mission. Iâd nearly persuaded myself when school let out, so I was smiling when I stepped into the hall. The contrast to Blackbriar, which was more like a private college campus, seemed especially sharp today. This school was struggling with outdated equipment, broken fixtures, and floors that needed a good scrubbing.
âYouâre new, right?â For the second time today, Jake Overman loomed over me. I could see how some girls enjoyed feeling tiny and fragile beside him, but it wasnât my thing. âIâm sorry I didnât introduce myself earlier. Tanya was in a hurry.â
I wasnât great at reading people or judging intentions, but since heâd mentioned his girlfriend, this interaction didnât seem skeevy. Maybe heâs a nice guy?
âChelsea Brooks,â I said. âBut you can call me Nine.â
âYeah, I got the scoop from some assholes in my Bio 2 class. If it bothers you, Iâll call you Chelsea.â
âNo worries. Kian told me your name already.â
âDid he?â He seemed honestly startled to be known, unusual in a school athlete. âI didnât realize he followed basketball.â
âEveryone is capable of surprising you,â I said.
I didnât mean for it come out flirtatious, but judging by his slow, appreciative smile, that was how he took it. âIâll bear that in mind. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that Iâm having a party this weekend. Stop by if you can. Can I text you my address?â
âSure.â I gave him my number. âBut to be honest, I probably wonât come.â
âSomething I said?â
âNo, Iâm just not much of a party person. Iâll probably go to the Marquee with Kian.â That was an intentional name drop to raise awareness.
âIsnât that a bar?â Jake seemed really impressed, enough that I felt like rolling my eyes. Apparently the key to popularity as a new kid was true indifference along with projecting a convincing aura that your life was more interesting than everyone elseâs.
âSort of. But theyâre not picky about ID. We were there last weekend.â
âYou and that kid? Went to a bar.â
âYep. We watched an old movie, drank a little.â I didnât have to say it was Coke, right? The point was to raise Kianâs social footprint. âNothing huge, it was chill. And we didnât have to worry about being raided by the cops for a noise complaint.â
Jake frowned. âMy parties never get busted. We live out in the country, and my parents are gone this weekend.â
âCool. Iâll keep that in mind.â Waving, I headed for the front doors.
The halls had thinned a little, and I didnât find Kian anywhere. He probably already got on a bus. But in the weirdest echoâand maybe because of the story Iâd told Saturday nightâthe Harbinger was waiting for me, leaning up against an electrical pole just past the edge of the parking lot. In his Colin guise, he attracted a lot of attention from students who lived close enough to walk to school. Today heâd come as a musician with a violin case on his back, and even I had to admit he was irresistible layers of gorgeous: black shirt, claret leather vest, black trousers tucked into maroon combat boots, black trench coat over everything. The final touch, a dark red knit beanie contrasted beautifully to the raven spill of his hair, and as I processed the soft sighs and longing looks, it was like replaying how everyone reacted to Kian at Blackbriar.
Seems Iâm destined to be envied for loves that arenât mine.
âNine!â he called.
Six heads swiveled in my direction. I have to get him out of here before he makes somebody go full Nicole. I hurried toward him, face locked in a grimace of a smile.
âWhatâre you doing here?â
âPicking you up, of course. I understand itâs the thing to
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