope so. It was difficult."

"You aced it, Tanya. You always do. You aced it. Sewecki aced it and so did Connla. Me -- who knows?", Vanessa said as she pushed an unruly strand of black hair out of her eyes.

"You did fine, Vanessa. You studied hard enough for it", her little brother said. "She always frets about tests, thinks she's flunking, then gets an A."

"Not in Danann's class. I'm only pulling a B in biology. Connla, your big brother is a tyrant in the classroom."

Connla laughed.

"If you think my brother is a tyrant you should meet my father sometime."

"He's telling the truth", Tanya said.

"You don't like Connla's father?", Cindy asked.

"Oh no! -- I like him. -- Mr. Danann has been very good to me. But I would not dream of going against him once he's put his foot down on an issue."

"Hey, he's Connla's father, not yours. He can't make you obey him", Vanessa protested.

"You wouldn't say that if you knew him. Anyway, sometimes he acts like he thinks he's my father."

"So, what about our football team!", Biff said. "We may actually have a shot at the state championship this year. The basketball team is going to be great too. Gonna be our best sports year ever. Too bad you never tried our for the basketball team, Connla. You should see this guy shoot and jump. He would have been great on the team."

"I'd rather use my after school time in the computer lab than on the basketball court.", Connla said.

The truth was that he considered it unfair to put his elvish athletic ability up against that of humans.

"Speaking of football and such -- am I the only one in this crowd who doesn't have a date for the homecoming dance?", Vanessa asked.

"I don't. But then I didn't expect to be asked", Tanya said. "I'm amazed you don't have a date, Vanessa."

"The boys are intimidated because Vanessa is so pretty", Carlos said.

"Actually, Tanya, I've been meaning to ask you to the dance -- but I wasn't planning to do it at lunch where you can blow me away by saying no in front of our friends", Connla said.

"It's about time you asked her. Everyone else knew you two were going together", Cindy said.

"I didn't know", Tanya said. "But I won't blow you away, Connla. Sure, I'll go with you."

After lunch Connla walked Tanya to her locker so she could stow her books while taking her Driver's Ed class.

"Won't Lily Blueeyes be jealous if you take me to the homecoming dance?", Tanya asked Connla.

"Not unless we spend the time working on computers together."

"At The Faire I got the impression you and Lily were -- more than computer buddies."

She was rewarded by again seeing the elf youth blush.

"You are really cute, Connla, when you blush."

Connla grabbed her hand and pulled her into an empty classroom.

"I think I need to explain something to you, Tanya."

He performed some magic. Tanya's dark eyebrows rose as she saw a bright dome of light appear over them.

"Elvish sound-proofing. Listen -- You were right about -- why I avoided the unicorns at The Faire. Lily and I have been intimate. It's expected among the Sidhe for a youth to be -- initiated sexually by an older woman like Lily. Doesn't mean we're in love. It was fun but -- no fireworks or volcanoes went off. I don't think it was anything like what my parents or Dylan and Jenny share. Lily is not the love of my life. I'm free to take whomever I want to the homecoming dance. And I like you, Tanya. It's you I want to take."

"Thank you for explaining the situation to me. All the Sidhe seemed to think you and Lily were a couple so I thought so too. --- Say, do young elf girls get to be initiated by older elf men?"

"Usually. But if you're looking for an elf man to -- make you unable to approach the unicorns -- you'll have to wait until next year. My father put out the word that no Sidh is to touch you that way until you are at least eighteen years old."

"He did what! And I suppose I have nothing to say about it!"

Her dark eyes flashed angrily.

She had no intention of discarding her virginity while still in high school. Girls she knew of who had done so seemed to have become pretty messed up and confused. But Tanya resented Lord Cormac thinking he had the right to make that decision for her.

"If you're that impatient to find out what sex is all about you'll have to find a human lover. No elf would go against my father on something like that."

Tanya's ire evaporated and she laughed.

"I guess that means you will be a very safe date for the homecoming dance."

"You better believe it."