Chapter 6:

I was shocked to see Dylan come to first hour P.E. as soon as the tardy bell rang. He was dressed in knee- length basketball shorts and a white Nike sweatshirt. His high -tops looked new and expensive. After handing a slip of paper to Miss Cox, he caught my eye. He gave a low wave and joined me in the bleachers. Ugh…

"Finally! I get to see you again!" he said cheerfully.

"I never heard why you transferred here," I said.

"I lost my scholarship and my parents couldn't afford the tuition." Sucks to be him.

Miss Susan blew her whistle.

"The whistle means something, right?," Dylan said to me. I nodded.

"Ten laps around the gym, no cutting corners." I pushed up from the bleachers. "Are you an athlete?"

Dylan jumped up, dancing on the balls of his feet. He threw a few hooks and jabs into the air. He finished with an uppercut that stopped just short of my chin. Grinning, he said, "An athlete? To the core."

I smiled at him. Maybe we could be buddies…

"Then you're going to love this class."

Dylan and I jogged the ten laps together ahead of everyone else, then headed outdoors, where the air was laced with a ghostly fog. It seemed to clog my lungs, choking me. The sky leaked a few raindrops, trying hard to push a storm down on the city of Coldwater. I eyed the building doors but knew it was to no avail; Miss Susan was hard core. She's my favorite teacher.

"I need two captains for softball," she hollered. "Come on, look alive. Let's see some hands in the air! Better volunteer, or I'll pick teams, and I don't always play fair."

Dylan raised his hand.

"All right," Miss Susan said to him. "Up here, by home plate. And how about…Lissa as captain of the red team." Everyone laughed and I coughed out the word "Loser."

Lissa's eyes swept over Dylan. "Bring it on."

"Dylan pick your first teammate." His eyes studied the class.

"Max," he said. I slapped him high-five, silently thanking him. Everyone says I'm the best sports player ever. Lissa rolled her eyes and scoffed.

"What's so funny?" asked Dylan.

"Um…we all know Max is the worst softball player. See, there's a reason why I'm a cheerleader and-" I cut her off.

"Um, maybe because I'm not a slut?" I asked. Everyone laughed and Mrs. Susan cracked a smile. Lissa's face reddened and she huffed.

"Yeah, and Max is the best athlete the whole school has!" shouted someone from the back. Everyone agreed and I smiled at them in gratitude. Lissa just said "whatever" to us and we continued to choose teams. Dylan's team tugged a blue jersey over their heads.

"Blue team bats first!" hollered Mrs. Susan.

"Max you go first," said Dylan, handing me a bat. I nodded as a thanks and stood at home plate. I rested the bat on my right shoulder.

"Hold on! Losers run two more laps! There, that's fair," said Ms. Susan, nodding at us. Most girls and some boys groaned in response. Lissa pitched the ball at me, which was a fail. It flew to outside the cage.

"You call that a pitch?" I teased her. Everyone on our teams laughed. She continued to do the same thing for three more times, until some kid stepped up and finally threw an amazing pitch. I hit the ball and it flew over the fence. I just jogged the whole way. I jumped to home-base and high-fived my teammates.

Just then, something in the parking lot beyond the dugout drew my attention. I thought I'd heard my name called. I turned, but even as I did, I knew my name hadn't been said out loud. It had been spoken quietly to my mind.

Max.

Fang wore a faded blue baseball cap and had his fingers hooked in the chain -link fence, leaning against it. No coat, despite the weather. Just head to toe black. His eyes were opaque and inaccessible as he watched me, but I suspected there was a lot going on behind them.

Another string of words crept into my mind.

Nice hit. Like I said...strong.

I flinched. I stood behind the fence, waiting for everyone on my team to bat. I'm imagining things, I told myself. Because the alternative was considering that Fang held the power to channel thoughts into my mind. Which couldn't be. It just couldn't. Unless I was delusional. That scared me more than the idea that he'd breached normal communication methods and could, at will, speak to me without ever opening his mouth.

I kept my eyes on Dylan, who was up next. I closed my eyes and gathered enough courage to look at Fang. He wasn't there anymore. What the hell? Dylan got out and stood beside me.

"I thought you said you were an athlete?" I smirked.

"Softball's not my thing," he said, shrugging.

"Was that your boyfriend standing by the fence?" Dylan asked. I laughed and shook my head

I was surprised that Dylan had noticed Fang. He'd had his back to him. "No," I said. "Just a friend. Actually, not even that. He's my bio partner. An acquaintance."

"Then why are you blushing?" he cocked an eyebrow.

"Um I just ran ten laps? And it's probably windburn," I lied. Keeping the answer to myself. Patch's voice still echoed in my head. My heart pumped faster, but if anything, my blood ran colder.

Had he talked directly to my thoughts? Was there some inexplicable link between us that allowed it to happen? Or was I losing my mind?

Dylan didn't look fully convinced. "You sure nothing's going on between the two of you? I don't want to chase after an unavailable girl."

"Nothing." Nothing I was going to allow, anyway.

Wait. What did he just say?

"What?" I said.

He smiled. "Delphic Seaport reopens Saturday night, and Hunter and I are thinking about driving out. Weather's not supposed to be too bad. Maybe you and Nudge want to come?"

I took a moment to think over his offer. I was pretty sure that if I turned Dylan down, Nudge would kill me. Besides…what's the worst thing that could happen? It's just a date, right? And if anything bad happens I could defend myself and Nudge…even though she knows how to fight, but won't admit it.

Besides, going out with Elliot seemed like a good way to escape my uncomfortable attraction to Fang.

"Sounds like a plan," I said.