Alex checked his watch. He had to meet Mr. Today in thirty minutes. He wasn’t sure how much he’d be able to do with his group. Meghan called her own Necessaries, and then it was Alex’s turn. But Meghan skipped over him.
He looked at Meghan, puzzled, trying to catch her eye. He caught Lani’s raised eyebrow too. She was utterly too observant, he decided. It was almost annoying.
When Meghan finished with all the groups, Alex sidled up to her. “Did you forget my group?” he asked.
“What? No. Mr. Today said you were only going to be here so the Necessaries would know who you are, but you weren’t going to have a group.”
“He said that?”
“No, I’m making it up.” Meghan rolled her eyes.
“Well, I mean . . . what did he say exactly?” Alex asked.
“He told me you were meeting with him regularly now, and that you wouldn’t have time to do both that and this. What’s up, anyway?”
Alex glanced at Lani, who was straining to hear from several feet away while simultaneously trying to talk with her group. He felt bad not sharing news with his friends, but this afternoon he’d be telling Mr. Today that he couldn’t be the new leader, so he didn’t want to start any rumors when it was nothing anyway. “I don’t know.” He shrugged. “I guess I’ll head over there, then.”
He walked to the mansion, stopped in his room to get the notebook that contained his list of reasons why he wouldn’t be a good leader, and then went to Mr. Today’s office, which was empty. Alex wandered across the hall, made himself some tea in the kitchenette and went back into the office, knowing he was a few minutes early. He looked eagerly at the university screen and saw that Aaron’s room remained empty. Scanning the other blackboards, Alex saw no sign of his brother. He wondered if Aaron had gone home to their mother and father’s house, or if he’d found some other place to live.
He turned away and looked around Mr. Today’s office. On the walls were various odd bits of art, some of which Alex really felt drawn to, and other pieces that totally left him puzzled over Mr. Today’s taste in paintings.
A voice from the far wall of the office nearly made Alex spill his tea.
“Anything new in Quill?”
All the Reasons Why Not
Alex whirled around with a shout as Mr. Today entered from a door at the back of the office. Alex had never noticed the door before. A moment later its edges melted away and just the wall remained. “Oh, wow. Sorry, I didn’t know about that door. You scared me,” Alex said, letting out a breath of relief. “No, not much going on. Aaron’s room is still empty. Do you know what happened?”
The mage adjusted the sleeves of his brightly colored robe. “Well, I know it wasn’t High Priest Haluki who sent Aaron packing. It was probably the university or the Quillitary thinking he could no longer be trusted. Everybody in Quill is more than a little paranoid right now.”
Alex nodded. “Sounds like it.” He bit his lip, not wanting to ask, but unable to stop himself. “So Aaron is . . . okay?”
Mr. Today walked toward Alex. “We’re not sure where he is. According to Arija, he stopped by the entrance the other day and had a spirited conversation with her. But he didn’t stay long.”
Alex frowned. “Why would he come here?”
“I’m guessing he doesn’t know where else to go.”
“But we’re sure he left?”
“Yes.” Mr. Today pulled his chair out and sat down at his desk, inviting Alex to sit across from him. He pointed to Alex’s notebook. “Oh, very nice’you must plan to take notes. I was hoping you would one day write a’”
“Uh, not exactly.” Alex perched on the edge of the chair and opened the notebook to the page he needed. “It’s just a list of things I have to tell you.”
“Oh?” Mr. Today raised an eyebrow. “Well, then, go ahead.”
“Um, you see, I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said last week, and I’ve come up with some reasons for, um, not being able to do what you think I can do.” Alex looked up. He didn’t like how his hands were getting all sweaty.
“Go on,” Mr. Today said.
“Okay, well, here,” he said, and he handed the notebook to Mr. Today. “You can just read them yourself, I guess.” He felt a little foolish, but he was determined to make his wishes clear.
Mr. Today peered at the paper, tapping his finger to his lips and nodding now and then as he read.
Alex wiped his clammy hands on his pants, jiggled his foot up and down, and waited.
Soon Mr. Today looked up. “Aha. I see,” he said. “So what are you saying?”
“I’m saying that, um, that I’m kind of like Ms. Morning, I guess. I don’t want the job. Yes, that’s exactly it. The point, I mean. Of what I’m saying. That is.” A pocket of air rushed from his lungs with a little squeak after he said it. He shifted gingerly in his seat and waited for Mr. Today’s response.
The old mage smiled. “But I haven’t even told you anything about it yet. Are you sure you want to make that decision so hastily? It might not be what you think.”
Alex furrowed his brow. “I guess I’m just not a leader.”
Mr. Today stood up and began to walk slowly about the office. “I understand,” he said after a long minute of pacing. “And I accept your wishes. We should all do what we are passionate about.”