Havoc by Jeff Sampson Page B

moving for a moment, her hands hovering over the zipper to her bag. “Emily gave it to me,” she said quietly. “She used to wear it. It reminds me of her.” Clearing her throat, she added, “Plus, if I don’t have time for a shower after PE, I can just douse myself in it.”
    I smiled awkwardly. I’d almost forgotten it had been only a little more than a week since Mai’s best friend had been murdered. I should have left her alone. But I had to know.
    My eyes darted once more to my table. Spencer still wasn’t there. I had to find a way to keep Mai from leaving.
    â€œI’m so sorry about Emily,” I said. “I didn’t really know her, but I saw her art and stories after she…” I swallowed. “She seemed really talented. And like a really good person.”
    Mai sat down, letting her backpack droop in front of her. Her lip trembled and her eyes glistened, became watery. But she didn’t cry.
    â€œShe really was,” Mai finally said. Shaking her head, she looked up at the ceiling. “I don’t even want to be here. I hate being here when she can’t be, you know? I still expect to go to lunch and see her there, but she never is, and then I can’t eat anything. Because she can’t eat anything either, ever again.”
    I didn’t know what to say. The last thing I’d wanted to do when I came over here was to dredge up Mai’s memories like this.
    Brushing a tear from her cheek, roughly as though mad at herself for letting it fall, Mai stood and pulled her backpack on. “Sorry, I don’t mean to whine to someone I barely know. I’ll let you get back to your book.”
    She started to walk off then. I jumped to my feet and said, as loudly as I thought I could get away with, “Mai, wait.”
    Turning, she stared at me questioningly.
    â€œUm,” I said. Straightening my shoulders back, I went for it. “Look, I’m here for you if you need to talk about anything. Any … changes you might be going through since last week.”
    She blinked. “Changes?”
    I nodded at her knowingly. “You know … personal changes. I’ve been going through it too.”
    Her eyes darted down to the book I’d sat in front of. And to its brightly drawn diagram of the female reproductive system splayed on the page. Her lips twitched up into a smile.
    â€œThanks for the offer,” she said. “But I think I already know all about those changes.” Shaking her head, amused despite her grief only moments earlier, she headed out of the library.
    I looked around, desperate for some way to get the answers I needed. And I spotted Spencer leaning against the librarian’s desk, casually trying to chat with an annoyed-looking Ms. Levine. Catching his eye, I waved frantically for him to come over.
    â€œWhat is it?” he whispered as he came over to me. “Did you find anything useful about the shadowmen?”
    â€œNo,” I whispered back. “Mai Sato was here. She just left.”
    Spencer looked between me and the exit to the library. “You want me to run after her?”
    â€œUh, no. I don’t want to freak her out any more than I already have. Just … smell the air here. What do you smell?”
    Placing both hands on the table, Spencer leaned forward and inhaled. “It’s that perfume again,” he said. “But I don’t smell any wolf-girl, so—Hey, why are you reading about lady parts?”
    I slammed the book shut. “You know me, always curious about the cycle of life,” I said. “So that’s it, then? If you don’t smell the other werewolf…”
    Spencer grinned at me and put his arm around my shoulder. His personal scent floated around me, mingling with Mai’s lingering perfume.
    â€œMaybe it just faded,” he said. “Don’t worry, Em Dub. If it’s Mai or someone else, we’ll find