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Only the new boy’s head turned. The sun was still in her eyes, but she thought he grinned at her over his shoulder. His teeth were dark with blood.
“Hell of a first day,” he said.
Then Ash’s cousin—the other Lynburn—and four members of the cricket team were marched off to Ms. Dollard’s office.
Kami ran back up the steps to Holly, pen at the ready. “What happened?”
Holly looked delighted to be asked. “The way I heard it, Matthew Hughes said something and shoved him, and then the new guy punched him, and, well, you know how the cricket guys stick together—”
“Who won the fight?”
“Some of the team were still carrying their bats,” Holly said. “New boy got his ass kicked. I don’t mean to pry,” she added to Ash. “But does he have issues?”
“Oh, Jared’s nothing but issues,” Ash said bitterly. “And the urge to take them out on other people.” He set off toward the principal’s office
“Wait,” Kami said, and her voice caught on the word. “His name’s Jared?”
Ash gave her an impatient glance. “Yeah, so?”
“Nothing.”
Ash nodded and walked away.
It was nothing, Kami told herself. Plenty of people had that name. She just didn’t like hearing it out loud.
It made her remember being in London for the first time, holding her dad’s hand and enjoying the novel sensation of having nobody know her name or her entire life history, having nobody even notice she was Asian because it was an everyday unremarkable thing there. She’d heard someone shout out “Jared!” and spun around, stood up on the stone parapet of Blackfriars Bridge, and looked for him.
But Kami wasn’t a child anymore, to search for him in every crowd. It was a name like any other. She still found herself feeling possessive. Jared was hers, his name was his, and it annoyed her that it was shared by some delinquent.
“Hey, he’s cute,” Holly said, looking after Ash. “Actually, they’re both cute. The new guys, I mean. Ash is cuter, but crazy Jared might be more fun.”
“Yeah, getting expelled from school and spending your life in a chain gang: such fun.” Kami grabbed Holly’s elbow and steered her back inside. “I need to talk to this guy.”
Holly blinked. “Because he’s cute?”
“Because he’s crazy,” said Kami. “And that’s news. Besides, he’s a Lynburn, and I want to know about them. That Lynburn seems a little busy just at present. But can you snag him and bring him to me tomorrow?”
“You know,” Holly drawled, “I’ve never had a problem snagging them.”
Kami felt Jared reach for her, as if he knew she was thinking about him. I’m bored, he said. What are you doing?
Talking about hot guys, Kami informed him.
Jared said, Oh my God.
You did ask.
It’s a topic of absorbing interest, Jared said. I’m sure. Obviously, as a hot guy myself, I wouldn’t know.
Kami laughed.
I find your skepticism very hurtful, Jared said. I’m extremely hot. Except not so much in the face.
If you’re saying a lot of people want to buy tickets to your imaginary gun show, Kami said, I’m very happy for you.
His amusement rippled through her, making her smile, as she and Holly reached their classroom. Holly was giving her a strange look, which made Kami realize that she had been communing silently with the empty air for too long and had also just laughed at nothing.
“Well, thanks, Holly, you’re a pal,” Kami said hastily.
