Ava groaned as she crawled out from behind the cramped quarters. “Do you mind telling us what the hell is going on?”
Kallie walked to the other end of the room, and the light switch clicked again. “Yeah,Marcus,” she said sternly. “Want to tell them what happened?”
Marcus sighed and plopped down on the piano bench. Oberi and I stood in the corner, awaiting an explanation.
“Some guys jumped me outside the cafeteria,” he admitted, though his words were slurred. “They— ow.”
Ava must’ve touched a wound, because Marcus sucked a breath.
“Please tell me you still have first-aid supplies,” Ava begged.
“A few.” He must’ve conjured something, because Ava ripped open a package.
“They had me surrounded,” Marcus continued. “I was on the ground, and they were kicking me when Kallie…”
“When Kallie what?” I asked when he trailed off.
“When she showed up and saw what was happening,” Marcus said. “She was like my own personal guardian angel.”
“Don’t make it out like it was romantic,” Kallie said bitterly. “I had to stop time to drag Marcus out of there, but we only had a ten-second head start. I almost exposed myself to save your ass!”
“Those assholes aren’t going to question it,” Marcus promised.
“What if someonesaw?” she retorted, and her voice cracked. “We have to be extra careful, and I can’t do that if I have to stop time to protect you!”
Kallie made it sound like she was mad at Marcus, but it was obvious what was clearly going on. She was more upset that Marcus had the shit beat out of him. Anyone with a brain could see that.
“Charlie, can you help me?” Ava requested.
I went over to her, and she handed me a few pieces of medical tape to hold while she worked on bandaging up Marcus.
“What I want to know iswhythey were saying that stuff about you,” Kallie demanded.
“What stuff?” I asked, my gut sinking. Kallie made it sound like this wasn’t a random attack, which only meant one thing.
Kallie breathed heavy, angry breaths. “You and your friends are gonna pay. You’re a dead man walking.Marcus, they were going to kill you!”
“It’s not— ow! It’s not like that,” he insisted.
Ava took the last bits of tape from my hands, and I crossed my arms. Marcus still hadn’t told the girls about what he’d been up to all summer, and it was starting to piss me off.
“Then whatisit like?” Kallie demanded.
Silence stretched between the group, and I couldn’t take it.
“Tell them, Marcus,” I pressed. “Tell them, or I will.”
“Tell us what?” Ava asked, sounding worried.
Marcus didn’t say anything.
“We agreed to work together, and we can't keep secrets like this anymore,” I said. “It could put us all in danger.”
Kallie stomped her foot. “Tell us what’s going on, or so help me, Marcus.”
“Fine,” Marcus sighed in defeat.
Ava must’ve finished bandaging him up, because she stepped back. Marcus drummed his fingers on the piano bench nervously.
