“Me?” I wheeze. “Try to kill myself? Why didn’t she tell everyone I’m really an alien in a skin suit? It’s just as likely.”
My, admittedly, inappropriate response has baffled the guys out of their rage. Now they just look very concerned.
“Pretty girl,” Felix murmurs cautiously, like I’m a wild animal he doesn’t want to spook, “it’s good to know you’re committed to living, but uh, you okay? Of all the reactions I expected, hysterical laughter was definitely not one of them.”
“You’re not losing it on us, love?” Nolan questions gently, petting my hair in long soothing strokes.
Unfortunately, asking whether I’m losing my mind after the week I’ve had only makes me laugh harder. Poor Donovan and Connor look so lost and confused that I surprisingly want to explain, but I can’t. Not the place or time, so instead, I keep laughing at the ironic rumor of a girl that can’t die threatening to kill herself. Now people are looking and pointing at me for completely different reasons.
Finally, I choke out, “I promise to explain later. It’s uh, a lot, but I can assure you, I won’t be dying anytime soon.”
“That’s… good,” Donovan drawls with a dubious narrowing of his vibrant blue-green eyes.
I try to wave off their concern. “Look, it’s a dumb rumor that we know isn’t true. Getting mad is what Gina wants, so let’s not give it to her.”
They look unconvinced, but at least they’re no longer promising murder to all that dare to repeat Gina’s stupid ploy to get back at me. Seriously, she’s going to have to try a whole lot harder to get to me.
Fortunately, the stupidity seems to be localized to those close enough to see and potentially know me. Most of the auditorium is still cheering and stomping for the varsity football team. Once everyone is out, there are more speeches, encouraging students to go out to Westmerrow to support the team, and the cheerleaders do some complicated routine. I’m surprised Gina and her posse aren’t cheerleaders. It seems like a missed opportunity for a mean girl stereotype.
Considering how long it took to introduce the team, they’re out for only a brief amount of time before they’re jogging back to the locker room to a screaming fanfare.
“That’s my cue. Have fun clawing your way through the masses,” Felix mocks, waving farewell and popping back to Kaleb, clearly tired of standing in people. I, however, enjoyed watching the two handsy girls squirming and shivering, not understanding why they were suddenly cold.
∞∞∞
It takes forever to file out of the gym, made more challenging with Connor, Donovan and Nolan making a confining, triangle shield around me. I literally can’t see where I’m going around the giants, and I have to rely on Nolan’s hands on my shoulders to steer me.Still on high alert, I see.
Finally, we slog through the crowd and turn towards the lockers only to have Felix pop up in front of us again.
“Skip Casper, I’m going to start calling you Nightcrawler soon,” I gasp, stumbling in my tracks so I don’t walk through him. “All you’re missing are the puffs of smoke.”
“Heh, funny,” Felix replies, before rubbing at his neck, scrunching up his face, and stammering, “Uh, guys. You need to get to the parking lot ASAP. I think… I think Kaleb is in a fight with one of the other football players.”
“Kaleb? Our Kaleb?” Donovan clarifies, crossing his arms and shifting his weight to one side. “Is he talking the guy to death?”
Felix shakes his head slowly, a mixture of shock and concern washing over his elfin features. “No, he lost it on this guy and has him pinned against the dude’s car. You need to hurry before someone from administration catches them.”
“No fucking way,” Donovan grins and is out like a shot, dodging and weaving through people, surprisingly agile for being so huge.
I try to wave the other boys off with promises that I’ll catch up, but instead, Connor hands his backpack and jacket to Nolan then kneels down and commands me, “Climb up.”
I want to protest, but Kaleb is in trouble. Taking a fortifying breath, I scrounge up some courage and wrap my arms around Connor’s neck. He catches me under my knees, making me grateful I wore jeans today, and secures me to his very muscular back. I flatten against him, his blue flannel soft against my skin, and tighten my grip as he rises, trying not to choke him and keep myself from falling backwards at the same time.Crap, he’s tall!
Connor leads the way with his very scary face on, ensuring students leap out of the way, while Nolan keeps pace behind, one hand braced on my lower back under my backpack. Felix is gone, I’m assuming back to Kaleb or possibly Donovan.
With Connor’s purposeful gait and long strides, we make it to the parking lot in record time--- for me anyway. The sun is out, and with the heat radiating from Connor’s body, I barely feel the cut of the cold air. He pauses long enough to scan the area, finds Felix waving his arms to get our attention, and jogs over, moving like he doesn’t have over a hundred pounds hanging off his back.
“I better not hear you say it again. Do you understand me?” Kaleb threatens, pulling a boy who is also dressed in a red jersey far enough away so he can slam him back into the side of a white jeep, pinning him against it. Kaleb has a forearm pressed against the back of the boy’s neck and one of the boy’s arms twisted behind his back. “And you shut down anyone else you hear spreading it around.”
“Too nice, huh?” I mutter under my breath, then request Connor to put me down.
Sliding down his back, I falter somewhat when I hit the ground, but Nolan stabilizes me before I can trip over my own feet. Connor shifts so he’s half blocking me and folds his arms, scary face still in place, and Donovan is standing to the side, massive and intimidating, showing his support for Kaleb. Felix is chewing on his lip and fidgeting, clearly at a loss on what he’s supposed to do. I share his indecision. Do I try to stop this? What has this boy done that could enrage someone as gentle as Kaleb? I’m grateful that we’re obscured enough that no one else has noticed what’s going on.
The boy with Marks written across the back of his jersey along with the number 33, is equal in size to Kaleb, but is in no way a match for his supernatural strength. “Damn, Ward,” he groans, face smashed against the glass. “I didn’t know she was likeyour girl.I just thought…”
“Shut up,caput stercoris,” Kaleb spits, his jaw clenched and chest heaving.
Donovan snorts and rolls his eyes. A barely there, “Seriously?” slips through his lips.
