Minutes Before Sunset (7 page)

14

I slammed my book on our desk and glared at the misty-eyed boy who had skipped school for almost an entire week. He jumped, but his expression remained starkly neutral. “What’s wrong, Jessica?”

I shuddered.
Did he just use my full name?

He leaned forward, and his green eyes flew over me. “Jessica? What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong?” I collapsed into my chair, my hair whipping against my face. “Are you joking?”

He smiled, and anger flooded my veins.
Why the hell was he smiling?

“You could tell me what’s wrong,” he said. “Then I’ll start joking.”

I held my hand up in his face. “Quit the bullshit,” I said.

He raised his brow. “You still haven’t told me what’s wrong.”

“Give me the chance.”

“I already have,” he said, lowering his voice. “But I’d calm down if I were you. The entire class is staring.”

He was right. Everyone lifted their eyes from their labs to gawk at our table. Even Robb and Crystal were watching.

I gripped the table and turned my back to them. At least there was one positive thing about sitting at the front of the classroom. “Maybe if you were listening to me, you wouldn’t have noticed what others were doing,” I said, and he leaned back, raising his brow.

“I’ve been under the stare radar for a few years now,” he said. “I think I can sense when it’s happening.”

Because you’re an asshole.
“Can you try to talk to me like a normal human being for a minute?”

His shoulders rose, and his face flushed. In a second, he turned his torso away and leaned his elbows against the table.
Had I said something?

He sighed, running his hand through his brown hair. “Just tell me what’s bothering you already.” He was no longer the witty Welborn he was a minute ago.

I bit my lip, shoving my guilt away. “I need to get this project done,” I whined. “Please.”
I want to find my parents.

He studied me, and his face twisted. His dark brown hair fell dangerously close to his eyes, yet their green color pierced me. I was completely transfixed, my eyes locked with his, and I felt a twinge of familiarity dig into my soul. My stomach churned, and my cheeks burned.

“Why?” he asked, breaking our eye contact. My chest sunk.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I snapped, feeling my illogical emotions take over my words.
Why was I feeling this way?

He raised his brow and flipped his pen through his fingers. “Why do you want to finish it so bad?” he asked. “It’s one grade.”

“One grade that’s important to my family—”

“So it isn’t important to you?” he asked, and I lost all capability of responding.

What was going on here?
Something was wrong with me.

“It’s important to me,” I said curtly. “It’s ridiculously important, and I can’t finish it without you.”
Unfortunately.

He turned away. “I guess I can help.”‘

“What?” I asked, expecting him to crack a sarcastic joke. There was no way he was suddenly agreeing.

“You’re acting as if you were expecting me to decline,” he said.

“I was.”

He sighed, leaning on his hand. “Helping one person can’t be that big of a deal,” he said. “Plus, I’m assuming you have a reason behind this irrational need to conform to this institution.” He leaned over, yanking a stack of papers from his backpack. As the bell rang, he shoved them into my hands. “I typed up our lab report last night.”

Who was this guy, and where was Eric Welborn?

“Uh—thanks,” I said, skimming it. He’d done extra work.

“Turn it into the teacher,” he said, standing as kids rushed for the door. “See you later.”

He threw his bag over his shoulder, brushing past without another word. I stared at his back, awestruck, and found my voice at the last second. “Welborn!” I called out to him before he disappeared into the crowd, and he spun around, meeting my eyes. “Where are we meeting?”

Everyone stopped to stare, but he ignored them. “There’s a new coffee shop in town,” he said. “Meet at seven.”

“How am I supposed to know where that is?” I asked, and he tilted his head toward Crystal and Robb.

“I’m sure your friends can help you,” he said, waving over his shoulder as he walked away. “See you around, Jessica.”

I was still frozen at my desk, my heart thundering in my ears, when Crystal grabbed my arm. “What the hell was that?” she asked, and I blinked.

“I have no idea.”

“He took a shot at us,” Robb said, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I don’t like that guy.”

“You’re the one who stood up for him,” I said, and Crystal hit his arm.

“Don’t ruin her accomplishment anyway,” she said. “I thought she’d never get that boy to talk; he doesn’t talk to anyone.” She flipped her purse open, and her pen came out. “How’d you do it?”

I grimaced at her potential rumor column. “I have no idea.” The last thing I wanted was Eric to stop talking to me, because my gossip about him was printed in our school newspaper.

Robb rolled his eyes. “So he’s in a good mood,” he said. “He’s probably has a new girlfriend.”

“Yeah, right.” Crystal giggled, but Robb ignored her, leaning over to scan the papers in my hands.

“Isn’t that the lab from last week?” he asked, and I stared at it again, somehow unable to comprehend how much Eric had changed.

“I guess so,” I said, planning to talk to the teacher about the late assignment after I checked off my next task. “Do you think you could drive me to the coffee shop tonight?”

Robb’s dark eyes lit up. “Of course, Jess.”

“Thanks,” I said, pushing past them to turn it in. Maybe this project wouldn’t be so bad after all.
Even better, maybe Eric would be a good person, and his friendship with Crystal and Robb could heal. But I doubted it.

As much as I wanted to believe in Eric’s nice side, I’d only seen it once and didn’t trust it. All of a sudden, he was kind and—normal. But his eyes. His resonating stare fluttered through my memory, and I shivered. I hadn’t seen kindness in his pupils. I only saw intensity, and, I hated to admit it, but he was beyond intimidating. He was overwhelming.

15

My ears were ringing, and my head thundered with every single sound. Fingernails scraped across keyboards, lips hissed in whispers, and machines roared, steaming with hot liquids. Weren’t coffee shops supposed to be quiet?

I pulled on my headphones and cranked my music to drown out the little noises. Two elderly women glared as I disturbed their peace, and I fought a cringe. If they only knew what their bickering did to my ears, they’d smile with sympathy.

Sweet smells and warm air circled around my skin, but I chilled. After the sun set, it was draining to be a human. I was constantly fighting the urge to shift, and my human skin felt like solitary confinement—something the elders enforced when a shade broke the law.
Which they’d do to me if they knew what I was doing.

The nameless shade flickered over my closed eyelids, and my lips pulled into an uncontrollable grin. She was mystifying. Just her presence affected me. When I was around her, I actually felt like an average shade—not Shoman—and I relaxed. Even when she was upset with my attitude, I was happy. In fact, her frustration delighted me. I’d always reacted that way with girls. They looked so adorable when their cheeks flushed. I couldn’t help grinning, and they’d only get madder, which made my grin spread. It was a lose-lose situation. Just like the one I had with Jessica.

My partner’s aggravation grew so easily, and I couldn’t help but enjoy it. She got angrier, and my sarcasm enhanced—only when it wasn’t serious.

I actually felt bad for her when the classroom gaped at her, but that wasn’t my fault.
Correction: It was. I should apologize when she gets here.

My responsibilities had truly clouded my judgment. Just because I wasn’t human, didn’t mean I could discount human life. The shade girl had taught me that much. In fact, she made me want my human life again.

In only a few days, I was opening up to Mindy and Noah more—not a lot, but more than I ever had before. I stopped ignoring them completely, and my father relaxed, lecturing me less.

Being a human wasn’t as bad as I thought.

A memory of Abby flashed through me, and my senses dipped into the day of my father’s wedding. My entire body spun with the screeching tires and smoke. Glass shattered, and pain slammed through my temple. I’d smacked my head against the car door, but my hand remained wrapped around my friend’s. I prayed for the Dark to save us, but no one came.

I remembered every little sound, every single movement. The noise damaged my hearing for weeks, but the damage was nothing compared to the days afterwards. I could still taste the gasoline and smell the blood. I always saw her death.

“Eric.”

Someone tore through my memories by yanking off my headphones. I leapt into the air, spun around, and, automatically resorted to a fighting stance.

Teresa and Jonathon stepped back, and the entire coffee shop silenced. I froze, darting my eyes around, and dropped my shoulders. “What are you guys doing here?” I hissed, and their eyebrows rose.

“We were hoping you could hang out, jumpy,” Teresa said, letting her eyes flicker over me. “What’s gotten into you?”

I ignored her. “How’d you find me?” I’d never been here before, and I hadn’t told anyone where I was going. Not even my father.

Teresa grinned, and, immediately, I knew. My muscles stiffened.

“You tracked me?” I asked, realizing Teresa—as Camille—used her Light powers to zone in on my energy.

“Does it really matter?” she asked, sitting at my table.

“It’s dangerous,” I spat, falling back into my chair next to her. “What if the Light sensed you?”

“It’s more dangerous to speak about it,” she said, waving her arm toward the customers who’d returned to normal. “What are you doing here anyway?” she asked, toying with my stack of notes.

I yanked them away. “I’m meeting someone.”
So get out.

Jonathon raised his brow as he pulled a seat over. “Jess?” My grip tightened, and Jonathon rolled his eyes. “The whole school was talking about it.”

I groaned, and Teresa leaned toward him. “Who’s Jess?” she asked, whipping toward me. “Do you have a new girlfriend?”

“No,” I said, fighting my past again. “I’m not allowed; remember?”

She whistled low. “Don’t get so defensive.”

“I’m not being defensive,” I argued, and Teresa fiddled with her short hair.

“It’s not like you’re not allowed to have friends,” she said, raising her brow, and I glowered at her. She was testing my emotions.

“I don’t have any,” I said.

“You have us,” Jonathon said.

I laid my head on the table. “Why are you guys here?”
Please leave me alone.

“Saving you,” Jonathon said, shooting up from his seat. “We’re going out for a flight, just us three.”

“We haven’t done it in ages,” Teresa added, and I shook my head.

“I can’t,” I said. “I have plans.”

Jonathon adjusted his thick-rimmed glasses. “With a human.”

“So what?”

Teresa slammed her hand on the table. “She is your girlfriend.”

“No, she isn’t, Teresa,” I said, forcing my guard’s human name on her.

She frowned. “I don’t like this, Eric,” she said. “You never do homework.”

“And you never talk to anyone, let alone girls,” Jonathon added.

“It doesn’t mean anything,” I said, dreading their suspicions. I did not need them studying my every move when I spent most of them helping an unregistered shade. “I’m completely focused on training.”

“Then why didn’t you show up today?” Jonathon asked, reminding me of Urte’s training sessions. They were supposed to start today, and I avoided them like I avoided the elders.

“I needed a break,” I dismissed my actions, and Teresa grabbed my arm.

“So come out tonight,” she coaxed. “And don’t hesitate, or I really will think you’re into this girl.”

“Let’s go then,” I said, collecting my things before my current situation threatened exposure. I wasn’t about to risk my freedom for Jessica Taylor’s homework. I had priorities, after all.
Even if my priorities involved lying to the Dark.

I rushed out of the coffee shop before they could further their interrogation, and they skipped behind me. The door rang as it slammed shut, and the streetlamps blurred against my night vision. Beside me, Jonathon took his glasses off, revealing his burning green eyes, and Teresa’s black hair slowly grew. My blood began to simmer, and I fought the urge to morph completely in the street.

“Good luck, Jess.”

My feet dug into the pavement as I heard Robb’s shout fly over us. I turned, leaning against the brick wall, and watched as my partner jumped from a blue Chevy. Robb waved out the window, and Jess waved back, clutching her purse with her free hand.

“See you around, Robb,” she shouted, running into the coffee shop.

“Is that her?” Teresa asked, grazing against my arm.

My jaw popped as I turned away. “It’s fine,” I said, leading her toward the nearest alleyway. We could change and leave from there. “Let’s go.”

I had the weekend to avoid Jessica anyway.