My Soul to Steal
Page 11
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And for a secondjust a single momenther eyes suddenly looked darker, and that horrified, humiliated pain from my dream flashed through my head and throbbed miserably in my heart.
Sabine Nash whispered, in the warning tone he usually saved for Tod.
She blinked, then smiled. There. Got it. She held her finger up, then let her hand drop too fast for me to see the alleged eyelash. Later, Kay she said, and I stood in shock as she sauntered down the hall without a glance back.
For a moment, Nash and I just looked at each other. I couldnt think past the surreal second that his ex-girlfriends finger had lingered on my cheek. What the hell was that?
Nash sighed. Shes Kaylee, Sabines had it pretty rough. She doesnt remember her real parents, and shes been in more than a dozen foster homes, and shes never had many friends, so
Maybe thats because shes a creepy bitch! I spat, and Nashs eyes widened. He was almost as surprised by my snap judgment as I was. It usually took much longer than that for me to decide I didnt like someone, but Sabine had definitely found a shortcut.
Shes rough around the edges, I know, but thats not her fault.
Tod told me her sob story, I snapped. He also said shes a convicted criminal.
He frowned and his eyes narrowed slightly. He was looking for more. He say anything else?
Yeah, I said, and Nashs eyes swirled in panic. He said she was your first, and you two practically shared the same skin for, like, a year.
Oh. Nash sagged against his locker, but he looked oddly relieved. That was years ago, Kaylee. I havent seen her since the summer before my sophomore year.
You were with her last night, I reminded him, hating the warble in my voice.
We were just talking, he insisted. I swear.
All night?
He shrugged. We had a lot to catch up on.
Like, her latest felony and your latest conquest? Did you two laugh about me? My heart throbbed, and suddenly I was sure thats exactly what theyd done. Theyd laughed at me all night long. Am I your little inside joke? Poor, frigid Kaylee has to be possessed before shell let anyone touch her.
I started to walk away, tears forming in my eyes in spite of my best effort to stop them. But Nash grabbed my arm. Kaylee, wait. He pulled me back, and I let him because I wanted him to deny it. Desperately.
What the hell was wrong with me? I wanted to be wrong, but I was terrified I was right. So scared of the truth that I could hardly breathe.
Nash looked down into my eyes, like he was lookingfor something specific in the shades of blue that were probably twisting out of control at the moment. Damn it, Sabine he mumbled. Then, to me, Ill talk to her. She doesnt mean anything by it. Its just habit.
Whats habit? I was obviously missing something.
He closed his eyes and exhaled. Nothing. Never mind. When he looked at me again, his eyes were infuriatingly still. Look, Sabine and I havent seen each other in a long time, and we were just getting caught up. Nothing happened, and nothings going to happen. I know I messed up with you, but Im trying to make it right, and Im not going to let anything get in the way of that. Not even Sabine. Okay?
I I wanted to believe him. But I was so scared that he was lying. And if he was, Id never know it. Yeah. I just I have to get to algebra.
Ill see you at lunch? he asked, as I walked away.
Yeah. But hed see her, too.
I dropped into my chair in Algebra II and stared at the wall, trying to ignore the whispers around me. No one knew the truth about what had happened to Doug and Scott, but they all knew that Nash and I had been involved. And that wed broken up. And half of them had probably seen him getting out of Sabines car.
Emma thought our classmates theories were hilarious, and probably much worse than what had actually happened. But she was wrong. They couldnt begin to imagine anything as awful as how Doug had died. How Scott was now living.
After wallowing in unpleasant thoughts for a while, I looked at the clock. Class should have started eight minutes ago, but Mr. Wesner hadnt shown up. And neither had Emma. But just as I glanced toward the door, Emma came in from the hall, eyes wide, cheeks flushed.
She dropped into the chair next to mine, and I started talking, eager to share my misery with someone I knew I could trust. Youre not going to believe what just happened, I said, leaning in so no one else would hear.
Youre not going to believe this, either, she interrupted. Mr. Wesners dead. The custodian found him this morning, slumped over his desk. She turned and pointed toward the front of the class. That desk.
5
AT FIRST, I JUST sat there. Stunned. Staring at Mr. Wesners desk. And before I could ask for details, a crowd had formed around us, everyone looking at Emma.
Wesners dead?
He died here?
No way, one of the girls from the pom squadLeah something or otherinsisted. I was here early to sell raffle tickets, and I didnt see anything. No police. No ambulance. No body. Its just a stupid rumor.
Sabine Nash whispered, in the warning tone he usually saved for Tod.
She blinked, then smiled. There. Got it. She held her finger up, then let her hand drop too fast for me to see the alleged eyelash. Later, Kay she said, and I stood in shock as she sauntered down the hall without a glance back.
For a moment, Nash and I just looked at each other. I couldnt think past the surreal second that his ex-girlfriends finger had lingered on my cheek. What the hell was that?
Nash sighed. Shes Kaylee, Sabines had it pretty rough. She doesnt remember her real parents, and shes been in more than a dozen foster homes, and shes never had many friends, so
Maybe thats because shes a creepy bitch! I spat, and Nashs eyes widened. He was almost as surprised by my snap judgment as I was. It usually took much longer than that for me to decide I didnt like someone, but Sabine had definitely found a shortcut.
Shes rough around the edges, I know, but thats not her fault.
Tod told me her sob story, I snapped. He also said shes a convicted criminal.
He frowned and his eyes narrowed slightly. He was looking for more. He say anything else?
Yeah, I said, and Nashs eyes swirled in panic. He said she was your first, and you two practically shared the same skin for, like, a year.
Oh. Nash sagged against his locker, but he looked oddly relieved. That was years ago, Kaylee. I havent seen her since the summer before my sophomore year.
You were with her last night, I reminded him, hating the warble in my voice.
We were just talking, he insisted. I swear.
All night?
He shrugged. We had a lot to catch up on.
Like, her latest felony and your latest conquest? Did you two laugh about me? My heart throbbed, and suddenly I was sure thats exactly what theyd done. Theyd laughed at me all night long. Am I your little inside joke? Poor, frigid Kaylee has to be possessed before shell let anyone touch her.
I started to walk away, tears forming in my eyes in spite of my best effort to stop them. But Nash grabbed my arm. Kaylee, wait. He pulled me back, and I let him because I wanted him to deny it. Desperately.
What the hell was wrong with me? I wanted to be wrong, but I was terrified I was right. So scared of the truth that I could hardly breathe.
Nash looked down into my eyes, like he was lookingfor something specific in the shades of blue that were probably twisting out of control at the moment. Damn it, Sabine he mumbled. Then, to me, Ill talk to her. She doesnt mean anything by it. Its just habit.
Whats habit? I was obviously missing something.
He closed his eyes and exhaled. Nothing. Never mind. When he looked at me again, his eyes were infuriatingly still. Look, Sabine and I havent seen each other in a long time, and we were just getting caught up. Nothing happened, and nothings going to happen. I know I messed up with you, but Im trying to make it right, and Im not going to let anything get in the way of that. Not even Sabine. Okay?
I I wanted to believe him. But I was so scared that he was lying. And if he was, Id never know it. Yeah. I just I have to get to algebra.
Ill see you at lunch? he asked, as I walked away.
Yeah. But hed see her, too.
I dropped into my chair in Algebra II and stared at the wall, trying to ignore the whispers around me. No one knew the truth about what had happened to Doug and Scott, but they all knew that Nash and I had been involved. And that wed broken up. And half of them had probably seen him getting out of Sabines car.
Emma thought our classmates theories were hilarious, and probably much worse than what had actually happened. But she was wrong. They couldnt begin to imagine anything as awful as how Doug had died. How Scott was now living.
After wallowing in unpleasant thoughts for a while, I looked at the clock. Class should have started eight minutes ago, but Mr. Wesner hadnt shown up. And neither had Emma. But just as I glanced toward the door, Emma came in from the hall, eyes wide, cheeks flushed.
She dropped into the chair next to mine, and I started talking, eager to share my misery with someone I knew I could trust. Youre not going to believe what just happened, I said, leaning in so no one else would hear.
Youre not going to believe this, either, she interrupted. Mr. Wesners dead. The custodian found him this morning, slumped over his desk. She turned and pointed toward the front of the class. That desk.
5
AT FIRST, I JUST sat there. Stunned. Staring at Mr. Wesners desk. And before I could ask for details, a crowd had formed around us, everyone looking at Emma.
Wesners dead?
He died here?
No way, one of the girls from the pom squadLeah something or otherinsisted. I was here early to sell raffle tickets, and I didnt see anything. No police. No ambulance. No body. Its just a stupid rumor.
