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From the corner of his eye, he saw Layne stiffen beside him.
Hadn’t she said something similar last night? But then she was moving again, pulling things from her backpack.
Taylor leaned in, showing more of what she had to offer. Her voice was almost taunting. “Did you sleep at someone else’s house?”
Layne suddenly went very still.
Gabriel wanted to glare at her. Did Layne seriously think he’d leave her house like that, then go find some mindless girl to hook up with?
“Jesus, Taylor, scope your gossip with someone else. I was home all night.”
“Whatever you say.” She swung her legs against the desk, not at all bothered. “Did you hear about Alan Hulster?”
He glanced at the empty seat on the other side of his chair.
“What, did someone finally kick his ass?”
“No, his house burned down.”
Gabriel snapped his head around. “What?”
“Yeah, like, to the ground.” Taylor pulled a piece of gum out of her purse and rolled it across her tongue suggestively, as if this news was just a sideline to her flirtation. “His little sister was trapped. They thought she was dead, but some fireman got her out just before the whole place collapsed. That dude is a hero. Isn’t that intense? ”
Gabriel could feel his heart smacking his rib cage. He’d never thought about that house belonging to someone he knew.
Layne cleared her throat, and her voice came out small. “Is his sister okay?”
Taylor rolled her eyes and pushed her hair over one shoulder.
“I’m sorry, were you a part of this conversation?”
“God, Taylor.” Gabriel kicked the leg of her chair. It was a miracle his voice wasn’t shaking. “Is his sister okay?”
“Jeez.” Taylor frowned. “Yeah . . . I think so ”
Ms. Anderson chose that moment to slide into the room. Taylor swung around and dropped into her chair.
Gabriel couldn’t think through the six questions on the board not like it would matter. He scribbled random numbers, his mind spinning through the events of last night.
That dude is a hero.
He sure didn’t feel like it.
He’d gone there to be close to a fire. Not to save someone.
Thoughts gripped his mind so tightly that he couldn’t say a word to Layne but she had her head down over her work, anyway.
He passed his paper forward with everyone else, and he didn’t even care what he got. The substitute was lecturing, but he didn’t hear a word. His ears were full of Hunter’s words from last night.
We could do this again. Think about it.
When the bell rang, Layne bolted from her seat without looking at him.
Gabriel bolted after her, intending to catch her in the hallway.
But Ms. Anderson’s voice stopped him before he got out of the room. “Mr. Merrick, I’d like to speak with you.”
Mr. Merrick. He hated when teachers called him that, like he was an old man stopping by to learn a few math tricks.
