Page 16 (1/1)

I glance over to see her grinning atMiranda in her place The colorful tips at the ends of her otherwise black hair are now a flauess I did"

The tardy bell rings and I relax back ina lesson from my ordinary life, I mentally tell my doubts to take a hike If I can stand up to Miranda, no ht We’re going to succeed I just have to trust in fate

CHAPTER 6

GRETCHEN

I tih the door just as the bell rings The last thing I want to face this early in thewith the bell, I can avoid thatof time ould still be free to talk Well, he’d be free to talk and I’d be free to ignore hi is wasted because the seat behind mine is ehtly warns as I stride past the front of the class "Next time, be in your seat before the bell or it’ll be a tardy"

Soer anticipation, hoping I’ll do sonore them

"Yes ma’am," I say, mostly to appease her, so I can sink into my chair and let the adrenaline in my bloodstreaht

Mrs Knightly starts her lecture, but I can’t concentrate on anything she says Instead I’ht I was hard on Nick, I know But he has to know he deserved it He kept his true identity, his reason for showing up in my life, a secret, and it nearly cost my sisters and me our lives

I should be furious at him--I am, really--but part ofover us, protecting us Protecting ht--and then have to cover up the sound with a brief coughing fit when Mrs Knightly skewers lare What has he done to protecthim

He must realize by now that I’ I can take care of h Believes that he’s on our side--whatever thatwhere he is and if he’s not here today because of the things I said last night

My phone vibrates inso about chro my upper body, I liftmy phone, and slide it quietly out into my palm I pull it up into my lap and look down

It’s a text fro it was Nick Get over it, I tell myself If he’s scared away, he’s scared away So what if he’s the only boy who’s ever known my secret? He isn’t interested in et close to me? Win my trust?

Whatever He lied to me I shouldn’t want to talk to him I shouldn’t want him to call or to be in class to pass notes overoff these frivolous thoughts, I look down again and read Grace’s e

Coffee with Sthenno at four at the Grindery in Union Square

I know the place It’s too crowded and overpriced for me, but it’s kind of a land my phone back into its pocket when I hear htly says She sounds annoyed, like she’s been trying to getto look like a good, attentive student

"What is the difference between mitosis and lare around the room As if they’re any better I can see four phones hidden behind textbooks, two girls passing notes, another tith earbuds concealed beneath their hair, and one boy with his head down, pretending to read the textbook with his eyes closed None of the Mrs Knightly ies, so I doubt even my best attehfor the answer, I hope she lets , tense moments Then she finally says, "Please seeone of the sheep on the spot for the answer, I slus are over I’ll be lucky to get out of this one without detention or a date with the principal

I do hts of Nick fro from the board and even raise nores s, I putand doesn’t acknowledge my presence until the last of the sheep shuffles out of the rooh when I realize it’s not about me

She sets her pen down and finally looks up

"Miss Sharpe," she says, her voice hard She closes her eyes, and when she opens thehtly "Gretchen I think we need to talk about what’s going on"