He took out his phone and started talking to it. “What time is sunset tonight?”
It took me by surprise when it answered him. “Sunset will happen at 8:11 pm.”
He pitched his voice to a louder volume and wiggled his eyebrows, I guess in an attempt to put my mind at ease, but it didn’t help. I was trembling inside. “So dusk will be at about 8:30 the perfect time to be getting home. I’ll call your Dad and make sure he knows. No more fighting between you and Clarissa, verbal or otherwise. I won’t have any more disruptions during practice. Understood?”
I was starting to wonder if he was actually serious, but then the office door opened and the baseball coach walked in and cleared up any doubt I’d had that Mr. Masson was still acting.
“Just because you have a few broken bones doesn’t mean you can’t continue to condition the rest of your body Eden, you’ll thank me come next season.”
I didn’t know how long the baseball coach had been standing outside the office door, but apparently, it had been for a little while because Mr. Masson had obviously known when he’d arrived. He gave me a fatherly pat on the shoulder as he rounded his desk and turned his attention to the other coach. “Can I help you, Dylan?”
The other coach just stood there for a moment staring at me, and then he said, “You’re Eden Garrows, right?”
I felt my eyebrow hike in response. “Yes, Sir.”
He sighed, and I could tell he was worried about something. “You’re Drew Graves’, eh um—girlfriend or something, right?”
The man was positively nervous, and I had to fight the urge to laugh. Echo had no qualms about putting in her two cents, though.
Oh, that’s just precious! Gawd, he was just as awkward in high school when it came to talking to girls. I bet you he still lives in his mama’s basement. Hell, I’d bet he’s still a damn virgin.
There was a slight feeling of resentment when she’d said it, and I got a distinct feeling that this particular guy had been a relationship prospect that had gone wrong or worse, someone who’d rejected her.
“Have you heard from him? He didn’t show up for advisory this morning. His mother didn’t pick up when the attendance lady called.”
“Sorry, I haven’t, but I know that my best friend Jennifer is out with the stomach flu, and we were all together last night, so maybe he came down with it too? If I hear anything, I’ll let you know, though.”
He seemed to peer right through me, and it made me squirm a little. I’d never had him for any classes and knew next to nothing about him. He adjusted his baseball hat and started to leave with a grunt and a nod but turned toward me again when he reached the doorway. “Are you Echora’s Daughter, or is that just one of those hair-brained rumors that have been flying around?”
My heart skipped a beat or two, but I still managed to get the appropriate answer out. People hearing the rumor was something I’d need to get used to—and without giving away the fact that it was true. “I’m afraid that’s just a rumor, Mr…”
“Mr. Sarges. I don’t know how I didn’t see it before, but you do resemble her. It would be easy to believe you were her daughter. But I guess it makes sense. You are, after all, her brother’s daughter.” With that, he just stood there, and the expression on his face was a pained one.
An awkward silence fell over the room. Mr. Masson put a hand on my shoulder as he walked past me and alleviated the unsettling mood that had crept into the room. “So Dylan, how’s the Mrs.?”
“She’s as big as a house and ready to pop any day now!” Mr. Sarges’ forlorn expression instantly brightened at the mention of his wife, and I felt Echo’s emotional balance falter and plummet. She sighed in disappointment.
Of course, he grew up and came into a happy life with a wife and, apparently, a kid on the way. Just like my high school bully, Sandy grew up to be a successful doctor, and what the hell did life give me? Dead, it gave me death! I didn’t deserve this!
Seriously Echo? I have someone trying to kill me, and you’re obsessing over how life cheated you. My life could end in the next—less than 24 hours, and you are pissed about something that happened 17 years ago?
My temper flared, I started to shake with my anger and resentment. It spread and almost swallowed me whole in its hot wave, but somewhere deep down, there was an underlying sense of confusion. I wasn’t exactly sure why I was suddenly so mad. All I knew is that I wanted to hit something, destroy someone, and make them hurt the way I was hurting. Life wasn’t fair because good things happened to not so great people, and horrible things happened to good people. The sorrow swirled and came crashing down on me with so much force, all I could do was cry.
Mr. Masson was back across the room in less than an instant and sitting me down in a nearby chair.
“Alright, well I will talk to you later Curtis, I gotta get to the dugout and get things ready for baseball practice.” Mr. Sarges couldn’t get out of the room fast enough, it seemed.
“Eden, are you okay?”
That same feeling of confusion flooded me as I was about to answer Mr. Masson, and I realized these emotions were not so much mine as they were Echo’s. Even with my dose being cut in half apparently if Echo had a large enough emotional onslaught, it could still spill over and taint my own emotions. I brought my gaze to
