to be . . . well, you know.” I poke him in the ribs gently. “Okay? But I will figure it out, I promise. I figured out what I had to do with Danny, didn’t I?”
The last part is whispered, since I never know when Robin will be lurking. And Gabriel smiles, the cloud in his eyes clearing long enough for me to see the boy I’ve fallen for so hard, the one who’s smart and serious and funny in the most unexpected, dry ways. The boy who is just a kid, too, and worried about his girlfriend.
A boy who would most likely lose his shit if he knew a couple of strangers had caught me doing magic and then tracked me down.
But right now he’s the boy who’s leaning down to sneak one or two more quick kisses, hands clasped tight, before we’re interrupted.
I hope wherever they keep track of this stuff, I’m getting extra points for understanding today. And that if Gabriel is still keeping parts of himself shut away, it’s okay to keep a secret or two of my own.
Chapter Seven
AUDREY DIEHL IS HANGING A POSTER ABOUT Adam’s disappearance in the north hall Monday morning when I walk by on the way to my locker. His school photo is blown up in the middle of the page, and he smiles beneath the stark, bold MISSING above his head.
All Audrey’s usual armor is gone. As far as I can tell she’s not even wearing lip gloss. “Still nothing?” I ask her.
She shakes her head. “I sat with his little brothers most of the weekend while his parents were knocking on doors.” Her smile is tight and sad. “It was even less fun than you might have guessed.”
I had forgotten Adam had twin brothers. They’re probably ten or eleven now, young enough to want promises that Adam will show up safe, and old enough to figure out that it probably won’t happen, not after a week.
For a minute, the whistling hollow in my chest opens up, just like when I heard that Danny had died, and I have to swallow hard.
“I’m sorry.” I don’t know Audrey well enough to hug her or even touch her arm, but I want to help. “I can take posters, if you want. Put some up downtown and in Bliss. My boss would be totally cool with it.”
Oh God, her eyes are filling up. I make myself stand there while she pulls a sheaf of flyers out of her bag and hands them to me. “Thanks, Wren.”
She’s already leaking tears by the time I grab the posters and head down the hall, and I have to hope Cleo or one of Audrey’s regular entourage will show up.
I’m halfway to my locker when I see the dark back of a long wool coat down the hall, and I freeze for a second before I realize Bay doesn’t go to this school. When the boy in the coat turns around, it’s some senior laughing with a bunch of other guys.
Gabriel and I walk to homeroom together after we meet at my locker, and I stay close to him, glad of his solid warmth pressed against me. I spent most of yesterday at Darcia’s printing out the photos I took, and then at the café. Gabriel and I only managed to talk for a little while last night, and I missed him.
But I’m still not going to tell him about meeting Fiona and Bay. I definitely don’t want to give him another reason to worry about me. And there’s nothing to worry about, anyway. Bay and Fiona are just kids , like me, even if they do have power, but I haven’t seen any evidence of that. They’re probably wannabes with a Ouija board and a couple of grocery store herbs who think a few words in Latin are going to send them to another realm.
Gabriel faces me across the aisle when we sit down in homeroom, and I shove down all thoughts of everything that isn’t his slow, gorgeous smile.
“French exam today?” he asks, crossing his legs at the ankles.
“Oui.” I nod. “That means yes, for the uninformed.”
“Yeah, I got that, smart-ass.” He grins wider and slides his foot across the linoleum to toe at my scuffed Doc. “How do you say good luck in French?”
I snort. “If I knew, maybe I’d pass the exam.”
He rolls his eyes,
The last part is whispered, since I never know when Robin will be lurking. And Gabriel smiles, the cloud in his eyes clearing long enough for me to see the boy I’ve fallen for so hard, the one who’s smart and serious and funny in the most unexpected, dry ways. The boy who is just a kid, too, and worried about his girlfriend.
A boy who would most likely lose his shit if he knew a couple of strangers had caught me doing magic and then tracked me down.
But right now he’s the boy who’s leaning down to sneak one or two more quick kisses, hands clasped tight, before we’re interrupted.
I hope wherever they keep track of this stuff, I’m getting extra points for understanding today. And that if Gabriel is still keeping parts of himself shut away, it’s okay to keep a secret or two of my own.
Chapter Seven
AUDREY DIEHL IS HANGING A POSTER ABOUT Adam’s disappearance in the north hall Monday morning when I walk by on the way to my locker. His school photo is blown up in the middle of the page, and he smiles beneath the stark, bold MISSING above his head.
All Audrey’s usual armor is gone. As far as I can tell she’s not even wearing lip gloss. “Still nothing?” I ask her.
She shakes her head. “I sat with his little brothers most of the weekend while his parents were knocking on doors.” Her smile is tight and sad. “It was even less fun than you might have guessed.”
I had forgotten Adam had twin brothers. They’re probably ten or eleven now, young enough to want promises that Adam will show up safe, and old enough to figure out that it probably won’t happen, not after a week.
For a minute, the whistling hollow in my chest opens up, just like when I heard that Danny had died, and I have to swallow hard.
“I’m sorry.” I don’t know Audrey well enough to hug her or even touch her arm, but I want to help. “I can take posters, if you want. Put some up downtown and in Bliss. My boss would be totally cool with it.”
Oh God, her eyes are filling up. I make myself stand there while she pulls a sheaf of flyers out of her bag and hands them to me. “Thanks, Wren.”
She’s already leaking tears by the time I grab the posters and head down the hall, and I have to hope Cleo or one of Audrey’s regular entourage will show up.
I’m halfway to my locker when I see the dark back of a long wool coat down the hall, and I freeze for a second before I realize Bay doesn’t go to this school. When the boy in the coat turns around, it’s some senior laughing with a bunch of other guys.
Gabriel and I walk to homeroom together after we meet at my locker, and I stay close to him, glad of his solid warmth pressed against me. I spent most of yesterday at Darcia’s printing out the photos I took, and then at the café. Gabriel and I only managed to talk for a little while last night, and I missed him.
But I’m still not going to tell him about meeting Fiona and Bay. I definitely don’t want to give him another reason to worry about me. And there’s nothing to worry about, anyway. Bay and Fiona are just kids , like me, even if they do have power, but I haven’t seen any evidence of that. They’re probably wannabes with a Ouija board and a couple of grocery store herbs who think a few words in Latin are going to send them to another realm.
Gabriel faces me across the aisle when we sit down in homeroom, and I shove down all thoughts of everything that isn’t his slow, gorgeous smile.
“French exam today?” he asks, crossing his legs at the ankles.
“Oui.” I nod. “That means yes, for the uninformed.”
“Yeah, I got that, smart-ass.” He grins wider and slides his foot across the linoleum to toe at my scuffed Doc. “How do you say good luck in French?”
I snort. “If I knew, maybe I’d pass the exam.”
He rolls his eyes,
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