“You said they sat with you at lunch?” I asked.
“Yeah, well, obviously Cupcake doesn’t sit with us anymore. And Felix wasn’t in school yesterday. Matt and Mason saw that I was sitting alone so they invited me over to their table. It was really nice. But I wonder what will happen today now that the Hunters and Isabella are back in school. Who do you think will claim the Untouchables’ table? I really hope it isn’t her.”
I lifted my gaze to where Kennedy was looking. Isabella had just walked in. Her normal minions were nowhere to be seen. All I could hear were her high heels echoing in the hall. I swore people jumped out of her way, but I was probably imagining it. She didn’t look at me at all. Her demon eyes were trained on something at the end of the hall. A pitchfork perhaps to match her red, dress-code inappropriate, heels. But right before she passed by us, she turned her head and smiled. At me. A real, horrifying smile. Her smile grew as she drew a line across her throat with her index finger like she was planning on beheading me.
I gulped. Did that warrant a text to Miller? Technically Isabella hadn’t said a word.
“Wow,” Kennedy said. “Subtle much?” She laughed.
“How are you laughing right now?” I asked. “She still wants to kill me.”
“Laughing is better than curling up in a ball and crying. Trust me…I already did that all weekend.”
I winced.
Kennedy sighed and leaned her back against the lockers. “There’s no point in being scared of her. Your dad promised she wouldn’t hurt me again.”
He’d promised me the same. But he wasn’t here at school with me. I closed my locker. “But what if she…”
“Drugs us or kidnaps us? Worrying about it won’t do us any good.”
That was true. But it wasn’t as simple as worrying about a grade or something. It was life or death when it came to Isabella.
“I can’t believe how wrong I was,” Kennedy said. “When I told you boys like Matthew Caldwell don’t end up with girls like us. How did he propose?”
“It’s a promise ring. We’re not engaged. That’s crazy.”
“He’s crazy for you. But spill it.”
“I was snooping, actually. I found the ring in his nightstand. And he told me to try it on. That’s really it.”
She snapped another photo. “Sixteen and engaged. The life of the elite, I guess. Do you think you’ll have one of those elaborate engagement parties?”
“I don’t think so.” We walked toward her homeroom.
“Well if you do, make sure Justin plans it. I want to hang out with him more. And if you don’t make me your maid of honor?” She drew a line across her throat like Isabella had. “Joking,” she said and laughed on her way into class.
A chill ran down my spine, and it wasn’t from what she’d said. I turned around. Isabella was standing on the other side of the hall. That same horrifying smile on her face. Had she been standing there the whole time just staring at me? I turned and ran to my homeroom despite the fact that my feet still hurt.
Chapter 16
Tuesday
Everywhere I went, Isabella was there. She even came into my English class with the pretense of handing in a late assignment to my teacher. But I didn’t buy it. Because she’d stared at me the whole time with that same creepy smile as earlier. I was used to having her minions keeping their eyes on me when she had been blackmailing Matt. But it was like she didn’t trust their intel now. Like she needed to watch me for herself. And there was nothing more horrifying than her evil, smiling face.
Felix wasn’t in gym class. I’d waited for him by the doors, but he never came. Kennedy said he’d been absent yesterday, and he must have been absent again today. Unless he was avoiding me. I’d hoped to talk to him before the whole school knew about Matt and me. But I’d missed my chance. I sat down on the bleachers and sighed. At least I didn’t have to participate today.
It wasn’t just my mind spinning or my chest aching. All day my stomach was upset, worried about my talk with Felix and avoiding Isabella as best I could. But Felix wasn’t here. And Isabella was somewhere in the school. I didn’t have anything to worry about out here. No creepy half-sisters or awkward conversations. Sitting on the bleachers in gym class was the first time all day I’d been able to breathe easy. I watched as a few of my other classmates ran on the track.
I looked down at Matt’s varsity jacket. The cool autumn wind blew, and I was happy to finally have something warm. I leaned my head back on the bleachers behind me. The sun on my face was as warm as the jacket. My eyelids felt heavy. I yawned and tried to keep them open. It was like my body had been on high alert all day. And now that I was outside, breathing fresh air, I realized how exhausted I was. I yawned again.