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He raised his dark eyebrows I felt my cheeks start to flush, so I looked at my watch

"Dude!" I blurted, shocked It was almost one thirty, way past the end of lunch I had been asleep a long ti a point not to glance at Bridger again Behind me I heard a shoe scuff cement and then someone fell into step beside me My heart started to flutter I knew if I looked up I would be gazing into a pair of black eyes

Don’t get attached, I thought

"What I don’t get is why Danni’s so convinced you’re a prostitute"

Of all the conversation starters, he would have to pick that one I stopped walking and looked at him with a smirk, ready to brush hi so close, I realized how lared into his eyes, eyes so dark a shade of gray, his pupils got lost A s at hi to remember what he had askedstory," I said sarcastically A warm breeze blew er O’Connell I took a second deep breath and fought the urge to close my eyes He smelled … wonderful, like clean clothes and soap and joy

Don’t get attached!

I took a step backward He was cra it impossible to think

He took a step forward and leaned towardMy heart started to patter, like rain hitting a

"I never said it was a good story," I corrected

"So, it’s a bad story? Even better"

"It’s not a bad story, either I’et to class," I snapped, turning toward the door He walked beside ers touched I tucked ie Is there any way I can ive ain The way the sun hit his hair made it look as shiny and black as a crow’s feathers, but there were hints of gold in it, too He raised his black eyebrows and I realized I was gawking at hione froaze away froue and groaned inwardly Had I seriously just forgiven hi the scent of Bridger into the air and blowing my hair into my eyes He brushed my hair froht the desire to press et attached! I ed and pushed the door open He didn’t follow me into the school

14

You would think that after the horse incident I would stop experi But obviously I hadn’t learned my lesson

It started because ofIncludinga little scaly, and when I looked at ainst ht, Why not turn into a snake? I have an hour to kill before work

I stood in front of the bathrooreen, pearly scales instead of skin, a forked tongue, and eyes with long, narrow pupils Then I tried, very gently, to change

My tongue thinned and split, darting out betweenfroreen scales that shimmered in layers of thin, translucent disks I leaned closer to the e, too

They didn’t I was stuck Again

"Crap!" I hissed through gritted teeth, fervently trying to change back intomy entire body and tried to visually force thee At closer inspection, I realized the probleht be washed away--I was coated in a silky powder, as if the scales were slowly deteriorating into a fine, pearly dust It floated offclouds and drifted down to the floor

I stripped and got into the shower

With half a container of body wash squeezed onto a washcloth I vigorously began scrubbing Milky white water dripped froht in translucent rainbow colors, likeht tiue was substantially sroaned as puffs of opalescent dust wafted fro the powder to me Unfortunately, I didn’t have any; otherwise I never would have gotten into thisa thin layer of conditioner to ot back into the shower