the hall before he caught up with me.
“Where’s the fire?” he joked, stepping in beside me. I didn’t acknowledge him as I stopped at my locker and spun my combination into the lock. I could feel his eyes on me as he opened the locker next to mine. We both had gym next hour, but I planned on doing nothing but sitting on the bleachers and reading. Judging by the sneakers Chance fished from his locker, he planned on running. Good, I thought. I need some time alone.
“Nowhere,” I blurted, “it’s just a crazy day.” Chance didn’t protest. I felt a little guilty as we walked in silence across campus to the gym. I did slow down so he wouldn’t have to run to keep up with me. Part of Ava 2.0 was having a much faster gait—one more thing to get use to.
We made it to gym class just as the bell rang, and I immediately found a secluded spot at the farthest end of the bleachers and headed over to it. Chance reluctantly left me in the gym—after several assurances that I was fine—and went outside to join some of the other guys in our class in a game of football. From where I was standing I could see outside the gym doors and watched them play for a few minutes. I was impressed with how well they played, especially given the frigid temperatures. Even though cold weather only partly bothered me now that I was half vampire, I’m sure it was freezing to everyone else.
I could tell that Chance was hurt by the silent treatment I was giving him, and I fully planned on apologizing later. But I had to get away from everything right then or I was going to explode. I climbed the bleachers, took a seat at the very end up against the wall, and opened a frayed copy of Frankenstein I found on a table in the library. I hoped that reading about a true monster would somehow make me feel more human. I was a couple of chapters in when I felt someone walking up the bleachers, headed in my direction. I found a comfortable place in the book to stop reading and looked up.
Lacey. Great.
“Hi,” I said, trying my best not to sound annoyed by her interruption. I put the book on the seat beside me. Lacey stood on the row just below mine, yet she was still almost eye level with me. I hadn’t realized until then how tall she actually was. Her blond hair was pulled tightly into a ponytail, accentuating her long neck.
“So are you two a ‘thing,’ or is it just sex?” I knew she was talking about Chance, I just couldn’t believe she was being so blunt. I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat, uneasiness settling into my spine.
“We’re just friends,” I gave back. Though I wanted to, I didn’t break my lock on her eyes. I wanted to make her feel uncomfortable, too; I didn’t think it was working.
“Being ‘just friends’ doesn’t involve the looks you two keep giving each other.” She put her hands on her hips. “Don’t try lying, okay? You’re not good at it.” If she only knew how good at lying I actually was, she wouldn’t have said that. Maybe I should show her my fangs, or my crazy fire eyes. I decided against going full-on vampire right in the middle of a packed gymnasium. Instead, I just glared at her.
“You like him,” I said knowingly. “But he doesn’t like you.” I knew it was going to sting her when I said it—that was why I said it. She pissed me off. It was all I could do to keep control of myself to avoid a repeat of lunch. “That must suck for you, huh?” I watched the anger move across her face like shadows, circling her eyes and turning the corners of her mouth. Her skin flushed with blood, and the smell of it boiling beneath her skin hit my nose with the force of a tornado.
I had to get out of here.
I stood up quickly—apparently too quickly; Lacey seemed startled– and clambered down the bleachers. I did my best not to look awkward doing it, having noticed a small group of guys on the basketball court staring up at us. I expected Lacey to come charging after me, demanding I leave
“Where’s the fire?” he joked, stepping in beside me. I didn’t acknowledge him as I stopped at my locker and spun my combination into the lock. I could feel his eyes on me as he opened the locker next to mine. We both had gym next hour, but I planned on doing nothing but sitting on the bleachers and reading. Judging by the sneakers Chance fished from his locker, he planned on running. Good, I thought. I need some time alone.
“Nowhere,” I blurted, “it’s just a crazy day.” Chance didn’t protest. I felt a little guilty as we walked in silence across campus to the gym. I did slow down so he wouldn’t have to run to keep up with me. Part of Ava 2.0 was having a much faster gait—one more thing to get use to.
We made it to gym class just as the bell rang, and I immediately found a secluded spot at the farthest end of the bleachers and headed over to it. Chance reluctantly left me in the gym—after several assurances that I was fine—and went outside to join some of the other guys in our class in a game of football. From where I was standing I could see outside the gym doors and watched them play for a few minutes. I was impressed with how well they played, especially given the frigid temperatures. Even though cold weather only partly bothered me now that I was half vampire, I’m sure it was freezing to everyone else.
I could tell that Chance was hurt by the silent treatment I was giving him, and I fully planned on apologizing later. But I had to get away from everything right then or I was going to explode. I climbed the bleachers, took a seat at the very end up against the wall, and opened a frayed copy of Frankenstein I found on a table in the library. I hoped that reading about a true monster would somehow make me feel more human. I was a couple of chapters in when I felt someone walking up the bleachers, headed in my direction. I found a comfortable place in the book to stop reading and looked up.
Lacey. Great.
“Hi,” I said, trying my best not to sound annoyed by her interruption. I put the book on the seat beside me. Lacey stood on the row just below mine, yet she was still almost eye level with me. I hadn’t realized until then how tall she actually was. Her blond hair was pulled tightly into a ponytail, accentuating her long neck.
“So are you two a ‘thing,’ or is it just sex?” I knew she was talking about Chance, I just couldn’t believe she was being so blunt. I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat, uneasiness settling into my spine.
“We’re just friends,” I gave back. Though I wanted to, I didn’t break my lock on her eyes. I wanted to make her feel uncomfortable, too; I didn’t think it was working.
“Being ‘just friends’ doesn’t involve the looks you two keep giving each other.” She put her hands on her hips. “Don’t try lying, okay? You’re not good at it.” If she only knew how good at lying I actually was, she wouldn’t have said that. Maybe I should show her my fangs, or my crazy fire eyes. I decided against going full-on vampire right in the middle of a packed gymnasium. Instead, I just glared at her.
“You like him,” I said knowingly. “But he doesn’t like you.” I knew it was going to sting her when I said it—that was why I said it. She pissed me off. It was all I could do to keep control of myself to avoid a repeat of lunch. “That must suck for you, huh?” I watched the anger move across her face like shadows, circling her eyes and turning the corners of her mouth. Her skin flushed with blood, and the smell of it boiling beneath her skin hit my nose with the force of a tornado.
I had to get out of here.
I stood up quickly—apparently too quickly; Lacey seemed startled– and clambered down the bleachers. I did my best not to look awkward doing it, having noticed a small group of guys on the basketball court staring up at us. I expected Lacey to come charging after me, demanding I leave
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