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"So the other guys?" Seth asked, his eyes cutting across the table to Tristan
"They’re Tristan’s older brothers But don’t they have big dates or soht?" I looked at Tristan as purposefully keeping his eyes locked on hed "They’re trying to avoid Valentine’s drah that not even Seth heardthe three scattered Shadows out ofabout how hot Tristan’s brothers were and I took the opportunity to take stock of the rooh corners of every wall seemed covered in them as they whipped their slender bodies back and forth I sucked in a gasp, and tried not to burst into a glow light right here Students around the cafeteria started to notice the, nervous sensation washed overto end well
"You’re just as close with Tristan’s brothers, I take it?" Seth asked dryly, his eyes flickering to the walls of Shadoidening in surprise and then landing back onfor an answer froet nervously
"She’s basically part of our family, my parents love her," Tristan declared loudly I shrunk down, hating that so that was true made me feel so uncomfortable Orclose with Tristan’s fa close with Seth was uys ever dated it would be like incest, right?" Piper asked with feigned innocence I wished I could laugh at her cleverness, even if it was the wrong thing to say, my friend Piper was funny
"Cassidy, I don’t have the patience right now," Tristan warned, using her last na to one of his tea "What do you say, Stel? Want to joinme in the conversation I sed around the nervous luiveto do Tristan’s eyes bore in toto life as he waited forbeyond this power play ga more of randpa had that thing tonight, though," Seth re that was planned for after dinner, just like every other night I turned topossessive, he was re me in the sweet Seth way that only he was capable of He was still givinglikepulled in two very different directions The sthe attention of our table Finally Everyone started looking around, finding the Shadows that clustered together like black beehives
"I say you blow both these clowns off and come out with me, Stella I won’t even pretend like my family wants to have dinner with you You and I can actually celebrate Valentine’s Day," Rigley declared,sound very, very dirty I burst into laughter as he ran a hand through his led his eyebrows at ley up on his not so serious offer And then the spiritual world I had access to collided with the physical world I lived in as the Shadows erupted fro violently There was nothem, since they made their presence so clearly known They swirled around the roo in between the students who covered their heads with their hands and then ran fro close attention, but knowing the human condition was prone to denial and the fact that Shadows could be logically, or at least reasonably explained away as a freak infestation of bats, I put hts and death wafted through the air and I felt the faainst nore the awful aroma anymore and covered their faces as they fled froaze confirerous We joined the sta the cafeteria and met back up with everyone outside the school Someone had set off the fire alar shadows for which one would blow out rey sky was spitting sleet Lightning flashed on the horizon and a chill washed over , desolate winters of Nebraska, it wasn’t co in the middle of a snowstorm, but this was the work of a supernatural presence and had nothing to do with the extrerew visibly darker overhead and I feltthat whatever was still inside the school aiting for me
Sirens could be heard in the distance I didn’t havebefore humans would have to face the to be sick, I need to go," I started to walk away and then realized rabbed a handful of his shirtsleeve before yanking hinored Piper’s hurt look at choosing Seth in my time of need over her, completely avoided Tristan’s eyes because I knew they would be filled orry and ignored Rigley’s snide, "You need Seth to get sick?" and bee lined it back into the school Seth and I rushed passed teachers ere too busy watching the darkening sky or covering their ears against the unearthly sounds coh a side door that had been propped open
I turned around in the hallway just in tiry mob and puround as they filled the hallway around us and kept going, their trail narrowing to a point at the end like caricature of the devil’s pronged tail The sound that followed theainst my ears and the scent of hell filled the air
"I don’t have a weapon!" I shouted to Seth withloe let our light expand in order to protect ourselves
"I do, in my locker!" he shouted back and tilted his head tohere the hallway cafor us and I was suddenly so thankful for his preparedness I could have kissed hi Seth would lead to our untimely deaths, so I refrained
The hallway suddenly beca sounds as the Shadowsfor stilled and becas rotting still filled my nostrils and so I knew they hadn’t left, they were still close
Waiting for us