AllFreeNovel
Share Us
31
Arthur escorts me out of the Spring Room and past a crowd lingering in the hall.
It’s the most people I’ve seen since I arrived, and while the majority are somewhere around my age, give or take a few years, it soon becomes clear that Braxton was right—everyone really is wearing a Gray Wolf sweatshirt, and mine is the only green one. Most of the others are blue.
So it really is like I thought: green equals newbie.
I pick out Song from among them; she’s standing beside a boy I recognize as Finn. I give a little wave, they wave back, and as their eyes trail after us, I watch as Song tips onto her toes and whispers into Finn’s ear.
The way they watch us, looking from me to Arthur, reminds me of how the popular kids used to react every time Elodie deigned to acknowledge me at school. Their eyes scouring over me, searching for clues, trying to solve the mystery ofwhat’s so special about her?
Now more than ever, I need an answer. Because just knowing that Arthur’s betting on me to fulfill his biggest dream has left me feeling really uneasy.
Arthur leads me down a new set of hallways I haven’t yet traveled, and when we reach the end of the corridor, he taps an earpiece I didn’t even notice he was wearing, and says, “I have Natasha Clarke here. She’s ready to jump ahead in her schedule.”
Although he’s not what anyone would consider especially tall or wide, when Arthur turns to face me, he commands such a large presence, it feels like he towers above me.
My belly begins to twitch. There’s a tickle forming in the back of my throat. I want to tell him I’m not at all ready to jump ahead to anything, but sensing that won’t go over so well, I eke out the words, “Um, actually, I go by Nat.”
Arthur studies me for a long moment. And I could be mistaken, but I think there’s a fleeting glimmer of compassion in those obsidian eyes—until it vanishes before it can truly take hold.
“No,” he says, his tone unmistakably definitive. “Not anymore.”
I give a sheepish nod and stare hard at the floor, all the while wondering if I can possibly live up to my mother’s long-ago dream of the Natasha she once hoped for.
The door swings open.
Arthur leaves.
And as I step inside, I’m instantly struck by a single bright spotlight.
