The guy looks over at us and grins. “Just because I’m a member of his fan club doesn’t mean I don’t want him to burn in hell. Along with the rest of his family.”
She scowls at him. “Fuck off, Trevor.”
He gets up and heads to the back of the bus. I stare straight ahead, my face growing hot.
Jasmine leans in, voice lowered again. “Everyone’s talking about the upcoming execution. You can’t get away from it.” Unhappiness clouds her face. “I just want it to be over with.”
Me too.
I swallow my nausea and turn to the window, wondering why I had to come back to Tennessee at the absolute worst possible time.
Crockett High isn’t that different from Liberty High. Though the building is much newer and nicer than Liberty, it has the same cliques, the same drama, the same dull classes. The only thing I’m not prepared for is how sprawled out all the classrooms are. I’ve already missed homeroom because Principal Healey made me complete a bunch of administrative tasks in the office when I signed in, and now I’m so lost that I’m five minutes late to my AP Government and Politics class.
The first person I see when I finally step through the door is Everett. Lucky me.
I lurk in the doorway. Helplessly, I look at the teacher, who appears to be about a hundred years old and is writing something on the whiteboard, her frail hand moving painstakingly slowly. I’m hoping she’ll notice me sometime this century and show me what seat I can take, but she’s intently focused on her task.
Everett winks at me and calls out from his desk. “Why, Miss Shipley, do you need an escort to your seat?”
The class breaks out into laughter.
“Because I volunteer as tribute,” he finishes with a playful grin, much to the dismay of the gorgeous girl with the highlighted dark hair next to him.
Her perfectly plucked eyebrows slant together in a V as she openly sizes me up.
The teacher finally catches sight of me. “Hello there! You’re our new student, aren’t you, dear?”
No, I’m standing here because I enjoy this kind of torture.
I nod. “Ryan.”
“Yes, yes. Maggie’s niece.”
Somehow I’m not surprised everyone in this town is on a first-name basis with everyone else.
“Welcome to Starling.” She puts her hands on my shoulders and says, “Everyone, this is Ryan Shipley.” Then she faces me toward the firing squad. “Dear, why don’t you tell us all something about yourself?”
Kill me now.
I grit my teeth and address the class. “Hey. I’m Ryan. I’m American, but for the past few years I’ve been attending boarding school in Switzerland.”
Everyone just stares back at me as if I’m speaking in another language. Only Everett looks interested. He’s chewing on his bottom lip and tapping his pen on the desk, eyes slightly narrowed, like he’s trying to figure me out.
From the corner of my eye, I notice the teacher motioning for me to continue. Oh my God. Kill me more.
“I like photography. And, um, dogs. I’m…a Gemini…” I trail off.
Everett looks like he’s fighting laughter now.
“Oh my, that’s wonderful. Switzerland!” the teacher says, and thank God, she doesn’t open it up to questions from the class. “I’m Mrs.Burle. You can take a seat in front of Sofia. Sofia, raise your hand, dear.”
The gorgeous girl lifts a single manicured finger without much enthusiasm. I walk over to the desk, and as I slide into the seat I catch a whiff of her strawberry perfume.
“Nice speech, Gemini,” Everett murmurs from the row behind me.
“Shut up, Everest,” I mumble in response.
His laughter tickles my back.
