“You ever heard of the Mothman?” When she saw my look, she laughed. “It’s another crazy thing about this flying giant dragonfly that warns people before something bad happens. Up in Point Pleasant, some have reported seeing it before the bridge collapsed and killed a bunch of people. And days before that, they said they saw men in suits hanging around.” I opened my mouth to respond, but our teacher walked in. At first, I didn’t recognize him. His light brown hair was styled back from his forehead. His polo was pressed, nothing like the worn shirt and jeans I’d last seen him in.
Matthew was Mr. Garrison, my bio teacher — the same guy who’d been at Daemon’s house when we returned from the lake.
He picked papers off his desk and looked up, his gaze scanning the class. His eyes landed on me, and I felt the blood drain from my face.
“Are you okay?” whispered Lesa.
Mr. Garrison held my gaze a second longer and then looked away. I let out the breath I was holding. “Yeah,” I whispered, swallowing thickly. “I’m okay.”
I sat back in my chair, staring ahead blankly while Mr. Garrison launched right into class, going over our course material and labs we’d be participating in. The obligatory animal autopsy was scheduled, much to my dismay. The idea of cutting into animals, dead or not, gave me the creeps.
But not as badly as the creeps Mr. Garrison gave me. Throughout class, I’d feel his concentrated gaze on me, and it was as if he was seeing right through me. What the hell was going on around here?
…
The school cafeteria was near the gymnasium, a long and rectangular space that smelled of overcooked food and disinfectant. Yum. White tables filled the room and most of them were already occupied by the time I got there. Standing in line, I recognized Carissa.
She turned, spotted me, and smiled. “Spaghetti on the menu, or at least what they consider spaghetti.”
Grimacing, I plopped some on my tray. “It doesn’t look too bad.”
“Not after you’ve seen the meatloaf.” She added noodles to her plate, along with a side of salad. Then she picked up her drink. “I know. Chocolate milk and spaghetti do not go together.”
“No, they don’t.” I giggled, grabbing a bottle of water. “Do they allow anyone off campus to eat?”
“No, but they don’t stop us when we do.” Carissa handed a few dollars to the lunch lady, then turned to me. “You have anyone to sit with?”
Forking over cash, I nodded. “Yeah, I’m sitting with Dee. You?”
“What?” she said.
I looked up. Carissa stared at me, openmouthed. “I’m sitting with Dee. I’m sure you can sit—”
“No, I can’t.” Carissa grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the line.
I arched a brow. “Really? Why? Are they social lepers or something?”
She pushed her glasses up her nose as she rolled her eyes. “No. They’re pretty cool and all, but the last girl to do so, like, disappeared.”
Knots formed in my stomach as I let out a nervous laugh. “You’re kidding, right?”
“No,” she said solemnly. “She disappeared around the same time their brother did.”
I couldn’t believe it. What else was I going to find out? Aliens? Men in black? The Mothman? That the tooth fairy was real?
Carissa glanced over at a table full of friends. A few seats were open. “Her name was Bethany Williams. She transferred to this school in the middle of her sophomore year, a little after they got here.” She tipped her head to the back of the cafeteria. “And she struck up a relationship with Dawson, and they both disappeared around the start of junior year.” Why did that name sound familiar? Did it matter? There was so much I didn’t know about Dee.
“Anyway, do you want to sit with us?” Carissa asked.
I shook my head, feeling bad for turning down her offer. “I promised Dee I would sit with her today.”
Carissa relented with a weak smile. “Well, then maybe tomorrow?”
“Yes.” I smiled. “Tomorrow, definitely.”
Readjusting my book bag, I took my plate of food toward the back of the cafeteria. I saw Dee immediately. She was chatting with one of the Thompson brothers while she twisted her midnight hair around her finger. Across from the one golden-haired god was another with his back to me, half sitting on the table. I wondered which one was her ‘kind of’ boyfriend. The table was full, except for two open spaces. All guys except Dee.
Then I saw Ash’s ultra shiny cap of blonde hair from behind the boy on the table. Oddly enough, she was sitting higher than everyone else. A moment later I realized why.
She was sitting on Daemon’s lap. Her arms were draped around his neck, and I watched her press her chest right up against him, smiling at what he said.
Hadn’t he tried to kiss me on the porch? I was pretty sure I hadn’t imagined that. Daemon was a douchebag to the highest order.
“Katy!” Dee exclaimed.
Everyone at the table looked up. Even the one twin turned in his seat. His sky blue eyes widened upon seeing me. The other twin sat back, folding his arms. The scowl on his face was a work of art.
“Sit,” Dee said, smacking the top of the table across from her. “We were talking about—”
“Wait,” Ash said. Her red painted lips twisted into a pout. “You did not invite
The knots returned in full force, rendering me speechless.
“Shut up, Ash,” grumbled the twin that had turned around. “You’re going to make a scene.”
“I’m not going to make anything happen.” Her arm around Daemon’s neck tightened. “She doesn’t need to sit with us.”
Dee sighed. “Ash, stop being a bitch. She’s not trying to steal Daemon from you.”
My cheeks flamed as I stood there awkwardly. Anger rolled off Ash in waves, spreading across the table, smacking into me.
“That’s not what I’m worried about.” Ash snickered, her gaze drifting over me as her lip curled. “For real.”
The longer I stood there, the stupider I felt. My eyes bounced from Dee to Daemon, but he was looking over Ash’s shoulder, his jaw working.
“Just sit,” Dee said, motioning me forward. “She’ll get over it.”
I started to put my plate down.
Daemon whispered, and Ash smacked his arm. Not lightly either. He pressed his cheek into her neck, and that dark and unwanted feeling sprung up deep inside me.
I dragged my eyes away from them, focusing on Dee. “I don’t know if I should.”
“You shouldn’t,” Ash snapped.
“Shut up,” Dee said, and then to me she said sweetly, “I’m sorry I know such hideous bitches.”
I almost smiled, but there was a burning in my chest that was spreading up my throat, down my back. “Are you sure?” I heard myself say.
Daemon lifted his head from Ash’s neck long enough to rake a long, confusing look over me. “I think it’s obvious if you’re wanted here or not.”
“Daemon,” hissed Dee, her cheeks red. She turned to me, tears in her eyes. “He’s not being serious.”
“Are you being serious, Daemon?” Ash turned in his lap, head cocked to the side.
My heart was already pounding in my chest when his eyes met mine. His were sheltered. “Actually I was being serious.” He leaned over the table, staring up at me through thick lashes. “You’re not wanted here.” Dee spoke again, but I was beyond hearing. My face felt like it was on fire. People around us were starting to stare. One of the Thompson boys was smirking while the other looked as though he wanted to crawl underneath the table
I’d never been more humiliated in my life.
Daemon turned away, staring over Ash’s shoulder again.
“Run along,” Ash said, flicking her long, slender fingers at me.
All the faces staring up at me, a mixture of pity and secondhand embarrassment, threw me back three years.
