Cursed

to believe it’d been some stupid prank, but the nagging worry in the pit of my stomach told me differently. People just didn’t do things like that. Sighing, I wrapped my arms around the pillow and closed my eyes.

Visions of carved bunnies haunted my sleep.

Chapter 12

Mr. Theo delivered a few days later. “Have you had any more problems?”

I glanced down at the slip of paper that held my new locker assignment. “No. Three days without a single thing.”

“I’m happy to hear that. I have to admit, seeing that rabbit even freaked me out a little bit. It made me question taking this job in West Virginia.” He pushed his glasses up his nose, grinning. The act reminded me so much of Adam my heart clenched.

“Yeah, I guess it was just some sick prank to welcome the new girl or something.”

“To be honest with you, I don’t believe that was some kind of harmless prank.” He met my eyes.

“People just don’t do that kind of thing.”

It felt good to know someone else didn’t appear as easily fooled or hopeful as Hayden. He, by the way, still refused to even consider that one of his adopted family members could have had anything to do with it. “I know,” I finally said, “but nothing else has happened.”

“Well, if anything does I want you to feel comfortable coming to me or another faculty member.

Okay?”

The strange thing about Mr. Theo was that I did feel comfortable enough to tell him. Heck, I felt like I could confide in him. Which was odd, because who felt like they could talk—really talk—to any of their teachers? Maybe it was because he was so young, more like an older brother than an authority figure.

I shifted the backpack to my other shoulder. “Okay. Thanks again for the new locker. I really appreciate it.” Something small and shiny caught my eye—a silver coin next to his grade book. I don’t know what got into me. I never touched things on teachers’ desks; there were rules against that sort of thing, but it was like I felt compelled. I picked it up, slowly turning it over in my hand. A carousel was imprinted on one side and the words Ex mente were engraved on the other. The coin felt heavy and warm in my hand.

“My lucky charm,” Mr. Theo said, leaning back in his chair. “Not sure if it works, but I like to think it does.”

“Oh.” I flicked it over with my thumb. “What do these words mean?”

“The words are ‘from the mind’ in Latin. I believe all great things come from the mind.” He opened his schedule planner, glancing up at me. “You can keep it.”

“Oh, no.” My cheeks flushed. “I couldn’t do that. It’s your lucky charm.”

He waved his hand. “I don’t need it. Take it. Maybe you could use the good luck.”

I started to argue, but I realized I could use the luck. Hayden had said he wanted to start working with my… ability after school today.

I had no idea what he had planned, but I figured I could use all the luck in the world.

An abrupt wave of dizziness washed over me. Blinking, I took a step back and slid the coin in the pocket of my hoodie. I guess I was more freaked out about the secret training session than I realized.

“Thanks,” I mumbled.

“No problem. Just take care of it.” Then he turned back to his planner, checking off something.

I hurried to my next class, and the rest of the day kind of went like that. Every so often I’d feel dizzy and nervous. Hayden noticed, but didn’t push it. I think he knew I was worried about tonight. He had this huge faith that my “gift” could be controlled.

He had no clue.

I shuffled into bio just as the last bell rang. From his seat, Hayden watched me with raised brows as I darted to my chair. I felt my ears turn pink.

“Pop quiz,” Coach Ashford announced, handing out several sheets with the vaguest questions I’d ever seen. “Eyes on your own papers, kids.”

“Quiz on what?” Cory muttered.

“I think the cell nucleus stuff,” I said.

“Huh?”

I pointed at the last slide that was still up from yesterday. “I’m guessing that.”

“What would I do without my new lab partner? I’d be lost.” He grinned and nudged my hand with his pencil.

I jerked back so hard the chair screeched across the floor. Coach Ashford looked up with a frown from whatever sports magazine he had his nose stuck in. So did several kids from the front of the class.

Hayden sent me a puzzled look.

“Hey. Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you,” Cory said.

I had to catch my breath. “Yeah, I’m a little jumpy.”

“Hey! Hey! No talking or I take the slide down,” Coach said.

Groans sounded and even a few death glares were directed at us. I started scribbling down answers as my heart thundered.

I had the gloves on, but it’d still caught me off guard. At my old school, no one casually touched me. It was like I was a carrier of the plague—at least up until the night Dustin had touched me outside the grocery store.

I shuddered.

Coach got up, walking down the aisles. “Time’s up. Pass them over.”

Cory reached over, almost brushing my arm as he grabbed my quiz. My anxiety level spiked through the roof. Clenching my hands, I glanced up and saw Hayden turned around in his seat, dark eyes fixed on me.

What? I mouthed at him.

He looked pointedly at Cory before he turned back around.

“We start a new section on Monday,” Coach announced toward the end of class. “We are moving on to human—” He paused, glancing down at his notes. “Anatomy? Yep. That’s it.”

After the bell rang, I nearly tackled Hayden outside the classroom. “What’s up with the look you gave me?”

His smile was dazzling, overly innocent. “What are you talking about?”

I struggled to keep up with his long-legged pace. “Did you think I was going to touch—?”

“More like, did I think Cory was going to touch you?” he asked as we stopped at our lockers. “Cory was getting way too friendly with those hands.”

With a decent amount of dread, I slowly opened my locker. Nothing inside. Relief coursed through me. Day four and no dead things equaled awesome. “He tapped me with his pencil. I don’t call that friendly. And I have my gloves on.” I wiggled my fingers.

“Whatever.” He slammed his locker shut, hands empty. He never took books home.

I wondered how, and if, he passed any of his classes.

* * *

Half an hour after dinner, Hayden led me outside through the garage. “Where are we going?” I asked.

“You’ll see.”

I raised my brows as he headed straight for the dense tree line. “We’re going in there?”

Hayden chuckled. “Yes.”

“Why?” I hurried to catch up with him.

“We need somewhere private, where we don’t have to worry about anyone walking in on us.”

My stomach went all fluttery. “There’s, like, a hundred rooms in that house.”

“There aren’t a hundred rooms, and I don’t want someone busting in on us.”

The fluttering went up a notch. “We aren’t going to get caught out here?” I shivered in my sweater while Hayden, in only a thin shirt, seemed unfazed by the brisk air. “Or attacked by Bigfoot?”