to—but that didn’t mean she necessarily liked the truth.
I sighed and slammed my locker. “We didn’t do it. Happy now?”
The hallway seemed to get a little brighter, and her black eyes actually shined. “More like satisfied. For the moment, anyway. But honestly, I’ll be a lot closer to happy on Friday. Not because you’ll be dead, but because Nash won’t be tied to you anymore.”
I rolled my eyes and resisted the urge to smack her. I’d done it once, and that fact seemed to make subsequent urges harder to resist. But giving in would break our truce and probably affect her willingness to help me with Mr. Beck. Also, she’d hit back, and I was less than confident in the local undertaker’s ability to hide a broken nose with pancake makeup.
“Why did you even give me advice, if you don’t want me to sleep with him?”
Sabine frowned, like I made no sense. “It’s like we were born on different planets. Is your world really that black-and-white?”
“What does that even mean? And I don’t have time for one of your speeches right now.”
“It means that even though I’m willing to go through you to get Nash back, I like you, too. That’s a little bit of a conflict for me.”
I slammed my locker shut and faced her directly. “Why do you like me, Sabine?” I couldn’t figure that one out. I would have been perfectly fine with her hating me, so long as that didn’t put me in the direct line of fire from the creepy-vibes she leaked whenever she got mad. Or from her killer right hook.
“I’m not sure.” Sabine tossed long, dark hair over her shoulder and the cartilage piercing in her left ear shined in the overhead lights. “You don’t have any outstanding qualities, other than a gritty determination I can’t help but relate to.”
“Meaning…?”
“Meaning, you tend to grow on people. Like some kind of persistent fungus.”
It was very clear, however, why I didn’t like her .
“So, you give me vaguely girlfriendly advice about sex, then cross your fingers and hope I don’t have it with Nash. Is that how this plays out in that warped, shriveled little cerebrum of yours?”
She shrugged. “More or less.”
I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was actually “less,” and I knew that if I pressed for details she’d give them to me—along with significant TMI about her former relationship with Nash. But life—especially mine—was too short to waste time picturing her making out with my boyfriend. So I changed the subject.
“You’re still going to talk to Mr. Beck today, right? When do you have him?”
“Sixth period. And yeah, I’m actually looking forward to your cheesy little spy mission.” She glanced around the hall like a bored housewife tired of her own décor. “This place has been dull as shit since we got rid of the hellions.”
“Okay, first of all, ‘we’ didn’t get rid of the hellions.” I zipped my backpack and slung it over my shoulder. “ You tried to sell me and Em to them.”
Sabine rolled her eyes. “I said I was sorry about that….”
“And second of all, they’re not gone—they’re just stuck in the Netherworld. Which is why you are not supposed to make people cross over in their sleep.”
She actually grinned. “Damn, how long can you hold a grudge?”
“Four days more. Then you’re in the clear. Bonus points if you figure out what Mr. Beck is today . I’m kinda short on time.”
“I’m all set to feel him out.”
“Feel who out?” Nash asked, sliding one arm around me from behind.
“Beck.” Sabine’s grin widened. “Kaylee wants to know what he is, so I’m going undercover. Maybe literally.”
“She’s kidding about that last part,” I insisted, setting my bag on the floor so I could slide closer to Nash.
He huffed. “No she’s not.”
I glanced at Sabine, and the mara shrugged. “I’m gonna play that part by ear. I figured I’d start with a little dyslexia, then move on to a basic incomprehension of
I sighed and slammed my locker. “We didn’t do it. Happy now?”
The hallway seemed to get a little brighter, and her black eyes actually shined. “More like satisfied. For the moment, anyway. But honestly, I’ll be a lot closer to happy on Friday. Not because you’ll be dead, but because Nash won’t be tied to you anymore.”
I rolled my eyes and resisted the urge to smack her. I’d done it once, and that fact seemed to make subsequent urges harder to resist. But giving in would break our truce and probably affect her willingness to help me with Mr. Beck. Also, she’d hit back, and I was less than confident in the local undertaker’s ability to hide a broken nose with pancake makeup.
“Why did you even give me advice, if you don’t want me to sleep with him?”
Sabine frowned, like I made no sense. “It’s like we were born on different planets. Is your world really that black-and-white?”
“What does that even mean? And I don’t have time for one of your speeches right now.”
“It means that even though I’m willing to go through you to get Nash back, I like you, too. That’s a little bit of a conflict for me.”
I slammed my locker shut and faced her directly. “Why do you like me, Sabine?” I couldn’t figure that one out. I would have been perfectly fine with her hating me, so long as that didn’t put me in the direct line of fire from the creepy-vibes she leaked whenever she got mad. Or from her killer right hook.
“I’m not sure.” Sabine tossed long, dark hair over her shoulder and the cartilage piercing in her left ear shined in the overhead lights. “You don’t have any outstanding qualities, other than a gritty determination I can’t help but relate to.”
“Meaning…?”
“Meaning, you tend to grow on people. Like some kind of persistent fungus.”
It was very clear, however, why I didn’t like her .
“So, you give me vaguely girlfriendly advice about sex, then cross your fingers and hope I don’t have it with Nash. Is that how this plays out in that warped, shriveled little cerebrum of yours?”
She shrugged. “More or less.”
I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was actually “less,” and I knew that if I pressed for details she’d give them to me—along with significant TMI about her former relationship with Nash. But life—especially mine—was too short to waste time picturing her making out with my boyfriend. So I changed the subject.
“You’re still going to talk to Mr. Beck today, right? When do you have him?”
“Sixth period. And yeah, I’m actually looking forward to your cheesy little spy mission.” She glanced around the hall like a bored housewife tired of her own décor. “This place has been dull as shit since we got rid of the hellions.”
“Okay, first of all, ‘we’ didn’t get rid of the hellions.” I zipped my backpack and slung it over my shoulder. “ You tried to sell me and Em to them.”
Sabine rolled her eyes. “I said I was sorry about that….”
“And second of all, they’re not gone—they’re just stuck in the Netherworld. Which is why you are not supposed to make people cross over in their sleep.”
She actually grinned. “Damn, how long can you hold a grudge?”
“Four days more. Then you’re in the clear. Bonus points if you figure out what Mr. Beck is today . I’m kinda short on time.”
“I’m all set to feel him out.”
“Feel who out?” Nash asked, sliding one arm around me from behind.
“Beck.” Sabine’s grin widened. “Kaylee wants to know what he is, so I’m going undercover. Maybe literally.”
“She’s kidding about that last part,” I insisted, setting my bag on the floor so I could slide closer to Nash.
He huffed. “No she’s not.”
I glanced at Sabine, and the mara shrugged. “I’m gonna play that part by ear. I figured I’d start with a little dyslexia, then move on to a basic incomprehension of
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