“Sophie, your classmates were beating on you.”
“Really, I just fell.” I deserved it, is what I wanted to say.
“Let’s get you to the nurse, then.” He didn’t have to tell me twice.
The library was my refuge now. After Nurse Sunny released me, I made my way there like I had every evening. It was blessedly empty as most students were outside enjoying the warmer weather. I was reading a book about the history of Animage Academy when a noise startled me. I looked up to see Hudson standing in front of my table.
“Sophie, are you okay? I’ve been hearing awful rumors.”
“It’s nothing, I just fell down.” It was the same story I’d told Professor Sarah when she’d arrived late to class to find me bleeding on the floor. Hudson didn’t leave.
“Can uh—can I sit here?” I shrugged. He sat down. I continued reading.
“Sophie…” he started.
“I’m reading, Hudson.” He fell quiet again. I was attempting to work on an essay on the formation of Animage Academy. But it was hard to concentrate when I was being interrupted by the sounds of sighing and rustling in the seat of my tablemate. I tried my best to ignore him.
“Sophie,” he finally burst out. “I’m worried about you. You look terrible. You haven’t been able to shift in months.”
“Why are you worried about me all of a sudden?”
“Sophie, you got in a fight today.”
“So?”
“Please come talk to us again.”
“Does Willa still blame me?”
“I’ve tried to get her to talk to you.”
“I didn’t tell my dad,” I said. Hudson didn’t respond.
“You still don’t believe me.”
“I do believe you, Sophie.”
I stopped reading and looked up at his face. It was the same affable face I’d met the first day of classes. Being close to him gave me the same feeling I had when I was flying in my dragon form. Almost like I was coming home after a long day. But now his brown eyes had a seriousness to them I wasn’t used to. Did he really believe me? What had changed? In response to my unasked question he opened his notebook and slid it over to me.
“It’s from my types of animages class the other day, look what my professor said dragons are known for.”
Hudson had written one word: telepathy.
“You think my dad read my mind without me knowing?”
“I hate to accuse your dad of anything but…” he left the implication hanging.
“So, I didn’t tell, but it’s still my fault.” I rolled my eyes and continued reading.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“What did you mean, then, Hudson? You haven’t spoken to me for months. You refused to believe me when I told you I didn’t tell. If you haven’t noticed, I’ve not been having a very good time of it lately, so excuse me if I don’t have the patience for you to come over and make me feel worse about myself.”
Hudson opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, but no words came out. Once again, I went back to reading.
“Sophie, I’m sorry. I never really believed you told on Willa’s mom. But it was true that you were hanging out with your new friends all the time and I didn’t know what to make of you. I guess I let myself believe it was possible because, well—because I was jealous.”
His confession made me pause what I was reading on the page. “Jealous?”
“Jealous of you—and Drew.” I couldn’t breathe. This time it wasn’t because of my bruised ribs. Something tugged on my brain, telling me this was important, but I didn’t want to think of why. I looked up, and he was staring at me. The butterflies were acting up in my stomach again. Did he mean what I thought he meant? I thought I might shatter from the intensity of his stare.
A rock sailed through the window next to us, shattering it.
Hudson growled and stuck his head out the window to yell at someone. The grass below the window was empty. There was nothing to do but pick up the pieces of glass. I knew better than to sit so close to a window where other people could see me.
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Hudson grumbled, squatting down to help me. I froze and dropped the pieces of glass I was holding.
“Sophie?” Hudson was staring at me again.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I repeated.
“Are you okay?”
“Hudson, I’ve just remembered!” I stood up and began pacing up and down the floor. Hudson rubbed the back of his neck and watched me.
“Just remembered what?” I waved my hand and shushed him. There was something at the edge of my mind. Some crucial piece of information that would blow away if I couldn’t get it back. I paced a couple more minutes before I looked up and grinned.
“I have it!”
“Have what?”
“Let’s grab some books, I need to do some more research.”
Chapter Seventeen
And idea was forming in my mind, but I couldn’t grasp it just yet. Hudson and I hadn’t found anything the night before, so I’d returned to the library and had all the books related to the history of Animage Academy and the other magic schools scattered around me. In all, they took up three tables. I rolled up my sleeves and grabbed the top one on the closest pile. This was going to take some work.
“You can’t make me, this is not what we agreed.” A soft voice made my ears twitch. Who besides me would come to the library on a Saturday? Hudson appeared from behind a shelf. With him were Willa and Gracie.
“We—uh—thought you might need some help. What do you need us to do?” Despite his words, Hudson didn’t look very eager. Neither did his companions. Willa had her arms crossed over her chest and was staring daggers at Hudson. Gracie’s eyes flitted all over the room, looking at anything but me.
“Don’t
