AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Like that was a surprise. But Ms. Anderson was looking at the class now instead of writing on the board, and he had to wait before he could write back.
What do you want?
Layne’s expression sobered when she unfolded his note. Then she wrote quickly.
I want to understand how you can do what you did.
He stared at those words for a long time and wondered how much she knew. How much she’d figured out. She was staring at him now; he could feel it.
Finally, he nodded, then put his pen against the paper.
Free period? Library?
She didn’t write back to that one, just unrolled it and nodded, then looked back at her work.
He’d caught up with the homework, but Gabriel couldn’t understand a word Ms. Anderson was saying. He kept sneaking glances at Layne, fighting to keep his hands still, wanting to reach out and stroke her hair, to touch her arm, to hold her hand and feel her steady presence balance him out.
Then the bell was ringing and Layne was gathering her things.
el flinched.
“I told you,” Bill snapped. “I told you this would happen if you didn’t keep your abilities in check ”
“We didn’t start those fires,” said Hunter. “We helped. People would have died otherwise.” For the first time, Gabriel thought he understood the guilt in his expression.
It loosened something in Gabriel’s chest, to know he wasn’t alone here, that someone could carry the guilt along with him.
Then Becca’s father said, “People will die. Everyone in this room. When the Guides find out ”
“They might already know,” said Gabriel.
When everyone turned to him, he said, “When the police questioned me, they asked me about the pentagrams in the burned houses.”
Hunter’s eyebrows went up. “Pentagrams? You never said you saw ”
“I didn’t.”
Bill turned to face Hunter, his expression fierce. “You told me you wanted to honor your father’s position. You told me you wanted to know what to do.”
Gabriel glanced at Hunter. His friend had never mentioned Becca’s father, had never mentioned any discussion following their meeting in the food court.
Bill continued. “You wanted to prove yourself am I right?
And I said watch Gabriel Merrick, and you ”
Hunter was out of his chair. “That’s exactly what I was doing!”
“What did you just say?” said Gabriel. A new feeling was coiling in his chest, something bitter and frightening.
But the room had fallen into a stricken silence.
Gabriel stared at Hunter. “That’s why you were following me that night.”
“Nice,” said Becca. She was glaring at Hunter, too. “So you misled everyone around you, huh?”
Hunter shook his head. “No, it’s not it wasn’t ”
But Gabriel was already storming back down the hallway, heading for the front door.
