Royal Hunter

by Tonyandtheboys

Maybe I'm just a teenager, but demons attacked me - demons! So no, I won't just pretend everything's peachy. I have questions, and since Cole Smith calls himself a Hunter, he'd better have the answers.

p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"He was the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"Country music was playing on the radio, low, almost inaudible. I'd been enjoying the muted sound for several minutes, feeling dazed but content, relaxed by the throbbing of the car. My body was heavy, disconnected from my brain as if I was just awakening from a long, deep sleep. And then it hit me. em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"Where the hell am I? /em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"My eyes shot open and I twitched, seized by panic, but hands on my shoulders prevented me from sitting up. Before I could shake them off, I realized I wasn't just laying in the backseat of a car; I was lying on someone's lap, in the backseat of a car. His upside down face was watching me up close, when my eyes focused enough, the panic washed away and I stilled. I knew that face. I knew his lips, recognized the way they stretched into a lazy half-grin. Despite the familiar annoyance that the smile sparked in me, I had to focus several seconds to remember his name./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Cole Smith."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"Talking em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"hurt/em./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Your hero," Cole said. Rolling my eyes hurt. "You're safe, Olivia."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"Why wouldn't I be safe? I tried to straighten up again, but he kept me down as easily as the first time. I turned my head slowly, mindful of my sore neck. em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"Yup, not dreaming/em. It was dark out, and I was in a moving car, resting on the lap of a guy I hated, with no idea as to why. Confusion, thy name is Olivia Haynes./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Almost there," the driver said, catching my attention. Square face, hair long enough to be half-tied in a low, messy bun. em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"And who is this guy/em?/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"Ignoring Cole's attempt to keep me put, I pushed myself up at last. The movement jarred new pains awake and my head spun, but I still sent Cole a dark look when he rolled his eyes at my persistence. I instinctively reached for the throbbing spot in the back of my head, which was sticky with blood./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""What the—" Words grated on the inside of my throat, provoking a coughing fit that left me breathless and lightheaded./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Don't worry, we're taking you to the hospital."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"I made a gesture with my hand, silently asking what happened, but before Cole could answer the car went over a speed bump and something in the front seat was jolted against the doorem style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;". Wait a minute. /emNot something, someoneem style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"I saw the blood first. Then his face./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Nathan?" My voice cracked painfully./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"A heavy, uneasy feeling crashed onto my chest and spread through my body slowly, like a warm trickle of dense, syrupy liquid. It reached the tip of my fingers and made them tingle. I felt boneless. em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"Dizzy again/em./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"Unconscious, Nathan's head bobbled from right to left with every bump on the road. Blood darkened his neck and the collar of his t-shirt; so thick I wasn't sure where it came from. He looked just as sweaty and dirty as I feltem style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"./em em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"Nathan, of course, Nathan/em! We were picking ice-cream flavors just minutes ago, and… I glanced outside. No, not just a minute ago. I ordered the pistachio and peanut butter mix when the sun was still way up in the sky, blazing almost too strongly and making the weather unseasonably hot and sticky. em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"What happened after that/em? I tried to lean forward to touch Nathan, wake him up, just em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"do/em something against his stillness, but Cole restrained me again, overpowering me easily./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""He has to be checked for internal bleeding, but he should be fine."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"The throbbing in my head was starting to transform into a pulsating headache. I closed my eyes for a second and ran a shaky hand on my forehead./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Why couldn't you just run away when I told you to?" Cole sighed and shook his head./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"Why is he so calm/em?/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Run away from what?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"The driver glanced at me in the rearview mirror, frowned, and threw a knowing look at Cole./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Olivia, what do you remember?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"My name on his lips sounded strange. em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"Good question. /emI lowered my head, massaging my temples. This was driving me crazy. The last hours of my life were just there, frustratingly close, but completely out of reach. If I could only focus, shut everything else out, I was sure I could catch them back. I closed my eyes again./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"I'm with Nathan by the ice-cream truck, on the town's main place. The crowd around us is almost stifling, a woman in a blue camisole is staring at me, but I can't focus on her, she's too far in the back of my mind. I just see Nathan's face, smiling with a confidence that I lack entirely, while I wonder what the hell I'm doing there with him. We walk, but instead of moving away, we circle right back to the truck, and he's smiling the exact same smile again, because it's the exact same scene, stuck on repeat./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"I shook my head slowly, careful about both my painful throat and my aching head, and Cole frowned. It was a strange look on him; I'd rarely ever seen him without his signature cheeky grin, or at least a smug expression./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""We're here," the driver said./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"I hadn't even realized we were touching, but I missed the rough, comforting, warmth of Cole's hands on mine as soon as he let go of them./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Ezra will stay with you, I'd better not go in myself," he motioned to the driver, who saluted me almost cheerfully, and climbed out of the car./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Wait, why? Where-" I choked, throat scorching and making me cough so hard I couldn't breathe for several seconds./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""For once in your life, don't talk back." His tone held no bite. "Forget I was even here, okay? Don't mention my name. Ezra will do all the talking."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"Cole made to leave the car quickly, but I grabbed his leather jacket, jerking him back and frantically shaking my head despite the tearing pain it provoked and the spots in my vision./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"He put a hand over mine and, with the other, gently removed my clawing fingers from his jacket. He drew closer, until I couldn't possibly miss a look, a word, or a single breath. His expression was serious again, green eyes dark but soft, and this time it didn't throw me off; I anchored myself into the soothing strength that emanated from him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""We didn't realize you'd forget what happened, and it must be hard, but don't worry,em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;" you are okay/em."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"That's not enough./em I started to shake my head again, but he didn't waver./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""As challenging as this must be for you, you have to trust me."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"I stilled./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Yes, I know, but try anyway," he added with a tight self-deprecating smile./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"And then he took off./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"I hadn't seen Ezra go, but he was already coming back with people in scrubs pushing a gurney toward us. Spots of colors were dancing on my closed eyelids when I stumbled out. My legs buckled, I held onto the car./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""We need another one here," a scrubbed stranger cried. em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"Too loud./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"An arm slid around the small of my back, pulling me against a man's chest. His clothes smelled of gasoline./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""You're going to be okay," Ezra whispered in my ear. His voice was light. Light blue, I decided, with touches of serious forest green. em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"I'm concussed/em./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"I wanted to believe him, but something deep within me had shifted. I didn't know why, I didn't know what, but as I clung onto consciousness, the only certainty clear enough in my otherwise fuzzy brain was this: nothing would ever be the same./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"#/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"Cole had been right; Ezra – who, it turned out, was his cousin - did all the talking. I wasn't supposed to exert my throat anyway, so I kept my mouth shut. For four days. The hospital, my parents, the police, the return home… they flew by, never touching me, never taking me out of my own mind; a long, seemingly endless blurr./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"Maybe I'm in shock/em./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"I discovered with a detached kind of amazement that I'd been mugged. Ezra had been driving by the small park a couple of streets away from Main Place when he heard screaming. He saw me trying to fight two muggers off of an unconscious Nathan, until one of them pushed me hard enough to send me tumbling back, and hit my head. It certainly sounded like me; I had always had a failing fight or flight response - it seemed permanently stuck on fight - which had contributed to my reputation as the "em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"punching demon"/em ever since elementary school. Perhaps even less surprising was the fact that my first date with Nathan Meadows had led us both to the hospital. em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"Olivia Haynes, everybody./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Those are signs of strangulation," one of the doctors had said a little later, pointing to my throat. Everyone spoke quietly around me, as if they thought my ears might be malfunctioning too./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"Strangulation. Choked. Hot flushing chest, tingly fingers, spinning head. Gasping, hunger for air. Despair. Strangulation. Yes, that rang a bell./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"When Nathan woke up, he was told the whole account, which he confirmed. No one mentioned the woman in blue. No one mentioned Cole Smith./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"Maybe I'm in shock/em./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Let it go," Mom said on Wednesday morning, as she walked in my room to find me looking at my reflection in the mirror. She drew nearer, standing behind me and looking at the vanity that had been in her own childhood bedroom before it was moved across state lines into mine for my tenth birthday. The bruises on my neck were impossible to miss, they begged for attention until all eyes were on them, and then they glared back ostensibly, daring you to look away. "The doctors said your memories would come back eventually, no use in trying to force it."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"Easy for you to say/em. I didn't care what the doctors said, I needed to remember what happened soon, or I would go mad. I didn't know how to just let go - never had, probably never would. And why the hell did that woman in blue keep popping in and out of my memories every time I thought I was making progress? My own confused, limited, little brain had become an uncooperative traitor and it frustrated the hell out of me./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"Of course, to my mother, I just nodded and smiled. She had worried enough; the bags under her eyes were almost as dark as the skin under my chin. Thankfully, we both heard a car pulling up in the driveway./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""The relief team is here."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"Rashida, my breath of fresh air. I pushed the ancient rolling chair on which I was sitting toward my desk and peered through the only window in my room; I had a clear view of the street and front yard from there./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Jamie's here too," I said, delighted./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"My closest friend, Rashida, had been coming by every day since I'd gotten out of the hospital, but Jamie's visits, with his part-time job at the bookshop and the babysitting of his twin-sisters, had been less frequent. My mom went down to open the door, and soon they let themselves in my room in their usual way: as if they owned the place./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Look at you, dressed and decent for visitors for once!" Jamie said as he kissed the top of my hair and took the chair I'd just vacated. "Man, this place is a mess!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""It's em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"always /ema mess here," Rash said, wrinkling her nose as she glanced around. "My mother would whoop my butt if my room was half as … chaotic."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"She poked at the pile of clothes on my desk, a few novels and school books were hidden underneath, along with my computer and probably a few items that belonged in the bathroom or kitchen./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""I have a system," I shrugged./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""So you keep saying," Jamie mumbled./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""It em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"is /emgood to see you up and about, I thought for sure your mom would keep you tucked in bed forever. I was starting to look for a new BFF in Haywood," Rash said with her usual sparkling energy./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Don't worry, Dad checked on me from time to time to make sure she hadn't accidentally smothered me to death. And if you had to replace me, you should go with Short Kate. That's who I'd choose, anyway."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""You traitor, you've thought about this before, haven't you? You already have it all figured out."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Gotta be prepared, a girl needs her sidekick," I said with a fake drawl./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"Though Jamie's quiet smile betrayed his amusement as we went on, he'd already taken out several notebooks and his computer from his bag. Kicking off his shoes, he settled on my bed, back against the wall./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Oh come on Jamie, do we have to dive into homework right the second?" Rashida whined./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""I'm guessing you didn't keep Ollie updated on anything school-related this week, so I brought her my notes. "/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Thanks J-J," I winked at him and he answered in kind./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""That's not true, I brought her lots of news from school. Admittedly, not schoolem style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"work/em, but still… tell him, Ollie!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Sure, I know all about the latest hookups and breakups – some of which I'm pretty sure haven't happened yet."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""But they will," she tapped her nose, "I have a gift for these things."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Did she tell you that you're a star, then?" Jamie asked casually./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Wasn't I always?" I batted back. "But… why, exactly?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Your little adventure made Haywood High's news. Everyone's wondering when you and Nathan are coming back so they can grill you. I'd expect a little staring tomorrow, if I were you."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""About that, do you know when Nathan-"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Well, he got the doctors' green light to go back to school but his parents want to keep him home for a few more days, just in case."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"Rashida always gossiped about other people's lives as if she was their main character, so I wasn't remotely surprised that she knew what was going on with Nathan though he was a year above us and they barely knew each other./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Ollie," she touched my hand, and her voice lost some of its silliness. "Look, I get how frustrating it must be not to remember what happened, but-"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Not you too, Rash! I already know what happened, I just want to remember it on my own. I feel so… so limited, right now. As if my brain's broken. The sooner it comes back to me, the sooner I can leave it all behind."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Well, I'm pretty sure Nathan wishes he could forget. He has nightmares, you know. They had to sedate him several times at the hospital because he'd wake up in the middle of the night and completely freak out."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Did Paul tell you?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Yeah. He's a little worried."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"I promised I'd try to let it go mostly because I couldn't handle the worry in her eyes. Her round face was made for smiles and laughter; it fit the bright colors she wore, the spring in her step, and the chime in her voice. Even her curly hair framed her face like a halo of good vibes, ever since she had colored most of it blond and cut it shorter so that curls happily bounced around when she walked. I squeezed her hand, and glanced at Jamie, who winked at me despite the concerned look he wore himself, and soon changed the subject back to homework./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"I was dying to ask about Cole Smith, but I hadn't said a word about his involvement to anyone. I kept all my questions and doubts about him in the same mind drawer as the Woman in Blue, which had moved from a random face I remembered to a haunting memory. I hadn't told anyone about her either. What would I have said anyway? "I see a woman with long wavy black hair and black cold eyes looking at me when I close my eyes?em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;""/em em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"Yes, right./em I wanted to be allowed out of the house at some point, not sent back to the hospital./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"#/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"The next morning, Rashida, who'd been solemnly asked to pick me up by my worried mother, spent the drive to school trying to mentally prep me for my big return. Naturally, Rashida being an absolute danger behind the wheel, I was too busy hanging on to any and everything around me for dear life to focus on what she said, and could only see how serious she actually was when we finally arrived and she shifted toward me in her seat and stared gravely. My teasing jab on her parking skills died on my lips. She extracted something from her jacket./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""You are going to think it's silly, but just wear it anyway."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"Surprised, I accepted the little blue fabric pouch she handed me and opened it to find a very fine necklace, with a pendant in the form of an open hand. I knew this necklace./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Isn't this yours?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""No, it's em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"like/em mine," she said, fishing under her collar to show hers. "It's a Hamsa."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""It's beautiful Rash, but what is this for? You don't believe in your mother's superstitions."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"She made a face and shrugged. "I don't, but I mean, it cannot do any harm. She read Ayatul Kurssi on it. The pendant is Fatima's Hand, it is supposed to protect you from the evil eye, and the Ayat seeks Allah's protection, the recovery of your memories, and the removal of your fears. Pretty neat combo, huh?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"I reached for her arm, "I'd love to remember what happened to me, that's true, but as for fear… You know there is nothing to be afraid of, Rash, right?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"She didn't answer right away, shaking her head thoughtfully for a moment. "Wayford was supposed to be em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"safe/em. Did you know it has the lowest crime rate in the country? That is em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"literally/em the only reason we moved here."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Yes, I know." The Benkhadras women had moved to Wayford when Rash was in fifth grade, after her father, a cop, was killed on duty. She'd spoken of it only once, and only to explain why her mom was so strict on her and her sisters, never letting them go out at night or on short trips, even for school./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""I am telling you, this is not helping with my mom's paranoia," she sighed. "Oh well, never mind this now, here, give it, I'll help you put it on."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"I fingered the pendant once it rested on my chest, "I'll stop by later to thank your mother, I love it."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""For your sake, let's hope this thing can handle High-School level evil eye, because, with what happened to you? Man, you are in for a ride", she snickered, good spirits restored. I knew I was not center-of-attention material, but it couldn't be so bad, could it?/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"Yes. Yes it could./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"That first day back was almost hellish enough to be considered cruel and unusual punishment. Half of my classmates treated me with extra-care, as if I should be traumatized – which was ridiculous because I felt fine – and the other half clapped my back and joked that I really was the high school Warrior Girl - which annoyed me because it meant that one of Cole's nicknames had stuck. Boys nudged their friends to turn and look at the bruises on my throat, girls whispered behind their hands as I walked by, and between periods, kids I didn't know harassed me with questions to which I had no answer./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""When did Haywood become a teen-movie cliché?" I whispered to Rashida, who was still firmly attached to my side, going to lunch. "I wouldn't be surprised if people randomly burst into a choreographed song right now."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""That would be so cool though, wouldn't it?" Rash laughed. She was already thinking of a plot and themes for the songs, when I caught a glance of Cole Smith crossing the hallway. He barely nodded when our eyes met for half a second before he walked into class. em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"Well, that's new. /emCole usually always had a smart-ass remark, a new nickname, or something else with which to annoy me when we crossed paths. His serious demeanor left me uneasy for the rest of the day./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"#/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"When Nathan came back on Friday, it was to a new social status: local hero. Girls giggled around him or sighed dreamily when he talked to them, and his name was on everyone's lips - even the lunch lady, who gave him extra dessert. He didn't seem to enjoy the attention though. Each new question clearly weighed more on his shoulders, and when we finally met up between classes, his usual easy-smile was nowhere to be found./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""The library's my personal fortress of solitude, but I can share it with you," I offered, just as the bell rang./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Any free period today?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""The one after next."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Meet you there," he whispered. Paul whisked him away before I could get a sense of what he had in mind./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"The library was so small; I spotted him right away, sitting at one of the tables furthest away from the door. He sent me a small, tense smile when our eyes met./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""I might move into your fortress permanently," he said. The circles under his eyes seemed darker than earlier, and his pale, tired complexion made him look downright sick./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Take out the garbage, don't walk around in your underwear, and we're good. I want the rent in cash, though."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"He snorted and rested his head on the table, pressing two fingers against his temples and massaging them slowly./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""I tried calling you, but your mom…"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Yeah," he cut me off, and shook his head slowly. "She truly showed her scary side this week. She wouldn't let anyone visit, and screened all my calls. She sai I needed to rest."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""I had Rashida for that."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Even scarier."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"I smiled. I wanted to ask about the nightmares, but I couldn't bring myself to be so intrusive. Not finding the right words, I just looked him over as he stared thoughtfully over my shoulder. Other than the dressing on his neck and his obvious exhaustion, nothing was out of place./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Isn't it weird how every time the three of us are together, there's trouble?" Nathan asked. I wasn't sure whether he was actually talking to me, or just wondering out loud./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""The three of us?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""You, me, and Cole Smith."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"How did Nathan know about Cole's presence on the day of the attack? Hadn't Cole arrived em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"after/em Nathan had been knocked out cold? I thought he'd only seen Ezra, since he was the one who stayed at the hospital and answered everyone's questions./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Wait, what trouble was there before last week?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Seriously, Olivia, em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"you/em forgot?" His unbelieving look immediately enlightened me./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"He was referring to last year's em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"Incident/em, as Rash put it. As if I could ever forget! It was the very source of my antipathy toward bigoted, cowardly, Cole Smith./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Oh, em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"that/em. No, don't worry I remember, I haven't lost em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"all/em my memory."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"The em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"Incident/em was a euphemistic way to call the day Cole Smith had stood idly by while two seniors tried to beat up a younger kid just because they did not like his sexual orientation. I had been going back to my car after a study session with Jamie when I saw a boy – Ben, who was a year younger than me – shoot through the parking lot, chased by the two seniors I liked to call Dumb Dumber. I did what I em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"thought/em everyone would: I ran after them. I was in such a hurry that I almost rammed into Cole, who was crossing the deserted parking lot in the opposite direction, toward his bike. I had never talked to him before, but I figured a big guy like him could be useful./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""They're going to hurt him, come on," I said, craning my neck to see where the three boys were going. They disappeared at the corner of the science building./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""It's none of my business," Smith shrugged. I was pumped with adrenaline and a growing feeling of indignation./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Are you serious? We have to -"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Hey, I'm not stopping you," he said, smirking. "Go right ahead, Warrior Girl!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"It only served to fuel my ire. I barely took the time to tell him what a coward he was, and did exactly as he told me: I went right ahead. That was how I met Cole Smith./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""You hated him so much after that day," Nathan called me back to the present./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Ben could have been hurt."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""I know, I know," Nathan said. "And Cole Smith, a six-foot-four junior, stood there doing nothing. How did you call him?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Slimy Coward," I mumbled. Not my best find, but I'd been pissed off and in a hurry. That was the start of the stupid nickname war. "But em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"you/em helped," I reminded Nathan. "You jumped in as soon as you saw what was happening."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""I did, didn't I? I can hold my own against a couple of bullies, but…" he looked like he was far away again, eyes glazed over, until he snorted: "Slimy Coward, yeah right."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Nate, you're kind of freaking me out. What's going on?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"He visibly shook himself and forced a smile. "Nothing. Just funny how things turn out."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"Everything that usually gave Nathan a boyish charm; the cowlick in his hair, his pale blue eyes, and that left dimple that was marked even when he did not smile, everything now made him look like a lost boy, terribly young and somewhat overwhelmed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""I mean to go talk to him," I said after yet another uneasy pause. "And ask why the hell he didn't want us to say anything about him."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""You shouldn't," he snapped. "Actually, you should stay away from his whole family."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"I'd never liked Cole Smith - he'd probably refused to help Ben because he was as narrow-minded as his bullies - yet I couldn't help but feel indignant on his behalf. "Didn't he help us?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"Nathan opened his mouth to say something, but stopped himself, pursing his lips. "Something's off about him," he was leaning in on the table, speaking softly so that his voice wouldn't stand out in the quiet room. "He's bad news."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""You always defended him when I said he was a jerk, and now that he actually helps us, you change your mind?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Olivia, please," he shook his head, glancing around us again. em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"Why are you so nervous?/em He ran a hand through his dirty blond hair, pulling nervously at the tips and making a mess. "He didn't want us to mention him to the cops, don't you find that strange? That can't be good."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"I gripped the table, trying to control my sudden urge to jump over and shake him until he stopped keeping things from me./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Just—just trust me on this, okay? I'm trying to forget. And you'd better do the same. Nothing good can come from this."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""No, Nathan. I want to talk about what happened. There's a woman in my head, who drives me batshit cra—"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""What do you mean?" His hand abruptly clenched into a fist. "I thought you said you didn't remember." His voice vibrated with barely quelled panic./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""I—well, I don't. Wait, is she real? Was there a woman wearing blue? She had black hair and dark eyes."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"He released a long, controlled, breath. "No. No, Olivia, it's like we said, two guys. No women."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;"em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;""/emYou are hiding something from me, Nate."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Believe me, what you know is enough."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""I'd like to be the judge of that."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""I don't know what else to tell you, you know the whole story."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; cursor: text; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; color: #000f22; white-space-collapse: preserve; line-height: 1.4em !important; font-size: 22px !important; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif !important;""Yes, and what a good em style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;"story /emit is." I snatched my bag and left, pettily ignoring his weak attempt to call me backem style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.4em !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px !important;". Patronizing prick!/em/p