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Nathan and Kota shared a look between the Did they not like this?

“What?” I asked “I know it’s a lot but you said they were there to help out the school Is it bad they changed it?”

“No, it isn’t bad,” Kota said, maybe a little too quickly “Did you happen to mention us at the time?”

I grazedit towardlike I knew you, Kota I didn’t say anything about the others Dr Green recognized your handwriting on my paper”

“I didn’t know Mr Blackbourne was teaching a class,” Nathan said

“I don’t think it was pre-planned,” Kota said He hooked a couple of fingers into the collar of his shirt and tugged

“What’s wrong?” I asked The way they were reacting to this made my heart shiver “Mr Blackbourne asked if I was interested and he offered to teach me Should I drop the class?”

“It’s just odd that he’d take an interest,” Nathan said

“Maybe not,” Kota said, relaxing into a smile He handedIf he wants to teach you, you’re in good hands”

Last time Mr Blackbourne was mentioned, they diverted Now they seeot the feeling they didn’t want Mr Blackbourne to know about me, or me about Mr Blackbourne Acadee the subject “I’ll still share classes with you all, right?

“You’re in lish class,” Kota said

Nathan moved closer to me and held his paper next to mine

“Just geoirls are separated aren’t they?”

“We’ll ym I’ll wave to you Maybe”

Kota’s phone rang on his desk and he answered it After a fewup “All schedules are accounted for They’re heading in now”

Nathan’s blue eyes locked with rumbled “And so it starts”

I used Kota’s restroouys went downstairs to wait on the others I sth fell over the pockets of ure out what looked better There were thin spots in theshop

I was co into the drive I threw my hair into a twist and clipped it No time to fiddle with it The boys were here

I ran downstairs and out into the living roolasses up his nose In a line came Victor, Luke, Gabriel, North and Silas While they were all dressed casually, casual for the guys was a different level Polo shirts, clean slacks, button up shirts with collars Everything looked new and I spied Hilfiger, Abercroos It s I shifted onbehind

The others greeted Kota and Nathan in the hallway Silas was the first to spotaround his eyes and he brushed it aside, s over me and pulled from his back pocket his envelope “Hey look, they let me in”

I giggled His smile widened, his clean white teeth a contrast to his olive skin

We collected in Kota’s living room I sat in the old hoop earring, sat to e shirt and blue crystal studs in his ears, sat tofroed to stay friends when they seemed so different The others sat on the floor in a circle facing us It felt strange to be higher up than everyone else but they didn’t seem to notice

I blushed as North casually put an arainst the couch cushions I peeked up at his tan face His dark eyes caught lanced away While I kneouldn’t hurt

“I vote we get bean bag chairs,” Luke said He shoved locks of his long blond hair behind his ear He leaned back on his hands as he sat with his legs crossed on the floor “If we’re going to havebesides the floor”

“We’re working on that,” Kota said

North’s fingers traced slanced at the others to see if they noticed but they atching Kota I tried not to blush This was nor friendly and willed my heart to still

“Now that we have schedules, let’s start at the beginning,” Kota said, getting the attention of everyone in the roo there”

“I’ve got Gabriel,” Victor said, fiddling with the silver medallion at his neck

“We’re good,” North said “Luke and I can grab Silas”

“Good Logically, I’ll take Nathan and Sang,” Kota said

“You mean on the bus?” I asked They all looked at et aith riding to school with anyone If I’ on the bus, my sister will know and she’d tell my parents”

“Aw, shit,” Nathan said “I didn’t think about that Don’t tellthis year”

“You don’t have to I ether It’s no big deal I’ll just see you when I get there”

The group exchanged glances I caught Luke’s gaze as he stared atin front of his dark eyes I wasn’t sure if he realized he was doing it orout into space but happened to be looking inand held a dazzling s the others Did he do that on purpose?

“It’s not a big deal,” Nathan said, falling back on the carpet, putting his hands behind his head to prop it up “We’ll do it”

“But,” I started to say It just see deal to me It was just a bus ride

Kota cut me off “No, it’s fine My car isn’t totally reliable anyway We’ll ride”

I pursed my lips His easy excuse touneasy instead The others nodded, taking Kota’s lead When Kota finalized a plan, everyone went through with it It was hard for uy who appeared to

be one of the least aggressive; the least likely leader had come to the role he had developed

“But that brings us to another issue,” Kota said His fingers brushed away the neatly-trietting your parents used to us It’ll be difficult but the sooner we find a way, it’ll make it easier on all of us”

I bitI’d told hi now My father didn’t coht when I was already up in my room and I didn’t see him at all

My mother, as ill, kept mostly to her room I checked in once a day and for the most part, I could escape outside If she did ask where I had gone, I would rattle off different things; in the woods, the garage, taking a walk to the ehborhood back in Illinois, I often took walks outside At our old house, the closest kid lived a couple ofher opinion about bad people out in the world, I couldn’t stay inside all day, and h to allow me to take walks

Marie told ht our new house here on Sunnyvale Court because it was the least crowded street within an hour’s drive of where my dad worked It was a last minute purchase and my mother wasn’t happy about it, but it did have a lot of wooded areas

So far,for walks She only reminded me that I shouldn’t talk to anyone My mom would eventually realize how many kids were on this street I didn’t want to think about the restrictions she would ih I had to show up more around the house on occasion

Gabriel reached out toI enjoyed their touches but they were always so unexpected and when they did it quickly, my first reaction was usually to back up as I assuers o of ht?”